"Social fact plays a central role in the sociology of Emile Durkheim". Comment.

Emile Durkheim defines social fact as any way of acting, feeling or any social process which guides the human behavior and is external and coercive to the individual. fig. features of social facts.

Durkheim considers that it's society that guides the behavior of people. If individuals violate the norms and values of the society then punishment is used to re-establish the collective conscience again.

Social facts are independent of the individuals. However actors act as substrate for the interactions. The interactions have life of their own and follow its principle independent of the actors.

Through socialisation, the norms and values of society are ingrained in all members of society.

Durkheim also proposed the way of studying the social facts in his book "The Rules of sociological methods", 1895:

n and follow its principle independent of the actors.

Through socialisation, the norms and values of society are ingrained in all members of society.

Durkheim also proposed the way of studying the social facts in his book "The Rules of sociological methods", 1895:

1. Treat them as things
2. Use methods of natural sciences
3. Analyse social facts through their manifestations and consequences.
4. one social fact explain other facts

Durkheim used concept of social fact in all his researches as a central principle.

Suicide: Durkheim considers that suicide rate is social fact and not the individual suicide. suicide rate is external to individuals. social currents (function of integration and regulation) which are general and independent of individual cause suicide.

Religion: Durkheim argues that through rituals, the moral power of society is converted in religion. Hence Religion reflects the society and guide the behavior of people. He treats collective sentiments as social fact.

Totem: In his "The Religion of Primitive society" he explains that totems are the collective representations which are made by the people.

Division of labor: In his book "Division of labor", 1892, he gives primacy to society. DoL is decided by the society and is a social fact.

In his other works, he studied morality, justice, language etc. as social facts.

Criticisms of Durkheim

(1) Interactionists like weber criticise him that, he ignored the meanings and motives of the individuals (2) Peter Berger argues that, objectivity of social facts can't be ensured. (3) Phenomenologists criticise him on reducing the social phenomenon to the social facts. There is no objective knowledge. Atkinson arguss that Common sensical knowledge of coroners was used in suicide.