Youth and Community Work BSocSc (Hons)
SS1102 social anaylsis
Discuss Durkheim’s Key Ideas and Concepts, the Strengths and Limitations of his Theoretical Approach
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
2
FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
3
DEFINITION OF SOLIDARITY
3
DESCRIPTION OF THE COMMUNITY
4
COMMUNITY AND RELIGION
5
POWERFUL FEMALE ROLE
6
SUICIDE AND RELIGION
7
NEW COMMUNITY OF THE 21ST CENTURY
9
FURTHER LIMITATIONS
11
CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE
11
CONCLUSION
12
BIBLIIOGRAPHY
12
Social Analysis SS1102
Q1. Introduction
Durkheim’s key ideas, concepts, strengths and limitations of his theoretical approach will be discussed using a familiar community. Durkheim’s concepts of mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity will be used as a template to describe the familiar community. The community began in 1934 when land was set aside to develop thirty houses in the North side of the city. The community, now 82 years old has gone through several changes, moving from mechanical to organic solidarity between its residents. This assignment will look at, Durkheim’s mechanical and organic solidarity how they both exist at the same time. We will see through Durkheim’s approach, a change in religious beliefs, church attendance, community expansion, family rules and the importance of the emerging power of the female role within the community.
Durkheim’s approach was to examine social structural determinants in relation to social problems of humans. He studied the function of society (McDonald 2009). Social facts have their own determinants and characteristics according to Durkheim. These are outside the internal control of the individual, yet they determine how we act and behave externally as individuals (Ritzer 2015).
Durkheim (1893/1933) arrived at the answer to social integration – being or come into equal membership of society, where people are united by their shared social bonds and values; he referred to this as mechanical solidarity (Henslin 2009). “Community” maybe viewed as securing services for everyone by supporting groups to recognize and deal with issues on behalf of the collective (Popple 1995).
Functionalist Perspective
Socialisation is an essential mechanism when integrating individuals into society, to achieve social order. This enables society to attain goals for the good of all, achieve conformity, create social norms and rules to benefit of all and create rites of passage / religious and social (Giddens 1997). Human personality or self, maybe a result of shaping that particular society the infant is born into. Functionalism concentrates extensively on primary socialisation which occurs within family (Edgar and Sedgwick 2002).
Definition of Solidarity
Marx viewed solidarity within society as one for all and all for one.
According to Desfor Edles, & Appelrouth, (2010) through Durkheim’s studies he saw two sides to solidarity – Durkheim named them as:
1. Mechanical Solidarity - Occurrences within smaller communities i.e. rural areas where people are complet...
