Theory Exam 2

Durkheim - what is society

society is a system of social facts:

• external - these rules come from outside you (language - you don’t create it but you use it)

• constraining - they influence you or limit your behavior (follow norms because if not there’s consequences)

• collective - shared by a group of people (traditions)

social facts

• external - outside you

• constraining - pressures behavior

• visible when violated

solidarity

• mechanical - similarity (people are connected because they’re alike)

• organic - interdependence (people specialize in a job)

division of labor + anomie

• division or labor - specialization of tasks, created interdependence

• the problem - less shared experiences, weaker collective norms

• results - normlessness (unclear rules)

• disconnection and instability

Durkheim theory in motion

• social facts → norms/institutions → solidarity → stability

• weakened social facts (weak regulation) → anomie → instability

simmel - what is society

• society = interaction

• built through repeated interaction

exchange

• giving and receiving

• creates value (money gives products value)

• creates obligation (when someone gives you something, you feel you should give back)

• produces power (boss pays employees, so they have power)

conflict

• connects and divides

• creates boundaries (girls and boys, freshman and seniors)

• reinforces identity

• drives change

money

• efficient (don’t trade items, just use money)

• impersonal (don’t care about the person you’re buying from)

blase attitude

• emotional detachment (things that might be exciting feel meh)

• response to overload (brain shuts down info to cope)

fashion

• conformity + individuality

• group belonging + differentiation

• driven by imitation and differentiation

• constant change

simmel theory in motion

• foundation: interaction → exchange → relationships → society

• modern shift: money → impersonal → ties → distance (blase attitude)

• response: fashion → conformity → differentiation → identity