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Émile Durkheim would claim that deviance was in fact a normal and necessary part of social organization. [3] He would state four important functions of deviance: "Deviance affirms cultural values and norms. Any definition of virtue rests on an opposing idea of vice: There can be no good without evil and no justice without crime." [3]
[1] [2] Durkheim is seen as one of the fathers of sociology, [3] and this work, his manifesto of sociology. [4] Durkheim distinguishes sociology from other sciences and justifies his rationale. [1] Sociology is the science of social facts. Durkheim suggests two central theses, without which sociology would not be a science:
[62] [4]: 94–8, 100–4 While Émile Durkheim rejected much of the detail of Comte's philosophy, he retained and refined its method. Durkheim maintained that the social sciences are a logical continuation of the natural ones into the realm of human activity, and insisted that they should retain the same objectivity, rationalism, and approach ...
David Émile Durkheim (/ ˈ d ɜːr k h aɪ m /; [1] French: [emil dyʁkɛm] or ; 15 April 1858 – 15 November 1917) was a French sociologist.Durkheim formally established the academic discipline of sociology and is commonly cited as one of the principal architects of modern social science, along with both Karl Marx and Max Weber.
Merton's theory of deviance is derived from Durkheim's idea of anomie. It is central in explaining how internal changes can occur in a system. For Merton, anomie means a discontinuity between cultural goals and the accepted methods available for reaching them. Merton believes that there are 5 situations facing an actor.
Merton's theory on deviance stems from his 1938 analysis of the relationship between culture, structure and anomie. Merton argued that deviance is most likely to occur when there is a discrepancy between culturally prescribed goals and the legitimate means of obtaining them. [18]
Among the most noted of Durkheim's work was his discovery of the "social fact" of suicide rates. By carefully examining police suicide statistics in different districts, Durkheim demonstrated that the suicide rate of Catholic communities is lower than that of Protestant communities. He ascribed this to a social (as opposed to individual) cause. [4]
H. Lawrence Ross described the book as "fascinating and superbly written". The sociological premise explored is from Émile Durkheim: "a function of deviance is to define the normative boundaries of the group." He notes that it is "a remarkable exception to the well-known tendency of sociological research to focus on the here and now."