CHAPTER 4 – Society and Social Interaction Three thinkers form the base of modern-day perspectives. Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber developed different theoretical approaches to help us understand the formation of modern industrial society. Emile Durkheim -Collective Conscience: The communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society. -Social integration (key factor in social life): The strength of ties that people have to their social groups. -Solidarity: The ‘glue’ that tie individuals together as a society/group Two types of social solidarity: Mechanical and Organic -Durkheim explained that preindustrial societies were held together by mechanical solidarity. -Mechanical solidarity (based on commonality/likeness): A type of social order maintained through a minimal division of labor and a common collective consciousness. Such societies permitted a low degree of autonomy. Share the same values, based on common life situations and experiences and follow the rules of the group. Society acts as a constraint on individual behavior. -Organic solidarity: Social order based around an acceptance of economic and social differences. So specialized everyone does different things. Increase level of autonomy (individualism and unique personalities) Society coheres because everyone is interdependent of one another. -Mechanical to organic may seem advantageous but causes social anomie.
