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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 10 page essay that contrasts and compares the social theories of Emile Durkheim (Theory of Solidarity) and Michel Foucault (Theory of Knowledge). Each theory is examined and its tenets discussed and then the theories are applied as to how each one addresses the social problem of juvenile delinquency. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Page Count:
10 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_khdurfou.rtf
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
its tenets discussed and then the theories are applied as to how each one addresses the social problem of juvenile delinquency. Emile Durkheims "Theory of Solidarity" In his text
The Division of Labor in Society, sociologist Emile Durkheim examines the factors that serve to hold a society together as a cohesive whole. Durkheims theory posits that societies tend to
evolve from a "mechanical" form of solidarity, which is governed primarily by custom and religion, toward a more complex societal structure that grounds its solidarity in the interdependency of its
various component elements. Durkheim distinguishes between the "mechanical" solidarity that is found in ancient and primitive societies and the societal organization in modern cultures. He defines "mechanical" solidarity as
referring as when social behavior is founded on the citizenry following religious sanctions automatically, that is, "mechanically." In more advanced societies, Durkhiem pictures solidarity as being analogous to the manner
in which a body functions, that is the whole is maintained by interdependent functions. In analyzing the structures of mechanical solidarity, Durkhiem questions the irrationality of many of its
restrictions, taking a modernist point of view. He writes, "What social danger is there in touching a tabooed object, an impure animal or man, in letting the sacred fire die
down, in eating certain meats...in not celebrating certain holidays, etc.?" (1933, p. 72) While such prohibitions are common in many societies, at least on the surface, such actions do not
offer an immediate threat to the social order. Durkheim goes on to argue that the harm that anti-social acts do to a society is relative, and not necessarily related to
the "intensity of the repression which it calls forth" (1933, p. 72). What is actually going on when a society enforces solidarity through a criminal code, according to Durkheim,
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