A Brief Overview of Émile Durkheims Role in Sociology

A Brief Overview of Émile Durkheim's Role in Sociology Who was Émile Durkheim? He was a famous French philosopher and sociologist known as the father of the French school of sociology for his methodology combining empirical research with sociological theory. The following outlines his life and career and his published works. Early Life and Education Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) was born in Épinal, France, on April 15, 1858, to a devout French Jewish family. His father, grandfather, and great-grandfather had all been rabbis, and it was assumed that he would follow their lead when they enrolled him in a rabbinical school. However, at an early age, he decided not to follow in his familys footsteps and switched schools after realizing that he preferred to study religion from an agnostic standpoint as opposed to being indoctrinated. In 1879, his good grades got him into the École Normale Supà ©rieure (ENS), a well-regarded graduate school in Paris. Career and Later Life Durkheim became interested in a scientific approach to society very early on in his career, which meant the first of many conflicts with the French academic system- which had no social science curriculum at the time. Durkheim found humanistic studies uninteresting, turning his attention from psychology and philosophy to ethics and eventually, sociology. He graduated with a degree in philosophy in 1882. Durkheims views could not get him a major academic appointment in Paris, so from 1882 to 1887 he taught philosophy at several provincial schools. In 1885 he left for Germany, where he studied sociology for two years. Durkheims period in Germany resulted in the publication of numerous articles on German social science and philosophy, which gained recognition in France and earned him a teaching appointment at the University of Bordeaux in 1887. This was an important sign of the change of times and the growing importance and recognition of the social sciences. From this position, Durkheim helped reform the French school system and introduced the study of social science in its curriculum. Also in 1887, Durkheim married Louise Dreyfus, with whom he later had two children. In 1893, Durkheim published his first major work, The Division of Labor in Society, in which he introduced the concept of anomie, or the breakdown of the influence of social norms on individuals within a society. In 1895, he published The Rules of Sociological Method, his second major work, which was a manifesto stating what sociology is and how it ought to be done. In 1897, he published his third major work, Suicide: A Study in Sociology, a case study exploring the differing suicide rates among Protestants and Catholics and arguing that stronger social control among Catholics results in lower suicide rates. By 1902, Durkheim had finally achieved his goal of attaining a prominent position in Paris when he became the chair of education at the Sorbonne. Durkheim also served as an advisor to the Ministry of Education. In 1912, he published his last major work, The Elementary Forms of The Religious Life, a book that analyzes religion as a social phenomenon. Émile Durkheim died of a stroke in Paris on November 15, 1917, and is buried in the citys Montparnasse Cemetery.

hobbema essays

hobbema essays In central Alberta there is a little town called Hobbema. And there are four little Indian Reservations. They are Montana, Samson, Louis Bull, and Erimineskin. I live on the Ermineskin Reservation .It is a very interesting place to live and we also have many schools on the different reservations. Erimenskin was founded in 1934 when chief Erimeskin singed treaty six. We also hold a POW wow every year and the POW wow is very well known all over Alberta. Most of the region is a mixture of forest and plains and many foothills, and a lot of wild Alberta. We have had just made a new cultural collage called the muskwachees cultural collage and that will help my people excel. Muskwachees means bear hills because the region the was a lot of bears In the area way back in the days. Erimineskin Is a very wealthy reservation because in 1973 we struck oil and so they put most of the money In the children's trust fund so when the turn 18 they get there share of the money. One of the most weirdest things I think I've herd was in august of this year when a.m.a. Stopped insuring Hobbema's cars because the said we drove to crazy, to fast, and to to irrisponsible. We have a JR senior team and made it to some big finals in Germany and won it, my dad was also on that team. Other than that Hobbema is a pretty weird place to live in. ...

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 8

English - Essay Example The major divide that Reid draws is that between the conformist and adventurous outlooks. The curiosity of the cats and the laid-back disposition of the dogs are what serve as the general imagery of the poem through which the poet tries to demonstrate how an adventurous spirit could make a lot of difference while one is alive. The poet executes a cynical tone towards the conventional ideas of people towards the business of living. This serves the purpose of striking the point hard with crude persuasive power. The first couple of lines, â€Å"Curiosity may have killed the cat; more likely/ the cat was just unlucky†¦Ã¢â‚¬  are in fact indicative of the poet’s attempt to question the conventions. Reid explores the many possibilities that would take off from disapproval of a set belief. The moral tales that dissuade young minds from exploring the possibilities of life away from the much-trodden paths would make their lives boring and devoid of any essence, as the poet reveals. Reid compares the lives of the adventurous cats and the incriminating dogs and observes irreverently that the dogs are restricted to â€Å"†¦doggy circles/ where well-smelt baskets, suitable wives, good lunches/ are the order of things, and where prevails/ much wagging of incurious heads and tails†. The cynicis m and sarcasm that define the poem are best revealed here. The imagery of the poem is vivid. It makes use of the metaphorical lives of cats and dogs as the general image, but also explores the small details from everyday life to talk in both descriptive and figurative terms. The most striking image is that of â€Å"the other side of the hill†. Though this can remain an abstract image, the idea of adventure in a cat’s life, thereby our lives too, is best represented through this pictorial reference. The life on the other side of the hill could either be an â€Å"idyll† or â€Å"hell†, but one could find it out for sure only by being there. Whatever be the result of one’s