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Durkheim

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Abstract

This chapter will consider Durkheim’s principal works and all the main concepts associated with them: The Division of Labor in Society, The Rules of Sociological Method, Suicide, and The Elementary Forms of Religious Life.

A detailed analysis will be dedicated to Durkheim’s theory of social facts, his most enduring contribution to sociological theory, and his concept of “anomie.”

The text will also expose Durkheim’s theory of the origin of religion using the AETR scheme this author worked out. AETR is an acronym for Association, Effervescence, Totem, and Rites.

The topic of causal explanation and the method of concomitant variations will be covered using examples to make Durkheim’s methodology clearer.

The final section will feature scholars who criticized Durkheim’s methodological collectivism and explanations for suicide.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Political Science, Luiss University of Rome, Rome, Roma, Italy

    Alessandro Orsini

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  1. Alessandro Orsini
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Orsini, A. (2024). Durkheim. In: Sociological Theory. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52539-1_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-52539-1_5

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-52538-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-52539-1

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