How Did Émile Durkheim Contribute To Our Understanding Of Sociology?

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The second factor is the Enlightenment; which took place during the 18th century and focused on “ideals such as equality, liberty, and fundamental human rights” (Chambliss, 2017, p. 9). It was these fundamental ideas that later inspired the American and French revolutions in the late 18th century (Enlightenment, 2009). Philosophers during the Enlightenment also thought that the only way for society to grow was to apply science to our everyday lives. One important philosopher was Émile Durkheim. Durkheim thought the only way for people to reach their full potential is by having a firm understanding of sociology (Chambliss, 2017, p.9). The third and fourth factors were industrialization and urbanization. These factors together made up the Industrial Revolution; which took place in the mid-18th century in Europe and the United States (Chambliss, 2017, p.9). Industrialization takes place when an area that is primarily supported by agriculture is changed to one that is supported by industry (Radcliffe, 2014). Urbanization is when many people move from rural areas to urban areas to find work (Chambliss, 2017, p.9). Even though industrialization and urbanization is great for the economy it has its disadvantages. Sociologist Émile Durkheim feared that the social glue of society would fall …show more content…

Sociology was the first social science of its kind so early sociologists used the methods and terms of natural science as a guideline. For example, Durkheim used social facts to back up and support his claims (Chambliss, 2017, p.12). Which is the same as gathering data and conducting research in a natural science experiment. Sociologists use “…methods of observing, classifying, generalizing (making hypotheses), verifying, and systematizing” to gather research to create a sociological theory or notice a trend (Brian, 1947, p.

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