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Emile Durkheim Social Fact Essay

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Stated in ‘The Rules of Sociological Method’ Durkheim defines social fact to concepts and

expectations that come from society, not the individual. Many examples prove that social fact

only exists where social organization is present, such as the legal system, as well as the education

system. Durkheim states that social organization is not needed in social fact, and that social fact

is all those issues that society pushes to be acted orderly.

The legal system is a prime example of social fact. The legal system is a strict set of laws and

regulations that must be followed by each individual. It is to society’s interest that these

regulations be followed. When someone makes the decision to take someone else’s life, there is a

process that is taken …show more content…

The offender planned out this murder, therefore it points him to a path of legal

stages that come to no surprise to him or society. If a driver is pulling out of her driveway, and

kills someone because she wasn’t aware of her blind spot, she then would go through an entirely

different process. Factors taken into consideration would be that she was sober, there was no

intent to harm, and physically could not see the victim. She then would be taken through steps of

the legal system as well. When reading those examples, it is no shock to society what is going to

happen to each of these offenders. The reason for this is because rules and regulations of the law

are at interest of society. When these laws are broken, there is an orderly system to deal with

each and every offense, therefore making the legal system a social fact.

Religion is another example of social fact. Christians baptize babies very quickly after birth,

church is attended on Sundays, and there is a priest present every day at church. In Islamic

religions, prayers are to be done everyone morning before sunrise, until sunrise, with no issue to

be an excuse for distraction. All though the example of religion is not at systematic

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