Mike Oren.com

In this piece, Durkheim levels some heavy volleys at contemporary theory, although at the time of the writing what we now call 'contemporary social theory' was 'Middle Age social philosophy' where instead of looking at everything objectively and examining facts (as Durkheim advocates) we apply value-driven interpretations of the world--albeit the 'contemporary theories' often focus on marginalized values rather than supporting the 'dominant norms' (Durkheim 1982). It should also be noted that Durkheim takes care to note that a plurality of societies exist and each society has its own sets of norms, further he takes pain to say that we should not judge one society as 'superior' to another, but rather that we should look at general trends and establish what is 'normal' for a given type of society (Durkheim 1982:64-65). Durkheim, therefore, is not trying to impose a 'Western European' model on all societies, rather he is asking that we seek clear objective views of society to understand the structure in which they operate and the components that allow it to operate. I have heard this view criticized as promoting the extension of society in a balanced structure forever, which he does suggest, but he also notes that it is important to understand societal change--he, in fact, notes that some change is natural and appropriate within society, although he does not want to see society collapse completely (Durkheim 1982:90 and 104-105). Furthermore, Durkheim establishes that no generalization matches everybody as everybody will deviate in various degrees from the norm, so he is not saying that all people are the same (or should be), merely that society is set up in a way that promotes certain norms and by objectively examining society we can establish and understand these social facts (Durkheim 1982:86-87 and 102). In fact, the only thing I would really consider faulting him for, personally, is that he appears to fix the unit of analysis at the societal level (and has, in my opinion, a flawed/incomplete conception of all societies stemming from one societal structure), although he does note that as we establish an understanding of the societal level we can begin to explore smaller organizational structures within society (Durkheim 1982:114-117).

In short, I have to say I'm generally a fan of Durkheim. I am hoping that upon further reflection, I can form a better grasp of the elements of contemporary theory that Durkheim feels should be rejected and the elements of it he supports although some contemporary theorists appear to reject or ignore his understanding of the multifaceted aspects of the world and society.

Durkheim, Emilie. (1982). The Rules of Sociological Methods. New York: Free Press.