Émile Durkheim

Born in 1858
  • Émile Durkheim was a pioneering French sociologist who made significant contributions to the field in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

  • He focused on understanding how societies maintain cohesion in modern times, when traditional social and religious ties are weakening.

  • Durkheim established the first European sociology department and founded the journal L'Année Sociologique.

  • His works, including "The Division of Labor in Society" and "The Elementary Forms of Religious Life," explored topics such as religion, education, and deviance.

  • Durkheim championed sociology as a legitimate science, promoting structural functionalism and the study of social phenomena at a societal level rather than focusing on individual actions.

Books by Émile Durkheim