1500 words
French society, after experiencing the social crisis of the Revolution of 1789, saw the rise of a variety of social ideas and philosophies which sought to explain the past development of humanity and its future course. We will look the work of Auguste Comte and the impact of his vision of a science of society in the form of sociology as a discipline in France, especially the work of Emile Durkheim.
Required reading
* Morrison, K. (2006) Marx, Durkheim & Weber. Formations of Modern Social Thought. 2nd Ed. London: Sage Publications. (Ch. 3)
Additional reading
Aron, R. (1998) “Comte” in Main Currents in Sociological Thought, Vol. 1.
+Clarke, T. (1968) “Emile Durkheim and the Institutionalization of Sociology”, Archives Europeennes de Sociologie, 9.
Coser, L.S. (1971) Masters of Sociological Thought: Ideas in Historical and Social Context. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Inc. Ch. 1 – Comte, #Ch. 4 Durkheim.
Eglin, P. (1985) Suicide. Teaching papers in Sociology. York: Longman.
Giddens. A. (1971) Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. An Analysis of the Writings of Marx, Durkheim and Max Weber. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Harrington, A. (2005) Modern Social Theory: An Introduction. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Ch.2).
Hughes, J, Martin, P. and Sharrock, W. (2003) Understanding Classical Sociology. 2nd Ed. London: Sage Publications, (Ch. 4).
Lukes, S. (1985) Emile Durkheim. His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study. California: Stanford University Press.
Roth, G. ( Winter 1989) “Durkheim and the Principles of 1789”, Telos, 82 (90).
Sydie,R.A. (1994) Natural Women, Cultured Men:Feminist Perspectives on Sociological Theory, UBC Press, Vancover ( Ch..2)
Turner, J. and Beeghley, L. (2012) 7th Ed, The Emergence of Sociological Theory. California: Sage Publications, Ch. 2, 15 & 16.