Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

Two components of Durkheim's project are to establish sociology as a discipline in its own right, distinct from psychology, and to understand and demonstrate the dependence of human beings upon their societies. These come together in Durkheim's ame collective (collective mind). This concept, commonly referred to by sociologists as the “collective consciousness” or “conscience collective,” exemplifies the crucial role that the social plays in human behavior. While theorists disagree about the ultimate role of the collective consciousness in Durkheim's overall work, the idea of such an entity still provokes discussion, critique, theoretical application, and empirical testing. Durkheim (1933 : 38, 39) defines the collective consciousness as “the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average members of the same society … it is an entirely different thing from particular consciences, although it can only be realized through them.” Durkheim finds the collective consciousness important enough to be included in his major texts, The Division of Labor in Society (1933), Suicide (1951), Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1954), and The Rules of Sociological Method (1964). To understand how the collective consciousness functions, one must first understand Durkheim's distinction between what he deems mechanical and organic societies, the people produced in each, and the types ... log in or subscribe to read full text