Core readings f 2024

Identity & Society

SOCL1014A/ SOCL1009A/ ARPL1026A

FIRST SEMESTER (Block 1) COURSE

WORKBOOK

PART II: Emile Durkheim’s Science of the Social

World
Core readings for Part II: Emile Durkheim’s Science of the Social World

Refer to reading pack:

Ritzer, G. 2011. ‘Emile Durkheim’ in Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition, New York:
McGraw-Hill, pp 76-103

Popenoe, D., P. Cunningham and B. Boult. 1998. ‘Social Institutions’ in Sociology: First
South African Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp 270-273

Van Huyssteen, E. and L. Hagemeier. 2008. The Family: What is it and what does it do?
Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. Unpublished, pp 1-2

Van Huyssteen, E. 2022. Gender and inequality in the family. Johannesburg: University of
the Witwatersrand. Unpublished, pp 1-2

Rugunanan, P. 2018. ‘Education’ in P. Stewart and J. Zaaiman (eds). Sociology: A concise

South African introduction. Cape Town: Juta, pp 111-133

Kendall, D. 2013. ‘Social Institutions’ in Sociology in Our Times. Ninth Edition. Asia:
Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp 504-507

Refer to X-Kit Sociology:

Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2006. ‘Note-taking and
paragraph writing: theorists and theoretical frameworks’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town:
Pearson Education, pp 28-59 (Refer to Part I reading pack)

Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Planning essays:
Education’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp 177-196

Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Avoiding plagiarism:
Religion’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp 218-236

Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Reading Tables:
Crime and deviance’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp 303-318

Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Writing exam
answers: Poverty and Development’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp
319-335

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 PART II: EMILE DURKHEIM’S SCIENCE OF THE SOCIAL WORLD
THEMES 4 – 7

4 MARCH – 25 MARCH

Theme 4: Durkheim’s key concerns and method: social order, social facts
and science

Topics:

• Sociology as an independent discipline

• The study of social facts
• Sociology as a science of society

Key concepts:

Modernity Discipline Material social facts Social theory

Research methodology Science Social order Non-material social facts
Functionalism Positivism Suicide

Core Readings

1. Ritzer, G. 2011. ‘Emile Durkheim’ in Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition, New

York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 76-84; 92-96
2. Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Note-taking
and paragraph writing: theorists and theoretical frameworks’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape
Town: Pearson Education, pp 28-59 (Refer to Part I reading pack)

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Supplementary materials on Durkheim

• Jones, R. A. 1986. ‘The Rules of Sociological Method (1895)’ in Emile Durkheim: An

Introduction to Four Major Works. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., pp 60-
81, 92-97
• Jones, R. A. 1986. ‘Suicide (1897)’ in Emile Durkheim: An Introduction to Four
Major Works. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., pp 82-114
• Stewart, P. 2018. ‘Sociological Theory’ in P. Stewart and J. Zaaiman (eds).
Sociology: A concise South African introduction. Cape Town: Juta, pp 22-26
• Watts, G. 2018. Pioneering Sociologist Foresaw our Current Chaos 100 years ago.
The Conversation https://theconversation.com/pioneering-sociologist-foresaw-our-
current-chaos-100-years-ago-105018
• |Who was Emile Durkheim|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj9nbiXMUkw

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 Theme 5: How is society held together? Norms and social integration

Topics

• Social facts and the study of society

• Norms and social integration
• Mechanical solidarity and the collective conscience
• The division of labour and organic solidarity

Key concepts

Social order Norms Traditional society Modern society

Cult of the individual Social structure Values Mechanical solidarity
Organic solidarity Functions Collective conscience Division of labour

Readings

1. Ritzer, G. 2011. ‘Emile Durkheim’ in Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition, New

York: McGraw-Hill, pp 84-91
2. Stewart, P. 2018. ‘Sociological Theory’ in P. Stewart and J. Zaaiman (eds).
Sociology: A concise South African introduction. Cape Town: Juta, pp 22-24

Supplementary materials on the division of labour

• Jones, R. A. 1986. ‘The Division of Labor in Society (1893) in Emile Durkheim: An

Introduction to Four Major Works. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, Inc., pp 24-
59.
• |Emile Durkheim’s theory of Division of Labour; Types of Solidarity | Sociology|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCy28iJDDpM

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Theme 6: How are norms handed on? Socialisation, institutions and the
roles and functions of the family, schooling and religion

Topics

• Socialisation in the family: the transmission of norms

• Socialisation in the school: the teaching of norms
• Religion and social integration

Key concepts

Family Socialisation Social control Meritocracy

Gender Schooling internalisation Social stability
Religion Integration Occupational Selection
structure
Institutions Inequality Race Class

Core Readings

1. Popenoe, D., P. Cunningham and B. Boult. 1998. ‘Social Institutions’ in Sociology:

First South African Edition. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, pp 270-273
2. Van Huyssteen, E. and L. Hagemeier. 2008. The Family: What is it and what does it
do? Johannesburg: University of the Witwatersrand. Unpublished, pp 1-2
3. Van Huyssteen, E. 2022. Gender and inequality in the family. Johannesburg:
University of the Witwatersrand. Unpublished, pp 1-2
4. Rugunanan, P. 2018. ‘Education’ in P. Stewart and J. Zaaiman (eds). Sociology: A
concise South African introduction. Cape Town: Juta, pp 111-133
5. Kendall, D. 2013. ‘Social Institutions’ in Sociology in Our Times. Ninth Edition.
Asia: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, pp 504-507
6. Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Planning
essays: Education’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp 177-196
7. Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Avoiding
plagiarism: Religion’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson Education, pp 218-236
8. Ritzer, G. 2011. ‘Emile Durkheim’ in Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition, New
York: McGraw-Hill, pp 97-103

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Case material on socialisation, schooling, gender, religion

• Jones. R. A. 1986. ‘The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life (1912)’ in Emile
Durkheim: An Introduction to Four Major Works. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage
Publications, Inc., pp 115-155.
• Candy, L. 2012. ‘Why I took my son’s girl clothes away’. Daily Mail.
https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/parenting/why-i-took-my-sons-girl-clothes-
away-1227213
• Collins, N. 2013. ‘Natural order at Moria’. City Press. 7 April 2013.
https://www.news24.com/news24/natural-order-at-moria-20150429
• Alcock, S. 2008. ‘My dad and the Zion train’. Mail and Guardian. 20 March 2008
https://mg.co.za/article/2008-03-20-my-dad-and-the-zion-train/
• Msimang, S. 2013. ‘Racist schools: merely fulfilling their design’. Daily Maverick. 9
October 2013. https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/opinionista/2013-10-09-racist-
schools-merely-fulfilling-their-design/

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Theme 7: Things fall apart: social disintegration, poverty and crime

Topics

• Modernity, urbanisation, and democracy

• Individualism
• Things fall apart: anomie and social disintegration
• Violence and identity

Key concepts

Modernity Individualism Social disintegration

Crime Sexual violence Urbanisation
Anomie Poverty Deviance

Core Readings

1. Ritzer, G. 2011. Emile Durkheim. Sociological Theory, Eighth Edition, New York:
McGraw-Hill, pp 90-91
2. Stewart, P. 2018. ‘Sociological Theory’ in P. Stewart and J. Zaaiman (eds).
Sociology: A concise South African introduction. Cape Town: Juta, pp 24-26
3. Draper, M., L. Hagemeier, K. Nadasen, S. Spicer and L. Thaver. 2018. ‘Crime and
deviance’ and ‘Poverty and Development’ in X-Kit Sociology. Cape Town: Pearson
Education

Supplementary materials on anomie, crime and poverty in South Africa

• Robinson, V. 2004. ‘Strangers in a new land’. Mail and Guardian 9-15 July 2004
• https://mg.co.za/article/2004-07-08-strangers-in-a-new-land/
• Huschka, D. and S. Mau 2006. ‘Social anomie and racial segregation in South
Africa’. Social Indicators Research, 76(3), pp 467-498
• Carter, C. and M. Merten. 1999. ‘Rites and wrongs of Cape gangs’. Mail and
Guardian Online. 8 January 1999. https://mg.co.za/article/1999-01-08-rites-and-
wrongs-of-cape-gangs/
• |Is crime in South Africa worse since Apartheid?|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xteF2DVCCvQ
• |Zandspruit mob justice: What led to 4 deaths and multiple injuries?|
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RS7cNIxcck

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TUTORIALS PART II

The tutorials are designed to enable you to work thoroughly through the material presented in
lectures, and to assist you with the assessment tasks for each part of the course. To benefit
from the tutorial sessions, you must prepare by studying the required readings. Furthermore,
complete the required tutorial work BEFORE the tutorials.

Tutorial: Focus on Durkheim – How is society held together?

Activities in the tutorial:

In your tutorial groups, discuss the following questions:

1. Which solidarity best describes the society in which you live? Provide specific
examples, from your own experiences in your social biography, to support your
argument.
2. What kinds of communities and social groups do you belong to? Which solidarity best
describes the basis of social cohesion in these communities and social groups?
Provide specific examples to support your argument.
3. Briefly highlight how the concept of social solidarity can help us understand the
incidents of, and responses to, crime in urban South Africa.

Homework due: 1. Identify, with examples, the central characteristics of mechanical

solidarity. 2. Identify, with examples, the central characteristics of organic solidarity. TYPE
OUT AND HAND A HARD COPY TO YOUR TUTOR FOR MARKING BEFORE THE
TUT STARTS

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Tutorial: Focus on Durkheim – Norms and social institutions

Activities in the tutorial:

In your tutorial groups, discuss the following questions:

(each group is given one of the following themes: FAMILY; SCHOOLING; RELIGION.
Students should share their experiences of these social institutions in their social
biographies.)

1. Identify some of the values and norms that the social institution transmitted to you.
2. How did these values and norms impact on your views and actions in the social
world?
3. What are some of the differences and similarities in the experiences of students in
your group?
4. How can the concepts of structure and agency explain these similarities and
differences?

General report-back and class discussion.

Homework due:

Bring at least one typed page (in Arial font 12 and 1.5 spaced) on your social biography. To
help you, we have given some questions for you to think about below (you do not have to
answer every question). TYPE OUT AND HAND A HARD COPY TO YOUR TUTOR FOR
MARKING BEFORE THE TUT STARTS

1. When were you born? Who are the members of your family? Then? Now? How has it
changed? Why did it change?
2. Where were you born?
3. Did your family move at all? Some of them? All? Why did they move? Why did they
stay?
4. What was the source of household income? Who worked? Where did they work?
What kind of job/occupation did they have? Did they enjoy their work? Did they
change their job? When? Why?
5. How was money spent? Who decided? Why?
6. Where did you go to school? What kind of school did you go to? How many pupils
were there? In your class? Who were the teachers? What kind of facilities did the
school have? Was education thought of as a good thing? Did you change schools?
Why? How was the school different if you did change schools? Was primary school
and high school very different or similar? How?
7. What was the relationship between your family and school? Level of involvement and
support? Help with homework?
8. What were your achievements at school? How do you account for them?
9. The role of religion in your life – is it important? What religion? Family’s
involvement? Your involvement? Religious values and your life? Is there an
important religious leader? What makes them important? To you? To your family?
Have you experienced any conflict?

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ASSESSMENTS

Assignment 1
Refer to Course outline for dates – more information on format of assignment to follow

Class Test 1
Refer to Course outline for dates – more information on format of test to follow

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