Social facts, as described by French sociologist Emile Durkheim, are the practices and beliefs inherent in a given society that shape societal behavior. Durkheim asserted that social facts were external to an individual and had an objective reality that could not be changed through individual action. So, which of the following is not a social fact according to Durkheim?
The Answer: Personal Beliefs
While personal beliefs may be influenced by social facts, Durkheim believed that social facts were external to an individual and objective, while personal beliefs are subjective and internal. For example, a society may have a belief that marriage should be between a man and a woman, but an individual in the society may have a different personal belief on the matter. As such, personal beliefs are not considered as social facts according to Durkheim.
Other Social Facts According To Durkheim
- Norms: Norms are expectations for behavior within a group or society. These expectations can be formal or informal, and are often enforced through sanctions such as punishment or reward.
- Values: Values are beliefs that guide individuals’ behavior. These beliefs may come in the form of customs, traditions, and morals.
- Institutions: Institutions are structures of shared beliefs and behavior that are created to organize behavior and beliefs in a given society.
- Law: Law refers to the set of formal rules of behavior that are enforced by the government of a society.
It is important to note that Durkheim was not the only sociologist to consider social facts and their impact on individual behavior. Other sociologists, such as George Herbert Mead, have also studied and written about social facts, though Durkheim’s work remains one of the most influential in the field of sociology.