Belle Epoque

Durkheim

      During the Belle Epoque history saw significant advancements in both science and technology. The period saw improvement made on vehicles, the addition of the telephone for communication, all the way to the much needed advancements in biological science that led to a better understanding of germs and even the creation of a new scientific field. Many notable figures developed throughout the Belle Epoque, for myself one the most notable is Emile Durkheim. Emile Durkheim provided the ground and framework for many modern scientific and sociological processes. To highlight a few in this weeks post I will associate our modern approach to sociology, criminology, and labor views with the work of Emile Durkheim.

      In modern society we see sociology at work in every aspect of our lives. It is completely recognized in our societies, and is an undeniable force at the chisel of our being. So true in fact, sociology is taught at nearly all levels of education, and importantly at the college level. This though has not always been the case, as Emile Durkeim created the first European department of sociology at the University of Bordeaux in the year 1895. Durkheim created a format in which to create and sustain a flow of sociological ideology as well as the methodology through the ages. By establishing an official educational system for sociology he established it to the mainstream populous, thereby turning sociology loose to turn into it's modern form.

suicide

      Emile Durkheim made an astonishing effort at the explanation of Suicide through the sociological perspective. During his work on that study he utilized the quantitative data of suicide rates across varying cultures or communities. Durkheims use of these research methods lead the way for the current use quantitative methods for crime research. By following in the path of Durkheim's work on suicide, modern criminologists can form and organize data to project trends of occurrence. Using trending allows for crime prevention education for the population of target areas, as well as a more directed investigation effort on past crimes.

ED

     Possibly some of Emile Durkheim's most influential works were those that focused on labor. His dissertation titled The Division of Labor in Society  pushed throughout society to advance sociological theories. Durkheims description and theory of current events gave an outcome that he felt necessitated change for a smoother transition from primitive to modern. One of the major advocations of Durkheim  was the use of a mediator type group to allow for continuity and a sense of attachment between the  worker and the vast state above. This middle group would be considered our labor unions in the modern form. A tool that Durkheim envisioned as being instrumental towards the safety and well being of our working class, something that our labor unions have definitely helped provide for in our modern time.

      From the task of creating crime prevention models, to our modern view of the sociological impact on globalization, we can see influence from Emile Durkheim and others from the Belle Epoque. Though he may not be considered the establishment of the study of sociology, Durkheim was one of the main force behind it's propulsion into view and its delivery into our modern society.