Film Clips and Podcasts:
"Think about this!"
I consider the first nine minutes of this video most directly relevant to this week's reading.
Durkheim's Preface: Basic Points
Durkheim's preface is broken into four parts:
a. An Introduction
b. Part I
c. Part II
d. Part III
The purpose of each part can be described as follows:
a. Introduction: Durkheim explains the object of his preface: To defend his claims from a variety of criticisms.
b. He argues that a social fact is a thing
c. He argues that society is more than the sum of its parts and that its external, objective qualities are self-evident in the variation of human societies.
d. He argues that people resist his ideas because they are afraid to give up their sense of complete freedom, he also concedes in this section that though social facts have a coercive effect on individuals, they also act in the mode of prestige and institution.
Support:
Support for arguments made in the arts can be generally typed as follows:
(from "MCAT: Verbal Reasoning and Writing Review". The Princeton Review. 2010)
- Examples: The author illustrates the Main Point with an example from the real world or with a hypothetical example meant to reflect the real world. Examples are often introduced with standard words or phrases that help you identify them: in this case, in illustration, for example.
- Generalizations: To make a point about Christmas, for example, an author might generalize to something larger - like holidays in general. Or the author might make a point about Christmas by discussing Christmas trees. In other words, a generalization support a main idea by giving an example of something larger - or something smaller - than the subject.
- Steps/Stages: Many passages describe the development of an idea, a historical time line, or an evolutionary process. Generally, each paragraph will describe one of those stages. Or, a passage may describe how one thing preceded another in order to support a larger claim about cause and effect.
- Comparisons/Contrasts: An effective way to explain something is to compare it to, or contrast it with, something else. Through differences and similarities, the specific characteristics of an idea can be highlighted. A specific type of comparison is an analogy, where one situation is described in order to communicate something about another, supposedly similar situation.
- Statistics: The author cites studies, research or polling data to support a conclusion.
- Definitions: The author defines key terms in order to communicate something about the context or issues within which those terms are used.
- Quotes or citations of others; Appeal to Authority: The passage includes either direct quotes or citation of other works. It is important to ask yourself if the author is agreeing with or disagreeing with these other speakers or writers.
- General Opinion: The author describes a past or present common belief. Authors often do this in order to introduce a different or alternative idea. Always define if the common belief is consistent or inconsistent with the author's point of view.
- Anecdotes: The author tells a story, often from his or her personal experience.
Links and Resources Relevant to Monday's Lecture:
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=science
A Summary of Some of Durkheim's Other Theories (Interest Only)
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