Prominent_Sociologist    West Ottawa High School Campus ENG 123

Prominent Sociologists
Emile Durkheim:
Theory Associated: Structural Functionalism. The theory of structural functionalism
examines the ways in which all structures or institutions work together in society. Examples
include education, law, economy, and religion.
Significant Contribution To Sociology:
- One of Durkheim’s most important accomplishments/contributions was to help define
and establish sociology as an area of study. By claiming that society is its own thing,
Durkheim divided sociology from philosophy, psychology, economics, and other social
science disciplines. In turn, the theory became known as structural-functionalism since
he looked at the ways in which social institutions function.
Identify a similar sociologist to the one above. Provide at least two reasons in
which their theories are similar:
- (Marxism and Conflict Theory in relation to functionalism). One similarity between these
two theories is that they are both macro-sociological theories, structural theories. This
implies that they both view society as a whole and feel that society is made up of more
than the individuals who live within it, as well as emphasizing the significance of social
institutions and structures.
- Both theories believe that society serves a basic, practical purpose in human life, such
as protecting individuals from one another or preventing harm from outside forces. They
recognise the importance of societies and investigate the complex dynamics that exist
between individuals and group