Does SOCIAL STABILITY exist in Marx, Weber, Durkheim
Social Stability can be seen as the degree to which a society and its institutions remain predictable and
dependable and also is significant because it allows individuals and groups in society to plan and conduct
their affairs without interruption (Spacey, 2020). In terms of Social stability’s existence towards the
different sociologists, it can be said that the three of them have different perspectives on the given
degree.
For Marx, we see him as a historical materialist where in it was the tendency to believe that consumer
goods and services provide the greatest source of satisfaction. It was all about the base and the
structure explaining the history of mankind and creating the idea of Marxism. Also according to the
readings, Marx teaching emphasized that work, person, and life are all the same and their essence is to
produce but the problem is capitalism where in it takes away the essence of the people. Given the
details, I believe that social stability does not exist in a Marxian perspective because despite having the
concept of the human being essence is to produce/work, which makes social stability possible, the
Marxian way tells us the problem of Capitalism where it really takes away the essence of people creating
disruptions and problems in society not uniting one another. Alienation is also a concept that destroys
the purpose of social stability where in your ability to work or life separates from yourself and that
products become more powerful than yourself making it uncontrollable for us humans.
For Weber, the concepts of rationalization and modernity are the main themes of his work. Focusing on
studying individuals and emphasizes on subjective relations on human beings. It was also seen
important that through the reading of the Protestant ethic and spirit of Capitalism, religion gave birth to
modernity, capitalism, and a lot of major concepts that would shape society as it is today. As it is also
seen that Weber emphasized that it is about the power of ideas and beliefs as an idealist. These themes
provide us that social stability can exist in an Weber perspective because of his importance into learning
about society and how religion brought a community.
For Durkheim,
MAIN ESSAY
Social Stability can be seen as the degree to which a society and its institutions remain predictable and
dependable and also is significant because it allows individuals and groups in society to plan and conduct
their affairs without interruption (Spacey, 2020). Stability in society can also motivate us to work
together toward a common goal. In terms of Social stability’s existence towards the different theorists, it
can be said that the three of them have different perspectives on the given concept.
According to Marx, People enter into certain productive or economic relationships, which lead to some
form of social consciousness. Also according to the readings, Marx teaching emphasized that work,
person, and life are all the same and their essence is to produce but the problem is capitalism where in
it takes away the essence of the people. So, social stability may exist in a Marxian perspective only if
there is no capitalism as it takes away the essence of people creating disruptions and problems in
society not uniting one another. Alienation is also a concept that destroys the purpose of social stability
where in your ability to work or life separates from yourself and that products become more powerful
than yourself making it uncontrollable for us humans. It can also be said that through Marx theory and
view on social change and order, it creates the root of the conflict theory on sociology affecting social
stability’s existence. Marx believes that a community's distribution of work is based on a struggle
between dominant and marginal power, which inevitably leads to conflict and contradiction in society.
For Weber, the concepts of rationalization and modernity are the main themes of his work. Focusing on
studying individuals and emphasizes on subjective relations on human beings. Weber believed that
modern societies have been obsessed with efficiency - modernizing and getting things done - to the
point where questions of ethics, affection, and subculture have been pushed to the side, resulting in
depressed humans and major social problems. It was also seen important that through the reading of
the Protestant ethic and spirit of Capitalism, religion gave birth to modernity, capitalism, and a lot of
major concepts that would shape society as it is today. As it is also seen that Weber emphasized that it is
about the power of ideas and beliefs as an idealist. These themes provide us that social stability can
exist in a Weber perspective because of his importance into learning about society and how religion
brought a community but, also has negative setbacks that shaped our society today.
In Durkheim’s context, He believed that society exerted a strong influence on individuals. The collective
consciousness, or way of understanding and acting in the world, is formed by people's norms, beliefs,
and values. Collective consciousness, he claims, brings people together and fosters social integration.
Social stability exists in a Durkheim perspective because one of his ideas or as one of the leading
creators of structural functionalism, every part of society is likened to an organism with a role to play in
the overall body. His theories supports social stability wherein the idea that society is fairly stable and
consensual.
Throughout these theorists, we see here the differences of how social stability exist or not exists within
their concepts. Despite having positive agreements towards the existence of Social stability in their
concepts, there are still potholes or negative consequences that lead up to the reality we live in today
that is why social stability exists in their works but also creates immense social change towards society.
References:
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of-society. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
“The Rules of Sociological Method (1895).” The Rules of Sociological Method (1895),
[Link]/Summaries/[Link]. Accessed 5 Mar. 2022.
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