Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim Theories Associated with Social Structures
Durkheim considered anomie and excessive individualism to be the central problems of the modern era while Marx focused on false consciousness and alienation. Define these concepts and use them to explain the different orientations of the two theorists in their analyses of what ails the modern world. In your essay reflect upon the social climate of the times in which Durkheim and Marx lived that influenced the development of their social theories and explain their usefulness for understanding the problems facing individuals and society in 21st century USA.
The focus is on the theories and what the theorists wrote, not the theorists' biographies.
Essay requirements:
1. Organize your thoughts before you begin to write and make certain you write an introduction and conclusion. This is a formal essay, so write in complete sentences and paragraphs, and include an introduction and conclusion.
2. Must be 3 pages in length, double-spaced.
3. Margins: Use standard margins of one inch top/bottom/left/right.
4. Fonts: Times New Roman 12
5. All papers should be in Microsoft Word
6. If you quote the actual words of Marx and Durkheim, do so minimally.
7. Cite references parenthetically within the body of the paper and provide a reference page at the end of your paper. Essays will be analyzed with SafeAssign for originality of writing. Use the APA style for any citations and references.
9. A cover page and reference page do not count in paper page count.
Reminder: All papers and discussion boards must be cited using APA style. Papers that do not include a works cited page in APA do not fulfill the assignment: The grade is zero. Please make sure you are following APA style.
Durkheim and Marx's Theories
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Durkheim and Marx's Theories
The modern era is composed of evolving economic and social ideologies. The increased development of social ideologies is based on past revolutions such as the industrial revolution. Besides, the emergence of social classes has also been noticed, with an increasing gap leading to different social issues. For instance, the evolution of capitalist society increased the gap between the upper and lower class. Therefore, based on the evolving ideologies, Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim established theories to address the issues associated with social structures. The paper addresses Durkheim and Marx's theories by defining the concepts, relationship to the modern world, and issues the USA faces in the 21st century.
Durkheim Theory
The concept of Durkheim's theory is based on anomie and excessive individualism, which adversely impact modern society. According to Durkheim's theory, the social division of labor, especially during the industrialism period, impacted the social engagement of individuals and enhanced individualism, negatively affecting the modern era (Barnwell, 2018). Besides, there is increased division and disappearing unity in society and lifestyles. The theory is based on the fact that division of labor increases individualism. The theory describes the division of labor as a significant economic principle representing social base value and societal solidarity. Durkheim also notes specific social problems and pathological social conditions such as suicides which endanger new structural aspects of the division of labor. Therefore, with the comprehensive description of the Durkheim concept, it is easy to use it to explain the orientation of the theories in analyzing the modern world.
The concept of Durkheim's theory is essentially used to explain the ailing modern world. The theory views modernity as a way of thinking that alters the social function of individuals in society. The theory notes that the major issues in modern society are caused by the change in the traditional homogeneity (Serpa & Ferreira, 2018). The social climate when the theorist lived was based on a homogeneous society which allowed him to analyze homogenous society and its alteration with the increased division of labor. According to the theory, modern societies are unique due to varying backgrounds, beliefs, and complex division of labor. Lastly, Durkheim's theory is useful in understanding the common issues faced by society and individuals in 21st-century society. For instance, the major problem in the current United States is increased individualism which urges people to focus on personal achievement. The theory justifies that the major cause of individualism is the division of labor and the change of social roles. With the increased individualism, the major issues include social anxiety and increased suicidal rate. Therefore, Durkheim's theory adequatel...