Emile Durkheim adopted an evolutionary approach to [[Sociology]]. This means that he considered [[Society]] to have developed from a traditional to modern society through the development and expansion of the division of labor. Durkheim viewed society as an organism, with different parts functioning to ensure society’s smooth and orderly operation and [[Evolution]]. Scholars sometimes refer to Durkheim as a structural functionalist because he considered society to be composed of structures that function together — in this approach, he distinguished structure from function Durkheim ultimately focused on problems that involved reconciling freedom and [[Morality]] (Adams & Sydie, 2001). Durkheim’s first book, _The Division of Labor in Society_, explained this issue of the tension between freedom and morality. His answer to this question is the concept of social solidarity, common consciousness, systems of common morality, and forms of law. However, Durkheim believed that these forces and structures are not always effective in producing and maintaining social order, and that the social changes that result in the division of labor and society develop. can result in disruptions in social solidarity and common consciousnesses. He connects these disruptions in social solidarity and common consciousness to what he calls the forced division of labor (such as [[Slavery]]) and periods of confusion within society — what he calls anomie. Durkheim also considered anomie to be a cause of suicide; and, in his book Suicide, he explores the causes of differential suicide rates at different times and places in [[Europe]], and why they differ (Lukes, 2015). ## Functionalism [Functionalism](https://www.simplypsychology.org/functionalist-perspective.html) is a structural-consensus theory. This means that functionalists argue both that there is a social structure that shapes individual behavior through the process of socialization and that a successful society is based on [value consensus](https://www.simplypsychology.org/value-consensus.html), or people agreeing around a shared set of norms and values that enables people to co-operate and work together to achieve shared goals (Pope, 1975). https://www.simplypsychology.org/emile-durkheims-theories.html `Concepts:` [[Sociology]] `Knowledge Base:`