AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland
An Evaluation (also called a Critique) evaluates the worth or significance of an object of study (Nesi & Gardner, 2012, p.94). This requires an understanding of the object and a set of criteria by which to evaluate it. Objects evaluated can include books, films, articles, performances, theories, techniques, designs, businesses, products, materials, cultural artefacts etc.
Title: Emile Durkheim's "What is a Social Fact?"
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Copyright: Gen Matheson
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Description: 1. Summarize the author's argument in this piece of writing in one sentence. Some ways to do this include asking yourself, what is the key point of this article/chapter? What is the author trying to say to the reader in this piece of writing? This is harder than it seems, and you need to pay attention to the structure of the reading -- i.e. is there a place where the author clearly sets out her/his main argument? (Some authors do, and some don't). Are there multiple places where they set out the argument so, and if so which one is the key argument? The key argument should be well supported by supporting points in the chapter/article (see below). You must state the key argument in your own words.
2. Summarize the main supporting evidence/statements made in the article or chapter. How does the author develop his or her argument? What are some examples of the evidence he/she uses to make their claim?
3. Briefly assess the argument and supporting evidence. How convincing is the article/chapter? Does the supporting evidence match the key argument? Are there parts of the argument that receive less support than others? Be sure to express your assessment in academic language.
Warning: This paper cannot be copied and used in your own assignment; this is plagiarism. Copied sections will be identified by Turnitin and penalties will apply. Please refer to the University's Academic Integrity resource and policies on Academic Integrity and Copyright.
Emile Durkheim's "What is a Social Fact?"
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Emile Durkheim argues that all human occurrences are the result of social construct, rather than individual composition, and hence the study of people should be categorised within the domain of sociology. In the chapter, What is a Social Fact?, Durkheim classifies all actions and social phenomena as ‘social facts’. Durkheim expands upon ‘social facts’ by stating that people act in a certain manner that fits within the acceptable boundaries of their given society. The boundaries are not always asserted by law, but rather by social expectation to fulfil an obligation. He explains this by expressing the pressure he feels in carrying out certain commitments when performing his specific duties dependent of the social position in which he is acting. To resist social boundaries and act out of the ordinary is met with difficulty as one will feel that the boundaries will act against them, when they do not conform to social expectation or law. Therefore, all actions are socially fashioned, differing from society to society. In developing his interpretation of actions within social boundaries, Durkheim states that “society has every interest in seeing that these functions are regularly exercised” (p.20). Society imposes the boundaries upon someone through education. People do not formulate their own way of acting or thinking, they rather characterise actions and thoughts that they have learned in their lives, such as in the case of people with religious upbringing. To explain his theory, Durkheim draws upon the phenomena of social currents. In a social current, one is exposed to uncontrollable feelings that are constructed by the social gathering in which they are in. Durkheim suggests that one abandons themselves to the pressure exerting upon them, establishing that people are left deluded in believing that they themselves have produced their own feelings and thoughts. Despite being constructed over a century ago, Durkheim’s argument still holds valid points about the way in which people act according to their society. However, to expand upon his claims, it is critical to question why social boundaries exist, and to whom it benefits for the boundaries to be upheld. It is also important to note that social expectations can be modified throughout time. As seen in New Zealand, the gay marriage reform of 2013 and the proposed cannabis reform, are both cases in which certain people and actions that have been seen to be outside of socially accepted criteria, are gradually becoming accepted within the society.
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