Sociology · Sociological Theories and Thinkers
Regarding the foundational sociological debate on societal organization, which of the following statements accurately distinguishes the perspectives of Émile Durkheim and Karl Marx?
- 1Marx argued that social structures act as permanent, external walls that individuals cannot influence, while Durkheim emphasized that human creativity is the sole factor in the reproduction of society.
- 2Durkheim believed that social structures are purely subjective constructs with no external firmness, whereas Marx proposed that economic conditions eliminate all forms of human agency.
- 3Both Durkheim and Marx concluded that individual behavior is entirely independent of social constraints and that historical conditions have no impact on societal change.
- 4Durkheim highlighted the primacy of social structures as external forces that constrain individual behavior, while Marx emphasized the role of human agency and the capacity to transform these structures through historical action.✓
Correct answer
Durkheim highlighted the primacy of social structures as external forces that constrain individual behavior, while Marx emphasized the role of human agency and the capacity to transform these structures through historical action.
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