Émile Durkheim and the Collective Consciousness of Society: A Study in Criminology

This volume sets out to explore the use of Émile Durkheims concept of the collective consciousness of society, and represents the first ever book-length treatment of this underexplored topic. Operating from both a criminological and sociological perspective, Kenneth Smith argues that Durkheims original concept must be sensitively revised and suitably updated for its real relevance to come to the fore. Major adjustments to Durkheims concept of the collective consciousness include Smiths compelling arguments that the model does not apply to everyone equally, and that Durkheims concept does not in any way rely on what might be called the disciplinary functions of society.