Problem:
In his foundational work on society, Émile Durkheim argues that the social world is structured by what he calls social facts. Meaning shared norms, values, customs, and collective practices that exist outside any individual yet shape our behavior. Durkheim writes, "There are ways of acting, thinking, and feeling which exist outside the consciousness of the individual and exert a compelling and coercive power." (Durkheim 1). This statement makes clear that society isn't merely a backdrop for individual choice but that it actively constrains and guides it.
Durkheim emphasizes that social facts control individuals, whether or not people notice the influence. He writes that social facts "consist of manners of acting, thinking, and feeling external to the individual, which exercise control over him" (Durkheim 3). The key point is that conformity is not usually enforced through explicit punishment. Instead, society itself applies pressure through ridicule, exclusion, praise, or even approval until individuals internalize the expectations. Once internalized, conformity feels natural and even voluntary.
Modern research on social behavior reinforces Durkheim's argument that individuals conform because doing otherwise risks social consequences. In a widely cited article from the Annual Review of Psychology, Robert B. Cialdini and Noah J. Goldstein examine how people comply with social expectations even when doing so contradicts personal beliefs. Their review demonstrates that conformity is strongly motivated by the desire to be accepted and avoid disapproval: "Individuals often publicly agree with the group despite internal disagreement, motivated by anticipated evaluation from others" (Cialdini and Goldstein 605). The study shows that conformity is not simply imitation, but it's a strategic response to social pressure, proving that Durkheim's theory still accurately describes human behavior.
To bring this into reality, let's think about our everyday life. Consider the workplace, school environments, and family structures, people often conform in dress, speech, opinions, and even emotional reactions to match the dominant culture of a group. A person might laugh at a joke they do not find funny, agree in a meeting to avoid judgment, or remain silent about discrimination to avoid conflict. None of these decisions reflects genuine belief. They reflect the invisible force Durkheim described. Conformity is often less about truth than about belonging.
Durkheim is not denying change, but actually implies the possibility of social change. If conformity is a response to collective pressure, then transforming social norms through things like activism, cultural shifts, education, or policy can reshape behavior on a broad scale. The pressure that once enforced compliance can be redirected toward inclusion, equity, or justice. Recognizing social facts as constraints also positions them as tools that society can intentionally transform.
To deepen this discussion, the following multimedia resource explains how social pressure drives conformity across cultures: "Speaking of Psychology: Crowds, obedience, and the psychology of group behavior, with Stephen Reicher, PhD"
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This podcast illustrates exactly what Durkheim and Cialdini describe: individuals change their behavior not primarily due to logic or preference, but to align with what they perceive as socially required.
Durkheim's argument remains a compelling reminder that many of the "choices" we believe we make independently are guided by social forces we rarely acknowledge. Social facts are not a passive cultural background. They are the architecture of social life, shaping who we are and who we are allowed to be. Understanding them is essential not only for understanding human behavior but also for imagining a society in which conformity upholds dignity rather than restricts it. Need Assignment Help?
Work Cited
Cialdini, Robert B., and Noah J. Goldstein. "SOCIAL INFLUENCE: Compliance and Conformity." Annual Review of Psychology, vol. 55, no. 1, Feb. 2004, pp. 591-621. EBSCOhost.
Durkheim, Émile. What Is a Social Fact? Course reading, pp. 1-3.
Reicher, Stephen, PhD. "Crowds, Obedience and the Psychology of Group Behavior." Speaking of Psychology, American Psychological Association, 31 May 2023,
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