Sociology & Criminology for a Changing World
Policing does not simply mean the police. While the police are the most visible and influential agents of policing, the term refers more broadly to the diverse practices and institutions through which authority is exercised to maintain security, enforce laws, and regulate everyday life. Social order, in turn, describes the stability of social interactions, guided
Émile Durkheim’s The Rules of Sociological Method (1895) marks a milestone in establishing sociology as an autonomous, empirical discipline. While earlier approaches were often philosophical or speculative, Durkheim formulated the foundations for systematic research based on observable, verifiable data. The work remains central for understanding the scientific core of sociology and the role of objective
Homo Sociologicus. An Essay on the History, Meaning, and Critique of the Category of Social Role [Original: Homo Sociologicus. Ein Versuch zur Geschichte, Bedeutung und Kritik der Kategorie der sozialen Rolle] is one of the most concise and widely discussed contributions to role theory. First published in 1958 and revised in 1977, Ralf Dahrendorf’s essay
Émile Durkheim (1858–1917) is considered one of the founding figures of modern sociology. In his seminal work The Division of Labour in Society (De la division du travail social, 1893), he examines how social order and cohesion are maintained in complex societies. His central thesis: while traditional societies are held together by mechanical solidarity, modern