AbstractsSociology

The Hidden Battle that Shaped the History of Sociology : Arnold van Gennep contra Emile Durkheim

by Bjørn Thomassen




Institution: Roskilde University
Department:
Year: 2016
Keywords: Arnold van Gennep; Durkheim; Religion; Ritual; Methodology; History of Social Thought
Posted: 02/05/2017
Record ID: 2132807
Full text PDF: http://rudar.ruc.dk/handle/1800/28496


Abstract

This article engages the so far neglected intellectual dispute between Emile Durkheim and Arnold van Gennep. It revisits the most salient points of van Gennep’s critique of Durkheim’s sociology, especially as relates to the study of religion. In this context, the article also discusses the possible influence of van Gennep’s work on Marcel Mauss. The article ends by indicating why a revisitation of van Gennep’s critique of Durkheim might matter for contemporary sociology.; This article engages the so far neglected intellectual dispute between Emile Durkheim and Arnold van Gennep. It revisits the most salient points of van Gennep’s critique of Durkheim’s sociology, especially as relates to the study of religion. In this context, the article also discusses the possible influence of van Gennep’s work on Marcel Mauss. The article ends by indicating why a revisitation of van Gennep’s critique of Durkheim might matter for contemporary sociology.