Which among the following studies is the best example of the comparative method?

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Correct option is C

Suicide (Emile Durkheim)

Emile Durkheim’s Suicide (1897) is considered one of the best examples of the comparative method in sociology. Durkheim used the comparative method to study the social causes of suicide, which he argued could be influenced by social factors rather than just individual psychological conditions. He compared suicide rates across different social groups, such as by religion, marriage status, and urban vs. rural settings, to identify patterns and causal relationships.

In this study, Durkheim conducted a comparative analysis of the frequency of suicides in different societies and groups, identifying the influence of social integration and social regulation on suicide rates. This method allowed him to argue that suicide rates are not solely based on personal decisions but are also deeply shaped by societal structures and norms. His work laid the groundwork for sociology as a scientific discipline, demonstrating how comparative analysis could be applied to understand complex social phenomena.

Information Booster:

1. Social Integration and Regulation – Durkheim’s study showed how varying levels of social integration (how connected individuals are to their society) and social regulation (how tightly society regulates individuals' behavior) can influence suicide rates.
2. Anomie and Suicide – Durkheim introduced the concept of anomie, a state of normlessness or breakdown of social norms, which he identified as a significant factor contributing to suicides, particularly during periods of social upheaval or rapid change.
3. Types of Suicide – He classified suicide into different types: egoistic, altruistic, anomic, and fatalistic, each linked to different social causes, offering a detailed, comparative approach.
4. Empirical Approach – Durkheim’s method was highly empirical as he used statistical data to compare suicide rates across different social and demographic groups, which distinguished his work from more philosophical or speculative approaches.
5. Social Facts – This study emphasized the importance of social facts (such as norms, values, and social institutions) in shaping individual behavior, which became a core idea in Durkheim’s sociological framework.
6. Sociological Influence – Suicide remains one of the most influential works in the field of sociology, particularly for its use of the comparative method to understand social phenomena scientifically.

Additional Knowledge:

• Mind, Self and Society (G.H. Mead) – While G.H. Mead introduced the concept of the social self, his work is more focused on symbolic interactionism and how individuals interact and develop identities. It does not primarily use the comparative method in the same way as Durkheim.
• Ideology and Utopia (Karl Mannheim) – Mannheim’s work focuses on the relationship between ideology and utopia, analyzing how ideas are shaped by social conditions, but it is more concerned with the sociology of knowledge than with using comparative methods.
• The Communist Manifesto (Karl Marx and F. Engels) – This work is a political manifesto that focuses on class struggle and the revolutionary potential of the proletariat, rather than employing the comparative method to study social phenomena scientifically.