How Do You Spell SOCIAL FACT?
Pronunciation: [sˈə͡ʊʃə͡l fˈakt] (IPA) 
Pronunciation: [sˈə͡ʊʃə͡l fˈakt] (IPA)
Social fact is a concept coined by the French sociologist Emile Durkheim to explain the external, collective forces that shape and constrain individuals within a society. It refers to any element of social life that exists independently of individual actions and beliefs, and exercises a coercive power over individuals.
A social fact can take various forms, such as social institutions, norms, values, customs, laws, and traditions. These facts are external to individuals and are not controlled by them; rather, they exert a powerful influence on individuals’ behavior, thoughts, and emotions. Social facts are characterized by their objective and tangible nature, as they can be observed and measured by sociologists.
One key aspect of social facts is their coercive power. They exert social control over individuals by shaping their behaviors and thoughts according to the collective interests of the society. Social facts are experienced as external forces that guide and limit individual actions, rendering them predictable and cohesive within the social group.
Durkheim argued that social facts are social in their origin, as they arise from interactions between individuals, and they are collective in their nature, as they transcend individual consciousness and exist within a larger social context. They also have an influence on individuals that is independent of their personal preferences and beliefs, reflecting the power of the collective over individual agency.
Overall, social facts are the objective, external, and coercive elements of social life that shape individuals' behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, perpetuating social order and cohesion within a society.
The term "social fact" was coined by the French sociologist Émile Durkheim in the late 19th century. It is derived from the combination of the words "social" and "fact". Durkheim used this term to describe objective phenomena that exist externally to individuals and exert strong social forces on them. These phenomena include social norms, values, beliefs, customs, institutions, and collective behaviors that shape and regulate human behavior in society. Durkheim argued that social facts have an independent existence and can be studied scientifically, separate from the individual psychology of people. The term has since been widely used in the field of sociology to analyze and understand various social phenomena and their impact on individuals and groups.
