Joshua G. answered • 03/14/21
Fun College Professor & Pastor!
Collective representation is a concept developed by sociologist Emile Durkheim. A founding father of sociology, Durkheim wanted to understand how societies were able to function. He wondered, "What keeps societies from falling apart? What keeps them organized and successfully functioning?" One of the ways he answered this was through "collective representation."
Collective Representation refers to the beliefs, values, and beliefs held by a large collection of people (like American society). They help us make sense of the world, and they act as symbols of the beliefs we share. One example is religious rituals. For Christians, baptism is a symbol of our belief in Jesus. That symbol is sacred, and it helps us make sense of our place not only in society, but in the world. Another example is a wedding ring. This is a symbol of marriage, which has its own set of beliefs and values. Marriage is supposed to be about fidelity and romantic love, as well as having and raising children. The white wedding gown, having a best man and maid of honor, all of these things represent the collective representation of marriage and family.
All of these symbols - or collective representations - come together to form the foundation of our society! Together they provide the foundation of our laws, our norms, and our behaviors. Together they build the social institutions - like family, religion, government, education, medicine - that help our society function.
I hope this helps! If you need more, just reach out and I am here to help!
