Emile Durkheim argues, “A social fact is every way of acting, fixed or not, capable of exercising on the individual an external constraint; or again, every way of acting which is general throughout a given society, while at the same time existing in its own right independent of its individual manifestations.” In this case, what he is noting is the importance of understanding how an individual fits within a broader, structured way of being and a consistent concern with norms.
For your initial post, let’s use California’s mandate for masks where distance is impossible to guarantee.
Consider the people that you interact with. How do they make sense of masks: do they see them as good, bad, or neutral? Why?
I’m wanting you to present the thoughts of people around you.
Why is it important to understand the social nature of mask wearing?