3.2.8.2 The Nature of Social Facts

• Social facts are social phenomena that exist independently of individuals
• What does it mean for social facts to be external?

  They originate outside individuals
• What is an example of a social fact that shapes driving behavior?

  Traffic laws
• What are the three key characteristics of social facts?

  Externality, coerciveness, generality
• What is an example of a social fact that enforces conformity through social disapproval?

  Violation of customs
• Match the feature with its influence:

  Social Facts ↔️ External constraints

  Individual Actions ↔️ Personal choices
• Order the aspects to distinguish social facts and individual behavior:

  1️⃣ Origin: External for social facts, internal for individual behavior

  2️⃣ Influence: Coercive for social facts, voluntary for individual behavior

  3️⃣ Scope: General for social facts, specific for individual behavior
• Laws, customs, and institutions are examples of social facts.
• Laws like traffic regulations dictate how individuals must behave when driving
• How do laws constrain personal choices when driving?

  By dictating driving behavior
• Personal hobbies, eating habits, and sleeping patterns originate from within the individual
• Social facts are external, coercive, and general
• What does the externality of social facts mean?

  Exist outside individuals
• What is the origin of social facts according to sociology?

  Social structures
• Order the following examples of social facts from most to least coercive:

  1️⃣ Laws

  2️⃣ Customs

  3️⃣ Institutions
• Social facts influence behavior through social expectations.


  True
• Match the feature with the correct origin:

  Social Facts ↔️ Society

  Individual Actions ↔️ Individual
• Social facts exert pressure on individuals to conform to social expectations
• Social facts are coercive because they influence behavior through social expectations
• What does the externality of social facts refer to?

  Their origin in social structures
• Where do social facts originate according to their influence on individuals?

  Social structures
• What is the origin of individual behavior in contrast to social facts?

  Within the individual
• Social facts completely eliminate individual autonomy in behavior

  False
• Match the features of social facts and individual actions:

  Origin of Social Facts ↔️ Society

  Origin of Individual Actions ↔️ Individual

  Influence of Social Facts ↔️ External constraints

  Influence of Individual Actions ↔️ Personal choices
• Generality of social facts means they apply to a community or society
• Social facts exert external, coercive pressure on individuals
• How do laws constrain individual behavior?

  Dictate mandatory actions
• What is an example of a social fact that influences driving behavior?

  Traffic laws
• Social facts play a crucial role in maintaining social structure and social function
• Social facts are general because they apply to a community or society
• Generality in social facts means they apply to a community or society as a whole.


  True
• Traffic laws are an example of how social facts shape driving behavior.


  True
• Coerciveness in social facts ensures individuals behave in socially acceptable ways
• Social facts exert external, coercive pressure on individuals.


  True
• Match the social fact with its influence on behavior:

  Laws ↔️ Constrain personal choices

  Customs and traditions ↔️ Shape social interactions

  Institutions ↔️ Establish roles and expectations
• Cultural norms around dress and etiquette shape how individuals present themselves.


  True
• Laws constrain driving behavior, while customs shape social interactions
• What are social facts defined as?

  Social phenomena exerting constraints
• The three key characteristics of social facts are externality, coerciveness, and generality
• Match the characteristic of social facts with its definition:

  Externality ↔️ Exist outside individuals

  Coerciveness ↔️ Pressure to conform

  Generality ↔️ Apply to society