Durkheim: punishment and solidarity
Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) is often said to be the 'father of sociology', in that he was one of the first scholars consciously to differentiate sociology from other branches of social and political philosophy. He observed that society has a reality apart from the individuals who comprise it, in that social rules and social relationships influence the behaviour and thoughts of members of society. People behave in accordance with social rules even when no one is watching; therefore, according to Durkheim, the existence of social rules, of customs and traditions, forms a culture which gives each society its distinctive character, and which is formative of the character of its members.