Final answer:
Émile Durkheim suggested that social facts are coercive because they exert a force over individuals, compelling them to conform to societal norms and expectations, shaping individual behavior and society.
Step-by-step explanation:
Émile Durkheim, a pioneering sociologist, posited that social facts are elements like laws, morals, values, religious beliefs, and customs that exist outside of the individual and exert a coercive influence over individual behavior. These social forces are considered real by Durkheim, shaping our actions and the structure of society. According to Durkheim, social facts are the collective currents that precede and envelop individual choices, compelling individuals to act in ways that conform to societal norms and expectations. They are coercive in that they pressure individuals to behave in certain ways, even if indirect methods like ridicule or social isolation are used rather than direct punishment. This sense of external force is what drives individuals to conform to societal norms, even if they are not always aware of this influence.
Durkheim's concept of social facts as coercive can be controversial since many individuals might feel that their actions are the result of personal choice rather than societal pressure. But from Durkheim's perspective, even personal choices are significantly influenced by the underlying communal values and the collective conscience.