Final answer:
Emile Durkheim posited that culture is an external force exerting coercive power over individuals, shaping their behaviors through a collective conscience, which is a set of shared societal beliefs and norms.
Step-by-step explanation:
Emile Durkheim stressed that culture is something external to us exerting a strong coercive power on us. Durkheim, a preeminent figure in sociology and a functionalist, believed that culture and society shape individual behaviors through a collective conscience—a set of shared beliefs, morals, and attitudes. Culture and society have powers similar to that of religion, as they bind people together, exert control, and give a communal sense of belonging. These societal pressures and norms act as a social fact, existing outside of the individual and influencing actions in a predictable and collective manner.
Durkheim likened society to a living organism where each part, including the socially deviant, plays a necessary role in sustaining the whole. Hence, when individuals conform to societal norms, they demonstrate the power of society over their personal behavior. This view contrasts with solely considering individual motives and actions when analyzing social structures and their impacts.
Moreover, the influence of society is not merely seen at the individual level but extends to larger dynamics such as social groups, professional organizations, and governments as discussed by Max Weber, another influential sociologist. Weber defined power as the ability to exercise one's will over others, which can manifest broadly across various forms of authority and influence.