The idea that societal survival depends on shared norms and values is associated with which theorist?

• A. Talcott Parsons
• B. Karl Marx
• C. Emile Durkheim
• D. George Herbert Mead

Answer: (A)

Shared norms and values as the glue that keeps a society alive is a hallmark of Emile Durkheim’s theory. He introduced the idea of the collective conscience—the shared beliefs, morals, and values that bind people together and create social solidarity. When a society operates with a strong, common moral framework, individuals’ actions align with group expectations, reducing conflict and helping the social order endure. While Talcott Parsons also treats value consensus as important for maintaining social stability, the root idea about societal survival through shared norms originates with Durkheim. Marx centers on economic conflict and class struggle, and Mead emphasizes how self and meaning develop through interaction, not the survival mechanism of shared norms. So, Durkheim is the theorist most associated with this concept.