Émile Durkheim, one of the founding figures of sociology, developed the theory of social integration to explain how societies maintain cohesion and stability despite individual differences. For Durkheim, society is not merely a collection of individuals but a moral order that exists outside and above individuals, shaping their behavior through shared beliefs, values, and norms. Social integration refers to the degree to which individuals feel connected to the larger social group and committed to its collective life. Durkheim argued that social facts—ways of acting, thinking, and feeling external to the individual—exercise a coercive power over individuals. These social facts, such as laws, customs, religious beliefs, and moral rules, bind individuals together and regulate their conduct. Through socialization, individuals internalize the collective conscience, which is the totality of shared beliefs and sentiments common to the average members of a society. The strength and nature of this collective conscience determine the level