What do you understand by the term ‘organic solidarity’? What, according to Emile Durkheim, were the abnormal forms of the division of labour that were preventing it from emerging ‘spontaneously’ in modern society and what solutions did Durkheim offer in order to remove these obstacles? PDF

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Essay focused on organic solidarity and the abnormal forms of the division of labour which Durkheim believed to prevent it from emerging 'spontaneously'....

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What do you understand by the term ‘organic solidarity’? What, according to Emile Durkheim, were the abnormal forms of the division of labour that were preventing it from emerging ‘spontaneously’ in modern society and what solutions did Durkheim offer in order to remove these obstacles? ! Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist and often seen as one of the fathers, or even the “architect" of sociology. He developed and adapted ideas from Auguste Comte and Karl Marx and with that wrote his sociological dissertation titled “The Division of Labour in Society” (1893), which is considered a prime influence in developing and advancing sociological thought and theories in relation to how the division of labour affects solidarity and how we behave. The purpose of this essay is to outline what is understood by organic solidarity and what abnormal forms of the division of labour Durkheim described in his thesis and how he chose to approach the solutions. Organic Solidarity is a term used by Emile Durkheim in his dissertation titled “The division of labour in society.” This is used to describe solidarity through interdependence which is created by specialised roles; in a modern society — where organic solidarity is found — there is a much more complex division of labour that causes everyone to be dependent on one another to survive. In other words, organic solidarity is a by-product of the division of labour. This differs greatly to mechanical solidarity, which describes a traditional society in which there isn’t as complex division of labour, where everyone shares similar experiences and achieve solidarity through sameness. Durkheim suggests that in these “primitive” societies social order is maintained by a collective conscience. The growth of individuality in modern societies is also a factor which contributes to the development of organic solidarity. Despite Durkheim’s belief that organic solidarity and the division of labour is positive, there is evidence that shows more crime occurs in modern societies due to the lack of collective conscience. Durkheim tells us that the division of labour can be divided into two categories; normal and abnormal. A normal division of labour serves the function of producing social solidarity, and Durkheim believes that once society is advanced it is stronger as a whole. Other sociologists such as Karl Marx argued that the division of labour resulted in alienation and felt that social inequalities that came as a result of this were unjust. However, Durkheim disagrees with this and believes these cases of alienation are specific to an abnormal division of labour, and a normal division of labour is beneficial to society. Durkheim believes the division of labour is crucial in helping the worker to develop many skills, and this is apparent in modern day as people pick up skills from working different jobs throughout their lives. The abnormal forms of the division of labour are what prevents organic solidarity from taking form, meaning social bonds continue to weaken in these

What do you understand by the term ‘organic solidarity’? What, according to Emile Durkheim, were the abnormal forms of the division of labour that were preventing it from emerging ‘spontaneously’ in modern society and what solutions did Durkheim offer in order to remove these obstacles? societies. According Durkheim, these pathological forms of the division of labour are “anomic division of labour” and “forced division of labour”. Durkheim states that “labour is divided spontaneously only if society is constituted in such a way that social inequalities exactly express natural inequalities.” (Durkheim: 1893) In other words, Durkheim believes that forced division of labour doesn’t help industries or society run smoothly, and for organic solidarity to take form naturally labour needs to also be divided based on natural merit. Forced division of labour refers to a situation in which the division of labour isn’t determined by the individuals abilities or merit, but rather by class and wealth. In other words, the division of labour did not develop spontaneously, and instead workers are forced into certain roles, and are unable to achieve roles that they have the right level of ability for. Another complication with this is that workers are put into roles that they aren’t fit for and are often unsure of what to do, and this causes them to become alienated from their work. Alienation can also occur when the workers — or, the proletariat — feel like they are not being paid enough for the work they do. In this situation it will cause tensions between the working class and the bourgeoise. Marx believes too that the worker can become alienated, however he believes this can happen in any capitalist society; “Alienation in the domain of work has a fourfold aspect: Man is alienated from the object he produces, from the process of production, from himself, and from the community of his fellows.”(Marx: ) This is a grave issue as it causes a class divide, therefore there is no solidarity within the whole society. This could trigger civil wars or riots, therefore finding a solution to this is key. Durkheim also believes that in societies with weakened social bonds their are higher suicide rates; this is caused by individuals feeling like they have absolutely no bond with the society they live in. Durkheim states “Man cannot become attached to higher aims and submit to a rule if he sees nothing above him to which he belongs. To free him from all social pressure is to abandon him to himself and demoralise him.”(Durkheim 1897) Suicide is triggered by abnormal divisions of labour, as the worker is either forced in to a position that they aren’t able to change and are unable to aspire to anything greater, or they feel completely isolated as a result of their specialisation and therefore feel completely out of touch with society. An anomic division of labour describes a situation of an extreme division of labour where the workers become isolated in their own specialisation. In this situation the worker wouldn’t feel like part of a wider community and this creates anomie. This pathologic division of labour was originally identified by Auguste Comté, and Comté’s original solution

What do you understand by the term ‘organic solidarity’? What, according to Emile Durkheim, were the abnormal forms of the division of labour that were preventing it from emerging ‘spontaneously’ in modern society and what solutions did Durkheim offer in order to remove these obstacles? was to have a government body keep watch on society and promote and maintain social unity. Durkheim, however, rejected this solution, and instead advocated for a professional body separate to the state to promote integration. These groups — which Durkheim called “occupational groups” — would be comprised of people in an industry. Sociologists such as Edward Grabb support this solution, stating with this method the occupational groups can "foster the general interest of society at a level that most citizens can understand and accept." (Grabb: 1990) It’s clear that this is the best solution, as by having members from the industry in these occupational groups oversee integration will mean people will find it easier to unite with them, rather from members of a ruling body. Durkheim also argues that to maintain order in a society that is transitioning from a primitive society to a modern society the laws also have to become more restitutive rather than repressive. This means laws can no longer be based off of a powerful collective conscience, and therefore punishments won’t be as excessive. For example, rather than the punishment for stealing be something as extreme as execution, instead the punishment will be to return what was stolen or pay a fine. It is apparent that more crime occurs in modern societies due to the lack of collective conscience, however this is where Durkheim argues that crime plays an important role. Durkheim argues that criminal acts help create solidarity; societies have united together after devastating terror attacks such a 9/11. ! In regards to suicide, Durkheim also believes this needs to be looked at as both “normal” and “abnormal” phenomena. Durkheim holds the view that not all deviant acts are necessarily “bad” or unhealthy, and if we are to look at suicide as an act of deviance then perhaps suicide isn’t abnormal. With this Durkheim also advocates for the use of organisational groups “it is always in contact with them by the constant exercise of the function of which it is the organ and in which they collaborate. It follows the workers wherever they go.... Wherever they are, they find it enveloping them, recalling them to their duties, supporting them at need.”(Durkheim: 1893)! In conclusion, Durkheim set up the groundwork for modern day sociologists to understand how the division of labour has an effect on society as a whole. Organic solidarity has been able to form in modern society, and this helps everyone to respect and unify with one another on account of mutual dependence. Despite situations in which the division of labour has been forced before it could develop naturally and without any coordination, or specialisation has occurred to such a degree people are almost isolated,

What do you understand by the term ‘organic solidarity’? What, according to Emile Durkheim, were the abnormal forms of the division of labour that were preventing it from emerging ‘spontaneously’ in modern society and what solutions did Durkheim offer in order to remove these obstacles? Durkheim formulated a solid plan for us to take inspiration from so that societies can get on track to avoid anomie or isolation.

BILBLIOGRAPHY! Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society, New York, The Free Press, 1933. Durkheim, Emile, Suicide: A Study in Sociology, New York, The Free Press, 1951. ! Grabb, Edward G., Theories of Social Inequality: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives, second edition, Toronto, Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1990....