Running Head: Social Solidarity and the Division of Labor

Assignment 2: Social Solidarity and the Division of Labor

Sociology 303

Professor King

Deandrea Mitchell

American Public University Systems

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Emile Durkheim was a French sociologist. He lived from (1857-1917) and is known for

being one of the founding fathers of the sociological discipline, along with Karl Marx and Max

Weber. Emile Durkheim focused much of his studies on the collectiveness of society, and how

societies formed and functioned. His works contribute to ideas that hold us together, maintaining

order and stability, while helping us understand what sets us apart. The functionalist perspective

is the perfect example of his work and theory. The functionalist perspective focuses on shared

experiences, beliefs, values, and behaviors, that make people feel a part of a group, working

together to ensure common interests.

In this paper, I will be discussing Durkheim’s thesis on social solidarity in diverse types

of societies and how the types of social solidarity are tied to the division of labor in society.

Furthermore, I will address what the collective conscious means, and define the two types of

social solidarity described by Durkheim. Lastly, discussing how both types are tied to the

division of labor, and briefly touch on the anomic division of labor.

“Collective consciousness (sometimes collective conscience or conscious) is a

fundamental sociological concept that refers to the set of shared beliefs, ideas, attitudes, and

knowledge that are common to a social group or society. The collective consciousness informs

our sense of belonging and identity, and our behavior. Founding sociologist Emile Durkheim

developed this concept to explain how unique individuals are bound together into collective units

like social groups and societies.” (Cole, 2017)

“Durkheim outlined his major contribution to the field of criminology. In this work

Durkheim is primarily concerned with the idea of “social solidarity,” a shared sense of belonging

to one group of society. Solidarity can be achieved in two major ways, “mechanical solidarity”

that emerges in less developed societies due to the similarity of daily life activities (in tribal
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societies every man tends the fields, every woman tends to domestic activities) and “organic

solidarity” that comes about through mutual reliance (in more developed societies we all do

different tasks, but all rely on each other to do those tasks). Social solidarity serves to unite

social groups and underscores similarities and a consensus on social norms and behaviors. Social

norms can be codified into laws in the more advanced societies. Durkheim argues that we all

know the rules of daily life and the laws of the land, that we agree with them, and that we tend to

be surprised when those rules are violated. Those who break the social norms might be

ostracized (for being odd or socially awkward), treated for mental illness (for more severe

instances of norm violation), or incarcerated (for those who intentionally violate laws).” (Wehr,

2014)

Durkheim’s major concepts for the division of labor in society distinguish between

primitive and advanced societies based on how the individuals in the group understand social

solidarity. Meaning, how different societies define how law dictates the roles in resolving

breakdowns of social solidarity. Now, I will define the two terms mechanical and organic

solidarity, in relation to how they are tied to Emile Durkheim’s division of labor in society.

“The distinction drawn by Emile DURKHEIM (1893) between two types of SOCIAL

SOLIDARITY: mechanical solidarity, based on the similarity between individuals, the form of

solidarity predominant in simple and less advanced societies, and organic solidarity, based on the

DIVISION OF LABOUR, and complementarities between individuals, the form of solidarity

ideally occurring in modern advanced societies. Durkheim formulated the distinction between

the two types of solidarity by identifying the demographic and morphological features basic to

each type, the typical forms of law, and formal features and content of the conscience collective,

which ought to be associated with each type.” (Jary & Jary, 2006)
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To elaborate on the two forms of labor, I will discuss Durkheim’s sociology of the law

and give more detail into organic and mechanical solidarity. Durkheim thought of the law as a

biological central part of society, much like the nervous system in an organism. The nervous

system acts as a regulator for other bodily functions, helping them work together simultaneously

in harmony with one another. So, the law, like the nervous system, is a mechanical form of

society. The two types of laws are restitutive and restoration. Restitutive focuses on the victim

and relates to the organic solidarity he mentions, working through other functioning bodies like

the courts and lawyers.

Early societies were smaller and simple, this resulted in very little division of labor. In

this society, everyone is like each other, which is a shared experience through likeness. The

people of this society carry out similar tasks, sharing the type of work they have. Crime in this

society usually grants harsh punishments. The crime is an offense to all, because of the shared

moral principles. The violation would be a violation to the values that exist in the society. Under

organic solidarity that collective conscious begins to grow smaller. The individual begins to learn

more specialized areas of work, which tasks are separated within the society, as part of a

functioning whole. This division of labor leads more to individualism and a variety of tasks and a

personal consciousness. This creates a dependence on each other, although the division of labor

is different, creates an analogous situation where the individual relies on an extension of the

group to carry out their tasks.

Emile Durkheim was quoted saying,” there are in each of us two consciences: one which

is common to our group in its entirety, which, consequently, is not our self, but society living and

acting within us; the other, on the contrary, represent that in us which is personal and distinct,

that which makes us an individual. Solidarity which comes from likeness is at its maximum
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when the collective conscience completely envelops our whole conscience and coincides in all

points with it.” (Durkheim, 1933)

Furthermore, there is anther division of labor, the anomic division of labor. This division

is one of power, in social and economic status. It differs from the organic, because all in the

society had similar work and related to each other through likeness. In mechanical, we develop

more specialized tasks and grow more personal ways of thinking, due to our varying jobs,

careers, backgrounds, etc. The anomic division is where the individual doesn’t have the skills or

environment in the organic form, doesn’t have control over employment in the mechanical form,

and lacks power and status in the anomic form. The individual may result to deviant means to

attain the societal goals and to reintegrate into the societies norms and values, although achieving

them in a deviant manner. This happens during times of crisis or conflict within the society.

Durkheim on anomy, states, “The state of anomy is impossible when solidary organs are

sufficiently in contact or sufficiently prolonged. If some opaque environment is interposed, then

only stimuli of a certain intensity can be communicated from one organ to another. Relations,

being rare, are repeated enough to be determined.” (Durkheim, 1933)

Durkheim is saying that, for society to be able to operate smoothly, and function

properly, we must work together for the collective good of the society. The state of anomy would

be like a cancer. The problems I see when analyzing this issue, is the inequality we face within

society. Race, class, gender, sexual orientation, etc. as well as where they intersect. If we were

to create a division of labor, where all had the opportunity to thrive and excel regardless of who

they are and what they look like, it would be a good system to follow. However, based on these

divisions of labor, it also creates stereotypes and gender appropriate careers, although, changing

with time, still exist today.

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Works Cited:

Wehr, K. (2014). Durkheim, Emile. In J. S. Albanese, Wiley series of encyclopedias in

criminology and criminal justice: The encyclopedia of criminology and criminal justice.
Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/wileycacj/dur
kheim_emile/0?institutionId=8703
mechanical and organic solidarity. (2006). In D. Jary, & J. Jary (Eds.), Collins dictionary of
sociology (4th ed.). London, UK: Collins. Retrieved from
http://ezproxy.apus.edu/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/collinssoc/me
chanical_and_organic_solidarity/0?institutionId=8703
Cole, Nicki Ph.D., June 07, 2017, Collective Consciousness Defined, retrieved. March 21, 2018.
https://www.thoughtco.com/collective-consciousness-definition-3026118.
Crossman Ashley, March 07, 2018, The Division of Labor in Society Study Guide. Retrieved
March 21, 2018. https://www.thoughtco.com/mechanical-solidarity-3026761.
Durkheim, Emile, The Division of Labor in Society, New York, The Free Press, 1933. Referred
to in notes as Division. HD 51 D98. http://uregina.ca/~gingrich/s16f02.htm.
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