SOCI 3251 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Social Fact, Anomie
Document Summary
Durkheim argued that economic specialization was not necessarily bad for either the individual or the society as a whole. An extensive division of labor could exist without necessarily jeopardizing the moral cohesion of a society. Division of labor corresponds to two different forms of solidarity: mechanical solidarity is typified by feelings of likeness. It is rooted in everyone feeling/doing the same thing. The type of solidarity is characteristic of small, traditional societies. It is based on likeness and similarity: organic solidarity refers to a type of solidarity in which each person is interdependent with others, forming a complex web of cooperative associations. It comes from cultivating individual differences and knowing that each is doing their part for the good of the whole. A normal division of labor exists only when specialization of tasks is not exaggerated. If the division of labor is pushed too far, there is a danger for the individual to become isolated in his special activity.
