Page 103 - DSOC401_SOCIOLOGICAL_THOUGHT_ENGLISH

Unit-15: Division of Labour in Society–Mechanical and Organic Solidarity

(ii) In scientific field, earlier there was no division of sciences. One person could all together notes
obtain knowledge about all sciences, could altogether obtain rights on all sciences. In this
manner, at that time solidarity was found among sciences, but now, when science have been
divided, one person is associated only with one science. There are branches and sub-branches
of each science. Each scientist considers himself to be the Alexander of his own field. Solidarity
of sciences has been destroyed because of this. In this way, in economic and scientific field,
because of the breaking of mutual relation of the parts anomicness is created.
2. forced division of labour: Durkheim says that through division of labour, solidarity is established
only when people get jobs as per their abilities and interests. Giving example of class and castes, he
says that their development represent organized form of division of labour, but many a times it, instead
of unity, gives birth to aspiring pain and sadness, especially when they do not get jobs as per their
interest and they have to be forcefully ties to their pre-determined jobs or power if used upon them
for getting the job done. Such division of labour cannot establish complete solidarity in the society.
Externally imposed division of labour is forced division of labour.
3. Insufficient individual activity: Insufficient individual activity is seen as the third abnormal
form of division of labour. Many a times it happens that people working in business and industrial
organizations do not receive work in sufficient quantity or there is not coordination in their works. Then,
disorganization and disproportion spreads and division of labour is not able to create solidarity.

critical analysis

Durkheim, by presenting a sociological description of division of labour, has given a new direction to
social study. Presenting division of labour as an ethical requirement he emphasized that social life is
hidden in an ethical requirement. Unity is the soul of society, in lack of which society will become lifeless
and inactive. In Durkheim’s creation named, “division of labour in the society”, seeds of practical
use of his positivist methodology and group or socialist thinking may be seen. Development of the
concept of “group consciousness” had also happened in this book itself. Emergence of sociology of
ethics also happened in it. Since it was the first book by Durkheim that is why Bierstadt has called this
book as such a creation that expresses the state of formation of his thoughts and in which his thinking
ha not attained the state of maturity. maturin, Ginsberg, bogards, bierstadt etc, many scholars have
criticized Durkheim’s concept of division of labour, which are as follows:
1. Maturin has criticized Durkheim on the basis that he in place of target of objective, has made
use of the word function, which is not appropriate.
2. Durkheim has developed the concept of social solidarity in this book, but solidarity is an
emotional fact and not sociological. Evident form of unity may be seen in customary law
arrangement. This solidarity of Durkheim and concept of social solidarity is also associated
with psychiatry instead of sociology because there is a psychiatric aspect of unity.
3. Raymond Aaron has criticized Durkheim on the basis that he has called societies with
mechanical solidarity as pieced societies also which in itself of a complete discreet society.
Durkheim, through his modern progressive society also, has expressed the possibility of
maintaining a pieced society. In this manner by showing the coordination of his organic
solidarity, division of labour, industrial specialization and pieced society arrangement, has
tangled the theory of social solidarity.
4. Bierstadt has said that Durkheim has differentiated between primitive and modern societies
on the basis of harmony and variance spread in them which does not feel appropriate because
in all societies some amount of harmony and variance is found.
5. Durkheim has mentioned two forms of solidarity (mechanical and organic) which respectively
represent the internal nature of primitive and modern societies. That nature of mechanical

LoVeLY professionaL uniVersitY 97