Manuel Andres Beltran
SOC 385 Blog 4
Durkheim describes solidarity as being a type of “social glue”; it can be
either mechanical or organic. This “social glue” includes the values, beliefs
and customs that act as a collective conscience which keeps everyone in society
in their specific roles. Durkheim argues that smaller societies being more
“close-knit”have a mechanical solidarity whereas larger and more complex
societies have an organic solidarity.
Mechanical solidarity which tends to occur in smaller societies according
to Durkheim has four main attributes: 1) minimal division of labor, 2) emphasis
on the group, 3) limited social roles, and 4) social interaction is based on
more intimate relationships. What this means is that since there is a minimal
division of labor, there is less of a chance that someone has a skill that most
others do not possess as well. Emphasis on the group means that everyone tries
to work together (i.e. everybody knows each other’s business). Limited social
roles mean that the resources or connections available to an individual are
limited to his or her social circles. An example might be a small farm town;
there may not be too many opportunities or jobs for say an computer engineer,
not because the town has no need for it, but simply because it is much smaller
and the likelihood for a need for this may be very low. Social interaction
refers to types of relationships individuals have with one another. In a small
town or society for instance, because everyone knows each other’s business and
needs to get along because they need each other, there is a strong likelihood
that everyone is friendly to some extent with everyone or the overwhelming
majority of people in the town. This may be helpful when seeking services since
one could seek a person or business because they are one’s friend and therefore
trustworthy; as opposed to an organic solidarity where you would have to risk
dealing with total strangers based on a license or certificate they may have,
they are still strangers and not as trustworthy.
Organic solidarity is according to Durkheim more likely to occur in
larger more complex societies. In this type of solidarity there are also four
main attributes: 1) a much greater division of labor, 2) society is
significantly less formal than in a mechanical solidarity, 3) people
relationships are based more so on roles, and 3) inter-dependence. Greater
division of labor means that there are people more likely to have skills not
everyone has. Jobs become more skill specific, such as engineers, doctors,
attorneys, etc. Organic solidarity also means that it is less formal; as opposed
to mechanical solidarity, in this case, not many people know each other’s
business or even each other. Peoples’ relationships are also based on the roles
they have in society. Going off the example the Professor gave in class, back in
his home town, his father knew someone that could take care of virtually every
possible need they may have because they knew them personally. In an organic
solidarity however, individuals are more likely to seek services from people
they do not know anything about and have to trust them solely because of their
title or certification they may have.
Durkheim’s arguments about what mechanical and organic solidarity are
very true in my opinion. They can be seen in places from small suburbs to larger
cities like New York City, Washington D.C., or Chicago. However, I would argue
that even in these cities, you can come across both, almost like a hybrid of the
two. Chicago for instance can have mechanical solidarity if looking at
relationships between people in neighborhoods; here everyone knows everyone, and
because of the larger number of people, one may find most of the attributes
found in only mechanical societies.
SOC 385 Blog 4
Durkheim describes solidarity as being a type of “social glue”; it can be
either mechanical or organic. This “social glue” includes the values, beliefs
and customs that act as a collective conscience which keeps everyone in society
in their specific roles. Durkheim argues that smaller societies being more
“close-knit”have a mechanical solidarity whereas larger and more complex
societies have an organic solidarity.
Mechanical solidarity which tends to occur in smaller societies according
to Durkheim has four main attributes: 1) minimal division of labor, 2) emphasis
on the group, 3) limited social roles, and 4) social interaction is based on
more intimate relationships. What this means is that since there is a minimal
division of labor, there is less of a chance that someone has a skill that most
others do not possess as well. Emphasis on the group means that everyone tries
to work together (i.e. everybody knows each other’s business). Limited social
roles mean that the resources or connections available to an individual are
limited to his or her social circles. An example might be a small farm town;
there may not be too many opportunities or jobs for say an computer engineer,
not because the town has no need for it, but simply because it is much smaller
and the likelihood for a need for this may be very low. Social interaction
refers to types of relationships individuals have with one another. In a small
town or society for instance, because everyone knows each other’s business and
needs to get along because they need each other, there is a strong likelihood
that everyone is friendly to some extent with everyone or the overwhelming
majority of people in the town. This may be helpful when seeking services since
one could seek a person or business because they are one’s friend and therefore
trustworthy; as opposed to an organic solidarity where you would have to risk
dealing with total strangers based on a license or certificate they may have,
they are still strangers and not as trustworthy.
Organic solidarity is according to Durkheim more likely to occur in
larger more complex societies. In this type of solidarity there are also four
main attributes: 1) a much greater division of labor, 2) society is
significantly less formal than in a mechanical solidarity, 3) people
relationships are based more so on roles, and 3) inter-dependence. Greater
division of labor means that there are people more likely to have skills not
everyone has. Jobs become more skill specific, such as engineers, doctors,
attorneys, etc. Organic solidarity also means that it is less formal; as opposed
to mechanical solidarity, in this case, not many people know each other’s
business or even each other. Peoples’ relationships are also based on the roles
they have in society. Going off the example the Professor gave in class, back in
his home town, his father knew someone that could take care of virtually every
possible need they may have because they knew them personally. In an organic
solidarity however, individuals are more likely to seek services from people
they do not know anything about and have to trust them solely because of their
title or certification they may have.
Durkheim’s arguments about what mechanical and organic solidarity are
very true in my opinion. They can be seen in places from small suburbs to larger
cities like New York City, Washington D.C., or Chicago. However, I would argue
that even in these cities, you can come across both, almost like a hybrid of the
two. Chicago for instance can have mechanical solidarity if looking at
relationships between people in neighborhoods; here everyone knows everyone, and
because of the larger number of people, one may find most of the attributes
found in only mechanical societies.