When reading and listening to the lecture on Durkheim’s theory on mechanical solidarity I automatically thought of one of todays hit TV series titled The Walking Dead. Due to The Walking Dead series being 4 seasons long (and counting), there have been many issues and occurrences that have arose throughout the duration of the television show which would make it almost impossible to relate the theory of mechanical solidarity to the series as a whole. Due to the longevity and depth of the series, I instead decided to focus in on one of the major events that occurred in season 3 of the show. The event that occurred dealt with the introducing of the community of Woodbury which was a new community within the series that had a low volume of population and expressed very little interdependence. The Woodbury community provides a clear example and visual of Durkheim’s theory of mechanical solidarity due to the community expressing low divisions of labor, “sameness” within the community and other key features that fall into the definition of what makes a specific society exhibit this theory.
The Walking Dead is a television series that started in October 2010 and it is an American horror drama that is based off of a comic book series. The series is about a small group of people who survived a zombie apocalypse and how they live in the aftermath of the apocalypse. The group deals with new issues wherever they turn and are forced to focus on how they will survive in a world where society’s systemic formation has completely collapsed and made its turn for the worst.
In season 3 specifically, the community of Woodbury is introduced in the television series as a place of peace that is enclosed by a large guarded wall accompanied by people who served as guards for the community. Within the community, “The Governor” enforces the rules and there is a population of about 73 people. Woodbury was explained to be a place of safety due to the Governor’s strict enforcement of curfews within the community. In the community, there were not many labor positions, instead, The Governor had the most power and was responsible for many tasks within the community as well as any personal issues that the people of the community may have faced. In Woodbury, the citizens were not to go beyond the walls that guarded the community and were not to communicate with people outside of their community. Sure, the main reason why this community was so separated from the outside world was due to the major factor of them living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse and the separated community is a form of safety. However, when taking away the reasoning behind why this community was formed and excluding the external factors, when looking at the community of Woodbury internally it provides a clear example of a community that has principles based off the theory of mechanical solidarity.
In Durkheim’s theory on the division of labor he focuses on two specific types of solidarity that is created by the division of labor – mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. He explains mechanical solidarity as being more apparent when there is a low division of labor and he then explains that organic solidarity becomes more apparent within societies when there is a high division of labor. Within the concept of mechanical solidarity, Durkheim makes it clear to the reader that this type of solidarity focuses on the idea of “sameness”. In the text, it is explained that mechanical solidarity can be more evident in homogenous and low populated societies. These societies are community oriented and have little interdependence as well as the people within these communities having a similar worldview. Within communities that exhibit mechanical solidarity, there are often fewer roles within the community and the social interaction is strictly bases on relationships.
All of these factors that make a community exhibit mechanical solidarity is shown through the community of Woodbury in The Walking Dead series. The concept of sameness and the homogenous population is shown through the citizens of Woodbury because of their current situation as being some of the few people in the world that survived the zombie apocalypse. The community of Woodbury also exhibits the feature of interdependence because they do not interact with strangers that are outside of the community simply because they do not want to but also for safety reasons and because their social bonds with strangers are weak. Like stated before, another way this community is through the low division of labor. Within Woodbury, The Governor had some help with some of the tasks within the community however most of the issues within the community such as health and crime were the responsibilities handled by The Governor. In addition, the fact that the Woodbury population is only 73 people also falls into the idea that communities that exhibit mechanical solidarity are typically less populated.
All in all, there are many ways in which the fictional community of Woodbury in The Walking Dead series provides a clear example and visual of what a community based on mechanical solidarity looks like. It is clear that this community follows the concept of mechanical solidarity through the citizen’s limited social interaction with outsiders, the low division of labor exhibited within the community, the homogeneousness of the people within the community and the simple fact that the community is not a large population.
The Walking Dead is a television series that started in October 2010 and it is an American horror drama that is based off of a comic book series. The series is about a small group of people who survived a zombie apocalypse and how they live in the aftermath of the apocalypse. The group deals with new issues wherever they turn and are forced to focus on how they will survive in a world where society’s systemic formation has completely collapsed and made its turn for the worst.
In season 3 specifically, the community of Woodbury is introduced in the television series as a place of peace that is enclosed by a large guarded wall accompanied by people who served as guards for the community. Within the community, “The Governor” enforces the rules and there is a population of about 73 people. Woodbury was explained to be a place of safety due to the Governor’s strict enforcement of curfews within the community. In the community, there were not many labor positions, instead, The Governor had the most power and was responsible for many tasks within the community as well as any personal issues that the people of the community may have faced. In Woodbury, the citizens were not to go beyond the walls that guarded the community and were not to communicate with people outside of their community. Sure, the main reason why this community was so separated from the outside world was due to the major factor of them living in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse and the separated community is a form of safety. However, when taking away the reasoning behind why this community was formed and excluding the external factors, when looking at the community of Woodbury internally it provides a clear example of a community that has principles based off the theory of mechanical solidarity.
In Durkheim’s theory on the division of labor he focuses on two specific types of solidarity that is created by the division of labor – mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity. He explains mechanical solidarity as being more apparent when there is a low division of labor and he then explains that organic solidarity becomes more apparent within societies when there is a high division of labor. Within the concept of mechanical solidarity, Durkheim makes it clear to the reader that this type of solidarity focuses on the idea of “sameness”. In the text, it is explained that mechanical solidarity can be more evident in homogenous and low populated societies. These societies are community oriented and have little interdependence as well as the people within these communities having a similar worldview. Within communities that exhibit mechanical solidarity, there are often fewer roles within the community and the social interaction is strictly bases on relationships.
All of these factors that make a community exhibit mechanical solidarity is shown through the community of Woodbury in The Walking Dead series. The concept of sameness and the homogenous population is shown through the citizens of Woodbury because of their current situation as being some of the few people in the world that survived the zombie apocalypse. The community of Woodbury also exhibits the feature of interdependence because they do not interact with strangers that are outside of the community simply because they do not want to but also for safety reasons and because their social bonds with strangers are weak. Like stated before, another way this community is through the low division of labor. Within Woodbury, The Governor had some help with some of the tasks within the community however most of the issues within the community such as health and crime were the responsibilities handled by The Governor. In addition, the fact that the Woodbury population is only 73 people also falls into the idea that communities that exhibit mechanical solidarity are typically less populated.
All in all, there are many ways in which the fictional community of Woodbury in The Walking Dead series provides a clear example and visual of what a community based on mechanical solidarity looks like. It is clear that this community follows the concept of mechanical solidarity through the citizen’s limited social interaction with outsiders, the low division of labor exhibited within the community, the homogeneousness of the people within the community and the simple fact that the community is not a large population.