"The Division of Labor in Society"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses how in his book "The Division of Labor in Society", Emile Durkheim sees society as evolving, as developing over time and how he considers the specific element of solidarity as it was manifested at each stage of development. Division of labor is another specific dimension by which we explain the existence of the kinds and types of social organization in a given society. It shows how Durkheim in his book, explains both the nature of society as well as the meaning of, development of and place of individuality within that structure. It examines how Durkheim's vision of the division of labor is of a naturally occurring reality that becomes a force for social cohesion and solidarity, binding individuals in society more closely together and may imperil individuality as a result.

From the Paper:

"In discussing the bond of social solidarity, Durkheim indicates that there are two ideal types of solidarity, one mechanical and the other organic. The bond of solidarity is that which defines a society and its rules and regulations, rules which can be transgressed by the criminal precisely because that solidarity exists and stands as that against which crime is directed and defined. Crime is defined by Durkheim as an "act contrary to strong, well-defined states of common consciousness" (Durkheim 60). He then indicates that it is possible to see what kind of solidarity the penal law symbolizes, and he says that it is clear that social cohesion exists when there is a certain conformity of each individual consciousness to a common type, the psychological type of society. "

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