Durkheim: Division of Labor

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Emile Durkheim's study of the division of labor. It discusses his interest in the impact that this specialization had on the individuals involved and how it led to problems such as anomie. The paper defines the division of labor as the separation and specialization of work among individuals and discusses Durkheim's theory of two societal levels.

From the Paper:

"Total anomie, or complete loss of norms, is empirically impossible, Durkheim noted. Societies may be compared by their greater or lesser degrees of normative regulations. In addition, inside any specific society, the cultural subgroups may have varying degrees of anomie influencing them. Radical social change may cause anomie either in the whole society or just some parts of it. Business crises, for example, may have a far greater impact on those on the higher reaches of the social pyramid than on the underlying population. When economic depression leads to a sudden downward trend, the individuals impacted experience a loss of moral certainty and traditional expectations no longer maintained by the group to which these men once belonged. Similarly, a quick gain of wealth may cause some people to fast upward mobility and take them away from the social support needed in their new life style."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Durkheim, Emile. (1933.) The Division of Labor In Society translated by George Simpson. New York: The Free Press.
• Durkheim, Emile. (1951.) Suicide: A Study in Sociology translated by George Simpson and John A. Spaulding. New York: The Free Press.

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