The Division of Labour, HS205 Lecture 2

August 14, 2007 Lecture 2

Adam Smith

Greatest improvement in productivity
Every worker become much more skilful and dexterity in particular task
Time saving from not having to switch one task to another
Easier to mechanize single, simple task

Division of labour in modern factory
Is more complex, diversity ( each component made in different factory)

Beyond factories
Division of labour also in wholesales retails
Network development

Specialization

Division of labour gives rise to very specialized occupation
Occupation becomes the basis of how society organized, compare to pre-modern days, family, clan and kinships become source of identities. Occupation becomes dominant category of how we see the world.

Contemporary society

Dominant form of social interacting is based on division of labour
Public vs. private spheres
- Public sphere defined by division of labour
- Private sphere: interact with family and friends; tends not to be defined by division of labour
- More and more, public sphere starts to encroach private sphere

Up to now

Emerge of division of labour during industrialization
Spread to society at large, change structure of social basis and boundary

Emile Durkheim (1800-
expected increasing division of labour in societies
Tendency to an “over-development” (insignificant of small component, little part one plays) of division of labour

Segmental (traditional society) to modern society

Transition from segmental society to modern society
- Mechanical solidarity to organized solidarity
- Bonded by similarity to interdependent
- Repetition of similar group to system of different organization
- Clan based to each unit has special function
- Family characteristic to individual not own by birth but by competition
- Political characteristic


Development of division of labour leads to :

Organizational structure changes
- organized structure emerged ; segmental structure disappears
- division of labour develops more a certain population density and research
- Once division of labour appear to contribute to regression of segmental structure.

Condensation society (alongside with industrialization)
- Concentration population
- Formation of town and cities: importance of social interests
- Improvement in communication and transportation

Organization and Modernization
Different organization generated:
o Degree of commericalization of social life
o Political incorporating within authoritative and hierarchical form

What happens when over development?
- each part becomes more insignificant
- each component starts to have overlapping interests, e.g., play, movies, concerts are fighting for the same audience
- many social activities available
- potential for social disorganization, people become dispensable, marginal to society, not tied to society