Durkheim Lecture 2

Oct 23 2007

“Division of labour in Society”

Different from Marx, who emphases efficiency of division of labour in economic value, Durkheim focuses on:-
o The moral life, extract the ethic from science
o Establish science of morality
o How does society be constituted and morality and solidarity.

Division of labour- degree to which tasks or responsibilities are specialized, it is more than just of economic arrangement, it is of sociological and moral concern.

Collective consciousness (in division of labour) is one type of social facts
Common consciousness

The main points in “division of labour”:-
o Collective consciousness in compatible with the functioning of the type of society with an advanced division of labour
o Because social solidarity becomes more dependent on functional interdependence in the division of labour, the decline in collective consciousness or beliefs is a normal characteristic of the modern type of society, new form of solidarity emerges.

Durkheim criticized Herbert Spence, who thinks individual should be left to his own state, should not interfere. Durkheim is against such “individualism.” He thinks the interest of individual can never be the base of social solidarity, because interest can change.

In modern society, the typical contractual relationship established between individuals. Durkheim noted that the nature of contractual relationship is not base of solidarity, but rather the binding force in the contract is the base of solidarity. What is the binding force?

The existence of some general norms that governs relationship, the contractual ties are not the main elements that hold society but, the existence of contract is. “Society which confers that force”

What can modern society provide binding force? Force that bind society together?

Type of solidarity

Dynamic density, the major causal factor in Durkheim’s Theory that transition from the mechanical solidarity to organic solidarity, refers to number of people in a society and the amount of interaction among them. ??

Mechanical solidarity –
o Relative undifferentiated social structure, no or less division of labour, people perform wide range of task and handle numerous responsibilities, jack of all trades.
o Society unified because people are generally engaged in similar tasks and responsibilities.
o Social authority is highly centralized
o Collective sentiment and beliefs predominate, there is low level of individual consciousness; the individual is subordinate to the group; individuals act collectively and reflectively
o Religious ideas pervade the whole society, social and religious laws are undifferentiated
o Law is repressive, deviant act will be not tolerated; it is regarded as against whole society.

Organic Solidarity

o Greater degree of specialization in division of labour, people occupy more specialized position and relative narrower range of tasks and responsibilities.
o Interdependent, difference among people draw them together, because they need each other. “Each one depends on much more strictly on society as labour is more divided; on the other hand, the activity of each other is as much more personal as it is more specialized.” The new form of solidarity.

Durkheim’s main concern is that there is the absence of proper transaction state in modern society. That is where problem rises. The new form of society emerged; however, the society had not reached to its ideal organic solidarity.

According to Durkheim, the decline of common morality in modern society, and loosening moral bonding is pathological.

Regulation and Anomie

If the division of labour does not produce solidarity, it is because the relationship between the organs is not regulated, they are in the state of “Anomie”. It is a transition stage and state of pathological.

Anomie: normlessness, an individual faces anomie when not under moral constraint, not clear idea of what is or is not proper conducted.

Anomie of division of labour: in organic solidarity, individuals become isolated in their highly specialized activities, ceased to feel a common bond with those who work and live around them. It is related to Marx’s concept of alienation, and Anomie is one of types of alienations, the alienation from the fellow humans

Equilibrium, the state of balance.

Pathological of modern society:

o The rapid of social changes and lack of regulation to dissolve conflicting interests among society, are in modern society.
o Individual feel intense sense of isolation due to highly specialized occupation, anomic division of labour.


Will equilibrium ever arrive? Notably, Durkheim doesn’t focus on conflicts and contraindication of society, but rather on how to regulate and moderate.

The study of Suicide- provides an illustration of concept of anomie, the social facts of suicide is not individual determined, in different social groups have different suicide rate.

Individual acts socially determined and social environment is function factor of suicide.

Type of suicide,

Each type links to the degree of integration in society or degree of regulation by society.

Integration: - the degree to which collective sentiment are shared. When integration is low, egoistic suicide rate is high; when integration is high, the altruistic suicide rate is high.

Regulation: - the degree of external constraint on people, when low, anomic suicide rate is high; when high, fatalistic suicide is high.

1. Egoistic suicide- happens when the individual is not well integrated into society; Lack of integration and individuals are left to pursue their own interests, unrestrained by a collective conscience.
Increasing the need and desires can never be fulfilled, might result in a deep sense of dissatisfaction with life, hence leads to suicide;
Strongly integrated social groups such as family or religious organization are able to discourage such suicide.

2. Altruistic suicide – where strong social integration motivated by a strong sense of duty to the group as well as the intense hopes that there is a better world beyond this life.

3. Anomie suicide – In modern society, it is anomic division of labour, when there is low social regulation, esp. when uncertainty or social transition and dramatic changes occur, give people a sense of rootlessness and normlessness. Common feature, both upward and downward phases of economic cycle causes disruption to accustomed modes of life.

4. Fatalistic suicide – when regulation is excessive, individual feels a strong sense of hopelessness and melancholy resulting from oppression.

The conclusion: there is a collective force within every population with a particular strength which impels ones to kill themselves.

In Singapore, from 2003 to 2006, the suicide rate increased 21% from 326 cases to 419. Among them, the largest group was the men in 40’s; the second largest group was the women in 50’s. Japan remains the countries with highest suicide rate.

Both “Division of labour” and “Suicide” make reference to crisis in modern society:
o Those are addressing the crisis of not economic in nature and could not be solved by economic measures.
o Therefore, Durkheim is skeptical about socialist programme, esp. wealth redistribution
o The main moral foundation upon which contractual relations and organic solidarity is built.
o Cult of the individuals: a general belief in the dignity and worth of the individual, while Durkheim is against.

According to him, the crisis of modern society is due to:
o Development of moral regulation has not caught up with the development of economic sphere.
o Division of labour is still in an anomic state, i.e. a system of regulation has not been fully developed that correspond to the stage of economic development
o The modern state of society is a transition stage, and equilibrium will be reached sometime in the future. Social reform will help equilibrium to be realized.

To Sum up.
Durkheim is interested how viable of a society despite of different conflicts and contradictions existing. He acknowledges the struggles of social life, the role of society is not to abolish the conflict but to moderate and regulate. He is interested in understanding individual society relationship. The study of suicide shows what individual acts can help us understand the boarder society and individual relationship within it.