Durkheim's Division of Labour and Disintegration
Emile Durkheim, in his work on the division of labour, distinguished between normal and pathological forms. Pathological forms, which can lead to social disintegration, arise under specific abnormal conditions.
Analyzing Conditions Leading to Disintegration
Durkheim identified certain conditions of the division of labour that disrupt social solidarity and lead to disintegration (pathological forms). Let's analyze the options:
- Exaggeration of specialization of tasks (Option A): When specialization becomes excessive, individuals may become isolated, losing a sense of collective purpose and connection to the whole society. This can lead to anomie and social fragmentation, contributing to disintegration. Durkheim considered this a pathological form.
- Forced division of labour (Option B): A division of labour that is not organically developed but imposed or forced upon individuals disrupts the natural cohesion. It creates resentment and conflict, undermining the solidarity necessary for social integration. Durkheim viewed this as a primary cause of disintegration.
- Increase in density of collective consciousness (Option C): While a strong collective consciousness is characteristic of mechanical solidarity, an *increase* in its density or rigidity is generally associated with cohesion in simpler societies. In the context of increasing division of labour (moving towards organic solidarity), a rigid or overly dense collective consciousness can hinder adaptation but isn't directly cited by Durkheim as a cause of disintegration in the same way as forced or exaggerated divisions. In fact, a *decrease* in the intensity of the collective consciousness is often necessary for organic solidarity to develop effectively through specialization.
- Increase in the density of population (Option D): Durkheim saw increasing population density (material and moral density) as a key factor driving the evolution from mechanical to organic solidarity. It increases interaction and interdependence, forcing greater specialization. While rapid increases can cause strain, density itself promotes, rather than directly causes, disintegration according to Durkheim; it's the *nature* of the resulting division of labour that determines pathology.
Conclusion on Disintegrating Conditions
Based on Durkheim's analysis, the conditions that directly lead to social disintegration through the division of labour are:
- Exaggeration of specialization of tasks
- Forced division of labour
Therefore, options A and B represent the conditions leading to disintegration according to Durkheim.
Important Questions from Classical Sociological Theory
- Fill in the blank with the CORRECT option.
The term ________ was coined by Francis Galton in 1883. It promotes positive selection of people with particular genes who are thought to be intelligent and negative selection of people considered to be inferior or defective. - In the book Suicide: A Study in Sociology, Durkheim states, “Those experiencing either downswing or uplift in their material circumstances are placed in a situation in which their habitual expectations come under strain." This could lead to ________
Match Talcott Parsons' functional pre-requisites in Column I with the associated social institutions in Column II.
Column I Column II Functional Pre-requisites Institution M Adaptation 1 Religion N Goal attainment 2 Law O Integration 3 Government P Latency 4 Economy - This founder of the Lucknow Department of Economics and Sociology called upon the discipline of Sociology “to combat the tyranny of Economics”. He argued, ‘No choice in the economic field can be appropriate or “rational” which is inconsistent with human norms and values in political, familial and other fields of man's institutional life.' Identify this sociologist from the following options:
In Das Kapital, Volume 1, Marx states that exchange value of three different commodities such as corn, iron and linen ________________
