Positive aspects of organic solidarity

A. It enables individuals to focus on their unique abilities and skills. Overall productivity rises as a result of everyone being able to concentrate on what they do best. The individual is the center of rights and obligations and is of utmost importance, even sacred. As Durkheim put it, the “cult of the individual” is this respect for individuals and their contributions.

B. Organic solidarity fosters a feeling of belonging and teamwork among society’s participants. People depend on one another to complete tasks, which forges deep social ties.

C. Because people in traditional cultures are self-sufficient, there is no need for collaboration and interdependence in these communities. Institutions that demand consensus and collaboration often use coercion and repression to maintain social cohesion. As a result, traditional mechanical solidarity may have an authoritarian and coercive tendency.

D. According to Durkheim, social equality and organic solidarity are related. He said it develops due to the division of labor but only if it occurs “spontaneously.” 

E. Organic solidarity encourages more creativity and innovation. People may advance more quickly and broadly when working together toward a shared objective than when an ingroup with past knowledge restricts them. Organic solidarity is thus more flexible than mechanical solidarity.

F. Organic societies can adapt to changes in the labor market. They can stay up with the trends and prevent stagnation because of their adaptability.

Organic solidarity’s drawbacks

A. Social competitiveness among individuals has grown. People compete with one another for employment, wealth, and prestige in a society with a high level of organic solidarity. Higher levels of stress and worry, and social isolation may result from this.

B. It could cause societal norms to disintegrate or anomie. There may be little place for shared values and ideas in a society when everyone is focused on their own individual objectives. As a result, there may be criminality, other vices, and a feeling of alienation and rootlessness.

C. Solidarity might often be unstable and unreliable. Because it is founded on the division of labor, economic changes may result in wide-scale disruption. Social instability and even violence may result from this.

D. In vast, complex civilizations, organic solidarity is more likely to emerge. However, more minor, more straightforward societies may need help to make the transition to this level of social cohesiveness.

E. To include people with various abilities in society’s fabric, organic solidarity necessitates a high level of social contact. In other societies, this would not be feasible or acceptable, especially if socializing might result in dangers like colonization.

F. In a somewhat counterintuitive way, however, this apparent social interaction downplays the significance of regular encounters between individuals. Individuals can withdraw from investing in others on an emotional and altruistic level by separating themselves from their food and commodities providers.

G. One effect of this estrangement between customers and the manufacturers of their commodities is that, particularly when organic solidarity reaches a global scale, it may result in the homogenization of goods and services. There is less variety in what is produced and consumed as fewer and fewer individuals are responsible for it. This may erase cultural traditions. And last, organic solidarity may result in a broader divide between the affluent and the poor.

H. Because it is built on the division of labor, those born with more incredible skills or resources will start ahead of those who are not. This may lead to the formation of a rigid class structure.

I. Those in positions of authority become depersonalized, which may cause them to feel helpless. This results from the fact that people no longer believe they are in charge of their own life or manufacturing the items they depend on.

J. Because division of labor is the foundation of organic solidarity, society often faces a considerable degree of inequality. As a result, those unable to access the same opportunities and resources as others may get resentful and frustrated.