Mechanical Solidarity
To better understand the concept of social solidarity, Durkheimian grouped the theory into two types, namely mechanical and organic solidarity. The integration of people in a society that shares common values and beliefs is known as mechanical solidarity. The shared values act as a binding factor that causes individuals to work together (Cheung, 2011, p.6). According to Durkheim, he compares mechanical solidarity to different parts of a watch. He stresses that a clock cannot fully function if one of its parts malfunctions. Individuals in societies that practice mechanical solidarity do not belong to themselves, but instead, they are subordinates to society in all aspects. Additionally, resources are not owned individually but rather belong to the community as a whole.
Features of Mechanical Societies
Absence of Modernity
According to Durkheim, there is no modernity in mechanical societies because individuals are subordinate to their society. People cannot make their personal decisions without consulting people around them (Hornsby 2007, p.10). Thus, a person’s decisions not only affect him but also affect society as a whole. Similarly, there is collective conscience among people in a mechanical society. For example, some Indian communities believe that the woman has to pay the bride price to the man’s parents. People in such a society have solidarity towards the belief, and changing their minds can be challenging. For this reason, Durkheim concluded that there is an absence of modernity in mechanical societies because most of the beliefs they believe in are related to ancient times.
Restitutive Laws
Mechanical societies are commonly associated with restitutive laws that govern people. Under this kind of system, the rules formulated are not aimed at punishing or injuring a criminal. The law’s main objective is to find ways of restoring harmony between people (Schiermer 2015, p.8). An individual is made to sign an agreement showing how they will conform with the established legal obligations. Restitutive laws play a significant role in resolving disputes among people, such as breach of contract between married couples. For example, in some communities, it is a taboo to have more than one marital affairs. If a husband is involved in multiple affairs, the wife is forced to leave the relationship because of the contract that does not allow couples to engage in adultery.
Collective Ownership of Resources
Among the common characteristics of mechanical societies is the collective ownership of resources. The community has a right to benefit from resources such as land. Families apportion themselves land that every family member can utilize for many purposes, for example, farming. Other resources, like water wells, are also owned communally, and it is every community member’s responsibility to make sure they are maintained well. Individuals in mechanical societies hold fundraising campaigns to collect money to establish communal projects, for example, schools (Vasilev 2015, p.13). Communal resource ownership makes people in a society to have a sense of responsibility towards resources because everyone benefits from them. It is with this background that there are fewer disputes related to property in a mechanical society.
Organic Solidarity
Organic solidarity encompasses social cohesiveness mainly based on interdependence and division of labor. Such type of solidarity is more common in developed, industrialized countries (Lukes n.d, p.157). People specialize in the kind of work that they can do best and leave the rest to others. An example of organic solidarity can be seen in the construction industry. Architects are in charge of designing homes, and construction workers take over the role of constructing, whereas electrical engineers set up the electricity. To achieve goals faster, people in modern societies depend on each other in several ways. There is no need for people to share the same values before they work together in regards to Organic solidarity. In contrast, mechanical solidarity requires people to share common values and interests.
Ways People In Organic Societies Depend On Each Other
Wealthy People Establish Public Projects
Organic societies have people of different classes, such as the rich and the poor—the rich act as investors by establishing projects that benefit both them and the public. For example, the construction of private schools and hospitals helps to provide essential services to the public. Ensuring the equal distribution of public resources is quite a challenging task to achieve; that is why governments partner with individuals to accomplish this task (Johnson 2020, p 3). Thus, it is common for governments to treat such investors as high profile citizens because of the tremendous role they do for the country. Furthermore, investors that invest in such projects help to reduce the government’s burden of equal distribution of infrastructure. Without a doubt, the establishment of public projects has considerably helped investors to be recognized by people and governments in organic societies.
Investors Create Jobs for the Unemployed
People in societies that practice organic solidarity face numerous challenges, such as high unemployment levels. To overcome the problem of unemployment, people with capital are encouraged to set up projects so that other people can benefit from them in terms of getting jobs. Powerful countries intending to exert imperialism over weaker nations have continuously adopted this approach to create good ties with the less developed countries. Investors from superpower countries like America, China, and Britain set up large firms that offer numerous jobs to people in less advantaged countries (Kenworthy 2019, p 6). In return, governments in developing countries have to adhere to the imperialistic tendencies exerted to them by the rich countries. Therefore, investing in mass projects is considered one way that rich countries can gain imperialistic Power in other less-developed nations.
Offering Investment Inducements
Governments have various strategies that they use to help people in societies that practice organic solidarity. They offer incentives such as tax holidays and tax reductions to attract investors to carry out the investment. In return, investors can also provide interest-free loans to nations that support their investment enterprises. The loans provided can strengthen the government’s power, for example, by acquiring military equipment and building strong arms of the government. Additionally, a conducive investment environment creates a broad tax base hence leading to increased revenue (Kristina 2019, par 5). Governments can use the acquired revenue to establish infrastructure and not depend on other nations that might want to exert imperialism over them. Therefore, investment incentives can effectively spearhead development in countries that embrace organic solidarity.
References
Cheung, C., & Ma, S. K. (2011). Mechanical, Organic, Distributive, Inclusive, and Dialogic Solidarity Measures. PsycTESTS Dataset. doi:10.1037/t32314-000
Hornsby, A. M. 2007. Solidarity, Mechanical, and Organic. The Blackwell Encyclopedia of Sociology. doi:10.1002/9781405165518.wbeoss210
Lukes, S. N.d. Organic Solidarity and Contractual Solidarity. Emile Durkheim, 158-180. doi:10.1007/978-1-137-34741-1_8
Schiermer, B. 2015. Durkheim’s Concept of Mechanical Solidarity – Where Did It Go? Durkheimian Studies, 20(1). doi:10.3167/ds.2014.200104
Vasilev, G. (2015). Non-essentialist Solidarity. Solidarity Across Divides. doi:10.3366/edinburgh/9780748697304.003.0002