Division of Labor

For Durkheim the division of labor was not just a mere economic phenomenon which only brings efficiency out of specialization. The division of labor instead is something that produces solidarity, which is necessary in society. This is a much deeper understanding than the previous understandings of D.L. by Smith or Marx. Durkheim takes division of labor to a whole new level and claims it produces what is known as organic solidarity, which is unity born out of complementary differences. D.L. does this by providing interdependence between one another. This can be seen in any market where one person provides goods or services for one and they in turn provide a complementary need which diffuses out into a relationship with everyone in that society. However, the Inverse of this, when there is no D.L., this produces Mechanical Solidarity. This solidarity is formed out of similarities and not complements resulting from D.L. Durkheim sums it up when he writes, “The situation is entirely different in the case of solidarity that brings about the division of labor. Whereas the other solidarity (Mechanical Solidarity) implies that individuals resemble one another, the latter assumes that they are different from one another. ...we propose to cal ‘organic’ the solidarity that is due to the division of labor.”
In the element school I worked for, there was a very clear division of labor where every necessary operation from teaching to administrative and janitorial work was all specialized. Form this D.L. everyone that worked there had to rely on the next person. If the janitor failed to do their job, the school could not operate smoothly nor would the janitor have the job if the teacher was not there to teach. Out of this interdependence Durkheim would say that organic solidarity formed out of our complimentary differences. However, if there were no divisions of labor and everyone taught their own children, only Mechanical solidarity would exist. It is only from the divisions between teachers and other workers which organic solidarity form.
Durkheim also showed the different uses of law in the different states of solidarity. In Mechanical solidarity the laws tend to repressive, however, in a society with proper D.L. repressive laws take the back seat to restistitive laws. Restitutive laws main purpose is to restore the proper division of labor, whereas a repressive law’s purpose is to maintain the common beliefs of the society. In the organization of schools, Durkheim was right, I can recall several times when a teacher or staff member did something wrong or broke a rule and the only punishment was to restore the proper of D.L.. One example is when an office worker who also had a child that attended the school would go visit their child during the school day. In so doing the office worker would go outside the proper procedures of visiting your child at school. Once the problem was realized by the principal, she simply clarified the rule with the staff member and restored the proper divisions in that environment. This example can be seen the use of restitutive law shows an environment with proper D.L.