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Durkheim Social Equality

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In the book The Division of Labor in Society by Durkheim, readers can understand Durkheim’s perspectives on division of labor contrast to Marx’s. In the above passage, the social inequality is the inequality which are embedded in the society as a form of discrimination that is spread and sustained through social institutions. The social inequalities can be extended as justifying why specific individuals are lower social standing or ranks over others. This can effectively determine people’s occupation and social positions. A passage “it is a necessary and sufficient condition for these inequalities neither to be emphasized nor played down through some external cause” describes the external causes as being the societally advantages or disadvantages …show more content…

He points out that the margin of disparity in society grows wider as values of organic solidarity grows larger through industrialization and specialization in works and skills. He points that “the time where the bounds burst, having become too constricting” which means that as the margin of disparity grows substantially, it will one day burst eventually (p.313). In addition, the prejudice or discrimination act as an external inequality in making transmission of money and other forms of status easier in society where organic solidarity is the main system. On the other hand, Durkheim also explains that the external inequalities disrupt the main purpose of organic solidarity. This can occur by not synchronizing individuals to specific functions that are assigned to them. This will eventually result in slowing the individuals from specializing at their highest …show more content…

Marx argues that due to division of labor and class struggle, “man comes to objectify himself through this mere one-dimension he has created and identifies with” (Marx p.475). The class struggle resulted from division of labor created an inequality where some will own the means of production, and the lower class who provides or sells their labor or “self” to survive working for those owners of means of product. This two groups are simply explained as bourgeoisies and proletariats by Marx. As the industrialization and society modernizes, the inequality will prevail observably. Marx argues that the proletariats will revolt against bourgeoisies and lead to the fall of capitalism and rise of communism. Marx’s point of view of social change is for social interest and getting rid of class exploitation once the proletariats remove the bourgeoisies from the top of the social and economic chain. Unlike Marx who focuses on the class struggle and the rapid social changes, Durkheim points out that it should be don’t only as far as necessary. According to Marx, “we conclude that it is not good to push specialization as far as possible, but only as far as necessary” arguing that the specialization should not be pushed to the possible limit, but only to what is necessary and not over pushing it (Durkheim 334). Unlike Marx, Durkheim argues that the

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