Durkheim Sociology

As society transitions towards a more specialized division of social labor, it can result in the social exclusion of some occupational subgroups that create their own collective consciousness not consistent with that of society. Without direct reference to conflict in society, Durkheim does indicate the possibility of breakdown of social integration through collective action. As the economic sectors divides into diverse industries, the lack or absence of solidarity attraction between the workers and manufacturer ensues. Durkheim called this breakdown an anomic division of labor, which is the consequence of weak or absent social bonds resulting from infrequent, disordered, and complex connections shared between the individuals engaged in

Under an egoistic division of labor, the individuation of modern society is excessive. “Excessive individuation” results in the weakening or absence of the social bonds responsible for connecting people together and preventing destructive behavior. As Durkheim believed, a lack of social integration in a cohesive social group most commonly causes an egoistic division of labor. Furthermore, the lack of social integration and regulation may cause people to become slaves to their own individualistic desires that are destructive to themselves and the rest of society. An extreme case of social breakdown, as Durkheim noted, was suicide; however, by using this same rationale, this condition may also cause people to participate in large forms of collective behavior that eventually endangers social integration.
Using this criteria by Durkheim, the success of a social movement depends on the strength of the social and moral cohesiveness between its members, the regularity to which the members gather to exchange and reaffirm their ideology, and the extent to which the movement forms a stable network of relationships with the rest of society in order to link its own sentiments, values, and ideas with others. Further analyzation of these conditions will help to explain a Durkheim model of social

Organic solidarity, as Durkheim explained, developed as societies grow more complex, initially extending from the individual, followed by the group, and then to the institutions. This form of social solidarity is characterized by individual interdependence between participants and a resulting increase in productivity ensues as members develop a sense of responsibility and belonging in society. As the camps of group members were left without disturbance from police or other exterior forces, they grew in their productivity and reliance upon one another. The literature on Occupy Wall Street adds to this claim through their investigation on groups not disturbed by their local government and analyzed how this affected the group dynamic. Research concluded that the groups undisturbed by outside forces implemented ingenious forms of infrastructure designed to preserve comforts, such as security and health, inside the group camps (Greene,