During the struggle to gain livelihood, people created institutions, which were very much production centric. All those institution except which existed in primitive communism, gave birth to social inequality. All the societies which emerged after the primitive communism introduced division of labor, which lead to the stratified classes of men in the society. These classes are differentiated in the society by their ownership or access to the means of production and their possession of power in the society. Whatever economic surplus is accumulated will be taken by the class who obtain power and own means of production.

History has witnessed confrontation between the different classes, the dominance of one strata over other is often challenged. The history of all the societies which existed until now is the history of class conflict. Following are the some example of class conflict which existed in different society, free man and slaves, aristocrat and commoner, landlord and peasant, bourgeoisie and proletariat and exploiters and exploited.

According to “Karl Marx”, he was never dependent on the contemporary conditions of society. He believed that world is always in changing state, it is not static. However his social change theory is based on economic factors of society, which results in development of different classes and class struggle.                     

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“Emile Durkheim” belonged to the structural-functional school of thought. He was interested in the study of social structure and its functions. How different part of society function and contribute to the functioning of society as whole. He believed that social solidarity is the main element which hold society together. Social solidarity is the feeling of unity among individuals with one another and with society or what makes society solid, viable and hold it together. He explained solidarity in two different type of societies. He says that, mechanical solidarity exist in a societies which has simple social structure like rural society. Whereas organic solidarity exist in the society which has complex social structure like urban society.

Mechanical Solidarity

According to “Emile Durkheim”, traditional societies or rural societies has mechanical solidarity. Individuals bond together in traditional society by the homogeneity. The division of labor is very slight in this type of society. Individual almost have similar skill sets and have similar job responsibilities. In traditional society individuals earn their livelihood from agriculture and in agriculture societies there is very low division of labor almost every individual is peasant. Moreover, people of rural society share similar religion, culture, norms, believes and values. Due to the homogeneity they are connected with one another and society, which is characterized by, “Emile Durkheim” as mechanical solidarity. Mechanical solidarity is based on the sameness of people living in a society. Emile Durkheim built an analogy which compare a society with a machine or a series of machines which are manufactured similarly. Suppose if there is a problem in a part of machine because of which machine is not working. It can be replaced by the same part of other machine and it will start working again. By this analogy Durkheim was trying to prove that, traditional or rural societies are held together by homogeneity.

Organic Solidarity

Emile Durkheim believed that, modern industrial societies has organic solidarity. Individuals in modern bond together by heterogeneity. In urban society division of labor is very high; every individual possess different skill set or specialization. Moreover, individuals dissimilar, religion, believes, values norm and culture. So the logic dictated question arises here that, what hold them together? The answer is interdependence. Individuals in urban society are dependent on each other because of high division of labor, they trade their skills with one another which connects them with each other. Suppose if someone need legal assistance he will hire a lawyer, if someone car is broke he will go to mechanic for repair and if someone need hair cut he will go to barber. Individuals in urban society rely on each other that is what unify them. Emile Durkheim compared modern societies with organism, which are composed of multiple organ and each organ has its specialized function, organism is healthy if each part or organ perform its function. Similarly, modern society are composed of multiple institutions and each has its own specialized function if each individual and institution perform its function then it will result in healthy society.

By Khushdil Khan Kasi

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Social Solidarity is how individuals feel connected and united with one another and to the society as whole. According to Emile Durkheim, social solidarity is based on, “social regulation” and “social integration”. Social regulation is based on three components, 1) number of rules; which individuals have to follow in the society it can be social, cultural and legal rules, 2) Enforcement of rules; how strictly are those rules enforced by society 3) and Predictability of life; which is connected to the second component of social regulation, individuals might think that, how rigorously they will be punished if they violate the rules and how they will be rewarded if they follow the rules. Emile Durkheim believed that, social regulation is important for the strength of society and health of individuals living in a society. Social Integration is based on two component:

1) how associated individuals feel to the society and with their fellow beings in a society

2) and how often an individual interact with other individuals in a society.

Moreover, Emile Durkheim defined two types of solidarity mechanical and organic solidarity. Traditional societies are held together by mechanical solidarity and urban societies are held together by organic solidarity.

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