Editing Division of labour (section)

=== Émile Durkheim ===
In his seminal work, ''[[The Division of Labor in Society]]'', [[Émile Durkheim]]<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Alpert|first1=Harry|year=1959|title=Emile Durkheim: A Perspective and Appreciation|journal=American Sociological Review|volume=24|issue=4|pages=462–65|doi=10.2307/2089532|jstor=2089532}} A founding father of sociology, [[Émile Durkheim]], best known for his 1893 seminal work, ''[[The Division of Labour in Society|De La Division Du Travail Social]]'' [''The Division of Labor in Society''], "dedicated himself to the establishment of sociology as a legitimate and respected science and as an instrument of rational social action."</ref> observes that the division of labour appears in all societies and positively correlates with societal advancement because it increases as a society progresses.

Durkheim arrived at the same conclusion regarding the positive effects of the division of labour as his theoretical predecessor, [[Adam Smith]]. In ''The Wealth of Nations'', Smith observes the division of labour results in "a proportionable increase of the productive powers of labor."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Adam |title=The Wealth of Nations |date=2012-01-23 |publisher=Simon & Brown |isbn=978-1-61382-931-8 |language=English}}</ref> While they shared this belief, Durkheim believed the division of labour applied to all "biological organisms generally," while Smith believed this law applied "only to human societies."<ref name="JonesRobert">{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Robert Alun |title=Emile Durkheim: an introduction to four major works |date=1992 |publisher=Sage Publ |isbn=978-0-8039-2333-1 |edition=4 |series=Masters of social theory |location=Newbury Park, California}}</ref> This difference may result from the influence of [[Charles Darwin]]'s ''[[On the Origin of Species]]'' on Durkheim's writings.<ref name="JonesRobert" /> For example, Durkheim observed an apparent relationship between "the functional specialisation of the parts of an organism" and "the extent of that organism's evolutionary development," which he believed "extended the scope of the division of labour so as to make its origins contemporaneous with the origins of life itself…implying that its conditions must be found in the essential properties of all organised matter."<ref name="JonesRobert" />

Since Durkheim's division of labour applied to all organisms, he considered it a "[[natural law]]" and worked to determine whether it should be embraced or resisted by first analysing its functions.<ref name="JonesRobert" /> Durkheim hypothesised that the division of labour fosters [[social solidarity]], yielding "a wholly moral phenomenon" that ensures "mutual relationships" among individuals.<ref name="Durkheim Emile">Durkheim, Emile. [1893] 1997. ''[[The Division of Labour in Society|The Division of Labor in Society]].'' New York: [[Free Press (publisher)|The Free Press]]. Print.</ref>
[[File:Émile Durkheim.jpg|thumb|Émile Durkheim]]
As social solidarity cannot be directly quantified, Durkheim indirectly studies solidarity by "classify[ing] the different types of law to find...the different [[Mechanical and organic solidarity|types of social solidarity]] which correspond to it."<ref name="Durkheim Emile" /> Durkheim categorises:<ref name="Anderson Margaret">[[Margaret L. Anderson|Anderson, Margaret L.]] and [[Howard F. Taylor]]. 2008. ''Sociology: Understanding a Diverse Society.'' Belmont, CA: [[Thomson Wadsworth]]. Print.</ref>

* [[criminal law]]s and their respective punishments as promoting '''mechanical solidarity''', a sense of unity resulting from individuals engaging in similar work who hold shared backgrounds, traditions, and values; and
* [[Civil law (legal system)|civil laws]] as promoting '''organic solidarity''', a society in which individuals engage in different kinds of work that benefit society and other individuals.

Durkheim believes that [[organic solidarity]] prevails in more advanced societies, while mechanical solidarity typifies less developed societies.<ref>Moody, James. n.d. ''Sociology 138: Theory and Society.'' [[Duke University]], Department of Sociology. Web. Retrieved 16 November 2012.</ref> He explains that in societies with more mechanical solidarity, the diversity and division of labour is much less, so individuals have a similar worldview.<ref name="Merton Robert">{{cite journal | last1 = Merton | first1 = Robert K | year = 1994 | title = Durkheim's Division of Labor in Society | journal = Sociological Forum | volume = 9 | issue = 1| pages = 17–25 | doi=10.1007/bf01507702| s2cid = 144951894 }}</ref> Similarly, Durkheim opines that in societies with more organic solidarity, the diversity of occupations is greater, and individuals depend on each other more, resulting in greater benefits to society as a whole.<ref name="Merton Robert" /> Durkheim's work enabled [[social science]] to progress more efficiently "in…the understanding of human social behavior."<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Alpert | first1 = Harry | year = 1959 | title = Emile Durkheim: A Perspective and Appreciation | journal = American Sociological Review | volume = 24 | issue = 4| pages = 462–65 | doi=10.2307/2089532| jstor = 2089532 }}</ref>