Friday, February 6, 2009

M and O Solidarity

In this essay I will compare Solidarities and apply them to my institution.
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  1. AnonymousFebruary 6, 2009 at 9:43 AM

    Clarke Tamariki
    Sociology 101B, Prof. Micheal Burawoy. GSI: Mike Levien
    Theory in Action Assignment #1, 2/5/09
    Question: What is the difference between Mechanic Solidarity and Organic Solidarity? Part II: Do you see either of these operating in your organization?
    Emile Durkheim was determined to measure the health of society within the Division of Labor. Durkheim believed that in order to be “a real function of the division of labour, it must possess a moral character, since needs for order, harmony and social solidarity are generally reckoned to be moral ones” (p. 24). The best way to accomplish this goal was to indirectly measure the Social Solidarity (“because it was to indirect to be understood”) that existed within society through its’ relations and laws (p. 27). Durkheim believed that the world consisted of a combination of two forms of solidarity: Mechanic and Organic.
    “Mechanic Solidarity, or Solidarity by Similarities” was named to define society in a way that one had to cohere to the movement of the entire unit, and in doing so forgoing any movement of their own (p. 31,34). It was a form of solidarity based on limited Division of Labor that enforced punishment when repressive laws were violated. What defined a criminal act were violations against common consciousness. And the methods of punishment were used to maintain order within the society. A vital force in this solidarity was the state, whose function was “to ensure respect for beliefs, traditions and collective practices – namely, to defend the common consciousness from all its enemies, from within as well as without”(p. 42).
    Unlike Mechanical Solidarity, Organic Solidarity was based on the division of labor where the individual consciousness outweighed the common consciousness. This solidarity was fueled by people’s complimentary differences and their indirect links to society. This solidarity held restitutive laws, but unlike with repressive laws, the punishment was not of the penal character. The repressive laws were in place “to a mere restoration of the status quo ante’”
    Part II
    ABC Concrete is functioning with a high level of Mechanical Solidarity that is supposedly maintained due to people’s likeness. These likenesses however are clearly do to the workers feeling like they needed to conform or else they could be out of a job. As an employee at ABC it was interesting (and at most times depressing) to see the individual struggles within the workers heads. Due to the lack of security within the company, you could tell that although we seemed to be a cohesive unit, there was definitely a lack of loyalty from one worker to the next. The only time when that there seemed to be any likeness between the workers was when the repressive laws were enforced by the husband of the owner. He only came on to the jobsite for punishment purposes and it was easy to see the changes that took place in peoples personalities when his black Lexus pulled on to the yard. Punishments were nearly always public (in the form of verbal degradation, and suspension) that was usually followed by a meeting in order to uphold the common consciousness.
    As an employee there I was the plant manager, I like to think that I exercised Organic Solidarity. But it was only when the owners were out of the plant. Although the owners were my friends, I knew that I was not above a public punishment. But having said this, they also new that when company laws were broken when I was in charge, that it was more important to me to restore everything to the status quo.

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