Enodo - research & essays.

Durkheim

Brief Introduction: Today, I will be analyzing Durkheim's theories on mechanical and organic solidarity. Both of those correspond to a specifically structured society; the former to a pre-industrial society and the latter to an industrial one. The very general premise of the theory is that in pre-industrial (or somewhat secluded) societies collectivism is one of the main characteristics and a vital device that keeps the citizens of such society united. The opposite is said about industrial societies where the need for individualism is greater due to the ever-developing technology and need for innovation -which is almost always the byproduct of individualism. Both of these concepts can be applied to 'micro-societies' as well, such as fan-bases, religions, spiritual practices, etc. in which the members of each have a set of ideas that they adhere to, certain 'rituals' as well as oftentimes a similar way of dressing, the use of symbols and more. What I will proceed on doing is examine whether this is an outdated theory or whether it can still be applied to our societies.

The following is an excerpt of a paper I did on the subject in uni, and I think it just adds another layer of understanding and might help further with grasping the whole concept. We were asked to detect the "mechanical solidarity" within this video clip:
https://youtu.be/5vz4yIgnFt0

And before reading the paper, I urge you to give your own thoughts on the video clip based on the information I've provided you with. Can you briefly point out where mechanical solidarity is detected? (if you want that is, you don't have to answer this question.)

(the following paper has been translated from Greek, therefore you might run into some errors.).

"The following analysis deals with the issue of mechanical solidarity and ritual (theories of Emile Durkheim) and whether the aforementioned concepts are distinguishable in the video clip of the band Iced Earth. Through careful observation and consideration of the context of said theories, I found the following.

Durkheim states that in pre-industrial societies mechanical solidarity is detected and that at its core, it is characterized by the similarity of its members. The people of such a society, besides doing more or less the same type of labor, also share the same beliefs, live in fear of the law, and thus follow the rules with great devotion, something that is not found in industrial societies where the need for innovation is greater due to the constantly evolving technology, that oftentimes warrants eccentricity and law-breaking. We, therefore, understand that in such a society there is not much room -to any extent- for individual freedom and expression but specific habits, customs, and traditions followed by all. Another characteristic observed in pre-industrial societies is that its citizens have zero tolerance for what is foreign to them, fearing that it will change the way of life that they are accustomed to and in which they feel secure, and do not want disturbed. A good example of the above is Plato's "Allegory of the Cave". The parable states that when one of the captives is released, he experiences the real world for the very first time; the sun against the blue sky, the green grass, the birds, and the cats who he had only ever known through the shadows of puppets in the form of them. Initially, he is bewildered and tempted to return to his familiar -yet cruel- environment but after getting acclimatized he decides to stay and later return to free the other captives. He indeed follows through with his plans, but none of the other shackled men were willing to abandon what they knew, their secure place, their certainty even and march towards the unknown, so they resort to violence in order to silence and stop the freed man from leading them to their "doom". That is an exaggerated example of how a secluded, pre-industrial society would react to change.

Durkheim also talks about the ritual. A process that takes place with the aim of uniting the citizens of any society through a series of activities (eg. celebrations, religious rituals, national holidays, etc.). In these activities, the use of bodies and symbols is observed and used to reshape the social bonds between individuals. Such rituals are necessary for the restraint of society as the participating individuals confirm their common feelings through the emotions evoked during those liturgies.