Emile Durkheim, a prominent French sociologist, presented his theory of The Division of Labor in Society in his doctoral thesis in 1893. It was the first major published work of Durkheim that provides a comprehensive analysis of the division of labor in different types of societies.

Durkheim highlighted the following dimensions of the division of labor:

1. Importance of division of labor for society.
2. Types of division of labor in traditional and modern societies, e.g., mechanical and organic solidarity.

Durkheim believed that the division of labor has always been an important characteristic of social life since the inception of human society because it serves the following functions for society:

1. It organizes the workforce into proper roles to achieve common societal goals.
2. It ensures the economic growth of a society.
3. It produces a sense of solidarity among the individuals of a society. Solidarity means the sense of attachment among the members of society. It creates cohesive forces to organize people in the form of a society. Without such a cohesive force, a society is likely to disintegrate.
4. It brings social and moral order to society. Durkheim argued that, like religion, which serves as an agent of social control, the division of labor also results in stability and order in a society.

Emile Durkheim described the division of labor based on social solidarity in traditional and modern societies. Social solidarity refers to cohesion and integration among the members of society. Durkheim believed that the division of labor is deeply linked with the types of social solidarity in a society.

Durkheim explained the division of labor in terms of the following two types of social solidarity:

1. Mechanical Solidarity
2. Organic Solidarity

Mechanical solidarity is the characteristic of a society that is highly homogeneous in terms of norms, values, and other social aspects of its members. Mechanical solidarity is based on similarities among the members of society. It existed in primitive and traditional societies, whose members resembled one another in almost all social aspects such as norms, values, profession, religion, language, and so on.

In societies having mechanical solidarity, the division of labor existed in its simplest form. As those societies had fewer social institutions, there were fewer roles involved in the division of labor. The division of labor was mostly based on sex and age. Various tasks were assigned to individuals depending on their sex and age. Women and men were assigned different tasks. For instance, men worked as farmers, while women took care of domestic chores. Similarly, age was another criterion for assigning tasks to individuals. Adults were assigned tasks that required good physical strength. The youngest and the oldest individuals were assigned tasks that required comparatively less physical strength.

Another characteristic of the division of labor in such societies is little or no interdependence among individuals in terms of their tasks. The nature of the division of labor was simple, as there were only a few simple tasks. Due to this simplicity, an individual could perform a specific assigned task independently without depending on others.

The mode of interaction among individuals performing different tasks was relatively less materialistic. The primary purpose of the division of labor was not to make money but to serve the needs of one another.

In societies with mechanical solidarity, the division of labor served an important function of social control. It brought people together to develop mutual understanding and mutual respect. Hence, they would refrain from engaging in antisocial behavior. Similarly, the division of labor regulated behavior by channelizing efforts into productive outcomes for society.

Organic solidarity is the characteristic of a society that is highly heterogeneous in terms of norms, values, and other social aspects of its members. Organic solidarity is based on dissimilarities among the members of society. It exists in modern and advanced societies, whose members differ from one another in most social aspects such as norms, values, dress, cuisine, profession, religion, language, and so on.

In societies having organic solidarity, there is a complex form of division of labor. As these societies have many social institutions, there is a relatively higher number of roles in the division of labor due to the variety of professions. The division of labor is primarily based on the competence and specialization of individuals. This means that tasks are assigned depending on a person’s skills and expertise. For instance, doctors, engineers, teachers, businessmen, and pilots possess the proficiencies required for their respective jobs. Unlike primitive and traditional societies, age and sex do not necessarily restrict individuals from adopting a specific profession in modern society if they have the required competence.

Another characteristic of the division of labor in such societies is the high level of interdependence among individuals in terms of their tasks. Due to the variety of roles involved, the division of labor is complex in nature. Different parts of the network of labor are interconnected and interdependent. For instance, a hospital has doctors, nurses, X-ray machine operators, laboratory technicians, and many other staff members who depend on one another to provide healthcare to patients. Similarly, different institutions work in an interdependent manner. For example, a factory may depend on external sources for raw materials.

The mode of interaction among different parts of the labor network is largely materialistic because the primary goal is to generate revenue rather than to serve the needs of others.

In societies with organic solidarity, the division of labor may play some role in social control, but the major function of social control is performed by formal agencies of social control.

1. Mechanical Solidarity

1. Mechanical solidarity is characteristic of a society that is highly homogeneous (similar) in terms of the norms, values, and other social aspects of its members.
2. It is based on similarities among the members of society.
3. It existed in primitive and traditional societies.
4. The division of labour in societies with mechanical solidarity was based on age and sex.
5. Since there were fewer institutions and roles in societies with mechanical solidarity, the division of labor was simple.
6. There was little or no interdependence among the individuals performing different roles.
7. The interaction among individuals (performing different tasks) was not primarily materialistic (to make money) but aimed at serving the needs of one another.
8. Mechanical solidarity in primitive and traditional societies played an important role in social control.

2. Organic Solidarity

1. Organic solidarity is a characteristic of a society that is highly heterogeneous (dissimilar) in terms of norms, values, and social aspects of its members.
2. It is based on dissimilarities among the members of society.
3. It exists in modern society.
4. The division of labor in societies with organic solidarity is based on the competence and expertise of a person.
5. Since there are many institutions and roles in such a society, the form of division of labor is quite complex.
6. There is high interdependence among the individuals and institutions performing different roles.
7. The interaction among different individuals and institutions (performing different roles) is primarily materialistic, e.g., to generate revenue.
8. In societies with organic solidarity, the division of labor may serve some role in social control, but the major function of social control is performed by formal agencies of social control.