The division of labor could be defined as a separation of practical activities based on specialization. In other words, each individual is occupied with whatever he could do better than anyone else in his community. From the perspective of Durkheim, the separation of responsibilities includes “capitalists, managers, professionals, employees and workers” who deliver particular and unique goods and services to the market. Apart from people, nations are also involved in the labor division so that they could acquire more benefits from the process of manufacturing and trading. In comparison with individuals, the division of labor between countries is grounded on the possession of natural resources, technologies, and equipment that are used to produce a good. This allocation of tasks is the driving force for trade and amplifies economic interdependence among the states. The current paper discusses the causes of the division of labor in modern societies, described by Emile Durkheim.
Nowadays, the division of labor is viewed as an economic institution; however, Durkheim elaborates this concept as a social one. From the scholar’s viewpoint, the relationships between the community`s members and the way they achieve social interconnectedness could be disclosed through the division of labor. Besides, the sociologist claims that this institution is the staple principle of social solidarity and generates morality in the community. Solidarity itself is about social differentiation which is illustrated by the division of labor that makes people dependent upon each other and shares the effects of integration within society between all its members. Durkheim reckons that the division of labor is not a primordial feature of society, and it appears along with the advancement of the community. Additionally, the division of labor helps to escape economic instability. According to Durkheim, volatility in the economy results from the absence of regulations. The implementation of this institution prevents people from the “anomic division of labor”. Thus, the division of labor is an inalienable part of any modern society.
The critical assumption of the concept of division of labor is that the society could not be constructed only by an agreement among its members. It is true since every individual is interested only in his personal well-being, and this feature prevents people from consensus. The division of labor intensifies collective conscience that is a measure of social solidarity. The distribution of tasks enhances the probability that all the members are united by the same beliefs and concerns. The modern society with a well-developed system of labor division is characterized by organic solidarity. However, when a community does not use such a system, it means that it is still primitive and guided by mechanical solidarity. From this, it could be inferred that the stage of development of any society depends on the absence or presence of labor division. However, this institution does not appear in a day, and there are certain factors that cause it.
There are three social factors that cause the division of labor. These are the size of the population, its density, and the intensity of interaction between the members of society, “moral density”, in other words. Durkheim formulated a proposition that describes the variables of the division of labor. The sociologist points out that the distribution of duties “varies in direct proportion to the volume and density of societies”. The continuous progress of the division of labor system is explained by the fact that “societies become regularly more dense and generally more voluminous” (ibid). The division of labor becomes a highly required institution in every growing society since the growth of the population mainly turns into the appearance of cities. In these densely populated areas, transportation and communication systems are being developed as well. Consequently, people become more interconnected and interdependent. Steadily, the division of labor becomes more intensive and evident. Therefore, people will come to the splitting of the different kinds of work among each other when the society they inhabit becomes enough populated and advanced.
It is interesting to notice that the separation of duties and responsibilities is profitable not only for the economic activity of society. Durkheim writes that the division of labor causes harmony in it. That is true since every individual devotes himself to his interests and cooperates with other people simultaneously. Despite all the positive aspects of this institution, it also has shortcomings. For instance, when people become divided according to their specialization, their values become different as well. From this stems that the interests of one group within society might be contradictory to another one. This way, the division of labor is the causation not only of harmony but also of conflicts and confrontations.
In conclusion, the transfer from an agricultural society to a modern one brings with it the division of labor. It seems that the appearance of this institution is inevitable and could not be escaped. Besides, the Durkheimian approach to the issue of labor division indicates that primitive societies could be based on contractual agreements, while modern ones cannot. The growth of population size, increase in its density, and the amplification of the connections between the members of society are the primary causes of the division of labor.