Durkheim's Theory Of Social Work

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Recommended: Critically discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Durkheim's understanding of social solidarity

Exam 1: Durkheim In this short essay I will apply the concepts of social facts, organic solidarity, division of labour and anomie from Durkheim’s theory to analyze the practice and support of sweatshops. The practice of sweatshops in the context of Durkheim’s social facts and collective consciousness theories directs us to think about this issue in terms of how the formation and structural organization of sweatshops became normalized. In addition, Durkheim’s theory of organic solidarity directs us to think about the issue in terms of how interdependency makes sweatshops more difficult to eradicate without impacting the oppressed working class. Furthermore, Durkheim’s theory of division of labour helps to understand how globalization provides …show more content…

According to Durkheim, social facts are, “ways of acting, thinking, and feeling that are external to individuals and exerts control over them (Longofer & Winchester, 2016, p. 538).” These social facts do not necessarily exist internal to individuals, but instead exist in the networks of interaction between people, making them harder to notice, until they are challenged at which point they are met with consequences, sanctions and regulations (Powell 2017: Jan 25). Social facts coupled with collective consciousness, which consist of the shared norms, values, and beliefs of a society, creates a sense of solidarity among a society and eventually to a reality of their own kind, existing external to individual people (Powell 2017: Jan 25). For instance, a social fact can be a piece of legislature or law regarding minimum wage, working conditions, and maximum number of hours of work per week. An employer in a developed country is constrained by this social fact and if they refuse to follow it, they are met with legal and financial repercussions to regulate their behaviour. However, these social facts are binded by a collective consciousness which form the framework of the appropriate number of hours, wages, and working conditions that are acceptable. Interestingly, the social facts in countries that permit the practice of sweatshops is normalized through their conditions of poverty and other financial instability, which leads to little resistance to work in these condition for small wages. Any resistance against sweatshops by workers would be met with a loss of income for the

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