According to the Wikipedia, solidarity is the degree of integration shown by a society or group with people and their neighbours. Durkheim is of the view that the type of social solidarity correlate with types of society. He therefore introduced the terms mechanical and organic solidarity as part of his theory of the development of society. Durkheim, in his division of labour in society outlines the difference between mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity, and states that they differ at their most basic foundation.
Mechanical solidarity is one that is based on similarities, whiles organic solidarity is based on the differences in the members of the society. In a society exhibiting mechanical solidarity, its cohesion and integration comes from the homogeneity of individuals. People feel connected through similar work, educational, religious training and life style. Mechanical solidarity normally operates in traditional, small scale societies and in simpler societies. Example of such small scale society is tribal solidarity which is usually based on kinship ties of familial net works.
Durkheim’s thinking reveals the distinction about how modern society differs from earlier ones. He therefore describes how solidarity changes as society becomes more complex, and refers to it as a common conscience in which regulations were primarily punitive. A situation where the violation of social norms was taken as a direct threat to the shared identity and so reactions to deviant behaviour tended to place emphasis on punishment. Durkheim is of the view that the strength of mechanical solidarity depends on three conditions of the conscience collective which are the volume of relation, the intensity of the conscience collective and the degree of definition of the conscience collective. This means that the greater the conscience collective, the less individuality people are and the more they resemble each other. In that sense people belong to society and not to themselves, therefore with mechanical solidarity people are linked to each other through such similar beliefs and does not depend on one another for subsistence.
As society evolves and becomes less primitive, it moves towards organic solidarity. Organic solidarity does not come from the collective conscience, but rather, from division of labour. Mechanical solidarity is possible only when personality is submerged in collectivity. Organic solidarity is possible when individuals are specialized and different, therefore the more individuality exist the stronger the cohesion between people. In organic solidarity people begin to specialize and the basis for the collective conscience is diminished.
Durkheim argued that complexity does not lead to disintegration but on social solidarity which is based on inter dependence. Since people are no longer producing all the things that they need, they must interact. Societies of organic solidarity are arranged around economic and political organizations. Their legal systems regulate behavior based on principles of exchange and restitution rather than punishment. Organic solidarity comes from the interdependence that arises from specialization of work and the complimentary development between people which occurs in modern industrial societies. Organic solidarity is a social cohesion based upon the dependence individuals have on each other which is more advanced society.
Durkheim belief that in organic solidarity people view each other as irreplaceable organic part of the whole system which cannot be neglected, lest they will be neglected. This interdependence does not only result in solidarity, but also a more pronounced moral character, where individuals feel responsible for one another. Durkheim is of the view that all social evolution tended toward this moral perfection.
In conclusion, mechanical solidarity is small in size with few number of parts with the nature of parts kinship based while arrangement is independent or autonomous with it nature of interrelations been bound to common conscience and positive law. In the case of organic solidarity the size is large with many number of parts, whiles the nature of parts being diverse and dominated by a economic and governmental content. With interrelated arrangements which is mutually interdependent on each other and is bound together by exchange contracts norms and restitutive law in terms of interrelations.