THE DIVISION OF LABOR: A POST-DURKHEIMIAN ANALYTICAL VIEW.

Though we quite property value Durkheim's discussion of the division of labor, a close look shows that he limited his concept to specialization. I propose that the ineluctable condition of humans is interdependence and that this implies divided labor to complete the tasks that no one actor can do alone. importantly, actors may or may not be specialized in their interdependent activity, it is possible to examine different forms of the division of labor, as well as properties of whole systems of divided labor. The method adopted here is a non- technical, discursive analysis based on graph theory, which deals with the abstract properties of arrangements of points and lines. This analysis reveals several properties of the division of labor relatively common in sociological usage as welt as several that are relatively uncommon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]