Personal Disorganization

Emile Durkheim considers social disorganization as a state of disequilibrium and a lack of social solidarity or consensus among the members of a society.Ogburn and Nimkoff said that when the harmonious relationship between the various parts of culture is disturbed, social disorganization ensues. Social disorganization implies some breakdown in the organization of society. It is a relative phenonmenon.Social organization and social disorganization is the dual aspects of the whole functioning of society. In the words of Elliott and Merrill social disorganization represents a breakdown in the equilibrium of forces, decay in the social structure so that old habits and forms of social control no longer function effectively.

Social organization consists of the coordination of individual responses as a consequence of the operation of conventionalized patterns of consensus and control. Any change in the cultural context which impedes or destroys the functioning of the patterns of coordination which constitute the social order represents social disorganization. By social disorganization we means such serious maladjustment between the various elements in the total cultural configuration as to endanger the various elements in the total cultural configuration as to endanger the survival of the group or as seriously to interfere with the satisfaction of the fundamental desires of its members with the result that social cohesion is destroyed.

It can be understood only after an analysis of what social organization consists. Social organization is not something static. In one sense it is a hypothesis an ideal construct. It stresses the unchanging patterns of culture as against the changing aspects. The process of change is always found in every society.

According to Elliott and Merril social disorganization are the totality of human personalities and conscious and unconscious attitudes, their crystallized and uncrystallized ideas and institutions which in complex interrelationships make up the framework of human existences. Social organization refers to the way people relate themselves to one another. It also refers to the way in which person and groups making up a society are somehow held together. Social organization and social structure are interchangeable concepts both referring to any interrelated system of role and statuses. The concept social organization has two meanings- first what social organization consists of and secondly what is the stage when we say that there is social organization in society as opposed to disorganization. This stage has to be defined in reference to some objectives set by society. In this sense social organization may be conceived when human actions are not contrary to the ideals laid down by society and society is progressing towards particular goals set by it. These ideals may be with regard to residential stability, property ownership, business enterprise, religious discipline.

Social disorganization is the normal consequence of social change as well as the natural condition to social change. The terms social problems and social disorganization are closely related. When social problems arise to the extent that the smooth functioning of the society is threatened, social disorganization is in existence. According to Elliott and Merrill social disorganization represents a breakdown in the equilibrium of forces, decay in the social structure so that old habits and forms of social control no longer function effectively. Whereas social organization consists of the coordination of individual responses as a consequence of the operation of conventionalized patterns of consensus and control and change in the cultural context which impedes or destroys the functioning of the patterns of coordination which constitute the social order represents social disorganization.

Next: Approaches to the study of social disorganization

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