Essay on Social Organisation Versus Social Disorganisation – The term ‘social disorganisation’ is often held in contrast with ‘social organisation’. As Ogburn and Nimkoff have pointed out that “an organisation is an orderly relationship of parts. But the significance of this orderly arrangement of parts lies in what it does”. For example, a factory is an organisation for the purpose of production.
A factory is composed of internal suborganisations such as sales department, accounting department, supply department, etc. The factory as a social system performs yet another function. It serves to maintain a balance among its suborganisations or parts. This equilibrium of parts means a synchronisation or integration of functions.
Hence the functions of selling department, production department, buying department, etc, must be properly articulated and coordinated. “Disorganisation is a disturbance of the balance existing in the functioning of parts. The criterion of disorganisation is function, what is done or not done”… Thus, a typewriter may write well or badly or not at all, because of an imbalance in the functioning of its parts as, for instance, in the ribbon or keys”. —Ogburn and Nimkoff.
Image Source: upload.wikimedia.org
ADVERTISEMENTS:
What is true of a factory is also true of a society. Society can be said to be in a state of organisation, when all its parts such as associations and institutions are properly integrated so that they fulfil their recognised or implied functions or purposes. Social disorganisation implies some breakdown in the social organisation.
Due to this breakdown, the normal functioning of the parts of “One wrotty disturbed leading to some or the other kind of problems. Disorganisation will lead to functional imbalance between various elements of social structure.
The terms ‘social organisation’ and ‘social disorganisation’ are relative. They represent two aspects of the whole functioning of the social system. As there may be various degrees of social organisation, so is the case with social disorganisation. No society can be in a state of either perfect organisation or disorganisation.
ADVERTISEMENTS:
As S.A. Queen, W.B. Bodenhofer and E.B. Harper have said social disorganisation is a counterpart, of social organisation. “Just as social organisation provides the means by which a society maintains its unity and cohesion through effective control of its members, and hence, functions smoothly, social disorganisation causes a weakening of group solidarity, loss of control over its members, and, therefore, conflict and disintegration.
Social organisation implies the existence of institutions, which meet the needs of the members of a society. Social disorganisation, on the other hand, means the malfunctioning of institutions, their failure to satisfy the needs of the people and the consequent frustration of their desires.”
Thus, “if social organisation means the development of relationships which persons and groups find mutually satisfactory, then, disorganisation means their replacement by relationships which bring disappointment, thwarted wishes, irritation and unhappiness”.