Do Markets and the Division of Labour Encourage or Discourage Social Essay

Do Markets and the Division of Labour Encourage or Discourage Social Cohesion - Essay Example Specialization is when tasks in a society are assigned to specific individuals in whereby the assigned person has the obligation of fully completing the task. Markets on the other hand are defined as the a place where economic activities in the society take place, economic activities in this case imply to the buying and selling and thus there is interaction and the interaction of buyers and sellers from different cultures and ethnical backgrounds. Markets and division of labor’s contribution towards social cohesion has been a crucial debatable issue in the contemporary practical environment (Council of Europe 2006). Markets and division of labor according to the definition of Adam Smith can be used to explain the reason why on the adoption of this technique there is increased productivity and output in regards to the economic activities of a given society. The major objective and aim of markets and division of labor is to ensure that there is consistent maximization of profits as well as minimizing the average total cost of the production process. There are several classes of thinkers on this issue of social cohesion in regards to markets and the division of labor. This argument has been highly attributed by the several definitions of markets and division of labor in the contemporary society. ... The other class of thought based their definition of labor on the principles of the social and collective human labor. The principle behind this definition is that markets and division of labor collectively pulled together the society thus encouraging the collective achievement of social and cultural interaction and integration and intellectualism in the society. Basing on these definitions the perception of markets and division of labor on promoting social cohesion is positive. Other scholars on the basis that the concerned definition has not fully integrated the concept of the political economy have opposed this justification. The definition of markets and division of labour has since been not compatible with the current political, social and economic setup of the society. This has been due to the over emphasis of the social cohesion in the original definition, social cohesion in the context of markets and division of labour can be evaluated in critically looking at the merits and the demerits on the societal integration and cohesion (Rogowski 2008). Division of labor in the past was seen as the source of labour discrimination in the society, this was attributed by the presence of gender imbalance, inequalities and variation in the various in the sectors in the production process (O'Brien 2008).According to Angle, division of labour was in existence in as far as the human history is concerned. He believes that the division of labour is one of the major sources of the intrigues being witnessed in the society. Challenges such as human beings being denied rights as well as unfavorable social set up emerged due to the division of labour thus this scholar implies that markets and division of labour have contributed