What does it mean for a culture to be "organic"?

Question

Anthropology test tomorrow!! Snap!! this could be an essay question!! thanks! you guys are definitely hot and are getting a cool hot 10 points if you answer this!

Answer 1

Are you talking about Durkheim? Organic society versus mechanical society? Yea, really I don't know about that just some basics my textbook has. Where is your textbook? Tsk.

Answer 2

Organic solidarity refer's Durkheim's comparison between modern and traditional societies.  Solidarity in traditional societies are called mechanical, because they need some direct intervention via force or religion to induce solidarity.  In contrast, solidarities in modern societies are called organic, because solidarity grows without direct managment to cultivate solidarity.  Rather, solidarity grows as a product of modern focus on centralized authority, distribution of labor, or what have you.  So in the Durkheimian sense, a culture is said to be organic, when solidarities grow out of existing social relations, rather than when solidarities are constructed through management of  social relations out of existing social relations (mechanical).