Flying Solidarity

Abstract

Although students rely upon social solidarity in their everyday lives, they generally fail to acknowledge its existence. An active learning class exercise introduces sociology students to Emile Durhkeim’s concept of solidarity and distinction between its mechanical and organic forms. Some groups of students perform the task of creating...

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Usage Notes

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Learning Goals and Assessments

Learning Goal(s):

1. Students should become familiar with the concepts of mechanical solidarity and organic solidarity to the point of recognizing these conditions in reflection upon their activities during class.
2. Students should become familiar with the concepts of gemeinschaft and gesellschaft to the point of acknowledging dynamics of each.
3. Students determine why the structure of organic solidarity tends to produce gesellschaft relations and why the structure of mechanical solidarity tends to produce gemeinschaft relations.

Goal Assessment(s):

1. Assessment 1: Professors assess this goal as they speak with groups of students at the conclusion of the activity. Students articulate the type of solidarity that their activity groups demonstrated, with the professor confirming or, if necessary, guiding their responses.
2. Assessment 2: Professors assess this goal as they speak with groups of students at the conclusion of the activity. Students articulate the type of interaction that occurred between activity group members and characterize that interaction as indicative of gemeinschaft or gesellschaft. The professor confirms or, if necessary, guides student responses.
3. Assessment 3: An open-ended exam question formally assesses this goal. However, students’ progression toward this goal includes both discussion within their groups and class-wide regarding the association between mechanical solidarity and gemeinschaft and between organic solidarity and gesellschaft.