sociology

Before you proceed for this short assignment, read the following article from The Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2016/09/16/japan-has-a-worrying-number-of-virgins-government-finds/ . I’ve also attached a PDF version to the assignment below.

Then watch this brief video put together by VICE: http://www.vice.com/video/the-japanese-love-industry (warning, the video contains graphic content; though it is censored, it may be considered NSFW and not appropriate for children).

Both of these pieces highlight a growing social problem in Japan regarding population growth. In your own words, discuss how Durkheim might view this issue in relation to social solidarity. Your response should be around 1-2 pages in length, though you may end up writing more.

Remember: Since this is an assignment based upon interpretation, there are no right or wrong answers. Rather, I will be basing your grade on your ability to integrate the material and your own ideas into the issue of population growth and reproduction.

A few things to consider (please note, these are not questions you need to respond to per se, rather they are worth considering in light of the topic of the assignment):

Can this situation in Japan be understood through the concepts of Mechanical and Organic Solidarity?
Are Mechanical and Organic Solidarity so easily delineated?
Durkheim describes the transition in solidarity as moving from Mechanical to Organic. However, is it possible for a society to move from Organic to Mechanical?
While Durkheim was considering the transition in solidarity in light of the Industrial Revolution, could greater changes in social structure produce new forms of solidarity?