ABSTRACT
The argument that follows is based on the supposition that a society has a dual structure. On the one hand, a society has a social system of division of labor, where each person’s specialized activities are linked with those of others through mechanisms such as a market, and where each enjoys goods and services others provide to attain a higher level of benefits. I call such a social system an organic sector of a society, because organic solidarity (Durkheim, 1893) adequately represents the properties of such a system. In an organic sector, a person is well modeled as an egoist, motivated by direct returns from others. Cool calculation and opportunism are the dominant principles. Social exchange theory of a traditional type (Blau, 1964) will be most applicable for the relationships in such a sector. On the other hand, a society has a communal sector that is composed of many communal societies, such as families, peer groups, and residential or occupational communities. In a communal society, concern for other ingroup members’ welfare will be stressed, and unilateral giving will be more common than exchange. Though people usually seek various kinds of benefits in an organic sector outside a communal society, they are still dependent on the benevolent environment of a communal society.
