Durkheim

According to Durkheim, modern society is based fundamentally on organic solidarity, in which

individuals assume different roles and responsibilities in the society but depend on each other

to function smoothly. Durkheim analogized the society to human organs, in which individuals

are autonomous and interdependent organs and the modern administrative state it the central

organ that regulates relations between organs. Division of labor is one of the most significant

characteristics in modern society. One of the visible symbols of the division of labor is

occupation. The society needs individuals to take on distinctive occupations to keep itself

operate smoothly. Whereas all the occupations are equally important, some worth more

rewards than others. The differentiation in salaries can lead to tensions among individuals and

between individuals and the society as a whole. When tensions and conflicts accumulate to a

certain degree, the social order can be disrupted and the society will face crisis. Therefore, a

powerful central organ is always necessary to maintain social solidarity.

Let’s now take Hong Kong public housing program as an example. Hong Kong is said to have the

least affordable housing in 20141. The median monthly domestic household income for 2013

was $22,4002, while the average housing price in New Territory is $76,919 m2 of saleable area

and $125,952 for Hong Kong Island3. Food, clothing and shelter should be the necessity of life.

However, in Hong Kong, it seems difficult to own a house. Even, some can hardly afford to rent a

private housing. The wealth gap has already caused problems in housing sector. Hong Kong

government, as the central organ in the society, need to resolve the conflicts so that the society

will remain in order. Hong Kong Public Rental Housing policy is designed to solve the problem.

Basically, the government provides public housing for low-income households who cannot

afford private rental accommodation. By providing a shelter for the needy, the government is

indeed trying to cool down the tension and maintain social solidarity. Thus, for Durkheim public

rental housing policy is an approach to overcome conflicts in Hong Kong society.

However, in reality, the Public Rental Housing policy does not achieve its purpose. Theoretically

speaking, public rental houses are for the low-income who cannot even afford to rent a private

house. It should be provided to serve the immediate need for shelter and those capable should

not apply for the house. Nevertheless, in Hong Kong today, there is a group of people who seem

to be caught in between the wealth and the poor. They may be able to earn an average wage

and can afford to rent a private house but if they do so, their daily living condition is no better

than the low-income. They are always named as the ‘sandwich class’, which usually receive little

attention and help from the government policy and the society. When people in sandwich class

make use of the legal loopholes or simply play tricks with the policy, they deprive the poor of

the governmental assistance and protection. Such behavior indeed disturbs the social order and

aggravates social conflicts. Durkheim would argue that actually the policy does not function well

because it does not succeed in regulating social order.

1 11th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey: 2015

2 http://www.gov.hk/en/about/abouthk/factsheets/docs/population.pdf

3 https://www.housingauthority.gov.hk/en/common/pdf/about-us/publications-and-

statistics/HIF.pdf