Anomie
The Development of Anomie
In 1893 Emile Durkheim presented the concept of anomie which means that if society lacks social norms or was left unregulated it would tend towards deviant behaviour. For Durkheim crime and deviant behaviour was integral to society in that it set social and moral boundaries and brought about a sense of community. Whilst we wish to expand further on the mentioned ideas we will also focus on how these ideas have influenced other theories of deviance and crime. We shall focus our discussion on Robert K. Merton’s development of anomie and more specifically we will look at his work on Strain Theory.
Durkheim’s work on The Division of Labour (1893) suggested that there are two concepts of society: mechanical and organic, it is also noted that society evolves from one state to another. It begins in a simple state which he termed mechanical, where people act and think alike. They all perform similar tasks and there are no individualistic goals simply group goals, for example a country ruled by dictator regime. This simple society evolves into something far more complex called organic where there are less social bonds and individuals begin to think as individuals and are no longer tied to the mob mentality. Therefore Anomie occurs when there is a breakdown of social norms. This results in individuals being lost or unable to fit into in society without having a clear set of rules to adhere to. The sudden change in society can lead to conflict and deviance. For instance during economic depression crime and deviance increases as people no longer have a dole within society, this may be due to redundancy or pay cuts.
In 1938 American sociologist Robert K. Merton used Durkheim’s concept of anomie to form his own theory of deviance, Strain Theory. It differs greatly from Durkheim’s original concept in two specific ways, Merton thought that the problem was not brought about by a sudden change in society, as Durkheim suggested, but it was actually
In 1893 Emile Durkheim presented the concept of anomie which means that if society lacks social norms or was left unregulated it would tend towards deviant behaviour. For Durkheim crime and deviant behaviour was integral to society in that it set social and moral boundaries and brought about a sense of community. Whilst we wish to expand further on the mentioned ideas we will also focus on how these ideas have influenced other theories of deviance and crime. We shall focus our discussion on Robert K. Merton’s development of anomie and more specifically we will look at his work on Strain Theory.
Durkheim’s work on The Division of Labour (1893) suggested that there are two concepts of society: mechanical and organic, it is also noted that society evolves from one state to another. It begins in a simple state which he termed mechanical, where people act and think alike. They all perform similar tasks and there are no individualistic goals simply group goals, for example a country ruled by dictator regime. This simple society evolves into something far more complex called organic where there are less social bonds and individuals begin to think as individuals and are no longer tied to the mob mentality. Therefore Anomie occurs when there is a breakdown of social norms. This results in individuals being lost or unable to fit into in society without having a clear set of rules to adhere to. The sudden change in society can lead to conflict and deviance. For instance during economic depression crime and deviance increases as people no longer have a dole within society, this may be due to redundancy or pay cuts.
In 1938 American sociologist Robert K. Merton used Durkheim’s concept of anomie to form his own theory of deviance, Strain Theory. It differs greatly from Durkheim’s original concept in two specific ways, Merton thought that the problem was not brought about by a sudden change in society, as Durkheim suggested, but it was actually
Bibliography: Burke, R. H., 2012. Criminal Justice Theory: An Introduction. 1st ed. Abingdon: Routledge. Downes, D. M. & Rock, P.E., 2007. Understanding Deviance. Oxford: Oxford University Press. McCaghy, C. H., 1976. Deviant Behaviour: crime, conflict and interest groups. New York: Macmillan. Merton, R. K., 1938. Social Structure and Anomie. American Sociological Review, 3. Rock, P., 2012. Sociological Theories of Crime. In: M. Maguire, R. Morgan & R. Reiner, eds. The Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pp. 39-74. Word Count: 1443