This lesson introduces anomie as a social condition and explains how Émile Durkheim developed the concept. Understanding anomie means looking beyond individual choices to the standards, relationships, and institutions that shape social life.
Anomie is a social condition in which shared moral guidance or regulation is disrupted. People may find it difficult to understand which standards apply, what goals are legitimate, or how their choices relate to the wider community. The term is often glossed as normlessness, but that shorthand can be misleading.
All flashcards
Anomie
A social condition in which shared moral guidance or regulation is disrupted, inadequate, or poorly suited to changing circumstances.
Mechanical solidarity
Social cohesion based mainly on similarity in people’s roles, beliefs, and ways of life.
Organic solidarity
Social cohesion based on specialization and interdependence among people with different roles.
Anomic suicide
A form of suicide Durkheim associated with disrupted social regulation and unstable expectations.
Merton’s strain theory
An account of deviance arising from tension between cultural goals and legitimate means of achieving them.
Quiz questions
In Durkheim’s account, what is associated with anomic suicide?Answer: Disrupted social regulation that makes expectations less reliable.
According to Merton, what can create strain that encourages deviance?Answer: A mismatch between approved cultural goals and access to legitimate means.
How does sociological anomie differ from anarchy?Answer: Anomie concerns ineffective social regulation; anarchy concerns the absence of rulers.
In Durkheim’s account, how can weakened social integration affect people facing hardship?Answer: They may be more isolated and have less community support.
In Durkheim’s account, what may happen when producers cannot recognize consumers’ needs and market limits?Answer: Production may become unregulated because social coordination has broken down.
Based on the Wikipedia article Anomie, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Adapted into a summary, flashcards and quizzes.