Durkheim’s Concept of Anomie

• Meaning and Nature

– No Clear Definition of What is desirable
– Pathology of Collective Normative System
– Conflicting Expectations
– Egoism, Anomie – Concerned for modern society

• The Form of Anomie

– Anomie – Consequence of Social change

- Diminution of Social Regulation
- Less degree of moral regulations
- States of disequilibria
- Imbalance between Means and Needs
- Means inadequate to fulfil needs
- Socially Derived needs ignored
- Wants are boundless
- Normlessness
• Two forms of Anomie:

– Acute and Chronic

– Chronic Domestic Anomie
• Acute Economic Anomie:
– Occurs in booms and slumps
– Old rules inapplicable
– Individuals freed from social restraint
– Creates disequilibrium and unhappiness
– Leading to increasing suicides

• Chronic Economic Anomie:

– Less regulation of relation between means and ends
– Industry became end in itself
– Constant economic strive
– Higher rates of suicides for highest strata
• Acute Domestic Anomie:
– Widowhood – a crisis
– Not adapted to new situation
– So less resistance to suicide

• Chronic Domestic Anomie:

– Lack of Marital Regulation
– Marriage Channels needs within bounds
– Bachelors have limitless horizons
– Bachelors had higher suicide rates

• Criticism :
– Dukheim denied individual decisions
– Individual and Society in the interaction
– Giving Priority to one – misleading
• Conclusion:
– Anomie – breakdown of norms
– Anomie created by sudden changes
– Durkheim explained anomic suicide
– In Modern technological organic solidarity of societies.