Anomie: the Norm of Normlessness in Modern Society

His interest wasn’t so much why someone deviates but why the rates differed dramatically from one society to another. Merton also changed the concept to where there is an apparent lack of fit between cultures norms, about the apparent lack of success and the appropriate goals to achieve them. He believed the United States puts more emphasis on success, and anomie –strain becomes the explanation for high rates of deviant behavior in the U.S. compared with other societies, and also an explanation for the distribution of deviant behavior across groups defined by class, race, and ethnicity. The U.S., in fact, Merton sees as an example of a society in which success goals (often defined primarily in monetary terms) are emphasized for everyone in the culture, and people are criticized for not performing to their best ability.

Many individuals in today’s society wonder what pushes people past a breaking point in which they become involved in actions not accepted by society, such as stripping, prostitution, drug use, alcoholism and more. The reasoning behind this is deviance. Deviance can be either positive (over conforming) or negative (under conforming). When applying the subject of crime to a type of deviance, it falls under the negative category because those who under conform in society have a tendency to reach their goals with non-accepted means. Considering the crime of drunk driving, many factors add up to develop a reason why so many people do it. Merton’s strain theory perspective explains the deviance behind drunk driving very well, using its’ assumptions, key focuses, and root of deviant acts to support it. Before focusing on Merton’s theory relating to the crime of drunk driving, we first have to recognize how sociologists understand the concept of deviance.

All individuals have the ability to conform to the rules and norms of society. Merton’s Strain Theory suggests people feel strain when they are unable to attain society’s goals and/or beliefs. Then, because they are not able to appropriately achieve these goals in the way society says to, some will do so by committing criminal behaviors. This theory also explains, in society there are

A significant concept developed by Durkheim is that of anomie, a term used to describe the breakdown of social solidarity and a state of normlessness in which members of society begin to feel alienated. In an anomic society, there is no longer a societal consensus as to what behavior is considered normal or deviant and people no longer know how to react in various social contexts. Durkheim stated that anomie would result for two reasons. The first reason was attributed to the the division of labor in society creating inequality, class conflict, poor social relationships, and a dearth of meaningful roles (Willis, 1982). Durkheim felt that a lack of meaningful roles in particular, caused individuals to accept social status and occupations that were below their level of talent and potential. This created frustration and strain as individuals felt as though they were not given the same opportunity to achieve success as others. The second cause of anomie that Durkheim stated was the disparity between needs and means (Willis, 1982). This meant that in order for happiness to exist within an individual, they must have a realistic chance of achieving their needs based upon the means they have access to. Durkheim felt that a large discrepancy between needs and available means would lead an individual to become hopeless with their situation and contemplate suicide.

Emile Durkheim also mentioned anomie- which is the lack of regulation or breakdown of norms. It is a state of “normlessness”- people do not know where they belong. A disconnect emerges between your desires and what you can have. Masses of people did not feel connected to the whole because of the quick change from traditional to modern societies. According to Durkheim, it was the internalization of social morality. Too many people were not integrated into society, and their capacity of needs were unlimited. Industrialization dissolved restraints on the passions of humans. Traditional societies taught people to control their lives through religion. Modern, industrious, societies separated people through the division of labor. There is no limitation on what we desire or go after. There is social disorganization and too many possibilities. As a result we cannot reach our goals. Durkheim says there has to be a limitation on our wants and desires. In the film we saw people in traditional societies satisfied with what they had because noone around them had more or less. They were on a solidarity

Beginning from a child we begin to experience different situations and interactions with others. We start getting taught the difference between right and wrong, what may be considered good and what is considered bad, and also taught the things we should and should not do. As we grow older we try to refrain from behavior of which society may disapprove of. Society see’s certain types of behavior as being deviant. First let’s begin by explaining what is a deviant behavior? Deviant behavior can be any behavior that does not conform to what people may consider normal, a behavior that does not meet with many expectations in society. Societies are both social structure and culture. Robert K Merton developed structural

Merton further developed the concept of ‘anomie’ to describe an imbalance between cultural goals and institutionalised means. He believed that ‘anomie’ was the result from the absence of alignment between people’s socially desired aspirations, such as

“However, given this societal pressure toward deviance, not all of us would respond to it in the same way” (Thio, 2010, p. 18). There are five different types of responses that may arise out of this pressure present in the anomie-strain theory by means of free will. The first response is conformity, in which the set goal is accepted and a legitimate means is used to attempt to achieve the

To lists some of the crime he has committed such as the case with vandalism, petty theft, grand theft auto, rape, assaults and assault with a deadly weapon, drug dealing, and attempt murder. Not only does the offense he committed affect him, but it has also caught up with him to do three years in prison. The use of Strain Theory is to examine deviancy within Nathan McCall’s life when he is confronted by the cultural goals that is within his environment and the institution means that enable him to achieve the goals. Within a healthy society, McCall will be acceptable towards the goals and suitable means to achieve the goals that society have impose upon on him. In contrast, when McCall cultural values and means becomes imbalance, he would encounter strain by adapting to five modes of adaptation.

Durkheim associates the term anomie with social solidarity. He believes that solidarity or anomie is attained through an organic and mechanical solidarity. This is traditionally illustrated through solidarity through

In 1893 Emile Drurkheim came up with the original concept of anomie. He studied suicides in Europe and found a condition of normlessness or lack oh norms and called it anomie. Robert Merton borrowed from Durkheims work and came up with the anomie/strain theory. His theory was a way to explain delinquency. He stated that when a person is unable to reach societies set

Merton established other forms that an individual might respond such as conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion these explained an individual goal and the access to the means. This can either present a negative or positive outcome. For Merton these responses to deviance show how society strains people hence the name of the strain theory. The strain theory can lead to the triggers of feeling s that can become rage and defeat by society which can lead to a result in crime. The prodigious of society can caused an individual to engage in deviant behavior. These deviant behaviors are not society real and norms. This can explain why people engage in cat fishing.

In Merton’s version of the anomie/strain theory he pointed out five adaptations to strain: conformity, innovation, rebellion, ritualism, and retreatism. Conformity means that one accepts both the goal and the means. They may try to attain the goals with limited means. This adaptation is most common in society. Innovation means that one accepts the goals but rejects the means. This individual has a “by any means necessary” attitude when it comes to the attainment of goals. Rebellion means that one rejects both the means and the goals. They may substitution those goals and means with their own goals and means. Ritualism means that one rejects the goals and responds to the means in a slavish and conforming attitude. Retreatism means one rejects both the goals and means, but they do not replace with their own goals and mean. Instead, they will drop out of society and into things such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and homelessness. This adaptation is the least common in society.

In today's day and age contemporary society's are built upon the thought of citizen conformity to a prescribed set of values and norms to. This idea of complies to social standards makes one think as to how these norms of fact society as a whole and an individual. The main driving component which draws people too conformity are the desire to be excepted in certain status groups. People fear that if they do not conformity is norms that they will be breaking the social contract therefore been shunned by society at not being able to achieve their personal goals. Further analysis of these forces for conformity in contemporary society it will be shown that these forces produced negative ethical conduct and

In Merton’s (1938) strain theory social structures account for the criminal tendencies found in offenders. Individuals adjust to societal pressures in five distinct ways. Adaptation I, which entails conforming to both culture norms and means, is the most common. The popularity of this adaptation allows a society to function effectively. In contrast, adaptation IV is the least common and gives rise to the rejection of both cultural goals and means. Those that adopt this culture pattern are societal misfits and usually include some such persons as psychotics, psychoneurotics, chronic autists, vagrants, and chronic drunkards or drug addicts.