Durkheim and Anomie

Society is a stable system. Balance

Equilibrium All parts work together to promote stability and order

Essence of a society==> Moral order==>

"Collective Consciousness"

• Study of Suicide: Focus on "Social Currents" that can sweep through the "collective consciousness." These currents push people in different direction, determine patterning of behavior.

• Critical elements of moral order: The Social Bond

• Normative structure (regulatory function)

• Integrative function (relation between individual and the group

• Each forms a continuum, "Normal" society is in balance.

• Focus on Anomie: • Breakdown of normative structure, rules/norms weak, unclear,

indistinct. • No "guidance" for the individual, no limitations. Society lacks the

regulatory constraints necessary to control the behavior of its members.

• A product of change, rapid, uncontrolled, and unpredictable. A temporal transition.

• Sweeps (flows) across an entire society. • Unleashes the "essence" of the individual--passion for unlimited

growth, greed, unquenchable thirst--which can only be contained within the boundaries of a stable social system.

• Without boundaries, limits, norms, individual life (Self and Other's) becomes meaningless-behavior becomes uncontrollable==>Deviance

• Egoism: Social control is functional, but bond between individual and group is weak.  Norms become ineffective in controlling behavior.

• Altruism: Group needs and significance override individual existence, norms may actually support self-destructiuve behavior.

• Fatalism: Rigidity and inflexibility.   Individual (and group) stagnates.

• Functionalism:

• Macro

• Equilibrium

• Stability

• Order

•

• Emile Durkheim (1858-1917):

• Conflict Theory: • Macro • Change • Inequality and exploitation (see also:

Marx, capitalism, and exploitation) • Power • Competition between opposing groups • Focal concern--forces that inhibit change

• The nineteenth century pioneer French sociologist Emile Durkheim used this word in his book outlining the causes of suicide, to describes a condition or malaise in individuals, characterized by an absence or diminution of standards or values, and an associated feeling of alienation and purposelessness. Anomie is remarkably common when the surrounding society has undergone significant changes in economic fortunes, whether for good or for worse, and more generally when there is a significant discrepancy between the ideological theories and values commonly professed and the practice of everyday life.

•     Anomie as social disorder  • The word, spelled anomy or also anomie, has also been used to

apply to societies or groups of people within a society, who suffer from chaos due to lack of commonly recognized explict or implicit rules of good conduct, or worse, to the reign of rules promoting isolation or even predation rather than cooperation (consider the Ik[?] tribe).

• Friedrich Hayek notably uses the word anomy with this meaning. • Anomy as social disorder is not to be confused with anarchy, though

many opponents to anarchism claim that anarchy necessarily leads to anomy. Indeed, anarchy denotes lack of rulers, hierarchy, command, whereas anomy denotes lack of rules, structure, organization. Many anarchists will argue that hierarchical command actually creates chaos, rather than order (see the Law of Eristic Escalation).

• Now We Focus on:• • What makes a particular behavior an infraction?• • Why and How are the rules made?• • Who makes them?• • Focus is now directed towards the social context of

deviance.

• Functionalism• • Basic Ideas:• Norms as necessary, Deviance as functional. • Focus on the consequences of behavioral

patterns. • NEEDS of the system. (Understand behavior

by relating to system needs) • Deviance (in general) is universal and

persistent. •

• Durkheim: Pathological and Normal Societies

• Crime as normal and Necessary • Functions of Deviance

– Boundary Maintenance – Group Solidarity – Innovation – Tension Reduction

• Dysfunctions of Deviance: Anomie

• Merton: • Manifest and Latent Functions • Dysfunctions • Deviance can be either functional or dysfunctional • Universal forms of dysfunctional deviance

– Incest (in general vs. specific). Impact on social system. – Murder (in general vs. specific)

• • Latent Functionality of Deviance (condemned, but tolerated). • Prostitution • Political Machines • Drug Use • Organized Crime • Punishment • • Manifest Functionality of Deviance

– Quakers: Oddness of member==> target of group tolerance and care (central values of religion) – Army trainees: bumbler==> reduce tension, develop helpfulness, build unit, express feminine

emotions – Erikson: System tends to produce and sustain the deviant==> Prisons, The Homeless; and

subculture formation

• Functionalist Perspective Displays:• Complexity of the relationship between

deviance and conformity • Dispels notion of pathology • Leads to a certain appreciation of deviance • Deviance as being a viable way of life • The continuum of behavior: Not either/or

reality • Deviance as part of normal society