Anomie | Topics | Sociology - tutor2u Anomie is a concept identified by Durkheim and later developed by Merton For Durkheim, anomie is a state of normlessness: the lack of social cohesion and solidarity that often accompanies rapid social change Durkheim recognised that pre-modern societies had mechanical solidarity (close-knit communities based around working together) which meant that establishing shared norms and values and a
Anomie (Theory) | Topics | Sociology - tutor2u Anomie was a concept introduced to sociology by Emile Durkheim to mean normlessness; an upheaval in social values often associated with rapid social change and lack of order He originally used the term in his famous study on suicide as one of the social conditions that could lead to increased suicide rates Robert Merton further developed the concept of anomie in his famous strain theory (see
Robert K Mertons Strain Theory - Explained - tutor2u While Durkheim's concept of anomie was rather vague, Merton explains the idea in quite a detailed way: as the product of a strain between socially-accepted goals and the socially-accepted means to achieve them While Merton's theory was based on 20 th century America, it is transferable to any contemporary, western, developed capitalist society
Cohen: Status Frustration (1955) | Reference Library - tutor2u Cohen set out to develop Merton's strain theory and particularly to address questions about why groups commit crimes and why people commit non-utilitarian crimes In doing so he developed a theory about subcultures