Anomie is a central concept in the social
thought of Emile Durkheim.
Anomie literally means a-nomos, "none-law". Durkheim uses the term of
Anomie to refer to a condition in which an individual of a group loses the
guiding norms which organize social discourse. It is a condition in which good
and bad, right and wrong breakdown and become incoherent to such an extent that
people no longer have guidelines through which to engage with reality.
Durkheim's concept of Anomie is related to his understanding of the
relationship between the individual and the social structure. Social norms
regulate our behavior in a manner that makes us compatible with reality. In his
seminal work, "Suicide"
(1897), Emile Durkheim holds that the congruence of our held values with that
of society is a precondition for happiness, since it assures us that are
desires are constructed within the scope of available means for their satisfaction.
The breakdown of norms (due to rapid historical changes such as modernity) lead
to a mismatch between personal means and ends. When you want more than you can
have reality seams alienated. The scale of things, the organizing principle of reality,
breakdown and individuals struggle to make sense of their existence. Durkheim
lists Anomie as one of the four possible reasons for suicide.
Additional article summaries by Emile Durkheim:
Emile Durkheim - The Rules of Sociological MethodEmile Durkheim - Suicide
"The Genesis of the Notion of the Totemic Principle or Mana" – summary and review" - part 1 -2 -3
What is Social Fact?
Division of Labor in Society
Elementary Forms of Religious Life
Moral Education
Types of Suicide according to Emile Durkheim
Suggested reading:
