EMILE DURKHEIM<BR> ANOMIC SUICIDE

John Hamlin
Sociology 2311
Department of Sociology and Anthropology
UMD

EMILE DURKHEIM<BR> ANOMIC SUICIDE EMILE DURKHEIM
ANOMIC SUICIDE

I. BASIC ASSUMPTION

"NO LIVING BEING CAN BE HAPPY OR EVEN EXIST UNLESS HIS NEEDS ARE SUFFICIENTLY PROPORTIONED TO HIS MEANS."

A. IF THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN DISASTER STRIKES

B. WHAT REGULATES ANIMALS APPETITES?
INSTINCTS

C. WHAT REGULATES HUMANS?
NOT BIOLOGY
NOT HUMAN NATURE

D. SOCIAL STRATIFICATION - WANTS AND NEEDS ARE NOT EQUALLY MEET OR DISTRIBUTED

"IRRESPECTIVE OF ANY EXTERNAL REGULATORY FORCE, OUR CAPACITY FOR FEELING IS IN ITSELF AN INSATIABLE AND BOTTOMLESS ABYSS."

E. UNLIMITED DESIRES ARE INSATIABLE & THAT IS A SIGN OF MORBIDITY (PATHOLOGICAL)

F. MUST HAVE SOMETHING CLEAR TO STRIVE FOR - GOALS
CANNOT ADVANCE IF THERE ARE NO GOALS OR IF GOALS ARE INFINITY

G. TO PURSUE UNATTAINABLE GOAL LEADS TO PERPETUAL UNHAPPINESS

H. HOPE IS IMPORTANT - FOR A TIME

II. PASSIONS MUST BE LIMITED BEFORE ONE WORRIES ABOUT HOW TO ACHIEVE THEM

A. REGULATORY FORCE MUST BE MORAL

B. REGULATORY FORCE MUST BE CONSIDERED JUST

C. CAN'T REGULATE SELF, NEEDS TO COME FROM "...AN AUTHORITY WHICH THEY RESPECT, TO WHICH THEY YIELD SPONTANEOUSLY."

D. SOCIETY OR AGENT, MUST SET LIMITS AND REWARDS FOR `EVERY CLASS OF HUMAN FUNCTIONARY,'

E. GOALS AND MEANS SET IN EACH SOCIAL CLASS
SCALE DOES CHANGE OVER TIME

"UNDER THIS PRESSURE, EACH IN HIS SPHERE VAGUELY REALIZES THE EXTREME LIMIT SET TO HIS AMBITIONS AND ASPIRES TO NOTHING BEYOND. AT LEAST, IF HE RESPECTS REGULATIONS AND IS DOCILE TO COLLECTIVE AUTHORITY, THAT IS HAS A WHOLESOME MORAL CONSTITUTION, HE FEELS THAT IT IS NOT WELL TO ASK MORE."

F. DRASTIC CHANGE IS ABNORMAL

G. ORDER IN SYSTEM IS MAINTAINED THROUGH RESPECT NOT FEAR OF AUTHORITY

III. WHEN SOCIETY IS DISTURBED, CRISIS OR ABRUPT TRANSITION, REGULATORY INFLUENCE STOPS, AND SUICIDES GO UP

ECONOMIC DOWN TURNS

ABRUPT GROWTH IN POWER AND WEALTH
SCALE IS UPSET

"SO LONG AS THE SOCIAL FORCES THUS FREED HAVE NOT REGAINED EQUILIBRIUM, THEIR RESPECTIVE VALUES ARE UNKNOWN AND SO ALL REGULATION IS LACKING FOR A TIME."

THIS IS ANOMIE

POVERTY TEACHES SELF RESTRAINT; SOMETHING STRONGLY NEEDED AT A TIME WHEN SOCIAL RESTRAINT IS LACKING

IV. ANOMIE IS A CHRONIC STATE IN TRADE AND INDUSTRY

LOCAL MARKETS WORK TO RESTRAIN

GLOBAL MARKETS ENCOURAGE LIMITLESS ASPIRATIONS

PAST IS JUST ATTEMPTS TO GET AHEAD AND FUTURE IS UNLIMITED REWARDS

D. LEAVES THE PERSON WITH NO PAST OR FUTURE WITH WHICH TO BE CONTENT

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