EMILE DURKHEIM<BR> ANOMIC SUICIDE

EMILE DURKHEIM
ANOMIC SUICIDE

Sociological Theories of Deviance

Department of Sociology and Anthropology

UMD

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 FELLING 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 OUT

  • 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 NOT PAST OR FUTURE WITH WHICHTO BE CONTENT


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