Anomie
Definition
The term “Anomie” can be defined as the breakdown or erosion of social ties that an individual body has from a cultural group within a larger society. It is a sociological term that uniquely materializes from outside of the body (Hilbert 1986: 5). Anomie perfectly describes unusual normal human affairs, as a look into deviant behavior (Hilbert 1986: 4). The main idea is that without social ties individuals do not have anything to be guided by, and will soon lose touch with society’s norms. The societal connection also plays an important role in the assimilation of the individual into society. This encyclopedia entry will briefly look at anomie as is experienced among minority people groups in the United States.
Because society is so rigid, even the slightest disturbance can result in anomie. The process of anomie can occur from the erosion of societal norms. The further that one retracts from societal norms, the less connection he/she will experience. The norms of a society do not only include actions, but additionally moral rules.
Historical Context
The term anomie was originally popularized by Emile Durkheim, a popular 20th century French sociologist. Durkheim is often thought to be the one of the fathers of sociology (Lukes 1985: 8). Durkheim used Anomie in his influential work Suicide, a case study on suicide in which he evaluated “social facts” (Besnard 1988: 93). Social facts are socially-constructed concepts which go beyond the individual body and can exercise control on and in society. Durkheim especially focuses on how a greater or weaker reliance on society can affect the mental health and suicide outcomes (Hilbert 1986: 5). This is seen in Durkheim’s evaluation and categorization of the types of suicide, called his Normative Theory of Suicide. He divides suicide into four distinct categories: egoistic, fatalistic, anomic, altruistic. Egoistic suicide occurs when there is low social integration. Life has little to no meaning because of the lack of connection to society. Altruistic suicide occurs when there is extreme social integration. In this situation, a community dominates the life of the individual, and the individual cannot survive without it. Fatalistic suicide occurs when there is high social regulation. An example is a prison mate who is regulated within a community, 24/7. Anomic suicide occurs when there is extremely low social regulation. Anomie in minority populations has been very integral in the definition of their development. Among minority populations, anomie can be observed in many ways.
Controversy and Perspectives
From a sociological perspective, anomie describes the important role in how individuals relate to their surroundings. A sociologist is able to apply the sociological imagination by taking an extremely personal topic, such as suicide, and explaining it in a public manner.
Anomie has been specifically studied among the American Indian population in the United States. Because American Indian youth are removed from their own culture, they are left to compete with the majority (Gone 294). In the experience of American Indians, the loss of cultural ties to ancestral cultures has resulted in the feeling of disconnectedness. The source of this initial anomie, was the colonization and forced deletion of past cultural ways (Gone 294). There is controversy on how to deal with this anomie, because its source is deeply rooted. Interference with White American psychiatrists can be seen as furthering the white brainwashing.
The societal connection is what is keeps the individual stable within the change and movement of society. The lack of this connection can bring about a mental, emotional, and physical collapse.
POH
Anomie can be connected to Politics of Health through the concept of structural violence. Structural violence is the construction of institutional-level disadvantageous circumstances (Farmer 2006:1686). Structural violence can be either intentionally or unintentionally constructed against a specific subgroup within a population. Structural violence can be the eventual cause of anomie in disadvantaged groups. The institutional hindrance that occurs as a society is built, can cause the removal from the individuals in society and the feeling of being an outsider.
Additionally, anomie relates to Politics of Health in its relationship to the idea of citizenships. The self-instigated or forced removal of a person from a society can result in the lack of self-claimed national or biological citizenship. Without a feeling of citizenship (national or biological), individuals can feel isolated. They will not be able to gain access to health and care for mental or physical health issues. It would be difficult to claim citizenship if there is no feeling of attachment.
Besnard, Philippe. “The True Nature of Anomie.” Sociological Theory 6, no. 1 (1988): 91-95. doi:10.2307/201916.
Cohen, Albert K. “The Sociology of the Deviant Act: Anomie Theory and Beyond.” American Sociological Review 30, no. 1 (1965): 5-14. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2091770.
Gone, Joseph “‘We Never was Happy Living Like a Whiteman’: Mental Health Disparities and the Postcolonial Predicament in American Indian Communities.” American Journal of Community Psychology 40 (2007):290-300.
Steven Lukes, Emile Durkheim, His Life and Work: A Historical and Critical Study. (Stanford University Press, 1985)
Farmer, Paul et al. “Structural Violence and Clinical Medicine.” PLOS Medicine 3, no 10 (2006): 1686-1690.
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