SOCI 2P61 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Kai T. Erikson, General Strain Theory, Anomie
26 Jun 2015
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Document Summary
Durkheim on social cohesion / social solidarity as an explanation of crime. Regulation regulation by the collective conscience (values, beliefs, and general social groupings): regulation limits individual aspirations and needs, keeping them in check the regulation of individuals" aspirations, which are potentially infinite, prevents anomie (or normlessness) Suicide as an example of deviance and crime. *durkheim"s great contribution was his recognition that deviance (e. g. suicide) is caused by the same forces that maintain conformity in social systems: excessive or insufficient attachment and regulation will cause varying forms of deviance in a social system. *anomie: the condition of normlessness in which values and norms have little impact and the culture no longer provides adequate guidelines for behavior . For durkheim, a situation of strain (e. g. sudden divorce or financial ruin) produces anomie (a state wherein there are no limits on one"s needs or desires), which in turn increases the likelihood of deviance.
