SOC 2230 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Anomie, Devaluation, Fetishism

• School: University of Virginia
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOC 2230
• Professor: Mc Connell Bob

Document Summary

Anomie for durkheim is cultural nothingness- state of normless-ness. People tried to adapt to the pressure to succeed by either rejecting the goals or the means given to them. Messner and rosenfeld build on merton and durkheim"s definitions. Anomie has set in in american society because our institutions have been weak. 6. 5 times higher homicide rate in the us than in other countries. Messner and rosenfeld see the defining culture of american culture as the american. A person is valued only in terms of how much he/she has achieved. A person is evaluated by how much status they have in social circles or how much political power they have. All other people appear as rivals and obstacles to success. People will neglect relationship because o individual pursits. There are no exemptions from people pursuing the american dream= everyone pursues it. Failure is purely personal- it"s the individuals own. Money is a measure of a person"s value.