Anomie

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that anomie, an anxiety that many see as a characteristic of modern civilization, is manifested in the degree of social solidarity that exists in a society; the more people are separated from one another, the greater the anxiety or anomie. The author points out that Durkheim identifies two types of social solidarity bonds, which define a society and its rules and regulations: mechanical, which brings about the division of labor and assumes that individuals are different from one another; and organic, which is the individual personality absorbed into the collective personality. The paper states that Putnam examines the same ideas in terms of changes in economic determinism, noting how local companies are often replaced by larger global companies in a given market to create a social disruption that can be profound.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Durkheim
Putnam
Durkheim and Putnam
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Durkheim makes distinctions as to the degree to which solidarity binds us together, and he finds that mechanical solidarity in general binds men together less strongly than does organic solidarity. At the same time, mechanical solidarity becomes increasingly looser as we rise on the scale of social evolution. The strength of solidarity is important as it indicates how easily the individual can break his or her ties with civilization. Durkheim equates mechanical solidarity with positive solidarity, and organic solidarity with negative solidarity. Both mark forms of social solidarity indicated by the presence of rules."

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