Anomi

Anomie is a sociological concept referring to a condition of normlessness or the breakdown of social norms and guidance that regulate individual behavior within a society. The term, from Greek roots meaning without law or custom, was popularized by the French sociologist Emile Durkheim in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe the disintegration of social norms under rapid social or economic change.

In Durkheim's analysis, anomie occurs when the collective norms that guide behavior become unclear or unenforceable, often during periods of upheaval such as industrialization, urbanization, economic crises, or political transformation. The result is a sense of aimlessness, disconnection, and a mismatch between socially valued goals and the legitimate means available to achieve them.

Anomie is not merely deviance; it is a state of normlessness that can precede or accompany deviant behavior. The concept influenced later theories, including Merton's adaptation framework, which links anomie to the gap between culturally prescribed goals and the institutionalized means to achieve them, producing conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, or rebellion.

Indicators of anomie include rising crime, social fragmentation, and increasing individual alienation. Durkheim also connected extreme anomie to higher suicide rates during periods of economic or moral crisis. Addressing anomie involves strengthening social integration and normative regulation through institutions, social networks, and clearly defined, attainable expectations. Some scholars distinguish between acute anomie (short-term upheaval) and chronic anomie (long-standing normlessness).