How Does Merton's Concept of Anomie Differ to Durkheim's

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-Durkheim argued that during periods of rapid social change (seen in era of industrialisation), values and social norms that control the behaviour of individuals break down.Without clear rules and boundaries, individuals struggle to adjust to the changing conditions of society.This leads to dissatisfaction, frustration, conflict and deviance: anomie
-Merton did not agree with Durkheim's claim that anomie emerged from the breakdown of social norms and values as a result of rapid social change
-Merton considered the primary factor was the inability of social systems to exercise control.He claimed that anomie emerged in situations of stable social conditions.
The premise of Merton's argument was:
-Certain goals are strongly emphasised in society; e.g.attainment of wealth or financial success
-Society strongly identifies with legitimate means of achieving wealth; e.g.training, education, commitment to work
-However, in America inequalities (like lack of access to education and employment) meant that certain groups could not achieve the desired goal of wealth.However, achieving the goal remained highly important leading to an over-emphasis on the goal at the cost of approved means.In response, those members of society experiencing strain adapted the means to achieve the goal
-The imbalance between the goal and means created anomie-a breakdown of societal values which produced strain and deviance.

How Does Merton's Concept of Anomie Differ to Durkheim's

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How Does Merton's Concept of Anomie Differ to Durkheim's

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