Anomie

“One's philosophy is not best expressed in words; it is expressed in the choices one makes... and the choices we make are ultimately our responsibility.” – Eleanor Roosevelt. Philosophy is an abstract study of knowledge, existence, and overall, life. In The Elegance of the Hedgehog, philosophy is mainly expressed in a question of what the meaning of life and death is, due to one of main characters contemplating suicide. Though most of the light shined on those two aspects of philosophy, other…

“It is not the act itself that makes an action deviant, but rather how society reacts to it” Howard Becker. Becker describing it perfectly, in the social world, once in a while someone decides to break or violate the social norm that is know as deviance. Because different groups have different norms, deviance is viewed and defined differently depending on one. What could be considered normal in one culture can be considered deviant in another. There are different types of deviances and theories,…

Every single thing we learn in our lives is shaped by norms and guidelines we must follow. Norms keep people under surveillance and control people behaviors. Breaking norms is seen as a deviant behavior to others in society. Norms have been created by society and if a person breaks them, they are judged and seen as outsiders to those who follow the norms. Those who break norms are considered to be disobedient and sometimes if a person is appealing they can be praised for breaking the norm.…

Durkheim argues that the suicide rate is a social factor that can be interpreted as an indicator for social solidarity within a society (Bearman, 1991). Twenty-one well known TV celebrities have committed suicide over the past decade (NY Post, 2016). These were the individuals who we saw everyday and felt as we were truly a part of their lives. From watching great acing in Batman by Heath Leger, to enjoying a soul touching voice from Amy Winehouse. As outsiders whenever we look at these…

How the ideas of Durkheim have helped my understanding of one of the following aspects of contemporary society – suicide. For my essay I chose to examine the sociological work of Émile Durkheim relating to his study of suicide. When researching suicide, you have to ask yourself a few questions; is suicide an individual matter? Or are there sociological factors influencing suicide rates? Durkheim was the first to argue that the causes of suicide were to be found in social factors and not…

Durkheim identifies several features when he explains what social facts are. He explains that “social fact exist separately from the individual effects” (207). Since a social fact could be external to the individual Durkheim relates this to suicide. According to Durkheim there is three types of suicides anomic, egoistic and altruistic. Suicides occur for different reasons egoistic suicides occur when an individual doesn’t feel that they belong or that they are socially accepted and integrated…

Couples in My Culture While my parents gave me important values that I now carry with me in viewing relationship if I had to point at a relationship I would have to choose that of my maternal grandparents. Growing up I always looked up to them as one of the happiest couple I have laid eyes on. It was a love that radiated as soon as they walked through the door. While I grew up assuming that they were married, I found out that they were not later on during my adult years. This was a partnership…

In Beyond the Lights and Real Women Have Curves, appearance encapsulates women 's oppression. Through glimpses of self-image and societal norms and expectations of women, it is evident that appearance illustrates the oppressive nature of society 's expectation of a woman 's role. In both Beyond the Lights and Real Women Have Curves it encompasses the struggle of women being perceived in a particular way. Through the use of men in these two works, it puts into perspective how women are expected…

The two protagonists in catcher in the rye and the stranger are cast as outsiders throughout the novel due to their neglect of social propriety, their own emotional connection with others, and relationship with death. Holden and Meursault both refuse to behave as they are expected to therefore confining themselves to social isolation. Holden believes that those who follow social propriety are phonies. To neglect behaviour expected of him Holden chooses to drink, go to clubs, smoke, and…

Social strain theory was developed by famed American sociologist Robert K. Merton. The theory states that social structures may pressure citizens to commit crimes. Strain may be structural, which refers to the processes at the societal level that filter down and affect how the individual perceives his or her needs. Strain may also be individual, which refers to the frictions and pains experienced by an individual as he or she looks for ways to satisfy individual needs. These types of strain can…