Anomie

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

A social condition characterised by the breakdown of social norms and values, leaving individuals without clear moral guidance; also a state of normlessness felt by individuals

History and origin

Greek anomia (lawlessness); theorised by Émile Durkheim in the 19th century

Examples

• Durkheim associated anomie with rapid social change that outpaces the regulation of individual behaviour.
• The high suicide rate in certain industrial communities was linked to a sense of anomie.