ANOMIE AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Abstract

Processes of change in the modern world are so rapid and powerful that the influence of society is lower, and the inclinations and individual actions cannot be monitored by the institutional control. The landmarks and traditional moral standards – primarily insured by religion – are turned over by the social modern development, and that inoculated to many people of modern societies the feeling that their daily life is meaningless. This state of society, generated by changes at the social level, was explained by some sociologists through the concept of anomie. Although it has the ambition to translate in a precise mode impression of social disorder, the content of the concept varies considerably from one author to another. We will address in this article not only the different meanings that various sociologists will give to anomie, but also the solutions that they propose to mitigate its effects.