Anomie, Social Isolation, and the Class Structure

Abstract

Several recent studies contain data which suggest that anomie, as measured by the Srole scale, is an important determinant of prejudice (7, 12, 13). It is less clear, however, as to what factor or factors may be important in producing anomie in an individual. Srole has found economic status to be negatively related to anomie, but other researchers interpret their data to the contrary.2 There remain, however, persuasive theoretical considerations which would lead one to contend with Merton that the strain toward anomie operates unevenly throughout the various segments of the social structure, with persons in low economic positions being characterized by personal demoralization or disorganization (6). Thus, one purpose of this paper is to bring a new set of data to bear on the hypothesis that economic status is an important determinant of anomie. A second purpose of the paper is to locate other factors which may be related to anomie. The most important of these considered here is social isolation, the hypothesis being that those persons who are relatively isolated are more likely to be anomic than persons who are less isolated. Participation in informal groups such as the neighborhood group, the kin group, the work group, and the friendship group as well as participation in formal groups can be expected to be inversely related to anomie in that the individual achieves through such participation not only close, intimate, and personally satisfying social relations, but also a sense of being a meaningful and effective part of the society. The third purpose of this paper is to relate both unit and personal measures of economic status to anomie. The economic characteristics of the neighborhood in which a person lives (a unit variable) is expected to affect his responses to the anomie scale even when his individual economic characteristics (a personal variable) are controlled.