Between Anomie and Fatalism. Reconstruction and empirical test of Durkheim's social regulation...

Between Anomie and FatalismReconstruction and empirical test of Durkheim’s social regulation theory

Jacek Bieliński [email protected]

Institute of Sociology, Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland

26.08.2015 Prague

mailto: [email protected]

Between Anomie and FatalismOutline

I InspirationsI Goals, research questions and hypothesesI Anomie and fatalism as theoretical conceptsI MethodsI ResultsI Conclusions

Jacek Bieliński Ph.D. (IS CC) Between Anomie and Fatalism 26.08.2015 Prague 1 / 38

Inspirations I

I rejection of traditionalism as a key success factor ofpost-communist liberal democracies and absence of new normsregulating individual economic behavior (por. Bieliński, 2006);

I common a priori thesis of social deregulation in polish sociology:I social vacuum (Kubiak and Miszalska, 2004; Nowak, 1979),I amoral familism (Tarkowska and Tarkowski, 1990),I dimorphism of values (Wnuk-Lipiński, 1982),I dissociation hypothesis (Sztompka, 1982),I anomie and youth (Wertenstein-Żuławski, 1988, 1993),I social identity (Szafraniec, 1986, 1989, 1990, 2002),I civil society (Kolarska-Bobińska, 1990),I destruction of normativity in the 90s (Kojder, 1999).


Inspiration II

I unfinished Emile Durkheim’s theory of social regulation (Acevedo,2005; Besnard, 1988; Giddens, 1992).

I Institutional Anomie Theory (IAT): an attempt to combine theories ofEmile Durkheim and Robert K. Merton (Messner and Rosenfeld,1997, 2001; Messner, Thome, and Rosenfeld, 2008)


Research goals

1. reconstruction of Emile Durkheim’s social regulation theory2. test of new questionnaire measuring the level of social regulation3. empirical test of Durkheim’s theory social regulation vs Institutional

Anomie Theory4. identification of factors contributing to social regulation disturbances


Research questions

1. Which of the two concepts of anomie better describes the phenomenaof disturbances in social regulation in Poland: the InstitutionalAnomie Theory or Durkheim’s theory of social regulation?

2. What factors are conducive to disturbances in social regulation?


Hyphotesis

1. Durkheim’s social regulation theory better reflects observedcovariance matrix than Institutional Anomie Theory (see CBOS,2009, 2010; Muftić, 2006);

2. the level of social regulation disturbances depends on:I position of individual in social structure: lower positions support

regulation disturbances, (por. Bell, 1957; Hermkens and Wijk, 1995;Meier and Bell, 1959; Merton, 1938; Mizruchi, 1964);

I the size of place of residence: individuals living in rural areas areexposed to higher regulation disturbances, (por. Kocik, 2002);

I age: curvilinear relationship of social regulation disturbances and age(Szafraniec, 2002);

I legitimization of political system, generalized trust, interest inpolitics, voting etc.


Durkheim’s social regulation theory

I pathologies of social division of labourI forced division of labourI anomic division of labour

I characteristics of societies and individuals explaining pathologies ofdivision of labour (see Ceri, 1993: 151):

I social regulation (individual level: limits aspirations and desires)I social integration (group level: ideas, values, goals)

I corresponding elements of morality (Besnard, 1988; Miller, 1996):I spirit of discipline (negative aspect of morality: constraint and

obligation)I attachment to social groups (positive aspect of morality: commitment

and affirmation)



Social regulation is an individual-level characteristic. It reflects theoutcome of the impact of society on an individual.

I Social regulation depends on:I the level of internalization of norms, values and goals;I perceived scope of possible actions;I embeddedness of individual’s aspirations (Durkheim, 2006: 313-328).

I Social regulation disturbances:I anomie: under-regulationI fatalism: over-regulation


Anomie

I lack of goals, limitless aspirations, and axiological and normativedisorientation

I a trait of industrial societies or a result of social change, mobility andaccompanying change in possible scope of actions (Besnard, 1988:93).

I hitherto existing norms lose their legitimation, i.e. are no longeractively affirmed through rituals and perceived by actors as bindingand legitimate.

The limits are unknown between the possible and the impossible, what is justand what is unjust, legitimate claims and hopes and those which areimmoderate. [...] If the disturbance is profound, it affects even the principlescontrolling the distribution of men among various occupations. [...]Appetites, not being controlled by a public opinion become disoriented, nolonger recognize the limits proper to them (Durkheim, 2006: 321).


Modalities of anomie

I progressive and chronic anomie: a trait of industrial societies, thechief value consists of striving towards a goal that is unattainablebecause it is undefined

I regressive anomie: individuals experience a sudden drop to a lowerposition in social structure. In such a situation, an individual’sinternalized norms, values and aspirations no longer befit the newstructural conditions in which the person has found him- or herself(Durkheim, 2006: 323-326)


Fatalism as a historical or real phenomenon?

Durkheim treated fatalism as a historical phenomenon without empiricaldesignates in european industrial societies.

“the ineluctable and inflexible nature of a rule against whichthere is no appeal” (Durkheim, 2006: 350)

“It is the suicide [...] of persons with futures pitilessly blocked andpassions violently choked by oppressive discipline” (ibid.: 350)


Fatalism as a real phenomenon

Recent studies showed contemporary empirical designates of fatalism indifferent cultural contexts:

I seppuku, sati, kamikaze, Keiten,I high suicide rate of women aged 15–24 in the rural regions of

present-day China,I suicides of young women in Iran. (see Aliverdina and Pridemore, 2009;

Davies and Neal, 2000)


Reconstruction of Durkheim’s social regulation theory

Philippe Besnard (Besnard, 1993):I 4-field typology of social regulation disturbances:

I the degree to which the pathological conditions are fixed or permanent(acute vs chronic)

I type of social regulation disturbances (anomie vs fatalism)I only anomie can be unambiguously described using the criteria

I this problem can be solved by treating regressive anomie not as atype of insufficient social regulation, but as a situation of acutefatalism: oppressive regulation caused by a sudden change of positionin the social hierarchy 1

I Besnard did not resolved the problem of chronic fatalism

1Similar proposition made by Steven Turner (1993)Jacek Bieliński Ph.D. (IS CC) Between Anomie and Fatalism 26.08.2015 Prague 13 / 38


anomie fatalismchronic institutionalized

anomie???

acute progressive anomie regressive anomie



Gabriel A. Acevedo (Acevedo, 2005):I links Durkheim’s theory of social regulation with the Marx’s concept

of alienation 2

I unlike other attempts (see LaCarpa, 1972; Moore, 1980; Nettler,1957; Schaff, 1999; Seeman, 1959; Srole, 1956) this approach doesnot reduce anomie to alienation or vice versa; neither does it treatthese concepts as synonyms”[...] alienation, in Marx’s thinking, is, in part, what characterizes preciselythose states of the individual and conditions of society which Durkheim seesas the solution to anomie: namely, where men are socially determined andconstrained, when they must conform to social rules which are independentof their wills and are conditioned to think and act within the confines ofspecialized roles” (Lukes, 1978: 406-407)

2Steven Turner (1993) made the same argument but did not elaborated the idea. Seealso (Lukes, 1978)


Institutional Anomie Theory

I Mertonian understanding of anomie: excessive emphasis on goalsregardless of the moral status of the means used to achieve them.

I The source of anomie is the domination of the economy in theinstitutional balance of power:

I devaluation of non-economic social institutions and rolesI accommodation of non-economic social institutions and roles to the

requirements of the economic sphere in a situation of conflictI penetration, reproduction of values and norms typical for economic

institutions within other institutional spheres.I Values typical for economic institutions are: individualism,

universalism, achievement orientation i fetishism of moneyI The result is ineffectiveness of economic and non-economic social

institutions in regulating individual behavior.I Disembedded behavior and normative disorientation lead to deviant

behavior.Jacek Bieliński Ph.D. (IS CC) Between Anomie and Fatalism 26.08.2015 Prague 17 / 38

Data

I Representative survey by TNS OBOP conducted in 17-20 November2011 in Poland (15+, N= 1005).

I The main survey was preceded by a pilot study (N=89 students)


Measurement

I Normative disorientation (agree - disagree):I ”if one wants to acquire money, sometimes it’s impossible to be

honest” (S2_6),I ”one should always obey the law to the letter, even if it means losing

opportunities” (S2_7) andI ”in certain cases, it is acceptable to evade the law and do what you

want to do” (S2_8)I Accommodation: ”how often do you have to...”

I ”give up meeting with your family because of work obligations”(SM8_1);

I ”give up meeting with your friends because of work obligations”(SM8_2);

I ”give up a visit to the doctor because of work obligations” (SM8_3);I ”postpone taking care of important personal matters because of work

obligations” (SM8_4);I ”put work obligations before other commitments you made earlier”

(SM8_5)Jacek Bieliński Ph.D. (IS CC) Between Anomie and Fatalism 26.08.2015 Prague 19 / 38

Measurement II

I fetishism of money (agree- disagree):I ”a person’s value depends on the amount of money they possess”

(fet_pieniadza1)I ”I would sacrifice many things in life to possess large sums of money”

(fet_pieniadza2)I devaluation (ranking of prestige):

I ”an exceptionally wealthy person who possesses things which otherpeople cannot afford” (rola_ekon)

I ”holds a high-ranking position, makes decisions which affect otherpeople, is actively involved in public life” (rola_polit)

I ”is a caring parent who devotes a particularly large amount of time andattention to family life” (rola_rodz)

I ”is a singularly gifted person, educated in a specific field andcompetent” (rola_edu)


Measurement IIII penetration / cult of individualism (agree-disagree):

I ”a person can be successful if only he/she works hard enough”(universalism)

I ”I do not need help from others in order to be successful”(individualism)

I ”being successful is very important to me” (achievement_oeirntation.).I sense of agency (agree-disagree):

I ”when I’m planning something, I’m convinced I’ll carry it out” (S2_12)I ”I believe I can achieve most of the things I want in life, provided I

work on it” (S2_13)I axiological disorientation (agree-disagree):

I ”it is becoming harder and harder to see any kind of sense in the worldthat surrounds us” (S2_9),

I ”the only thing one can be sure of nowadays is that one can’t be sureof anything” (S2_10),

I ”there are so many different ideas, theories and opinions that onefrequently doesn’t know what to believe in” (S2_11)


Measurement IV

I perceived chances of attaining one’s aspirations:I ”do you think your present living situation enables you to fulfill your

ambitions and realize your life plans” (SM5_1)I ”do you think your present living situation enables you to live in

accordance with your own ideals and desires?” (SM5_2)I helplessness and a lack of control over one’s own life:

I ”how often during the last year have you felt helpless?” (S8_1)I ”how often during the last year have you felt you have no control over

what is happening in your life?” (S8_2)


Data AnalysisEmpirical strategy

1. Structural equation modelsI to verify the hypothesis of better representation of Durkheim’s theory

in empirical data in comparison to IATI to verify the validity of measurement

2. Multiple linear regression modelsI to verify the hypotheses concerning correlates of anomie and fatalism


Model SEM: Institutional Anomie Theory


Model CFA: Durkheim’s social regulation theory


Answering research questions

Evidence:1. Both models adequately fit to the empirical data set2. The IAT model lacks consistency of the model parameters with the

theoretical assumptions3. The CFA model parameters are consistent with the theoretical

assumptions of the reconstructed Durkheim’s theory of socialregulation (strength and direction of relation between observed andlatent variables).

Conclutions:I The Durkheim’s theory of social regulation better describesobserved system of relation between variables.

I Further analysis are based on the model of reconstructed socialregulation theory.


Correlates of anomie and fatalism

0.49

0.12

0.18

0.08

−0.12

−0.36

−0.59

−0.13

−0.2

0.06

0.14

0.31

15−19 years

20−29 years

30−39 years

40−49 years

50−59 years

60+ years

−0.4 0.0 0.4

anomia fatalism

fatalism: Levene’s test W=477;p=0,794 ANOVA: F=6,763; p<0,00

anomia: Levene’s test W=0,966;p=0,438 ANOVA: F=6,758; p<0,00



−0.31

0

0.18

0.21

0.09

0.34

0.01

−0.12

−0.2

−0.26

Rural areas

Cities with up to 20,000 inhab.

Cities with 20−100,000 inhab.

Cities with 100−500,000 inhab.

Cities above 500,000 inhab.

−0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4

anomia fatalism

fatalism: Levene’s test W=1,31;p=0,266 ANOVA: F=8,714; p<0,00

anomia: Levene’s test W=1,51;p=0,197 ANOVA: F= 7,176; p<0,00



−0.38

−0.27

−0.08

−0.03

0.02

0.09

0.16

0.23

0.23

0.36

0.47

0.92

0.35

0.3

0.33

0.28

−0.16

−0.19

−0.47

−0.1

−0.32

−0.42

−0.5

−0.67

pensioners

farmers

unemployed

laborers

housework/raising children

white−collar workers

specialists, freelancers

trade and services sector employees

school and university students

top− and middle−level managers

business owners

foremen and supervising technicians

−0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0

anomia fatalism

fatalism: Levene’s testW=0,961;p=0,482 ANOVA: F=6,491; p<0,00

anomia: Levene’s test W=1,303;p=0,219 ANOVA: F=4,709; p<0,00



Main results of multiple regression analysis :I negative correlation of anomie and positive correlation of fatalism

with age,I individuals living in rural areas are more vulnerable to fatalism,I individuals with lower structural position are more subject to fatalism,I individual level political system legitimacy is positivelycorrelated with anomie and negatively correlated with fatalism,

I high subjective assessment of own financial situation is positivelycorrelated with anomie and negatively correlated with fatalism


Conclusions

1. Durkheim’s social regulation theory can be reconstructed byreinterpreting regressive anomie as acute fatalism (Besnard, 1988,1993) and alienation as chronic fatalism (Acevedo, 2005).

2. SEM model corresponding to Durkheim’s social regulation theory isbetter reflected in empirical data than the model corresponding toIAT.

3. Both social regulation disturbances, anomie and fatalism, aredifferently distributed in varying social categories.


Thank you for your attention.

Jacek Bieliński [email protected]

Institute of Sociology, Collegium Civitas, Poland


mailto: [email protected]

References I

Acevedo, Gabriel A. 2005. “Turning Anomie on Its Head: Fatalism as Durkheim’s Concealed andMultidimensional Alienation Theory”. Sociological Theory 23 (1), pp. 75–85.

Aliverdina, Akbar and William Alex Pridemore. 2009. “Women’s Fatalistic Suicide in Iran: Apartial Test of Durkheim in an Islamic Republic”. Violence Against Women 15 (3),pp. 307–320.

Bell, Wendel. 1957. “Anomie, Social Isolation and the Class Structure”. Sociometry 20 (2),pp. 105–116.

Besnard, Philippe. 1988. “The True Nature of Anomie”. Sociological Theory 6 (1), pp. 91–95.

— 1993. “Anomie and Fatalism in Durkheim’s Theory of Regulation”. In: Stephen P. Turnered. by. New York: Routledge, pp. 169–190.

Bieliński, Jacek. 2006. “Konsens i jednorodność społeczna w procesie budowania kapitalizmu wkrajach postkomunistycznych”. Studia Socjologiczne 1 (180), pp. 89–118.

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Ceri, Paolo. 1993. “Durkheim on Social Action”. In: Stephen P. Turner ed. by. Emile Durkheim:Sociologist and Moralist. New York: Routledge, pp. 139–168.


References II

Davies, Christie and Mark Neal. 2000. “Durkheim’s Altruistic and Fatalistic Suicide”. In:W.S.F Pickering and Geoffrey Walford ed. by. Durkheim’s Suicide: A century of research andebate. London, New York: Routledge, pp. 36–52.

Durkheim, Emile. 2006. Samobójstwo. Warszawa: Oficyna Naukowa.

Giddens, Anthony. 1992. Capitalism and Modern Social Theory. An Analysis of the Writings ofMarx, Durkheim and Weber. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Hermkens, Piet and Peter van Wijk. 1995. “Anomie, Distributive Injustice and Dissatisfactionwith Material Well-Being in Eastern Europe”. International Journal of ComparativeSociology 36 (1/2), pp. 1–16.

Kocik, Lucjan. 2002. “Anomia moralno-obyczajowa wsi polskiej”. In: Janusz Mariański ed. by.Kondycja moralna społeczeństwa polskiego. Kraków: Wydawnictwo WAM, Polska AkademiaNauk, pp. 79–101.

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Kolarska-Bobińska, Lena. 1990. “Civil society and Social Anomy in Poland”. Acta Sociologica(33), pp. 277–288.


References III

Kubiak, Anna and Anita Miszalska. 2004. “Czy nowa próżnia społeczna, czyli o stanie więzispołecznej w III Rzeczpospolitej”. Kultura i Społeczeństwo (2), pp. 19–44.

LaCarpa, Dominick. 1972. Emile Durkheim Sociologist and Philosopher. Ithaca and London:Cornell University Press.

Lukes, Steven. 1978. “Alienation and Anomie”. In: Rodger Beehler and Alan R. Drengsoned. by. The Philosophy of Society. London: Methuen, pp. 400–423.

Meier, Dorothy L. and Wendel Bell. 1959. “Anomia and Differential Access to the Achievementof Life Goals”. American Sociological Review 24 (2), pp. 189–202.

Merton, Robert K. 1938. “Social Structure and Anomie”. American Sociological Review 3 (5),p. 672.

Messner, Steven F. and Richard Rosenfeld. 1997. “Markets, Morality and an InstitutionalAnomie Theory of Crime”. In: Nikos Passas and Robert Agnew ed. by. The Future ofAnomie Theory. Boston: Northeastern University Press, pp. 207–224.

— 2001. Crime and the American Dream. Belmont, CA: Thompson/Wadsworth.

Messner, Steven F., Helmut Thome, and Richard Rosenfeld. 2008. “Institutions, Anomie andVoilent Crime: Clarifying and Elaborating Institutional Anomie Theory”. InternationalHournal of Conflict and Violence 2 (2), pp. 163–181.

Miller, Watts W. 1996. Durkheim, Morals and Modernity. London: UCL Press.


References IV

Mizruchi, Ephraim Harold. 1964. Success and opportunity: a study of anomie. New York,London: The Free Press of Glencoe, Collier-Macmillan.

Moore, Allen B. 1980. “An Instrument To Measure Anomia”. Adult Education Quarterly (30),pp. 82–91.

Muftić, Lisa R. 2006. “Advancing Institutional Anomie Theory: A Micolevel ExaminationConnecting Culture, Institutions and Deviance”. International Journal of Offender Therapyand Comparative Criminology 50 (6), pp. 630–663.

Nettler, Gwynne. 1957. “A Measure of Alienation”. American Sociological Review 22 (6),pp. 670–677.

Nowak, Stefan. 1979. “System wartości społeczeństwa polskiego”. Studia Socjologiczne (4),pp. 155–173.

Schaff, Adam. 1999. Alienacja jako zjawisko społeczne. Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Książka iWiedza.

Seeman, Melvin. 1959. “On The Meaning of Alienation”. American Sociological Review 24 (6),pp. 783–791.

Srole, Leo. 1956. “Social Integration and Certain Corollaries: An Exploratory Study”. AmericanSociological Review 21 (6), pp. 709–716.


References V

Szafraniec, Krystyna. 1986. Anomia - przesilenie tożsamości. Jednostka i społeczeństwo wobeczmiany. Toruń: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika.

— 1989. “The Theory of Anomie and Polish Society”. Sisyphus. Sociological Studies 6,pp. 123–137.

— 1990. Człowiek wobec zmian społecznych: studium empiryczne z lat 1981 – 1982.Warszawa: Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe.

— 2002. “Anomia okresu transformacji a orientacje normatywne młodzieży. Perspektywamiędzygeneracyjna”. In: Kondycja moralna społeczeństwa polskiego. Kraków: WydawnictwoWAM, Polska Akademia Nauk, pp. 453–480.

Sztompka, Piotr. 1982. “Dynamika ruchu odnowy w świetle teorii zachowania zbiorowego”.Studia Socjologiczne 86-87 (3-4), pp. 69–93.

Tarkowska, Elżbieta and Jacek Tarkowski. 1990. “Amoralny familizm, czyli o dezintegracjispołecznej w Polsce lat 80-ych”. In: Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński ed. by. Grupy i więzi społecznew systemie monocentrycznym. Warszawa: Instytut Filozofii i Socjologii PAN, pp. 37–69.

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Wertenstein-Żuławski, Jerzy. 1988. “Anomia i ruchy młodzieżowe”. Kultura i Społeczeństwo(3), pp. 137–154.


References VI

Wertenstein-Żuławski, Jerzy. 1993. Rock, młodzież, społeczeństwo. Między nadzieją a rozpaczą.Warszawa: Instytut Kultury.

Wnuk-Lipiński, Edmund. 1982. “Dimorphism of Values and Social Schisophrenia. A TentativeDescription”. Sisyphus. Sociological Studies 3.


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