NCJ Number
53302
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 57 Issue: 2 Dated: SPECIAL ISSUE (DECEMBER 1978) Pages: 654-670
Date Published
1978
Length
17 pages
Annotation
EMILE DURKHEIM'S THEORY OF THE EMERGENCE OF THE DIVISION OF LABOR AND CONSEQUENT STATE OF ANOMIE IS PRESENTED AND TESTED AS A MODEL BY WHICH THE VARIANCE IN INTERNATIONAL CRIME RATES CAN BE EXPLAINED.
Abstract
DURKHEIM'S THEORY SUGGESTS THAT NATIONS WITH A HIGH VOLUME OF POPULATION AND MORAL DENSITY (I.E., CONCENTRATION OF POPULATION, SOPHISTICATED METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION) WILL HAVE A GREATER DEGREE OF DIVISION OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIALIZATION. FURTHER, IT IS THEORIZED THAT IN THESE NATIONS THERE WILL BE A HIGH LEVEL OF ANOMIE, WHICH WILL PRODUCE A HIGH LEVEL OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR. ANOMIE, AS USED BY DURKHEIM, IS DEFINED AS 'A STATE WHERE MAN'S DESIRES EXCEED HIS MEANS TO SATISFY THEM.' THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLES MEASURED IN THEIR EFFECT UPON CRIME RATES IN 33 COUNTRIES WERE POPULATION, MORAL DENSITY (MEASURED BY PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL POPULATION LIVING IN URBAN AREAS IN 1965), INDUSTRIALIZATION, DIVISION OF LABOR, AND ANOMIE. ANOMIE IS COMPUTED BY COMPARING SATISFACTION OF SOCIAL WANT (MEASURED BY FOUR VARIABLES REPRESENTING THE AVAILABILITY OF COMMODITIES IN A SOCIETY) TO SOCIAL WANT DESIRE, AS MEASURED BY THE LITERACY RATE (LITERACY RATE IS ASSUMED TO BE AN INDICATOR OF THE MATERIAL DESIRES OF A POPULACE). STATISTICS ARE TAKEN FROM THE 'WORLD HANDBOOK OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL INDICATORS.' A TEST OF THE MODEL DELINEATING THE CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS SUGGESTED BY DURKHEIM FOUND THAT THE VARIABLE OF ANOMIE WAS NOT PREDICTIVE OF CRIME RATES; HOWEVER, A MODIFIED MODEL EXCLUDING ANOMIE WAS EXAMINED AND FOUND TO BE USEFUL IN EXPLAINING PROPERTY AND TOTAL CRIME RATES. ALTERNATIVE INTERPRETATIONS CONSISTENT WITH A DURKHEIMIAN PERSPECTIVE ARE SUGGESTED AND EXPLORED. DATA FROM THE STUDY AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)