Allison Hyatt
SOC 385 Blog #3 Durkheim
22 February 2013
Anomie and The Attica Prison Uprising
Durkheim’s theory of anomie is an interesting negation on the ideology of social regulation. Anomie is in fact the lack of social regulation, and with it occurs a sense of normlessness. In Gabriel Acevedo’s article, “Turning Anomie on its Head”, it is stated that “The structure of modern societies, it will be argued, is characterized not just by excessive control leading to alienation or by a lack of integrative restraint leading to anomie but also by active efforts to optimally regulate social life.” (Acevedo 2005) A consequence of over regulation can then become alienation. If social structures and institutions become too regulated and oppressive we end up with what Durkheim refers to as fatalism. If however social structures have a lack of regulation, or a fair amount of social upheaval and turmoil we then see what Durkheim refers to as anomie. This sense of normlessness may occur when social circumstances are changed to the point where a social system cannot deal with the change and feels that their needs cannot be taken care of. In my blog I will apply Durkheim’s theory of anomie on the Attica prison riot of 1971 and analyze the prison system as a social structure.
The Attica prison uprising began on September 9th 1971. A few minor conflicts from that day sparked a riot that will forever be known in American history. One of the causes for the uprising at Attica, alongside overt and rampant racism by white guides towards the black inmates, was inhumane conditions at the prison. In a quote regarding the Attica prison riots it is stated that “Prisoners spent fourteen to sixteen hours a day in their cells, their mail was read, their reading material restricted, their visits from families conducted through a mesh screen, their medical care disgraceful, their parole system inequitable..”(Libcom.org) the prisoners were being treated as less than men. This prison can be seen as a smaller version of a society, and in this society, its members did not see their needs as being taken care of. In applying Durkheim’s idea of anomie, we can see the Attica prison in 1971 as social structure with a high level of regulation and a lack of social integration in turn leading to the eventual break down of the core or the framework of the prison itself leading to the uprising which ended in the tragic and formidable deaths of 39 people.
Anomie is also apparent when we analyze other riots and uprisings from around the world. Most of the time, these uprisings occur when a society, that being a large community, group of individuals or even a societal institution such as a prison, is at odds with the framework and the structure of their society. When the people feel that they can no longer rely on the institutions, or the other people who take care of their requirements we are left with a lack of rules and people not following the social norms once governed. We can also look at the recent “Arab Spring” or wave of uprisings in the Middle East that began in late 2010. These uprisings were the occurrence of continued oppression and corruption in many Middle Eastern countries. These large faction of society decided there needed to be social and political reform, which spread across the Middle East like wildfire, fueling protests, uprisings and revolutions.
When social constraints and restrictions are able to loosen a bit, we then can see a rise in individualism, which is often the backbone of many uprisings in the face of social injustice. When the future is uncertain, when there is a sense of normlessness and lack of regulation, we are able to begin to see the stirrings of what Durkheim identified as anomie.
References
Acevedo, Gabriel. 2005. Turning Anomie on its Head: Fatalism as Durkheim’s concealed and Multidimensional Alienation Theory. Sociological Theory 23:1. 75-85.
Libcom.org 1971: The Attica Prison Uprisings http://libcom.org/history/1971-the-attica-prison-uprising
SOC 385 Blog #3 Durkheim
22 February 2013
Anomie and The Attica Prison Uprising
Durkheim’s theory of anomie is an interesting negation on the ideology of social regulation. Anomie is in fact the lack of social regulation, and with it occurs a sense of normlessness. In Gabriel Acevedo’s article, “Turning Anomie on its Head”, it is stated that “The structure of modern societies, it will be argued, is characterized not just by excessive control leading to alienation or by a lack of integrative restraint leading to anomie but also by active efforts to optimally regulate social life.” (Acevedo 2005) A consequence of over regulation can then become alienation. If social structures and institutions become too regulated and oppressive we end up with what Durkheim refers to as fatalism. If however social structures have a lack of regulation, or a fair amount of social upheaval and turmoil we then see what Durkheim refers to as anomie. This sense of normlessness may occur when social circumstances are changed to the point where a social system cannot deal with the change and feels that their needs cannot be taken care of. In my blog I will apply Durkheim’s theory of anomie on the Attica prison riot of 1971 and analyze the prison system as a social structure.
The Attica prison uprising began on September 9th 1971. A few minor conflicts from that day sparked a riot that will forever be known in American history. One of the causes for the uprising at Attica, alongside overt and rampant racism by white guides towards the black inmates, was inhumane conditions at the prison. In a quote regarding the Attica prison riots it is stated that “Prisoners spent fourteen to sixteen hours a day in their cells, their mail was read, their reading material restricted, their visits from families conducted through a mesh screen, their medical care disgraceful, their parole system inequitable..”(Libcom.org) the prisoners were being treated as less than men. This prison can be seen as a smaller version of a society, and in this society, its members did not see their needs as being taken care of. In applying Durkheim’s idea of anomie, we can see the Attica prison in 1971 as social structure with a high level of regulation and a lack of social integration in turn leading to the eventual break down of the core or the framework of the prison itself leading to the uprising which ended in the tragic and formidable deaths of 39 people.
Anomie is also apparent when we analyze other riots and uprisings from around the world. Most of the time, these uprisings occur when a society, that being a large community, group of individuals or even a societal institution such as a prison, is at odds with the framework and the structure of their society. When the people feel that they can no longer rely on the institutions, or the other people who take care of their requirements we are left with a lack of rules and people not following the social norms once governed. We can also look at the recent “Arab Spring” or wave of uprisings in the Middle East that began in late 2010. These uprisings were the occurrence of continued oppression and corruption in many Middle Eastern countries. These large faction of society decided there needed to be social and political reform, which spread across the Middle East like wildfire, fueling protests, uprisings and revolutions.
When social constraints and restrictions are able to loosen a bit, we then can see a rise in individualism, which is often the backbone of many uprisings in the face of social injustice. When the future is uncertain, when there is a sense of normlessness and lack of regulation, we are able to begin to see the stirrings of what Durkheim identified as anomie.
References
Acevedo, Gabriel. 2005. Turning Anomie on its Head: Fatalism as Durkheim’s concealed and Multidimensional Alienation Theory. Sociological Theory 23:1. 75-85.
Libcom.org 1971: The Attica Prison Uprisings http://libcom.org/history/1971-the-attica-prison-uprising