ABSTRACT
Anomie at the world system level Johan Galtung describes as “big anomies”. The indicators of anomie then are closely tied to, and sensitive to social change, a social change which leads either to higher standards within a developing country or to disturbances which are likely to make progress more difficult. Josef Schmid argues that development and anomie are coexistent phenomena which reflect one another. Indicators of anomie cannot predict the future, but they can alert decision makers, development workers and scientists to the unintended outcomes of particular development programmes. Levels of anomie cannot be reliably determined from cross sectional data. Indicators of anomie are quantifiable characteristics which identify factors which are likely to be an impediment to what is considered desirable growth for a less developed country. Anomie can be used as the predominant heuristic concept in the analysis of social disorder for both scientific and political purposes.
