ABSTRACT
Anomie is the idea that during times of rapid change, particularly industrialization, the structural divisions created to maximize the production of goods and services can undermine the moral regulation of behavior. One example is a country that moves from an agricultural-based society to an industrialized society; another is an industrialized society that converts to a service-based or information-based economy. Strain theory, a US variation of this European concept of anomie, sees a clash between the inequality of the social structure and culturally uniform goals. This mismatch leads to strain and relative deprivation because those without the means cannot achieve their goals, but those who have the means succeed in achieving their goals. The policy implications of strain theories involve a variety of ways to change the society, including lowering aspirations, reducing inequalities, and enabling people who are suffering strain to better cope with it.
