This paper examines anomie and strain theories as articulated by Robert Merton and Émile Durkheim, explaining how societal norms and the gap between cultural goals and available means contribute to deviant behavior and criminal activity. It explores how low-status individuals face disproportionate pressure to achieve culturally defined success with limited legitimate resources, driving some toward illegal means. The paper further discusses the relationship between mental health and crime, critiques existing policies, and proposes a policy framework emphasizing mental health awareness, achievable social standards, and education for younger generations as practical tools for crime reduction.
Anomie and strain theories have been discussed by several sociologists who sought to explain why deviant behaviors occur. The most prominent anomie theories are those articulated by Robert Merton and Émile Durkheim. Many individuals in society are affected by societal pressures that make their lives difficult. For example, an individual could be well-educated, have a legitimate source of income, and live a reasonably good life in comparison to others. However, some of these individuals may still feel incomplete or constrained by the norms of society, which limit how they are permitted to live. Such individuals may end up committing harmful acts as a consequence of mental and emotional strain, largely fighting personal feelings against the expectations society imposes on them.
According to Brezina (2012), some individuals are unable to adapt to prevailing norms due to resistance to change, while others simply fail to internalize the values embraced by society. As a result, the standards set by society can lead individuals to develop mental health issues and deviant behaviors. This paper explains anomie and strain theories and develops a policy that will assist in crime control with reference to those theories.
Anomie can also be associated with the gap that exists between the means available to individuals and the objectives or goals that society sets for them. Many individuals from different social backgrounds aspire to lead successful lives despite the daily challenges they face. However, the pressure and strain they experience from society leads some to develop deviant behaviors, and those behaviors can draw individuals into criminal activity as a path to wealth and success.
Featherstone and Deflem (2003) point out that, according to Merton, low-status individuals are conditioned to believe in the American cultural ideal of working hard and achieving success, yet are provided with far fewer resources to achieve anything meaningful. Unlike those in the middle and upper classes, people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds rarely gain access to the education or training opportunities that would allow them to attain the kind of success that society defines as legitimate. Consequently, some pursue innovative but illegal alternatives — such as high-status call-girl work, drug trafficking, human trafficking, kidnapping for ransom, and weapons trafficking — to gain social status and wealth.
Other individuals retreat entirely from both the goals and the rules of mainstream society, establishing new objectives and new means of achieving them; terrorism is one example of this pattern. Merton also identifies individuals who abandon goals and societal norms altogether — drug addicts and alcoholics, for instance, who give up their aspirations and livelihoods to focus on obtaining their next dose through stealing, borrowing, or begging.
The anomic conditions described above contribute to an increase in criminal activity and a range of mental health issues observable among those who engage in deviant behavior. Several mental health policies exist that aim to assist in controlling crime within society. Many individuals involved in criminal activity are affected by mental health conditions, and their deviant behavior is often compounded by a public that does not understand or feel motivated to support them. Society does not sufficiently promote awareness of mental health issues because it is more focused on whether people conform to established norms.
Even though laws and policies exist to ensure fairness in criminal justice for offenders with mental health conditions, society still does not generate enough awareness around this concern and continues to set standards that push more people toward mental disorders. The policies designed to protect offenders with mental health issues have been developed, but many have yet to be implemented across all states. This reflects a prevailing belief that every crime must be punished, without examining the mental state of the individual who committed it. Mental health conditions frequently develop from social and cultural anomie, and it is younger generations who are most vulnerable to the inequalities these conditions produce.
"Policy recommendations rooted in anomie theory"
The policy proposed here, grounded in anomie theory, calls for society to change its perception and influence with respect to people's lives. The standards and norms that society currently imposes should be revised so that people are able to live according to their own abilities. Society should be mindful of the diverse mental health issues arising from the pressure and stress placed on individuals regarding how they live. Rather than enforcing a single standard of success, communities and institutions should acknowledge the wide variation in personal circumstances and remove the stigma that prevents those struggling with mental health from seeking help.
As the discussion above illustrates, crime as explained by anomie theory is committed largely under the influence of societal pressure. For crime to be effectively controlled, mental health awareness and the setting of achievable social standards must be prioritized. Most crimes, as explained by Durkheim, stem from societal standards and norms that place unrealistic demands on individuals. The proposed policy would therefore ensure that society establishes standards achievable by all people, regardless of their background, which could significantly reduce crime since so many individuals currently turn to anomic means of gaining wealth. Additionally, the system should engage younger generations by educating and training them on how to manage the pressures and stresses that society imposes. This will help young people develop a conformist adaptation — trusting the system and accepting that knowledge and hard work can bring them meaningful success — without resorting to crime.
Bolton, D., & Bhugra, D. (2020). Changes in society and young people's mental health. International Review of Psychiatry, 4(3), 11–18.
Brezina, T. (2012). Routledge Handbook of Deviant Behavior. Routledge.
Featherstone, R., & Deflem, M. (2003). Anomie and strain: Context and consequences of Merton's two theories. Sociological Inquiry, 73(4), 471–489.
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