As Pampel explains in the background reading for this week, Durkheim believed th

As Pampel explains in the background reading for this week, Durkheim believed that social integration into groups and social control through shared norms were essential to individual happiness and social solidarity. He labeled the lack of integration “egoism” and the lack of regulation “anomie”, and argued that both of these conditions contributed to social problems such as conflict and suicide. The primary readings for this week (“Preface to The Division of Labor in Society” and “Suicide”) focus mainly on the problem of anomie. Looking at these readings, identify one quote (about 1-2 sentences) where you see Durkheim developing his arguments about the connections between anomie, unhappiness, and social problems. Include the quote in your post and explain how you interpret what Durkheim is saying. Then, discuss whether or not you think Durkheim’s idea of anomie is helpful for understanding social problems in the U.S. today, and why or why not.
Reading: Pampel, “The Sources of Social Order” (pp. 53-73)