The society today has failed to provide clear rules guide its people leading to unprecedented rates of crime and other social disorders.
Today people’s standards and values have proved to be inexistence or broken into pieces. Without the clear-cut social or moral norms to govern them, people have become confused leading to deviant behavior.
In the traditional set up religion and the family instilled in the people’s minds the importance of collectiveness. Individual interests came second to collective interest and social bonds were tight. People could consequently adhere to the expected standards. Today’s world is different and individual pursuits drive the people. Collectiveness is long gone. Specialization has broken close family ties especially with the extended family. People relate better to those they share common interest as opposed to those of their families or social backgrounds. (Straus R, 2001). These reduces the accountability that could have been there if collectiveness was adapted.
The computer technology and the Internet have had a great impact on people today. It exposes people to all kinds of information including pornography, which can be accessed across the globe. Sexuality morals have consequently been jeopardized as even the under aged children without the strict parental care can access it. Parental attachment with children has declined as most spend their time working. Children on the other hand seek values from the available sources for instance the Internet and the media.
Increased individualism hinders the application of social morals in ones goals. People today pursue their happiness without considering the implications they have to other people or to the society as a whole most people are more concerned with attaining the ‘American dream’, which entails accumulation of wealth through whichever means available. For the unfortunate in society, in trying to attain this dream may use illegal means. Drug trafficking and prostitution are some of the means people can use.
Americans are socialized to evaluate themselves in terms of their wealth or material success.Without these acquisition, people’s self esteem is affected. People may use different strategies to ensure that the American dream is realized. Innovators are mostly the poor. According to Rodger, it is confusing for them that that the society advocates for material success but the means to such success are hindered. They have inadequate education and hence get poor paying jobs to realize the success. Rich people also use the innovation approach due to their high ambitions for instance company or corporate executives who embezzle funds.
Strategies used are innovation retreatism, rebellion and ritualists. Ritualists are comfortable with their positions but shy away from advancement. Retreats reject both the set goal and the means to acquire them. Rebels on the other hand reject both the means and the goals but suggest other strategies, which according to them could be more appropriate. Retreats include drug addicts and alcoholics in the society.
Brym and Lie agree that a society that tries to detach from collectivity spells its own doom. According to 2000 National center for injury report, people with fewer attachments are more likely to commit suicide for instance the divorced and elderly have higher rates of suicide. Drive or desire for economic prosperity outweighs the moral issues in the society. Gregg also observes that people who are more satisfied or comfortable with their families commit lesser crime and delinquency as compared to those who are not.
References:
Messner F & Rosenfeld R. 1994. Crime and the American dream. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. Pp. 91-94
Roger Straus. 2001.Using Sociology: An Introduction from the Applied and Clinical Perspectives. Rowman & Littlefield publishers.
Robert Brym & John Lie. 2006. Sociology: Your Compass for a New World. Thomson Wadsworth
Gregg Lee 2007. Sociology by the Numbers. Anomie Theory, Control Theory, and Understanding Crime. Retrieved on 20th February 2008 from
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