6. So far we have considered the functions of crime in society i.e. to reinforce social
solidarity. The next question to ask therefore is:
To answer this question we need to remind ourselves about the Nature of
Society & the significance of Meritocracy.
When people experience inequality and barriers to their life-chances they begin to
experience ANOMIE (Normlessness). As a result of this Anomie they turn to crime/
deviance in order to gain the things that they have been prevented from achieving
Anomie, and the resulting deviant behaviour, breaks down Social Solidarity and
weakens Value Consensus. This is described as the ATROPHY (erosion) of societies
Norms & Values. ATROPHY is therefore dysfunctional if it occurs on a large scale.
Deviants are those that experience ANOMIE and as a result go against society’s Value
Consensus. Deviants therefore are somehow ‘different’ to ‘normal’ people.

7. Durkheim argues that Anomie (and therefore Atrophy) is more likely to occur to
occur during times of social upheaval.
Durkheim draws on the example of Industrialisation to show how rapid change
urbanisation and economic and social upheaval causes Anomie.