Antagonism Of An Anomie

The darker part of life, which is not known to us, spread a scare in us. We are now going through such a trouble which was never within our ordinary perception. During the first phase of the spread of pandemic the whole world was trembling. Surviving with it for a long has made us alert. Now the continued existence of life every moment is burgeoning with an insecurity of an unusual one. Beyond facing hurdles while collecting means of life it is like to trade with life and death now. The need of existence is vehemently running to and fro to act with the crisis. The life and fear of death both does stay alive in parallel.

Pix by Amit K Sikder

‘Social distancing’ is still most accepted way to contain spread of Covid-19 until the medical industry is coming out with a genuine and safe vaccine. But to maintain it religiously is never possible in a populous country where public transportation facilities is at a disproportionate low. To reach to working place on time bounds all to break the protocol of ‘social distancing’. Here justice goes through a reality check and nobody can be claimed.     

To carry with it is next to impossible now amid threatening escalation of unemployment and poverty. A lion share of working force in unorganised sectors is in unbearable distress with low income for long. Many have changed their profession accordingly but scope is very limited with available options and as a consequence of what they are helplessly negotiating with a competitive wage rate which is low enough to deal with the inflationary pressure. The rise in general price level and gradual fall in income counts heavy on purse of general people.

Amid this disorder every country is trying hard to establish growth story with all efforts. Economic stimulus is a common practice by all to rejuvenate life of people to an extent. But when the process of asset creation is devastatingly hit the stimulus has a limitation. It could keep alive the society and economy for a time but not sustainably. Normalisation of every activity is of utmost necessity. All governments on their part are quite generous in extending economic benefits directly or indirectly to the people and the economy.

The long existence of pandemic already has given rise to a condition of an anomie in society. Anomie is a social condition comes in when norms and values which were common to society earlier start to disappear. French sociologist Emile Durkheim has found anomie in the society during its transition when previous set of rules are invalid but the new one yet to be established. Here the strain of economic insecurities and disorders placed upon people instigate to behave in ways that are not conducive to social stability as viewed by sociologist R K Merton. He viewed anomie as a social response as well as a nature of adaptation due to gap between socially approved means and goals. And the condition duly manifest in dysfunction of society. It is a hard time for society to reach stability after connecting dots.

The quarantined society already has witnessed an increasing domestic violence. And violence in varied forms is yet to come if economic and social insecurities continue to linger.