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Post-socialist anomie through the lens of economic modernization and the formalization of social control

Author

Listed:
  • Christopher Swader

    (Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology, NRU-HSE. Senior Researcher, Laboratory for Comparative Social Reseach, NRU-HSE)

  • Leon Kosals

    (Professor, Department of Sociology, NRU-HSE. Chief Researcher, Laboratory for Comparative Social Reseach, NRU-HSE)

Abstract

This paper inquires into how economic modernization impacts normative regulation by spurring, on the one hand (a) formal media of normative regulation (also known as formal social control) in the spheres of politics, economics and interpersonal relations and, on the other hand, (b) informality via the lower density of norms (also known as anomie). This work then asks how these two processes relate to one another. Evidence indicates that modernization is clearly linked to formal media of normative regulation in the spheres of politics (measured as greater government effectiveness), economics (i.e. lower proportion of shadow economy), and interpersonal relations (i.e. less reliance upon family and friendships). Moreso, our multi-level regression models, using World Values Survey data, report that political formality (government effectiveness) at the country level is linked to less anomie at the individual level. Overall, we suggest that economic growth initially brings normlessness through undermining informal social control. However, with greater economic stock, there is a tendency for greater political formalization, formal social control, which brings levels of anomie down. Furthermore, even after all controls, there is a strong anomie syndrome in post-communist societies

Suggested Citation

  • Christopher Swader & Leon Kosals, 2013. "Post-socialist anomie through the lens of economic modernization and the formalization of social control," HSE Working papers WP BRP 17/SOC/2013, National Research University Higher School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hig:wpaper:17/soc/2013
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nikolai Genov, 1998. "Transformation and Anomie: Problems of Quality of Life in Bulgaria," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 43(1), pages 197-209, February.
    2. Eva E. Tsahuridu, 2006. "Anomie and Ethics at Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 69(2), pages 163-174, December.
    3. Amit Saini & Mike Krush & Jean Johnson, 2008. "Anomie and the Marketing Function: The Role of Control Mechanisms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 863-863, December.
    4. Friedrich Schneider & Andreas Buehn & Claudio E. Montenegro, 2011. "Shadow Economies All Over the World: New Estimates for 162 Countries from 1999 to 2007," Chapters, in: Friedrich Schneider (ed.), Handbook on the Shadow Economy, chapter 1, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Amit Saini & Mike Krush, 2008. "Anomie and the Marketing Function: The Role of Control Mechanisms," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 83(4), pages 845-862, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    economic modernization; formality; informality; social control; anomie; post-socialism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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