NCJ Number
231303
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 54 Issue: 4 Dated: August 2010 Pages: 625-639
Date Published
August 2010
Length
15 pages
Annotation
On the basis of the reasoning of social support theory, the authors examine the macro effect of social support on anomie at the individual level.
Abstract
Data from international surveys have documented wide variation in anomie across nations, but to what extent this variation among nations can be contributed to structural characteristics has not been explored before. Using hierarchical linear modeling techniques to sort out the effects of structural context and personal characteristics on anomie across 31 European and North American nations, the authors test the hypothesis that variation in social support at the national level is inversely related to individuals' sense of anomie. The study results support the hypothesis that structural characteristics of a nation, such as social support and population growth, influence individuals' sense of anomie. At the individual level, the results are consistent with Merton's predictions about anomie and the reasoning of social support theory. Policy implication is discussed within the limitations of data. Tables, appendix, notes, and references (Published Abstract)