State of anomie

Prem Prasad Acharya, a businessman hailing from Illam District, took his own life last week by committing suicide in front of the Nepali Parliament.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's recent decision has rendered Rabi Lamichhane, chairperson of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), stateless.

I watched a television interview of Swarnim Wagle. He emphasised one word when talking about the Prem Acharya case, that is, "anomie", which I feel fits very well in the current context of our nation. Anomie is a concept developed by French sociologist Emile Durkheim in his 1897 book "Suicide".
It is a condition in which society lacks or provides little or no moral guidance to individuals, resulting in fragmentation, a sense of isolation and alienation, a state of hopelessness.

 

Durkheim argued that anomie is caused by the breakdown of social norms and values in modern societies and can result in behaviours such as crime, suicide and a lack of social integration.

These incidents suggest that Nepal may become a state of anomie when the collective sense of purpose and belonging fades away, and the social norms governing behaviour and group cohesion erode.
This can occur when our government fails to provide its citizens with security, stability, equity, hope and social justice.

As a result, people may become discouraged and disenchanted with their government's policies, leading to a breakdown in trust and an erosion of social norms. In such a situation, individuals may become increasingly disinterested in the collective needs of their nation and instead focus solely on their self-interests. This may make individuals feel alienated and disconnected from their government, leading to a feeling of anomie.

We may ease and mitigate and not become a state of anomie by implementing policies that ensure a sense of belonging to its citizens. This can involve creating a sense of safety and security for its citizens, providing economic and educational opportunities, and fostering a sense of community by investing in civic engagement initiatives, such as providing public spaces for citizens to come together and share their ideas and volunteer opportunities.

Additionally, a nation must ensure that its citizens have equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of race, gender, or other societal constructs.

This lack of a collective ambition for our country could be combatted by strengthening social ties and a sense of shared values and norms. Traditional societies often rely on a sense of community and collective purpose to prevent anomie. Still, it cannot be accessible when there is no established system to do so.

 

Published: The Himalayan Times
Nepal's leading daily newspaper