social structure and anomie

First and foremost, in order to properly interpret this article, it is imperative to understand what social structure means, as well as anomie. Social structure is the relatively stable pattern of social behavior, and anomie, is the societal condition in which norms break down and there is little moral guidance for individuals. After reading and grasping an understanding of the title of this article, I knew it was going to deal with the norms in society, and deviance, which causes norms to break down in society. After reading this article I must say that I did learn a great deal about social structure. The first part of the article dealt with patterns of cultural goals and institutional norms. There are several elements of social and cultural structures, but two are of immediate importance. The first one consists of culturally define...