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Modernization, formal social control, and anomie: A 45-society multilevel analysis

Swader, Christopher LU (2017) In International Journal of Comparative Sociology p.494-514
Abstract
This article investigates how economic modernization affects normative regulation by spurring formal social control in the political, economic, and private spheres as well as anomie. Multilevel negative binomial regression modeling, using World Values Survey and country-level data from 2005, predicts individual-level anomie using country-level formal-social-control indicators as well as individual-level controls. Such control variables include education, survey interest, gender, age, income, collectivism, nihilism, fatalism, and the diversity of information consumption. This work argues for and implements a ‘don’t know anomie’ (DKA) index, the sum of ‘don’t know’ responses in relation to 15 attitudinal questions, as a more direct measure... (More)
This article investigates how economic modernization affects normative regulation by spurring formal social control in the political, economic, and private spheres as well as anomie. Multilevel negative binomial regression modeling, using World Values Survey and country-level data from 2005, predicts individual-level anomie using country-level formal-social-control indicators as well as individual-level controls. Such control variables include education, survey interest, gender, age, income, collectivism, nihilism, fatalism, and the diversity of information consumption. This work argues for and implements a ‘don’t know anomie’ (DKA) index, the sum of ‘don’t know’ responses in relation to 15 attitudinal questions, as a more direct measure of individual-level anomie. Findings indicate that, when controlling for all factors, a country’s level of formal social control in the political sphere, measured as low levels of perceived government corruption, reduces anomie. In addition, country-level formal social control in the private sphere, operationalized as a society where individuals are not primarily striving to meet their parents’ expectations, enhances anomie. (Less)
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author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
social control, Modernization, Non-response, anomie, formality, informality
in
International Journal of Comparative Sociology
pages
494 - 514
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:85037601901
  • wos:000417695900002
ISSN
0020-7152
DOI
10.1177/0020715217736556
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ff883d38-2d91-498c-92be-7238d9d2afa1
date added to LUP
2017-11-05 16:27:08
date last changed
2022-04-25 03:41:31
@article{ff883d38-2d91-498c-92be-7238d9d2afa1,
  abstract     = {{This article investigates how economic modernization affects normative regulation by spurring formal social control in the political, economic, and private spheres as well as anomie. Multilevel negative binomial regression modeling, using World Values Survey and country-level data from 2005, predicts individual-level anomie using country-level formal-social-control indicators as well as individual-level controls. Such control variables include education, survey interest, gender, age, income, collectivism, nihilism, fatalism, and the diversity of information consumption. This work argues for and implements a ‘don’t know anomie’ (DKA) index, the sum of ‘don’t know’ responses in relation to 15 attitudinal questions, as a more direct measure of individual-level anomie. Findings indicate that, when controlling for all factors, a country’s level of formal social control in the political sphere, measured as low levels of perceived government corruption, reduces anomie. In addition, country-level formal social control in the private sphere, operationalized as a society where individuals are not primarily striving to meet their parents’ expectations, enhances anomie.}},
  author       = {{Swader, Christopher}},
  issn         = {{0020-7152}},
  keywords     = {{social control; Modernization; Non-response; anomie; formality; informality}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{11}},
  pages        = {{494--514}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Comparative Sociology}},
  title        = {{Modernization, formal social control, and anomie: A 45-society multilevel analysis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0020715217736556}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/0020715217736556}},
  year         = {{2017}},
}