Covid -19 , and the resulting crisis generated by its spread, have highlighted the contradictions and critical issues of modern post-industrial society . The global financial situation remains anchored to a stasis that hinders any positive outlook for the future.
But what is meant by the term “ future ” in light of the political and social conditions that have emerged from this emergency?
The uncertainty of the ruling class, both Italian and global, suggests an uncertainty that isn't limited to the short term. An article published in Forbes titled " What Will Our Life Be Like After the Coronavirus – Nothing Will Remain the Same ," from a global perspective, highlights the critical issues of a society on the verge of decay. By examining the current events unfolding in the United States, in relation to the social phenomena generated by this emergency, it is possible to observe how individualism, inherent in the neoliberal conception of social order, is aimed at the salvation of the individual as an individual, neutralizing the opposing conceptions of community and collectivity.
But what if the individualistic conception were to fail?
Is late capitalist society (as envisioned by Marcuse ) ready for radical change aimed at its roots? Durkheim offers useful insights for predicting the potential social prospects that could affect contemporary society.
The overall social picture is clear: the normative order that has characterized and regulated our daily lives until now, both politically and relationally, is close to extinction. In other words, the world as we know it is destined to change. The future shape society will take is unclear. And it is this uncertainty that evokes Durkheim's notion of anomie . Literally, the term "anomie" means "lawless." The total absence of rules generates states of confusion and indeterminacy in the social fabric. This factor can lead to phenomena of conscience mobilization , that is, actual emotional waves that overwhelm the community in melancholy, insecurity, or, more generally, in the broadest spectrum of collective sentiments.
It should be noted that the term " norms " refers not only to the legislative element, but also to the entire social framework that provides order and security to a community. The danger of anomie is perennially present in contemporary societies, and it is precisely the threat of its emergence that leads to the formulation of hypotheses regarding its overcoming. Durkheim, about a century ago, in an effort to develop methodologies aimed at eliminating this phenomenon, came to attribute the merit of social order to the element of solidarity , seen as a tool for defending and intensifying social relations. Solidarity is a concept found in many Durkheimian works, first and foremost his essays on the division of labor, whose content is central to understanding the importance of sharing and solidarity.
The social order
Durkheim's homo duplex is a useful notion for completing the discussion of social order. This concept refers to the human duality inherent in the individual structure of every social actor, who, to quote Weber , acts as an atom inserted into a much larger dimension composed of similar entities. The individual is therefore configured as an entity composed of a ramification oriented along two sides. The first side comprises the mere individuality and singularity of the subject; the second represents the reflection of the social system in which he lives, which influences and progressively changes him. The relationship between the social system and the individual is complex: the latter inherits characteristics, constraints, criteria of judgment, and tastes from the network of relationships in which he is immersed. Homo duplex therefore sacrifices a substantial part of himself, that is, he allows the social system to dominate a portion of his individuality, for one reason alone: the attempt to guarantee the social order in which he lives.
Therefore, should the social order collapse, we will find ourselves faced with a community devoid of its own constituent parts. A community composed of atoms whose common characteristic is the unanimous lack of an essential part of themselves: the part of the social order and, more generally, of the social system.
Therefore, in a relational landscape that offers an ever-increasing plurality of individuals lacking an essential part of themselves, the phenomenon of anomie could become the principal governing factor of the social order and, in keeping with its very nature, aim at its elimination.
Born in Naples in 98, I currently live in Florence. I study Political Science at the University of Florence. I aspire to observe contemporary dynamics, social conflict, and inequality, adopting the " sociological mindset as a tool for liberation ."
