In functionalism, Durkheim presented the concept of anomie, while Weber developed the notion of disenchantment, and Marx instituted the idea of alienation, all of which reflected the key ideas of the social problems of an individual. Anomie, according to Durkheim, is the condition when a human being destroys their social purpose as a result of weak connections. Anomie could lead to an individual becoming completely disenfranchised and excluded from social life and experiencing feelings of desperation, senselessness, and loneliness. As in functionalism, individual actions result from the social environment, anomie can be viewed as the primary reason for suicide, as existence without social support lacks purpose and belonging.
Weber’s disenchantment is a similar notion as it concerns members of society experiencing a loss of connection to their community and other people in it. Disenchantment occurs when people are not satisfied with the traditional values they are offered by society. It can also be perceived as the cultural rationalization in the attempt to devalue societal values influenced by religion. Disenchantment can be regarded as an image of the modernized and bureaucratic society. Similar to anomie, it can be viewed as a social disconnection and dissatisfaction with societal values.
Marx’s alienation is a similar notion as it discusses a disconnection of individuals from society. However, as Marx focused his work on communism, the struggle of classes, and the oppression of the working class, the idea of alienation revolves primarily around an individual’s working conditions. Thus, alienation appears when a person feels disconnected from themselves and their nature because of the challenging labor and stratified society. This concept is complex and can be caused by the product a worker is expected to create, the process of production, other workers, or employers. Furthermore, it can be argued that the oppressed, alienated, and ultimately unhappy employees could not be efficient at their work and, consequently, useful for society. Overall, alienation is the disaffection with the working process and the position of oneself in it and the wider community.
In summary, anomie, disenchantment, and alienation are similar concepts as they reflect an individual’s disconnect from society. Nevertheless, they have different causes as the sociologists who defined them ascribed to different perspectives. Thus, anomie stems from a profound dissatisfaction with the social facts that leads to normlessness and disorganization. Similarly, disenchantment is the loss of connection to society and its ideals. Thus, as religious principles influenced Weber’s capitalistic society, disenchantment was viewed as an attempt to distance oneself from religion and, consequently, from society. The devaluation of social values characterizes both anomie and disenchantment. However, if anomie is often correlated with crime and social instability, disenchantment does not necessarily lead to them. Finally, alienation is a similar concept, although it focuses on the separation of an individual from their human nature because of a dysfunctional and oppressive society. Thus, alienated workers lose their usefulness for their community and are ultimately marginalized by it. Overall, all three concepts describe a disconnect from society.