Anomie in the Oil Patch: A Preliminary Analysis

This article explores the relationship between rising rates of violent crime and suicide in the oil producing region of western North Dakota during a time of rapid expansion for the oil extraction industry. The objectives of this article are: (1) to introduce the preliminary findings of a larger study that examines the rising rates of crime and other social problems within the socioeconomic context that currently exists in the oil extracting regions of western North Dakota; and (2) on a theoretical level, Durkheim’s theory of anomie is discussed and proposed as an explanation for the rising rates of crime and suicide that have accompanied the growing oil industry.