Deviant Adaptations to Strain

Question 1

Conformity

Answer 1

Individuals accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. This is most likely among middle-class individuals who have good opportunities to achieve, but Merton sees it as the typical response of most Americans.

Question 2

Innovation

Answer 2

Individuals accept the goal of money success but use ‘new’ illegitimate means such as theft or fraud to achieve it. Those in lower classes are most likely to innovate.

Question 3

Ritualism

Answer 3

Individuals give up on trying to achieve the goals but have internalised the legitimate means and so they follow the rules for their own sake. This is typical of lower-middle class office workers in dead-end routine jobs.

Question 4

Retreatism

Answer 4

Individuals reject both the goals and the legitimate means and become dropouts. E.g. drug addicts.

Question 5

Rebellion

Answer 5

Individuals reject the existing society’s goals and means, but they replace them with new ones in a desire to bring about revolutionary change and create a new kind of society. Rebels include political radicals and counter-cultures such as hippies.

Question 6

What is an advantage of Merton’s theory?

Answer 6

He shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goals. Both conformists and innovators are pursuing money success, one legitimately, the other illegitimately.

Question 7

What is a disadvantage of Merton’s theory?

Answer 7

He assumes that there is a value consensus. That everyone strives for ‘money success’, and ignores the possibility that many may not share this goal.