Merton

Question 1

What is the cause of crime?

Answer 1

A strain between the goals that society encourages and the means to achieve them legitimately
e.g. american dream

Question 2

What are the adaptations to strain?

Answer 2

Conformity- accepts goals and legitimate means

Innovation- accepts goals but rejects legitimate means

Ritualism- rejects goals but accepts legitimate means

Retreatism- reject goals and legitimate means and become ‘drug addicts, outcasts’ etc.

Rebellion- reject societal goals and legitmate means in favour of adopting your own ones e.g. political radicals

Question 3

Advantage of Merton’s theory

Answer 3

Shows how normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goals

Question 4

Criticisms

Answer 4

Marxists- ignores the crimes of the ruling classes who make and enforce laws that victimise the poor

Only accounts for utilitarian crime