Merton’s strain theory

Question 1

What is the strain theory?

Answer 1

-offers reasons as to why people commit crime
-States that deviance occurs when individuals find that they cannot achieve the success goals of society in the normal way
-There is a ‘strain’ between the goals and people’s abilities to achieve them

Question 2

the American Dream

Answer 2

-everyone has the same values i.e. wanting the ‘American dream’ (big house, fast cars, nice holidays etc.)
-legitimate means of getting the skill all through talent, ambition and effort
-But due to inequality of opportunity, the path is often blocked for those from poor background
-Result is a society where rules aren’t important, and all the emphasis is on end goals
-People then result to crime and deviance in order to achieve this goal/goals

Question 3

What are the 5 deviant adaptations to strain?

Answer 3

-conformity
-Innovation
-Ritualism
-Retreatism
-Rebellion

Question 4

Conformity

Answer 4

-individuals accept the culturally approved goals, and strive to achieve them legitimately
-Most likely, among middle-class, who has good opportunities to achieve
-most Americans

Question 5

Innovation

Answer 5

-individuals, accept the goal of money, success, but use ‘new’ illegitimate means e.g. Theft and fraud to achieve it.
-those at the lower end of the class structure, have the most pressure to innovate

Question 6

Ritualism

Answer 6

-individuals give up on trying to achieve the goal, but have internalised the legitimate means so follow the rules for their own sake.
-This is still seen as deviance due to lowered goals and aspirations
-This is typical of lower middle-class, office workers, dead-end routine jobs

Question 7

Retreatism

Answer 7

-individuals reject both goals, and the legitimate means and become dropouts
-e.g. Psychotics outcasts, vagrant, tramps, chronic drunkards, drug addicts

Question 8

Rebellion

Answer 8

-individuals, reject societies, existing goals and means, but replacing with new ones in a desire to bring about revolutionary change and create a new kind of society
-Include political radicals and countercultures, such as hippies

Question 9

Criticisms

Answer 9

): takes official statistics at face value but these overrepresent lower class crime so Merton sees crime as mainly a working class phenomenon
): too deterministic- working class experienced the most strain, but do not all deviate
): Marxists- ignore power of the ruling-class to make and enforce laws in ways that criminalise the poor, but not the rich
): assumes value consensus, and a shared goal of money success, but many may not share this goal
): only accounts for utilitarian crime for monetary gain and ignores other crimes like violence and vandalism
): explains how deviance results from individuals adapting to the strain of anomie but ignores the role of group deviance, such as delinquent subcultures

Question 10

Support

Answer 10

shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goals
-Conformists and innovators are pursuing money-success, one legitimately, and one not
-Explains the pattern shown in official statistics (crime):
-Most crimes are crime because Americans society, values, material wealth, so highly
-Lower class, crime words are higher as they have less opportunities to obtain wealth legitimately