Merton's Strain Theory

Question 1

What does Robert K. Merton claim to be the root cause of crime?

Answer 1

The unequal structure of society

Question 2

What is the overarching goal within a capitalist society?

Answer 2

Wealth

Question 3

Why do working-class people often turn to illegitimate means to achieve this wealth?

Answer 3

Because they are born into poverty and thus attend inadequate schools

Question 4

What does this create between the societal goal of wealth and legitimate means to obtain this goal for working-class people?

Answer 4

A strain

Question 5

What does Merton call those who can achieve society’s goals legitimately?

Answer 5

Conformists

Question 6

What are the four different deviant ways to adapt to the strain between the societal goal of wealth and legitimate means to obtain this goal for working-class people?

Answer 6

Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism and Rebellion

Question 7

What do innovators do to adapt to the strain?

Answer 7

They accept the goal but find illegal (illegitimate) ways of achieving these goals via utilitarian (financial gain) crime

Question 8

What do ritualists do to adapt to the strain?

Answer 8

They throw in the towel on ever achieving society’s set out goals and plod along in a dead-end job

Question 9

What to retreatists do to adapt to the strain?

Answer 9

Dropouts who reject both the goal and the means to it by spending their lives coked up scratching themselves on a pavement until they OD

Question 10

What do rebels do to adapt to the strain?

Answer 10

Rebels reject the existing societal goals and means by replacing them with new ones with the aim of changing society