Mertons strain theory

Question 1

Mertons explanation of deviance

Answer 1

Deviance is the result of a strain between the goals a society encourages individuals to achieve, and what the structure of said society allows them to achieve legitimately

Question 2

American dream as an example of strain theory

Answer 2

The ideology of the American dream tells Americans they live in a meritocratic society where they get what they want as long as they work hard enough. However, in reality there are many groups who are denied opportunities to achieve legitimately through factors like poverty and discrimination in the job market. The resulting frustration of trying to achieve but being denied fair opportunity creates a pressure to resort to illegitimate means. The pressure is intensified by the American culture putting more emphasis on achieving success at all costs necessary rather than being legitimate.

Question 3

Deviant adaptations to strain - conformity

Answer 3

Individuals accept the culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. Most common in middle-class individuals who are actually able to achieve legitimately

Question 4

Deviant adaptations to strain - innovation

Answer 4

Individuals accept the goal of success but use illegitimate means like theft or fraud to achieve it. Most common in the working class

Question 5

Deviant adaptations to strain - Ritualism

Answer 5

Individuals give up on trying to achieve success but have internalised the legitimate means so they follow the rules for the sake of it.

Question 6

Deviant adaptations to strain - retreatism

Answer 6

Individuals reject both the goals and legitimate means and become dropouts i.e. drug addicts, tramps

Question 7

Deviant adaptations to strain - rebellion

Answer 7

Individuals reject the existing society goals and means but replace them with new ones in order to bring about change i.e. political radicals and countercultures

Question 8

Evaluations of merton

Answer 8

Criticisms state that his theory takes statistics at face value. These statistics over-represent working-class crime leading Merton to see working-class crime as the most prevalent

Deterministic - working-class experience the most strain but not all deviate.

Marxists argue that it ignores the power of the ruling class to make and enforce laws that criminalise the poor and not the rich

Assumes there is a value consensus of financial success but not everybody shares that goal

Only accounts for utilitarian crime and not crimes of violence or vandalism