Weaknesses A03

Question 1

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Answer 1

W1. It mistakenly takes crime statistics at face value – labelling theorists would argue that they are socially constructed & Marxists would argue that working class crime is focused on by the criminal justice system creating an imbalance in statistics. Neo-Marxists Taylor, Walton & Young argue that Merton underestimates the amount of m/c & upper-class crime while overestimating w/c crime.

W2. Many argue that Merton’s theory is too deterministic – the working class experience the most strain, yet they don’t all deviate (most don’t!) which he fails to explain.

W3. Marxists would argue that it mistakenly ignores the power of the ruling class to make & enforce the laws in ways that criminalise the poor but not the rich.

Question 2

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Answer 2

W4. It wrongly assumes there is a value consensus – that everyone strives for ‘money success’ - & ignores the possibility that some may not share this goal. Valier (2001) argues that there are a variety of goals that people strive to attain at any one time – e.g. some prioritise altruism or a happy family life or leisure over financial success & power.

W5. It only accounts for utilitarian crime for monetary gain, & not non-utilitarian crimes of violence, vandalism, etc. (Subcultural strain theorists such as Albert Cohen go on to do this.) It is also hard to see how it could account for state crimes such as genocide or torture.