merton strengths and limitations

Merton’s strain theory - strengths

.

What does Merton show

Merton shows how both normal and deviant behaviour arise from the same goals - conformists and innovators both pursue ‘money success’ but by different means

What does Merton explain on patterns

He explains the patterns shown in official statistics: most crime is property crime, because society values wealth- working class are more likely to crime due to less opportunity to wealth

Merton limitations

.

What does Merton ignore

Merton ignores crimes of the wealthy and over-predicts the amount of working class crime

How does Merton see deviance

He sees deviance solely as an individual response, ignoring the group deviance of delinquent subcultures