Robert Merton

Who was Robert Merton?

An American sociologist who expanded Durkheim’s theory of anomie

What influenced Merton’s theory?

The Great Depression and the unequal opportunities he observed in American society

What did Merton study?

How social structure and unequal opportunity produce crime and deviance

What is strain theory?

The theory that deviance occurs when people cannot legally achieve society’s goals

What are cultural goals?

Socially encouraged achievements such as wealth success and status

What are institutionalized means?

Socially approved methods of reaching goals such as education and employment

What causes strain?

A gap between society’s goals and a person’s access to legitimate means

Why are opportunities unequal?

Social class affects access to education employment money and other legitimate resources

What is the American Dream in Merton’s theory?

The belief that anyone can achieve success through hard work

Why can the American Dream create anomie?

Society promotes success for everyone even though not everyone has equal opportunities

What is conformity?

Accepting society’s goals and using legitimate means to achieve them

What is an example of conformity?

Attending university to qualify for a high-paying career

What is innovation?

Accepting society’s goals but using illegal or unapproved means

What is an example of innovation?

A drug dealer pursuing wealth through crime instead of legal employment

What is ritualism?

Rejecting major success goals while continuing to follow approved rules and routines

What is an example of ritualism?

A bureaucrat who stops seeking promotions but continues performing the job correctly

What is retreatism?

Rejecting both society’s goals and its approved means

Who are examples of retreatists?

Dropouts alcoholics and drug addicts who withdraw from conventional society

What is rebellion?

Rejecting existing goals and means and attempting to replace them with new ones

What is an example of rebellion?

A radical political movement seeking to replace society’s economic and political system

Are Merton’s adaptations personality types?

No they are behavioral responses to social strain

What are the five modes of adaptation?

Conformity innovation ritualism retreatism and rebellion

What is the anomie process?

Shared goals combine with unequal opportunities and create strain that may lead to deviance

Why are lower-class people more vulnerable to strain?

They are encouraged to seek success but have less access to legitimate opportunities

What are the main criticisms of Merton’s theory?

It focuses heavily on lower-class property crime assumes shared goals and poorly explains crimes such as homicide