Merton's Strain Theory Flashcards

Study Notes

Merton's Strain Theory

Robert K. Merton's Strain Theory posits that individuals may engage in deviance when they can't achieve socially approved goals through legitimate means.
Merton adapted Durkheim's concept of anomie, incorporating structural and cultural factors.
Structural factors include society's unequal opportunity structure, while cultural factors emphasize success goals over legitimate means.
Deviance arises from the strain between cultural goals and what society's structure allows individuals to achieve legitimately.
In American culture, the emphasis on "money success" influences behavior and aspirations.

The American Dream

The American Dream promotes pursuing success through legitimate means like hard work and education, portraying society as meritocratic.
Disparities exist; disadvantaged groups face barriers like poverty and discrimination, leading to frustration.
This frustration creates strain, pushing individuals to resort to illegitimate means, identified by Merton as "the strain to anomie."
American culture prioritizes winning at any cost, escalating pressure to achieve success by any means available.

Five Deviant Adaptations to Strain

Conformity: Acceptance of culturally approved goals and legitimate means, often seen among the middle-class with good opportunities.
Innovation: Acceptance of monetary success but using illegitimate methods like theft; prevalent among individuals under greater pressure, often from lower-class backgrounds.
Ritualism: Abandoning the goals while adhering strictly to the legitimate means; common in lower-middle-class jobs with limited upward mobility.
Retreatism: Rejection of both goals and means, leading to withdrawal from society, e.g., drug addiction.
Rebellion: Rejection of societal goals and means, replaced with new values aimed at social change, often seen in political radicals and countercultures.

Advantages of Merton's Strain Theory

Illustrates that both conformists and deviants may pursue the same mainstream goals through different paths.
Provides insight into crime statistics, explaining the prevalence of property crime linked to the societal value placed on material wealth.
Highlights higher crime rates in lower-class populations due to fewer legitimate opportunities for wealth acquisition.

Criticisms of Merton's Strain Theory

Reliance on official crime statistics can misrepresent crime, particularly overlooking high-status crimes by the wealthy.
The theory is too deterministic; not all individuals experiencing strain resort to deviance.
Marxist critiques highlight the power dynamics of law-making that criminalize the poor while protecting the affluent.
Assumes a universal value consensus on money success, which may not reflect individual goals.
Limited focus on utilitarian crime, neglecting violent crimes, vandalism, and state crimes such as genocide.
Overemphasis on individual adaptation to strain while overlooking group dynamics in deviance.

Subcultural Strain Theories

Deviance stems from subcultures that possess different values than mainstream society.
These delinquent subcultures offer alternative opportunity structures for individuals facing societal marginalization.

Description

Explore Robert K. Merton's Strain Theory and its implications on deviance through these flashcards. Understand how societal goals and the means to achieve them influence behavior, particularly when legitimate avenues are blocked. Dive into the nuances of subcultural strain theories as well.