Sociology: Merton's Strain Theory

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Questions and Answers

What is the central argument of Merton's strain theory?

Social interactions and relationships are the main cause of deviant behavior.

Cultural values alone determine an individual's likelihood to engage in crime.

People engage in deviant behavior when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means. (correct)

Deviance is primarily a result of biological factors.

Which of the following factors does Merton NOT combine to explain deviance?

Institutional structure

Cultural factors

Biological factors (correct)

Structural factors

How does Merton describe the pressure to adopt illegitimate means to achieve success?

The desire for innovation

The strain to anomie (correct)

The cultural strain

Structural inequality

According to the ideology of the 'American Dream', why do people feel pressure to engage in deviant behavior?

Disadvantaged groups face limited opportunities to achieve success. Signup and view all the answers

Which adaptation involves individuals giving up on trying to achieve goals but still adhering to legitimate means?

Ritualism Signup and view all the answers

Which group is most likely to exhibit 'Conformity' according to Merton's strain theory?

Middle class Signup and view all the answers

What prevents a stable professional criminal network from developing in conflict subcultures?

High levels of social disorganisation Signup and view all the answers

Why do individuals join retreatist subcultures according to Cloward and Ohlin?

They fail in both legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures Signup and view all the answers

What criticism is made regarding Cloward and Ohlin's theory?

It over-predicts the extent of working-class crime Signup and view all the answers

What type of subculture explains deviance as forming in reaction to failure to achieve mainstream goals?

Reactive theories of subculture Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT one of Miller’s six focal concerns?

Orderliness Signup and view all the answers

According to Matza, how do most delinquents relate to their subculture?

They drift in and out of delinquency Signup and view all the answers

What does Merton's strain theory suggest people may do if they are unable to achieve socially accepted goals through legitimate means?

Commit crimes or engage in deviant behavior Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following accurately describes the concept of 'retreatism' in Merton's strain theory?

Rejecting both societal goals and legitimate means Signup and view all the answers

How does the Marxist criticism of Merton's theory describe the ruling class' influence on crime?

They make and enforce laws that criminalize the poor but not the rich Signup and view all the answers

What does A.K. Cohen argue Merton's theory fails to explain?

The role of delinquent subcultures among the young Signup and view all the answers

According to Merton, which type of crime is most prevalent due to American society's high value on material wealth?

Property crime Signup and view all the answers

What is one major limitation of Merton's theory, according to its critics?

It overlooks crimes of violence and vandalism Signup and view all the answers

Which theorist developed the concept of social bonds into 'Control Theory'?

Hirschi Signup and view all the answers

Which type of social bond refers to the time one has for crime according to Hirschi?

Involvement Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a criticism of functionalism regarding crime and deviance?

It fails to account for how crime affects different groups or individuals. Signup and view all the answers

According to the longitudinal study by Farrington and West, what percentage of the sample accounted for 50% of the crime?

6% Signup and view all the answers

Merton's Strain Theory combines two key elements. Which of the following is one of them?

Cultural factors Signup and view all the answers

What is Hirschi's view on the family in relation to social bonds?

The family is crucial in developing the strength or weakness of social bonds. Signup and view all the answers

What is one criticism of Miller's theory?

It is too deterministic. Signup and view all the answers

According to Matza, what is the concept of 'drift' in relation to youth and crime?

Youth lack control and drift in and out of crime. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is not one of the subterranean values identified by Matza?

Rejection of peer influence Signup and view all the answers

What was the main conclusion from Downes' study in East London?

Leisure values are prominent among youth. Signup and view all the answers

How does Matza suggest individuals justify their deviant actions?

By utilizing subterranean values. Signup and view all the answers

Which study did not find evidence for the existence of subcultures?

Wilmott's study in working class London Signup and view all the answers

Cohen argues that working class boys face anomie due to what?

A middle class dominated school system Signup and view all the answers

What is a key function of the delinquent subculture according to Cohen?

Offering an alternative status hierarchy Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a weakness of Cohen's theory?

It assumes working class boys share middle-class success goals Signup and view all the answers

What type of subculture involves youths retreating into drug use according to Cloward and Ohlin?

Retreatist subcultures Signup and view all the answers

Criminal subcultures typically arise in neighborhoods characterized by what?

Longstanding local criminal culture Signup and view all the answers

According to Cloward and Ohlin, which factor influences the development of different deviant subcultures?

Access to both legitimate and illegitimate opportunity structures Signup and view all the answers

What two key mechanisms do Functionalists believe allow social solidarity to occur in society?

Socialisation and social control Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, why is crime considered inevitable and universal?

Ineffective socialisation and the development of subcultures Signup and view all the answers

What term does Durkheim use to describe a state of normlessness in modern societies?

Anomie Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of punishment according to Durkheim's concept of boundary maintenance?

To reaffirm society's shared rules and reinforce social solidarity Signup and view all the answers

How does crime contribute to social change according to Durkheim?

Through challenging and changing existing norms and values Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is identified by Cohen as a function of deviance?

A warning that an institution is not functioning properly Signup and view all the answers

What argument does Erikson build on from Durkheim's theory?

Society is organized to promote deviance Signup and view all the answers

What does Durkheim see as the result of a collective conscience being weakened in modern societies?

Higher levels of crime and deviance Signup and view all the answers

According to Durkheim, what is the relationship between the level of crime and the health of a society?

A very low or high level of crime is undesirable Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Strain Theory

Merton's Strain Theory argues that people engage in deviant behavior when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means
- Combines two elements: structural factors (society's unequal opportunity structure) and cultural factors (strong emphasis on success goals and weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve them)
Deviance is the result of a strain between two things:
- Goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve
- What the institutional structure of society allows them to achieve legitimately

Merton's Adaptations to Strain

Five types of adaptations to strain:
- Conformity: Accept culturally approved goals and strive to achieve them legitimately (most likely amongst the middle class)
- Innovation: Accept goals of money success but use illegitimate means to achieve it
- Ritualism: Give up on trying to achieve goals, but internalize legitimate means
- Retreatism: Reject both goals and legitimate means, become dropouts
- Rebellion: Reject existing society's goals and legitimate means, replace with new ones to bring about revolutionary change

Criticisms of Strain Theory

Durkheim doesn't explain how much deviance is needed for society to function successfully
Functionalists explain the existence of crime in terms of its supposed function, but this doesn't mean society actually creates crime in advance with the intention of strengthening solidarity
Functionalism looks at what functions crime serves for society as a whole and ignores how it might affect different groups or individuals within society

Hirschi's Control Theory

Developed Durkheim's idea of shared values into the idea of social bonds
Four types of social bonds:
- Attachment: We care about others
- Commitment: What would we lose?
- Involvement: Has time for crime?
- Belief: Believe in obeying rules?
If shared bonds are not strong, it will lead to crime and deviance

Criticisms of Control Theory

Too deterministic, ignoring the possibility that individuals may choose to deviate

Subcultures

Cloward and Ohlin: Three subcultures arise in response to strain:
- Criminal subcultures: Provide youths with an apprenticeship for a career in utilitarian crime
- Conflict subcultures: Arise in areas of high population density, with limited opportunities and little social organization
- Retreatist subcultures: Arise among those who have failed to succeed in both criminal and conflict subcultures, they retreat into drug use and other forms of escapism

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Description

Explore Merton's adaptation of Durkheim's concept of anomie to explain deviant behavior, combining structural and cultural factors. Learn how society's unequal opportunity structure and strong emphasis on success goals contribute to deviance.