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Topic 1- Merton's strain Theory - Coggle Diagram
Topic 1- Merton's strain Theory
Strain Theories
Argue that people engage in deviant behaviours when they are unable to achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means
American Dream
Americans are expected to pursue this goal by legitimate means such as education qualifications and hard work. Tells society that their society is meritocratic meaning anyone could achieve it if they work hard
However disadvantaged groups are denied opportunities to achieve legitimately eg through poverty which creates blocked opportunities for many ethnic minorities
Resulting strain between culture of goal of money and lack of legitimate opportunities produces frustration meaning they turn to illegitimate means such as crime
Main Theory
Merton adapted Durkheim's concept of anomie to explain deviance Merton's explanation has 2 elements.
Structural factors- Societies unequal opportunity structure
Cultural Factor- strong emphasis on success goals and the weaker emphasis on using legitimate means to achieve it
Deviance is the result of strain between 2 things, the goals that a culture encourages individuals to achieve and what the institutional structure allows them to achieve
Deviance adaptation to strain
Merton uses strain theory to explain some of the deviance found in society and an individuals position in society affects the way they adapt to the strain to anomie
There are 5 different types of adaptation
Conformity- Individuals accept the goals and strive to achieve them legitimately. These are usually middle class who have good opportunities to succeed
Innovation- Individuals accept the goal of money success but use illegitimate means to achieve it. These are usually working class
Ritualism- Individuals give up on trying to achieve goals but have internalised legitimate means so they follow rules. These are lower- middle class workers in dead end jobs
Retreatism- individuals reject both the goals and the legitimate means and become dropouts. These include tramps and drug addicts.
Rebellions- Individuals reject the existing goals of society but replace them with new ones in a desire to bring about change and create a new society. These include counter culture such as hippies
Evaluations
Strengths
Merton's shows how both normal and deviant behaviour can arise from the same mainstream goal.
He explains the patterns shown in official crime statistic. Most crimes are property crimes because american dream values money success so highly
Weaknesses
It takes official crime statistics at face value. These overrepresent working class crimes so Merton sees crime as mainly working class
Too deterministic: the working class experience the most strain yet they don't all deviate
Marxists argue that it ignores the power of the ruling class to make and enforce the laws in ways that criminalise the poor but not the rich
Only accounts for utilitarian crime for monetary gain and not crimes of violence and vandalism