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Aug 31, 2020 · While Durkheim's concept of anomie was rather vague, Merton explains the idea in quite a detailed way: as the product of a strain between socially-accepted goals and the socially-accepted means to achieve them. While Merton's theory was based on 20 th century America, it is transferable to any contemporary, western, developed capitalist society.
- Strain Theory: The Basics
- Crime: A Consequence of Anomie
- Five Adaptations to Strain
- Strain Theory, Social Class and Crime
- Criticisms of Strain Theory
- The Continuing Relevance of Strain Theory
Merton argued that the cultural system of the USA was built on the ‘American Dream’. This was a set of meritocratic principles which assured the American public that equality of opportunity was available to all, regardless of class, gender or ethnicity. The ‘American Dream’ encouraged individuals to pursue a goal of success which was largely measur...
Anomie was a socially fostered state of discontent and deregulation that generated crime and deviance. American society promised so much to everyone but denied many people equal access to achievement. People might have been motivated to succeed, but they confronted class, race and other social barriers which contradicted the myth of openness. For e...
Merton argued that when individuals are faced with a gap between their goals and their current status, strain occurs. When faced with strain, people have five ways to adapt: 1. Conformity:pursing cultural goals through socially approved means. 2. Innovation:using socially unapproved or unconventional means to obtain culturally approved goals. Examp...
Merton’s strain theory can be applied to explain why there is higher rate of crime among the working classes. Merton developed his theory from a well-established observation from official statistics – that a higher proportion of acquisitive crime is committed by those from unskilled manual backgrounds (or ‘lower social classes’). Merton noted that ...
Not all working class individuals turn to crime, and so we need something else to explain why some of them do and some of them do not. Subcultural theorists argued that the role of working class su...Merton’s reliance on official statistics means he over-estimates the extent of working class crimeand underestimates the extent of middle class, or white collar crime.Strain theory only really explains economic crime, it doesn’t really explain violent crime.Marxists argue Merton is not critical enough of capitalism. They point out that lack of equality of opportunity is at the heart of the Capitalist system. (Elites make the system work for them, whic...Merton’s strain theory is an important contribution to the study of crime and deviance – in the 1940s it helped to explain why crime continued to exist in countries, such as America, which were exp...Baumer and Gustafson (2007) analysed official data sets in the USA and found that instrumental crime rates were higher in areas where there was a ‘high commitment to money success’ alongside a ‘wea...It is possible to apply Merton’s theory of anomie to explain White Collar Crime – white collar criminals (those who commit fraud at work, for example) might be those who are committed to achieving...The (2009) applies Merton’s strain theory to explain rising crime rates during a period of economic growth in Malaysia, suggesting we can apply this theory to developing countries and that a ‘gener...Jan 10, 2024 · Robert K. Merton’s strain theory is a fundamental concept in sociology, particularly within the field of criminology and the study of deviance. Developed in the mid-20th century, strain theory explains how societal structures can pressure individuals to commit deviant acts, especially when there is a disconnect between societal goals and the means available to achieve them.
Jan 8, 2024 · Robert Merton was a prominent sociologist who made significant contributions to the field of sociology, particularly in the area of functionalism.Born on July 4, 1910, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Merton’s work has had a lasting impact on our understanding of social structures and the functioning of society.
Robert King Merton (born Meyer Robert Schkolnick; July 4, 1910 – February 23, 2003) was an American sociologist who is considered a founding father of modern sociology, and a major contributor to the subfield of criminology. He served as the 47th president of the American Sociological Association. [ 1 ] He spent most of his career teaching at ...
Robert K. Merton was an American sociologist whose diverse interests included the sociology of science and the professions, sociological theory, and mass communication. After receiving a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1936, Merton joined the school’s faculty. In his first work in the sociology of.
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Oct 11, 2023 · Merton’s Theory of Deviance. Building off of Durkheim’s work on anomie, Merton (1957) was the first person to write about what sociologists call strain theory. To Merton, anomie was a condition that existed in the discrepancy between societal goals and the means that individuals have to achieve them.
