MERTON

Question 1

What does strain theory argue?

Answer 1

people engage in deviant behaviour when unable to legitimately achieve socially approved goals

Question 2

What are the 5 responses to strain?

Answer 2

Conformity
Innovation
Ritualism
Retreatism
Rebellion

Question 3

What is the conformity response?

Answer 3

Individuals try to achieve goals legitimately
typical response

Question 4

What is the innovation response?

Answer 4

Individuals try to achieve goals illegitimately eg using theft + fraud

Question 5

What is the ritualism response?

Answer 5

Individuals give up on trying to achieve the American Dream but follow the rules

Question 6

What is the retreatism response?

Answer 6

Individuals reject both goals + legitimate means, become drop outs

Question 7

What is the rebellion response?

Answer 7

Individuals reject the existing society’s goals but replace them with new ones in a desire to create a new society

Question 8

What is a strength of Merton?

Answer 8

he explains patterns shown in Official Stats
eg most crime is property crime because American society values material wealth so highly

Question 9

Why can Merton be criticised?

Answer 9

assumes there is value consensus, ignores that some may not share this goal
too deterministic: people who don’t achieve the American dream don’t commit crime
only accounts for utilitarian crime + not crimes of violence
trusts official statistics which overrepresent WC crime