Robert Merton Strain Theory

Words: 277

Pages: 2

In our previous class we were able to talk about Robert Merton’s strain theory which states that individuals will commit crimes because they are not able to achieve their goals. It reminded me of my undergraduate criminology class were we learned about Merton’s Modes of Adaptation. He first states that an individuals can either conform to the society that they live in. The next mode, innovation, states that an individual will innovate and use illegitimate methods or crime to reach their goals. Then there is ritualism, which means that instead of aiming towards high goals they aim towards low goals so that they can reach them. The next one is retreatism, in which a person cannot meat societal goals and have probably failed many times. This

Show More

Strain: Sociology and Social Structure Essay

Strain Theory There are four different varieties of strain theory. The first is anomie theory originally proposed by proposed by Dr. Robert Merton. The second theory is institutional anomie theory proposed by Steven F. Messner and Richard Rossenfeld. The third theory is general strain theory proposed by Robert Agnew. Finally relative deprivation theory originally proposed by James Davis, next to tackle this subject was Walter Garrison Runciman, followed by Ted Robert Gurr, and finally by Faye…

Words 2602 - Pages 11

Robert Merton's Strain Theory

Robert Merton’s model of strain and anomie has been at the forefront of much criminological research of explaining the roots of social deviancy. However it has expanded by many theorists and despite that many agreed with Merton’s views, they all noted that his work was somewhat lacking in explanation and limited in terms of empirical corroboration. The two Predecessors Durkheim and Merton’s work on strain should not be completely discredited, as in the particular time frame in which they were writing;…

Words 2023 - Pages 9

Robert Merton's Strain Theory Essay

Robert Merton played a very important role during the 1900’s. Merton lived from July 4,1910 to February 23, 2003, and stated that society is set up to encourage much deviance in young adults. Merton believed that societal norms placed too much pressure on the average american, which made them place themselves in a category that did deviant actions to achieve the goals of an upper class american. Merton later named this concept the strain theory. Merton was mainly concerned that societies like…

Words 526 - Pages 3

Anomie Strain Theory

in how Durkheim and Merton applied the theory. Cloward and Ohlin’s Differential Opportunity Theory is applied to understanding gangs and gang behavior, as read in the text. According to the application of this theory to gang research, what must be considered in understanding criminal learning environments of gangs? According to Robert Agnew’s General Strain Theory, strain leads to anger and frustration which leads to deviant behavior, but not all individuals respond to strain with crime and deviance…

Words 1381 - Pages 6

Merton's Strain Theory

According to Merton, when socially accepted goals, or societal norms place a stress on an individual to comply, society forces its members of society to either work within structure society has produced, or become a deviant member in an effort to attain these goals. Citation: Martinez, Daniel, and Slack, Jeremy. 2013. "What Part of "Illegal" Don't You Understand? The Social Consequences of Criminalizing Unauthorized Mexican Migrants in the United States." Social and Legal Studies 22: 535-51. Theory: This…

Words 235 - Pages 1

Essay on Sociology on Crime

Using material from Item A and elsewhere, assess the usefulness of subcultural theories in explaining ‘subcultural crime and deviance’ in society today (21 marks) Subcultural theories hold a belief that everyone in society has groups that hold different norms and values to the minority of people who commit crimes, for example; Sociologists in Chicago University conducted a participant observation with a huge number of migrants from Europe and South USA, they founds that deviant groups in society…

Words 1021 - Pages 5

The School Of Thought Surrounding Posit Essay

occurs, in attempts to prevent criminal behaviour. Subcultural theories explain deviance in terms of the subculture of a social group, believing that certain groups and cultures develop norms and values that may be considered deviant to other groups. The Strain and Control theories have both linked crime with conformism, yet the Strain theory aligns itself with the belief that crime occurs due to the need to conform. Robert K. Merton outlined a different social process ‘involv{ing} conformity…

Words 3691 - Pages 15

Gender Differences In Crime

their strain were reasons they committed crimes. Women have aggression, proof of one’s self and they too experience strains. The rise of the Women’s Movement tested why there was said to be “gender” differences when crimes were committed. Women came out of the shadows in the late 1960’s searching for equality and desperate to step out of what was “normal” for women. They wanted out of the kitchen and although there was a rise in crime, was there really a gender difference? Did Merton’s theory of anomie…

Words 999 - Pages 4

Labeling Theory Of Attractiveness

had a large variety of unattractive features such as large ears, pointy chins, and small droopy eyes. In the 1950s, Robert Merton suggested the Stain Theory. The Strain Theory claimed that repeated negative interactions with other members of a society resulted in low self-esteem and emotional strain. The emotional strain could push an individual into criminal behavior.…

Words 563 - Pages 3

Theories and Founders Marx Essay examples

Conflict Theory - Karl Marx - Each group in society wants to further their own interests, even at the expense of others. Social problems stem from exploitation and resistance to exploitation. Strain Theory - Robert Merton - Functionalist theory that stresses how people adapt when their access to the cultural means to reach cultural goals is blocked. Labeling Theory - Howard Becker - Behaviors are deviant only when society labels them as deviant. Who applies what label to whom, why they do…

Words 612 - Pages 3