SOCIOLOGY 170

              ROBERT MERTON AND ANOMIE THEORY

STRAIN (or ANOMIE) THEORY is a derivative of FUNCTIONALISM---

PURPOSE:  Merton wanted to account for things as functions of systems
of properties (ie, ways in which cultural goals and opportunities for
realizing them within the limits of institutional norms are
distributed) He viewed the individual primarily in terms of the
LEGITIMATE OPPORTUNITY STRUCTURE and posed questions regarding the
DIFFERENCES IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACCESS.

MERTON
represents U.S. sociology's FIRST genuine theoretical break with a
general theory of society---he develops his view instead within a
specific theory of deviance. . .i.e., specificlaly a deviance
theory---Chicago School and Functionalism were theories of society.
Merton scaled down Parson's "GRAND THEORY" of society to a "THEORY OF
THE MIDDLE RANGE" to focus on a specific topic--deviance (ie,
crime/delinquency).

MERTON wants to examine how SOCIAL STRUCTURES exert a definite
pressure upon certain persons in society to facilitate their
engagement in deviant acts:  He identifies TWO KEY SITUATIONS:  a)
Culturally defined goals and b) Socially acceptable means to attain
those goals (give examples of wealth, sports, etc)

He constructs a TYPOLOGY (Define "TYPOLOGY" as simply a convenient way
of CLASSIFYING related things)

                   GOALS           MEANS

 CONFORMING           +              +

 INNOVATION           +              -

 RITUALISM            -              +

 RETREATISM           -              -

 REBELLION           +/-            +/-

His point:  Lack of a high degree of integratin between means and ends
favor increased frequency of anti-social conduct:

(NOTE: THIS IMPLIES A DEFINITION OF "CRIME" THAT IS NOT LEGALISTIC,
BUT NORMATIVE)

Illegitmate adjustment is a means of attempting to attain cultully
acceptable ends (e.g., wealth, status) by socially proscribed (ie,
prohibited) means (e.g., theft)

REPRHASED:  When aspirations are blocked, it will lead to one of a
variety of adaptive behaviors (in the typology) and the seach for
avenues of escapte from culturlly-induced intolearable situatins or
unrelieved ambitions may lead to illegitimate forms of adaptation (ie,
crime)

NOTE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS:  Merton is saying that crime MAY BE
STRUCTRUALLY INDUCED---For Merton, deviance was "functional
rebellion," a theme implied by him, and later developed by culture
conflict theorists.  ie, it may be a NORMAL response to ABNORMAL
conditions---this, for its time, was RADICAL in that he was saying
that society may NOT be set up to serve the interests of everybody.

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