Robert Merton Strain Theory Essay - 1017 Words

Identify the key aspects of Robert Merton’s ‘strain theory’. It was a powerful statement focussing on the social causes of crime but what were its limitations? This essay is going to demonstrate an understanding of Robert Merton’s strain theory, the advantages of the Strain theory and also the disadvantages of the theory. Robert Merton (1910) best known for developing theories of deviance. Robert Merton is considered to be one of the most influential social scientists. Merton’s work is highly influenced by the work of Emile Durkheim who was a French Sociologist whose work was mostly based on social order, and how society remains moderately stable. Durkheim considered himself as a functionalist. Functionalist took a rather unique†¦show more content†¦Durkheim imagined society as an organism, where each component plays an essential part in the solidity of society, but none of the components have the strength to function alone, and if one experiences a break down or a crisis, eventually the other parts will fail. According to Durkheim, society is built on people that have common values and a collective conscience. However, when there are periods of great social change or stress, our collective conscience eventually becomes weakened. People then begin to look after their own interests rath er than obeying the values of society, and eventually people may begin to lose a sense of self, and feel like they don’t have a sense of belonging in society. Durkheim calls this situation anomie. When our collective conscience has collapsed, anomie occurs which increases the rates of crime. Durkheim’s concepts of anomie was later developed and adapted by the works of Robert Merton. Who said that Durkheim’s theories on anomie were far too vague. Merton argued that anomie was a situation where the goals that are approved by society are not available to a significant proportion of the population. Merton argues that people involve themselves in deviant acts when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by genuine means. In result of this, deviance is a result of the strain an individual feel when they cannot achieve the socially approved goals legitimately. Merton related these ideas to the American dream. TheShow MoreRelatedWhy Merton s Anomie And Strain Theories Have Been Regarded As A Valuable Analytical Framework For Studyieng Deviant And851 Words   |  4 PagesRobert Merton’s anomie and strain theories have been regarded as a valuable analytical framework for studyieng deviant and criminal behaviors (Deï ¬â€šem, 2003). In 1938, Merton first presented his theory, which has become the springboard for plenty of subsequent theoretical discussions. His contributions on social structures and anomie has been frequent ly quoted and heralded as one of the most important theories in sociology. Although anomie and strain theory can be seen as an undisputed classic, theRead MoreRobert Merton Anomie THeory2189 Words   |  9 PagesMeyer R. Scholnick also known as Robert King Merton was born on the 4th of July 2010 in Philadelphia in a Jewish family from Russia that immigrated to the United States of America. He took advantage of the culture riches surrounding him by frequenting nearby cultural and educational venues when he was in High School. Mertons numerous childhood encounters composed a basis for his theory of social structure. The field of criminology and criminal justice has employed many of Merton’s prominent conceptsRead MoreRobert Merton s Strain Theory1299 Words   |  6 PagesI have selected Robert Merton’s Strain theory and Edwin Sutherlands Differential Association theory and their approach to the study of crime for my essay. 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As a result, lower class gets frustrated because they are not able to achieve upperRead MoreMertons Strain Theory1923 Words   |  8 PagesSection A Briefly outline and highlight the contribution of Merton’s strain theory to criminology. Robert K. Merton was an American sociologist that wrote in the 1930’s putting out his first major work in 1938 called Social Structure and Anomie. After publication, this piece was we worked and tweaked to counter criticisms. The importance of the time frame of which Merton initially began his work is significant, as during this time crime and the approach to crime was examined predominantly basedRead MoreThe Movie Departed Essay1326 Words   |  6 Pagesproject on is the movie â€Å" The Departed.† The characters play an important role in the movie showing various criminal acts that they chose to play out. 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