Robert K. Merton
Robert King Merton was an American sociologist. He spent most of his career teaching at Columbia University, where he attained the rank of University Professor. In 1994 he was awarded the National Medal of Science for his contributions to the field and for having founded the sociology of science. …
What is the strain theory of crime?
Strain theory, in sociology, proposal that pressure derived from social factors, such as lack of income or lack of quality education, drives individuals to commit crime. The ideas underlying strain theory were first advanced in the 1930s by American sociologist Robert K. Merton, whose work on the subject became especially influential in the 1950s.
What is Merton's strain theory?
Strain theory was developed by Robert king Merton in 1957, which states that, social structure of society compel an individual to commit crime.
What is conformity and why does it matter?
Conformity encompasses compliance and obedience because it refers to any behavior that occurs as a result of others' influence - no matter what the nature of the influence." 1 "Conformity can be defined as yielding to group pressures, something which nearly all of us do some of the time.
What are the two types of strain theory?
Robert K. Merton proposed two versions of strain theory, ‘weak’ and ‘strong.’ The Weak Strain Theory The weak form of strain theory suggests that people who are blocked from legitimate means to achieve goals will simply accept their situation and not commit crimes.
Is conformity a deviant response to strain?
Merton noted that the deviant response to strain was one of five responses he observed in society. He referred to such deviance as "innovation" while identifying the other responses to strain as conformity, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.
What is conformity and deviance?
Conformity and deviance are two responses to real or imagined pressures from others. Conformity means going along one's peers—individuals of a person's own status. ... Deviance is a behaviour that violates the standards of conduct or expectations or social norms of a group or society.
What is innovation in strain theory?
Innovation- When the cultural emphasis on the success goal is accepted but individuals use illegitimate means to achieve their goals. III. Ritualism- Involves the abandoning or scaling down of the cultural goals of success and social mobility to the point where one's aspirations can be realistic.
What are the 3 main sources of strain theory?
According to Robert Agnew' s General Strain Theory, strain is based on three different factors: failure to achieve a goal, the existence of harmful impulses, and the removal of positive impulses.
What is an example of conformity?
This type of conformity involves changing one's behavior in order to fit in with a group. For example, a teenager might dress in a certain style because they want to look like their peers who are members of a particular group.
What are the 3 types of conformity?
Herbert Kelman identified three major types of conformity: compliance, identification, and internalization.
What is rebellion in strain theory?
The strain theory states that people may deviate or rebel if there is an inconsistency between culturally defined goals and the accessible means to obtain those goals. This discrepancy can cause strain that can lead to the crime, violence, and murder that are the effects of rebellion.
What are 5 adaptations of strain theory?
Merton developed five modes of adaptation to cultural strain: Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion. These adaptations to strain are depicted in Table 1. Each of the five categories refers to 'role behavior in specific types of situations, not to personality …
What is an example of retreatism?
A homeless person is most definitely an example of retreatism if the person is lacking the institutional means to achieve the goal of living in a home and getting a job to support him or herself and doesn't feel inclined to try and reach this goal via other means such as stealing.
What are the types of strain theory?
According to Merton, there are five types of deviance based upon these criteria: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion.
What are the assumptions of strain theory?
Strain theories are generally macrolevel theories, and they share several core assumptions: first, the idea that social order is the product of a generally cohesive set of norms; second, that those norms are widely shared by community members; and third, that deviance and community reactions to deviance are essential ...
What are some examples of strain theory?
Examples of General Strain Theory are people who use illegal drugs to make themselves feel better, or a student assaulting his peers to end the harassment they caused.
What are some examples of deviance?
Examples of formal deviance include robbery, theft, rape, murder, and assault. The second type of deviant behavior involves violations of informal social norms (norms that have not been codified into law) and is referred to as informal deviance.
What is conformity in sociology?
conformity, the process whereby people change their beliefs, attitudes, actions, or perceptions to more closely match those held by groups to which they belong or want to belong or by groups whose approval they desire.
What are the 4 types of deviance?
According to Merton, there are five types of deviance based upon these criteria: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion.
What are some examples of deviant behaviors?
Adult content consumption, drug use, excessive drinking, illegal hunting, eating disorders, or any self-harming or addictive practice are all examples of deviant behaviors. Many of them are represented, to different extents, on social media.
What is the focus of strain theory?
Classic strain theories focused primarily on disadvantaged groups, wherein common aspirations (e.g., realizing the “American dream”) and the inability to achieve those goals was considered a driving factor behind crime.
What is social structural strain theory?
Social-structural-strain theories attempt to explain the high rate of theft for monetary gain in the United States as a product of the class structure of American society. They hold that pressures to achieve financial success drive people to engage in this type of crime. They…
Who developed strain theory?
The ideas underlying strain theory were first advanced in the 1930s by American sociologist Robert K. Merton, whose work on the subject became especially influential in the 1950s.
What is conformity in a culture?
Conformity – in this case, a person is blocked from achieving culturally approved goals. They may feel strain but will not commit a crime to achieve culturally prescribed goals through illegitimate means
What is the weak form of strain theory?
The weak form of strain theory suggests that people who are blocked from legitimate means to achieve goals will simply accept their situation and not commit crimes.
Why is Strain Theory Important?
Strain theory suggests that when people cannot achieve their goals, they feel strained—this strain leads them to commit crimes to reduce that strain.
What is deviance theory?
According to labeling theory, deviance occurs when a label has been attached to someone, leading them to be seen as deviant. As a result of this, the deviant person will have a difficult time in society and may even become involved with other deviants
What is the rational decision to commit a crime?
For Merton, the decision to commit a crime is a rational one based on cultural goals and societal expectations. His theory assumes that an individual experiences strain when culturally prescribed means to achieve goals are blocked and therefore uses illegitimate means to achieve a goal. Both culturally prescribed goals and institutionalized means are concepts that originate in the work of Émile Durkheim.
What is individual strain?
Individual strain refers to the painful psychological state when an individual possesses characteristics that conflict with cultural values.
Who proposed strain theory?
Strain theory was proposed by Robert Merton, an American sociologist who is also well-known for his works on the functionalist theory. It is an aspect of functionalism, which in itself is a constructivist theory. Strain theory attempts to explain conflict or deviance via the four functions of deviance.
What is strain theory?
Classic Strain Theory predicts that deviance is likely to happen when there is a misalignment between the “cultural goals” of a society (such as monetary wealth) and the opportunities people have to obtain them.
Who developed the strain theory?
Responding to heavy criticism of Classic Strain Theory, sociologists Robert Agnew, Steven Messner, and Richard Rosenfeld developed General Strain Theory. This predicts that various strains (such as violence and discrimination) create negative feelings which, when there are no other viable options for coping, leads to deviance.
Why did Merton think crime was high?
Merton noticed that American society had high rates of crime and proposed that this was because the achievement of the American Dream — wealth attainment — was deeply ingrained by Americans, even those for whom factors such as race and class had made it highly improbable that they would ever achieve large monetary success.
How does strain affect crime?
Strain can also encourage the social learning of crime. A student who is bullied can be regularly exposed to models of aggression, and chronically employed individuals living in communities where there is little room for economic opportunity may belong to groups that believe theft and drug dealing are acceptable.
Why does strain increase crime?
According to General Strain Theory, strain increases crime because it leads to negative emotions such as anger, frustration, depression, and fear.
What is implicit in Merton's approach?
Implicit in Merton’s approach is that the factors that lead to order and disorder in a society (such as crime versus the order of social norms) are not mutually exclusive, and that cultural values that have desirable functions often contain or produce undesirable consequences (Hagen & Daigle, 2018).
Who was the first person to write about strain theory?
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 in achieving them.
What is conformity in social psychology?
Conformity involves changing your behaviors in order to "fit in" or "go along" with the people around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as "normal" by the group.
What is conformity in research?
Research and Experiments. Conformity is something that happens regularly in our social worlds. Sometimes we are aware of our behavior, but in many cases, it happens without much thought or awareness on our parts. In some cases, we go along with things that we disagree with or behave in ways that we know we shouldn't.
What Is Conformity?
Conformity is the act of changing your behaviors in order to fit in or go along with the people around you. In some cases, this social influence might involve agreeing with or acting like the majority of people in a specific group, or it might involve behaving in a particular way in order to be perceived as "normal" by the group.
What are the different types of conformity?
The following are some of the major types of conformity. Normative conformity involves changing one's behavior in order to fit in with the group. Informational conformity happens when a person lacks the knowledge and looks to the group for information and direction.
Why is conformity important?
Understanding conformity can help you make sense of the reasons why some people go along with the crowd, even when their choices seem out of character for them. It can also help you see how other people's behavior may influence the choices you make.
What is the best known experiment in conformity?
Some of the best-known experiments on the psychology of conformity deal with people going along with the group, even when they know the group is wrong. Jenness's 1932 Experiment: In one of the earliest experiments on conformity, Jenness asked participants to estimate the number of beans in a bottle.
How many people are more likely to conform to a group?
The size of the group: People are more likely to conform in situations that involve between three and five other people.
What is conformity in social psychology?
Conformity is a type of social influence involving a change in belief or behavior in order to fit in with a group. This change is in response to real (involving the physical presence of others) or imagined (involving the pressure of social norms / expectations) group pressure. Conformity can also be simply defined as “ yielding to group pressures ” ...
What does conformity mean in social studies?
The term conformity is often used to indicate an agreement to the majority position, brought about either by a desire to ‘ fit in ’ or be liked (normative) or because of a desire to be correct (informational), or simply to conform to a social role (identification). YouTube. Subscribe.
What was the purpose of the Sherif experiment?
Sherif (1935) Autokinetic Effect Experiment. Aim: Sherif (1935) conducted an experiment with the aim of demonstrating that people conform to group norms when they are put in an ambiguous (i.e. unclear) situation. Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity.
How did Sherif study conformity?
Method: Sherif used a lab experiment to study conformity. He used the autokinetic effect – this is where a small spot of light (projected onto a screen) in a dark room will appear to move, even though it is still (i.e. it is a visual illusion).
What is the type of conformity where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an?
This type of conformity usually involves internalization – where a person accepts the views of the groups and adopts them as an individual.
How did Sherif manipulate the composition of the group?
Sherif manipulated the composition of the group by putting together two people whose estimate of the light movement when alone was very similar, and one person whose estimate was very different. Each person in the group had to say aloud how far they thought the light had moved.
What is conforming to the majority?
In other words, conforming to the majority (publicly), in spite of not really agreeing with them (privately). This is seen in Asch’s line experiment.
