Merton's Strain Theory
Merton's Strain Theory
Robert Merton (1910-2003) was probably the foremost American sociologist. His strain theory starts with the idea that societies provide both culturally valued goals and culturally valued means. The goals are based on shared assumptions in a society about what people should strive for, or what constitutes success. Here in the United States it's the American Dream, good paying job, nice house, couple of kids, and new cars. The means are how you're supposed to obtain the goals. Here in the US the story for success emphasizes hard work and education. Basically, the story is that if you work hard, go to school, then you can become anything that you want.
According to ...
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they can deal with it and some responses to strain can result in criminal behavior. In Merton's terms, one can react to strain by conforming. This means that the person accepts both the goals and the means of society and just plots along doing what they're supposed to do, to get ahead. Another response is ritualism. Here the person accepts both the goals of society, accepting that he/she will never obtain them, but continues on with the means.
Say a person gives up on the American Dream, but they continue to show up for work everyday just the same. Retreatism involves rejecting both the goals and the means. For example, one might just drop out of society, giving up on everything. Rebellion also involves rejecting goals and means, but rebellion as opposed to retreatism, which entails finding new goals and news means of obtaining them, means that society doesn't approve of. This, commonly, leads to deviance and crime.
Merton termed these responses to strain, "modes of ...
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"Merton's Strain Theory." Essayworld.com. December 18, 2014. Accessed May 18, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Mertons-Strain-Theory/104561.
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