Merton’s Anomie Theory of Deviance Dahlia Magdy Abdal-Hakim This paper is an application of Merton’s Anomie Theory of Deviance (1957) on August Wilson’s play Fences. The present research is a sociological approach aims to analyze how the structural and the cultural factors of a society forces people to be under strain to accomplish goals. These factors play a crucial role shaping each character in the play along with their differences. In accordance with Merton’s Anomie Theory of Deviance
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Merton’s Strain Theory I learned that Robert Merton borrowed "anomie" from Emile Durkheim. Anomie is the breakdown or absence of social norms and values. This website had little content but was very informative. It outlined the five modes of adaptation to strain. The five modes are conformity‚ innovation‚ ritualism‚ retreatism and rebellion. In the mode of conformity‚ individuals follow culturally approved goals and the accepted means to achieve these goals. In the second mode‚ innovation‚
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The general assumptions of strain/anomie perspective basically discuss that social structures within our culture could coerce people into group and situations that would push them to commit crime. The reason why I chose this over subcultural perspective is because the strain/anomie perspective has more application to explaining the causes of crime though expounding upon certain goals and motivations than to claim that certain groups and subcultures of people just have a great affinity for crime that
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fun‚ shoplifting. I never thought about doing anything illegal as a mean of fun‚ but that day Brittany somehow influenced me to it. Looking back‚ I think I was experiencing the Strain Theory‚ which was one of the theories of the functionalist perspective on society. Merton mentioned anomie that was to describe the strain individuals’ feels when they were not able to have the opportunities to achieve their goals or desires and that was a factor in pushing me to shoplift. I wanted expensive jewelry
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Strain Theory also known as the anomie theory is based off of Robert Merton. “Industrialized U.S. society heavily emphasizes the cultural value of success (The American Dream) he believes that deviant behaviors is caused by innovation (Thio‚ 2013). Meaning that individuals in lower social class will become deviant due to lack of resource and education. According to this theory individuals will become deviant because they have little to nothing to work with‚ while are trying to reach the American
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Robert Agnew published the general strain theory of crime and delinquency in 1992 as an improvement upon previous strain theory arguments proposed by Merton (1938)‚ A. Cohen (1955)‚ and Cloward and Ohlin (1960). The general strain theory explains crime and delinquency at an individual level‚ with a particular focus in social-psychological factors in the individual’s life. Despite the individualized approach‚ general strain theory includes some discussions of implications on the macro-‚ or structural
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Strain theory was originally pioneered by Robert K. Merton and it was later expanded on by Robert Agnew. Merton’s strain theory argues that individuals engage in deviant or criminal behavior when they cannot achieve socially approved goals by legitimate means (Merton‚ 1938). Essentially‚ deviance is the result of the strain that individuals feel from not being able to achieve their goals through legitimate means. Merton used the American Dream ideology to explain his theory. For example‚ the American
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Merton used Durkheim’s concept of anomie to form his own theory‚ called Strain Theory. Merton argued that anomie is not created by dramatic social change‚ but rather by a social structure that holds the same goals to all its members without giving them equal means to achieve them. Merton stated that all members of a capitalist society have goals such as "wealth‚ status and personal happiness"‚ (Merton‚ 1938) and that the means available to achieve this success are unevenly distributed throughout
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more commonly related to crime. However‚ during the late 1960s‚ Merton’s strain theory lose its appeal to discuss the cause of juvenile delinquency‚ until the 1990s‚ Agnew reformulated and regenerated in his theory. He has formulated a distinct theoretical perspectives based on Merton’s theory of anomie and strain‚ which termed as General Strain Theory. Apart from Merton’s strain of goals and means‚ his theory argued that strains might increase the possibility of individual’s negative emotions‚ such
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Agnew’s General Strain Theory CRJ210 According to Chagrin Valley Times (2012)‚ on Monday‚ February 27‚ seventeen year old T.J. Lane walked into the cafeteria of Chardon High School and shot ten people with a .22 caliber handgun. Three of those people were killed‚ another had minor injuries‚ and the last student remains in critical condition. Sixteen year old Russell King Jr. and Demetrius Hewlin‚ and sixteen year old Daniel Parmerto‚ were the unfortunate students
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