Robert Merton's Strain Theory

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 dream. An individual in a social lower class will also have a problem with conformity because to achieve their goal, most will have to commit crimes. Some lower class individuals will become retreatism which means withdraw from society. You cannot teach a lower class person to become a higher class person because the higher social class cannot really have a true understanding for what the lower class is truly going through. Society has made it hard for people of the lower class to move to another class and one possible reason is “fallacious premise”. Meaning society discourages the individual from engaging in deviant activities. Morton believes in the opposite society encourages the individual to engage in deviant activities. The U.S. paints a picture that anyone from any class should have the same goals (The American Dream), and should be able to reach it no matter what one’s social class
In this theory society needs to be more conformed (absence). To cause this to happen society needs to be controlled. Without controlled we have “inclined to commit deviant acts and will do so unless they are properly controlled” (Thio, 2013). Going outside of what society people should have a strict punishment. All punishment should be the same for everyone who goes against what the ruling is. When society is strong the individual s will be strong as well. This bring me into two good examples of deviant and how the theories play a role within