Summary Of Robert Merton's Anomie Theory

Robert Merton’s major theory that influenced the criminal justice field was his theory of social strain/anomie. Merton theorized that people experience frustration or strain in their failure to achieve their desires, which are influenced by society. Society has various norms, some which shape the desires of people and some which specify the acceptable ways to go about achieving those norms and desires (Merton 1968 & Merton 1938 & Anderson). Merton listed different ways that people can go about fulfilling those desires, called modes of adaptation and whether there is conformity between the culture goals and institutionalized means (Anderson). The different modes of adaptation include: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.
Innovators are those individuals who accept the goals of society, but reject or lacks the legitimate means of achieving them. Innovation is the mode of adaptation that is associated most with criminal activity. It explains the high rate of crime committed by uneducated and poor individuals who do not have access to legitimate means of achieving the social goals of wealth and power. It is not that the individuals do not want to go about following the legitimate means but that they cannot follow them. Innovators are people who break the rules and the laws in order to achieve the success goals that are so important in society.
The reason that this is so important in criminal justice is because it provides us with a possible cause for crime. People are just trying to achieve financial stability and/or success and do not have to means to get it legitimately. It can also explain why certain groups, like lower class or minorities have higher rates of crime and are more likely to turn to crime as a solution. This informs criminologists and politicians that there could be different factors that play into this; factors that include: wages, environment, education, opportunities, and