Merton’s strain theory
1). Explain Merton’s strain theory and give an example of one of his five typical responses to social strain (do not choose conformity – that is not deviance, right?). Response should be rough 125 words (one full paragraph).
2). Explain what labeling theory is and why this is approach to understanding deviance fits within both the symbolic interactionist tradition and the conflict theory tradition. Be sure to begin by explaining these two theoretical frameworks. Response should be roughly 200 words (one to two paragraphs).
Rios reading, Chapter 4:
3). Which social institutions comprise the “web of punishment” that surround Black and Latino boys, according to the fieldwork Rios describes in Chapter 4? Give a specific example from his research on how one of these institutions punishes Black and Latino boys. Response should be roughly 250 words (two full paragraphs).
Sample Solution
Merton’s strain theory
Strain theory is a sociology and criminology theory developed in 1938 by Robert K. Merton. The theory states that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals, such as the American dream, though they lack the means. Merton noted that the deviant response to strain was one of five responses he observed in society. He referred to such defiance as innovation while identifying the other responses to strain as conformity, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. Retreatism explains those who reject a society’s goals and refuse to try obtain them. These individuals are so dis-invested in these goals that they retreat from society. Labeling theory posits that self-identity and the behavior of individuals may be determined or influenced by terms used to describe or classify them. Thus, what is considered deviant is determined not so much by the behaviors themselves or the people who commit them, but by the reactions of others to these behaviors.
