merton

• what perspective is Merton?

  Functionalist
• when was Merton writing?

  1930s America
• what did Merton believe crime was caused by?

  strain (stress) that is put on individuals when they cannot reach their goals
• how does Merton believe people get labelled as criminals?

  illegitimate ways of reaching goals constructed by society (selling drugs, theft) are labelled as crimes and formal social controls are put in place to deter them.
• what does Merton believe about goals within society?

  society constructs goals (house, car), the law tries to ensure they only use legitimate ways to reach those goals (full time job).
• which class did Merton believe commits the most crime?

  blue collar crime, working class
• what is a criticism of Merton's theory in terms of class?

  not all working class people turn to crime, white collar corporate crime is much more common than blue collar crime. His reliance on official statistics meant that he over-estimated the extent of the working class crime and under-estimated the middle class.
• what do Marxists say about Merton's theory?

  the lack of equality of oppurtunity is at the heart of the capitalist system.
• what is a criticism of Merton's theory in terms of types of crime?

  his theory only explains the reason for economic crime rather than violence.
• wat did Merton believe deviance existed because of?

  the culture and structure of society.
• which functionalist believed in value consensus?

  Merton
• what are criticisms of Merton's strain theory?

  • exaggerated working class crime, underestimating middle class.
  • deterministic: fails to explain why only some individuals who experience anomie become criminals.
  • he wrongly assumes there is a value consensus in American society.
  • not taking power relations into account in society.