Merton's Theory of Anomie

Merton attempted to explain deviant behavior in 1938 in a paper published in the American Sociological Review. He elaborated this thesis further in 1949 and 1957 and distinguished between social and cultural structures. Cultural structure, according to him, refers to goals and the interests men pursue, while social structure refers to means or approved methods which regulate and control the pursuit of goal and interests. The cultural system of society enjoins all men to strive for goals by means of normatively regulated or approved forms of behavior. However, opportunities to reach these goals through socially approved means are unequally distributed. Deviant behavior occurs when social structures restricts or completely closes a person's access to the approved modes of reaching these goals. In other words, the disjunction between goals means causes strains which in turn leads to a weakening of men's commitment to the culturally prescribed goals or institutionalized means, that is , to a state of anomie. Thus, Merton's thesis is that some social structures exert a definite pressure on some persons to engage in non-conformist rather than conformist conduct. Merton has identified five modes of adaptation available to those who react to goals and means of society. These are conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion. Conformity describes the acceptance of goals and also of the means of the society. Innovation represents the acceptance of the goals but the rejection of the means. For instances, a student accepts the goal of passing the examinations and obtaining a degree but uses unfair means to pas. Thus, Merton points out that poverty does not cause crime but when poverty is linked with cultural emphasis on monetary success as a dominant goal and poor individual cannot compete, because of this poverty, for the cultural values, then criminal behavior is normal outcome. Merton's theory has been criticized on the following ground:

 

• Theory is incomplete because he has not explained who will reject the goals and who will reject the means
  
• Only structure has been given importance, an individual personality is ignored.
  
• Strains do not necessarily lead to deviant behavior.
  
• Theory neglects the important role of social behavior.
  
• Assumption that deviant behavior is disproportionately more common in lower classes is not correct.
  
• Anomie may be the cause rather than the effect of circumscribed life chances
  
• Theory does not take into account the social-psychological variables or the social structural elements which might explain the priority of one adaptation over the other by the individual.