Robert Merton's Contributions to the Sociology of Deviance
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 2274261 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Richard Rosenfeld (0000-0002-5007-8290, University of Missouri–St. Louis, corresponding author) |
| Year | 1989 |
| Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 453-466 |
| Publication date | 1989-10-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Sociological Inquiry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0038-0245 • E-ISSN: 1475-682X |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1475-682x.1989.tb00120.x |
| OpenAlex | W2118378176 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 25 |
This paper assesses the theoretical and policy significance of one of Robert Merton's most influential contributions to modern sociology, the anomie or 'strain' theory of deviant behavior. The enduring theoretical significance of strain theory lies in its sociological completeness. Strain theory preserves the interconnection between culture and social structure which is neglected or defined away by cultural and control theories of deviance. In its emphasis on socially structured contradictions in the relations of consumption, strain theory is also broadly consistent with and complements more conflict-oriented theories of crime and deviance. A major weakness of Merton's argument is its failure to clearly distinguish the etiological significance of the distribution of opportunities (mobility) and the distribution of outcomes (equality), which has led to misinterpretations of the policy implications of strain theory. Ironically, these problems are revealed through a kind of self-criticism that applies the basic tools of Mertonian functional analysis to strain theory. The paper concludes that, ambiguities notwithstanding, for purposes of theoretical integration and substantive insight, strain theory remains an important sociological perspective on deviance, especially when set in the context of Merton's broader sociological legacy
Anomie · Criminology · Criticism · Deviance (statistics) · Economics · Epistemology · Political science · Positive economics · Social science · Sociological theory · Sociology · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Deviance, and Social Control · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Law
Theoretical Integration in Criminology
Ethics and the Profession
Revisiting Merton
Gender, Self-Control, and Crime
Dysfunctions
From strain theory to the capacity to aspire
Untangling research puzzles in Merton's multilevel anomie theory
Normalization and the discursive construction of “new” norms and “new” normality
Tobacco, Good and Bad
Street youth, strain theory, and crime
Social Organization and Instrumental Crime
Assessing Messner and Rosenfeld's Institutional Anomie Theory
Ex-Offenders and the Conformist Alternative
Anomie and Strain
Falsifying Merton's Macro-Level Anomie Theory of Profit-Motivated Crime
Delinquency and opportunity
The structure of sociological theory
Social Change and Crime Rate Trends
Social Structure and Anomie
The Idea of Social Structure
The New Criminology
Culture Conflict and Crime
Crime and Deviance in America
The Principles of Criminology
The Coming Crisis of Western Sociology
Social Theory and Social Structure
Illegitimate Means, Anomie, and Deviant Behavior
Social Conformity, Deviation, and Opportunity Structures
Social Structure and Anomie
The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action
The Cost of Inequality
Techniques of Neutralization
Social Change and Crime Rate Trends
A Differential Association-Reinforcement Theory of Criminal Behavior
Property Crime Rates in the United States
Merton's 'social structure and anomie
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,43 |
| Citation span | 1991 - 2021 (31) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 13 |