The Gap between Goals and Means: Robert Merton argued that crime occurs when there is a disconnect between the goals a culture encourages (e.g., financial success) and the legitimate means available to achieve them (e.g., education and employment).
Anomie (Strain): In this context, anomie is the pressure individuals feel when they cannot achieve socially approved goals through legitimate routes. This 'strain' leads people to turn to deviant behavior.
Structural Factors: Merton emphasized that society's structure—specifically the unequal distribution of opportunities—is the primary cause of crime, rather than individual biological or psychological traits.
Individuals respond to the strain between goals and means in five distinct ways:
| Adaptation | Cultural Goals | Institutional Means | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conformity | Accept | Accept | Pursuing success through socially approved, legal channels. |
| Innovation | Accept | Reject | Using illegal or unconventional means (e.g., theft) to achieve success. |
| Ritualism | Reject | Accept | Abandoning the goal of success but rigidly following the rules anyway. |
| Retreatism | Reject | Reject | Dropping out of society entirely (e.g., chronic drug use or homelessness). |
| Rebellion | Replace | Replace | Rejecting existing goals/means and working to create a new social order. |
Functionalism vs. Marxism: While both are structural theories, functionalists see the law as a reflection of shared values, whereas Marxists see it as a tool used by the ruling class to control the working class.
Functionalism vs. Interactionism: Functionalists look at the 'macro' causes of crime (social structure), while Interactionists focus on 'micro' processes like labeling and how individuals negotiate their identities as 'deviant'.
Durkheim vs. Merton: Durkheim focuses on the functions crime performs for the whole of society, while Merton focuses on the causes of crime rooted in the social structure and individual adaptations.
Evaluation is Key: When discussing functionalism, always include criticisms. For example, mention that functionalism ignores the victims of crime and assumes that the law represents everyone's interests equally.
Use the Terminology: Ensure you use terms like 'collective conscience', 'boundary maintenance', and 'anomie' correctly. Distinguish between Durkheim's use of anomie (normlessness) and Merton's (strain).
Apply to Modernity: Be prepared to explain why functionalism might be less applicable to large, diverse, multicultural societies where there is no single 'collective conscience'.
Check for Logic: Remember that functionalists don't say crime is 'good' in an absolute sense; they say it is 'functional' for the maintenance of the social system.
