Do you have a role model? Have you ever had an event occur that you described as a self-fulfilling prophecy? If so, then at some level, you have become familiar with the anomie and strain theory.
Anomie is the lack of a social or an ethical norm within an individual or group. This lack of social or ethical norms places a strain on a society at local, regional, national, or global levels based on the choices made, requiring a response from the criminal justice system.
The current theory that has become part of our society is proposed by US sociologist Robert Merton. Dr. Merton expanded on the works of previous sociologists like Emile Durkeim to explain why some people choose conformity while others choose criminal behaviors.
Does the American Dream Lead to Criminal Behaviors?
When Dr. Merton began to develop the current form of the anomie and strain theory, he made one specific assumption: that all Americans were seeking and striving for the American Dream. He made this assumption after looking at US culture, the structure of the country, and the various strains that were placed upon it.
Merton’s research led him to realize that how an American works to achieve the American Dream can be very different. This is because the definition of success is different due to the fact that there isn’t equal access to opportunities or advantages within US culture.
It is these inequalities that Merton believed led to certain individuals deviating from conformity when striving toward the American Dream. Some people, Merton proposed, would turn to illegal activities in order to achieve their definition of success. Over time, if the deviant behavior doesn’t create the desired success, these individuals would see the American Dream as being something that is unattainable.
This would cause them to increase their deviant behavior, eventually causing them to drop out of society altogether.
The 5 Types of Deviance in the Anomie and Strain Theory
Dr. Merton’s research led him to conclude that the ambitions of US society to achieve the American Dream, often considered a virtue, would also help to promote the deviance seen within American culture. This led Merton to believe that there are two criteria which must be in place for deviant behavior to be promoted.
#1. There must be some level of individualized motivation to adhere to the goals of a culture.
#2. There must be a core belief held by an individual on how to obtain those goals.
This led Merton to propose that there are 5 different types of deviance that can be embraced by an individual.
- Conformity. This occurs when an individual accepts the goals that a culture offers to everyone and the means to obtain them, even though they may believe that there is a better or more effective way to achieve those goals.
- Innovation. This occurs when an individual or a group accepts the goals of a culture. They do not believe in the accepted means to obtain those goals. Instead of earning money from a job, for example, an individual may believe that robbing a bank is a more effective way of increasing their financial status.
- Ritualism. This occurs if an individual rejects the goals that are promoted by a culture. They may not accept the goals and decide to set their own, but they will still accept the means and methods that are offered to obtain those goals.
- Retreat. This occurs when there is a rejection of the goals offered by a culture and the legitimate or traditional methods that have been used to obtain such goals. They choose to retreat from the culture instead, isolating themselves from other people or groups so they can pursue their own path in life while avoiding criminal behavior.
- Rebellion. This occurs when there is a rejection of goals and legitimate methods. They replace the goals and methods with their own preferred options, whether society deems it to be legal or illegal. They reject the standards of rewards or consequences that society places on such actions and challenge any authority that might attempt to control them.
The American Dream is often a reflection of the pursuit of wealth. It is not always monetary wealth that is pursued, but there is a generalized goal of creating a good life for oneself and their family. This pursuit, though a virtue, also leads to greed, which then leads to one of these five versions of deviance.
How is conformity considered a form of deviance? A person’s natural inclination is to pursue the best path possible to meet their basic needs. When society says that a person must take one path, but an individual wants to take a different path, the decision to follow what society says is a form of deviance.
Not all deviant behavior leads to criminal conduct.
Why US Society Is Different When It Comes to Anomie and Strain Theory
According to Merton’s observations, American society is very polarized when it comes to the pursuit of the American Dream. People are criticized if they decide to scale back their goals or the amount of time they spend pursuing them. These people who scale themselves back are called “quitters,” “losers,” or worse. This polarization leads to a high rate of deviant behavior in the US, especially when compared to similar countries around the world.
Deviant behavior is also promoted, though perhaps inadvertently, through American attitudes toward crime. Ambition, hard work, and consistency are traits that are valued by society. There is also a certain level of admiration that is offered to a successful robber or the rebel who breaks all the rules and achieves their goals.
On the other hand, the stay-at-home parent who raises their children with virtuous goals is often treated with contempt because they are seen as retreating from their own efforts to chase the American Dream.
This caused Dr. Merton to come to this conclusion: American society rates success higher than virtue.
The high rates of deviance, according to the anomie and strain theory, are because the option to achieve success is offered to everyone. Although we have made strides to create a more equitable society than in Merton’s time, we still see race, ethnicity, class, and gender stratification throughout various levels of American society. This creates unequal access to resources to achieve the American Dream.
All people may be offered a chance at success, but privileged groups can achieve more than underprivileged groups because their pursuits are not limited by socioeconomic circumstances. It is through this inequality that deviance forms, which then leads to the potential of criminal behavior – which is sometimes celebrated.
Ultimately, the anomie and strain theory looks at groups and how individuals make choices within those groups. By accepting or rejecting approved circumstances, it becomes possible to understand why Americans make some of the choices they do.