Discuss Robert Merton’s theory of anomie and his modes of adaptation

What will be an ideal response?


The answer should include the following points:


  • theory of cultural goals and institutionalized means—differential access to legitimate means and blocked access to cultural goals—strain and delinquency

  • five types of individual adaptation: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion

  • a plus sign (+) signifies acceptance, a minus sign (–) signifies rejection, and a plus/minus sign (±) signifies a rejection of the prevailing values and a substitution of new ones

  • modes of adaptation explain how deviant behavior in general is produced by the social structure—can also be applied to juvenile law-breaking

Criminal Justice

You might also like to view...

A career criminal is someone who has been convicted two or more times for various crimes

Indicate whether the statement is true or false

Criminal Justice

A researcher observes a grade school cafeteria for signs of bullying behavior on multiple days. If her observations captured the same degree of bullying on every Friday, which type of reliability method has been achieved?

A. intercoder reliability B. intraobserver reliability C. interobserver reliability D. interitem reliability

Criminal Justice

Neuropsychological indicators have been repeatedly found in psychopaths, as reflected in electrodermal (skin conductance) measures, cardiovascular, and other nervous system indices. These indicators are called:

A) confluence. B) markers. C) cloaca. D) neuroindicators.

Criminal Justice

Which of the following is NOT one of the purposes of parking?

A. to circumvent margin rules and minimum net capital requirements B. to manipulate the supply and demand of stock, which will affect its price C. to avoid the reporting requirements of the 1934 act D. to generate high commissions

Criminal Justice