The theory that will be discussed in this paper is Merton’s Strain Theory. It states that deviance is a product of social structure and that it sets the same tasks for its participants but without providing the means to solve these tasks (Cambridge, 2014). This means that although society places great value on the means to an end, not all people have them to an early degree. The main aspects of the theory are Conformity, Innovation, Ritualism, Retreatism, and Rebellion (MrClinePsy, 2014). Each element is critical to the functioning of this theory. However, in order for the system to work, it must change. CrashCourse’s (2017) video lecture states that “deviance can actually encourage social change.” This proves that deviance is needed to successfully implement the theory through changing society. According to Toc A Terra (2013), 95% of children under the age of 14 caught stealing in Madrid were gypsies. This shows that some people do not have access to the resources that others use, and therefore they have to commit theft.
The presented theory can be used to understand and analyze any event in life. For example, the theory can be applied to better understand the problem of social inequality problem described in the cited documentary. Agnew (1992) states that “strain theory has a central role to play in explanations of crime/delinquency” (p. 47). However, other problems can be understood and overcome thanks to Stein’s Theory. For example, according to the film Unreported World (2018), at least 30 cars a day are stolen in South Africa. This fact is another severe criminal problem that has arisen due to the global inequality in the distribution of means to achieve goals among people. In order to solve these and similar problems, society must undergo significant changes that are achieved, as mentioned above, through deviance.
References
Agnew, R. (1992). Foundation for a general Strain theory of crime and delinquency [PDF File]. Criminology, 30(1). Emory University.
Cambridge, M. (2014). SSLC502 Classical criminology R.K. Merton and Strain Theory [Video]. YouTube. Web.
CrashCourse. (2017). Theory & deviance: Crash course sociology #19 [Video]. YouTube. Web.
MrClinePsy. (2014). Merton’s Strain Theory [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Toc A Terra. (2013).Gypsy child thieves (BBC Documentary) [Video]. YouTube. Web.
Unreported World. (2018). Private security firms protecting against car jacking in South Africa [Video]. YouTube. Web.