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Strain theory is a sociological and criminological theory developed in 1938 by Robert K. Merton. [1] The theory states that society puts pressure on individuals to achieve socially accepted goals (such as the American Dream), even though they lack the means to do so. This leads to strain, which may lead individuals to commit crimes, like ...
Robert King Merton (born Meyer Robert Schkolnick; July 4, 1910 – February 23, 2003) was an American sociologist who is considered a founding father of modern sociology, and a major contributor to the subfield of criminology. He served as the 47th president of the American Sociological Association. [ 1 ] He spent most of his career teaching at ...
General strain theory (GST) is a theory of criminology developed by Robert Agnew. [1][2][3] General strain theory has gained a significant amount of academic attention since being developed in 1992. [4] Robert Agnew's general strain theory is considered to be a solid theory, has accumulated a significant amount of empirical evidence, and has ...
Robert K. Merton discussed deviance in terms of goals and means as part of his strain/anomie theory. Where Durkheim states that anomie is the confounding of social norms, Merton goes further and states that anomie is the state in which social goals and the legitimate means to achieve them do not correspond.
Merton states "just as the same item may have multiple functions, so may the same function be diversely fulfilled by alternative items." [23] This notion of functional alternatives is important because it reduces the tendency of functionalism to imply approval of the status quo. Merton's theory of deviance is derived from Durkheim's idea of ...
Cumulative inequality theory. Cumulative inequality theory or cumulative disadvantage theory is the systematic explanation of how inequalities develop. The theory was initially developed by Merton in 1988, [1] who studied the sciences and prestige. He believed that recognition from peers, and from published research in the scientific field ...
The phrase "self-fulfilling prophecy" was coined by Robert K. Merton, a sociologist who also developed the ideas of anomie, social structure, and the modes of individual adaption. [8] In his book Social Theory and Social Structure, he uses the example of a bank run to show how self-fulfilling thoughts can make unwanted situations happen. In his ...
The Free Press) Social Theory and Social Structure (STSS) was a landmark publication in sociology by Robert K. Merton. It has been translated into close to 20 languages and is one of the most frequently cited texts in social sciences. [1] It was first published in 1949, although revised editions of 1957 and 1968 are often cited.