AQA GCSE Sociology · 8192

Social Theory and Social Structure by Merton

What you need to know

Explain Robert Merton's strain theory and the concept of anomie arising from the gap between societal goals and available means.
Identify and describe Merton's five responses to success goals: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion.
Evaluate criticisms of Merton's theory, such as its reliance on value consensus and its overestimation of working-class crime.