Robert Merton's Structural Strain Theory Sees Deviance as the Result

question 70

Multiple Choice

Robert Merton's structural strain theory sees deviance as the result of a person's position in a social structure. What do you think Jack Katz, author of Seductions of Crime, would say about structural strain theory?

• A) Merton's analysis fails because it does not understand that some people will reject both mainstream cultural goals and the institutionalized means to achieve them.
• B) Merton's analysis was correct in that background factors are almost always the most effective way to predict who will commit deviant acts.
• C) A focus on social position fails to consider the emotional appeal that a deviant act has for an individual.
• D) Merton needs to look at a broader range of background factors, including age and sexuality.

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Definitions:

Probability Of Success

The likelihood of a particular outcome deemed as 'success' occurring in a given trial or experiment.

Coin Toss

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A probability distribution that measures the likelihood of a given number of events happening in a fixed interval of time or space.

Probability Distribution

A mathematical function that gives the likelihoods of various possible results in an experiment.