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

question 83

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 doesn't 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) Merton is right, but his analysis focuses too much on face-to-face interaction.
• D) A focus on social position misses the emotional appeal that a deviant act has for an individual.
• E) Merton needs to look at a broader range of background factors, including age and sexuality.

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