SY103- Final Exam Guide - Comprehensive Notes for the exam ( 38 pages long!)
Document Summary
Strain theory: the incongruity between culturally valued material ends and the available means to achieve them creates incentives for engaging in deviant behaviour. Deviance can be good for a society. Gives society a chance to re-evaluate norms and values (marijuana) American dream (if failed) leads to crime according to merton. Social cultures teach people to place a lot of value on material success. It"s impossible for everyone in a society to be rich and achieve the american dream. Robert merton said: there are different dealing strategies for the american dream (accept cultural goals/ reject) Conformed to both institutionalised means and cultural goals. People who continue to identify with the goal, still trying to achieve the american dream, but reject the institutional means of achieving it (are actually the criminals) Ritualism: opposite of innovation, reject the cultural goal but accept the institutionalized means. They"ve given up on the american dream, and accept the reality they"ve been handed.