SOC 201 Chapter Notes - Chapter 11: Anomie
Document Summary
Some people reject culturally approved goals but continue to pursue the means. Merton calls this apparently odd form of behavior ritualism. Ritualists follow legitimate means without caring about the goals. Ritualism is the deviant response sometimes chosen by petty bureaucrats who, frustrated at not being able to achieve their goals, continue to stamp papers and file them even when there is no point to doing so. To the ritualist, following the rules becomes more important than achieving the goals. The professor who shows up in class but does not put any effort into teaching is another example of a ritualist who is only going through the motions. Notice that ritualism is an invisible form of deviance. Because the ritualist goes through the motions of conforming, he or she may be viewed as a conformist. Retreatists are noticeably different in that they reject both the goals and the legitimate means to them.
