According to Merton's strain theory, "Druggie Dougie", a drug baron, engages in criminal behavior like drug dealing because of the mismatch between socially approved goals of success and the legitimate means to achieve those goals. Merton argues that in societies with an unequal opportunity structure, where lower classes face disadvantages, individuals may feel pressure and strain to resort to deviant behavior like crime when legitimate means are blocked. For "Druggie Dougie", the cultural emphasis on success combined with a lack of legitimate opportunities likely created strain that led him to turn to the illegal drug trade.

1. According to Merton’s
STRAIN THEORY how would
we explain a drugs baron like
‘Druggie Dougie’?

2. MERTON’S STRAIN THEORY
(1938)
In this theory people do crime when they
are unable to achieve socially approved
goals by legitimate or legal means
For example people might well become
frustrated and resort to criminal means of
getting what they want, or lash out at
others in anger, or find comfort in their
failure in drug use

3. STRAIN = poor fit, mismatch,
imbalance...
• There is a poor fit between the socially approved
goals (achieving material success and high
status) and the legitimate means of achieving
these goals
• Explanations for crime and deviance which see
crime as being generated when people absorb
the idea of getting on but are unable to get on in
the ways society approve of....this mismatch is
resolved in various ways according to Merton

4. MERTON
• Merton adapted Durkheim’s concept of
anomie to explain deviance
• His theory combines two elements
• STRUCTURAL FACTORS: society’s
unequal opportunity structure (hierarchy)
• CULTURAL FACTORS: the over-powering
emphasis on success at all costs, and the
weaker emphasis on using legitimate
means to achieve success (success is all!)

5. American Dream?
An ideology which says that as an American
everyone has a chance to make good (rich,
successful and fulfilled) – with an enthusiastic
and determined combination of effort and skill.
Opportunities exist for all, a meritocracy.
However the reality is that lower class groups
have disadvantages and are widely denied the
opportunities to achieve legitimately, for
example through failing schools and the
disadvantages of poverty and discrimination

6. The resulting strain between the cultural goal of
money success and the lack of legitimate means
to achieve it creates a pressure to resort to illegal
means.
Merton calls this pressure to deviate the strain
to anomie
This pressure is further increased by the fact
that American culture puts more emphasis on
achieving success at any price, than upon doing
it by legitimate means (anomie because the
socialised norms which are supposed to prevent
crime are not strong enough)
Winning becomes more important than
playing by the rules

7. Place these people in one of Merton’s categories. Do they all fit?
1. A drug dealer
2. A petty bureaucrat who rigidly enforces all of the laws and rules
3. Someone dependent on crack cocaine
4. An alcoholic
5. A religious fundamentalist terrorist bomber
6. A paedophile
7. A credit card fraudster
8. Your teacher
9. A car thief
10. A joy rider
11. A lawyer
12. A bank robber
13. A traffic warden
14. Tramps
15. Hippies
16. Political radicals
17. A heroine addict
18. A homeless person
19. A vandals
20. A ‘Happy Slapping’ youth