Question

chris attended college but experienced some obstacles while trying to complete his degree. chris had numerous of remedial courses, which he felt put him behind, as he did not earn any college credit while taking these courses. he had many obligations at home, such has paying some of the bills in the household. another obstacle he faced is that he did not receive enough financial aid and did not have enough money from part-time employment to continue attending college. thus, he ended dropping out of college. so, chris decided to create his own company developing a new product-the widget. this product changed the world. so, while chris did not earn a college degree, he was able to achieve the goals of his society. according to merton's typology, which category describes chris?

Answer 1

According to Robert Merton's typology of deviant behavior, Chris would fall into the category of innovator. Merton defined innovators as individuals who reject societal goals, but still strive to attain them through alternative means. In Chris's case, he was unable to achieve his goals through traditional means (i.e., obtaining a college degree), but was able to achieve them through his own efforts by creating a successful company and developing a world-changing product. This type of deviant behavior is considered innovative because Chris found a unique solution to the obstacles he faced, and ultimately succeeded in attaining his goals despite not following the conventional path.