Final Answer:
Robert Merton suggested that there are a number of ways individuals deal with strain. Retreatists are individuals who have dropped out of society all together, such as drug addicts, alcoholics, and many homeless people. They believe in neither the goals of society not the socially approved means of achieving successThus the option c) Retreatists is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
Robert Merton's Strain Theory posits that individuals may respond to societal strain in different ways. Retreatists, as described, are individuals who reject both the societal goals and the approved means to achieve success.
Instead, they choose to drop out of mainstream society and often engage in alternative lifestyles, such as substance abuse or homelessness. This withdrawal is a form of adaptation to the strain experienced, and retreatists disengage from the pursuit of conventional success in society.
In contrast, innovators (Option a) accept societal goals but reject the approved means, seeking alternative paths to success. Ritualists (Option b) abandon the pursuit of societal goals but adhere rigidly to the accepted means, leading a life of routine and discipline. Conformists (Option d) both accept societal goals and use the approved means to achieve success.
Understanding these adaptive strategies helps sociologists analyze how individuals respond to the strain created by the societal expectations and the means available for achieving those expectations.
Thus the option c) Retreatists is correct.