Question

Robert Merton's typology of deviance outlines the strain that people experience as they attempt to access cultural goals through legitimate, institutionalized means. In which of the following categories would gangsters and con artists be found?

a.conformity
b.innovation
c.ritualism
d.retreatism

Answer 1

Gangsters and con artists fit into Robert Merton's innovation category in his typology of deviance because they seek culturally approved goals through criminal or deviant means when legitimate options are unavailable or insufficient.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to Robert Merton's typology of deviance, gangsters and con artists would be found in the category of innovation. Merton's strain theory suggests that individuals may strive to achieve culturally accepted goals, but not everyone has equal means to achieve these goals through legitimate, institutionalized channels.

Gangsters and con artists, in pursuing goals such as financial success, adopt innovative paths that deviate from societal norms by engaging in criminal or deviant behaviors. These individuals utilize innovative means, rather than conforming to the accepted methods, to reach their goals. This is contrasted with other categories like conformity where individuals pursue their goals within the framework of societal norms, or retreatism where individuals reject both the cultural goals and the institutionalized means of reaching them.