Final answer:
Differential Opportunity Theory adds to Merton's Strain Theory by examining the access to illegitimate means as a factor in crime and deviance. It introduces three subcultures: criminal, conflict, and retreatist, which describe different reactions to the lack of legitimate means to achieve success. The centrality of illegitimate means highlights the influence of societal structure in leading to deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differential Opportunity Theory builds on Robert Merton's Strain Theory by introducing the concept that people have different access to illegitimate means, which affects their likelihood of committing crimes. According to this theory, society's structure provides unequal opportunities for individuals to achieve the culturally approved goals of success, leading some to turn to deviance.
The theory identifies three subcultures: criminal subculture, conflict subculture, and retreatist subculture. The criminal subculture emerges in stable communities with an established pattern of criminal activity, providing a learning environment for crime as a means to success. The conflict subculture arises in areas where there is little organized adult crime, and status is gained through gang violence and aggression. The retreatist subculture represents those who fail in both legitimate and illegitimate means, turning to escapist activities such as drug abuse.
Illegitimate means are central to the theory as they are the tools or methods individuals in a structurally imposed position of inequality use to achieve societal goals they otherwise could not reach through legitimate means. An understanding of differential opportunity theory sheds light on the ways in which the structure of society can lead to different forms of deviance and crime, underlining the importance of access to legitimate and illegitimate opportunities in shaping individual behavior.