Final answer:
Conflict theory emphasizes the role of social and economic factors, particularly the differences in power among socioeconomic strata, as significant factors in explaining deviance and criminal behavior, building upon the ideas of Karl Marx.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conflict theory emphasizes that significant factors in explaining deviance, crime, delinquency, and drug abuse include differences in power among socioeconomic strata. Originating from the work of Karl Marx and others, conflict theory examines how socioeconomic inequality and power disparities contribute to deviant and criminal behavior. Instead of focusing solely on social disorganization or control issues, conflict theorists argue that social and economic factors, particularly those that demonstrate inequality within the capitalist system, play a crucial role in fostering deviant behavior such as crime and drug abuse. In contrast to perspectives that look at localized social factors or community-level variables, conflict theory looks at the broader societal level, pinpointing the way wealth and power are distributed as key to understanding why deviance occurs.
Karl Marx's perspective on an unequal system and C. Wright Mills's concept of the Power Elite further illustrate that conflict theorists believe that those in control – the wealthy elite – use their power to maintain and expand their influence, often to the detriment of the working class or the proletariat. This power dynamic is seen as a driving force behind criminal deviance, challenging other theories that do not consider the overarching racial and socioeconomic issues.
Therefore, conflict theory would particularly point to option ‘c’, differences in power among socioeconomic strata, as a significant factor in explaining deviance, crime, delinquency, and drug abuse.