Final answer:
According to anomie theory, a drug dealer or seller would be considered an innovator, as they seek societal goals through illegitimate means. This theorization is based on Robert Merton's perspective on social adaptation in response to the societal structure.
Step-by-step explanation:
Anomie theory, as it relates to a drug dealer or seller, interprets their role within society in terms of adaptation to cultural goals and the institutionalized means of reaching them. According to sociologist Robert Merton's adaptation of Émile Durkheim's concept of anomie, there are different ways individuals adapt when there is a disjunction between cultural objectives and the institutionalized methods available to achieve them. In this context, the drug dealer or seller is viewed as an innovator. Innovators, as described by Merton, pursue societal goals such as financial success but do so through illegitimate means or unconventional strategies when they cannot access socially sanctioned avenues. In contrast, conformists adhere entirely to societal norms and objectives, retreatists reject both the goals and means of society, rebels aim to change the society's objectives and means, and ritualists adjust their goals to what they can achieve through socially acceptable methods.