Final answer:
Robert Merton's strain theory, rooted in functionalist sociology, explains social deviance by the pressure of societal structure that leads to a gap between societal goals and the means to achieve them, causing some to engage in deviance.
Step-by-step explanation:
Functionalist Perspective on Deviance
Sociologist Robert Merton developed the strain theory as a functionalist account of social deviance. He elaborated on Émile Durkheim's ideas by suggesting that society's structure can pressure citizens to commit deviance.
The strain theory posits that when there is a disjunction between culturally approved goals and legitimate means to achieve them, individuals may resort to deviance.
Merton's framework helps to understand why an individual who lacks the means to achieve the 'American Dream' might turn to alternative, often illegitimate, methods such as embezzlement to fulfill their ambitions.
This theory aligns with functionalism, which views deviance as playing a role in society by, for instance, challenging social norms or reaffirming currently held norms when deviance is punished.
Functionalists believe that laws express the collective conscience of a society and that punishments for deviance can vary based on societal complexity and size. For example, larger societies with a complex division of labor tend to have less severe punishments, while smaller, more homogeneous societies might punish deviance more harshly.
Besides Merton's strain theory, other theories such as social disorganization theory and conflict theory provide different functionalist perspectives on why deviance occurs and its effects on society.