Final answer:
Robert Merton's Structural Strain Theory explains the pressure individuals may feel to engage in deviant behaviors due to disparities between cultural goals and the means to achieve them, often due to societal structures leading to inequality.
Step-by-step explanation:
Robert Merton's Structural Strain Theory is a sociological framework that explains how societal structures can pressure individuals to participate in deviant behavior when there is a disjunction between cultural goals and the institutionalized means of reaching those goals. In Merton's view, the desire for success, such as achieving the American Dream, is universal in American society, but not everyone has the same opportunity or means to achieve this. For example, financial success is a significant goal, but not all individuals have equal access to the higher education or business opportunities that can lead to such success. This disparity in access can cause strain, thus leading some to deviate, such as through embezzlement, in order to achieve their objectives.
This theory suggests that social structures may inherently lead to inequality and pressure individuals to become deviant when they lack legitimate avenues to reach societal goals. The theory was detailed in Merton's work Social Theory and Social Structure and has been influential in the field of sociology and criminology.