M7A1 Project 4 Assignment: Merton is Theory of Deviance

M7A1: PROJECT 4
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Merton is Theory of Deviance
Merton’s theory of latent and manifest functions and dysfunction has taken a central role in understanding deviance in society. Merton sees deviance as the inconsistency of what the society defines as success and the appropriate ways the societal culture deems appropriate to achieve that success. If the means used to achieve the societal definition of success are not consistent with the expectations of the society, the individual is perceived to be deviant. Merton also coined the theory of latent and manifest to attempt to explain what causes deviance in the society. He defined manifest functions as those intentional and recognized consequences of an action to the society while latent dysfunctions are the oblivious impact of the same action to the society. Crime in the society can be because of latent or manifest action or actions by an individual or a group of people. In this article, Merton’s theory of manifest and latent are critically evaluated to find out whether they can explain deviance and crime in the society while featuring his strain theory.
Merton perspective of societal functionalism mounts pressure on each person to perform as per the expectations of the society for it to function. He describes a society as a complex system just like the interrelationship of organs in an organism. The input of an individual is important to the society, and if an individual fails to meet the societal expectations, he/she is a threat to promoting stability and solidarity. Individuals who are unable to keep up with the societal expectations are therefore labeled deviant irrespective of whether their actions are intentional or not. Some individuals opt for unconventional means to play their role in the society which amounts to deviant behavior. Therefore, functionalism is a major contributor to deviance as it mounts pressure on individuals to act and perform in particular manner or standards to play their role in the societyCITATION Rob12 \p 65 \l 1033 (Brym & Lie, 2012, p. 65). The pressure often leads to deviant behavior and threatens the solidarity and stability of the society either intentionally or unintentionally. Merton went ahead to explain five modes of adaptation which individuals take up to for the goals and means the society has imposed on them.
In any society, Merton’s discrepancies that come between the societal culture and expectations and structural opportunities lead to deviance. In an attempt to explain how individuals, respond to the cultural norms, Merton coined five types of deviance. The types of deviance are forms of adaptation individuals resort to achieve the societal goals set for them by the society. The strain theory coined by Merton explains the deviant methods the people opt for when they cannot work within the structure the society has produced to achieve their goals. Though the ultimate goals are common, the methods to reach those goals often do not take the standard approach as expected by the society or articulated in their culture. The mode of adaptations to reach the goals set by the society and targeted by the individuals varies among members of any particular social group within the ...