UPSC SOCIOLOGY – Paper 1 – SOCIOLOGICAL THINKERS – Robert K. Merton- Latent and manifest functions, conformity and deviance, reference groups
- Conformity is that action which is oriented to social norms or expectations. It falls within the toleration prescribed by the society.
- Deviance is non-conformity or deviating from the accepted path. Deviant in one society may be normal in other societies.
- Merton views Anomie as a part of the system and a general feature of society. He defines its as ‘A situation in which there is a discrepancy between culturally defined goals and structural means available to achieve them. Deviance is considered as a result of Anomie.
APPLICATION OF STRUCTURAL STRAIN AND DEVIANCE
- Merton gives the example of American dream.
- American Society places a great emphasis on material success but many people fail to achieve this success .
- It is because structural means are not sufficient.
- Only a few people reach at the top and this creates a feeling of depreciation among others.
- Not all groups of people have equal access to those means.
- The result is a structural strain that produces deviance.
- Lower class individuals are most likely to experience these strains.
- These individuals are more likely to turn to crime.
RESPONSES OF A DEVIANT PERSON
- Conformist
She accepts both goals and means and despite their utility or fairness, she keeps pursuing them. Eg: A student keeps on learning to get into a professional career (the goal) even though the method is not suitable for him. - Innovator
It occurs when an individual accept culturally defined goals but reject socially accepted means. Innovators are imperfectly socialized. Eg: Scientists, Thieves. - Ritualist
A Ritualist accepts socially understandable means but fails to understand the goals. Eg: Red-tapism in bureaucracy. - Retreatist
It involves rejection of both means and goals. They are indifferent to socio-cultural norms and values. Eg: Alcoholics, vagrants, etc - Rebellion
Involves rejection of both goals and means and then the creation of new means and goals. Eg: Social Reformers
ANOMIE AS A DYSFUNCTION
- Anomie is a particular example of structural functionalism.
- The basic idea of Robert K. Merton’s anomie theory is that most people strive to achieve culturally recognized goals. A state of anomie develops when access to these goals is blocked to entire groups of people or individuals.
- As per his functional paradigm, he is mainly concerned with dysfunctions.
- Merton also introduces an element of criticism to the process of stratification in society which is seen as totally functional by the earlier structural functionalists.
CRITICISM
- Merton refers to goals and means, but there may be other aspects of social structure which may cause Anomie.
- Albert Cohen argues that deviance is due to a specific subculture that members of a particular subgroup develops. Hence, it is collective in nature and not at an individual level as Merton has tried to prove.
- A person at different times may respond to the same type of social impetus differently. This shows that anomic behaviour depends on the individual as well.
- Lemert and Laurie Taylor argue that those who wield power also decide who will be deviant. Definitions of deviance don’t reflect consensus of society.
