Merton’s Theory of Anomie In the 1960’s, Robert Merton introduced his Theory of Anomie pertaining to the United States of America. I have elected to apply Merton’s Theory of Anomie to German society and American society, comparatively. Robert Merton strived to describe how deviance is depicted in society and how the people either adapt to the means and goals or become deviant to accumulate success. Merton classifies those modes of adaptation as conformists, innovators, ritualists and rebels. According to Schaefer (2007) the five modes of adaptation defined by Merton can be found anywhere in our society. Merton’s ability to produce a theory with relevance in 2015 is impeccable. In order to understand how Merton’s application of the Theory of Anomie is successful, you must first understand the means and goals of a society. In the United States, goals of a successful person could be a six-figure salary, three sports cars a helicopter and a boat. These indicators for a successful life could be mimicked in other countries, or completely false. Understanding the goals of each society is crucial. After understanding the goals within a society, Schaefer (2007) proclaimed that Merton stated that one must select a pathway; or mean to achieve those goals. Essentially, someone could elect to utilize institutional means to attain wealth or status, or reject those means and chose deviant means (Schaefer, 2007).
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By definition a ritualistic person rejects the goals of society; whether it be wealth or status, but chooses to accept the means of achieving them. Basically, a ritualist does not believe in the importance of wealth or having status, but does believe in working hard and being a productive person. A ritualist can commonly be categorized as a nine-to-five worker, who works hard and provides for a living, but doesn’t seek recognition or materialistic objects for their deeds. Additionally, a parent who has sacrificed oneself for their child’s ability to attain wealth for themselves can be categorized as a ritualist (Schaefer,
By definition a ritualistic person rejects the goals of society; whether it be wealth or status, but chooses to accept the means of achieving them. Basically, a ritualist does not believe in the importance of wealth or having status, but does believe in working hard and being a productive person. A ritualist can commonly be categorized as a nine-to-five worker, who works hard and provides for a living, but doesn’t seek recognition or materialistic objects for their deeds. Additionally, a parent who has sacrificed oneself for their child’s ability to attain wealth for themselves can be categorized as a ritualist (Schaefer,