Robert K. Merton

Introduction

The full name of Robert K. Merton is Robert King Merton. This famous sociologist did splendid work on social science and mass communication. He was a pioneer in the research on social life, especially “role model” and “self-fulfilling prophecy.” He also developed the theory of social strain.

Eric Koch for Anefo, Robert K. Merton (1965), CC0 1.0

Early Life and Education

Merton was an immigrant from Eastern Europe and lived in a middle-class family in Philadelphia. When he was only 14, he transformed his name from Robert to Robert Merton. In his teenage life, he was one of the famous magicians. He joined Temple College for undergraduate work, and then he completed his graduation from Harvard. In the year of 1936, he became a doctorate in sociology.

Career and later life

He joined Harvard as a professor in 1938. He became the chairman of the sociology department at Tulane University. Then he became the faculty of Columbia University in 1941. He secured the first position due to his highest qualification in 1974. Then, after five years, he retired from Columbia University and joined Rockefeller University as a professor. He was the first Foundation Scholar at the Russell Sage Foundation. He left his teaching profession in 1984.

In his career life, he received many awards for his contribution to sociology. He was selected as a sociologist at the National Academy of Sciences and became a foreign sociologist at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Merton contributed a lot to the progression of the sociology of science and got the National Medal in 1994. He received many honours from at least 20 universities like Columbia, Chicago, Yale, Harvard, etc.

Robert Merton’s Theory

Merton was the person who first explained the Strain Theory in 1940. According to the Strain Theory, people in society execute crimes when they can’t get sufficient opportunities to reach their goals of success. In these circumstances, a ‘strain’ is created among the people in the society to gain success and some people took the way of crime to achieve their goals. Strain Theory was developed at the time when crime scenes were found often in the USA.

The Basics of Strain Theory

Merton opposed the faith that the principles of the ‘American Dream’ were the main root of culture in the USA. He disagreed with this theory, which tells that equal opportunities were given to people of all standards in the USA. According to the ‘American Dream’, success achieved by someone is measured by the amount of wealth and property and if anyone is talented and hard-working, then wealth is their reward.

But Merton opposed this fact and told that all people from all standards can’t get sufficient opportunities to achieve their goals and can’t be stable financially. To express this discrepancy between cultural aspirations and organizational means, Merton created the idea of “anomie.”

Adaptations in the strain −These adaptations are made when people are in strain.

• Conformity − It is the attainment of cultural aspirations via socially acceptable methods.

• Innovation − It is the use of unusual or objectionable tactics to achieve socially appropriate goals, i.e. smuggling to increase wealth.

• Ritualism − Properly utilizing the same culturally acceptable methods to pursue less ambiguous goals.

• Retreatism − Ignoring the act of both the social goals and the appropriate methods to reach there. It’s the way that people take to avoid these.

• Rebellion − Ignoring the act of both the social goals and the appropriate methods to reach there.

Arguments against Merton’s Strain Theory

• According to subcultural researchers, all people don’t commit crimes. A group of people does this. There is no explanation for this.

• Because Merton relied heavily on government figures, he created discrimination between the crimes of working people and white colour crime. He focused mainly on the crimes of working people.

• Strain theory mainly describes financial crimes rather than violent crimes.

Structural Functional Analysis

Considering the society as a whole system leads to functional analysis. In his writings, Merton discussed the “functions” of punishment for crimes according to the extent of crime and how they affect the whole society. In his writing “Social Theory and Social Structure”, he explained that functional analysis is a critical theory that connects theory, its methods, and the functional explanation of data.

• Functional Unity − Conventional functionalism relies on the belief that every action or activity provides a role for the overall society. Again, in the theory of functional unity, Merton created doubt if all civilizations were completely integrated.

• Universal Functionalism − According to this theory, all cultural or social institutions are beneficial and have positive consequences. But Merton opposed that and said there is a balance between positive and negative functional results.

• Functional Indispensability − In this theory, Merton said that no cultural practice is beneficial and there are always some alternative functions.

Other Contributions of Robert Merton

Merton were particularly interested in the relationships and significance between cultural and social institutions and science. Also, he made significant contributions to bureaucracy, communications, social stratification, social psychology, and social structure. He was a well-known researcher in modern policy and medical education. Merton also explained the topics like ‘role strain’, ‘unintended consequences’, and ‘manifest function’.

Conclusion

Robert K. Merton was one of the popular researchers who took the responsibility for renovation of science in sociology. He was the creator of the popular “strain theory”. This theory was made according to the social and economic conditions of the USA. In his entire professional and research life, he got several awards from many recognized universities. His theories connect the people of the society by all standards.

FAQs

Q1. Why Merton is considered a functionalist?

Ans. The strain theory was developed by an American functionalist sociologist Robert Merton and explains the cause of certain low-income individuals can turn to crime. His hypothesis adapted Durkheim's idea of anomie for the USA in the 20th century.

Q2. What are classifications of function according to Merton?

Ans. According to Merton, society has two basic function types: manifest and latent. Latent functions are the less evident and frequently unintended effects of an activity, whereas manifest functions are the clear and planned results of an action or organization.

Q3. What sorts of deviance does Merton believe exist?

Ans. According to Merton, these norms give rise to five different types of deviation: ritualism, innovation, retreatism, and rebellion. Strange conduct eventually aids in the blending of numerous communities within a civilization, acting as a positive force for good, according to structural functionalism.