Social Strain Robert K. Merton's Article Review

By the 1980s, theories had begun to swing the other way again, with doubts being cast on the relevance of aggregate social strain theories (Bernard 1987). Even social strain theorists were finding new and more individualistic and specific features within the theory (Agnew 1985).

In the past two decades, social strain theory has continued to be attacked by some as an antiquated and invalidated method for explaining subversive and criminal behavior, with some theorists stating outright that the empirical evidence supports alternative explanations far better than it supports traditional social strain theories (Burton et al. 1994). Other researchers have found evidence that in their view directly refutes certain aspects of social strain theory while seeming to support certain other conclusions and hypotheses that are a part of the overall explanation for criminality (De Clercq & Dakhil 2009). Ultimately, all of the problems and discrepancies that have been found with social strain theory have helped to refine the theory and redefine certain of its parameters such that the theory is now not entirely recognizable as that first put forward by Merton (1938), but that is clearly rooted in this theoretical framework and the initial conclusions that were derived from its study.Conclusion

Theories in the social sciences rarely become as widely accepted and as well vetted as theories in other branches of the "hard" sciences. Social strain theory is excellent evidence of this fact, as many parts of the theory have been upheld by some researchers yet the theory as a whole does not have a major consensus, and never really appeared to at any point in its history. At the same time, the fact that this theory still exists in some form is a testament of how the social sciences work: interactions between theories and theorists leads to refinement, development, and conversation that ultimately yields deeper understandings.

References

Agnew, R. (1985). A revised strain theory of delinquency. Social forces 64(1): 151-67.

Bernard, T. (1987). Testing social strain theories. Journal of research in crime and delinquency 24(4): 262-80.

Burton, V., Cullen, F., Evans, T. & Dunaway, R. (1994). Reconsidering strain theory: Operationalization, rival theories, and adult criminality. Journal of quantitative criminology 10(3): 213039.

De Clercq, D. & Dakhil, M. (2009). Personal strain and ethical standards of the self-employed. Journal of business venturing 24(5): 477-90.

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