Merton’s typology of deviance outlines the social aspects that cause people to involve themselves in deviant behaviors. This typology aims to reveal that social structures and cultural norms could pressure people to get induced into different forms of deviance. Merton found five kinds of deviance: conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. He did this by examining how people’s views about reaching their goals affected their adherence.
Conformity entails accepting both cultural goals and means as defined by society. In general, this is not considered deviant behavior since it follows the norms and expectations of society. However, conformity can be observed through the different attributes of life in which people comply with cultural levels. For example, paying taxes and obeying traffic laws demonstrate adherence to civic duties and legal and social obligations (Adler & Adler, 2006). Although conformity is not intrinsically deviant, the examination of conformity demonstrates how deeply cultural goals and means are embedded in societies.
On the other hand, innovation describes how people accept goals but are unwilling to utilize the otherwise socially approved means to actualize the goals’ attainment (Merton, 2017). This deviance often comes as criminal activity, such as theft, fraud, or drug dealing, when illegal means are adopted to acquire wealth, social prestige, or material success (Goode, 2022). For example, someone who steals money or trades on inside information to get rich could be called an innovator in Merton’s typology.
Ritualism is the rejection of cultural goals while simultaneously continuing with the means of achieving them. In this kind of deviance, individuals tend to preoccupy themselves with routines and lose focus on the bigger picture or goals (Siegel, 2018). For example, the bureaucrat who follows the procedural rules to the letter but does not focus on the hidden rationale in the rules and consequences could be an example of ritualism. Another example comes from an assembly line worker who regards the job as repeating motions and has no ambition for career growth, which could be another example of such deviance.
Retreatism is the rejection of cultural goals and the means to achieve them. Individuals who retreat are those who withdraw from social expectations and norms. They do it out of hopelessness and a lack of belongingness. This form of deviance may surface in several ways, from drug addiction to homelessness or complete social withdrawal. The example can be illustrated by an individual who has immense problems with being perennially unemployed or even homeless and then turns to drugs, which might be taken as a retreat (Siegel, 2018).
Finally, the last form of deviance is rebellion, a much more serious form of deviance in which individuals not only reject cultural goals but also reject cultural means and set about to replace them with alternative goals and means. This type of deviance is evident in revolutionary movements and radical ideologies, encompassing the total remodeling of social structures and norms (Goode, 2022). For example, some activists could not agree with capitalism’s values and sought to establish a communistic life system through violence. Anarchist and anti-government militia groups also represent rebellion in its worst form because they try to dismantle the existing systems and structures of society.
While Merton’s typology provides a valuable framework for understanding deviant behavior, it has also been criticized. One limitation is that it largely focused on deviant utilitarian crimes, fueled by the material success that comes with them, hence largely leaving out those deviant and malicious forms that are non-utilitarian. Examples of such crimes include hate crimes or acts of violence arising from individual-based grievances or psychological factors (Goode, 2022).
In conclusion, Merton’s typology of deviance provides an understanding and explanation of how people respond to pressures from society and cultural norms. From this point of view, there is an interplay between adherence to the goals and adherence to the means that would point out some of the complexities related to deviant behavior and possible societal factors resulting in its emergence.
References
Adler, P. A., & Adler, P. (2006). The deviant society. Deviant Behavior, 27(2), 129-148.
Goode, E. (2022). Deviant behavior. Routledge.
Merton, R. K. (2017). Social structure and anomie. In Gangs (pp. 3–13). Routledge.
Siegel, L. J. (2018). Criminology: Theories, patterns, and typologies.
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