Gaurav KumarAIR 34 · CSE 2017 · 175 wordsTheir whole copy
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R.K. MERTON, as a neo positivist, is criticising biologists (like LOMBROSO), psychologist (like SIGMUND FREUD & DINITZ) who tried to explain deviance as a biological and behavioural phenomena.
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He also rejected the cultural theories of HOWARD BECKER and SUTHERLAND who consider that culture drives some individuals towards deviance. Differing from Durkheim's views on deviance being a departure from conscience collective, merton studies deviance by developing a middle range theory of Anomie.
He explains deviance as a product of imbalance and mismatch between institutionalised means and culturally prescriptive goals and on that basis he classifies deviants into 5 typs - conformists, ritualist, innovators, retreatists and rebellions.
He tries to establish a connectivity between theories and facts and studies deviance based on empirical evidence.
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He argues that deviant behaviour is present in every aspect of social structure and individual but it varies in form and degree. Thus this relationship is the subject matter of sociology and it should be studied by developing middle range theory to explain function, non-function and dysfunctions (manifest & latent) of every reality.