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Merton Key Ideas

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Merton's strain theory suggests that society establishes socially accepted goals, such as the American dream of wealth and material success, but not everyone has equal access to legitimate means of achieving those goals. Simon pursued higher education and worked his way up through a successful career in finance to achieve the dream, while Dougie turned to drug dealing as an illegitimate means after failing to find success through legitimate means. Both achieved the outward symbols of success - a nice house and car - but through very different means, legitimate versus illegitimate.

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MERTON’S STRAIN THEORY SIMON ‘DRUGGIE’ DOUGIE My dream from an early age was to own a big house and to drive a big expensive car My dream from an early age was to own a big house and to drive a big expensive car I worked hard and did well in school studies. I got 8 GCSEs and 4 A levels (2 A grades). I went to university and studied Accountancy. I got a first in my Accountancy Degree. I took a Masters degree in Applied Accountancy and got a distinction. I got a job for a firm in the City of London. After 8 years I had worked my way up to a senior management position in the firm. At the age of 40 I was promoted to director of the firm. I retired at 58. I lived the dream – look at my house and car! I am successful Simon! I didn’t like school and left with no qualifications. I worked in a warehouse for a couple of years but found it very boring and the pay was terrible. I saw a gap in the market and got hold of some cheap ecstasy tablets to sell in my town. I made some money from this and reinvested the money in other illegal drugs. I soon cornered the market in my town – my drugs were of good quality and were competitively priced. Pretty soon I had 50 dealers working for me all over the midlands. My business boomed. I retired at 55 I lived the dream – look at my house and car! I am deadly Dougie!

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Merton Key Ideas

  • 1. MERTON’S STRAIN THEORY SIMON ‘DRUGGIE’ DOUGIE My dream from an early age was to own a big house and to drive a big expensive car My dream from an early age was to own a big house and to drive a big expensive car I worked hard and did well in school studies. I got 8 GCSEs and 4 A levels (2 A grades). I went to university and studied Accountancy. I got a first in my Accountancy Degree. I took a Masters degree in Applied Accountancy and got a distinction. I got a job for a firm in the City of London. After 8 years I had worked my way up to a senior management position in the firm. At the age of 40 I was promoted to director of the firm. I retired at 58. I lived the dream – look at my house and car! I am successful Simon! I didn’t like school and left with no qualifications. I worked in a warehouse for a couple of years but found it very boring and the pay was terrible. I saw a gap in the market and got hold of some cheap ecstasy tablets to sell in my town. I made some money from this and reinvested the money in other illegal drugs. I soon cornered the market in my town – my drugs were of good quality and were competitively priced. Pretty soon I had 50 dealers working for me all over the midlands. My business boomed. I retired at 55 I lived the dream – look at my house and car! I am deadly Dougie!