assignment 1834

After leaving your mother’s womb and entering the womb of society, your socialization continues on throughout life through the institutions such as family, educational facilities, religious groupings, workplace organizations, and health care facilities, plus many other groups like neighborhoods, communities, etc. Then life becomes an experience of conforming to the culture and structure your society, or deviating in various degrees. Simply put, this is that conflict between inner or real self and social self. On page 158-159 in your text there is a discussion of this reality but in terms of something called strain theory, which was first narrated by Robert K. Merton years ago, and since then has been modified numerous times. Attached is a chart describing that theory. In short, people tend to conform to or deviate from the expectations of the society they are living in. Merton called this the goals of a society and the means to attain those goals. He assumed most everyone wanted to attain what is called “the American Dream.” But not all can or want to. Thus theory was developed. Think about your own life and how you have experienced degrees of conformity and also deviance. If you come from another culture that is your most familiar one, your home culture, “feels” comfortable, then is there conflict between having to conform but inwardly not wanting to? Nevertheless, all of us experience varying degrees of conforming and deviating according to our values, decisions, understandings, and for early years just because parents direct us to conform or deviate.

Write down your understanding of these social dynamics and how you have been able to navigate life with various degrees of conformity and deviance.

• NOTE: If you don’t have this text Merton’s strain theory can be found in any sociology text and on line. Be sure to cite your source(s) in discussion.