Merton used Durkheim’s construct of anomy to organize his ain theory. called Strain Theory. Merton argued that anomy is non created by dramatic societal alteration. but instead by a societal construction that holds the same ends to all its members without giving them equal means to accomplish them. Merton stated that all members of a capitalist society have ends such as “wealth. position and personal happiness” . ( Merton. 1938 ) and that the agencies available to accomplish this success are unevenly distributed throughout society. Merton believes that this deficiency of integrating between society ends and what society realistically permits causes the less dominant or lower category group to endure ‘strain’ which consequences in surrogate or illicit ways of accomplishing those ends. ( Merton. 1938 )
Merton did non intend that everyone who was denied entree to society’s ends became aberrant. He presented five manners of accommodating to strive. Conformity is the most common manner of version. Persons accept both the ends every bit good as the prescribed means for accomplishing those ends. Conformists will accept. though non ever achieve. the ends of society and the agencies approved for accomplishing them. The people who make up this unit are largely in-between and upper-class persons. The pioneers are typically low-class people who desire a high-toned life and concentrate on accomplishing it.
Their agencies of success would be 1s such as robbery. peculation or other such condemnable Acts of the Apostless. Ritualism. the 3rd version. is made up of the people who abandon the ends they one time believed to be within their range and give themselves to their current life style ; they play by the regulations and have a day-to-day safe modus operandi. Retreatism is the version of those who give up non merely the ends but besides the agencies. They frequently retreat into a universe of alcohol addiction and drug dependence. The concluding version is rebellion. which occurs when the cultural ends and the legitimate agencies are rejected and are substituted by the persons ain ends and agencies. ( Merton. 1938 )
Shoplifting is defined as “the larceny by a individual of goods or ware exposed for sale. ” ( Denver Crime Definition. 2002 ) Accurate informations on shrinkage is non widely available because it’s mostly considered a ‘petty’ offense and its happening is non ever reported to constabularies. A survey of the reported instances of shoplifting found that it occurs most at liquor mercantile establishments. pharmaceuticss and general shops. To a lesser extent reported shoplifting occurs at service Stationss. intelligence bureaus and eating houses. ( A. I. C. no. 221. 2002 )
The people at most hazard of victimization are those who work at general shops. service Stationss. pharmaceuticss and liquor mercantile establishments. ( A. I. C. no. 221. 2002 ) Shoplifting chiefly affects the shops owner/s and employees as it hinders gross. raises operational costs and creates inaccurate stock degrees. Shoplifting besides causes emphasis among colleagues which can take to nerve-racking on the job environments. ( A. I. C. no. 11. 2004 ) Shoplifting has a high engagement of both female and juvenile wrongdoers and the bulk of boosters are of low category or unemployed. ( A. I. C. : Australian Crime Facts & A ; Figures. 2004 )
Peoples shoplift because they are unable to derive entree to the institutional agencies to accomplish the ends they desire – whether it is nutrient to feed themselves or their households. or mercenary points to increase their position. This relates to shoplifting as the huge bulk of instances as it is done preponderantly by the lower category or unemployed population. This besides explains why there is a deficiency of center and high category participants in shrinkage. as they have greater entree to legalize agencies to accomplish their ends. ( Merton. 1938 )
Shoplifting is frequently done by the unemployed as an act of invention. non retreatism. rebellion. or ritualism. The unemployed desire the accomplishment of cultural ends of society but have an illicit entree to the institutional agencies. Conformity can be used to explicate why the bulk of people do non shoplift. people who conform iternalise both the cultural ends of society and the structural agencies for making so. ( Merton. 1938 )
There are a few countries that Merton’s strain theory fails to explicate in relation to shoplifting. His theory does non explicate shoplifting committed by people who have high fiscal position ; these people are non conformists. nor are they pioneers. However. Merton’s strain theory tantrums good with explicating the bulk of shrinkage. He predicted that most felons fall into the pioneer class. which does explicate the bulk of shoplifting instances.
