One problem with Robert Merton's theory is it assumes____________________.

One problem with Robert Merton's theory is it assumes____________________.

• A. criminal behavior is concentrated in the lower classes
• B. wealthy people commit crimes more than the lower classes
• C. drug addicted individuals are more criminal
• D. routine activities are the cause of criminal behavior

Answer: (A)

Merton’s strain theory explains crime as a response to a gap between culturally approved goals (like financial success) and the legitimate means to achieve them. A central assumption it makes is that criminal behavior will be most common among those with limited access to legitimate means—the lower classes. That assumption is the problem highlighted here: crime is not confined to the lower class, and focusing only on that group overlooks offenses carried out by wealthier individuals, such as white-collar crime. The other options don’t fit Merton’s framework: wealthier people aren’t predicted to be more criminal in this view, drug addiction isn’t the core driver Merton emphasizes, and routine-activities as the cause points to a different theory entirely. Thus, the best answer is that criminal behavior is concentrated in the lower classes.

Merton’s strain theory explains crime as a response to a gap between culturally approved goals (like financial success) and the legitimate means to achieve them. A central assumption it makes is that criminal behavior will be most common among those with limited access to legitimate means—the lower classes. That assumption is the problem highlighted here: crime is not confined to the lower class, and focusing only on that group overlooks offenses carried out by wealthier individuals, such as white-collar crime. The other options don’t fit Merton’s framework: wealthier people aren’t predicted to be more criminal in this view, drug addiction isn’t the core driver Merton emphasizes, and routine-activities as the cause points to a different theory entirely. Thus, the best answer is that criminal behavior is concentrated in the lower classes.