Robert Merton identified five ways in which individuals respond or adapt to selective blockage of access to opportunities among those variously located in the social structure. One mode of adaptation, ___________, involves individuals rejecting the societal goals but accepting the means. These people recognize that they will never achieve the goals due to personal inability or other factors.

Question

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Ritualism involves individuals rejecting the societal goals but accepting the means. They continue to follow the rules and norms of society, but do not strive to achieve the traditional goals. This mode of adaptation is often seen in people who have experienced repeated failure in their attempts to achieve society's goals, or who have lost interest in those goals altogether.

Robert Merton Identified Five Ways in Which Individuals Respond or Adapt