Casey could not believe that her friends were continuing on to college after high school. She found it much more important to try to overthrow the current government, and she planned to chain herself to the capital building and stage a hunger strike until her demands were met. Merton would argue that Casey was coping with strain through:
A) Innovation
B) Ritualism
C) Rebellion
D) Retreatism

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Merton's strain theory suggests that people cope with strain through five different modes of adaptation - conformity, innovation, ritualism, retreatism, and rebellion. Casey's behavior of attempting to overthrow the government and stage a hunger strike is a form of rebellion, which is one of the five modes of adaptation. Innovation (A) is when individuals accept the goals of society but pursue them through illegitimate means. Ritualism (B) is when individuals abandon the goals of society but continue to follow the norms and rules. Retreatism (D) is when individuals give up on both the goals and norms of society and become socially isolated. Therefore, the best choice for this scenario is C) Rebellion.

Casey Could Not Believe That Her Friends Were Continuing on to College