Parsons - Argued with Durkheim that sickness could be seen as deviant and has the potential for de-stabilising society. He therefore sees medical profession as performing an important social control function by restricting access to the 'sick role'. In this way illegitimate illness is minimised and social order and stability is maintained.
Merton - Believed American/British society socialises individuals to meet certain shared goals 'The American Dream' and to follow approved means or ways to achieve the goals, e.g. hard work and effort.
"Anomie is a strain between goals set by society and the lefitimate means of achieving them"
Merton argued capitalist societies suffered from anomie. Merton claimed this strain was a product of an unequal social class structure that blocked many peoples attempts to reach the goals set by society through the legitmate opportunity structure.
- Anomie is difficult term to operationalise, as how can it be measured? If it is measured by the amount of crime, a circular arguement is created as Merton does not explain where the goals and means have come from or whose purpose they serve
- Assumes that there is a common value system to deviate from
- Do not recognise subcultures
- Very accepting of official statistics is valid
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