“A cardinal American virtue, ‘ambition,’ promotes a cardinal American vice, ‘deviant behavior.”
― Robert K. Merton
Robert Merton was American sociologist. He has made significant contribution to sociology. One of his significant work is on theory of deviance. In US lot of emphasis is on cultural goals like “American Dream” i.e. to become successful in life ex. Earn lot of money, big house, best education for children etc. To achieve this dream people are supposed to use legitimate or socially approved means ex. Higher education, hardwork, working within legal framework etc.
“The extreme emphasis upon the accumulation of wealth as a symbol of success in our society militates against the completely effective control of institutionally regulated modes of acquiring a fortune.”
Robert Merton, Social structure and anomie
But not all are able to achieve it, so they start using other deviant behaviours to achieve it.
Merton has classified them as follows
- Conformity is pursing cultural goals through socially approved means. This an ideal state for every society
- Innovation is using socially unapproved or unconventional means to obtain culturally approved goals. Ex. Using means that are not legal or socially approved like earning money through dealing drugs or financial frauds.
- Ritualism is using the same socially approved means to achieve less elusive goals i.e. goals get scaled down.
- Retreatism is to reject both the cultural goals and the means to obtain it, then find a way to escape it.
- Rebellion is to reject the cultural goals and means, then work to replace them.
Merton views innovation negatively, for him it is use of socially unapproved means to obtain goals.
“Shan Zhai is becoming a widespread phenomenon in China. Originally used to describe a bandit stronghold outside government control, the term “Shan Zhai” today refers to businesses based on fake or pirated products”
-Booz & Company
Chinese have concept of Shan Zhai, it is a bandit stronghold beyond control of government authorities. Shan Zhai in modern context means producing fake or pirated goods. While it was viewed negatively by western countries, for Chinese it was innovative concept of competing with advanced countries. The good produced were of lower quality, violated intellectual property but there was large market for these goods in China.
Over period of time of these Shan Zhai companies have undergone change and have improved their quality and design, making their products at par with other world class companies.
Viv•i•fy : ( verb) : to endow with renewed life 