This theory was developed by Robert K. Merton. He stated that people who live in capitalist societies have the same cultural goals like wealth, status, and financial success. These goals are encouraged and reinforced by the many institutions found in capitalist societies like schools, the government, media and corporations. Along with this, there are also encouraged means to achieve these goals like education, hard work, thrift spending, and personal sacrifice.
Unfortunately, not everyone can achieve these goals by using the encouraged means. Some people may have blocked opportunities mainly because of class location, socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity or gender discrimination. This causes strain to develop because there is a means-end discrepancy and can result in deviance or crime. A gap between the effort and the goals can cause frustration or stress which can lead an individual to commit crime in order to achieve their goals.
Merton says that individuals respond to strain in 5 ways:
1) Conformism: People accept the socially encouraged means and ends. They stay in school and sacrifice to become financially successful.
2) Innovation: People accept the goals of wealth and status but reject the means. This would be people like drug dealers or corporate criminals.
3) Ritualism: People become attached to the means but lose sight of the goals. This would be "professional students".
4) Retreatism: People reject both the means and the goals. This would be someone who drops out of school and pursues subcultural activities.
5) Rebels: People who reject the socially defined goals and means but seek to replace them with alternatives. This would be revolutionaries, anarchists, an counter-cultural activists.
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