Robert K. Merton and others who worked with his assumptions believed that criminal activity would decline if economic conditions improved.
One of the most renowned and significant sociologists of the 20th century was Robert K. Merton. He was a pioneer in the sociology of science throughout his career, and by creating the structural analysis paradigm, he significantly advanced general sociological theory. Merton is most recognised in the criminology community for popularising and furthering the anomie perspective on crime. This viewpoint emphasises how the typical aspects of American society's social structure paradoxically contribute to high rates of crime and other types of deviant conduct by causing anomie, or a breakdown in the social order.
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