Question

Sarah has been working as an administrative assistant at the same company for 30 years. She goes through the motions at her job with little motivation. She has realized that she will never get promoted, and has become extremely defeated. According to strain theory, Sarah is an example of a(n) ______.

Answer 1

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Sarah has been working as an administrative assistant at the same company for 30 years. She goes through the motions at her job with little motivation. She has realized that she will never get promoted, and has become extremely defeated. According to strain theory, Sarah is an example of a(n) ______.

a. ritualist

b. rebellionist

c. conformist

d. innovator

Answer:

Sarah is an example of a (n) a. ritualist.

Explanation:

Sociologist Robert Merton developed the strain theory, according to which people show different responses to social and cultural values and the way they are supposed to achieve those values. There are people who accept both the goal and the means to achieve it. Others may reject both, for example.

A ritualist is the individual who rejects the goals, but still accepts the expected way to achieve them. Sarah seems to have previously accepted the goals. Now that she has come to realize she will never be promoted, she no longer fights for those goals. Still, she keeps on going through the motions. She is still engaged in the activity that was supposed to take her to those goals, but will not. Sarah is, therefore, a ritualist.