Essay Question. Discuss Mertons five modes of adaptation and give an

Question. Discuss Mertons five modes of adaptation and give an example of each - Essay Example The acceptance or rejection in terms of cultural goals and institutionalized means is an important facet of understanding Merton’s five modes of adaptation. Merton believes that conformity is the most common kind of the five modes of adaptation. What happens during this mode is that people try to achieve success by employing traditional methodologies that are apparent (Merton 1985). Similarly Merton is of the view that the mode of innovation uses a small, yet substantial change with the perspective of the people while the mode is still in conformity but is in the process of tilting towards innovation. The third mode is ritualism where the deviant behavior rejects the attitude towards goals but believes staunchly within the attitude to means. Retreatism is the fourth mode of adaptation which rejects both attitudes towards goals and means while rebellion, being the last of the Merton’s five nodes seems to be in a fix regarding the rejection or acceptance of the attitudes towards cultural goals and institutionalized means. Merton’s paradigm of deviant behavior is one theory which dedicatedly believes on the premise of tying up the five modes which significantly outline the differences between the institutionalized means and the cultural goals (Merton 1942).