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Merton and Tony Go to Lunch
Robert K. Merton (1910-2003), studied at Harvard and Columbia University, and contributed many works and ideas to the science of sociology. Our source for Merton's theory will come from his work "Social Structure and Anomie"(1938). According to Lemert (2004), this is one of the most widely read articles in the history of sociology and remains one of the most important works of structural theory in American sociology.
"Scarface" is, without a doubt, one of the most popular gangster movies of all times. It is continuously referenced in gangster rap and quoted by people all over the world. The movie is brutally violent and paints an extremely bleak picture of life as a mob boss. This site discusses how the actions of Tony Montana in the 1983 box office hit "Scarface" reflect the functionalist views of Robert K. Merton.
In the movie, Tony's drive to succeed takes him from a mundane dish washer to the top of a criminal empire. Using Tony's drive as an example of achieving a goal, in this case a mob boss, we will apply Merton's Theory of Social Structure and it's implications in the real world. This site will attempt to explain Merton's theory in laymen's terms through a hypothetical dialogue between Tony and Merton.
If Tony and Robert met for lunch, what do you think they would talk about? Let's imagine for theory's sake that both of these men are friends. The two meet for lunch and discuss a few of Tony's problems. Tony is feeling empty and feels like he never has enough, he always wants more power and more money. After exchanging hellos, the two men sit down and begin to talk:
Merton- So tell me Tony, what's going on? I hear you're not doing so good.
Tony- I'm do'n alright, I'm on top but I don't feel like I have any'ting, Man!
Merton- What do you mean? You got it all, the money, the house, the trophy wife!
Tony- I don't know. I just don't get the respect I deserve, you know! People treat me like a hosser, you know what a hosser is? It's a pig that don't fly straight! I ain't no pig! You got smarts, tell me what's the deal.
Merton- It's because America is structurally set up to attain goals, and not just any goals. They have to have meaning.
Tony- What da F*$% does that mean?
Merton- The goals have to be considered legitimate by society. Not only do they have to be considered legitimate, but they also have to be achieved by following regulations that are founded from society's morals and institutions.
Tony- Regulations, that's rules right? F*%# rules, I don't follow rules. I make my own rules mang!
Merton- Well, in society it might seem more efficient to not follow the rules, but any exercise of power, fraud, and force is unacceptable to society!
Tony- That sucks Mang! That's how I got to the top!
Merton- I think that's how a lot of people get to the top, its just a matter of how much their unacceptable actions are visible to society.
Tony- Everyone can see mine's mang! How can I hide it?
Merton- Well, not telling people "I kill for fun" is a good start!
Tony- But still, How the F%$# do you get to the top if you have to follow the rules! I'm from Cuba man, nobody wants to help me! What the F&$# difference does it make where I'm from!
Merton- That's America's problem. They want everybody to get to the top and make as much money as possible by following the rules. However, society doesn't make it possible for some people, who do follow the rules, to achieve their goals. A wise man once told me it's like playing football. They want you to score a touchdown following the rules, but they give you a football with no air. Eventually the goal becomes hard to see and instead of "winning the game under the rules" it becomes just "winning the game."
Tony- I know man! I try and try, but what do I get? Nothing but a God Damn pat on the back! What the F*&^ can I buy with that! I'll kill a man if I have to, you know! You have to do whatever it takes.
Merton- I think that's your anomie showing!
Tony- What da F*$% you looking at my anomie!
Merton- NO! NO! It's a word that Durkheim used to describe normlessness. It's when you do your best but the goal becomes restricted, so you do what you have to do in order to achieve that goal!
Tony- Ok, I get that man, but who the F&*^ is Durkheim?
Merton- Durkheim is a whole other topic...What's important to notice is that most people in society know the institutional rules they break, but cultural exaggeration of a successful goal leads men to withdraw emotional support from the rules. Eventually some forms of deviance become intertwined into culture, almost making them acceptable.
Tony- So you're saying I'm not the only one to do this, man!
Merton- Yes, anomie can be trivial, like cheating on a board game, OR, it can be explicit, like killing someone. There are a lot of people who are driven to participate in these types of actions, even white-collared executives. What's interesting is most know they're doing something wrong and do not really care.
Tony- OK! Like Martha Stewart, dat lady got screwed.
Merton- According to some people, she got off pretty easy. However, she still got punished by society for not playing by the rules.
Tony-Who the F&#* would consider that a crime, you know!
Merton- Well, American culture has two polar types. The first is the group that puts emphasis on success and goals and lacks the same emphasis on cultural norms and institutions.
Tony- You said institution before, What the hell is that?
Merton- It's rules to a game or established laws of the city or state that have been enacted to control society and make the playing field fair. It's a function that helps to regulate society.
Tony- Ok! So what does the second group do?
Merton- The second group just obeys the rules and conforms to the societal and institutional norms. They would think Martha should still be in jail.
Tony- That's no fun, mang!
Merton- Right! So we're focusing on the first. You see Tony, in America, success is entrenched in the culture. Americans see it as their right, even their duty to succeed, even in the face of repeated frustration. As Americans, we are fed this attitude from the day we start school and up through our time at work. It becomes a part of who we are as people.
Tony- I'm from the gutters mang, I have no education! How did I get involved with this?
Merton- Well, you came to America! It's part of our culture as well as our laws, you didn't really have a choice. You were driven, somewhat on a personal level, and boosted by society to achieve your goal. Your goal just happened to be the same as everyone else's in America... get more money!
Tony- What if you have to scrub the S%#^ off the toilet and carry dirt, where does that take you?
Merton- Exactly! No matter what social class you come from, manual labor is quite undesirable. However, only the lower class is subject to it because of the lack of opportunities. This leads to deviant behavior, this is how society sees your actions.
Tony- But I achieved the goal of making millions man!
Merton- Right! You have what I call amoral intelligence. This instead covers up the morally prescribed "failure" title because you have economic affluence, but, it is still stigmatized as negative by society.
Tony- Right, man! I am intelligent!
Merton-You took the most efficient route possible to achieve your goal. But since society thinks of itself as equal, to them (society), you should have been able to achieve that goal following the rules. That's why you're looked down upon for using such means of achievement.
Tony- That's why the police are always following me? They say hello to my little friend if they catch up to me, mang!!
Merton- Ok, I think that's about enough for today, but until next time, follow the rules if you want to be accepted, or at least hide your actions.
Tony- Ok, you call me tomorrow! We'll talk!
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