5.4b1 Modes of Adaptation

Merton named five modes of adaptation to the mismatch between cultural goals and institutionalized means of achieving them. When a person pursues socially approved actions, attitudes, and rewards, they are conformists. For instance, a student motivated by grades will study, ask the teacher questions, and earn high grades. Innovators seek socially sanctioned rewards but do not follow the normative line of action to achieve those rewards. For example, an innovator searches online for quiz answers while taking an unsupervised online quiz or uses artificial intelligence to author a paper and pass it off as their own.

In contrast, ritualists have become discouraged and have given up on achieving the rewards but continue to adhere to the norms. For instance, a student who attends class and completes homework but never seeks help if they do not understand something is a ritualist. Finally, individuals and social groups may adapt by retreating or rebelling. Retreatists and rebels reject socially approved actions, attitudes, and rewards. A retreatist may stop completing their homework or attending class but not formally withdraw. Therefore, they fail the course. A rebel may reject being a student altogether and replace the goal and the means of achieving it. For example, a rebel may enter the workforce instead of college after high school. The rebel is motivated by the desire of earning income through paid work right away, even if it means sacrificing the higher  wages they would earn across their lifetime if they had  a college credential. Refer to Table 5.2 for a summary of these modes of adaptation.