According to Robert Merton, most of our goals in society are based upon ____________ values.

• A. Upper class
• B. Lower class
• C. Middle class
• D. Working class

Answer: (C)

The key idea is that the culturally valued ambitions in society come from the middle-class value system. Robert Merton argued that the widely shared goals—like achieving material success and a higher social status—are rooted in middle-class notions of merit, effort, and normalization of success through conventional means. Institutions such as education and work reinforce these middle-class ideals, so even though people come from different backgrounds, the overarching goals people strive for reflect middle-class values. When legitimate paths to those goals are limited for some, the resulting strain helps explain why some pursue alternative or deviant routes.