ABSTRACT
This chapter considers Robert K. Merton's notions of social structure, sociological theory and middle-range theory. A precondition of functional analysis is clarifying the meaning of the concept of function. Functionalist analysis has a typical and recurrent object, which comprehends social roles, norms and institutions, organizations of groups, social control and social structure. The concepts of function and dysfunction refer to the objective and multiple consequences of a purposive action for a social or cultural system in terms of the system's adaptation. On Merton's notion of sociological ambivalence, there is an interesting sociological literature, both exegetical and evaluative. Merton illustrates the notions of social strain, anomie and deviant behavior, which follow as social-psychological consequences of this failure, with examples for each case of maladjustment. Specific areas of sociological inquiry, to which Merton has contributed, have also elicited scholarly attention. Crothers is an expert on Merton's sociology of organization, and sociological theory in general.
