Problem: Durkheim believed that deviance is a part of normal society because it bonds people together and can lead to positive social change. Merton states that strain occurs when there is a gap in economic success and access to legitimate means of support. Taking the perspective of both views, how attainable is the "American Dream"? What about higher education without exhaustive debt, earning a wage high enough to support a family, lower health care and prescription drugs, and owning a home?