Which criticism suggests that Merton's theory overlooks certain types of crime?

Merton's strain theory is primarily centered around the idea that societal pressure can lead individuals to commit crimes, particularly around the pursuit of economic success. The criticism that it primarily accounts for utilitarian crime emphasizes that Merton's framework mainly addresses crimes that have tangible financial or material benefits — for example, theft or robbery. However, it fails to adequately explain non-utilitarian crimes, which could be driven by other motivations, such as emotional, psychological, or social factors.

This criticism is significant because it highlights limitations in Merton's theory by suggesting that it cannot comprehensively explain the full range of criminal behavior. For instance, it does not sufficiently account for crimes of passion, drug offenses committed for non-monetary reasons, or other social delinquency that may not be directly linked to economic gain. Therefore, recognizing that Merton's theory is too narrowly focused on utilitarian motives helps in understanding broader criminological contexts.