There are certain problems with this argument. There is no reason to suppose that a
'drunkard' or 'vagrant' rejects social attitudes; Merton assumes people choose to be like
this. People can reject some values and not others; Merton assumes it is all or nothing.
And 'social values' are inconsistent. 'Drunkards' to some people are 'hard drinking men' to
others; mentally ill people are seen as being in need of help, but they are treated as deviant
if they actually take it (Phillips, 1963). Welfare recipients are caught between conflicting
social codes