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Societal Goal of Economic Success in the United States of America The article What Do Teachers Deserve? In Idaho, Referendum May Offer Answer by Kirk Johnson (2012) deals with the struggle to improve public schools of the nation. The problem of the schools is widely recognized and according to Mr. Otter, the failure is not caused by the teachers, but it is about the union bosses. The article remembers the Chicagos fight, but as the article mentions, in Idaho where a three part proposition on performance pay, tenure and technology in the classrooms is roaring toward Election day, the debate over schools has morphed into a harsh discussion about whom the voters should trust. And as Mr. Otters attack line shows, the political and social battle lines are blurred neither predictably conservative nor liberal, and often linked with emotion about what schools can and might be. Trying to improve the situation, the governor asked if the teachers really want only the best for their students or they are fighting to defend their own rights trying to gain more benefits for themselves. The article provides explanation about what is experienced by the teachers and the students in the class. As for the first ones, they struggle for gaining more protection; however, their morale has been hit by accusation that money is the central motivation of their protests. Trying to deny this accusation, Mandy Simpson the president of the Nampa education Association said that people do not become teachers for the money and that teachers could make twice what they do. However, it is still recognized that money is important part of the motivation and it drives at least some part of the debate. Addressing this issue, M. Luna claimed that the state does not have authority to pay up. However, if the bargaining system survives the election, some experts believe that teachers will have to work in even worse conditions, which include lower payment, less benefits, and more working hours. However, there is a change to negotiate these issues.

The debate, revealed in the article concluded that the whole strike goes down to the salaries as other dissatisfactions come from lack of money; and as, concluded y Michael Steiner, one of the teachers of English, this problems might never be solved (Johnson 2012). According to the theory of Robert K. Metron, which is called the Structural Strain Theory, the origins of deviance are traced to the tension that are caused by some gap which exists between means which people have to achieve their goals and the goals themselves. Metron identifies five groups of people according to their behavior and actions taken in the situations which deal with achievement of the goals. The five groups of people are: 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Conformists; Ritualists; Innovators; Retreatists; Rebels.

As for the Idaho teachers, who are struggling for better conditions of work and greater benefits for ht students, they can be related to the group of conformists. According to the theory of Metron, Conformists believe in the cultural goals which have been established by the society; they try to follow the goals and use only normative means to attain their goals. This means that they follow all the rules of their society and community (Crossman 2012).

References Crossman. A. Structural Strain Theory. Retrieved 24 September, 2012 (http://sociology.about.com/od/Sociological-Theory/a/Structural-Strain-Theory.htm) Johnson, K. 2012. What Do Teachers Deserve? In Idaho, referendum May Offer Answer. Retrieved 24 September, 2012 (http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/24/us/idahoeducation-overhaul-is-subject-of-referendum.html?pagewanted=1&hp)