Retreatists

Retreatists are a term in sociology associated with strain theory, most notably described by Robert K. Merton in 1938. They are individuals who reject both the culturally prescribed goals of society and the legitimate means to achieve them, leading to withdrawal from mainstream life. As an adaptation to social strain, retreatists disengage from conventional paths to success and often live on the margins of society.

Characteristics of retreatists include social withdrawal and a tendency to adopt alternative or self-contained lifestyles. They may retreat into religious or monastic communities, rural or secluded living arrangements, or other forms of voluntary isolation. Some retreatists also cope through subsistence or informal arrangements that do not align with mainstream economic or social expectations. While they typically avoid pursuing the socially endorsed goals and means, their behavior may not involve organized crime or public acts of deviance; instead, it centers on disengagement from conventional social roles.

In Merton’s framework, retreatists are one of five possible adaptations to anomie, alongside conformists, innovators, ritualists, and rebels. Conformists pursue goals through legitimate means; innovators pursue goals through unconventional means; ritualists abandon goal attainment but continue to observe accepted means; rebels reject existing goals and means and seek to replace them. Critics note that the typology is an idealized construct and that real-world behavior often blends elements from multiple categories or shifts over time. The concept remains a theoretical tool for understanding how structural strain can produce withdrawal or disengagement from mainstream society.