Joe desires the best things in life-a fast car, designer clothes, and membership in exclusive clubs. But rather than work his way through the system, he has discovered he can have all these things by selling crack cocaine in the inner city. How would Merton classify Joe

an innovator

Explanation:

According to Merton strain theory, Joe will be classified as an innovator. Merton strain theory asserts that individuals become deviant when they fail to achieve their goals by legitimate means.

An innovator is an individual who believes that every individual is not able to achieve their goal through legal means and hence they turn to crime, they are individuals who accept the normal goals of society such as being successful or wealthy but reject but reject the legitimate means of achieving these calls.

The other types of deviance according to Merton are; conformity, ritualism, retreatism and rebellion