A clash between youngsters or occupiers and the government, the anti-occupy parties or the police force happened lasting 79 days since 28 of September 2014, known as the umbrella movement. There is a question whether youngsters’ participation in the umbrella movement can be explained by Merton’s strains towards anomie theory. To answer such question, it would be required to consider and descript few key terms stated in the question, followed by the linkages and applicability between those terms with detailed justification and draw proper conclusion at last. I tentatively would say yes to the given question before making my deeper explanation.

Merton’s anomie theory composes three elements including cultural structures, social structure and anomie. Taken together, the mismatch between cultural structure and social structure and strains towards anomie on part of individual form two conditions for anomie (Merton, 1938). Beside Merton’s theory, it is crucial to define what youngsters’ participation and umbrella movement stand for. A random poll conducted in Central, Mong Kok and Causeway Bay during 20 to 26 of October 2014 showed that 61% of participants in the umbrella movement was under 29 years old (Cheng and Yuen, 2014). Therefore, Youngsters’ participation in the umbrella movement may refer to students or those aged below 29, while this was a youngster-led protest movement, which aimed at changing Hong Kong’s Chief Executive election system, initiated by classes boycotts and assumed as an unauthorized and illegal protest. The focus of the discussion would then lay on how Merton’s strains towards anomie theory can be applied on youngsters’ participation in the umbrella movement.

Recognizing youngsters’ ultimate cultural goals for their participation in the umbrella movement would be the first part. Post-80s, who were born after 1980s, are living in a