Discuss the structural-functional perspective. Identify the functions of families as outlined by Talcott Parsons. What are the criticisms of this theory?
What will be an ideal response?
The student should indicate that the structural-functionalist perspective views the family as a social institution that performs certain functions for society. Include the three main functions of a family. Society is made up of many parts that allow it to remain stable. The parts generally include family, schools, government, economic systems, etc. Each part of a society has manifest and latent functions. Parsons also identified that within families, husbands and wives performed instrumental and expressive roles. These roles allowed the family to remain stable. Criticisms include its narrow view of family and divorce and its neglect of the significance of everyday interactions of individuals.
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Ileana, a young sociologist, decides to conduct a study of the American educational system and how it relates to the economy and the political system. She spends a lot of time thinking about how these institutions fit together and complement one another, including how each contributes to society. From which sociological tradition does Ileana come?
A. conflict B. symbolic interaction C. functionalist D. feminist
In absolute numbers, poor Latinos outnumber those of other racial-ethnic groups.
Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)
The National Black Women's Health Project was formed ______.
A. to situate Black women's health within the larger context of race and class inequality B. as part of a legacy of black women's activism in the face of exclusion and racism from the first wave of the women's movement C. to ensure rights to contraception, family planning, and freedom from forced sterilization D. all of these
According to social control theory, deviant behavior occurs a. when the means for achieving culturally approved goals is blocked
b. when people have given up and no longer accept the goals considered desirable by society. c. when attachment to social bonds breaks down. d. as a result of emotional stress.