Robert Merton explained that what is functional for people in one category of a society's population ________
a. is always functional for everyone.
b. may not be functional for people in another category.
c. is unlikely to change over time.
d. can never be functional in the future.
Question 2Understanding marriage using the structural-functional approach might prompt you to consider ________
a. what people think marriage means.
b. how marriage benefits women and men unequally.
c. the consequences of marriage for the operation of society.
d. how can we help people find more pleasure in their marriages.
Question 3A limitation of the structural-functional approach is that it ________
a. is not concerned with the consequences of patterns of social behavior.
b. is not focused on macro-level social structures.
c. does not use the sociological perspective.
d. focuses on stability at the expense of conflict.
Question 4The main characteristic of the _____ approach is its view of society as being orderly and stable.
a. structural-functional
b. social-conflict
c. social-interaction
d. tradition-based
Question 5An example of a latent function of college is ________
a. providing skills needed for later jobs.
b. keeping young people out of a tight labor force, which may not have jobs for them.
c. gaining the knowledge required to be an active and thoughtful citizen.
d. giving young people experience living on their own.
Question 6Herbert Spencer described human society as a complex system having much in common with ________
a. animal societies.
b. planets and stars.
c. the human brain.
d. the human body.