Practice question · True or false
According to the functionalist lens, even practices that look irrational usually persist because they perform some function for the social system.
Hints
- This lens reads persistence as evidence of some contribution.
- Ask what the apparently irrational practice might quietly be doing.
Show the answer
True
Why
Functionalism’s heuristic: persistence implies function, office rituals, dress codes, even gossip (informal information flow) earn their keep. The lens’ weakness is the mirror image: it can excuse arrangements that mainly serve the powerful, which is where conflict theory takes over.
Practise The Sociological Perspective
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More questions on The Sociological Perspective
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