Question #1 (Response should be no longer than 4 pages, double-spaced)
Two of the major proponents of structural-functionalist theories of modern society were Talcott Parsons and Robert K. Merton. Using course readings and relevant lecture materials, write an essay which a) defines and explains the general structural-functionalist theoretical approach to society; and b) compares and contrasts the approaches to structural functionalism developed by Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. Based on what you have read about structural functionalism generally and the works of Parsons and Merton in particular, what is your assessment of this theoretical approach? And, if you were to meet Parsons and Merton for conversation today, what questions and/or critiques would you offer to them on their work?
Information Needed for this Essay: Relevant Class Lectures; Dillon (2020)-Chapter 4; Parsons E-Posting Reading (1959); and Merton E-Posting Reading (1938).
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Question #2 (Response should be no longer than 4 pages, double-spaced)
Kingsley Davis and Wilbert E. Moore offered in their 1945 American Sociological Review article a very provocative and still controversial explanation for the necessity of stratification in contemporary society. Based on your reading of this article, write an essay which a) presents the key assumptions and arguments developed by Davis and Moore; and b) your critical evaluation of those arguments. In evaluating Davis and Moore’s work, either explain your support for or critique of Davis and Moore’s theoretical propositions and arguments. How relevant (or not) do you find Davis and Moore’s theory for contemporary society? Information Needed for this Essay: Relevant Class Lectures; Dillon (2020)-Chapter 4; and Davis & Moore E-Posting Reading (1945).
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