How does structural functionalism explain poverty?
A) The upper and middle classes oppress and exploit the poor and create ideologies that blame the poor and justify their poverty.
B) Political, economic, and educational institutions are not functioning adequately, so that old arrangements are obsolete before new arrangements are in place.
C) Poverty became a social problem in the United States when people accepted that people remain poor when they define their poverty as the result of their own deficiencies.
D) Upper- and middle-class lawmakers regularly support corporate welfare but reject such welfare ideas for the poor as a guaranteed minimum annual income.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Structural functionalism views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. It explains poverty as a result of social institutions not functioning adequately, leading to obsolete arrangements and the inability to adapt to new societal needs. This perspective focuses on the systemic issues within institutions that contribute to poverty, rather than individual failings or exploitation by the upper classes.

How Does Structural Functionalism Explain Poverty