Structure vs Agency: Theories

What is the main concern of functionalist theory?

• How individual meanings shape society

• How society benefits powerful groups

• How society maintains order and stability

• How gender roles are constructed

Which concept refers to the capitalist class who owns the means of production in Marxist theory?

• Proletariat

• Patriarchy

• Bourgeoisie

• Working Class

What do all feminist theories have in common?

• Support for capitalism

• Focus on economic structures

• Belief in patriarchy and gender inequality

• Rejection of all social structures

Radical feminists believe patriarchy exists:

• Only in capitalist societies

• Only within the family

• In all known human societies

• As a result of social interaction

What do interactionists believe creates social order?

• Power and control

• Class struggle

• Shared meanings and definitions

• Religious values

What is the central idea of structuration theory?

• Society is only shaped by powerful elites

• Structures exist independently of action

• Structure and agency are mutually reinforcing

• All social rules are negotiated equally

Which of the following best reflects the functionalist view of education?

• It reproduces class inequality

• It socializes individuals into shared norms

• It reflects the interests of men over women

• It creates conflict among peer groups

In structuration theory, what is meant by reflexivity?

• Following rules blindly

• Creating society through rituals

• Rules shaping and being shaped by action

• Only elites can change rules

According to Althusser, what distinguishes the Ideological State Apparatuses (ISAs) from the Repressive State Apparatuses (RSAs)?

• ISAs operate through physical control, while RSAs work ideologically

• RSAs operate primarily in private spheres, unlike ISAs

• ISAs maintain control through consent, RSAs through coercion

• RSAs are more significant in capitalist reproduction than ISAs

Which of the following best reflects a Marxist feminist critique of capitalism?

• Capitalism liberates women through labour force participation

• Women's oppression is rooted purely in biological difference

• Women’s exploitation in both paid and unpaid labour sustains capitalism

• Gender inequality has been resolved in late modern societies