A functionalist sociologist would likely agree with which of the following statements?

• A. All social structures are necessarily beneficial to society.
• B. Social structures contribute to the order and stability of society.
• C. By looking at individual interactions we can extrapolate patterns of society.
• D. Latent functions are the only consequences of a social structure.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the functionalist perspective in sociology. Functionalism views society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability.
2. Step 2: Recognize that functionalists believe social structures have functions that contribute to the overall stability and order of society, but not all social structures are necessarily beneficial.
3. Step 3: Evaluate each statement in the problem based on functionalist theory: the idea that social structures contribute to order and stability aligns with functionalism.
4. Step 4: Note that functionalists focus on both manifest (intended) and latent (unintended) functions, so the statement about latent functions being the only consequences is incorrect.
5. Step 5: Conclude that the statement 'Social structures contribute to the order and stability of society' best reflects the functionalist viewpoint.