According to functionalist terminology, which of the following pairs correctly identifies a manifest function and a latent function of public schooling in the United States?

• A. Manifest: teachers causing stress through excessive testing; Latent: the immediate dismantling of social institutions in response to standardized exams, yielding universal equality across socioeconomic groups.
• B. Manifest: formal instruction in reading and math; Latent: formation of peer networks and social ties that can lead to future friendships or marriages.
• C. Manifest: creation of underground economies organized by students to evade tuition; Latent: producing identical outcomes across all social classes regardless of funding or neighborhood differences.
• D. Manifest: emotional trauma experienced by a small subset of students because of homework; Latent: the intentional design of schools to systematically disadvantage low-income students in order to preserve elite status over generations.

Answer: (B)