The Social Theorist Anthony Giddens Has Argued That "Social Structures

question 95

Multiple Choice

The social theorist Anthony Giddens has argued that "social structures are both constituted by human agency, and yet at the same time are the very medium of this constitution." In other words, individual interactions produce social structures, but at the same time those social structures limit, constrain, and direct individual actions. This means that Giddens believes that:

• A) our clothing, our speech, our gestures, our cars, our homes, our friends, and our travels are all part of our presentation of self and determine our socioeconomic status.
• B) there is nothing an individual can do to change systems of structured inequality.
• C) all social structures-including systems of inequality-are constructed from the building blocks of everyday interaction, which is independent of structure.
• D) cultural capital shapes the perceptions others form about a person.
• E) the structural perspective and the interactionist perspective are not mutually exclusive; structure shapes interaction, and interaction generates structure.

Understand the significance of specific paintings and the artists' intentions behind them.

Recognize the venues and exhibitions where Impressionist art was displayed and appreciated.

Grasp the influence of societal and philosophical changes on artistic movements.

Examine the experimental approaches in painting and their impacts on art evolution.

---

Definitions:

Structural Functionalism

A sociological theory positing that every element of a society (structures) serves a specific function and contributes to the overall stability and functioning of the society.

Dominant Power

Refers to the institution, group, or nation that holds the most authority and capability to exert influence over others within a given context.

Dominant Theoretical Paradigm

The prevailing set of theories, assumptions, and methodologies that form the mainstream understanding within a scientific or academic discipline.

Ethnomethodology

A sociological approach focusing on how people use everyday conversation and gestures to construct a common sense of reality.