Question

Stealing avocados, or almost any other agricultural product, is a felony in California if the product is worth more than $100. Supporters of the law believe it is the only way to protect farmers from vagrants and transients who can ruin the viability of small farms. However, if you believe that such laws also target homeless people who are simply trying to eat and that they are punished because they have almost no power within society, then you are probably:A) a conflict theorist.B) a functionalist.C) a symbolic interactionist.D) a follower of Robert Merton.E) a deviant.

Answer 1

Answer: A. A conflict theorist

Explanation:

The conflict theory which was suggested by Karl Marx, believes that social and economic institutions are simply tools used to maintain the inequality of society and the dominance of the ruling class.

According to the theory, those in power and wealth hold onto these by any means necessary including suppressing the powerless and poor who cannot defend themselves.

By believing that the homeless people are targeted because they have no power in society, you are probably a conflict theorist.