Study Questions for Little, Chapter 5

1. What is the author's main point?
2. What are the characteristics of a functional explanation (in social science)?
3. Why do we have university commencement exercises (try two approaches)?
4. What makes a functional explanation valid? Why?
5. What are some examples of functional explanation in American politics?
6. What are the characteristics of a social structure?
7. What is the difference between (causal) explanations where the structure is an effect and those where it is a cause?
8. What are some examples of structural explanation in American politics?
9. What is the difference between causal and noncausal structural explanation?
10. What is the function of noncausal structural explanation (what is it good for)?
11. Why does any of this matter to political scientists?

Things to look for/keep in mind for future readings:

• differences between functional and structural approaches
• characteristics of social structures

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