Final answer:
The student is exploring the role of poverty from a sociological perspective, specifically using the functionalist approach to understand how poverty functions within society. The functionalist perspective analyzes how poverty can have positive functions for the overall economy, despite being a societal dysfunction that requires careful study and intervention by sociologists and policymakers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking about the positive functions of poverty as conceptualized by sociologist Herbert Gans. This involves understanding how poverty can have certain functions within society from a sociological perspective. To address this concept, the functionalist perspective can be used, which looks at how different parts of society contribute to the overall stability and functionality of the system.
For example, in the functionalist view, the existence of poverty can contribute to the creation of jobs (such as in the service industry) that otherwise might not exist, or it may help to ensure that there is always a workforce ready to do unskilled or undesirable work. This perspective also considers how societal institutions respond to poverty and conditions of economic inequality.
The functionalist perspective would also address issues such as how inner-city areas become ghettoized and limit job availability (option a), and how various societal dysfunctions, like the bursting of the housing bubble, can have far-reaching impacts on the economy and, consequently, on the levels of poverty within a nation.
The role of sociologists and their research is crucial in understanding how poverty and income inequality affect communities and individuals. They not only explore challenges associated with poverty or analyze benefits in society, but also investigate broader patterns such as how aid is delivered to low-income countries and the impacts of global wealth disparity on psychological well-being and community cohesiveness.