Final answer:
The three sociologists who helped develop the structural-functional approach are Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. Durkheim is associated with functionalism, Marx with conflict theory, and Weber with what later became symbolic interactionism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three sociologists who helped develop the structural-functional approach are Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. These classical sociologists laid the foundation for modern sociological theories. Émile Durkheim is particularly noteworthy for his contributions to functionalism, an approach that sees society as a complex system whose parts work together to promote solidarity and stability. This perspective analyzes how social structures maintain the balance and order necessary for a society to function properly.
Karl Marx provided the groundwork for conflict theory, focusing on the struggles between different social classes that arise due to inequalities within society. Lastly, Max Weber offered deep insights into the effects of individuals' values and ideas on their social actions, which laid an intellectual framework for what later became known as symbolic interactionism.
Although functionalism was a dominant sociological theory after World War II and until the 1960s and 1970s, the rise of new social movements caused sociologists to consider other approaches to study these emerging social practices. These theoretical frameworks are still integral to understanding and applying sociological theories today.