By examining the Hopi rain dance, this man showed how rituals could have "latent functions" like group solidarity in addition to their more overt "manifest functions."
By examining the Hopi rain dance, this man showed how rituals could have "latent functions" like group solidarity in addition to their more overt "manifest functions." His contributions to the sociology of science include describing a process by which an idea becomes so commonly known that its originator is forgotten, which he termed "obliteration by incorporation." He championed the use of empirical data in sociology to ground theories of the "middle range." This man argued that when people accepted society's placement of meaning in wealth but lacked legitimate means to attain it, the resulting anomie could lead them to commit crime. He coined the term "role model" and helped develop "strain theory." For 10 points, name this sociologist who wrote Social Theory and Social Structure and coined the term "self-fulfilling prophecy."
By examining the Hopi rain dance, this man showed how rituals could have "latent functions" like group solidarity in addition to their more overt "manifest functions."
Robert King Merton