Your introductory sociology professor believes that gender roles serve a purpose in society to fulfill certain functions. what type of theoretical background is your professor espousing?

The professor is espousing the theoretical background known as structural functionalism.

Explanation:

According to structural functionalism, society is a structure in which each of its parts is interrelated and each one fulfills a role in the maintenance of the structure. When one of its parts or institution is not functioning, then other parts suffer also. Using a structuralist approach to gender roles it can be argued that they fulfill certain functions in the family that have helped in the maintenance of society, both the role of caregiver that women have fulfilled and the role of provider that men traditionally have played.

a is the answer because it just is