Fred Riggs developed the ideas of fused, prismatic and diffracted societies. The features of Prismatic Societies are:-

A. Universalism
B. Ascriptive values
C. Selectivism
D. Attainment
E. Poly-functionalism

Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below:

Correct option is C

Let's analyze the features of Fred Riggs's Prismatic Societies:

Fred Riggs's "prismatic society" is a transitional stage between the "fused" (traditional, undifferentiated) and "diffracted" (modern, specialized) societies. It exhibits characteristics of both.

Here's a breakdown of the terms in relation to prismatic societies:

A. Universalism: This is more characteristic of diffracted (modern) societies, where rules and norms apply equally to everyone regardless of their personal connections. Prismatic societies tend to lean more towards particularism, where personal relationships and specific circumstances influence decisions. So, A is generally not a feature of prismatic societies.

B. Ascriptive values: This is correct. In prismatic societies, status and roles are often based on inherited characteristics, family background, or personal connections (ascription) rather than achievement. This is a carry-over from fused societies.

C. Selectivism: This is correct. Riggs used "selectivism" to describe the mix of universalistic and particularistic criteria in prismatic societies, where decisions are made based on a selective application of rules and personal considerations. It's a blend.

D. Attainment: This refers to achievement-based criteria, which are more characteristic of diffracted (modern) societies where roles are based on what one achieves rather than who one is. This is the opposite of ascription. So, D is generally not a feature of prismatic societies.

E. Poly-functionalism: This is correct. In prismatic societies, institutions and roles often perform multiple functions (poly-functionalism), lacking the high degree of specialization found in diffracted societies. For example, a single office or individual might handle administrative, judicial, and even economic roles.

Therefore, the features of Prismatic Societies from the given list are B (Ascriptive values), C (Selectivism), and E (Poly-functionalism), elminating A from the options which is sureshot not a feature of Prismatic society we get Option (c) C, D, E as answer .