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Sociology U4 WJEC > Fuctionalist Explanations of Inequality > Flashcards

Fuctionalist Explanations of Inequality Flashcards

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1
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Intro

A

Differences that exist in society exist (wealth / power / status):
Motivate the most talented people to work hard for the jobs with the best reward (MERITOCRACY)
- Society is run by the most talented & motivated people (best interest for all)

SOCIAL DARWINISM THEORIES:
- Emerged 19th & early 20th century
- Darwin: Survival of the fittest (animal kingdom)
- Strongest members of species were those who would survive & breed

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2
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Key Points & Theorists

A

Organic Analogy
Social Stratification
Consensus Theory
Spencer
Davis & Moore
Parsons
Role Allocation (Education)
Marx & Fem Evaluation: Wilson & Pickett

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3
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Organic Analogy

A

Each function of society contributes to the entire wellbeing of society
- Social institutions persist because they benefit society in some aspect

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4
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Social Stratification

A

A functional prerequisite

Traditional societies - stratification based on cast

Industrial societies - stratification based on economic status (social class)

  • Indispensable to the stability of society (all require a system of stratification to place people in different hierarchical roles)
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5
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Consensus Theory

A

Sees inequality & social stratification as a positive contribution to society

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6
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Spencer

A

(SOCIAL DARWINISM)
Why do societies need the poor?

  • Helping the poor provides others with jobs
  • We feel good about ourselves if we help the poor
  • The poor act as an example of poor work effort (motivates others)
  • Poor people will do the job nobody wants to do (e.g. cleaning)
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7
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Davis & Moore Theory

A

Features of industrial societies = relatively open competitive systems of social stratification
- Functionalists assume that these societies are relatively meritocratic

System of Stratification

High levels of income inequality = good

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8
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Davis & Moore System of Stratification

A

based largely on achieved status
- whole of society benefits from talented people climbing the ladder of opportunity

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9
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
High levels of income inequality = good

A

Provides a motivating factor & enhances competition which encourages economic growth for society as a whole

  • High incomes earned by people @ top of society = seen as a reward for the sacrifices individuals may have made
    Maximum utilisation of human resources in society
  • Helps economy grow
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10
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Parsons Theory

A

People in society accepting their positions in society as being fair & just is important

American capitalism - best typifies the appropriate value system around social consensuses

THE AMERICAN DREAM

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11
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Parsons - The American Dream

A
  • Most Americans buy into a system which values enterprise, competition, individual opportunity / achievement, etc.
  • High status = widely seen as a reward to conforming to the values of American society
  • Stratification can help reinforce the collective goals of society
    • Members of society who lack qualities required for top jobs occupy low positions in the stratification system
  • If individuals buy into the value system, they will accept their social position
    • If they can agree that some jobs deserve higher rewards than others because they’re more important than others to the stability of society = SOCIAL STABILITY

E.g. most people are happy to accept the idea that surgeons deserve more economic reward than retail assistants

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12
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Education

A

Role Allocation function of education

  • Happens through exams
  • Seen as fair - based on universal standards of assessment which apply to everyone
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13
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Marxist Evaluation

A
  • funct. writers such as Davis & Moore provide rich people with an ideology that justifies their greed & selfishness
  • meritocracy & American dream = myth
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14
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Feminism Evaluation

A

Discrimination in society based on gender undermines the assumption that society = meritocratic

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15
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Name Evaluation

A

Wilson & Pickett: The spirit level

  • Health & social problems = worse in societies which have high levels of income inequality
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16
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Davis-Moore Theory - Initiation

A

1945 - Davis & Moore attempted to explain social inequality in economic terms

  • For society to function, there had to be a system of unequal rewards
  • The ability to access a higher reward system encourages individuals to put in extra effort

Social stratification - a system of unequal rewards that facilitates meritocracy

17
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Davis-Moore Theory - Ideologies

A
  • Inequality is in all societies so must be necessary for societies to function and develop
  • Inequality is good for society because it exists in all societies
  • Not all positions in society are equally pleasant or important to the success of society
    • Must be rewards which encourage the best people to do the most important jobs
  • The most important positions are the best rewarded
  • The least important positions are poorly rewarded
    • Pay and status therefore reflects a person’s value to society
18
Q

Functionalist Explanations of Inequality:
Davis-Moore Theory - Criticisms

A
  • It is difficult to decide the functional importance of any job
    • CEOs earn more than nurses - more valuable to society?
  • Tumin - Provides rich people with an ideology that justifies their greed & selfishness
    • Makes them believe they are morally right because they’re in power
  • Mx - Limited / no chance for people from the poorest sections of society to move up regardless of their ability
  • Fem - Gender inequality = built into society structures to the point that many people don’t see that it occurs
  • Some people do not want wealth / status and others are not pushed to achieve by a desire for money but from motives of their own
    • Different belief systems of success

Sociology U4 WJEC (19 decks)

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