functinalism Flashcards
what did Parsons (1951) say about value consensus and stratification?
- For parsons different forms of social stratification, including social class, reflect this value consensus
- Parsons argued that in all societies some individuals are better than others that at achieving things that are regarded as worthy of reward to the prevailing value consensus
- in the middle aged, knights were highly rewarded because being a successful warrior was seen as important
- similarly he suggests that most people agree that in modern industrial societies, entreprenurs and executives who successfully run businesses creating wealth and jobs deserve the highest rewards as they contribute most to the smooth running society
what did Moore (1945) say about the principles of social stratification?
- Moore argued that social stratification of some kind has been a feature of all human society and therefore concluded that stratification is functionally necessary
- they argued that the main function of social stratification is to ensure effective role allocation and performance
what does social stratification do?
- it allocates the right people to the most important roles e.g. makes sure the most important positions in society are filled by the most able people by offering them higher rewards, such as in terms of income and status
- it ensures that people in these roles perform them to the highest standards by motivating them as they have many others depending on them
How does Moore suggest we can tell which positions are the most important?
- Functional uniqueness
- the degree of dependence of others
what is functional uniqueness?
- a position is functionally unique if only one person or a small number could carry out the role
- thus only on surgeon in a hospital might be able to lead a team performing a heart transplant, whereas many people could if necessary, do the porters job and wheel the patient into the operating theatre
- so the consultant surgeon is functionally unique and requires a higher reward
what is the degree of dependence of others?
- similarly, many other people depend on the consultant surgeon to do their jobs, including more junior doctors and nurses who operate under his or her orders
- in the same way, the chief executive of a company is not only functionally unique but makes decisions and gives orders to many employees lower down the organisation and is dependent on nobody else above him or herself except perhaps the shareholders
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by asking is it possible to determine the functional importance of a position?
- after all the low paid cleaner wno ensures theoperating theatre is disinfected is perhaps just as importamt to the patients survival as the highly paid heart surgeon
- which positions are most important is perhaps a matter of opinion rather than fact
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by asking is there consensus about rewards?
-arguably there is considerable conflict and resentment about the unequal distribution of rewards such as incomes
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by questioning power and rewards?
-it can be argued that the high pay of some jobs rather than agreement among the rest of society that they deserve it
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by questioning the pool of talent?
- Moore seem to have assumed that only a small number of people have the unique talents to perform top jobs
- in reality, many more people may have the ability to be doctors or business executives but may have simply never been given the opportunity
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by asking is training a sacrifice?
- Moore suggests that higher rewards are needed to motivate people to undergo the long training for top jobs
- in reality going to university ha its own rewards, such as freedom and the chance to learn what we are interestd in and most graduates more than make up for lost earnings in their first ten years of work
how did Tumin (1953) crtitique Moore by questioning motivation?
- Moore seem to assume that only monetary rewards motivate people to do demanding jobs
- this does not account for people who may be motivated by altruism or a sense of service
- for example professionals in many public services such as teachers, nurses and social workers earn less than similarly qualified workers in the private sector but often choose these professions out of desire to servers
how did Tumin (1953) critiqued Moore by questioning the dysfunctions of stratification?
-Tumin points out that far from stratification helping society to run smoothly, it often creates hostility, suspicion and mistrust between different sections of society
why do Parsons and Moore see modern industrial societies as meritocracies?
- Parsons and Moore, modern industrial societies are meritocracies
- those who achieve the top positions do so on the basis of merit rather than family background and inheritance
- however as the first part of this chapter demonstrates not everyone in UK society has the same life chances
- access to the top positions is often denied to those from lower classes as much because of lack of opportunity as because of lack of ability or merit
