Functionalism

Question 1

What does Durkheim suggest about social inequality?

Answer 1

That it can create social solidarity

Question 2

What were traditional societies like? Durkheim

Answer 2

People were bound together through living and working in the same spaces

Question 3

What are modern industrial societies like? Durkheim

Answer 3

-more diversity in lifestyle
-divided labour markets
-modern societies have a complex division of labour
-individuals are highly dependent on each other

Question 4

Evaluation of Durkheim

Answer 4

X-assumes social stratification would improve social solidarity
X-ignores the disparity in pay that causes resentment

Question 5

What is Parsons view of social stratification?

Answer 5

Social stratification is inevitable and useful in all societies

Question 6

What is the purpose of social stratification? Parsons

Answer 6

-reinforces the collective goals of a society and establishes order

-creates role models to motivate society to work harder

Question 7

What roles are women suited for? Parsons

Answer 7

Expressive roles-empathising,caring and emotional

Question 8

What roles are men suited for? Parsons

Answer 8

Instrumental-competition,aggression and achievement

-suited to paid employment

Question 9

Why do some economists believe the pay gap between genders is fair? Parsons

Answer 9

-reflects that men have more human capital

-men have a greater orientation to paid work

-women are more likely to take career breaks and opt for part-time work

Question 10

Evaluations of parsons

Answer 10

X-stratification does not always establish order in society

X-ideas about the roles of men and women are changing in recent years

X-ignores how women are systematically disadvantaged by low paying occupations

Question 11

What is the premise of Davis and Moores theory?

Answer 11

Some roles in society are more functionally important than others

Question 12

How are the most talented enticed into the appropriate roles? Davis and Moore

Answer 12

-awarding them high salaries,higher status and more attractive working conditions

Question 13

Why is social stratification necessary? Davis and Moore

Answer 13

It ensures the most talented fulfil the functionally most important roles in society

Question 14

Evaluations of Davis and Moore

Answer 14

X-the role of nurses,farmers,teachers undermine this theory…functionally important but don’t have the same status and pay

-Davis and Moore justified this by saying they needed to reward jobs with ‘scarcity of personnel’

Question 15

What is the host-immigrant model? Patterson

Answer 15

-Britain is a stable,homogeneous and orderly society;high consensus of norms and values

-disrupted by the arrival or immigrants that had different Norns and values

-created a cultural clash

Question 16

How did Patterson interpret these clashes?

Answer 16

-in terms of understandable fears and anxieties on part of the host family

-the hosts were not racists just unsure to the newcomers

Question 17

What did Patterson predict about black immigrants?

Answer 17

They would eventually move towards full cultural assimilation by shedding old ethnic values

Question 18

How does pattersons theory reflect the functionalist view that inequality is inevitable and functional?

Answer 18

The host culture and immigrants eventually have aligning values and compete for jobs

-competition is good for society as everyone works harder

Question 19

Patterson evaluations

Answer 19

X-host immigration model focuses too much on culture ‘victim blames’ scapegoats ethnic minorities

X-racial hostility has not declined the way Patterson predicted

X-the goal of assimilation has largely been abandoned by policy makers instead ‘cultural pluralism

Question 20

What do Cummings and Henry suggest about age inequality?

Answer 20

The way society treats the old has positive benefits for society

Question 21

what are the elderly encouraged to do? cummings and henry

Answer 21

abandon occupational roles

Question 22

what does the process of social disengagement do? Cummings and Henry

Answer 22

-allows for the young to take the place of the old in the specialised division of labour

Question 23

what institutions is disengagement useful for? Cummings and Henry

Answer 23

-workplace
-family-supportive role e.g taking care of grandkids

Question 24

evaluation for cummings and henry

Answer 24

x-retirement from work is often not voluntary,disengagement has negative affects for self-esteem of old ppl

X-disengagement often leads to the neglect of skills and exeperience older people give to society