Functionalism and the New Right on Inequality

Question 1

Define ‘stratification’.

Answer 1

The hierarchical layering of society into distinct groups with different levels of wealth and status.

Question 2

What does this consensus theory argue about inequality?

Answer 2

That society is unequal but fair as differences, such as wealth and status, exist in to motivate the most talented people to work hard for jobs with the best reward and those who fail experience inequality due to lacking the skills.

Question 3

Identify Parson’s definition of ‘stratification’.

Answer 3

The ranking of units in a social system in accordance with the importance.

Question 4

Define ‘value consensus’.

Answer 4

People in society sharing the same values.

Question 5

How does society socialise values to form a consensus.

Answer 5

Social Institutions (e.g. education and the family) pass on norms and values of the culture and provide sanctions to help reinforce behaviour and the appropriate standards.

Question 6

How does value consensus relate to society and inequality?

Answer 6

Parsons argued that society agreeing on values that are good and worthwhile leads to inevitable stratification due to systems of ranking individuals based on the abilities that are important, with the people who possess them being seen as higher status.

Question 7

Give and example of value consensus and status in society.

Answer 7

A Suri tripe in Ethiopia value cows and so having more cows equated to more status and wealth.

Question 8

Define ‘functional prerequisites of society’.

Answer 8

Davis and Moore (1945) defined it as the basic things that every society needs in order to function successfully.

Question 9

How do Davis and Moore (1945) argue stratification cases inequality?

Answer 9

• All roles in society must be filled
• The highest rewards are given to the most important positions to motivate people
• Competition for these jobs leads to the best people succeeding as they are the most motivated to train and gain the necessary talents required
• This attract the best people for the job
• This meritocracy refutes the idea of inequality as those who don’t achieve higher positions didn’t put in the effort

Question 10

Identify 2 criticisms of Davis and Moore (1945).

Answer 10

1) Hard to operationalise the functional importance of a job

2) There are differences in pay within the same professions for some groups (e.g. gender pay gap)

Question 11

Give a piece of evidence that supports different rewards within the same position for some groups.

Answer 11

Men’s wages are an average of 17% higher than women’s in the same profession.
- Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (2017)

Question 12

Identify a sociologist who criticises Davis and Moore (1945).

Answer 12

Tumin (1953) argues that there are likely to be major obstacles for some people, stopping them achieving the highest reward due to barriers such as social class (being at the bottom of the stratification system) instead of lack of talent.

Question 13

Identify 2 criticisms of Functionalism as an explanation for inequality.

Answer 13

1) Important professions (e.g. nurses) don’t get paid much money despite being viewed as essential to society causing inequality in rewards
2) High rewards sometimes go to those who don’t play a critical role in society (e.g. celebrities and bankers) causing inequality in rewards

Question 14

When was the modernised version of Functionalism created?

Answer 14

New Right (1970s)

Question 15

What are the New Right ideologies based upon?

Answer 15

A ‘free market’ describes the belief that competition and choice create a healthy society and motivates a high standards of living.

Question 16

What is a trickle down economy?

Answer 16

The idea that wealth created by the capitalist class will flow vertically from the upper classes to the lower classes within a society, in which each social class is influenced by the higher class.

Question 17

Give evidence to show that a trickle down economy causes inequality.

Answer 17

Changes in UK income shares in 1980s shows that the top 1% gained an increased share of income but the bottom 80% saw drop in income share, showing the wealth didn’t trickle down. This causes inequality as the rich are getting richer and the poor, poorer.

Question 18

Why are the New Right critical of the welfare state?

Answer 18

They see Government intervention as limiting the choice of the individual and creating a dependency culture by undermining individuals responsibility to sustain themselves.

Question 19

Identify a New Right sociologist and their views of the lone parents and its relationship with inequality.

Answer 19

Charles Murray (1980s) argued that lone parent households, particularly single mothers (9/10 lone parents are females) provide insufficient socialisation to their children due to the lack of a male role model and so causes inequality due to reduced life chances as a result.

Question 20

Identify a New Right sociologist and their views of IQ and its relationship with inequality.

Answer 20

Charles Murray (1980s) argued that IQ is distributed along a population as a ‘bell curve’ which causes some people (e.g. ethnic minorities) more inequality than others due to having lower IQ and so lower chances of achieving.

Question 21

Give evidence that rejects Murray’s (1984) view of IQ causing inequality for ethnic minorities.

Answer 21

33% of White British pupils achieve an average attainment score of 8 compared to 61% of Chinese pupils at state-funded schools.
- Key Stage 4 Attainment Data (2016)

Question 22

Identify a New Right sociologist and their views of ‘dependency culture’ and its relationship with inequality.

Answer 22

Saunders (1990s) suggested that the existence of the welfare state may support poor people however it creates inequality due to trapping them in poverty and forming a culture outside of mainstream society with different norms and values focused on dependency that limit their opportunities and cause inequality.

Question 23

Identify 3 criticisms of the New Right as an explanation for inequality.

Answer 23

1) They blame the victim for their unequal position in society being down to state intervention when the real issue is less opportunities
2) Radical Feminists argue that the nuclear family is not the best family structure for socialising children as argue that they are dangerous (1/4 of women will experience domestic abuse at some stage in their life, according to the British Crime Survey 2004)
3) Often criticise people who abuse the welfare state but don’t address rich people avoiding taxes

Question 24

According to Functionalism and the New Right what inequalities arise in the family?

Answer 24

• Insufficient socialisation if there is a lone parent household

Question 25

According to Functionalism and the New Right what inequalities arise in education?

Answer 25

• Lower educational attainment due to lower IQ

- Lower educational attainment due to low income from dependency culture of underclass

Question 26

Describe the conclusion to Functionalism and the New Right as theories that explain inequality.

Answer 26

They state that society is unequal but fair due to maintaining motivation to fill the most functional jobs.