Functionalist View On Stratification

Question 1

What does Durkheim argue

Answer 1

• Conflict was associated with the early stages of industrialisation and the difficult transition that had to be negotiated from traditional to modern society
• Movement from one type of social solidarity “ mechanical solidarity “ => mainly based on strong religious beliefs
  to “ organic solidarity “ => interdependence on each other as the division of labour grew more specialised
• different occupations being differently rewarded would not undermine social solidarity so long as if everyone has equal opportunity
• This would require meritocracy
• Risk of class conflict would be lessened by the development of occupational associations ( regulate conflicts of interest between employers and workers )
• Class conflict would disappear as industrialisation became established
• Division of labour is something we should just accept
• Not possible for social life to be without conflicts
• Risk of class conflict would be reduced by occupational associations such as trade union which would help to regulate conflict between employers and workers

Question 2

What does Parsons argue

Answer 2

• Class conflict is universal in our modern industrial type of society .
  Reasons for this include :
  • Competition for occupational prestige produces winners and losers
  • Organisation of division of labour requires discipline and authority and these do not exist without generating some resistance
  • A “ general tendency for the powerful to exploit the weak”
• Parsons does not believe that class conflict is the dominant feature of every society and its dynamic development . => Class conflict was no more than an unfortunate by-product of stratification.
• Parsons saw stratification as a ranking system based on moral evaluation => based on respect , prestige , social honour , social approval and disapproval.
• Stratification was inevitable because people would be differently evaluated in terms of the degree to which they exemplified society’s value system.
• Stratification was functional because it helped in the “ stabilisation of social system “

Question 3

What do Davis and Moore argue

Answer 3

• All societies have to ensure their positions are filled with the most talented people . => need to offer people high rewards in order to motivate them.
• Class societies are meritocracies => Stratification system ( educational qualifications) function to allocate all individuals to a role that suits their abilities.
• Claim that most people agree that stratification is necessary because they accept the meritocracy principle on which society is based
• Encourages all members of society to work to the best of their ability
• Ensures that the functional prerequisite of effective role allocation and performance is satisfied
• Stratification is necessary and functional

Question 4

What does Saunders argue

Answer 4

• Economic growth has raised the standard of living for all members of society , social inequality is a small price to pay.
• Influencer by Hayek ( neoliberalist) => argued that capitalist societies offer incentives to those with talent in the form of material wealth .
• Saunders argues that if these incentives didnt exist , then many of the consumer goods that we take granted for today , would not exist because talented people would not be motivated to create them.
• Stratification is not the only way to ensure effective role allocation , but the only alternative would be the threat or use of physical force .
• Stratification systems are therefore not inevitable, but they’re desirable because alternatives would be far worse

Question 5

what’s evaluation for durkheim

Answer 5

ignores the fact that class societies are not meritocratic

Question 6

what’s evaluation for parsons

Answer 6

• power is not necessarily used in the interests of all members of society

Question 7

what’s evaluation for davis and moore

Answer 7

Tumin :
Not everyone in society has an equal chance
Not all jobs get the reward they deserve ( nurses)
Some highly paid jobs might not be important to society ( professional footballers )
• dysfunction of stratification are neglected for example poverty has negative impact on life

Question 8

what’s evaluation for saunders

Answer 8

Marxist view of society - Althusser - critiques how the system serves to maintain class structure and propagate ideology of ruling class