Social Class Inequalities Flashcards
Parsons
Functionalism
Some individuals are better than others at achieving and are more deserving of rewards
People who own businesses creating wealth should have highest rewards
Davis + Moore
STRATIFICATION
Functionalism
- Allocates right people to important roles
2. People in these roles perform to highest standards
Davis + Moore IMPORTANCE OF POSITION
Functionalism
Position is important:
1. Functional uniqueness >only 1 or few people can do the job
- Degree of dependence of others
Tumin
Critisism of Davis + Moore
Is it possible to determine the functional importamce of a position?
Seem to think only a small number of people have talent
Saunders
New Right
Middle class children deserve to do better than working class children
Murray
New Right
Underclass
Drain taxpayers for benefits
Poorly socialise children
Weber
SOCIAL CLASS
Weberian
Upper class >wealthy owners
White collar workers >skills + qualifacations
Bourgeoisie >small business owners
Working class >poorest market situation
Weber STATUS
Weberian
People with common status situatiom may form a stronger group identity
Weber PARTY
Weberian
Groups concerned with exercising power
Marx
DOWNFALL OF CAPITALISM (3)
Marxism
- Polarisation of social classes >divide beteeen capitalists + working class
- Alienation >workers wouldnt be able to find satisfaction
- Economic >lead to collapse of whole capitalist system
Marx
OVERTHROW OF CAPITALISM
Marxism
‘False class conciousness’
Working class realise nature of exploitation + overthrow capitalism
Replaced with communism
Pakulski + Waters
EVALUATION
Postmodernism
Class is paling into insignificance
People group themselves together according to symbolic values
Beck
EVALUATION
Postmodernism
‘Risk society’
Problem of society is managing risks created by science + technology
Abbott
EVALUATION
Feminism
Critisises Goldthorpe Scale
Ignores women + needs to study them
