Social Stratification - SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES

Question 1

(FUNC) What are the four things Davis and Moore believe are necessary to happen for society to function correctly?

Answer 1

-All roles are filled
-Filled by those best suited
-Necessary training
-Being done carefully and thouroughly

Question 2

(FUNC) What do D&M believe much be present for society’s function?

Answer 2

Unequal rewards, with the highest going to those that are the most hardworking and driven

Question 3

Give two criticisms of Davis and Moore’s functionalist view

Answer 3

Unequal rewards lead to tension and lack of trust between different social classes
Only the elites benefit here: not always given same opportunities, rich will always be favoured

Question 4

What is the main MARX view on social class?

Answer 4

Class divide is negative, bourgoisie exploit the proletariat through employment to benefit themselves

Question 5

(MARX) What is the polarisation of social class?

Answer 5

Growing differences between social classes, small wealthy elite have completely opposite lives to many poor workers, petty bourgoisie forced into WC

Question 6

(MARX) How might social class lead to alienation?

Answer 6

People are unhappy of lack of control in their lives, but have no alternatives otherwise they will lose their living, so carry on working for something unsatisfactory since they can be replaced at any moment

Question 7

Give 2 criticisms of the marxist view

Answer 7

Too class-focused instead of other factors
Ignores how some are able to change their destinies through hard work and dedication

Question 8

What perspective did Weber some from?

Answer 8

Social Action Theory

Question 9

What did Weber believe society was divided into instead of social class?

Answer 9

A person’s ‘market situation’

Question 10

What are the four classes that Weber came up with?

Answer 10

property owning upper class
professional middle class
Petty bourgoisie
manual working class

Question 11

(WEBER) What is status?

Answer 11

The level of prestige that someone has within society

Question 12

What is an example of someone having high status but not much economic worth?

Answer 12

A police officer

Question 13

(WEBER) What is a party?

Answer 13

Any group that competes for power (e.g. trade unions)

Question 14

(WEBER)
True or False: party could apply to anyone, regardless of class

Answer 14

True e.g. someone from any class could be a Catholic

Question 15

(WEBER)
True or False: economic wealth automatically gives someone great power

Answer 15

False e.g. a footballer earns a lot of money but dos not have much political power

Question 16

Give two criticisms of Weber’s theory

Answer 16

(MARX) Creating so many divisions ignores the main inequalities between the bourgoisie and proletariat
The wealthy tend to still be the most powerful