Functionalism
Sociology: AQA GCSE, topic 5.1.2
The Functionalist Theory of Stratification
Davis and Moore put forward a functionalist theory of stratification. They argue that it’s necessary for society to ensure that important roles in society are filled and that some roles are more functionally important than others.
Davis and Moore (1945)
- According to Davis and Moore, societies need a way of placing people into the many different roles that are important for a society to function.
- This in known as role allocation.
Functional importance
- Some roles are functionally more important than other, for example, we might argue that the role of surgeon is more important than some other occupations.
- Roles that provide essential services and ensure society’s long-term survival are often seen as the most important.
Role allocation
- Most people lack the talent to fill these roles or the motivation required to train for them, so to attract people to these roles, society must offer higher rewards such as high pay and status.
- Stratification is therefore necessary for society because it ensures that the most talented people train for and fill the most important jobs.
Importance of inequality
- According to Davis and Moore, all societies must have a degree of inequality built into them, because society needs to treat people differently in regards to their status and rewards.
- By this logic inequality is functional because people see it as fair.
Criticisms of Davis and Moore
Marxists and feminists are especially critical of Davis and Moore.
Anomalies
- Not all the jobs that are vital to society attract high salaries (such as nursing), or have high status (e.g. refuse collection).
Status
- High pay and status might be linked to a group’s power, rather than to the functional importance of the role.
Wealth
- Marxists would argue that society is not meritocratic (based on people’s effort, skills and talents) because those born into wealth and higher status are able to use this to their advantage while exploiting and preventing those with less power, wealth and status from succeeding.
Gender
- Feminists argue that women are prevented from succeeding because men have the power and higher status, so society isn’t based on merit but on whether you are male or female.
Marxists
- Marxists don’t view stratification as functional.
- They argue that the privileged minority simply exploit others and ensure that they are unable to obtain the better paid and higher status roles.
Exploitation
- Marxist and feminists see stratification as a system in which some groups in society (e.g. the bourgeoisie and men) gain at the expense of other groups.
Test yourself on Functionalism
Who put forward a functionalist theory of stratification?