Why is the concept of functional importance said to be circular?

Because functionalists identify important positions by the fact that they are highly rewarded, and then explain the high reward by the importance. Without an independent measure of importance the argument proves nothing.

What counter-example is often used against the claim that reward follows importance?

Care workers, cleaners and refuse collectors perform work whose absence would rapidly disable a society, yet they are among the lowest paid, while some highly paid financial roles could cease without comparable disruption.

What did Tumin argue about the pool of talent?

Tumin argued that stratification restricts the discovery of talent, because children born into disadvantage never get the chance to develop abilities they possess. The system therefore wastes the talent that Davis and Moore claim it allocates.

What is the objection to the idea of training as sacrifice?

Critics point out that students in higher education are not sacrificing so much as deferring, that their families often support them, and that the resulting earnings far exceed any loss during training, so compensation for sacrifice cannot explain the scale of the difference.

How does the existence of inherited wealth undermine the functionalist account?

Inherited wealth places people in advantaged positions without any contribution, training or talent, so a substantial part of the distribution of reward is unrelated to function of any kind.

Eduqas A-Level Sociology A200QS

Culture and the Social Construction of Culture

Topic overview Culture as a way of life Norms, values and beliefs Roles, status and role conflict Dress, appearance and cultural identity Language and cultural transmission Food, diet and cultural rules Music, the arts and high and popular culture The social construction of culture Feral children and extreme isolation The nature and nurture debate Culture and social change Cultural diversity, multiculturalism and hybridity Subcultures and countercultures

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Option: Families and HouseholdsFamilies

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Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification

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Theories and Explanations of Inequality and Stratification

Criticisms of functionalist stratification theory

3 things to know
Component 3 Section A

Overview

Objection to the idea of training as sacrifice, criticism from the existence of power and marxist criticism of functionalist stratification theory.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Your recallNot started

Numbers

What did Tumin argue against Davis and Moore?

Key term

What is meant by the claim that functionalism is ideological?

Key term

What is the strongest defence of the functionalist position?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1
What did Tumin argue against Davis and Moore?
Model answer
Tumin argued in 1953 that functional importance cannot be measured independently of reward, so the theory is circular. Tumin also held that talent is not scarce but unequally discovered and developed. Stratification actively obstructs the discovery of talent it claims to promote.
2
Why is the concept of functional importance said to be circular?
Model answer
Because functionalists identify important positions by the fact that they are highly rewarded, and then explain the high reward by the importance. Without an independent measure of importance the argument proves nothing.
3
What counter-example is often used against the claim that reward follows importance?
Model answer
Care workers, cleaners and refuse collectors perform work whose absence would rapidly disable a society, yet they are among the lowest paid, while some highly paid financial roles could cease without comparable disruption.
4
What did Tumin argue about the pool of talent?
Model answer
Tumin argued that stratification restricts the discovery of talent, because children born into disadvantage never get the chance to develop abilities they possess. The system therefore wastes the talent that Davis and Moore claim it allocates.
5
What is the objection to the idea of training as sacrifice?
Model answer
Critics point out that students in higher education are not sacrificing so much as deferring, that their families often support them, and that the resulting earnings far exceed any loss during training, so compensation for sacrifice cannot explain the scale of the difference.
6
How does the existence of inherited wealth undermine the functionalist account?
Model answer
Inherited wealth places people in advantaged positions without any contribution, training or talent, so a substantial part of the distribution of reward is unrelated to function of any kind.

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