Functionalist and Marxist explanations of inequality

Overview

Recall questions on functionalist views of stratification, Davis and Moore's theory of unequal rewards, meritocracy, Tumin's criticisms, Marxist explanations of class, exploitation, alienation and ideology, and criticisms of Marx's predictions and of Marxist explanations of inequality.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   How do functionalists view social stratification?

   Model answer

   They see it as inevitable and beneficial: Parsons argued that a shared value consensus leads members of a society to agree on which roles deserve the greatest reward, so ranking people expresses common values rather than creating conflict — which is why functionalism is a consensus theory while Marxism and feminism are conflict theories.

2. 2

   Explain Davis and Moore's argument that unequal rewards are functionally necessary.

   Model answer

   They argued some positions are more functionally important and require scarce talent and long, costly training, so society must attach high pay and prestige to them; without that incentive the ablest people would not make the sacrifices needed to fill the roles everyone else depends on.

3. 3

   Define meritocracy, and explain the part functionalists give it in allocating people to jobs.

   Model answer

   A meritocracy is a society in which position is earned through ability and effort rather than inherited; functionalists argue that education sifts and sorts young people by talent so that role allocation places the most able individuals in the most demanding positions.

4. 4

   What were Tumin's main criticisms of the functionalist theory of stratification?

   Model answer

   Tumin argued there is no objective way to measure the functional importance of a job, that inequality blocks talent by denying opportunity to the poor rather than releasing it, that power rather than merit determines pay, and that stratification divides a society instead of integrating it.

5. 5

   Care workers and refuse collectors are essential yet poorly paid, while some of the largest fortunes are inherited. Why is this a problem for the functionalist account?

   Model answer

   It breaks the link between functional importance and reward on which the theory rests: work society could not manage without is among the worst paid, while inherited wealth passes to people who have demonstrated no talent at all, which suggests rewards follow market power and family advantage rather than merit.

6. 6

   On what basis does Marxism divide a society into classes?

   Model answer

   On ownership of the means of production: the bourgeoisie own the factories, land and capital, while the proletariat own nothing but their labour power and must sell it to an employer in order to live.

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