Social Differentiation and Stratification

What Social Differentiation and Stratification covers

Social Differentiation and Stratification is examined in Component 2, Understanding Social Structures. It covers theories of stratification, power and authority, evidence of inequality in the UK, factors affecting life chances and poverty and deprivation.

The 5 subtopics

Each one has its own page.

• Theories of stratificationConsensus and conflict views, Davis and Moore and Tumin's criticism, meritocracy, Marx on exploitation and false class consciousness, Weber's class, status and party, the NS-SEC, and feminist views.Open →
• Power and authorityWeber on power, authority and coercion, formal and informal power, traditional, charismatic and rational-legal authority, agencies of social control and Althusser's state apparatuses.Open →
• Evidence of inequality in the UKLife chances, income and wealth, the gender pay gap, the Marmot Review and life expectancy, hate crime, Stonewall's School Report, disability, religion at work, and ethnic discrimination in hiring.Open →
• Factors affecting life chancesGender roles, institutional racism, ageism, scapegoating, the Equality Act 2010, private schooling and the old boys' network, the affluent worker studies, the glass ceiling, and Walby's patriarchy.Open →
• Poverty and deprivationAbsolute and relative poverty, Rowntree, Townsend's relative deprivation and its critics, groups prone to poverty, the culture of poverty, Murray's underclass, social exclusion and globalisation.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Power vs Authority

  Power: any capacity to make others act as you wish, whether by consent or by force. Authority: legitimate control that people accept and obey willingly.

• Absolute poverty vs Relative poverty

  Absolute poverty: lacking the minimum resources needed for physical survival. Relative poverty: income too low to share the living standards normal in one's society.

• Prejudice vs Discrimination

  Prejudice: a hostile attitude or prejudgement about a whole group. Discrimination: unfair treatment of people because of their group membership.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is social stratification?

   Model answer

   Social stratification is the division of society into layers with unequal wealth, power and status. Class, gender, ethnicity and age are all bases of stratification.

2. 2

   How do consensus and conflict theories disagree about stratification?

   Model answer

   Consensus theorists such as functionalists see stratification as fair, inevitable and useful to society as a whole. Conflict theorists see it as a system that benefits powerful groups at the expense of others.

3. 3

   Who were Davis and Moore, and when did they publish their theory of stratification?

   Model answer

   Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore were American functionalist sociologists. Davis and Moore published their theory of stratification in 1945.

4. 4

   According to Davis and Moore, how does stratification make sure the right people fill the right jobs?

   Model answer

   Davis and Moore argued some positions matter more to society and need scarce talent and long training. High pay and prestige draw the most able people into those positions.

5. 5

   Why, in Davis and Moore's view, do unequal rewards also improve how well people do their jobs?

   Model answer

   Davis and Moore argued the prospect of higher rewards motivates people to work hard once they hold a role. A surgeon who expects high pay has a strong reason to perform well.

6. 6

   What is a meritocracy, and why do functionalists link it to stratification?

   Model answer

   A meritocracy is a system where positions depend on ability and effort, not family background. Functionalists argue open competition makes stratification fair because the most able rise to the top.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Social Differentiation and Stratification revision questions

What does Social Differentiation and Stratification cover in Eduqas GCSE Sociology?

5 subtopics: theories of stratification, power and authority, evidence of inequality in the uk, factors affecting life chances and poverty and deprivation. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Social Differentiation and Stratification organised?

By the Eduqas C200QS specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.