Functionalist Theory of Social Stratification (AQA GCSE Sociology): Revision Note

Key thinkers: Davis & Moore (1945)

• Writing from a functionalist perspective, American sociologists Davis and Moore argue that all societies are stratified and have social inequality

• Davis and Moore believed that role allocation was needed for society to survive and operate efficiently

  • For society to operate effectively, it is necessary for the following to happen:

    • all roles must be filled

    • they must be filled by those best able to perform them

    • effective training must take place for the roles

    • roles must be performed conscientiously

• Some positions are functionally more important for society than others, as they provide essential services and ensure society's survival over time

  • Such as doctors, surgeons, dentists, lawyers and judges

• These functionally important roles require people with exceptional talent, skills and abilities, which only a minority of individuals have

  • They undertake lengthy and costly education and training, which involves making sacrifices

  • To attract such individuals, these roles must offer desirable rewards, such as high pay and status

• Stratification is functionally necessary for society because it ensures that the most talented people train for and fill the most important jobs

• All societies must have some degree of inequality built into them, which is functional as people accept it as fair

Criticisms of Davis & Moore

• Occupations which carry less prestige or lower economic rewards can also be seen as functionally important to society

  • E.g., nurses and refuse collectors

• Differences in status and pay between different occupational groups may be due to differences in their power rather than the functional importance of their position

  • E.g., MPs who are paid more than nurses

• There is no evidence that exceptional talent is required for important positions in society or an agreed method of measuring talent and ability

  • E.g., there is no formal educational requirement for Government ministers

• There may be far more talented people in society than Davis and Moore indicate

  • The best way to develop their potential may not be through unequal rewards

    • E.g., the Prime Minister, for example, is paid far less than the CEO of a typical major corporation

• Talented people do not necessarily make sacrifices during their training

  • They can earn back any income lost during the training period in the first 10 years of their work

• Contrary to what David and Moore believe, society is not meritocratic

  • Equal opportunities do not exist and social mobility is not widespread

• Rather than seeing stratification as functional, Marxists view it as a means by which a privileged minority exploit others

  • Neither inequality nor stratification is inevitable