stratification

• examples of stratification:

  • slavery
  • caste system
  • feudalism
  • social class system
• davis and moore:

  • functionalist perspective
  • social stratification is a ' universal necessity '

  for any society to survive it was necessary for this

  1. all roles must be fulfilled
  2. roles must be fulfilled by those best able
  3. necessary training is required
  4. roles must be performed conscientiously

  • by attaching high rewards to functionally important roles those with ambitions will be encouraged to compete for them and the most talented will achieve success
• criticisms:

  • there are many jobs that are vital to society and have relatively low pay or low status
  • a groups high pay may be linked to its power rather than functional importance
  • assume society is meritocratic
• marx

  • social stratification is a mechanism that exploits the lower class
  • capitalism stratifies into 2 groups the bourgeoise and the proletariat
  • agriculture development produced a surplus in wealth
• criticisms of marx

  • new right and functionalist believe capitalism is beneficial for society and creates opportunity for social mobility
• murrary

  • new right perspective
  • welfare lead to a dependancy culture and growing underclass
  • increased benefits lead to

  1. discouragement of self sufficiency
  2. more single parent and breakdown on the nuclear family
  3. young people losing intrest in getting jobs

  • the underclass burdens tax payers and are responsible for rising crime rates
  • saw a moral decline in values
• criticisms of murray

  • ignores economic reasons tha may create such a class
  • many of the underclass hold traditional values
  • marxists argue that these people are victims of social injustice
• weber

  • interactionalist perspective
  • defined class as a group of individuals who share a similiar position in a market situation
  • he saw no evidence to support the polarisation of classes
  • power and stratification are not just based on economic relationships but two other factors such as:

  1. status
  2. party
• weber

  • three different sources of power

  1. charismatic - special qualities
  2. traditional - inherited status
  3. legal rational - through established laws
• criticisms of weber:

  • new right is critical - weber is bias and ignores social mobility and opportunities created by capitalism