1 - Focus on inequality as motivation for status

• Inequality is found in every society based on a hierarchy of groups through stratification which perpetuates unequal economic rewards.
• Ascribed status


  Assigned to a person regardless of characteristics
• Achieved status


  Attained through mostly their own effort (can be positive or negative)
• Stratification


  Functional for society and a source of social order.
• Davis and Moore (1945) - theory of stratification


  Stratification is a system of status positions and jobs that is universal and necessary. 'All society is stratified therefore stratification is a functional necessity'.
• Davis and Moore (1945) - theory of stratification focuses on:

  • How people get proper positions
  • How we motivate people to fill these positions
  • How we get people to do required jobs when in the position
• Davis and Moore (1945) - theory of stratification


  Stratification fills the most important and difficult jobs with the most talented and hardworking people. The most pay will go to these people. No incentive to work hard and do difficult educational courses without inequality.
• Spencer - Social Darwinism


  The idea of survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom, claiming that the strongest members of species were those who would survive to breed. Darwin's concepts were applied to society. The belief that the strongest people in society should become wealthy and powerful, whereas the weak should be punished and controlled in some way. (justifies extreme inequality)
• Evaluation of Social Darwinism


  Rooted in eugenics by nazis as both called for sexual sterilization and segregation of those they deem 'below them' and misuse of biological facts for nonscientific concepts
• Evaluation of Davis and Moore:

  • Kendall et al - generally ignores questions of structural inequality as it does not consider social factors like racial discrimination or lack of job inequalities.
  • Tumin (1970s) - argues it is too conservative
  • Tumin - they ignore power of certain groups to influence income through Trade Unions or professional associations like doctors going private.
  • Tumin - questions their view that talent is scarce in society as research suggests there is a pool of talent available from working class children but this is lost through class disadvantages.
• Why do societies need the poor?

  • The poor act as a lesson to the rest of us to work hard
  • Helping the poor, provides others with jobs
  • We feel good about ourselves if we help the poor
  • Poor people can do the dirty jobs