2. Functionalists explanations for social inequality.

understanding social inequalities

meritocracy

a society where people with merit (hard work and skills) are rewarded with higher levels of status and money.

patriarchy

a structural system within society where men dominate women in every aspect.

role allocation theory

allows us to allocate the right jobs to the right people.

functional uniqueness

when no other occupation can be suitable for an individual (e.g. brain surgeons are incredibly clever therefore useful for such as crucial job not to work in Tesco).

degree of dependency of others

where the most important jobs tend to have other positions dependent on them.

myth of meritocracy

Marxists argue that the richest people get the top jobs rather than those with the most talent.

values consensus

society is structured so that people are socialized into value consensus (agreement of common values)

goal attainment

where society agrees that those who achieve the common goals should be rewarded financially.

suggests that some people are rich and some people are poor because they have different levels of merit.

Young

says that “role allocation” allows us to allocate the right jobs to the right people. they say there are 2 reasons why some jobs are harder and need the best people in them “1. functional uniqueness” (not everyone has the talent they have) “2. the degree of dependency of others.” (the most important jobs tend to have other people dependant on them).

Davis and Moore

says that unequal rewards are what motive people to work hard hence capitalists societies thrive. “inequality protects freedom”

Saunders

argues that society is structured so that people are socialised into a “value consensus” (agreement in society on common values). “goal attainment” - we agree that those who achieve the common goals shouls be rewarded financially.

Parsons

CRITISM of Youngs ideas in relation to meritocracy.

they would argue that society isn’t meritocratic and that men dominate women in a patriarchal society and that women are deliberately blocked and excluded from higher positions because men want to maintain their position of power.

feminists

CRITISISM of Davis and Moore’s ideas in relation to role allocation.

they criticise functionalists for assuming it is possible to identify the ‘best’ people and then give them the hardest jobs. “myth of meritocracy”.

the Sutton trust

CRITISISM of Parsons idea of value consensus.

showed that those with names that indicated a possible minority ethnic origin had half as much chance of getting an interview than those with ‘white’ names.

Brown and Gay