Functionalist Explanation of Inequality

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Functionalist Explanation of Inequality

Advantages

  • New Right (Saunders) - stratification is inevitable and serves important functions; Britain is a meritocratic society in which ability and personal ambition are the basis for success.
  • Growth of the middle class
  • The majority of the population have had a rise in their real income in the last 50 years
  • Cultural Deprivation - born into a culture in which they are not socialised properly to value education and success.

Disadvantages

  • Many jobs that are clearly functionally important are not highly rewarded , for example , nursing.
  • Breen and Goldthorpe (2000) - criticise Saunders accusing him of ignoring the plight of the unemployed who often find themselves trapped in a cycle of lack of opportunity and deprivation.
  • We do not live in a meritocratic society; some people are disadvantaged by discrimination.
  • Material Deprivation - poverty impacts on education , the poverty cycle.
  • Marxists (Elite Britain) - ascribed status , in which not all of those at the top of society are there because of talent and hard work, but due to assigned wealth at birth for some.

Evaluation

Evidence to support includes that of...Davis and Moore (Role Allocation).Parsons (School as a microcosm of meritocratic society).Durkheim (Every person cannot be successful - accept limits).Opposing argument would be that of MARXISM.

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