structural functional theory of stratification

The Davis-Moore thesis does not explain, he argued, why a media personality with little education, skill, or talent becomes famous and rich on a reality show or a campaign trail. In 1953, Melvin Tumin countered the Davis-Moore thesis in “Some Principles of Stratification: A Critical Analysis.” Tumin questioned what determined a job’s degree of importance. Other work, like designing a highway system or delivering a baby, requires immense skill.

The employees don’t need a college degree. Certain jobs, such as cleaning hallways or answering phones, do not require much skill. They also stated that the more skill required for a job, the fewer qualified people there would be to do that job. Davis and Moore believed that rewarding more important work with higher levels of income, prestige, and power encourages people to work harder and longer.ĭavis and Moore stated that, in most cases, the degree of skill required for a job determines that job’s importance. Without the incentive of higher pay and better benefits, why would someone be willing to rush into burning buildings? If pay levels were the same, the firefighter might as well work as a grocery store cashier. The cashier position does not require the same skill and training level as firefighting. Qualified people who fill those positions must be rewarded more than others.Īccording to Davis and Moore, a firefighter’s job is more important than, for instance, a grocery store cashier’s. Certain tasks in society are more valuable than others. The theory posits that social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of different work. In 1945, sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore published the Davis-Moore thesis, which argued that the greater the functional importance of a social role, the greater must be the reward. What is the function of social stratification? According to functionalism, different aspects of society exist because they serve a needed purpose. In sociology, the functionalist perspective examines how society’s parts operate.

Structural functional theory of stratification