SOCIOL 2S06 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Social Conflict, Social Inequality, Social Change
Document Summary
A structural functionalist theory of stratification cont: consensus on the ranking of positions. There is a consensus on occupational positions. Members of society generally agree that it is acceptable to have a hierarchy in which some occupations are given a lot more rewards than others. This is backed up in some ideas in certain countries: i. e. in canada and u. s. there is a lot of value of meritocracy- you will find a place in society based on merit focus on individual achievement. As we have seen, the theory suggests that effort and ability determines a person"s place in the stratification system. This theory cannot explain why certain jobs are highly rewarded than others. This theory, as with structural functionalism in general, is trying to justify the existing social inequality. Evaluation of structural functionalist theory: strengths of structural functionalism, focus on social order. Draw attention to the important sociological issue of social order.