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Unlock This CourseHave you ever wondered why some jobs pay more than others? Or why certain positions in society seem to have more status? The Functionalist Theory of Stratification, particularly the Davis and Moore Theory, tries to explain why inequality exists in society and argues that it actually serves a purpose!
Key Definitions:
Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore were American sociologists who published their theory in 1945. They wanted to explain why social inequality exists in all human societies and argued that it serves an important function rather than being a problem to solve.
Davis and Moore believed that social stratification is both universal (found everywhere) and necessary (societies need it to function properly). They argued that inequality motivates talented people to take on important but difficult roles in society.
Davis and Moore's theory is based on several key ideas that explain why they believe stratification is necessary:
Every society has many different jobs and roles that need to be done. Some of these positions are more important than others for society to function properly.
Some jobs are more crucial to society's survival and functioning than others. For example, doctors are considered more functionally important than entertainers.
Some positions require extensive training, education, or natural talent. These positions are harder to fill because not everyone can do them.
Society offers greater rewards (money, status, power) to motivate people to take on more important or difficult roles.
Davis and Moore argued that societies face a key problem: how do you motivate talented people to undergo difficult training and take on demanding roles? Their answer was simple - you need to offer greater rewards!
Think about what it takes to become a doctor in the UK:
Davis and Moore would argue that the high salary, social status and respect given to doctors are necessary rewards to ensure enough talented people are willing to make these sacrifices.
According to Davis and Moore, inequality isn't a problem - it's actually society's solution to ensure all important positions are filled by the most capable people. They believed that:
Davis and Moore's theory assumes that in a properly functioning society, rewards are distributed based on merit - your abilities and how hard you work, not your background or connections.
In an ideal meritocratic system, everyone has an equal opportunity to compete for positions and rewards are given fairly based on a person's contribution to society. Your family background, gender, ethnicity or other factors shouldn't matter.
Critics point out that real societies rarely work this way. Many factors besides merit (like family wealth, connections, discrimination) influence who gets what positions and rewards.
While this theory makes some interesting points, it has faced significant criticism from other sociologists:
Sociologist Melvin Tumin argued that Davis and Moore couldn't objectively measure which positions are truly most "functionally important" to society.
The theory ignores how wealth and status are often inherited rather than earned through merit, creating unequal starting points.
Those in powerful positions can manipulate the system to ensure they and their children maintain advantages.
Consider these UK salary differences:
Davis and Moore would explain this by saying footballers have rare talents and generate huge revenue. Critics would question whether this accurately reflects their "functional importance" to society compared to healthcare workers or teachers.
Despite its criticisms, the theory still offers useful insights for understanding modern stratification:
The high salaries in tech could be explained as necessary to attract talented people to develop important technologies. However, the lack of diversity in tech suggests barriers beyond merit are at play.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that many "essential workers" (like care workers, delivery drivers and shop assistants) receive relatively low pay despite their functional importance, challenging Davis and Moore's theory.
When writing about the Davis and Moore Theory in your iGCSE Sociology exam:
Davis and Moore Theory in a nutshell: Social stratification exists because it's necessary to motivate talented people to fill the most important positions in society. Unequal rewards ensure the right people take on the most functionally important roles.
Main criticisms: The theory ignores inherited privilege, can't objectively determine functional importance and overlooks how power can be used to maintain inequality.