THEORIES OF INEQUALITY
Three theories, which can be distinguished by how three questions are answered:
- How is social class defined?
- How many classes are there?
- How is the class structure likely to develop?
MARX
- Class is based on ownership, the means of production.
- Two classes, the bourgeoisie, who won it, and the proletariat, who don't.
- Owners exploit, use force and ideology.
- Marx predicted monopolization of capital and homogenization (skill differences disappear) and pauperization, they get poorer, and polarization = classes move further apart.
- Revolution.
Evaluation
- Class not the only inequality, cast, status, age, ethnicity and gender.
- Competing definitions of class.
- Not all workers feel oppressed.
- Force is rare.
- Some firms monopolise, but share ownership is wide.
- The working class has become fragmented.
- Skilled and not, employed and not, men and women, natives and immigrants.
- Some working class got richer.
- More inequality since 1979 but growing middle class and a gap between the working class and the poor.
- Some modern Marxists have seen the ideological hegemony as inhibiting class consciousness and conflict.
- Pluralists see higher pay and the welfare state as desirable alternatives to revolution.
WEBER
Social inequality based on differences in power as well as class. Sources of power are, class, an objective economic category based on ownership, market situation and ease of mobility; status, subjective based on prestige (groups share lifestyles and patterns of consumption); and party, a group who are organised to gain power.
Evaluation
Weber is more flexible. The theories can be applied to working class affluence, the growth of the middle classes and the discussion of an underclass. Ideas, as well as economic developments, are the causes of change.
FUNCTIONALIST THEORIES
- Three consensus theories offer a critical view of conflict theories of inequality.
- Parsons, Based stratification is based on shared values and therefore integrate rather than divide societies. The ranking depends on consensual view of their position's importance. Power is given to those in important positions to achieve shared goals.
- Davis and Moore said stratification has the function of role allocation and performance. Inequality ensures the best people perform well in the most important jobs.
Evaluation
- Explanations and criticisms largely from Tumin
- Some positions are functionally more important than others.
- People rarely have the natural talent to perform these tasks.
- Talents to skills requires sacrifices, such as loss of earnings
- Can be offset, by government or parents.
- Expectation of high pay motivates people to make these sacrifices.
- Though some people may fill some posts by altruism, or conscription.
- Unequal regards leads to differences in prestige attached to position which then becomes the generally accepted basis of stratification. Davis and Moore could explain this at a moment in time, but actually stratification means you inherit a position and so may have better opportunities, so stratification prevents this equality of opportunity.
Extra Information
Market situation means the ability to earn more or less. It depends on skills, control over entry and other sources of bargaining power.
Parties include unions, professional associations and political parties.
Practice applying theories to past questions. Marx versus Weber often works for questions on class structure.