structural functional theory related to poverty

For example, the job of a brain surgeon is more important than the job of shoe shining.

Some jobs are more important than other jobs.

When applied to American society, their assumptions would be as follows: This explanation was developed more than sixty years ago by Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore (Davis & Moore, 1945) in the form of several logical assumptions that imply stratification is both necessary and inevitable. In line with this view, functionalist theorists in sociology assume that stratification exists because it also serves important functions for society.

Table 2.2 “Theory Snapshot” summarizes these three approaches.Īs discussed in Chapter 1 “Understanding Social Problems”, functionalist theory assumes that society’s structures and processes exist because they serve important functions for society’s stability and continuity. In general, the functionalist perspective and conflict perspective both try to explain why social stratification exists and endures, while the symbolic interactionist perspective discusses the differences that stratification produces for everyday interaction. We review what these perspectives say generally about social stratification (rankings of people based on wealth and other resources a society values) before turning to explanations focusing specifically on poverty. Why does poverty exist, and why and how do poor people end up being poor? The sociological perspectives introduced in Chapter 1 “Understanding Social Problems” provide some possible answers to these questions through their attempt to explain why American society is stratified-that is, why it has a range of wealth ranging from the extremely wealthy to the extremely poor. Understand the difference between the individualist and structural explanations of poverty.Explain the focus of symbolic interactionist work on poverty.Describe the assumptions of the functionalist and conflict views of stratification and of poverty.Sociologists who work from the conflict perspective study the distribution of resources, power, and inequality. William Domhoff believes in a similar philosophy as Mills and has written about the “power elite of America”. Examples of the “elite” would be government and large corporations. People are then impacted by the creation of social structures, and the usual result is a differential of power between the ” elite ” and the “others”. In his work, he believes social structures are created because of conflict between differing interests.

Wright Mills is known as the founder of modern conflict theory. Broader social structures and organizations (e.g., religions, government, etc.) reflect the competition for resources and the inherent inequality competition entails some people and organizations have more resources (i.e., power and influence), and use those resources to maintain their positions of power in society.Ĭ. Competition, rather than consensus, is characteristic of human relationships.

Competition over scarce resources is at the heart of all social relationships. According to the conflict perspective, society is made up of individuals competing for limited resources (e.g., money, leisure, sexual partners, etc.). Whereas functionalism understands society as a complex system striving for equilibrium, the conflict perspective views social life as competition. The conflict perspective, or conflict theory, derives from the ideas of Karl Marx, who believed society is a dynamic entity constantly undergoing change driven by class conflict.

Structural functional theory related to poverty