How do sociological theories explain social stratification, and do they see inequality as necessary, exploitative or fragmenting?
Component 2: theories of social stratification and inequality, including the functionalist, Marxist, Weberian, New Right and postmodernist perspectives on why societies are unequal.
An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to theories of social stratification. Covers the functionalist view (Davis and Moore), the Marxist view (Marx, neo-Marxists), the Weberian view (class, status, party), the New Right (Murray, Saunders) and postmodernism (the decline of class), with the theorists, evaluation and exam skills the inequalities paper rewards.
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What this dot point is asking
OCR Component 2 begins the inequalities content with the theories that explain why societies are stratified. You need the functionalist, Marxist, Weberian, New Right and postmodernist views and, crucially, the ability to weigh them. These theories are the toolkit for the essays on class, gender, ethnicity and age, so master them once and use them everywhere.
The answer
The functionalist view
Davis and Moore argue stratification performs role allocation: society's most functionally important roles (such as surgeon) require talent and long training, so unequal rewards are needed to motivate the most able people to fill them. Inequality, on this view, is meritocratic and reflects a value consensus about what deserves reward.
The Marxist view
Marxists see stratification as exploitation. Marx argues capitalism divides society into the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labour and are exploited through the extraction of surplus value. Inequality is built into the system and sustained by ruling-class ideology and the workers' false consciousness. Neo-Marxists such as Wright refine this with contradictory class locations (for example managers, who are both controlled and controlling).
Weberian, New Right and postmodern views
Weber argues stratification is multi-dimensional, based on class (market situation), status (social honour and prestige) and party (organised power). This explains divisions Marx's two-class model misses. The New Right (Murray's underclass, Saunders) see inequality as the fair outcome of a meritocratic market, with the poor partly responsible for their situation. Postmodernists (Pakulski and Waters) argue class is declining, replaced by status, consumption and fragmented identities, so the old stratification theories are outdated.
Examples in context
A top essay treats each theory as a claim to be tested, sets the others against it, applies evidence, and judges, rather than describing the perspectives in turn.
Try this
Q1. Outline two dimensions of stratification identified by Weber. [4 marks]
- What the marker wants. Two of class (market situation), status (social honour) or party (organised power) (AO1, two marks each), each briefly explained.
Q2. Outline and explain two criticisms of the functionalist theory of stratification. [10 marks]
- Cue. Two developed points: Marxists argue it ignores exploitation and unequal starting points (not a true meritocracy), and it cannot explain how the rich pass on advantage, each applied to an example such as inherited wealth.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of OCR exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
OCR H580/02 201910 marksOutline and explain two functionalist arguments about the role of social stratification. [10]Show worked answer →
An Outline and explain question (AO1 and AO2). Each argument needs explanation and an applied example.
Argument one. Role allocation: Davis and Moore argue stratification ensures the most able people fill the most important roles, with unequal rewards motivating them to train, for example high pay for doctors encouraging long study.
Argument two. Meritocracy and value consensus: unequal rewards reflect a shared agreement that effort and talent deserve more, integrating society. The top band applies an example to each argument.
OCR H580/02 202120 marksAssess the Marxist view that social inequality is the inevitable result of capitalism. [20]Show worked answer →
A Section B essay (AO1, AO2 and AO3), shown at the 20-mark cap (worth up to 40 in the full paper), marked by levels of response.
For. Marx argues capitalism divides society into the bourgeoisie, who own the means of production, and the proletariat, who sell their labour and are exploited through surplus value; inequality is built into the system and maintained by ideology and false consciousness.
Against. Functionalists see inequality as necessary and fair (Davis and Moore); Weberians argue class is more complex (status and party also matter); postmodernists (Pakulski and Waters) argue class is declining. The persistence of inequality in non-capitalist societies also challenges Marx.
Judgement. Capitalism clearly generates inequality, but a purely Marxist account is too deterministic and neglects status, gender and ethnicity, which reaches the top band.
Related dot points
- Component 2: social class inequality, including patterns in income, wealth and life chances, the concepts of embourgeoisement, proletarianisation, the underclass and the precariat, and debates about the continuing significance of class.
An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to social class inequality. Covers income and wealth, life chances, embourgeoisement and proletarianisation, the underclass (Murray) and the precariat (Standing), Bourdieu's cultural capital and the Great British Class Survey, with the debate about the significance of class and the exam skills the paper rewards.
- Component 2: gender inequality, including the gender pay gap, the glass ceiling, vertical and horizontal segregation, the dual labour market, and the feminist explanations (liberal, radical, Marxist and difference) of women's life chances.
An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to gender inequality. Covers the gender pay gap, the glass ceiling, vertical and horizontal segregation, the dual labour market, and liberal (Oakley), radical (Walby), Marxist and difference feminism, with the debate about whether gender inequality is declining and the exam skills the paper rewards.
- Component 2: ethnic inequality, including patterns in employment, income and the criminal justice system, the concept of institutional racism, and the theoretical explanations (functionalist, Marxist, Weberian and intersectional) of ethnic disadvantage.
An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to ethnic inequality. Covers patterns in employment, income and justice, institutional racism (Macpherson), the host-immigrant model (Patterson), the reserve army of labour (Castles and Kosack), the dual labour market and intersectionality (Crenshaw), with the debate about discrimination and the exam skills the paper rewards.
- Component 2: age inequality, including the disadvantages faced by the young and the old in work, income and status, ageism, and the functionalist, Marxist, Weberian and interactionist explanations of age-based inequality.
An OCR A-Level Sociology Component 2 guide to age inequality. Covers the disadvantages faced by the young and the old, ageism, disengagement theory, the Marxist and Weberian views, and the interactionist analysis of age stereotypes, with the debate about age as a source of inequality and the exam skills the paper rewards.
- Synoptic: the structural consensus theory of functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons, Merton) and the structural conflict theory of Marxism (Marx, Gramsci, Althusser), and the debate between consensus and conflict views of society.
An OCR A-Level Sociology guide to functionalism and Marxism, the two structural theories. Covers functionalism (Durkheim, Parsons's value consensus, Merton's manifest and latent functions) and Marxism (Marx's class conflict, Gramsci's hegemony, Althusser's ideological state apparatuses), with the consensus versus conflict debate and the exam skills the theory questions reward.
Sources & how we know this
- OCR AS and A Level Sociology (H180, H580) specification — OCR (2015)