Who holds power in society, and how is inequality maintained?
Power and inequality, including authority and coercion, power in the workplace and the home, social mobility, and how inequality is reproduced.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology stratification topic, covering power and authority, power in the workplace and home, social mobility, and how inequality is reproduced across generations.
Reviewed by: AI editorial process; not yet individually human-reviewed
Have a quick question? Jump to the Q&A page
Jump to a section
What this dot point is asking
Eduqas wants you to explain power and inequality: the difference between authority and coercion, where power lies in the workplace and the home, what social mobility is, and how inequality is reproduced from one generation to the next. This dot point ties the stratification topic together by asking not just how society is unequal, but how that inequality is maintained.
Power: authority and coercion
The distinction matters because most stable societies rest mainly on authority rather than coercion: people generally obey the law and those in charge because they accept their legitimacy. Where authority breaks down, rulers may fall back on coercion, but a society held together only by force is unstable.
Power in the workplace and the home
Power is not only about the state; it operates in everyday institutions:
- In the workplace, employers have power over workers, deciding pay, conditions and whether someone keeps their job. Trade unions exist partly to balance this power, and Marxists see the workplace as a key site of class power and exploitation.
- In the home, power is often unequal between partners. As the families topic shows, decision-making and control of money can favour men, and the dual burden leaves women doing most domestic work. Feminists see the home as a site of patriarchal power.
This shows that inequality is reproduced through the power relationships of ordinary life, not just through grand political structures.
Social mobility and the reproduction of inequality
This is the key insight that links power, mobility and the stratification theories. Functionalists assume society is open and meritocratic, with mobility based on ability. Marxists and many others argue that inequality is largely inherited, not earned, so real mobility is limited and the stratification system reproduces itself across generations. A strong answer uses the reproduction of inequality to evaluate whether society is really as open as functionalists claim.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC Eduqas exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
Eduqas 20192 marksDescribe what is meant by social mobility.Show worked answer →
A two-mark describe item: define the term with a brief example.
Social mobility is the movement of individuals or groups up or down the social hierarchy, for example a person from a working-class family becoming a professional and moving into the middle class.
Markers reward an accurate definition (movement between social classes or strata). An example of upward mobility strengthens it.
Eduqas 20214 marksExplain the difference between power through authority and power through coercion.Show worked answer →
A four-mark explain item: define both and bring out the contrast.
Power through authority is when people obey because they accept that the person or body giving orders has a legitimate right to do so, such as obeying a teacher, the police or the law. Power through coercion is when people are forced to obey through fear, threats or violence, even though they do not accept it as legitimate.
Develop the contrast: authority is consented to and seen as rightful, while coercion relies on force without consent, which is why most stable societies rest mainly on authority rather than coercion. Markers reward clear definitions of both and an explicit statement of how they differ.
Related dot points
- Defining social differentiation and stratification, including the key concepts of social class, status, the strata of society, and ascribed and achieved status.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology stratification topic, defining social differentiation and stratification, social class and status, the strata of society, and ascribed and achieved status.
- Theories of stratification, including the functionalist view of Davis and Moore, the Marxist view, and the Weberian view of class, status and party.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology stratification topic, covering the functionalist (Davis and Moore), Marxist and Weberian theories of stratification and how they explain inequality.
- The main forms of social differentiation, including social class, gender, ethnicity and age, and the inequalities of opportunity linked to each.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology stratification topic, covering social class, gender, ethnicity and age as forms of differentiation and the inequalities of opportunity linked to each.
- Life chances and poverty, including the definition of life chances, absolute and relative poverty, the groups most at risk, and explanations of poverty.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology stratification topic, covering life chances, absolute and relative poverty, the groups most at risk, and the main explanations of poverty including Townsend.
- The functionalist (consensus) and Marxist (conflict) perspectives, including socialisation, social order, shared values, capitalism, class conflict and ideology.
A focused answer to the Eduqas GCSE Sociology perspectives topic, covering the functionalist consensus view and the Marxist conflict view of society, with their key concepts and how they criticise each other.
Sources & how we know this
- Eduqas GCSE Sociology (C200) specification — WJEC Eduqas (2017)