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Unit-3: Theories of Social Stratification-I

3.2 Theoretical Formulations of Parsons Notes

Parsons, an American thinker has earned fame as a serious social thinker, who has tried to give
new original thought to the contemporary social thought. He has expounded the theory of social
action. For him society embraced the entire social field of man. He has also given the theory of
social action and also that of social control. He was in favour of individualism. For him institutions
are most important mechanism of social control. He has given views about social system and
social organisation. He believed that sociology operated both in broad and narrow fields.
Talcott Parsons believed that order and stability in society are based on value consensus. Value
consensus means a general agreement by members of society concurring what is good and worth-
while. He argued that stratification systems derive from common values. In Parsons word,
“Stratification, in its valuation aspect, then, the ranking of units in a social system in accordance
with the common value system” the ranking, according to Parsons, depends on what the values of
that society define as superior. For example, if a society places a high value on bravery, as in the
case of Sioux Indians, those who excel in terms of this quality will receive a high rank in the
stratification system. Since different societies have different value systems, the ways of attaining
a high position will vary form society to society.

Value Consensus and Stratification
To Parsons stratification is an inevitable part of all human societies because he believes that
stratification system are just, right and proper, since they are basically an expression of shared
values. He called these shared value as social values and actions which results from these values
are norms. Each society devises its own values and norms which are best suited for maintaining
order and stability. Shared values are a necessary part of all social systems. He believed that
power and prestige differentials are essential for the co-ordination and integration of a social
system. It serves to further collective goods which are based on social values. But this is not to say
that there is no conflict between the haves and have-nots. Conflict does exist between the highly
rewarded and those who receive little reward. However, he argued that this conflict is kept in
check by the common value system which justifies the unequal distribution of rewards if these
values are challenged this would lead to instability in that society.
Role of Value Consensus
Social values are the shared belief of a society. These values arise out of the need of every society
to maintain order and stability. Each society develops its own values which are best suited for
maintenance of stability. They emerge out of consensus of the member of that society. Any person
who performs according to the values is better rewarded. If a person violates the consensus he or
she is punished. On the basis of values, individuals are evaluated and placed in the hierarchy.
Differences in the strata or the rank are justified by the value system. So stratification is defined by
Parsons as the ranking of units in a social system in accordance with the common values system.
Hence, it is the value consensus which creates stratification in a society. They believed that
stratification is the mechanism to ensure effective role allocation by providing unequal rewards of
different positions.
Criticism of Parsonian Theory of Social Stratification

According to Parsons, stratification is the ranking of units in the social system in accordance with
the common value system. Hence, it is the value system which creates stratification in society. His
basic effort in the analysis of stratification was the problem of socials order. In Parsons word
stratification is a valuation aspect. The ranking, according to Parsons, depends on what the values
of that society define as superior. For example, if a society places a high value on bravery, as in the
case of Sioux Indians, those who excel in terms of this quality will receive a high rank in the
stratification system. Since different societies have different value systems, the ways of attaining

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