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Unit-3: Theories of Social Stratification-I

insularity of American sociology, the diffusion of the Davis-Moore article into European Notes
sociology circles was not immediate. Most foreign references are within the last twenty-five
years, not the first twenty-five years, after publication of the 1945 paper.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• The functionalists believe that all the functions carried out by various parts of the society are
functional for its survival. But they are not equal in importance. The people who perform
higher functions are ranked higher. People differ in terms of their innate ability and talent.
Positions differ in terms of their importance for the survival and maintenance of society.
Certain positions are more functionally important than others. A most important function of
stratification as believed by the functionalists, is to match the most able people with the
functionally most important positions.
• Each society devices 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 argued that power
and prestige differentials are essential for the coordination and integration of a social system.
It serves to further collective goods which are based on social values. But Parsons did not
neglected the conflict aspect here because he further said that there will be conflict when the
social values are challenged.
• Parsons has defined social action by saying that, “It is a process in the actor-situation system
which has motivational significance to the individual actor or in the case of collectivity, its component
individuals”. In other words all social actions proceed from mechanism. Social actions,

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