The Davis-Moore Thesis States That Social Stratification Has Beneficial Consequences For The Operation Of A Society
A. True
B. False
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Answer: A. True
The Davis-Moore thesis, formulated by sociologists Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore in their 1945 article “Some Principles of Stratification,” argues that social stratification, a system by which society ranks categories of people in a hierarchy, is an inevitable and necessary aspect of society. This thesis posits that stratification has beneficial consequences for the operation of a society.
The main premise of the Davis-Moore thesis is that the most difficult jobs in any society are the most necessary and require the highest rewards and incentives to sufficiently motivate individuals to fill them. According to Davis and Moore, a position must be more rewarding to attract qualified and capable individuals who will perform its duties. This is especially the case for positions that require more training or skill. Hence, stratification ensures that those who perform the roles most important to society’s functioning are rewarded the most, encouraging talent to be distributed where it is most needed.
From this viewpoint, stratification represents an efficient way to meet the needs of society by ensuring that the most capable individuals fulfill the roles of greatest importance. Critics, however, argue that the Davis-Moore thesis justifies the status quo and complacency towards the inequalities and structural barriers that hinder the mobility of individuals across different strata. They contend that the thesis overlooks aspects like discrimination and connections which might influence who gets certain jobs beyond their capabilities or training.
The discussion of whether stratification is inherently beneficial continues in sociology, but according to the Davis-Moore thesis, the existence and functionality of stratification in a society does indeed have positive aspects that help maintain its stability and efficiency by motivating individuals through unequal distribution of rewards.
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