Reece Simpson February 13, 2020 SOC 1101 Section 203 Memo #4 Intuitively, the proposition that social inequality and stratification is needed to create an efficient society seem valid. In theory, by promoting higher quality rewards for appropriate roles/ occupations, a society can thrive on the principle that the most qualified people are in the most important positions (Davis and Moore, 1945: 243). Ideally, in this social structure, members of society are also motivated to work harder, since they understand that rewards await them as they get more qualified in their trade/profession. Yet, if social stratification can be such an economic and societal benefit, why do studies show a direct negative relationship between societal health and economic inequality (Kraus and Tan, 2015: 1)? The United States is the quintessential counterexample to the arguments of Davis and Moore, and thus provide support for the perspectives of Tumin. Tumin’s conflict perspective argued that the only way social stratification can work without any issues in a society with unlimited resources, which is impossible (Tumin, 1953: 389). As a result, the competitive acquisition of these scarce resources will be inherently flawed, due to the systems of society bending to people of power and their coercion. Works Cited:
