Question

How might the key elements of the functionalist approach to social stratification be dysfunctional in an African society? (25marks)

Answer 1

Social stratification can be analysed in many different ways. First, societies can be depicted in terms of the categories which people use, and the class structure can be decided according to the categories in which people decide to put themselves. There do not appear to be any studies on this kind of class imagery in mostly South Africa. Second, class can be seen in simple grade based terms, according to income level. This approach cannot, make us understand the relationship between class and inequality in the divination of income. We can see in Africa the previous practices of racial discrimination runs deep in the present rulers of them and it is quite impossible to support the inequalities based on different person's quality and to categorize them the issues need to be resolved that is about racial facts. In Africa the rich people are rich because they good jobs and good income and the poor people are poor because they have poor jobs. The class division is completely different in Africa as compared to other countries. It will be an occupation based analysis if we do so. There would be many questions like if in a African family nobody has a job can it be categorized in social stratification? it will be based how we think about a society.