Compare and Contrast Functionalist and Conflict Perspectives on Social Inequality

question 16

Essay

Compare and contrast functionalist and conflict perspectives on social inequality.

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Definitions:

Gemeinschaft

German for community, a state characterized by a sense of common feeling among the members of a society, including strong personal ties, sturdy primary group memberships, and a sense of personal loyalty to one another; associated with rural life.

Pastoral Society

A social system based on the raising and herding of livestock as a primary economic activity.

Division of Labor

An economic concept that divides tasks in a production process, where specialization increases efficiency and productivity.

Master Status

Some characteristic of a person that overrides all other features of the person’s identity.