Problem:
Functionalists believe that social stratification exists because society needs people to fill important roles and as you know higher pay motivates people to work hard for those positions. However, this perspective often overlooks the importance of lower prestige jobs that are just as essential to society. One lower prestige job from the occupational prestige chart that I think plays a major role in society is garbage collectors, also known as sanitation workers. Need Assignment Help?
Garbage collectors are able to perform duties that are extremely important for the smooth functioning of everyday life. They remove trash from homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and more. This helps to keep communities clean and safe. Without sanitation workers, trash would quickly pile up, leading to health risks such as diseases spreading. Just imagine pests like rats everywhere and unpleasant living conditions. Clean environments are necessary for people to work, study and live comfortably. Garbage collectors play a big role in making that possible
If sanitation workers collectively stopped doing their jobs, everyone and everything would be disrupted almost immediately. The streets would be filled with garbage. Businesses might have to close and of course public health would be at great risk. In fact, hospitals rely on proper waste removal to prevent infections. This goes to show that even though garbage collectors may not have high prestige or high pay, their work is essential to society's survival.
I feel like my example challenges the functionalists idea that only high status jobs are important. While doctors and lawyers are valuable, lower prestige jobs like sanitation work also serve a vital function. Society depends on these workers every day, even if they do not receive the same recognition or rewards. Their contributions prove that social value is not always reflected in prestige or income.