Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore's functionalist explanation of inequality has been criticized for perpetuating the power, prestige, and resources of those already at the top of the social hierarchy.

Davis and Moore's functionalist explanation of inequality has been criticized for legitimizing and justifying the existing social hierarchy, rather than challenging it or proposing ways to disrupt it. This can ultimately perpetuate the concentration of power and resources in the hands of those who already hold high positions in the social order.