Final answer:
Conflict theorists advocate for narrowing the income gap between the very rich and the very poor, drawing on Marx's critique of capitalism. They argue that stratification perpetuates inequality and benefits only the wealthy, calling for systemic change to distribute resources more equitably.
Step-by-step explanation:
Among the sociological theorists, it is the conflict theorists who advocate that it would be better for societies to narrow the income gap between the very rich and the very poor. Conflict theorist's perspective is deeply critical of social stratification, as it tends to benefit only a portion of society, specifically the wealthy, while perpetuating inequality across the socio-economic spectrum. Many conflict theorists are influenced by the work of Karl Marx, who critiqued the capitalist system for creating imbalances in wealth and power, leading to the exploitation of the working class by the bourgeoisie (the owners of the means of production).
While other perspectives like structural functionalism and symbolic interactionism offer different viewpoints, structural functionalists would argue that every aspect of society serves a purpose, including stratification, and symbolic interactionists would focus on how social standing affects daily interactions and the meanings people attach to wealth and poverty. However, it is specifically the conflict perspective that emphasizes the need to address systemic inequalities and advocates for a more equitable distribution of resources to improve societal functioning.