Final answer:
According to functionalists, Florence's status had deteriorated when she returned from maternity leave to find that her job profile was altered and she was ineligible for promotion, which is seen as a dysfunction in the system.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to functionalists, Florence's status had deteriorated in this scenario. From a functionalist perspective, society is viewed as a system of interconnected parts where each part has a function that contributes to the continued stability of the whole.
The alteration of Florence's job profile and ineligibility for promotion could be considered a dysfunction in the workplace, as it reflects a failure to adapt to the changing social condition of her maternity leave, undermining the efficiency and equity of the functional system of work.
The historical avoidance of training women for higher positions due to the perception of female employment as temporary reflects a dysfunction from a functional perspective. The situation with Florence aligns with this historical pattern of disadvantaging women in the workforce after maternity, which interrupts the 'functionality' of equal opportunity for career progression.
The Davis-Moore thesis' idea of social stratification would suggest that any disruption to the efficient allocation of resources and rewards, including promotions based on merit and skill level, would be a negative occurrence for the economic system as a whole.