Social and Political Stratification
• A society’s categorization of
people into socio-economic
strata.
• Based upon their occupation and
income, wealth and social
status, or derived power (social
and political).
• Social Stratification can be
classified into three social
classes (the upper class, the
middle class, & the lower class)
Social Desirables
 Any rational individual in
human community will always
aspire for things that bestow
wealth, power, and prestige.
* Wealth
-Includes property such as buildings,
lands, farms, houses, factories and as
well as other assets.
*Prestige
- The respect with which a person or
status position is regarded by others.
*Power
-The ability of people or groups to
achieve their goals despite opposition
from others.
Social Mobility System
• The movement of individuals,
families, households, or other
categories of people within or
between social strata in a
society. It is a change in social
status relative to others’ social
location within a given society.
i. Open (Class)
• The stratification that facilitates
social mobility, with individual
achievement and personal
merit determining social rank.
• The hierarchical social status of
a person is achieved by their
effort
• This type of class systems are
achieved-based
ii. Caste System (Closed)
 The division of society into
distinct social classes which
usually feature a hierarchical
arrangement.
 These social groups are known
as castes.
 Economic status, lifestyle,
occupation and education levels
are some of the factors used in
the stratification of society in
castes.
Social Inequality
 The existence of unequal
opportunities and rewards for
different social positions or
statuses within a group or
society.
 A fairly clear that inequalities in
different size and shapes exist in
the world, this phenomenon is
also referred to as social
stratification.
I. Access to Social, Political, and
Symbolic Capital
Social Capital
- The ability of a collective to act
together to pursue a common goal
Political Capital
- Refers to the trust, good will, and
influence possessed by a political actor,
such as politician, to mobilize support
toward a preferred policy outcome.
Symbolic Capital
- Refers to the resources that one
possesses which is a function of honor,
prestige or recognition, or any other traits
that one values within a culture.
II. Gender Inequality
- Refers to unequal treatment or
perceptions of individuals based on
their gender.
- Sex and gender-based prejudice
and discrimination, called sexism
are the major contributing factors
to social inequality.
III. Ethnic Minorities
- Racial or ethnic inequality is the
result of hierarchical social
distinctions between racial and
ethnic categories within a
society and often established
based on characteristics such as
skin color and other physical
characteristics or an individual’s
place of origin or culture.
IV. Other Minorities (e.g.,
persons with disabilities)
- The disability rights movement
has contributed to an
understanding of people with
disabilities (including not to be
called ‘disabled’) as a minority or
a coalition of minorities who are
people disadvantage by society,
not just as people with
disadvantaged by their
impairment.
V. Global Inequality
(Relationship between States
and Non-state actors in the
global community)
- Countries can be stratified
according to their per-person
gross national product.
- Inequality does not exist only in
societies and states, but also
among states.
- There are states that are
wealthier and more powerful
than other states, and former
end up being more influential in
the global community.
- Can also be manifested through
the operations of translational
corporations and organizations
that they can wield to influence
the economy of countries where
they have investments.