CO QAH + MELC LW

Course Outline & Quality Assured HANDOUT No. 4

Handouts paired with MELC- in Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Based Learner’s Worksheet

MELC: Explain government programs and initiatives in addressing social inequalities e.g. local, national,
global.

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 Understand the concept of social inequalities.
 Identify the social inequalities in society.
 Initiate responses social inequalities

Semester: 1st Week No. 4 Day: 1 – 4

LESSON: Social Inqualities

TOPIC 1: (Social Inequality)

Social Inequality

Social inequality is the state of unequal distribution of valued goods and opportunities. All societies today
have social inequality. Examining social stratification requires a macro sociological perspective in order
to view societal systems that make inequalities visible. Although individuals may support or fight
inequalities, social stratification is created and supported by society as a whole through values and
norms and consistently durable systems of stratification.

Social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different
social positions or statuses within a group or society. It contains structured and recurrent patterns of
unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and punishments.

Most of us are accustomed to thinking of stratification as economic inequality. For example, we can
compare wages in the United States to wages in Mexico. Social inequality, however, is just as harmful as
economic discrepancy. Prejudice and discrimination—whether against a certain race, ethnicity, religion,
or the like—can become a causal factor by creating and aggravating conditions of economic inequality,
both within and between nations.

Inequality undermines social justice and human rights and the interconnectedness of inequalities means
some groups have consistently worse opportunities than those of their fellow citizens (UNDP, 2013;
World Bank, 2006). Among the most common group identities resulting in exclusion are gender, race,
caste, ethnicity, religion, region, and disability status, although more evidence is needed (World Bank,
2013).

An increasing body of evidence indicates that people with disabilities often face inequalities in all areas of
life (comparatively lower educational attainment, higher unemployment rates, worse living conditions, and
higher poverty rates, for example) (Mitra at al., 2013; UNICEF & UN Women, 2013; UNDESA, 2013).
People with mental health problems face high rates of physical and sexual abuse, and restrictions in their
access to rights, services and livelihoods (Cain, 2012).

TOPIC 2: (Social Differences and Variations)

Social Differences and Variations

Sex and Gender

Sex refers to biological differences that distinguish humans and other animals into two main categories:
male and female. Biological differences between males and females include variation in (a) chromosomal
structure, XX for female and XY for male; (b) hormone production, generally more testosterone
production for males and more estrogen production in females, which facilitate development of
secondary sex characteristics (e.g. lower voice for males, wider hips for females); and (c) internal and
external reproductive organs (penis and testes for males, and vagina and ovaries for females). Sex, in
summary, is in-born and is purely biological in nature.

Gender encompasses all the social, cultural, psychological characteristics that a culture assigns to males
and females. It categorizes whether which behaviors and traits are appropriate for men and women.
There are two main types of gender: masculine and feminine. Each gender has its own gender role,
which is defined as culturally assigned tasks and activities to sexes. For example, in many societies, one
gender role of males is to handle physically demanding activities, such as construction work, while
females are tasked to handle domestic activities, like child-rearing and house chores.

Socioeconomic Class

Socioeconomic class refers to a category that groups people with the similar economic, social, cultural
and political status.

Social Classes in the Philippines

UPPER CLASS
They are considered the most productive in terms of resource generation and oftentimes very
successful in their respective fields of interest and endeavours.

MIDDLE CLASS
It is composed of small business and industry operators mostly owners and managers,
professionals, office workers, and farms owners with income sufficient enough to provide a comfortable
and decent living.

LOWER CLASS
Farms employees, skilled and unskilled artisans, service workers, and people who may be
unemployed or underemployed or those who belong to indigent families or informal sectors fall on this
class.

Income Classes (Philippines)

% Share in Number of Families Range of Monthly Family Incomes

Class

Poor Less than 7,890

 Low Income 52.7% Between 7,890 to 15,780

Lower Middle Between 15,780 to 31,560

Middle Class 45.8 % Between 31,560 to 78,900

Upper Middle Between 78,900 to 118,350

Upper Income 1.5% Between 118,350 to 157,800

Rich At least 157,800

Ethnicity and Religion

An ethnic group refers to a specific group of people having certain similar characteristics and a distinct
cultural identity, which distinguish them from other groups in the community or society. Tagalog, Ilocano,
Ifugao, and Kapampangan are all examples of ethnic groups. While ethnic group refers directly to a
category or collection of people, the term ethnicity is used to denote the shared culture of these groups,
which includes cultural heritage, language or dialect, religion, traditions and rituals, norms, values,
beliefs, and other practices. Having an ethnicity makes it easy for people to feel that they can identify
with an ethnic group. In other words, the shared culture (or ethnicity) of a group of people is what
solidifies their identity as an name & cultural group language/ dialects religion traditions and rituals food
arts and crafts and limited ethnic group. Interestingly, it is also ethnicity that enables an individual to
separate and distinguish himself from other groups of which he is not part.

Race is a socially constructed category attributed to people who share the same biological traits or
attributes. People’s classifications of race are usually based on physical characteristics like skin color,
facial features, and hair texture and color. Some of the commonly known racial attributes are black,
white, or Asian. It is important to remember that even though race is based on biological characteristics,
the concept is still socially constructed.

A religion is a set of beliefs and ritual practices related to symbols, which are considered as sacred.
Ethnic groups may have different symbols, which they consider sacred; and the differences of these
symbols also entail differences in how these symbols are expressed in a cultural group’s belief system
and rituals.

Exceptionality and Non-exceptionality

Disability is a term that refers to a condition wherein the loss of physical functioning (e.g. hearing, and
vision), or impairments in intellectual, social, and mental processes hinder normal growth and
development of an individual.

Exceptionality is a concept that describes how an individual’s specific abilities and functioning—
physical, intellectual, or behavioral— are different from the established normal or typical qualities.
The concept of non-exceptionality is only used to differentiate between the exceptional ones and those
that are considered normal or ‘non-exceptional’.

Nationality

Nationality may simply be defined as a person’s belonging to a specific nation or nation-state.

There are two nationality laws that can be implemented by states: jus sanguinis and jus soli. In jus
sanguinis (translated as “right of blood”), nationality and citizenship is determined by the parent’s
nationality. The Philippines implements this nationality law in determining its citizens. One other
nationality law that is commonly used by many states is jus soli. In jus soli (translated as “right of soil”),
one’s nationality is determined by the territory or land in which the child is born.

Minority groups are groups composed of less-dominant classifications in society that experience
disproportionately lower opportunities than their dominant counterparts. Minority groups are
characterized by distinguished physical or cultural traits, unequal social treatment, subordination in
society, and high-level of group solidarity.

Below are some relevant issues involving minority groups:

Gender Inequality

•In some countries women are paid relatively lower than men due to their sexuality and biological
differences.

•The LGBT community has always been treated indifferently and discriminatively because they do not fall
within a biologically defined gender group.

Ethnic Minorities

•Because some minorities live traditionalistic lives far away from the city and technology, and some may
appear differently than usual, they have been consistently labelled and treated as people with minimal
knowledge and capabilities.

•Lack of resources easily available for many are not utilized within their group, and thus receive negative
attention from the dominant public.

Other Minorities

•This may include people with disabilities or people with religions that are less prevalent in society.

•These minorities experience discrimination in work, especially when the disabled have physical
limitations, while the religious have practices and beliefs that are greatly disagreed upon by the majority.

Minority groups are subject to different discrimination or unequal treatment of society relative to their
majority counterparts. In terms of sex, there is an unequal treatment between men and women in society.
In a patriarchal society, men are considered as smarter and stronger compared to women. As a result,
men are expected to be the head and decision maker of the household. As preparation of their parents,
they are given more opportunities in terms of education. This is one reason why traditional societies
prohibit women from going to schools as they will eventually marry and will only be tied at home doing
household chores. These social inequalities could be strengthened by society’s culture, religion, and
other belief systems. In the example given between men and women disparities, the social inequalities
between sexes are sometimes supported by religious teachings that the wife must submit to her
husband.

REFERENCES

(follow Chicago Manual of Style)

Gabler, J.(2010). Sociology for dummies. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1K_51Poo5uMIVf8WHiTca6wa3N8Go97Gn/view?usp=sharing, July 3, 2020

Lindsey, L. (2015). Gender roles: a sociological perspective, sixth edition. Retrieved from. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KvFLnsNjaYq8pPZLsmV2A5PTSmQXaU3o/view?usp=sharing, July 1, 2020

Schaefer, R., (2019). Sociology Matters, 7th edition. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/16ixGMYqgUkyWupPyrlH4cjdNe6C7r6kd/view?usp=sharing, July 2, 2020

Giddens, A. et al.(2017). Essential concepts in sociology. Retrieved from https://drive.google.com/file/d/1SGaeKNEgJoWjZIiq7aGxQz5LRHgqwz-9/view?usp=sharing,July 6, 2020

Encyclopedia Britannica. “Minority”. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/minority, August 2, 2020
Ritzer, G.(2011). Sociological Theories. New York: Mc-Graw Hill.
Hiraide, L.(n.d.) “Social Inequality”. The BRIT School. 2013. Open Stax College. “Theoretical Perspectives on Social Stratification.” Open Stax College.

Rohwerder, B. (2016). Poverty and Inequality: Topic guide. Birmingham, UK: GSDRC, University of Birmingham. Retrieved from https://gsdrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/PovertyInequalityTG.pdf,
August 2, 2020

Lumen: Introduction to Sociology.(n.d.) “Racial, Ethnic, and Minority Groups” Retrieved from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/racial-ethnic-and-minoritygroups/, August 2, 2020

Nobelius, A.(2004). “What is the difference between sex and gender?”. Monash University: Medicine, Nursing, and Health Sciences. Retrieved from
http://www.med.monash.edu.au/gendermed/sexandgender.html, August 2, 2020