USC – SHS North Campus

Soc Sci 01: Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

First/Second Semester
A. Y. 2023 - 2024

MODULE 7
Stratification and Its Impact to Social Inequality

I. What will you learn from this module?

After studying this module, you will be able to:
a. examine the concept, characteristics, and forms of stratification systems using
sociological perspectives;
b. explain government programs and initiatives in addressing social inequalities.

II. Let’s Check What You Already Know

Listen to the song, Upuan by Gloc 9.

Questions to Ponder:

1. Who is referred to as "Upuan" in the song?

2. What social realities are described?
3. Do you think it’s possible for everyone to sit in the “upuan” in the context of social
stratification?

III. Let’s Explore

Gist: This module discusses the concepts of social stratification and how it causes inequalities
in the different social categories such as economic, ethnic, gender, age, and political power. It
looks into the struggles of people due to unequal access to resources and how the government
addresses the problem.

1
A. Stratification and Social Mobility

1. Members of society vary in many ways in terms of clothing, dwelling places, jobs or
businesses they do, and other aspects of their daily life. They may also differ in wealth, power,
prestige, and popularity. This variation among people refers to differentiation.

2. Differentiation is the method of relating people in terms of certain social characteristics and
then classifying them into social categories based on these characteristics. It does not involve
ranking. Describing people according to sex, age, occupation, religion, race, intelligence, and
other characteristics is an example of this. Based on these characteristics, they are placed in a
particular social category without attempting to arrange them according to prestige and respect.

3. The layering of these social categories into higher and lower positions of prestige or respect
is called social stratification. Social stratification is the system of ranking categories of people
in a hierarchy.

4. According to Max Weber’s theory of stratification, a person’s status or position within a

stratified social system is determined by his or her relative power, prestige, and wealth.

4.1 Wealth includes a person’s properties as well as material assets and investment
capital like money. Examples of assets and investment capital are income or gains from
engaging in business or venturing into economic transactions like trade and commerce
and possession of lands and other resources. Inequality in society sets in when only a
few own vast lands and control the businesses making them richer while the poor
become poorer.

4.2 Power is defined as the capacity to influence or control the behavior of individuals
and institutions, whether by persuasion or coercion. It is also considered the ability to
exercise one’s will over others. In the context of social stratification, power is an element
that strongly causes or contributes to inequality. A good example is how politicians use
their influence in decision-making which may favor them, their families, and friends more
than the poor people. They use their positions to expand their influence by letting their
children and relatives run for public office, sometimes using violence and vote-buying, in
order to maintain their control over their political unit.

4.3 Prestige is defined as esteem, respect, or approval for culturally valued acts or
qualities. Many individuals gain power and wealth through their popularity as celebrities
or for their achievements that earned extreme admiration from their fans and followers.
This can be a source of inequality in society when those in power are not altruistic in
their intentions. An example is when the government lacks transparency, highlighting
only its achievements without informing the public of the real situation of the country;

2
 when the government projects an image of a developing economy by showcasing the
beauty of the country but trying to cover the slums and other areas which depict poverty
and neglect.

5. Social mobility is an individual’s ability to move from one place to another along the stratified
positions of society.

6. The ease or difficulty an individual experiences in moving from one social position to another
is highly dependent on the type of society he or she lives in.

7. The two kinds of society are an open society and a closed society.

7.1 Open Society (Class System). This is the type wherein stratification is based on
social classes, where people’s social position or status is determined by economic
wealth and income. It facilitates social mobility based on personal efforts and individual
achievements. People live and succeed in an open society by achieving their goals and
improving their conditions in life. The privileges present in an open society include the
freedom to move from the bottom of the social ladder through individual efforts and
success.

7.2 Closed Society. This is the type wherein social mobility is limited, and in some
societies even prohibited. Cultural norms laid down through laws, prohibit a person from
moving upward on the social ladder. Any violation of such norms is punishable by death.
The caste system is an example of a closed system.

8. Social inequality exists when individuals and institutions are categorized or differentiated
according to classes or distinct groups. This occurs when a person’s position in the social
hierarchy is tied to different access to resources.

9. Global inequality includes the concentration of resources in certain powerful countries while
other countries are left behind. This affects the opportunities and lives of people in less
powerful countries.

10. Globalization creates unbalanced outcomes. While wealth is created in powerful

economies and countries, some people and countries are unable to enjoy the benefits of
globalization.

3
____________________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1. Does social stratification contribute to the growth and development of a society? Why or
why not?
2. What may contribute to the ease or difficulty of mobility within the social ladder?
____________________________________________________________________________

B. Social Stratification and Inequalities

Social Stratification

11. People having unequal access to various resources and privileges in society is social
inequality. They may be deprived of economic stability, political influence, education, and many
more. They may not receive the same resources and privileges as other people because of their
economic standing, ethnicity, and gender.

12. Social inequality is characterized by three factors: wealth, power, and prestige.

13. There is a wide gap between the rich and poor; poverty and social inequality are interrelated
and they both have effects on an individual.

14. According to research, income inequality can cause psychological stress, which can affect
the health of a person. In addition, those from deprived communities, which have lower
economic status experience poorer health compared to those who are well off. Social inequality
can also affect society as a whole; crime rates and violence tend to increase.

Political Stratification

15. In the Philippines, political stratification is highlighted during elections. The dominant
political parties are those to which the incumbent officials belong. The opposition parties or
groups which are disadvantaged seek the support of rich businessmen to fund their campaigns
with the promise of positive returns if they win.

16. Those who win seats in the government are usually from the upper classes and this assures
them of maintaining their political and economic powers.

4
Economic Stratification

17. In the Philippines, a large number fall within the poverty line while only a few control
strategic resources and big businesses. Poverty is most evident in rural areas which are largely
agricultural. Vast tracts of land are owned by a few families while farmers, who are actually
producing food, own small parcels of land or none at all. This is disadvantageous to the farmers
because they put in much work but get an unfair share of the total production between them and
the landowners.

18. To protect the farmers, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program was passed though
implementation has been slow. Other help given is the provision of agricultural support services
including seeds, fertilizers, technical assistance, credit, and post-harvest facilities.

19. Due to the difficult situation in the rural areas, many people, especially the younger ones,
move to the cities to find work. Without the necessary training, skills, and experience, they end
up doing informal work like vendors, house helpers, laborers, and other similar jobs. Some are
unfortunate to end up in prostitution or get involved in illegal businesses like drug and human
trafficking.

Gender Stratification

20. The Philippines has a patriarchal culture in which males are considered the more dominant
sex than females. Despite the change in the status of women in modern times, there is still that
perception of women as sex objects and weaker sex.

21. In the domestic sphere, women are expected to do the household chores even if they have
work outside the home – the so-called double burden of women. This is in contrast to the men
who are generally expected to work outside the home but are not expected to do household
chores.

22. In the workplace, women occupy jobs that are related to their reproductive roles in the
domestic sphere like nannies, housekeeping, waitresses, clerks, secretaries, nurses, midwives,
and teachers. The male ones do jobs that require technical skills and physical strength like
construction workers, engineering, technicians, and higher managerial positions.

23. As a result of the vibrant women’s movements in the country, the perception of women as
the weaker sex had slowly changed. There are laws and policies passed protecting the rights of
women and more women are occupying key positions in different private and public offices.
However, there are still women who are experiencing problems not just because of poverty but
because of their being a woman. Prostitution, human trafficking, and domestic violence are
some issues for women that still prevail in society at present.

5
24. More discrimination is experienced by those who have different sexual orientations that do
not conform to male or female stereotypes and norms (the LGBT). These people have come
out to the open and campaign for gender sensitivity and respect for gender differences. Some
groups and individuals have been active in the political sphere like LADLAD, a party-list group,
that ran for congress. Geraldine Roman of Bataan has gained fame for being the first
transgender to be elected to the House of Representatives.

Ethnic Stratification

25. The Philippines has a number of ethnic groups speaking different dialects and diverse
cultures. Those living in town centers and provinces have been influenced more by the
Spaniards and Americans as they had close contact with the latter during the colonial period.
Being in the political and economic centers, the culture of these groups has become dominant in
the country. Among them are the Tagalogs, Cebuanos, Ilocanos, Ilonggos, Warays, and others.

26. Those groups who lived far from the town centers have managed to retain to some extent
most aspects of their cultures up to the present times. These are the groups called ethnic
“minority” groups or more appropriately called indigenous people (IP), locally called Lumads.
They are called indigenous people because they have been living in their ancestral lands and
have continued to practice their culture over time.

27. Discrimination by the majority groups against the minority groups developed due to cultural
differences. The feeling of superiority of majority groups over minority groups gave rise to
conflicts that oftentimes led to violence. An example is a long-running war with the Moro rebels
in Mindanao which can be traced to the unequal rights and opportunities between the “majority”
and “minority” groups.

28. The government passed the Indigenous Peoples Rights Law to protect the minority groups
who have always been at a disadvantage amidst conflicts. Despite the passage of the law, the
indigenous people have continued to be discriminated against, harassed, and displaced from
their ancestral lands.

29. The marginalization of the indigenous people has its historical roots. During the American
period, the majority groups were encouraged to go to Mindanao to help “educate” the Moro
people. This led to the migration of many people to Mindanao, displacing the indigenous people
from their lands. The migrants occupied the lands of the IP’s and applied for land titles from the
government.

6
Global Inequality

30. Inequality and discrimination do not only exist in societies and states but also among states.
There are states that are wealthier and more powerful than other states, and the former end up
being more influential in the global community. This leads to global inequality where the poor
and less powerful states end up being controlled and influenced by the richer and more powerful
states.

31. The equilibrium of power and states is more often than not rooted in historical events, where
the process of colonization in the past led to a relation of unequal dependency between a
former colonizer. The case of the Philippines and the United States is a good example of this.

32. Inequality can become an outcome of the relative strength of a state vis-a-vis another in
terms of strategic importance or development assistance. Resource-rich states, such as
oil-producing countries tend to have more leverage.

33. Military strength also becomes a source of inequality when states that have superior military
prowess bully other countries with weaker military forces. The situation in the West Philippine
Sea between China and the Philippines is a clear example of this unequal relationship.

34. The operations of transnational corporations and organizations that operate on a global
scale can also be a source of global inequality. There are many corporations that are as
powerful or if not even more powerful than individual states. Private corporations have
enormous power that they can wield to influence the economy of countries where they have
investments.

Other Minorities…

Aside from social standing, there are other factors that can affect how an individual is treated in
society. A person’s religion, disabilities, and belief can affect their influence and position in
society.

a. Age Stratification

35. Those who are of productive ages are more dominant than those who are young and elderly
because they have economic power. They are the ones who work and contribute largely to the
household income and have more voice in the decision-making of the family.

36. Children and adolescents are dependent on their parents while senior citizens or the elderly
depend on their children who are in productive age. These people also experience

7
discrimination and abuse of their rights. Some children are abused physically, verbally, and
sexually by adults.

37. Laws have been passed to protect children and senior citizens from abuse. Senior citizens
are given incentives and benefits to protect their welfare.

b. Persons with Disabilities

38. The PWDs is defined in RA 7277 section 4 as those who are suffering from the restriction of
different abilities, as a result of mental, physical, or sensory impairment, to perform in the
manner or within the range considered normal for a human being. These people are also
discriminated against and their physical and mental impairments become the basis of denial of
employment. They do not enjoy the same benefit that abled persons receive.

39. The Magna Carta for Disabled Persons also known as the RA 7277 ensures the rights and
privileges for disabled persons as part of the Philippine society by providing support to the
integration of the PWDs into the mainstream society but it is important to note that the Disabled
person’s rights should not be perceived as welfare services by the government.

40. Persons with disabilities (PWD) are also discriminated against, and their physical
impairments become the basis for them to be denied equal opportunity in employment. They
also do not usually enjoy the benefits that abled people receive.

____________________________________________________________________________
QUESTIONS TO PONDER:

1. How does the historical experience of the people influence the development of social
stratification systems?
2. Can social stratification and inequalities be experienced among countries? In what way?
____________________________________________________________________________

IV. References
Amper, ZH., Bersales, JE. & Nolasco MF. Knowing Our Social World: A Comprehensive
Worktext in Understanding Society, Culture, and Politics for Senior High School. Cebu City:
USC Press, 2016.

Baleña, E., Lucero, D., & Peralta, A. Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics for Senior
High School. Quezon City: Educational Resources Corporation, 2016.

Santarita, J. & Madrid, R. Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics. Quezon City: Vibal
Group, Inc., 2016.