SOCIAL PROCESSES

AND SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
 SOCIAL PROCESS
• A long and complicated way of being inducted into
a group whereby the individual interacts and learns
the physical, intellectual and social skills, values and
culture of the society where he is a member.
• Begins at birth and continuous throughout life.
• In this process, the individual become a social
person, for example, a recognized Filipino
 STAGE OF SOCIAL PROCESS
• There are three (3) stage in the development of
self-concept and the development of self and
society.
1. Imitation Stage (below 3 years old)
2. Play Stage (3-5 years old) and;
3. Game Stage (6 years above).
 1. IMITATION STAGE ALMOST
It is a first entrance to society. As a new
member of society, this is powerless. His thoughts,
feelings, actions and activities depend upon the
teaching and examples by the members of the
family. Likewise, the child takes on and copy the
habits and activities of the parents and siblings
by subconscious conformity without
understanding the meaning and significance of
the action.
 2. PLAY STAGE
The child plays different roles and assumes
like a father, mother, physician, patient,
teacher, student, etc. The child’s
development of self-concept is conceived
by other people. It is conditioned by the
roles which he takes and plays and their roles
are defined by the treatment of superiors
and peers.
 3. GAME STAGE
He acts a member of a team. This is the stage
where he develops a self-concept consistent
with the expectation of others – the generalized
others. This stage has something in common with
the fourth and the last stage of Jean Piagets
MORAL JUDGEMENT OF THE CHILD – the
codification of roles. The hild takes on every
detail of procedures in the game and actually
observes the code of rules.
 IMPORTANCE OF SOCIAL PROCESS
• 1. It plays a vital role in the transmission of culture.
- it is through social process by which society transmits its culture
to the succeeding generation. It is also through this process by
which each generation acquires the previous generation’s
culture– knowledge, values, norms, beliefs, customs, language,
etc.
• 2. It play a vital role in personality development.
-Social process largely determines the child’s personality
development. If the child is provided the needed care, nurture
and protection, he will likely develop feeling of security and
trust. The appropriate skills and values the child received from
training, observation and imitation would also enable him to
cope and function effectively with all sectors of society.
• 3. It plays a vital role in sex-role differentiation
• Every individual is expected to play his role in society
according to his gender. However, the degree and
intensity of family upbringing and socialization
activities have more impact in shaping sex role.
Masculine and feminine behavior is not inborn but in
taught and learned.
• 4. It plays a vital role in social learning
• Learning does not only take place at home and in
school. The individual learns from other people
through shared knowledge and skills, social relations
and personal contact with others.
• In social, learning, the individual learns through
imitation, suggestion, cooperation, competition and
communication
 COOPERATION
It is also manifested in social learning. Through
cooperation, the individual learns to respect and
value others’ worth and dignity. He develops the
sense of trust, fairness and justice and the “give
and take” process. The individual tends to
conform to approved ways of behaving,
sportsmanship and the rules of the game. The loser
learns to accept defeat and the winner to be
humble in victory.
 LEADERSHIP
It is develop through social learning.
Leadership is not inborn, it is learned and
acquired. Leaders in social group are
expected to be socially aggressive and
active, responsible, matured dedicated,
intellectually capable, and have the ability
to lead. Individuals tend to be like someone
to be leader whose characteristics and
qualities are desirable and can take care of
the concerns and problems of the group.
 FUNCTION OF SOCIAL PROCESS
• 1.Motive
It is a strong driving force to behavior. It is a person’s desire to achieve
a goal. Different people have different motives. Motives are not of
equal strength. Some motive is stronger than others. All behaviors start
with a motive; however, some motives take priority over others.
• 2. Context
It refers to those activities or situations performed by the individual in a
certain physical and social environment to be able to achieve the
goal. The presence of incentives may intensify or redirect the
behavior to reach goal. To be able to reach the goal of being a
dean’s lister or summa cum laude graduate, the individual must have
to perform those required academic activities (inside the classroom)
and non-academic activities (outside the classroom) such as
participation in extra-curricular activities.
3. Norms
These are rules that regulate or guide human behavior.
Human beings should act accordingly in a certain situation
and one must not go against the norms because society does
not tolerate behavior that is not in accord with the norms.
Society punishes violation of the norms by ostracism, rejection
and other social disapproval.
4. Goal
It is the end for which one wishes to achieve or attain. It is a
substance, object or situation that satisfies a motive. All
motives are directed to a goal. For instance, when the
students desiring to be a dean’s lister or a summa cum laude
reaches his goal, he is satisfied, happy or contented. On the
other hand, if he does not meet his goal, he became
annoyed, discounted or frustrated.
 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
1.SOURCE INCOME – There are different of sources of income.
These are inherited wealth, earned wealth, profits and professional
fees, salaries, wages, private relief, among others. Wealth is
everything that is owned by a person. Inherited wealth is acquired
sine birth without effort. Acquired wealth is achieved through one’s
effort either by talent, income or by marriage. Income refers to the
amount of money a person receives.

2.OCCUPATION – it may be classified into professionals, non-

professionals (clerks, driver, etc.), proprietors of small business,
skilled workers, semi-skilled workers, unskilled workers. Examination
of the above-cited occupations indicates disparities in prestige,
income, and power.
3. EDUCATION- Educational attainment of a person may be
ccategorized as masteral or doctoral degree holder, college graduate,
high school gradate, elementary graduate, elementary school drop-out.
Possession of the person of any of these educational backgrounds may
be ccharacterized the person’s status in the community.
4. TYPES OF HOUSE DWELLING- Dwelling can be categorized as
permanent house (concrete and excellent in appearance), semi-
permanent house (semi-concrete and very good in appearance and
construction) temporary house (wood and fair in appearance and
construction) and poorly construction house (houses found in squatter
areas, or below-the-bridge houses).
• 5. LOCATION OF THE RESIDENCE- There is a disparity of
social status when one residence is located in Forbes
Park, White Plains, squatter area, mountainous-rugged
area, in subdivision and non-subdivision area.
• 6.KINSHIP OR FAMILY – Another indicator of social status
in a society is the family or kinship where the person
belongs. In the Philippines, when a person belongs to the
family of Ayala’s, Soriano’s, Zobel’s, Villar’s – that person
is regarded as belong to the upper class (rich) status. If a
child comes from a family whose house is situated in the
squatter area, he is regarded as poor. Sons and
daughters of sultans’ and datus are highly regarded as
rich children.
 TYPES OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
• OPEN SYSTEM
• Social stratification is not rigid. One person can move
up or down to a lass through intermarriage,
opportunities, or achievements. People have equal
chance to succeed. Whether people do something to
improve their lives or not this greatly depends on them.
The class structure is an open system. It encourages
people to strive and achieve something. People
belonging to one social lass have similar opportunities,
similar lifestyles, attitude, behavior, and possibly similar
socio-economic positions.
 THE FOLLOWING ARE TYPES OF CLASS
1.
SYSTEM
UPPER CLASS – The people in this class have great wealth and sources of
income. They constitute the elite wealthy group in a society. They have high
reputation in terms of power and prestige. They live in exclusive residential area,
belong to exclusive private clubs, and may have strong political influence in the
system of government. They own several cars and properties and their children
may study in exclusive schools.
2. MIDDLE CLASS – People in this class system may belong to the upper middle
class like the businessmen and professionals or in the lower – middle class like the
teachers, clerks, etc.
People belonging to upper – middle class generally command high income,
often have college education, live in comfortable homes, own properties, have
some money savings, and active in community activities.
People in lower – middle class have not achieved the same life styles of the upper
– middle class but somehow have modest income and live in simple life.
3.LOWER CLASS – People in this class belong to the bottom of
socio-economic ladder. This class system may be categorized
into two upper-lower class and lower- lower class.
UPPER – LOWER CLASS may be considered as the working class or
the laborers. They have acquired little education, little time to be
involved in community activities. Some of them are
underemployed, have many socio-economic problems, with
little or no luxurious at all.
LOWER – LOWER CLASS people who are those unemployed, or no
sources of income except of begging of dependent from
private and government relief. Many of them live in squatter
areas, under the bridge, in the street corridors, or with no house
at all. Many of them are liabilities of so
society because they may be involved in drug addiction and
criminalities
 B. CLOSED SYSTEM
This social stratification maybe categorized into caste system and estate system.
In a caste system, social contact is rigid and clearly defined. People are born and
die in their caste. Contact between among the caste is minimal and governed by
a set of rules especially those who belong to the lower degree, as this will tend to
bring them down. The caste system existed for centuries in the India and this the
Brahamas who are associated with the priesthood, the Kahatryias (warriors), the
Vaishyus (businessmen and traders), and then the Shudrus (servants).
The estate system is somewhat a closed system in which the person’s social
standing is based on ownership of land, birth, or military strength. Individuals who
were born into one of the estates remained there throughout life but in extreme
cases there is social mobility, that’s people could change their status. In the middle
ages, there are 3 major estates in Europe- nobility, clergy and peasants.
C.ETHNIC SYSTEM
This is another type of social stratification based on national origin language
and religion. Ethnicity sets segments of society a part and each group have a
sense of identity. People interact more freely with those people belonging to
the same ethnic category. In America before, the white race claim superiority
over the negro (black) race. During the Spanish and American colonial systems,
the colonizer perceived themselves to be occupying the upper social class than
the natives or Indios. Immigrant usually belong to a lower status than the
inhabitants. The Gaddangs, Itawis, Ituweraw, illongots, and others ethnic
minority groups are considered inferior than the others.
D. MOBILITY
A person can improve his social status but the degree of mobility varies. In an
open system, every person is provided equal opportunities to everyone to
compete for the role and status derived regardless of gender, race, religion,
family background and political inclination.
 3 KINDS OF MOBILITY

•1. Social mobility

•2. Geographical mobility
•3. Role mobility
 SOCIAL MOBILITY
Social mobility may be upward (vertical) mobility and
horizontal mobility.
Upward social mobility, the individuals can move from
lower to higher status in a social stratification.
Downward social mobility, the individual changes his
social status from higher to lower status.
Horizontal mobility, a change in status may come about
through one’s occupation, marrying into a certain
family, and others
 GEOGRAPHICAL MOBILITY
Is otherwise known as physical mobility. It may be a
voluntary migration of people from one on geographical
area to another due to change of residence, commuting from
home to office, making business trips, and voluntary
migration from one country to another country. It may also
be forced migration which include fore relocation of
residence, eviction, dispossession of unwanted people,
transportation of slave
 ROLE MOBILITY
In role mobility, the person shifts from role to role. Every
members of society have roles to play. Different
situations call for enactment of various roles. For
example, the father is the bread earner of the family
but maybe a teacher in school, or the leader of home
or follower in the school or office. A daughter maybe
submissive at home but very active and aggressive as
a campus leader. A teacher may have varied role
such as being a mother, a wife, a guidance counselor,
a community leader, etc.