SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
Quarter 4 - Week 3
Concept, Characteristics and Forms
of Stratification Systems
Learning Task Mode of
Competencies Delivery
By the end of Do the following Have the
this module, you activities: parent
are expected to: 1. JUMPSTART hand-in
2. EXPLORE the output
Examine the 3. GAUGE to the
concept, assigned
characteristics area.
and forms of
stratification
systems using
sociological
perspectives

1
 Target

Society is composed of different groups with different social

structures, that is some groups are higher or lower than other
groups. All societies of any size, large or small have a social
structure. Though, as societies grow larger, more often different
groups are formed within them. Social stratification results when
one group has a functional importance in the community while
others do not.
In the previous lesson, you have examined the functions and
importance of educations in the society. You have learned that
education is an essential part of any society because this is the
primary way of enlightening an individual with each aspect of life.
It is therefore a must that the school system delivers to society
individuals whose abilities have been developed sufficiently so
that they are able to assume positive and productive societal roles.
Moreover, for the preservation and enhancement of knowledge and
the development of character within our given form of society
which will best prepare the individual for the conditions of extreme
novelty the near future is bringing.
This lesson will provide you with information and various
activities that will help you understand the concept,
characteristics and forms of stratification systems using
sociological perspective.
After going through this lesson, you are expected to examine
the concept, characteristics and forms of stratification systems
using sociological perspective.
Specific Learning Objectives:
1. explain the meaning and nature of social stratification
2. distinguish social stratification and social differentiation
3. identify the indicators of social stratification
4. differentiate the characteristics of the systems of social
stratification
5. analyze the claims and explanations of the structural-
functionalists, conflict theorists, and symbolic-
interactionists on social stratification
2
 Jumpstart
Directions: Analyze each statement below. Write TRUE if it is
correct, otherwise FALSE. Place your answers in a separate sheet
of paper.

1. Social stratification the process where a society determines a

person's worth based on their income and wealth, as well as
other characteristics like gender, class and age, and distributes
social rewards accordingly.
2. Social stratification is only found in industrialized societies.
3. From a structional-functionalist perspective, poverty may serve
positive functions for society.
4. A class system is more closed than a caste system.
5. Ethnicity is constructed from cultural traits, whereas race is
constructed from biological traits
6. Estate systems of social stratification have two classes.
7. Different societies have different explanations of why people
should be unequal
8. Caste systems are characterized by a high level of equality.
9. The idea that social inequality plays a vital role in the smooth
operation of society is consistent with the structural-functional
approach.
10. The caste system is a more open stratification system than a
class system

3
 Discover

Inequality is found in all societies irrespective of time or place.

All human societies from the simple to the most complex have some
form of social inequality. In particular, power and prestige are
unequally distributed between individuals and groups. Societies
may differ in the degree of inequalities and nature of stratification.

In all societies people differ from each other on the basis of

their age, sex and personal characteristics. Human society is not
homogeneous but heterogeneous. Apart from the natural
differences, human beings are also differentiated according to
socially approved criteria. Society is divided based on economic,
social, religious and other aspects. Heterogeneity in society is
called social stratification.

Social stratification is an inherent character of all societies. It

is historical as we find it in all societies, ancient and modern; and
it is universal as it exists in simple or complex societies. The social
differentiation on the basis of high and low is the historical
heritage of all societies.

Meaning and Nature of Social Stratification

Sociologists use the term social stratification to describe the

system of social standing. There are various meanings of social
stratification and is defined as follows:

• It refers to what sociologists call it as “ institutionalized

inequality” of individual or “social injustice” due to social
categories (Ariola, 2012).
• It is an institutionalized pattern of inequality in which
social categories are ranked on the basis of their access
to scarce resources Brinkerhoff & White, 1988).

4
 • It is the way people are ranked and ordered in society
(Cole, 2019).
• It is a system whereby people rank and evaluate each
other as superior or inferior and, on the basis of such
evaluation, unequally reward one another with wealth,
authority, power, and prestige. One result of each
differentiation is the creation of a number of levels within
the society. (Hebding & Glick, 1992)
• It is the hierarchical arrangement and establishment of
social categories that evolve into a social group together
with statuses and their corresponding roles. (Panopio el
al., 1994)
• It is the differentiation of a given population into
hierarchically superposed classes. It is manifested in the
existence of upper and lower social layers. Its basis and
very essence consist in an unequal distribution of rights
and privileges, duties and responsibilities, social values
and privations, social power and influences among the
members of a society (Sorokin, 1927).

Social Stratification is Distinguished from Social

Differentiation

Social differentiation refers to how people can be distinguished

from one another. People in a group may differ in skin color, hair
color, race, mental and physical ability, and the like.

Social stratification refers to the ranking of people in a society.

In closed stratification, people cannot change their ranks while
those in open social stratification, people can change their ranks.
In short social stratification is the separation of people into social
categories and these categories are ranked as higher or lower.

Indicators of Social Stratification

There are some people that are treated in another way because
of the social status, power, income, prestige and among others that
they hold in their society (Arcinas, 2016).

5
 The individual’s position in the social structure is called
status. The higher or lower positions that come about through
social stratifications are called statuses. Statuses are not the same.
One may get different statuses in different ways. They can be
ascribed or achieved. Ascribed statuses are assigned or given by
the society or group on the basis of some fixed category, without
regard to a person’s abilities or performance. These include sex,
family background, race, and ethnic heritage. You did nothing to
earn these statuses; you have no control over these characteristics
and no opportunity or chance to choose your family, your sex, and
your race. In the Philippines, the children of Ayala’s and the Zobel’s
have ascribed statuses (Zulueta, 2006). Whereas, achieved
statuses are earned by the individual because of his or her talent,
skills, occupation and perseverance. These include, degree or
educational attainment, promotion, position, earned wealth and the
like. For example, Nora Aunor has moved up in the social ladder
because of her beautiful voice and singing talent. Prestige refers to
the evaluation of status. You have prestige according to your status.
For example, being the president of the Supreme Student
Government of your school, you have the prestige of a president
whether or not you perform and carry out well the duties and
responsibilities of SSG president (Baleña et.al., 2016).

According to Max Weber, most societies would favor those with

power, prestige, status, wealth or class. According to Weber’s
Component Theory on Social Stratification, these three would
determine a person’s standing in his/her community:

1. Power refers to the ability to influence other people.

It is getting what they want despite the
unwillingness of others to give in to their desires.
2. Prestige refers to the person’s position in the
society. This refers to having a certain status that
enables someone to have resources or opportunities.
3. Wealth refers to the amount of resources that a
person has (Arcinas, 2016).

6
 As mentioned by Ariola (2012) in his book, one may be viewed
as belonging to the upper social strata or lower social strata
depending on the following dimensions:

1. Sources of Income. There are different sources of

income. These are the inherited wealth, earned
wealth, profits, professional fees, salaries, wages,
private relief, among others. Wealth is everything
that is owned by a person. Inherited wealth is
acquired since birth and 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. What people do for a living determines,

to a large extent, the social position of the person.
Occupation may be classified into professionals,
non-professionals (clerks, drivers, etc) proprietors of
small business, skilled workers, semi-skilled
workers, and unskilled workers.

Examination of the mentioned occupations indicates

disparities in prestige, income and power.

3. Education. Educational attainment of a person may

be categorized as masteral or doctoral degree holder,
college graduate, high school graduate, elementary
school drop-out, among others. Possession of the
person of any of these educational backgrounds may
characterize the person’s status in the community.

4. Types of house dwellings. Dwellings can be

categorized as permanent house (concrete and
excellent in appearance), semi-permanent house
7
 (semi-concrete and very good in appearance and
construction), temporary house (wood and fair in
appearance and construction), and poorly
constructed house (houses found in squatter areas,
or those considered below-the-bridge houses).

5. Location of residence. Power, prestige and wealth

are also attached to the location of residence. There
is 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. Kinshipor family. In the Philippines, when a person

belongs to the Ayala’s, Soriano’s, Zobel’s, Villar, that
person is regarded as belonging to the upper class
(rich) status. Children of sultans and datus are
highly regarded as rich. If a person is from a family
whose house is situated in the squatter’s area, that
person is regarded as poor or belonging to lower class
status.

Types of Social Stratification and their Characteristics

Generally, there are three (3) known types of social

stratification: open systems, closed systems and ethnic systems (
Ariola, 2012).
Sociologists distinguish between two types of systems of
stratification – open system and closed system. For the
anthropologists, they include ethnic system as another type of social
stratification.

8
A. Open System
General
Categories
Characteristics
The class 1. UpperClass – The people in this class have
structure is an great wealth and sources of income. They
open system. It constitute the elite wealthy group in the
encourages society. They have high reputation in terms
people to strive of power and prestige. They live in exclusive
and achieve residential area, belong to exclusive private
something. clubs, and may have strong political
People belonging influence in the system of government. They
to one social class own several cars and properties and their
have similar children may study in exclusive schools.
opportunities,
similar lifestyles, 2. MiddleClass – The people in this class may
attitudes, belong to the upper-middle class which is
behavior and often made up of highly educated business
possibly similar and professional people with high incomes,
socio-economic such as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, and
positions. CEO’s or to the lower-middle class often
It is based on made up of people with lower incomes, such
achievement, as managers, small business owners,
allow movement teachers, and secretaries. Aside from,
and interaction generally command of high income, people
between layers belonging to the upper-middle class often
and classes. One have college education, live in comfortable
person can move homes, own properties, have some money
up or down to savings, and active in community activities.
class through People in the lower-middle class have not
intermarriages, achieved the same lifestyle of the upper–
opportunities, or middle class but somehow have modest
achievement. income and live-in simple life.
People have equal
chance to
9
succeed. Whether 3. LowerClass –The lower class is typified by
people do poverty, homelessness, and unemployment.
something to The people in this class belong to the bottom
improve their of socio-economic ladder. They may be
lives or not this categorized into two: upper-lower class and
greatly depends lower-lower class. In the upper-lower class,
on them. people are considered as the working class
or laborers. They have acquired little
education, little time to be involved in civic
and community activities. Some of them are
underemployed, have many socioeconomic
problems, with little or no luxuries at all.
The people in the lower-lower class are
unemployed, or no source of income except
by begging or dependent from private and
government relief. Many of them live in
squatter areas, under the bridge, in street
corridors, or with no house at all. Many of
them are liabilities of society because they
may be involved in drug addiction and
criminalities.

B. Closed Systems
General Categories
Characteristics

10
 Closed system 1. Caste System – It is regarded as closed
accommodates stratification system in which people can do
little change in little or nothing to change their social
social position. standing. Social contact is rigid and clearly
They do not allow defined. People are born and die in their
people to shift caste. Contact between and among the caste
levels and do not is minimal and governed by a set of rules –
permit social
especially those who belong to the lower
relationships
degree, as this will tend to bring them down.
between levels.
We do not practice caste sytem in the
Philippines. It existed for centuries in India
and this includes the Brahmans who are
associated with the priesthood, the
Kahatryias (the warriors), the Vaishyus (the
businessmen and traders), and the Shudrus
(the servants).

2. Estate System – It 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 is people could
change their status. In the Middle Ages
there are three (3) major estates in Europe –
nobility, clergy, and the peasants.

11
C. Ethnic System
General Characteristics
This type of social stratification is based on national origin,
language and religion. Ethnicity sets segments of society apart
and each group has a sense of identity. People interact more freely
with those people belonging to the same ethnic category. During
the Spanish and American colonial systems in the Philippines,
the colonizers perceived themselves to be occupying the upper
social class than the Filipinos or the natives whom they called as
Indios.
Immigrants usually belong to a lower status than the
inhabitants. The Gaddangs, Itawis, Ituweraw, Ilonngots, and
other ethnic minority groups are considered inferior than the
others.

Social Stratification and Social Mobility

Social mobility refers to the movement within the social

structure, from one social position to another. It means a change in
social status. All societies provide some opportunity for social
mobility. But the societies differ from each other to extent in which
individuals can move from one class or status level to another.
Thus, people in society continue to move up down the status scale.
This movement is called ‘social mobility’. For example, the poor
people may become rich, the bank peon may become bank officers,
farmers may become ministers, a petty businessman may become
a big industrialist and so on. At the same time a big businessman
may become a bankrupt and ruling class may be turned out of office
and so on.

Kinds of Social Mobility

In a democratic state like the Philippines, a person can improve

his social status but the degree of mobility varies. In an open
12
system, every individual is provided equal opportunities to compete
for the role and status derived regardless of gender, race, religion,
family background and political inclination. There are three (3)
types of social mobility: social mobility, geographical mobility, and
role mobility.

1. Social Mobility refers to the movement upward or

downward among the social positions in any given
social stratification. It may be upward (vertival)
mobility and downward (horizontal) mobility.
Vertical mobility refers to the movement of people
of groups from one status to another. It involves
change in class, occupation or power. For example,
the movement of people from the poor class to the
middle class. Horizontal mobility is a change in
position without the change in status. It indicates
a change in position, within the rage of the status.
A change in status may come about through one’s
occupation, marrying into a certain family and
others. For example, an engineer working in a
factory may resign from his job and join another
factory.

2. Geographical Mobility is otherwise known as

physical mobility. It may be a voluntary movement
of people from one geographical area to another due
to change in residence, commuting from home to
office, making business trips, and voluntary
migration from one country to another. It may be
also a forced migration which include forced
relocation or residence, eviction, dispossession of
unwanted people, and transportation of slaves.

13
 3. Role Mobility is the individual’s shifting from role
to role. Every member of a society has roles to play.
Different situations call for enactment of various
roles. For example, the father is the bread earner of
the family but may be a teacher in school, or the
leader at home or a follower in the school or office.
A daughter may be submissive at home but very
active and active as a campus student leader. A
teacher may have varied roles such as being a
mother, a wife, a guidance counselor, a community
leader and many more (Ariola, 2012).

Theoretical Perspective and Analysis of Social Stratification

Social stratification can be examined from different
sociological perspectives—structural-functionalism, conflict theory,
and symbolic interactionism.

Theoretical
Major Assumptions/Analysis
Perspective
Stratification is necessary to induce
people with special intelligence,
Structural - knowledge, and skills to enter the
Functionalism most important occupations. For this
reason, stratification is necessary and
inevitable.
Stratification results from lack of
opportunity and from discrimination
Conflict and prejudice against the poor,
women, and people of color. It is
neither necessary nor inevitable.
Stratification affects people’s beliefs,
Symbolic -
lifestyles, daily interaction, and
Interactionism
conceptions of themselves.

14
 In sociology, the functionalist perspective examines how
society’s parts operate. It is a microanalytical view that focuses on
the way that all aspects of society are integral to the continued
health and viability of the whole. Structural Functionalism
recognizes that all societies maintain some form of social
stratification, and therefore, social stratification must have
important functional consequences. According to Davis & Moore
(1945), different aspects of society exist because they serve a needed
purpose. They argued that the greater the functional importance of
a social role, the greater must be the reward. The theory posits that
social stratification represents the inherently unequal value of
different work. Certain tasks in society are more valuable than
others. Qualified people who fill those positions must be rewarded
more than others.
Conflict theory focuses on the creation and reproduction of
inequality. Conflict theorists are deeply critical of social
stratification, asserting that it benefits only some people, not all of
society. Conflict theory’s explanation of stratification draws on Karl
Marx’s view of class societies and incorporates the critique of the
functionalist view mentioned above. Many different explanations
grounded in conflict theory exist, but they all assume that
stratification stems from a fundamental conflict between the needs
and interests of the powerful, or “haves,” in society and those of the
weak, or “have-nots” (Kerbo, 2009). The former take advantage of
their position at the top of society to stay at the top, even if it means
oppressing those at the bottom. At a minimum, they can heavily
influence the law, the media, and other institutions in a way that
maintains society’s class structure.
Symbolic-interactionism is a theory that uses everyday
interactions of individuals to explain society as a whole. Symbolic
interactionism examines stratification from a micro-level
perspective. This analysis strives to explain how people’s social
standing affects their everyday interactions. Consistent with its
15
micro-orientation, symbolic interactionism tries to understand
stratification by looking at people’s interaction and understandings
in their daily lives. Unlike the functionalist and conflict views, it
does not try to explain why we have stratification in the first place.
Rather, it examines the differences that stratification makes for
people’s lifestyles and their interaction with other people. In most
communities, people interact primarily with others who share the
same social standing. It is precisely because of social stratification
that people tend to live, work, and associate with others like
themselves, people who share their same income level, educational
background, or racial background, and even tastes in food, music,
and clothing. The built-in system of social stratification groups
people together. This is one of the reasons why it was rare for a royal
prince like England’s Prince William to marry a commoner.
Symbolic interactionists also note that people’s appearance reflects
their perceived social standing. Housing, clothing, and
transportation indicate social status, as do hairstyles, taste in
accessories, and personal style.

Explore
Enrichment Activity 1
Directions: Differentiate the three social classes under open
system by completing the graphic organizer below.
Upper Class Middle Class Lower Class

16
 Gauge
Which of the states that stratification assures that the most
qualified people fill the most important positions, that these
Directions: Read very carefully the questions below and choose
the letter that corresponds to your answer.

1. Which of the following defines social stratification?

a. Social isolation of people from each other
b. System in which everyone is equal but perform very
different tasks
c. System by which a person's place in society is defined by
birth
d. None of these
2. Which of the following best describes how social class is
related to social stratification?
a. Each layer has many layers of social stratification
b. Each layer of social stratification constitutes a social class
c. The terms social stratification and social class mean the
same thing
d. Social stratification exists in caste systems, whereas social
classes only exist in non-caste systems

3. What is the key distinction between a caste system and a class

system?
a. marriage within a specific group
b. occupational prestige
c. educational opportunity
d. social mobility

17
 4. What is Social Stratification?
a. The division of society into categories, ranks, or classes.
b. The unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards
c. A social structure in which classes are determined by
ascribed status.
d. A social structure in which classes are determined by
achieved status.

5. The unequal sharing of scarce resources and social rewards is

known as _____.
a. Social Inequality
b. Social Mobility
c. Social Sharing
d. Social Stratification

6. The most distinguishing characteristic of a caste system

(where class is based on birth) is that _______
a. People can only move intergenerationally
b. People can move vertically, but not horizontally
c. Social status is inherited and cannot be changed
d. Social status can be changed by education and hard work

7. A factory worker's son earns his way through college and

eventually becomes a physics engineer. This is an example of
_______
a. Horizontal mobility
b. Intergenerational mobility
c. Role mobility
d. Vertical mobility

8. Isidra moves from a job as a computer programmer to a job as

a Web page designer. This is an example of _________
a. Horizontal mobility

18
 b. Intergenerational mobility
c. Role mobility
d. Vertical mobility

9. Which of the following perspective states that "inequality exists

because some people are willing to exploit others"?
a. Conflict perspective
b. Structural-Functionalist
c. Social Exchange
d. Symbolic-interactionist

10. A politician describes inequality as a motivator of people to

fill the different and necessary positions in society. He is using
example of _________.
a. Conflict theory
b. Social Exchange theory
c. Structural-Functionalist theory
d. Symbolic-interactionist theory

11. Which of the states that stratification assures that the most
qualified people fill the most important positions, that these
qualified people perform their tasks competently, and that
they are rewarded for the effort?
A. Conflict theory
B. Structural-Functionalism
C. Symbolic interactionism
D. None of the choices

12. Which of the following best describes the structural-

functionalist theory of social stratification?
A. Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit
others.
B. Social stratification will eventually be eliminated when the
workers revolt.
19
 C. Children are taught that a person's social class is the
result of their talent and effort.
D. The inequality of social classes helps assurre that the
most qualified people fill the most important positions.

13. Which of the following best describes the symbolic-

interactionist perspective of social stratification?
A. Inequality exists because some people are willing to exploit
others.
B. Social stratification will eventually be eliminated when the
workers revolt.
C. Children are taught that a person's social class is the
result of their talent and effort
D. The inequality of social classes helps assure that the most
qualified people fill the most important positions

14. Which describes a society where people frequently can, by

acquiring skills and working hard, move from one level of
social stratification to a higher level of social stratification.
A. closed system
B. open system
C. ethnic system
D. estate system

15. The child of an office clerk becomes a physician. This is an

example of _______.
A. Geographical mobility
B. Intergenerational mobility
C. Social mobility
D. Role mobility

20
 SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
Quarter 4 - Week 4
Government Programs and Initiatives
in Addressing Social Inequalities

Learning Task Mode of

Competencies Delivery
By the end of this Do the following activities: Have the
module, you are 1. JUMPSTART parent hand-in
expected to: 2. EXPLORE the output to
3. GAUGE the assigned
Explain government area.
programs and
initiatives in
addressing social
inequalities e.g. local,
national, global

1
 Target
Social inequality is the state of unequal distribution of valued
goods and opportunities. All societies today have social inequality.
In the Philippines for example, according to the ASEAN Trade Union
Council, the Philippines has the highest rate of economic and social
inequality in Southeast Asia. This problem is not limited to personal
wealth. Land distribution, educational and vocational opportunities
and basic welfare programs are also affected by the growing
disparity between the Philippines' richest and poorest citizens.
Economic and social inequality are complex problems, but
they can be addressed by governments and aid organizations
working together to ensure that opportunities are more readily
available for the nation's poorest people. So what are these
programs or initiatives undertaken by the government to address
these inequalities? Do you know some of them?
In your previous lesson, you learned and examined concept,
characteristics and forms of stratification systems using
sociological perspective. You identified situations that diversified
the society. You learned also the different views on social
stratification.
In this learning material, we are going to examine and
explain government programs and initiatives in addressing
social inequalities in local, national and global.

Specifically, after going through this module, you are expected to:

a.) identify the social inequalities prevalent in our society;

b.) identify and describe the programs and initiatives of the

government in addressing inequalities.

2
 Jumpstart

ACTIVITY1: Fit Me In. From the list of government programs given

below, identify what inequality you would think it
addresses.

Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) program

Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act
Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development
Magna Carta for Women
DepEd’s Child Protection Policy of 2012
Anti-Bullying Law 2013
Indigenous People’s Rights Act of 1997
Magna Carta of Disabled Persons of 1995
SK Reform Act of 2015

GOVERNMENT
SOCIAL INEQUALITIES PROGRAMS or
INITIATIVES
1. social, political, and
symbolic capital
inequalities

2. Gender Inequality

3. Ethnic Minority

4. Other Minorities like

PWD’s, Solo Parents
and Others

3
 Discover
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 social 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.
The Meaning of Social Inequality

Social inequality is the difference in the distribution of social

desirables such as wealth, power, and prestige.
• It also refers to the unequal opportunities of
individuals based on their social class or status.
• This explanation is mostly inspired by Karl Marx’s
analysis the rise of industrialization.

Social inequality results from a society organized by

hierarchies of class, race, and gender that unequally distributes
access to resources and rights. It can manifest in a variety of ways,
like income and wealth inequality, unequal access to education
and cultural resources, and differential treatment by the police
and judicial system, among others.

Social inequality goes hand in hand with social

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.
4
 The following are some of the social inequalities and the
programs that the government is undertaking to address these
inequalities.

1. Inequality in the access to social, political, and symbolic

capital

For us to understand well these inequalities, we have to

define first these concepts: Social Capital is the ability of a
collective to act together to pursue a common goal. It refers to the
connection of individuals within the society. An example of this is
your social status. Rich people have preferential treatment than
that of poor people.

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. Example is that,
governor will be given a preferential treatment over those with
lower have no civic equality. Moreover, political actors coming from
political families had given preferential treatment to enter politics
than those who are not.

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. Like also in many other
circumstances, rich people had greater opportunities to enter into
politics or in any other aspects because of their level in the
society.
Government Programs Addressing these Inequalities are:

• Conditional Cash Transfer program locally known as

Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, is a
government program that provides conditional cash
grants to the poorest of the poor in the Philippines.
Households receive cash grants if children stay in school
and get regular health check-ups, have their growth
monitored, and receive vaccines. Pregnant women must
5
 get prenatal care, with their births attended to by
professional health workers. Parents or guardians are
required to participate in monthly community-based
Family Development Sessions to learn about positive
child discipline, disaster preparedness, and women’s
rights.

• Agrarian reform in the Philippines seeks to solve the

centuries old problem of landlessness in rural areas.
Through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP) initiated in 1987, the government addressed key
national goals: the promotion of equity and social justice,
food security and poverty alleviation in the countryside.
After over 14 years of the CARP, however, the program is
yet to be completed and is currently burdened with major
issues - from opposition by landlords and lack of support
from legislators, to wide gaps in fund resources.

• SK Reform Act of 2015 has the provisions that

prohibits political dynasty. It prohibits any person to run
in any Sanggunian Kabataan Office either elected or
appointed if it has a relative up to second degree in the
barangay level to governorship.

• The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education

Act is a law that institutionalizes free tuition and
exemption from other fees in state universities and
colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges (LUCs) in
the Philippines. The law also foresees subsidies also for
private higher education institutions. It is intended to give
underprivileged Filipino students a chance to earn a
college degree. The law allows financially-able students to
avail of the free higher education provision but also
contribute a specific amount to the higher education
institution (HEI). SUCs, LUCs, and TVET providers are
required to create a proper system so students can make
voluntary contributions for their education.

6
2. Minority groups are groups composed of less-dominant
classifications in society that experience disproportionately
lower opportunities than their dominant counterparts.

Below are some relevant issues involving minority groups:

1. 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.

Programs:

• The Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive

Development (PPGD) rests on a vision of development
that is equitable , sustainable, free from violence,
respectful of human rights, supportive of self-
determination and the actualization of human
potentials, and participatory and empowering . It
places people at the center and aims to make
development work for all groups. However, it
recognizes that discrimination exists on the basis of
gender, class and ethnicity. In the light of historical
gender inequalities and inequities, it puts greater
emphasis on women as a disadvantaged group. It is
in here where gender and development were anchored
into.

• The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) is a

comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks
to eliminate discrimination through the recognition,
protection, fulfillment, and promotion of the rights of
Filipino women, especially those belonging in the
marginalized sectors of the society. It conveys a

7
 framework of rights for women based directly on
international law. It salient features are:

▪ Increasing the number of women in third level

positions in government to achieve a fifty-fifty
(50-50) gender balance within the next five
years while the composition of women in all
levels of development planning and program
implementation will be at least 40 percent;
▪ Leave benefits of two (2) months with full pay
based on gross monthly compensation for
women employees who undergo surgery caused
by gynecological disorders, provided that they
have rendered continuous aggregate
employment service of at least six (6) months for
the last twelve (12) months;
▪ Non-discrimination in employment in the field
of military, police and other similar services that
include according the same promotional
privileges and opportunities as their men
counterpart, including pay increases,
additional benefits, and awards, based on
competency and quality of performance.
▪ Provision for equal access and elimination of
discrimination in education, scholarships, and
training. Thus, “expulsion, non-readmission,
prohibiting enrollment, and other related
discrimination of women students and faculty
due to pregnancy out of marriage shall be
outlawed.
▪ Non-discriminatory and non-derogatory
portrayal of women in media and film to raise
the consciousness of the general public in
recognizing the dignity of women and the role
and contribution of women in family,
community, and the society through the
strategic use of mass media;

8
 ▪ Equal status given to men and women on the
titling of the land and issuance of stewardship
contracts and patents.
▪
2. 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 labeled 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.

Programs:
• Republic Act 8371, known as the Indigenous
Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), was enacted in 1997. It
has been praised for its support for the cultural
integrity of indigenous peoples, the right to their
lands and the right to self-directed development of
these lands. Under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights
Act of 1997 (IPRA), selfdelineation shall be the
guiding principle in identifying and delineating
ancestral domains. As such, indigenous cultural
communities (ICC) and indigenous people (IP)
shall have a decisive role in all activities pertinent
thereto.

Readmore:
https://business.inquirer.net/294122/understan ding-
the-indigenous-peoples-rights-to-their-
ancestraldomain#ixzz6cFd64VGL

3. Other Minorities
• o This may include people with disabilities or
people with religions that are less prevalent in
society.
• o These minorities experience discrimination in
work, especially when the disabled have physical
9
 limitations, while the religious have practices
and beliefs that are greatly disagreed upon by the
majority.
•
Programs:
• Republic Act No. 9442, an Act Amending
Republic Act No. 7277, Otherwise known as the
Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, and For
Other Purposes’ Granting Additional Privileges
and Incentives and Prohibitions on Verbal, Non-
verbal Ridicule and Vilification Against Persons
with Disability. Its objective is to provide persons
with disability, the opportunity to participate
fully into the mainstream of society by granting
them at least twenty percent (20%) discount in
all basic services. It is a declared policy of RA
7277 that persons with disability are part of
Philippine society, and thus the State shall give
full support to the improvement of their total
well-being and their integration into the
mainstream of society. They have the same rights
as other people to take their proper place in
society. They should be able to live freely and as
independently as possible. This must be the
concern of everyone the family, community and
all government and nongovernment
organizations. Rights of persons with disability
must never be perceived as welfare services.
Prohibitions on verbal, non-verbal ridicule and
vilification against persons with disability shall
always be observed at all times.
• Department of Education has adopted the policy
to provide special protection to children who are
gravely threatened or endangered by
circumstances which affect their normal
development and over which they have no
control, and to assist the concerned agencies in
their rehabilitation. Furthermore, the
Department aims to ensure such special
10
 protection from all forms of abuse and
exploitation and care as is necessary for the
child’s well-being, taking into account the
primary rights and duties of parents, legal
guardians, or other individuals who are legally
responsible and exercise custody over the child.
DepEd recognizes the participatory rights of the
child in the formulation and implementation of
policies, and in all proceedings affecting them,
whether they be victims or aggressors, either
directly, or through a representative.
• Enactment of Anti-Bullying Law which
mandates directed all elementary and secondary
schools to adopt policies to address the existence
of bullying in their respective institutions.

Analyzing Social Inequalities

The existence of minority groups in functionalist and conflict

societies are also embedded in each type of society’s principles.

• In a functionalist society, minorities also play social roles that

contribute to social balance and equilibrium. However, these
roles are bound by limitations and social norms.
• In conflict societies, minority groups are seen as lower-class
individuals that will not be able to keep up with the consistent
competition occurring within the environment.
• In both societies, discrimination against minorities is possible.
Inequality among minority groups is greatly driven by global
inequalities significantly coming from the influence of richer,
more influential countries.
Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and

prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger
freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in all its forms
and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest

11
 global challenge and an indispensable requirement for
sustainable development. All countries and all stakeholders,
acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan.
We are resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of
poverty and want and to heal and secure our planet. We are
determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are
urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and
resilient path. As we embark on this collective journey, we
pledge that no one will be left behind. The 17 Sustainable
Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing
today demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal
Agenda. They seek to build on the Millennium Development
Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to
realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality
and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are
integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of
sustainable development: the economic, social and
environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next
fifteen years in areas of critical importance for humanity and
the planet:

a) People. We are determined to end poverty and hunger,

in all their forms and dimensions, and to ensure that all
human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and
equality and in a healthy environment.

b) Planet. We are determined to protect the planet from

degradation, including through sustainable
consumption and production, sustainably managing its
natural resources and taking urgent action on climate
change, so that it can support the needs of the present
and future generations.

c) Prosperity. We are determined to ensure that all

human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives
and that economic, social and technological progress
occurs in harmony with nature.
12
 d) Peace. We are determined to foster peaceful, just and
inclusive societies which are free from fear and violence.
There can be no sustainable development without peace
and no peace without sustainable development.

e) Partnership. We are determined to mobilize the means

required to implement this Agenda through a revitalized
Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based
on a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in
particular on the needs of the poorest and most
vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all
stakeholders and all people.

The interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable

Development Goals are of crucial importance in ensuring that
the purpose of the new Agenda is realized. If we realize our
ambitions across the full extent of the agenda, the lives of all
will be profoundly improved and our world will be transformed
for the better.

Sustainable Development Goals

• Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

• Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved
nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture
• Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at
all ages
• Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and
promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
• Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and
girls
• Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of
water and sanitation for all.
• Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and
modern energy for all.
13
 • Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable
economic growth, full and productive employment and decent
work for all.
• Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and
sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
• Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.
• Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe,
resilient and sustainable.
• Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production
patterns.
• Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its
impacts*
• Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and
marine resources for sustainable development.
• Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of
terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat
desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and
halt biodiversity loss.
• Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for
sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and
build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all
levels.
• Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and
revitalize the global partnership for sustainable development.

* Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention

on Climate Change is the primary international,
intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to
climate change.

14
 Explore
ACTIVITY1: My Semantic Web. This activity will help you recall
the previous lesson easily.
1. Write inside the circles the different ways on how to
eliminate social inequality.
2. Write a short description below the semantic web how you
can help improve our society.

Social
Inequality

15
 Gauge
Directions: Read the sentences carefully and write the letter of
the correct answer.

1. Which of the following programs addresses inequality on ethnic

minorities?
A. Magna Carta for Disabled Persons
B. IPRA Law
C. Anti-Bullying Act
D. 4P’s

2. Anti-Bullying mandates directed all elementary and secondary

schools to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in
their respective institutions. Which of the following inequalities
does it addresses?
A. Ethnic Minority
B. Gender Inequality
C. Global Inequality
D. Other Minority

3. We can understand social inequality from a macro-sociological

perspective because
A. lived experience is impacted by gender, race and class
B. we see inequality in everyday life
C. some people work harder than others
D. meritocracy is focused on structure rather than individual

4. Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, and For Other Purposes’

Granting Additional Privileges and Incentives and Prohibitions
on Verbal, Non-verbal Ridicule and Vilification Against Persons
with Disability. Its objective is to provide persons with disability,
the opportunity to participate fully into the mainstream of society
by granting them at least twenty percent (20%) discount in all

16
 basic services. Which of the following inequalities does it
addresses?
A. Ethnic Minority
B. Gender Inequality
C. Global Inequality
D. Other Minority

5. The Department of Education has adopted the policy to provide

special protection to children who are gravely threatened or
endangered by circumstances which affect their normal
development and over which they have no control, and to assist
the concerned agencies in their rehabilitation. This government
initiative wants to address which of the following inequality?
A. Inequality in the access to social, political, and symbolic
capital
B. Gender Inequality
C. Global Inequality
D. Other Minority

6. Which of the following demonstrate a large pattern of inequality?

A. Social security and other state benefits are given to those
who fall below a certain income.
B. In the UK the top 10 percent get 31 % of all income in the
UK while the bottom 10 percent get just 1 %
C. In Singapore, the top 20 richest percent of the population
are about 10 times richer than the poorest 20 %
D. Different countries have the same levels of inequality
7. The Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD)
rests on a vision of development that is equitable , sustainable,
free from violence, respectful of human rights, supportive of self-
determination and the actualization of human potentials, and
participatory and empowering . This program addresses the
equality between whom?
A. Gender
B. Ethnicity
C. Political Ideology
D. Cultural Ideology

17
8. Agrarian reform in the Philippines seeks to solve the centuries-
old problem of landlessness in rural areas. Through the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) initiated in
1987, the government addressed key national goals.
These are:
A. address the inequality in labor and gender sensitivity
B. promotion of cultural based work and ethnic identity
C. address the needs of the less privilege like those of
challenge persons
D. promotion of equity and social justice, food security and
poverty alleviation in the countryside

9. Which of the following programs addresses gender inequality?

A. Magna Carta for Disabled Persons
B. IPRA Law
C. Anti-Bullying Act
D. Magna Carta of Women

10. Under the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA), self-
delineation shall be the guiding principle in identifying and
delineating ancestral domains. As such, indigenous cultural
communities (ICC) and indigenous people (IP) shall have a
decisive role in all activities pertinent thereto. Which of the
following inequalities does it addresses?
A. Gender Inequality
B. Global Stratification
C. Ethnic Inequality
D. Social Deviance

18