INFORMATION SHEET

UCSP
Learning Objectives:
After reading this INFORMATION SHEET, YOU MUST be able to:

1. Examine the concept, characteristics and forms of stratification systemes

using sociological perspectives.

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Is a system by which societies categorize and rank members in a hierarchy? It is

the creation of strata (layers) of people who possess unequal shares of scarce
resources. These are the three stratification factors: power, wealth and prestige.

Power- is the degree to which individuals impose their will on others and seek
obedience from them even in the absence of their consent. If the exercise of powers
is legitimate, it is called authority. 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.
Wealth- refers to the material possessions (property, building, land, money,
jewelry, livestock and others) that are regarded as valuable in most societies. refers
to the person’s position in the society. This refers to having a certain status that
enables someone to have resources or opportunities.
Prestige- refers to honor that is associated with social positions that an individual
occupies. This is also associated to the individual lifestyle and personal qualities.
refers to the amount of resources that a person has

Theories on Social Stratification

Pioneer sociologist Karl Marx and Max Weber made significant contributions to the
study of social stratification and the existence of social classes.

KARL MARX
Marx explains the economic foundation of social classes; that social class existed
based on the source of income and class struggles. This is created by the capitalist
economic system based on wealth.

 BOURGEOISIE
Factory owners, businessman

PROLETARIATS
Laborers, factory workers, crafts people

Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |1
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM
 According to Marx, there are two social classes: the upper class (bourgeoisie) who
owned the means of production and the lower class (proletariats) who worked for
wages.

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.

A. Open System- The class structure is an open system. It encourages people to

strive and achieve something. People belonging to one social class have similar
opportunities, similar lyfestyles, attitudes, behavior and possibly similar socio-
economic positions.

1. Upper Class – The people in this class have great wealth and sources of income.
They constitute the elite wealthy group in the 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 – The people in this class may belong to the upper-middle class
which is often made up of highly educated business and professional people with
high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers, stockbrokers, and CEOs or to the lower-
middle class often made up of people with lower incomes, such as managers, small
business owners, teachers, and secretaries. Aside from generally command of high
income, people belonging to the upper-middle class often have college education,
live in comfortable homes, own properties, have some money savings, and active in

Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |2
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM
 community activities. People in the lower-middle class have not achieved the same
lifestyle of the upper –middle class but somehow have modest income and live in
simple life.
3. Lower Class –The lower class is by poverty, homelessness, and unemployment.
The people in this class belong to the bottom of socio-economic ladder.

B. Closed Systems- Closed system accommodates little change in social position.

They do not allow people to shift levels and do not permit social relationships
between levels.

1. Caste System – It is regarded as closed stratification system in which people

can do little or nothing to change their social standing. Social contact is rigid and
clearly defined. People are born and die in their caste. Contact between and 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.
- We do not practice caste system 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.

C. Ethnic System - 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 Indio’s. 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.

Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |3
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM
 Self-check

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-functinalist 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.

Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |4
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM
 Self-check

Directions: Look for a person (a local figure) whom you consider very successful
today, that is he/she started as a poor person until he/she succeeded in life
(political, education, business, religious field). Write his/her success story. Use a
separate paper for your output. You will be graded based on the rubrics below.

PHOTO

Name of the Successful Person: __________________________________

Residence: __________________________________
Present Position: __________________________________
Nature of Work: __________________________________
Sources of Information: __________________________________

Success Story

Success Story
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Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |5
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM
 Criteria Score:
Content 10
Mechanics 10
Neatness 10
Total 30

Date Developed: Document No.:MMA-UCSP

December Issued by:
QUARTER 2 05,2022
Mary Mediatrix of
MODULE 9 All Graces
Page |6
UCSP Developed by: Academy, Inc.
MMA QA JENEVIE S.
SARMILLO
Revision:
SYSTEM