CONFLICT AND

SOCIAL
INEQUALITY
Society, in another perspective is made up of
individuals from different social classes who
competes for social, material, and economic
resources like food, housing, education, health and
employment. According to Karl Marx, the proponent
of the theory on Social Conflict, society is divided
into two classes. These classes are the bourgeoisie
and the proletariat. This society originated from the
rise of the capitalist dating back industrial revolution.
Bourgeoisie are the owners of the means of
production in the society. They are the rich
class who owns big businesses.
Factors or production includes land,
entrepreneurial skills, and capital like
money, factories, machineries. These are
also known as means of production.
Proletariat are the workers or
laborers in the society. In most
cases, they constitute the majority
of poor people who works in the
businesses owned by the rich.
In understanding society using this lens, it is noteworthy to
consider that Marx have identified stages of time by which
development took place from primitive communism to a
capitalist society. For him only the first period of primitive
communism people are free from some form of social
stratification or class. However, the moment people start
producing their daily needs, increase for economic activity
follows. This leads to the formation of a Capitalist society. It
is run by a capitalist class called as the bourgeoisie.
Production from factories became a norm during the industrial
period that made the bourgeoisie more interested in
manufacturing and profits. On the other hand, pre-capitalist
peasant remained in the agricultural form of production.
Social conflict arises from the inequalities produced by
ownership and control of limited resources. Naturally, the
bourgeoisie serves as the ruling class in running the means of
production that leads to higher profit and income generated
from the business. With these, they enjoy social and economic
benefits such as having big and beautiful houses, eating in
high class hotel and restaurants, study in prestigious private
schools and put up more businesses. Unlike the proletariat,
they have income just enough for their basic needs such as
renting a house, eating in fast food chain, sending kids to
public schools and do another job to extra income. While the
rich bourgeoisie have still excess money for savings, the poor
proletariat strive very hard for daily survival.
As search for more profit increases, bourgeoisie
tends to neglect fundamental needs of workers such
as clean and healthy working environment. In
addition, more business means more workforce to
exert labor resulting to longer hours of work without
appropriate overtime pay. These situations may ignite
revolt among workers. This revolt creates the so-
called class antagonism. That is why Marx believes
that class consciousness must be done to eliminate
false consciousness.
Class consciousness refers to the person’s awareness
of his/her rank in the society. Knowing one’s
personal rank may bring social improvement to
overcome conflict. Social conflict cannot be avoided
in the society because there is always competition
and differences in interest. Social conflict happens
when two or more people or group do not agree with
each other. It is further aggravated by the use of
social power to get their goals. If this situation
continues, then inequality is also present.
 Basic Arguments of Marx on Social Inequality
1. All societies are characterized by the struggle
between social classes.
2. The existing relationship between these classes is
both dependent and conflicting.
3. The contradicting relationship of dependency and
conflict explains the basis of social stability and
social change.
Social Inequality is the uneven
social status in the society due to
unequal opportunities. It is the state
of imbalanced distribution of
valued goods and resources. Social
inequality is caused by both social
and economic factors.
Social factors that causes inequality involves education, health,
number of family members, justice system, and housing to name
a few. While economic factors causing inequalities are income,
poverty, unemployment, degree of educational attainment, and
promotion, among others. This is because economic production
change more rapidly than people’s ability to adopt the change.
Marx argued that economic infrastructure was the most important
division in society for two reasons such as:
1. It involves production, distribution, and exchange of
essential requirements for living like food, clothing, shelter
and consumer goods.
2. 2. Systems of government, communication, and the like are
dependent upon the way in which society organizes itself to
provide these essential requirements.
Income inequality-It is the unequal amount of
income due to lack of employment with enough
compensation to pay for everyday consumption
of goods and services. Poor families tend to
accept substandard housing that are sometimes
located in depressed area because they cannot
afford to build concrete houses in subdivisions.
Moreover, inequality can be addressed
only if the poor will have equal
opportunities with the rich. If this social
change happens then a Utopian society
can be achieved. Utopian society for
Marx is the classless and perfect society
Direction: Read and analyze each statement. Write SC if pertains to Social
Conflict and SI if it is Social Inequality.
________1. It is the differences of income between the rich and the poor.
________2. Mining Company abuses children workers in the mining field.
________3. Social Amelioration Program cash aid given by some barangay
officials to their relatives instead of the poor families in the barangay.
________4. Land ownership issue between the Cojuangcos and the farmers
over Hacienda Luisita.
________5. Death of the pregnant mother who was denied medical
attention by several hospitals because of insufficient money for deposit.
________6. The workers launched a street rally for wage increase.
________7. The extremely poor lives on the streets or shanty houses while
the rich lives in mansions or condominiums.
________8. Students who graduated from schools like UP, Ateneo, Dela Salle
were easily hired to a job.
________9. The company pays the female employees salary lower than the male
employees.
________10. Some congressmen make laws not to benefit the majority but to
protect their business.
________11. Sandy wants to eat spaghetti, but mother gave her sandwich instead.
________12. The poor has limited chance to be in a government position than the
rich because money is an election machinery.
________13. President ordered the people to stay at home during quarantine
period, but the people went out for a cockfighting show.
________14. The daughter preferred to become a police officer, however the
parents wanted her to be a nurse.
________15. Lower income households experienced a higher concentration of
job losses.
1. SI 11. SC
2. SC 12. SI
3. SC 13. SC
4. SC 14. SC
5. SI 15. SI
6. SC
7. SI
8. SI
9. SI