Understanding Culture, Society &

Politics Module 9: Concept,

Characteristics and Forms of
Stratification Systems
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
TROTS OR BLUFFS
• 1. Social stratification the process where a society determines a
person'sworth 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 socieities.
• 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 frombiological traits
TROTS OR BLUFFS
• 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 straification system than a
class system
WHAT IS INEQUALITY?

• 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.
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
• 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).
• 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

• 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
Ascribed statuses
• 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
Achieved Statuses
• 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
• 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).
DIMENSION OF

• 1. Sources of Income. There are different sources of income. These

are the inhereted 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
• 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, elemetary 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 (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. Kinship or family. In the Philippines, when a person belongs to
the Ayala’s, Soriano’s, Zobel’s, Villar’s, that person is regarded as
belonging to the upper class (rich) status. Children of sultans and
datus are hgihly 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
• 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 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 typified by poverty, homelessness, and unemployment. The people in this
class belong to the bottom of socio-economic ladder. They may be categorized into two: upper-lower class and
lower-lower class. In the upper-lower class, 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 socio- economic problems, with lttle 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
CLOSED SYSTEM
•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 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
Ethnic System

• General Characteristics
• This type of social stratification is based on national origin, laguage
and religion. Ethinicity 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
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 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
Social 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.
Geographical Mobility
• 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, communizing 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.
Role Mobility
• 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).
Theoritical Perspective and Analysis of Social Stratification

Theoretical Perspective Major Assumptions/Analysis

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