Presenter:

CAREN GAY GONZALES-TALUBAN

SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

 Sociologists view social

stratification in terms of social
inequality which is a universal
phenomenon. Even in simple
societies, sociologists point to
differences in advantages based
on sex, age or ability.
 For Anthropologists, stratification is
not universal, and egalitarian societies
exist; that is, all social groups in
particular age-sex level in the society
have equal access to economic
resources and equal opportunities to
obtain prestige. For Anthropologists,
what is universal is human inequality
but not social stratification (Ember
and Ember,1981).
 One way of looking at social
stratification is to equate it with
inequality. Inequality is a problem
confronting not only in western
industrialized societies, but nonliterate
societies as well. Inequality is also
demonstrated in the division of the share
when the choice cuts are given to the
recognized “leader” of the band, while
other members divide amongst them
what is left of the animal.
 According to Tumin (1967),
Social stratification is defined
as “ arrangement of any social
group or society into a
hierarchy of positions that are
unequal with regard to power,
property, social evaluation,
and/or psychic gratification”
VIEWS ON SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
In complex societies, inequality is viewed in terms of
the distribution of scarce goods. This is basically
known as social stratification, meaning the society
is divided into a number of strata or layers (Perry
and Perry,1993).
People are ranked according to:
 WEALTH – how much of the resources of society
are owned by certain individuals.
 PRESTIGE – the degree of honor one’s position
evoke.
 POWER – the degree to which one directs,
manages or dominates others (Perry and Perry,
1993).
1. CONSERVATIVE VIEW

 It maintains the position that differentiation

is inevitable and deeply rooted in the law of
nature. By nature, human beings are
perceived to be selfish and greedy. Society
must step in to minimize such traits to bring
order. It is basically the social institutions that
promote inequality, and society has to play
the price in order to maintain peace and
order.
2. LIBERAL VIEW

 From the liberal point of view, society has been

responsible for corrupting people because it
allowed them to struggle and compete with
others for scarce resources. It has an ill effect in
that it results in the differentiation of people,
with those successful exerting dominance over
the unsuccessful. The dominant groups use their
power, enabling them to impose their will on
others. Thus, stratification and inequality
become inevitable (Perry and Perry,1993).
ORIGIN IN THE CONCEPT OF
INEQUALITY
1. Rousseau
 Inequality, he argued, came about as a result of
living the state of nature; it is a kind of original
sin, which he links with the emergence o f private
property.
2. Karl Marx
 the emergence and formation of classes is the
division of labor.
 Marx’s idea was shared by Gustav Schmeller
whose theory on class formation was based on
the premise that occupations are differentiated
(Dahrendorf,1974)
3. Kingsley Davis and Wilbert Moore
 They consider inequality as a functional
necessity in all human societies as indispensable
for the maintenance of any social structure and,
hence, as impossible to eliminate.
 In all societies, the importance of different
positions to the society and the market value of
the required qualifications, determine the
unequal distribution of income, prestige, and
power. Inequality is necessary because without it
the differentiated(occupational) positions of
societies cannot be adequately filled.
(Dahrendorf, 1974).
 ELEMENTS OF
SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
1. CLASS
1. Class
 Karl Marx defined class as the division of people
in society by their relationship to the means of
production: those who own large portion of
society’s wealth such as tools and capital vital in
the production of wealth, and those who exercise
control over other people who have less in life.
He viewed class as composed of those who have,
those who need to maintain privileged positions,
and “those who have-nots who eventually
revolted against the exploitation and
oppressions imposed on them by the haves”
(Perry and Perry, 1993).
 According to Max Weber, class refers
to a group of people exhibiting the
same lifestyles because of similar
economic positions in society such
as, by the goods they possess and
the chances available to them to
improve their income. Modern social
scientists refer these as money,
goods and services as property.
 Social class refers to a group of
people who are similarly
situated in terms of property
owned, occupation held,
income acquired, educational
degrees attained, and lifestyles
exhibited, and are therefore
differentiated from others.
2. STATUS
 Status refers to the social position that an
individual occupies in society.
 Weber attached prestige to the discussion
of social stratification. To him, prestige
rather than the position is important.
Individuals are ranked in society as high,
middle, and low as determined by how the
role attached to their status is valued. In
the Philippines, Physicians or medical
doctors command prestige and are
therefore highly esteemed.
 3. POWER
 Power refers to the ability of an individual to get
other people to do “ what he wants them to do with
or without their consent” (Perry and Perry,1993).
 For Weber, power implies political rather than
economic superiority. He divided power into;
a.)Personal – refers to the individual’s freedom to
direct his own life as he chooses.
b.)Social – it is the ability of an individual to make
decisions that can affect the entire community.
 According to Tumin, power is “the ability to secure
one’s ends in life, even against opposition”.
Of the elements of social stratification,
power is considered most important,
particularly in determining the
distribution of goods and services. It is
closely linked to status and class. In the
Philippines, for instance, only those
who occupy a high status or who
belong to the upper class get elected to
positions of power. Only those who
control capital control business. Thus,
most of their decisions are self-serving
to protect their business interests.
 KINDS OF
STRATIFICATION
SYSTEM
1. CLOSED SOCIETY
 In this type of society, power, class
and status are ascribed. In a closed
society, individuals are born into a
specific stratum and therefore
one’s occupation is determined by
the family affiliation. An individual
has no opportunity therefore for
socio-economic mobility.
2. THE ESTATE SYSTEM
 The estate system was “the economic
and social system of feudal Europe
and, in different forms, has
characterized a number of nations in
Asia” (Perry and Perry,1993). It
resembles the caste system in that
social positions are ranked according
to their functions.
3. OPEN SOCIETY
Philippine society approximates the open society. The
open society has the following characteristics:
1. Though classes exist, they are not institutionalized,
as in the case of caste and estate systems;
2. Though class boundaries are unclear and people do
not show excessive class consciousness, inequality
due to class division is apparent;
3. Though status is usually achieved, there is evidence
however, that status tends to be ascribed to the
lowest and the highest social classes; and
4. Social mobility is possible and it frequently occurs
APPROACHES IN
THE STUDY OF
SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
Lifestyle Approach

The focus of the study is to determine

the lifestyle of various classes and
therefore addresses the following
points:
 Recreational activities;
 Material possessions;
 Organizational affiliations; and
 Schools attended
Reputational Approach
This approach addresses the following
points:
 People they know in the community
 Residence type of the respondents

There are limitations to this approach: in

urban communities it is possible that not
everyone knows the other members, nor is
one known by all of them.
Subjective Approach

This approach is basically concerned

with ranking oneself. It is possible
that respondents do not have any
idea of social stratification.
Objective Approach

The interviewer provides

categories, like income,
occupation, and the educational
attainment of the respondents.
Occupational Prestige
Approach
The focus is on occupation that brings
prestige and honor to a person. While this
is considered by the Americans as the best
indicator of social class, this may not be
true for Philippine society. There are
certain occupations classified as
prestigious, but have very low monetary
rewards as in the case of teaching
profession.
CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
1. It is social; patterned
in character.
2. It is ancient, it is
found in all societies.
3. It is diverse in its
forms.
4. It is consequential.
EFFECTS OF SOCIAL CLASS
 Family life – There is the assumption that family
is more stable among the upper than the lower
class. The lower class is beset with frustrations
and confronted with some economic problems
over which husbands and wives are likely to
separate. While there is truth to the assumption,
studies show that there is also a large
percentage of husband-wife separation among
the upper classes (Rolda,1995). The cause for
break-up of families in the upper classes is not
basically economic but more of incompatibility,
lack of communication, womanizing and
emotional immaturity, particularly those who
married early.
 Child Rearing
 Filipino children in the upper and middle
classes grow up to be dependent as they have
yayas (nursemaids) to take care of their needs
in the absence of mothers who are either
occupied with their business or profession or
attending to their favourite charity work.
Children from the lower classes tend to be
more independent. At the age of 8, they work
as newsboys, sampaguita vendors or cigarette
vendors. Girls also work as laundry women at a
tender age of 10.
Education
 Children of upper and middle class families
have their parents as role models, so that in
most instances the sons become like their
fathers, and the daughters follow their
mother’s footsteps. Very often, these children
enrol in elite schools from which their parents
graduated.
 The children of the lower class families do not
have role models to follow since their parents
were unable to finish college or even acquire
an elementary education.
Political Outlook
 Those in the lower classes are less
active in participation in the political
affairs of the country. Political
participation of the lower class is
limited to voting during elections.
Those in the upper or middle class are
more active in political affairs because
the fathers or other members of the
family are candidates.
Health

 Those who belong to the upper and middle

classes are more likely to have medical and
dental insurance. Those in the lower class
cannot afford premiums of dental and
medical insurance. The high cost of health in
the Philippines and in most industrial
countries forces members of the lower class
to avail of medical services provided by the
government.
POVERTY

 Poverty has been associated with

the socio-economic condition of a
given group. As such, it has reference
to material deprivation, kinds of food
consumed, employment, and in
general, to the inequality between
groups and among the members of a
given group.
AVERAGE INCOME OF FILIPINO
FAMILIES
 The National Statistics Office came out with
the result of its study on the average Filipino
family income. The findings show that “the
average income of Filipino families increased
by 49% or 123,881 in 1997 from 83,161 or 43%
in 1994. While there is an increase in income,
the findings also show that there is a
remarkable increase in expenses of “48% to
100,194 from 67,661” (Manila
Standard,1998).
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