LESSON 4 SOCIAL INEQUALITY

• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION creates both "haves" and "have-nots."
• SOCIAL INEQUALITY refers to the unequal access to social, political and symbolic capital of individuals in society.
• Social inequality is also considered as DIMENSION OF SOCIAL STRATIFICATION wherein individuals and institutions are categorized or differentiated into class or distinct groups, or socially constructed as DISPARATE ENTITIES.
• There are 5 dimensions of social inequality; (a) INCOME, (b) WEALTH, (c) POWER, (d) OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE, and (e) SCHOOLING.
• INCOME is one important dimension of inequality.
• Income is the EARNINGS from work or investments.
• INCOME is only a part of a person's wealth.
• WEALTH is the total value of money and other assets, minus outstanding debts.
• POWER is the ability or capacity to do something or act in a particular way.
• In the Philippines, wealth is an important source of POWER.
• OCCUPATIONAL PRESTIGE - In addition to generating income, work is also an important source of social prestige.
• SCHOOLING affects both occupation and income since most of the better-paying white-collar jobs require a college degree or other advanced study.
• SOCIAL CLASSES is another representation of social inequality.
• SOCIAL CLASS is defined as a "broad category" of people sharing the same economic position, plus similar lifestyle.
• The social class in the Philippines can usually be expressed in 5 categories; (a) UPPER CLASS, (b) UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS, (c) LOWER MIDDLE CLASS, (d) UPPER LOWER CLASS, and (e) LOWER LOWER CLASS.
• UPPER CLASS 1%

  -Large landowners

  -Highly successful professionals

  -Big business people

  -Top government officials
• UPPER-MIDDLE CLASS 10%

  -Owners of farms over 20 hectares

  -Most professionals

  -Operators of medium-sized business

  -Middle-echelon government administrator

  -Some education administrators

  -Some university professors

  -Bank, department store, factory managers
• LOWER-MIDDLE CLASS 20%


  -Lower-echelon government workers

  -Most professors, teachers

  -Owners of farms of 3-19 hectares

  -Nurses

  -Some small business people
• UPPER-LOWER CLASS 32%


  -Factory workers

  -Skilled laborers

  -Small farmers

  -Store clerks

  -Office workers

  -Most sari-sari store operators
• LOWER-LOWER CLASS 37%


  -Unskilled laborers

  -Farmers with less than 1.5 hectares

  -Most household servants

  -Landless farm labor-most tenant farmers

  -Most physically handicapped

  -Peddlers, scavengers
• SOCIAL STRATIFICATION involves not just people within a single country; it is also a worldwide pattern with some nations far more economically productive than others.
• The THREE WORLDS MODEL is a way of classifying areas of the world.
• HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES contain 23% of the world's people.
• MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES contain 61% of the world's people.
• LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES contain 17% of the world's people.
• High-income countries receive 78% of global income.
• Middle-income countries receive 21% of global income.
• Low-income countries receive 1% of global income.
• High-income countries' per capita gross domestic product (GDP) is GREATER THAN $12,000.
• Middle-income countries' per capita income is LESS THAN $12,000 BUT GREATER THAN $2,500.
• Low-income countries' per capita GDP is LESS THAN $2,500.
• HIGH-INCOME COUNTRIES have a high standard of living based on advanced technology; and produce enough economic goods to enable their people to lead comfortable lives.
• MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES have a standard of living about average for the world as a whole.
• LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES have a low standard of living due to limited industrial technology.
• High-income countries include 72 NATIONS; among them the United States, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, the nations of Western Europe, Israel, Saudi Arabia, the Russian Federation, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Australia.
• Middle-income countries include 70 NATIONS; among them the nations of Eastern Europe, Peru, Brazil, Namibia, Egypt, Indonesia, India, and the People’s Republic of China.
• Low-income nations include 53 NATIONS,  generally in Central and East Africa and Asia, among them Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh.
• MODERNIZATION THEORY AND DEPENDENCY THEORY: the unequal distribution of the world’s wealth and power
• MODERNIZATION THEORY maintains that nations achieve affluence by developing advanced technology.
• MODERNIZATION THEORY


  This process depends on a culture that encourages innovation and change toward higher living standards.