underminesocialstratification

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We aim to promote awareness to people how social stratification works in the society. We hope that through us you’ll be able to understand that social rankings has a lot of negative effects to people at the bottom.

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WHAT IS SOCIAL STRATIFICATION?

Social stratification is the categorization of citizens in society into groups based on socioeconomic factors like wealth, income, race, education, ethnicity, gender, occupation, social status, or derived power (social and political). 

In the Philippines, people are classified into Upper Class – Elite, Upper Middle Class, Lower Middle Class, Working Class, and Poor.

A remarkable sociologist and humanistic scholar Pitirim A. Sorokin as cited by the Northern Kentucky University (2018) defined social stratification as, "Social stratification means 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."

Social Stratification affects the way of living of each individual in society. The principles it upholds have a big impact on the opportunities in a job, education, and society itself.

There are big differences for each rank, promoting human inequality. It directly affects the social mobility of the citizens where each individual or group of people takes measures which are indicated by the society to them. Even though some defend that Social Stratification is a normal part of society, many can't deny that it takes away life chances and define the value of a person based on his/her social rank. In the old times, it is pretty much close to the Caste system of the civilizations. A belief like this

continuing to expand causes disparity and many more problems within the community.

References:

Northern Kentucky University. (2018). What is Social Stratification?. Retrieved from https://onlinedegrees.nku.edu/articles/sociology/what-is-social-stratification.aspx

University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Chapter 8: Social Stratification. Retrieved from https://open.lib.umn.edu/sociology/part/chapter-8-social-stratification/

What is Social Class (n.d.). Retrieved from https://udel.edu/~cmarks/What%20is%20social%20class.htm

Social Stratification: Types, Characteristics, and Examples. (n.d). Retrieved from https://opinionfront.com/social-stratification-types-characteristics-examples

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What is Social Stratification?

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How Social Stratification Works in the Society

Modern societies are stratified with people arranged into layers due to an unequal distribution of society’s rewards.  

The start of this inequality can be traced back to the emergence of Job Specialization of horticultural and pastoral societies. Horticulture refers to the society that cultivates plants while pastoral societies domesticated and bred animals. Division of labor in the society led to Job Specialization and more stratification. A person would be more acceptable in society if his or her job is considered very relevant. When the society had become industrialized, social stratification increased as factory owners or business owners would exploit their workers who are usually from rural areas. As the working conditions became better in the 1900s, a new form of inequality was created. There has been a great difference for the wage between a skilled and unskilled worker. In the Postindustrial Societies, education has been a great factor in determining one’s social position in the society.

As time passes, social stratification has taken many forms:  slavery, estate system, indentured servitude, caste system, and the class system. Slavery is one of the lowest categories in a stratifcation system. A slave is considered to be a property of its owner and is usually mistreated. The Estate system is a three-tiered system composed of the nobility, the clergy, and the commoners. This is no longer practiced and was very prominent during the Middle Ages in Europe. Meanwhile, a caste system depends on the traits or characteristics that people possess as a result of their birth. This type of system does not allow a person to move into other positions. In the class system, a person is placed based on achieved statuses. It includes the Social Mobility, or movement up or down the social hierarchy.

Social stratification in the Philippines is determined by the social class of a person. There are three primary social classes in the Philippines: low-income class, middle-income class, and high-income class. The latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) shows that the majority (58.4%) of Filipinos belong to the low-income class, while the middle class comprises around 40% of the population. Only 1.4% fall in the high-income class (Zoleta, 2020). Moreover, people at the lowest of this social class are the those who experience great discrimination and inequality. 

In summary, social stratification and inequality is present throughout the world. It has been done in the ancient time and is still continuing today. As other people see this layer of inequality as a norm, it also has more underlying negative effects particularly those at the bottom.

References:

SparkNotes Editors. (n.d.). Social Stratification and Inequality. Retrieved from  https://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/social-stratification-and-inequality/section9/

Zoleta, V. (2020). Understanding Social Class in the Philippines: Which Class Do You Belong to?. Retrieved from  https://ph.news.yahoo.com/understanding-social-class-philippines-class-020037877.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADLzAYeXVuwC01LMM92MNIsNPyZqfbV-v5Bo6TSQJ9ss6vaQKZ_Ki24MkKLFMgHlP2mbJC7fBwttyhFEJK1qLoa0zyZn25hmWs5uZGj3tAtpenI9pYeoHf1ZrAcxG6Hg7v5frx8HposTPN7oUyuc239Uch09hAY8PCOBrVUY2eaU#:~:text=Types%20of%20Social%20Class%20in,and%20the%20high%2Dincome%20class.&text=In%20between%20the%20poor%20and,class%20but%20not%20considered%20poor

What Is Social Stratification? Defination. (2019). Retrieved from https://shareeducatonideas.com/social-stratification/

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How Social Stratification Works In The Society (part 1)

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How Social Stratification Works In The Society? (part 2)

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Check out these videos to learn more about Social Stratification: 

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Racism Around the World: How Bad It Is?

Racism can strike at any time and in any place. It can occur at school, work, or at home; it can occur online or offline; and it can occur within families and relationships. 

Racial abuse may be overt, such as comments about someone's appearance, assumptions about how they should act, or physical harassment and bullying. Sometimes racism is part of the structures and systems that we live in.

Many people are victims of prejudice and intolerance, and it's not just a personal loss for them; it's a loss for all of us. Racism fuels violence, divides communities, and wastes billions of euros when people are denied fair access to education and jobs. It causes health inequalities that ultimately harm everyone. It prevents us from appreciating the diversity of other cultures and poisons our appreciation of them. It prevents us from exploring the diversity of other cultures and poison our enjoyment of sports and the internet.

Racism, or prejudice based on race or ethnicity, is a major factor in the development of disease. It's also to blame for and physical and mental health differences among Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC). Inequalities, stigma, and civil rights violations still exist in our culture today. Skin color, unfortunately, has a significant impact on how people are perceived, respected, and handled. We know that racism, both deliberate and unintentional, has a negative impact on people's health and well-being, and that it limits many people's ability to contribute completely to the country's future and development. Racism fosters a culture in which people lack confidence and respect for one another. It would be so much easier for our world if it didn't exist.

You can also check out this short lecture from Penn State University:

References:

White, M. (2020) .What are the effects of racism on health and mental health?Retrieved from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/effects-of-racism

American Republic Association. (2015). The Impact of Racism on the Health and Well-Being of the Nation Retrieved from  https://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/webinars/racism-and-health

Young Minds. (n/d). Racism and mental healthRetrieved from https://youngminds.org.uk/find-help/looking-after-yourself/racism-and-mental-health/ 

"How Racism Looks Around the World" #Soc119: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zw-dNdfd6Ik

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Racism Around The World: How Bad It Is?

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Education for Indigenous People: Were there any opportunities?

Indigenous peoples have limited access to education and lower educational quality than other communities. Their education often does not incorporate curricula and teaching methods that recognize their communities' histories, cultures, pedagogies, traditional languages and traditional knowledge.

UNESCO is committed to promoting lifelong learning for indigenous peoples and ensuring their complete participation in education, based on the current UNESCO Policy on Engaging with Indigenous Peoples. UNESCO promotes indigenous peoples' education, for example, by commemorating the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.

UNESCO works with its Member States and partners to ensure that indigenous peoples' right to education is recognized, secured, and fulfilled. This involves ensuring equal access to lifelong learning, as well as the consistency and significance of teaching and learning for all communities, including indigenous peoples. UNESCO calls on countries to eliminate obstacles to indigenous peoples' presence, involvement, and achievement in education through an inclusive approach.

                       (A photo of indigenous people in the Philippines)

References:

Consentino, G. (2016). Indigenous peoples have a right to quality education. But so far, we’ve failed them. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/08/indigenous-people-have-a-right-to-quality-education-but-so-far-we-ve-failed-them/ 

Understanding Indigenous People in the Philippines. (2018). Retrieved from https://aapi-up.tumblr.com/post/181066743410/understanding-indigenous-people-in-the-philippines

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Education For Indigenous People: Were There Any Opportunities

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You can check out these videos to learn more about the education of indigenous people in the Philippines.

References:

Fulfilling Dreams of an Education for Indigenous People in the Philippines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Y6NVlY1oM

🇵🇭 Indigenous Filipino encourages empowerment through education | Al Jazeera English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnhXmt5RBTU

PAMULAAN - An Indigenous University: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hr8FipuFkWM

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Calamity Privilege of Political Individuals: Is it True?

With the continuous rising of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases, things are still worse at Manila despite having the pandemic for a year by now.  

Although unlike these days, a lot of things happened involving the politicians of the Philippines from the previous first three months of the COVID-19. It is widely known in the public that the Philippines lacks sources of swab test, and a call for mass testing was prominent at that time. But according to the whistle blower from the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) who revealed the data by that time, Supreme Court justices, police chiefs and their wives, and at least 12 public and politicians were tested despite being “Asymptomatic”. It was also revealed on the list provided by the whistle-blower by the said health department, the politicians that went under VIP treatment is the former first lady Imelda Marcos and her daughter who is a senator, Imee Marcos. 

The issue that have gone circulating in the media sparked raging feedbacks from the netizens of the Philippines as the test used by the asymptomatic officials could have been provided for the call of mass testing, which prioritizes mostly the healthcare workers and those people who had close contact or exposure to other people with confirmed cases.

References:

     Robles, A. (2020). Coronavirus: in Philippines, leak shows politicians and relatives received ‘VIP’ testing. Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/politics/article/3076788/coronavirus-philippines-leak-shows-politicians-and-relatives

    World Health Organization. (2020). Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Situation Report 29 Philippines. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/countries/philippines/emergencies/covid-19/who-phl-sitrep-29-covid-19-8may2020.pdf?sfvrsn=fc4d18f1_2

    De La Cruz, C. (2020). Why “Mass Testing” Doesn’t Mean What you Might Think. Retrieved from https://www.spot.ph/newsfeatures/the-latest-news-features/82252/mass-testing-during-covid-19-pandemic-a833-20200522-lfrm?fbclid=IwAR2Jl1e5mLkdww9-WY5qLTk5uFWD1AzrX_qYAkSIfeeeVCx0fVeQmYKeMhg

    CNN Philippine Staff (September 2020). Lawmaker exposes 'anomalous' PhilHealth scheme on reimbursement of paid COVID-19 tests. Retrieved from:  https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/9/10/PhilHealth-COVID-19-test-package.html 

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Calamity Privilege Of Political Individuals: Is It True?

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Socioeconomic Status Ranking System in the Society

The social pyramid in the society is quite common around the world which refers to the societal stratification of the low class, middle class, and the high class.

In the Philippines, the border between the classes are visible with the naked eye. These status comes from the factors which includes the income of the family, for example is the job between a jeepney driver and a corporate lawyer, there is an undeniable distance between the two parties. These jobs easily distinguishes your stand in the society just by actually hearing or knowing your job description. In addition to these factors is the educational attainment since education is not free at all, the power and the race where you belong. The lower classes, experiences fewer resources since there is a limited opportunity for those who are unfortunate, and also the slow progression of their lives. The ranking in the society is a big issue in the Philippines because the poor suffers and works the hardest yet, them who are not privilege enough endures the hardships the most. While those who are lucky enough to stand on top of the pyramid experiences the life everybody wanted. The ranking system, become the label which is considered normal the more opportunities and juncture the rich have, the lesser the poor receives, most of the time it’s almost nothing. The societal ranking declines the screams of the low classes and inequality arises.

Socioeconomic status is a social standing of an individual or group of people that are measured by their education, income and occupations. This are often seeing as the access of power and resources of an individual or group. This is the system is used to distinguish types of people on a group to the upper or lower class. 

There are two types of system stratification, open and closed. The closed system, do not allow people to who are in different class or rank to shift and have relationship with one another. While, open system allows interaction between people with same or opposite rank. There are few common systems in our society, the caste system, class system and meritocracy. The Caste System is type of closed system; the people who are born in their class will be remained in the same class for their lives. However, the Class System is a type of open system that allows people in different class to be part of upper or lower class. While the Meritocracy focuses on that social standing of a people or group are pure based on their merits or advantages in the society.

References: 

Lumen( n.d.). Introduction to Sociology What is Social Stratification?. Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/cochise-sociology-os/chapter/what-is-social- stratification/#:~:text=Sociologists%20use%20the%20term%20social,race%2C%20education%2C%20and %20power

American Psychological Association(n.d.). Socioeconomic status. Retrieved from: https://www.apa.org/topics/socioeconomic-status.

The Impacts of Social Class: Crash Course Sociology #25: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0a21mndoORE

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Socioeconomic Status Ranking System In The Society