Social inequality is the state of unequal distribution of valued goods and opportunities.

All
societies today have social inequality. Examining social stratification requires a macro
sociological perspective in order to view social systems that make inequalities visible, although
individuals may support or fight inequalities, social stratification is created and supported by
society as a whole through values and norms and consistently durable systems of stratification.

The Meaning of Social Inequality

Social inequality is the difference in the distribution of social desirables such as wealth, power,
and prestige.

 It also refers to the unequal opportunities of individuals based on their social class or
status.

 This explanation is mostly inspired by Karl Marx’s analysis the rise of industrialization.

Social inequality results from a society organized by hierarchies of class, race, and gender that
unequally distributes access to resources and rights. It can manifest in a variety of ways, like
income and wealth inequality, unequal access to education and cultural resources, and
differential treatment by the police and judicial system, among others. Social inequality goes
hand in hand with social stratification.

Social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for
different social positions or statuses within a group or society. It contains structured and
recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities, rewards, and
punishments.

The following are some of the social inequalities and the programs that the government is
undertaking to address these inequalities.

1. Inequality in the access to social, political, and symbolic capital

For us to understand well these inequalities, we have to define first these concepts: Social
Capital is the ability of a collective to act together to pursue a common goal. It refers to the
connection of individuals within the society. An example of this is your social status. Rich people
have preferential treatment than that of poor people.

Political Capital refers to the trust, good will, and influence possessed by a political actor, such
as politician, to mobilize support toward a preferred policy outcome. Example is that, governor
will be given a preferential treatment over those with lower have no civic equality. Moreover,
political actors coming from political families had given preferential treatment to enter politics
than those who are not.
Symbolic Capital refers to the resources that one possesses which is a function of honor,
prestige or recognition, or any other traits that one values within a culture. Like also in many
other circumstances, rich people had greater opportunities to enter into politics or in any other
aspects because of their level in the society.

Government Programs Addressing these Inequalities are:

 Conditional Cash Transfer program locally known as Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program,
or 4Ps, is a government program that provides conditional cash grants to the poorest of
the poor in the Philippines. Households receive cash grants if children stay in school and
get regular health check-ups, have their growth monitored, and receive vaccines.
Pregnant women must get prenatal care, with their births attended to by professional
health workers. Parents or guardians are required to participate in monthly community-
based Family Development Sessions to learn about positive child discipline, disaster
preparedness, and women’s rights.

 Agrarian reform in the Philippines seeks to solve the centuriesold problem of

landlessness in rural areas. Through the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program
(CARP) initiated in 1987, the government addressed key national goals: the promotion of
equity and social justice, food security and poverty alleviation in the countryside. After
over 14 years of the CARP, however, the program is yet to be completed and is currently
burdened with major issues - from opposition by landlords and lack of support from
legislators, to wide gaps in fund resources.

 SK Reform Act of 2015 has the provisions that prohibits political dynasty. It prohibits any
person to run in any Sanggunian Kabataan Office either elected or appointed if it has a
relative up to second degree in the barangay level to governorship.

 The Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act is a law that institutionalizes free
tuition and exemption from other fees in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local
universities and colleges (LUCs) in the Philippines. The law also foresees subsidies also
for private higher education institutions. It is intended to give underprivileged Filipino
students a chance to earn a college degree. The law allows financially-able students to
avail of the free higher education provision but also contribute a specific amount to the
higher education institution (HEI). SUCs, LUCs, and TVET providers are required to create
a proper system so students can make voluntary contributions for their education.

2. Minority groups are groups composed of less-dominant classifications in society that

experience disproportionately lower opportunities than their dominant counterparts.
Below are some relevant issues involving minority groups:

1. Gender Inequality

 In some countries women are paid relatively lower than men due to their sexuality and
biological differences.

 The LGBT community has always been treated indifferently and discriminatively because
they do not fall within a biologically defined gender group.

Programs:

The Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development (PPGD) rests on a vision of

development that is equitable , sustainable, free from violence, respectful of human rights,
supportive of self-determination and the actualization of human potentials, and participatory
and empowering . It places people at the center and aims to make development work for all
groups. However, it recognizes that discrimination exists on the basis of gender, class and
ethnicity. In the light of historical gender inequalities and inequities, it puts greater emphasis on
women as a disadvantaged group. It is in here where gender and development was anchored
into.

The Magna Carta of Women (MCW) is a comprehensive women’s human rights law that seeks
to eliminate discrimination through the recognition, protection, fulfillment, and promotion of
the rights of Filipino women, especially those belonging in the marginalized sectors of the
society. It conveys a framework of rights for women based directly on international law. It
salient features are:

 Increasing the number of women in third level positions in government to achieve a

fifty-fifty (50-50) gender balance within the next five years while the composition of
women in all levels of development planning and program implementation will be at
least 40 percent;

 Leave benefits of two (2) months with full pay based on gross monthly compensation for
women employees who undergo surgery caused by gynecological disorders, provided
that they have rendered continuous aggregate employment service of at least six (6)
months for the last twelve (12) months;

 Non-discrimination in employment in the field of military, police and other similar

services that include according the same promotional privileges and opportunities as
 their men counterpart, including pay increases, additional benefits, and awards, based
on competency and quality of performance.

 Provision for equal access and elimination of discrimination in education, scholarships,

and training. Thus, “expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting enrollment, and other
related discrimination of women students and faculty due to pregnancy out of marriage
shall be outlawed.

 Non-discriminatory and non-derogatory portrayal of women in media and film to

raise the consciousness of the general public in recognizing the dignity of women
and the role and contribution of women in family, community, and the society
through the strategic use of mass media;
 Equal status given to men and women on the titling of the land and issuance of
stewardship contracts and patents.
 Ethnic Minorities

 Because some minorities live traditionalistic lives far away from the city and technology,
and some may appear differently than usual, they have been consistently labeled and
treated as people with minimal knowledge and capabilities.

 Lack of resources easily available for many are not utilized within their group, and thus
receive negative attention from the dominant public.

 Programs:

 Republic Act 8371, known as the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), was enacted in
1997. It has been praised for its support for the cultural integrity of indigenous peoples,
the right to their lands and the right to self-directed development of these lands. Under
the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA), self-delineation shall be the guiding
principle in identifying and delineating ancestral domains. As such, indigenous cultural
communities (ICC) and indigenous people (IP) shall have a decisive role in all activities
pertinent thereto.

 3. Other Minorities

 This may include people with disabilities or people with religions that are less prevalent
in society.

 These minorities experience discrimination in work, especially when the disabled have
physical limitations, while the religious have practices and beliefs that are greatly
disagreed upon by the majority.


 Programs:

 Republic Act No. 9442, an Act Amending Republic Act No. 7277, Otherwise known as the
Magna Carta for Disabled Persons, and For Other Purposes’ Granting Additional
Privileges and Incentives and Prohibitions on Verbal, Non-verbal Ridicule and Vilification
Against Persons with Disability. Its objective is to provide persons with disability, the
opportunity to participate fully into the mainstream of society by granting them at least
twenty percent (20%) discount in all basic services. It is a declared policy of RA 7277 that
persons with disability are part of Philippine society, and thus the State shall give full
support to the improvement of their total well-being and their integration into the
mainstream of society. They have the same rights as other people to take their proper
place in society. They should be able to live freely and as independently as possible. This
must be the concern of everyone the family, community and all government and non-
government organizations. Rights of persons with disability must never be perceived as
welfare services. Prohibitions on verbal, non-verbal ridicule and vilification against
persons with disability shall always be observed at all times.

 Department of Education has adopted the policy to provide special protection to

children who are gravely threatened or endangered by circumstances which affect their
normal development and over which they have no control, and to assist the concerned
agencies in their rehabilitation. Furthermore, the Department aims to ensure such
special protection from all forms of abuse and exploitation and care as is necessary for
the child’s well-being, taking into account the primary rights and duties of parents, legal
guardians, or other individuals who are legally responsible and exercise custody over the
child. DepEd recognizes the participatory rights of the child in the formulation and
implementation of policies, and in all proceedings affecting them, whether they be
victims or aggressors, either directly, or through a representative.

 Enactment of Anti-Bullying Law which mandates directed all elementary and secondary
schools to adopt policies to address the existence of bullying in their respective
institutions.

Analyzing Social Inequalities

The existence of minority groups in functionalist and conflict societies are also
embedded in each type of society’s principles.

 In a functionalist society, minorities also play social roles that contribute to social
balance and equilibrium. However, these roles are bound by limitations and social
norms.
 In conflict societies, minority groups are seen as lower-class individuals that will not be
able to keep up with the consistent competition occurring within the environment.

 In both societies, discrimination against minorities is possible. Inequality among minority

groups is greatly driven by global inequalities significantly coming from the influence of
richer, more influential countries.

Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to
strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognize that eradicating poverty in
all its forms and dimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge
and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development. All countries and all
stakeholders, acting in collaborative partnership, will implement this plan. We are
resolved to free the human race from the tyranny of poverty and want and to heal and
secure our planet. We are determined to take the bold and transformative steps which
are urgently needed to shift the world onto a sustainable and resilient path. As we
embark on this collective journey, we pledge that no one will be left behind. The 17
Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which we are announcing today
demonstrate the scale and ambition of this new universal Agenda. They seek to build on
the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek
to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment
of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three
dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.

The Goals and targets will stimulate action over the next fifteen years in areas of critical
importance for humanity and the planet:

a) People. We are determined to end poverty and hunger, in all their forms and
dimensions, and to ensure that all human beings can fulfil their potential in dignity and
equality and in a healthy environment.

b) Planet. We are determined to protect the planet from degradation, including through
sustainable consumption and production, sustainably managing its natural resources
and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the
present and future generations.
 c) Prosperity. We are determined to ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous
and fulfilling lives and that economic, social and technological progress occurs in
harmony with nature.

d) Peace. We are determined to foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies which are
free from fear and violence. There can be no sustainable development without peace
and no peace without sustainable development.

e) Partnership. We are determined to mobilize the means required to implement this

Agenda through a revitalized Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, based on
a spirit of strengthened global solidarity, focused in particular on the needs of the
poorest and most vulnerable and with the participation of all countries, all stakeholders
and all people.

The interlinkages and integrated nature of the Sustainable Development Goals are of
crucial importance in ensuring that the purpose of the new Agenda is realized. If we
realize our ambitions across the full extent of the Agenda, the lives of all will be
profoundly improved and our world will be transformed for the better.

Sustainable Development Goals

 Goal 1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

 Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote
sustainable agriculture

 Goal 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

 Goal 4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning
opportunities for all

 Goal 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

 Goal 6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

 Goal 7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.

 Goal 8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and
productive employment and decent work for all.

 Goal 9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization

and foster innovation.
 Goal 10. Reduce inequality within and among countries.

 Goal 11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.

 Goal 12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.

 Goal 13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts*

 Goal 14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for
sustainable development.

 Goal 15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land
degradation and halt biodiversity loss.

 Goal 16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide
access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all
levels.

 Goal 17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the global partnership
for sustainable development.

Acknowledging that the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is the
primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to
climate change.

As inspired by Karl Marx’s analysis in the rise of industrialization, he defined social

inequality as the difference in the distribution of social desirables such as wealth, power,
and prestige. It also refers to the unequal opportunities of individuals based on their
social status.

Social Inequality includes:

1. Access to social, political, and symbolic capital

 Political inequality

 The distance between masses and the decision makers, the more layers of authority and
the decision, the greater the political inequality.

 Symbolic Capital
 Refers to the resources available to a group or individual on the basis of honor, prestige,
recognition, and serves as the value that holds within a culture.

2. Gender Inequality

 In some countries, women are paid relatively lower than men due to their sexuality and
biological differences.

 The LGBT community has always been treated indifferently and discriminatively because
they do not fall within a biologically gender group.

3. Ethnic Minorities

 Because some minorities live traditionalistic lives far away from the city and technology,
and some may appear differently than usual, they have been consistently labeled and
treated as people with minimal knowledge and capabilities.

4. Other Minorities

 This may include people with disabilities or people with religions that are less prevalent
in society.

 Persons with Disability (PWD) are those who have long-term physical, mental,
intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may
hinder their full effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.

5. Global inequality

 Relationship between states and non-state actors in the global community

 Actors are entities that participate in or promote international relations.

Two types of actors involved in international relations:

 State actor is the institution implementing the functions of the government.

 Non-State actor is an individual or organization that has powerful economic, political,

and social power
  As powerful individuals or groups, the non-state actor has the capability to influence
decision-making in any national, or even international, concern. The state recognizes the
value of non-state actors in the achievement and implementation of goals in the
national and global community.

 Global Stratification is a relevant concept involved in global inequality. It is the unequal

distribution of social gaps across nations that are usually seen on the ratio between
number of deaths versus number of live births per capita as well as life expectancy.

Addressing Global Inequalities

Because global inequalities are at the macro-level, it is also emphasized that they are focused
on the same way.

Below are methods by which global inequalities may be addressed:

 Ownership of properties and inclusiveness of the lower class.

 Inclusive partnership across nations that focus on technological advancements and

innovations.

 Revise taxation plans, ensuring lower taxes for poorer people.

 Monitoring and stopping labor abuse through higher wages, less work hours, bonuses,
health benefits, and non-contractualization.

6. International inequality
  Refers to the idea of inequality between countries. This can be compared to global
inequality between people across countries.

 This may refer to economic as well as medical care and education differences between
countries

Analyzing Social Inequalities

The existence of minority groups in functionalist and conflict societies are also embedded in
each type of society’s principles.

 In a functionalist society, minorities also play social roles that contribute to social
balance and equilibrium. However, these roles are bound by limitations and social
norms.

 In conflict societies, minority groups are seen as lower-class individuals that will not be
able to keep up with the consistent competition occurring within the environment.

 In both societies, discrimination against minorities is possible. Inequality among minority

groups is greatly driven by global inequalities significantly coming from the influence of
richer, more influential countries.

A change or the process of change by which an organism or species becomes better suited to its
environment is called adaptation. This also refers to the action or process of adapting or being
adapted or the process of changing to suit different conditions. Adaptations enhance the fitness
and survival of everyone. Adaptation is not always easy and not something simple. An individual
or organism must be physically fit and viable at all stages of its development evolution to be
able to survive. All of organisms or even human should possess adaptation traits and these may
be:

A) Structural adaptations are physical features of an organism such as shape, body covering,
armament; and even the internal organization (e.g. a penguin has blubbered to protect itself
from freezing temperatures).

B) Behavioral adaptations are composed of inherited behavior chains and/or the ability to learn
(e.g. bears hibernate in winter to escape the cold temperature and preserve energy).

C) Physiological adaptations permit the organism to perform special functions like venom (in the
snakes and the like), secreting slime, phototropism; and more general functions such as growth
and development, temperature regulation and ionic balance. This means that adaptation is
making adjustments to decisions and activities in order to manage risks and capture potential
opportunities brought about by any changes in the environment such as global warming and
climate change.
Humans like any other organisms and animals try to act more cautious if changes in their
environment are perceived to have a dangerous impact on their welfare. They may try to work
on new ways to meet own goals more effectively. This action is called behavioral adaptation, risk
compensation or risk homeostasis, or rebound effect. Behavioral adaptation is defined as the
things organisms do to survive. Unlike other adaptations, these are not always heritable but are
learned. An example of this is the difference between populations of animals that live in the
wild and those that live among humans. Wild birds tend to be scared of people, but birds that
live in urban areas are often less fearful of people and they even see people as source of food.

The ability of humans to be able to rapidly adapt to varying environment conditions and
changes has made it possible for them to survive in any regions or places anywhere in the
world. They can normally adapt to environment changes in several ways such as:

A) Genetic change is an inherited or acquired modification in organisms that makes them better
suited to survive and a particular environment. For instance, people whose ancestors have lived
in areas that had endemic, malaria for thousands of years often inherit some degree of
immunity to this serious disease.

B) Developmental adjustments. One of the more powerful types of adjustments to

environmental stresses is a change in growth patterns and development. This occurs in
childhood and typically results in anatomical and/or physiological changes that are mostly
irreversible in adulthood. An example of the latter was the now illegal custom in China of tightly
wrapping or binding the feet of young girls with cloth in order to hinder normal growth. While
this caused permanent, crippling deformities of the foot bones, it also resulted in extremely tiny
feet which were considered to be very attractive. Parents crippled their daughters with good
intentions. Small feet would make them more attractive marriage partners for rich important
men and save them from a life of drudgery.

C) Acclimatization and cultural practices. All other forms of adjustment to environmental

stresses are usually reversible whether they occur in childhood or adulthood. These reversible
changes are referred to as acclimatization or acclimatory adjustment. It is useful to consider the
different forms of acclimatization in terms of the length of time over which they can occur. An
example of a long term acclimatization is people who lose excess body fat and are very slender
as a result of mild, long- term undernourishment. If they later increase their diet to a consistent
level of excessive calories, they will very likely retain more body fat and eventually become
obese.

D) Use of technology. Humans do not only interact with their environments biologically. People
invented technological aids that allowed us to occupy new environments without having to first
evolve biological adaptations to them. Houses, clothing, and fire permitted us to live in
temperate and, ultimately, arctic regions despite the fact we still essentially have the bodies of
tropical animals. Human made technology eliminates the biological adaptive advantages of
particular individuals or groups. People who have thicker layers of fat insulation under their skin
still usually survive better in cold climates, while people who are slender do better in hot ones.

Adaptation to Global Warming and Climate Change

Adaptation to global warming and climate change will be needed, but it will not be as simple as
it seems to be. Global warming is still unsolved issue. There are different programs
implemented to avoid global warming and climate change. These actions seek to lessen the
vulnerability of all social and biological systems to the current and immediate issue of climate
change. But, in reality is, even if emissions are stabilized relatively soon, global warming and its
effects will definitely still last many years from now. And as human population will increase in
number and more people are living in highly arranged societies, there is a greater impact of
global warming, the more difficult adaptation will be.

Adaptation councils or committees have been formed to oversee the various way people can
adapt to the changing environment in some countries. Each councils and committees have
duties to ensure that private parties should be responsible for managing risks to private assets
and incomes, while government entities, on behalf of the community should be responsible
primarily for managing risks to public schools and assets including the natural environment and
to government service delivery, and for creating an institutional, market and regulatory
environment that support and promotes private adaptation.

Mitigation is another term for adaptation to climate change which is defined as technological
change and substitution that reduces resource inputs and emissions per unit of output. Several
ways of mitigation include the following:

A) Using efficient energy generation technology.

B) Using more efficient energy end user technology.

C) Replacing fossil fuels with none or low carbon emitting energy generating technology such as
renewable energy sources or nuclear energy.

D) Adopting a more sustainable natural resource management.

E) Harvesting or extraction technologies and practice.

Adaptation is a broader one than mitigation because adaptation requires a good understanding
of the natural environment and the ongoing effects of climate change within and needs a
thorough earth and environment observation.

Transnational Migration and Overseas Filipino Workers

People on earth are also facing adaptation challenges borne by the need for mobility. Life has
been moving so fast and people as well as changing residences as rapidly.

The process of geographic mobility or the change of residence of a person from one community
to another with the intention of settling temporarily or permanently is migration. The
movement is often over long distances and from one country to another, or it can be within the
immediate community. Migration can also be done by individuals, family units or in larger
groups. There are three types of mobility or migration namely:

A) International Migration is the permanent transfer of residence from one country to another.
It is the change of residence over national boundaries. An international migrant is someone who
moves to a different country. International migrants can be further classified as legal
immigrants, illegal immigrants and refugee. Legal immigrants are those who moved with the
legal permission of the receiver nation. Illegal immigrants are those who moved without legal
permission, and refugees are those crossed an international boundary to escape persecution.

B) Internal Migration is a change in residence within a country and refers to a change of

residence within national boundaries, such as between states, provinces, cities, or
municipalities. An internal migrant is someone who moves to a different administrative
territory.

C) Circulation Migration is a temporary movement of a person. The change in residence is

temporary due to work or study, but the migrant will definitely return in his home community.

Migration is not a one-way street. There are reasons why people transfer from one residence to
another because they just want to. Sometimes, people relocate to other places or countries in
the hope of finding a greener pasture. Some move from an insecure land to a securer region or
from places without employment opportunities to areas which are hoped to offer better
economic, political, cultural, and social prospects. Some people move to places even if they do
not want t, given the chance, but because they need to.
A new form of migration is termed as transnational migration. These are the people who having
migrated from one nation-state to another live their lives across borders, participating
simultaneously in social relations that embed them in more than one nation-state are called
transnational migrants. Not all migrants can be considered as transnational migrants, and not all
who take part in transnational practices do so all the time. Most migrants are occasional
transnational activists. They more focused on their countries of origin while at others they are
more involved in their countries of reception.

Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) is a person of Filipino origin who works and lives outside the
country. This term applies to Filipinos who are abroad indefinitely as citizens or as permanent
residents of a different country and to those Filipino citizens who are abroad for a limited,
definite period as workers or as students.

What are the effects on family of migrants? Work migration is increasing globally. Children of
migrant workers have grown up not knowing both of their parents and have experienced long
term absence of parents which is the reason why there is very little affection between them.
Many family relationships are broken as one parent emigrates which causes a larger proportion
of children growing up with divorced or separated parents.

Some families experiencing these effects on family of migrants want to avoid getting into this
situation; some Filipinos do not have much choice because of very limited job opportunities in
the country. Filipinos believe that they and their family will have a bigger chance of having a
better future if they work abroad. To keep in touch with their family, OFW can use video chat,
Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, and the like to keep in touch with their family.

How much have you learned- (quizzes, activities)

A. This activity will help you recall the previous lesson easily. Write your answer on a separate
sheet of paper.

1. Write inside the circles the different ways on how to eliminate social inequality.

2. Write a short description below the semantic web how you can help improve our society