Social Class and

Social
Stratification
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
LEARNING COMPETENCY
•Examine the concept,
characteristics and forms of
stratification systems using
sociological perspective
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
•Examine stratification from the
functionalist and conflict
perspective, and;
•Identify characteristics of the
system of stratification
 Social Stratification
• Differentiation – relating people in terms of certain
social characteristics and then classifying them into
social categories
• E.g. gender, occupation, education, race, etc.
• Social Stratification – refers to the division or
categorization of people into socio-economic strata/
layer, based on

OCCUPATION WEALTH STATUS POWER GENDER RELIGION

SOCIAL CLASS
• SOCIAL CLASS – also called “class”. A group of
people within a society who possess the same
socio-economic status
• Social classes are central to social theory (Karl
Marx), since they affect the formation of states,
politics, and structures of society in general
SOCIAL CLASS U
p
pe
r
Cl
as
s
Middle Class

Lower Class
Social Classes
• UPPER Class – elite, wealthy and prestigious
families; born of high status and prestige; values
heritage and reputation over wealth

ROYAL FAMILIES, OLD FAMILIES, THAT

OWNS HUGE CORPORATIONS, WITH RICH
HERITAGE AND HELD GREAT POLITICAL
POWER
SOCIAL CLASS
•MIDDLE Class – Mostly professional
people like lawyers, doctors,
managers, owners of small business,
executives, etc. Takes pride in
attaining higher education. - Values
education most.
Social Class
•LOWER Class - Office/ clerical workers,
skilled, unskilled craftsmen, farm
employees, underemployed, indigent
families, etc. Depends on paycheck.
• not exactly poor, but they lack power
to attain financial freedom
STATUS
• STATUS – the individual’s position in the social
structure
A. Ascribed status – assigned or given by the
society or group on the basis of some fixed
category
B. Achieved status – earned by the individual
 Prestige and Esteem
• Prestige - refers to the evaluation of status. The
prestige does not apply directly to the person but to
the social category to which that person belongs to.
• E.g lawyers, neurosurgeon
• Esteem – refers to the assessment of our role
behaviour. The regard which one is held depends on
how well he carries out his role. Based on positive
feedbacks.
Social Mobility
• The act of moving from one social status to another in
a system of social hierarchy or stratification

Horizontal Mobility

Teacher Teacher Master

1 III Teacher I
Social Mobility
• The act of moving from one social status to another in
a system of social of social hierarchy or stratification

Vertical Mobility
Upward
Mobility
Downward
Mobility
Systems of Stratification
Closed System Open System
• people are born into their • Individuals can change
social standing and remain in social class within the
it. society
• Limited interaction among
members of different social • Flexible social roles and
groups or occupy different increased social mobility
levels in social hierarchy • Interaction among
• Resistant to change in social different social groups
roles are allowed
Systems of Stratification
• Caste System – people
can do little or nothing
to change their social
standing
• People are assigned
occupation or social
roles regardless of their
talents, interests or
potential
Systems of Stratification
•Class System – individuals can change
social class within the society
• Flexible social roles and increased social
mobility
• Interactions among different social groups
are allowed (not politically and religiously
defined)
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61%
60%

Source: AIM Policy Center synthesis using

data from Virola et. Al. (2013)
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61% Upper Class –
60%
21.7 thousand families
with Php700,000+ in-
come annually
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61% Middle Class –
60%
4.7 million families with
Php57,000+ income an-
nually
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61% Lower Class –
60%
16 million families with
Php16,000+ income an-
nually
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61% Income Poor Only –
60%
2.5 million families with
Php11,000+ income an-
nually
 Filipino Families Classified by Income
Upper
Class 0.1%
Food Poor 7%
Middle Class 21%
Income Poor Only
11%
7% 1%
11% 21% Upper Class
Middle Class
Lower Class
Income Poor Only
Food Poor

Lower Class
61%
60%

Food Poor –
1.55 million families
Theoretical Perspective on Social
Stratification
FUNCTIONALIST
THEORY DAVIS-MOORE THESIS
• Stratification is based on
intrinsic value of social “functional necessity”
activities or roles Social roles/ jobs that have
• Studies the different aspects greater functional purpose
of society and how they should have greater reward
contribute to its stability and in order to motivate
continued function individuals to do them.
Theoretical Perspective on Social
Stratification
CONFLICT THEORY
Bourgeois (capitalists)
• Stratification benefits only some - Upper class; owners of
people, not the entire society huge businesses,
• Stratification causes inequality factories of lands
• Marx believed that social
stratification came from the Proletariat – lower class;
people’s relationship with
production : either they’re manual laborers who work
factory owners or they are in order to produce goods.
workers
Theoretical Perspective on Social
Stratification
SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONISM Theory of Conspicuous
• Micro-level perspective; tries to Consumption
explain how people’s standing in - Tendency of customers to
society affects their day-to-day
interactions using or buying items of
• We tend to socialize with people high quality or greater
of the same group, class or quantity which is not
background. necessary but is used to
• Stratification becomes a system make a social statement
that groups people
Ideology and Stratification
• Conflict theory
emphasizes ideology; FALSE CONSCIOUSNESS
ideas that may justify
status quo. - When the lower class simply
• According to Marx, the accepts their fate without
ruling class shapes and recognizing that they can change
it and increase opportunities for
controls the ideas in a their social groups
society to avoid class
consciousness
Ideology and Stratification
• Conflict theory
emphasizes ideology; CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
(Marx & Engels, 1947)
ideas that may justify
status quo. - Awareness of the lower class of
• According to Marx, the how they are used and
ruling class shapes and oppressed by the upper class and
the true reasons for status quo
controls the ideas in a and other ideas fed onto the
society to avoid class society
consciousness
Ideology and Stratification
• Ideological beliefs CLASS CONSCIOUSNESS
reinforce systems of (Marx & Engels, 1947)
stratification and
domination - Awareness of the lower class of
how they are used and
• E.g. The slaves in U.S.; oppressed by the upper class and
Hitler’s reason for the true reasons for status quo
and other ideas fed onto the
exterminating Jews, society
etc.
THANK
YOU!