Understanding

Culture, Society,
and Politics
 Concept,

esson 3
Characteristics, and
Forms of
Stratification
Systems Using
Sociological
 Lesson
Examine the concepts,
characteristics, and
forms of stratification

Objective:
systems using
sociological
perspectives.
•What is the study of
Sociology?
• is a social science that uses various
methods of empirical investigation
and critical analysis to develop a
body of knowledge about human
social actions, social structure
and functions.
 Education
• The term education is derived from the
Latin word “Educatum” which means to
train or to simplify it further.
• The other Latin words which are
supposed to be the root words
“educare” and Educere” also mean to
bring up, to lead out or to develop.
• Education, therefore, does not mean
simply communication of knowledge or
information by the teacher to students,
but it is a process which draws out
from within a person his/her innate
tendencies, capacities and inherent
powers and develops them to the full.
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
 The Concept of Social Stratification

• The term stratification is

derived from the geological
concept of “Strata” which
means “rock layers” created by
natural processes.
SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

• Refers to society’s
categorization of the
people in the rankings
of socioeconomic tiers
based on factors like
wealth, income, race,
education, and power.
 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
The status of the people is
determined by social strata.
Wealth and
This income
can include: Gender

Social Class Political Status

Ethnicity Religion
SOCIAL CLASS

Upper Class
Has high personal
income, like CEO,
investors, high
successful
professionals, those
with inherited wealth,
and economic
influence.

Middle Class
Is also called as the
rising class includes
the small
businessman,
teachers,
merchants, traders
with modest
income
 SOCIAL CLASS

Upper Class
-has high personal
income, like CEOs,
Middle Class
so called as the
investors, highly
successful
g class includes
the small
usinessman,
teachers,
chants, traders

professionals, those
with modest
income

with inherited
wealth, and
ss
w
ittle
and
They

economic influence.
o buy
eds.
 SOCIAL CLASS

Middle Class
-is also called as
the “rising class”
includes the small
businessman,
teachers,
merchants,
ower Class
arn with low
mes with little
o savings and
traders with
modest income
mployed. They
ncapable to buy
r basic needs.
 SOCIAL CLASS
Lower Class
earn with low
incomes with
little or no
ass
as the
cludes
ll
an,

savings and
chants,
modest

unemployed.
They are
incapable to
buy their basic
needs.
SOCIAL MOBILITY

-it refers to the

movement of one
individual or
group from one
social class to
another
 CLASSIFICATION OF
STRATIFICATION SYSTEM

Closed Open
System System
 CLOSED SYSTEM OPEN SYSTEM

Have no chance of
Have chance of moving
moving either up or
either up or down in
down in social
social stratification
stratification
Allows little social Allows more social
mobility mobility

Achieved status
Ascribed status
(social position-based individuals'
(social position inherits at birth) achievement, efforts or awards)
Closed Systems
• CASTE SYSTEM -is a
system of inherited
inequality. It
assumes that each
person is pre-
ordained a place
and occupation in
society at birth.
• Example: India’s
Caste System
 How was the French Society
unequal?
Closed Systems First Estate
It consisted of the Roman
Catholic Clergy
• ESTATES –mostly in CLERGY
the European
society in the Second Estate It consisted of the Nobles about
2% of the population & owned
Medieval Period as NOBILITY 20% of the land
a category in a
feudal system. In 1) Wealthy merchants and
Third Estate skilled workers
which men are (Commoners) 2) Poorly paid servants like
assigned their 1) Bourgeoisie
cooks and attendants, etc..
3) 80% of the population were
strata according to farmers
2) City Workers
birth, military,
They were farmers, had few
strength, and 3) Peasants rights, and paid half of their
landholdings income on their taxes.
Open Systems

• CLASS SYSTEM –
combined ascribed
status and a
personal
achievement in a
way that allows
social mobility.
 According to Pitirim Sorokin in his rule in social and
cultural mobility, he emphasizes that there is no
society that is completely open and no society that is
completely closed

SOCIAL MOBILITY
-provides people benefits
because they are
motivated by different
factors in society to aim
for better standard way of
living.
ypes of Social Mobility

H O R I Z O N T A L Mobility
-it is a change in religious, territorial,
political, or occupational shift with no
change in vertical position

Example: when a person changes

occupation, but overall social standing
remains unchanged
ypes of Social Mobility

V E R T I C A L Mobility
-it is a change in the occupational,
political , or religious status that causes
change in societal position

It can be ascending or descending

ypes of Social Mobility

U P WA R D Mobility

-moves from a
lower position to
a higher position.
ypes of Social Mobility

D O W N W A R D Mobility

-moves from a higher

position to a lower
position.
ypes of Social Mobility
Intra-
G E N E R A T I O N A L
Mobility
-is the change in the societal position that occurs
during the lifespan of a single generation.

Inter-
G E N E R A T I O N A L
Mobility
-when social position changes from one position to
another and the change can be upward or downward
Factors that affect social
mobility

Land
Ownership
Education

Political Achievements
Dynasty
Theoretical Perspective on Social Stratification

FUNCTIONALISM

-where stratification
is necessary to
induce people with
special intelligence,
knowledge, and skills
to enter the most
important
-the greater the functional importance
occupations. of social role, the greater must be the
reward. (Davis-Moore)
Theoretical Perspective on Social Stratification
CONFLICT
THEORY

-where stratification
results from lack of
opportunity and form
discrimination and
prejudice against the
poor, women, and
people of color.
Theoretical Perspective on Social Stratification

SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

-where stratification
affects people’s
beliefs, lifestyles,
daily interactions,
and conceptions of
themselves.
 SOCIAL STRATIFICATION
-is therefore a classification whereby
people are ranked and evaluated
based on wealth, authority, influence,
and status.
-it is not just about the individual
inequalities but the systematic
inequalities based on group
membership and classes.
Characteristics of SOCIAL
STRATIFICATION
-it is social
-It is ancient
-it is universal
-diverse in forms and
consequential
OPEN SYSTEM CLOSED SYSTEM

Class System Caste System

Estate System
 SOCIAL
MOBILITY

Horizontal Intra-generational

Vertical Inter-generational

Upward

Downward
Theories of Stratification

Functionalism

Conflict

Symbolic Interactionism
 HAVE A
GOOD DAY!