Types of Social

Stratification and their

Characteristics
 Social Stratification
It is a system whereby people rank and evaluate each
other as superior or inferior and, on the basis of such
evaluation, unequally reward one another with
wealth, authority, power, and prestige. One result of
each differentiation is the creation of a number of
levels within the society. (Hebding & Glick, 1992
 Social Stratification
It is 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 (Sorokin, 1927).
 Social Differentiation
refers to how people can be distinguished from one
another. People in a group may differ in skin color,
hair color, race, mental and physical ability, and the
like.
Indicators of Social
Stratification
 TYPES OF STATUS
Ascribed statuses are assigned or given by the society or
group on the basis of some fixed category, without regard to a
person’s abilities or performance.

Achieved statuses are earned by the individual because of his

or her talent, skills, occupation and perseverance.
According to Max Weber, most societies would favor those with power,
prestige, status, wealth or class. According to Weber’s Component
Theory on Social Stratification, these three would determine a person’s
standing in his/her community:

1. Power refers to the ability to influence other people. It is getting what

they want despite the unwillingness of others to give in to their desires.

2. Prestige refers to the person’s position in the society. This refers to

having a certain status that enables someone to have resources or
opportunities.

3. Wealth refers to the amount of resources that a person has (Arcinas,

2016)
As mentioned by Ariola (2012) in his book, one may be viewed as
belonging to the upper social strata or lower social strata depending on
the following dimensions:

1. Sources of Income. There are different sources of income. These are

the inherited wealth, earned wealth, profits, professional fees, salaries,
wages, private relief, among others.

2. Occupation. What people do for a living determines, to a large extent,

the social position of the person. Occupation may be classified into
professionals, non-professionals (clerks, drivers, etc) proprietors of small
business, skilled workers, semi skilled workers, and unskilled workers.
3. Education. Educational attainment of a person may be categorized as
masteral or doctoral degree holder, college graduate, high school
graduate, elementary school drop-out, among others.

4. Types of house dwellings. Dwellings can be categorized as permanent

house (concrete and excellent in appearance), semi-permanent house
(semi-concrete and very good in appearance and construction),
temporary house (wood and fair in appearance and construction), and
poorly constructed house (houses found in squatter areas, or those
considered below-the-bridge houses).
5. Location of residence. Power, prestige and wealth are also attached to
the location of residence. There is disparity of social status when one
residence is located in Forbes Park, White Plains, squatter area,
mountainous-rugged area, in subdivision and non-subdivision area.

6. Kinship or family. In the Philippines, when a person belongs to the

Ayala’s, Soriano’s, Zobel’s, Villar’s, that person is regarded as belonging
to the upper class (rich) status.
there are three (3) known types of social stratification:
open systems, closed systems and ethnic systems ( Ariola,
2012).

a. Open System- It encourages people to strive and

achieve something. People belonging to one social class have
similar opportunities, similar lifestyles, attitudes, behavior and possibly
similar socio-economic positions.
It is based on achievement, allow movement and interaction between
layers and classes. One person can move up or down to class through
intermarriages, opportunities, or achievement.
People have equal chance to succeed. Whether people do something to
improve their lives or not this greatly depends on them.
Categories of Open System

1. Upper Class – The people in this class have great wealth and sources
of income.

They constitute the elite wealthy group in the society. They have high
reputation in terms of power and prestige.

They live in exclusive residential area, belong to exclusive private clubs,

and may have strong political influence in the system of government.

They own several cars and properties and their children may study
in exclusive schools.
2. Middle Class – The people in this class may belong to the upper-
middle class which is often made up of highly educated business and
professional people with high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers,
stockbrokers, and CEOs. people belonging to the upper-middle class
often have college education, live in comfortable homes, own
properties, have some money savings, and active in community
activities.

lower-middle class often made up of people with lower incomes, such

as managers, small business owners, teachers, and secretaries. People in
the lower-middle class have not achieved the same lifestyle of the upper
–middle class but somehow have modest income and live in simple life.
3. Lower Class –The lower class is typified by poverty, homelessness, and
unemployment. The people in this class belong to the bottom of socio-
economic ladder.
upper-lower class, people are considered as the working class or laborers.
They have acquired little education, little time to be involved in civic and
community activities. Some of them are underemployed, have many
socio-economic problems, with little or no luxuries at all.

lower-lower class are unemployed, or no source of income except by

begging or dependent from private and government relief. Many
of them live in squatter areas, under the bridge, in street corridors, or with
no house at all. Many of them are liabilities of society because they may
be involved in drug addiction and criminalities.
b. Closed system accommodates little change in social position. They
do not allow people to shift levels and do not permit social relationships
between levels.

1. Caste System – It is regarded as closed stratification system in which

people can do little or nothing to change their social standing. Social contact
is rigid and clearly defined. People are born and die in their caste. Contact
between and among the caste is minimal and governed by a set of rules –
especially
those who belong to the lower degree, as this will tend to bring them down.
2. Estate System – It is somewhat a closed system
in which the person’s social standing is based on
ownership of land, birth, or military strength.
Individuals who were born into one of the estates
remained there throughout life but in extreme
cases there is social mobility, that is people could
change their status. In the middle ages there are
three (3) major estates in Europe – nobility,
clergy, and the peasants.
C. Ethnic System
This type of social stratification is based on national origin, language and
religion. Ethinicity sets segments of society apart and each group has a sense
of identity. People interact more freely with those people belonging to the
same ethnic category.

During the Spanish and American colonial systems in the Philippines, the
colonizers perceived themselves to be occupying the upper social class than
the Filipinos or the natives whom they called as Indios.

Immigrants usually belong to a lower status than the inhabitants. The

Gaddangs, Itawis, Ituweraw, Ilonngots, and other ethnic minority groups are
considered inferior than the others.
Social Stratification
and
Social Mobility
Social mobility refers to the movement
within the social structure, from one social
position to another. It means a change in social
status. All societies provide some opportunity
for social mobility. But the societies differ from
each other to extent in which individuals can
move from one class or status level to another.
 Kinds of Social Mobility

1. Social Mobility refers to the movement upward or downward

among the social positions in any given social stratification.
Vertical mobility refers to the movement of people of groups from one
status to another. It involves change in class, occupation or power. For
example, the movement of people from the poor class to the middle class.
Horizontal mobility is a change in position without the change in status. It
indicates a change in position, within the rage of the status. A change in
status may come about through one’s occupation, marrying into a certain
family and others. For example, an engineer working in a factory may
resign from his job and join another factory.
2. Geographical Mobility is otherwise known as physical mobility. It may be a
voluntary movement of people from one geographical area to another due to change in
residence, communiting from home to office, making
business trips, and voluntary migration from one country to another. It may also a forced
migration which include
forced relocation or residence, eviction, dispossession of unwanted people, and
transportation of slaves.

3. Role Mobility is the individual’s shifting from role to role. Every member of a
society has roles to play. Different situations call for enactment of various roles. For
example, the father is the bread earner of the family but may be a teacher in school, or
the leader at home or a follower in the school or office. A daughter may be submissive at
home but very active and active as a campus student leader. A teacher may have varied
roles such as being a mother, a wife, a guidance counselor, a community leader and
many more (Ariola, 2012).
Theoretical Perspective and Analysis of Social
Stratification