Soccult GT5

Social Stratification
-implies the division or classification of members of society into different strata (singular: stratum), promoting the development of hierarchy among social groups

Social Desirables

-are inevitable
-refer to factors that are somewhat accepted or desired in a certain society
-may be associated with social status, popularity, acceptance, or approval
-these factors can be considered as qualities that make individuals appear socially desirable in the community – there are three most desired qualities in every society: wealth, power, and prestige

Wealth

-pertains to the accumulated economic capital of an individual or group
-the extent of the amassed wealth of an individual or group usually determines its influence in decision-making in society – Marxist perspective argues that the differentiation of social, economic, and political inequality, which ultimately promotes social suffering among the disadvantaged
-House and lot, monthly paycheck, and savings account are considered wealth

Power

-Dahl (Curtis, 2001) defined power as the capacity of an individual to influence another person to perform an act that he or she would not otherwise do
-is associated with wealth, as economic capital permits selected members of society to determine the norms that are often more beneficial for the elite than for the majority who are bound to follow them
-involves benefits and privileges – the power to determine the course of policies and economy can provide an individual with a distinct advantage as compared with those who cannot wield influence on others

Prestige

-wealth combined with power leads to prestige
-sociologists define the term prestige as a level of honor in human society attached to different groups with reference to the group's occupation
-the measurement of occupational prestige depends on social standing and desirability -the level of prestige depends on the job professionalism of individuals in relation to training rather than their job income (Pearson: Sociology, 2005); for instance, a wealthy and powerful individual is expected to have a stable and high form of occupation to maintain societal rank and position; occupational prestige, together with wealth and power, has always been seen as the basis of social status and rank in human society

FOUR TYPES OF STRATIFICATION SYSTEMS

Class

-denotes the classification of an individual or group of persons having explicit societal status based on acquired characteristics - democracy
-in 17th century Europe, the main qualification to be a member of a certain hierarchical class depends mostly on three things: wealth, economic occupation, and power – nonetheless, this qualification changes over time, reliant on the existing societies especially those societies that consider legal differentiation as the basis of social classes (Social Stratification, 2014)

Caste
-a person's rights and rank in society is determined by his/her birth into a particular group - monarchy

-related to the concept of Hindu practice, tradition, and culture, which is rooted in divine sanction and custom
-derived from the Spaniards meaning "breed"; thus, caste also means "race" in society
-the Sanskrit word for caste is varna meaning "color"; also, Hindu society is composed of four types of varna or caste known as brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra
-the Hindu caste system is a closed system, as it does not allow for social mobility – an individual who is born a Shudra (worker) came from parents who are of the same caste

Estate

-identical to the practice of feudalism - the king usually have the final authority
-has its roots in pre-Revolution France, where individuals were ranked according to three categories: clergy, nobility, and commoners – the final authority in this system was the king
-based on existing legal structures that defined members' status, rights, and duties
-the broad division of labor was also present in this system including specific functions; like feudalism, the estate system related to political group participation, and possessed political powers (Sociology Guide, 2014)

Slavery

-the most extreme form of inequality in society - fascism
-for instance, slaves are often maltreated by their owners – in most cases, slaves have no rights at all and, deprived of everything because it is believed that they are created to work only for others
-ancient Greeks and Romans allowed various forms of slavery of non-Greek or non-Roman individuals
-persisted in Western countries such as the United States, which only formally abolished the practice in 1865, through an amendment in the US Constitution but with much resistance from slave owners and their supporters

Global Inequality
-refers to the unequal distribution of scarce resources and values across territories

The divide between resource-rich territories and those that face the challenge of ensuring basic human needs and care have been conceptualized in dichotomized terms such as developing versus developed countries, first world versus the third world, and, more recently, Global South versus Global North. In all these dichotomies, the prevalent theme is the unequal access to world resources among countries.

Various complex economic structures are created that perpetuate this system of inequality. In the United States, the rise of food and recreational deserts is being observed by social scientists. These deserts refer to the lack of food sources such as grocery stores and the lack of recreational centers such as parks or theaters in poor communities. This isolation promotes a string of social problems such as the increase in obesity among people living in food deserts. This increase in obesity is due to the consumption of unhealthy food items, which are chiefly available in convenience stores. Communities experiencing recreational deserts have been observed to have a rise of drug dependency and practice of unsafe sexual behaviors. These food-and-recreation-deprived communities are situated in societies where other communities are experiencing the convenience of multiple markets and grocery stores, which are secure places where various forms of recreational facilities are available (Barkan, 2013).

GENDER INEQUALITY

This has been a major issue and problem around the world. Gender has always been a sensitive topic in every argumentation. Violence against women and children rapidly increases every day. Gender discrimination among LGBT continues even if several organizations have already developed advocacies and means to eliminate discrimination in every society and community.

-Dowry deaths are responsible for the murders of thousands of women every year, especially in South Asia.

-Honor killings continue to take place in Pakistan, Turkey, Jordan, Syria, Egypt. Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Morocco, and other Mediterranean and Gulf countries.

-Physical and sexual abuse of girls is a serious concern across all regions.

-Child marriage continues to put young girls at great risk for too-early pregnancy and other sexual and reproductive health issues.

-Female genital cutting or mutilation (FGM) causes serious injury to millions of young women every year. The rate of femicide (murder of women and girls) has significantly escalated over the last few years.
The cases above show how rampant gender inequality is. Gender inequalities will only be avoided if gender issues would be settled. But then again, settling gender issues may be daunting because of the existing norms and values of the society. Furthermore, several sociologists made various studies to satisfy inquiries about gender, issues, discrimination, and inequalities, which also lead to further approach and studies up to the present time.

ETHNIC MINORITIES AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES

With the concept of “social exclusion”, this term defines the inequality between and among ethnic minorities and other minorities. Social exclusion is the concept of alienating or dividing individuals or a group in a certain society. Race and ethnicity have also been the basis of social division in the whole world. Racial and ethnic differences entail widespread conflict which can be economic, political, social, and cultural. Racial identity is the main concern of ethnic inequalities (Nazroo, 2013). For instance, African Americans often suffer from racial discrimination, making them feel alienated from other societies. Again, this is a visible example of social inequality.

Other minorities also experience inequalities and social discrimination due to specific differences they possess as compared with other individuals and groups. Minorities such as persons with disabilities (PWDs) suffer from social exclusion and discrimination because of their disabilities. From social policies to infrastructure, the exclusion of PWDs can be observed.

HUMAN DIGNITY, RIGHTS AND THE COMMON GOOD
Although social groupings and stratification function in promoting social order and organization, the impact that they often have in human groups is unsettling due to the issues that they create pertaining to the achievement of human dignity and rights. The right of individuals to quality education is often tampered by political arguments contesting that it should be reserved to those who can afford it. The pervading issue in the Philippine educational system that promotes unequal learning opportunities between private and public schools is one of the negative impacts of inequality.

The structural and institutional sources of inequality promote social dynamics that perpetuates the oppression of the marginalized groups. A child who grew malnourished due to his or her parents' inability to secure nutritious food for him or her will have fewer chances of performing well in school. This child may drop out of school even before he or she finishes elementary education. This would disqualify him or her from securing high-paying jobs. In the event that he or she decides to form a family, there is a high probability that his or her children will experience the same process.

The unequal access to resources has the capacity of making several sectors of society vulnerable to disease and criminality, as people use their bodies and other mechanisms to secure basic needs such as food, clean water, education, and shelter. This brings us to the topic of human dignity, which is continuously threatened by the lack of basic sources of comfort and need. As an individual fails to access his or her basic needs from his or her community through noncoercive or non-destructive processes, he or she becomes entangled in activities that may be illegal and/or illegitimate to ensure his or her survival.

The pursuit of the common good is a primary challenge among societies with a diverse population. As each sector clamors for its perceived rights, the scarcity of available resources poses a continuous threat to the attainment of the common good. In developing societies, the need for inclusive growth has been brought in stakeholder consultations. Inclusive growth implies the inclusion of all members of the society in policies for development. This promotes the equal chance of every member of society to participate in the economic development in his or her area.