Social Stratification and Inequality Theories Coursework (Coursework Sample)

I was already aware of the various forms of inequality in our society even before I began my course on Social Inequalities in Social Anthropology 128 as it is manifested in various every day settings which often go unobserved or briefly recognized then ignored because of its mundanity. However, sometimes, I choose to recognize the injustices in these every day, mundane scenes of social inequality as is the habit of a UP student who is accustomed to rhetoric and acts of resistance against these inequalities. One instance, I pass by a throng of homeless people on my way to Session Road to choose among the variety of restaurants where I would eat dinner. I think about where I would eat among the many restaurants in Session Road while some people do not even have the means to eat dinner. Squatter areas are demolished to give way for the construction of luxury buildings (Hunger Alert Case, 2015). The bill for the 2000 PHP increase in the SSS Pension is vetoed by the president while SSS high officials receive millions for their Christmas bonuses (Sabilo, K.A., 2015). There are several luxurious recreational spaces e.g. Resorts World Manila, The Palace Pool Club in Manila where there are many communities which do not have a clean source of water or a consistent supply of electricity (Rood, S., 2015). Even before I entered the university, I am aware of these realities because they cannot be escaped as they are observable in everyday situations and the social media is saturated by such grim news but I often ignore them because I am not aware of being seriously directly affected by any of them because I have parents who provide for me and because I came from social background that does not concern themselves about the social inequalities experienced by other people. When I entered university, I have become indignant of these inequalities because I came to know that these are actually injustices which must not be accepted as inevitable realities. I have vague notions and ideas about the causes of these social inequalities which I have learned from various GE subjects and from various discussions in the university. My knowledge about these social inequalities was furthered through discussions in my Social Anthropology 128 class.
In my Social Anthropology 128 class, I learned that Marx theorized that whoever has the means of production in a society is the one who holds power. Marx also theorized that society can be hierarchically organized according to economic classes which are determined according to person’s relation to his/her means of production. According to Marx, those who hold the means production hold the most power. The power of corporations and companies who hold the means of production i.e. the capital and technology to produce goods which are bought and consumed and used by everyone to accomplish daily activities is manifested in the economic dependence of the workers in corporations and companies.
Weber furthered Marx’s studies (Burris, V., 1987) and argued that social hierarchy cannot be determined by class alone and theorized the three dimensions that determine social hierarchy which are class, status, and party (Weber, M., 1946). Class derives from its Marxist meaning as the classification of people according to their relation to their economic means of production. Weber theorizes that people obtain power through their class. Status and party are other non-economic means by which people may obtain power. Status groups are created according to lifestyles. Parties are groups which organize themselves to stir influence in a society. Weber’s critique on Marx that social hierarchy is not determined through economic class alone is manifested in the power held by Iglesia ni Cristo amongst its members (Gamil, J., 2015) and by the power and influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines among its members and among people who hold the same ideologies e.g. student activists. (Yap, D,. 2015)
According to Collins, people are always involved in relational issues of power and status and that people use coercion to assert their power and status. An example that will illustrate this theory is the Marcos’ abuse of his power to maintain his position as manifested in the mass forced disappearances and extrajudicial killings committed during his reign (Collins, R., 1974).
Dahrendorf theorized that social order is maintained through coercion by those who hold the most economic and legal power. He also theorized that people pursue their own best interests economically according to their economic means. How the educational system is marketed as a means to get a good job which means a high-paying job is an illustration of Dahrendorf’s theory.
Lenski synthesized the functionalist theory and the conflict theory. Functionalism teaches that every institution in society exists because it has an essential function. Conflict theory teaches that it is conflict which instigates change in a society. I do not understand the theory well enough because I was absent during its discussion and so I could not give an example to illustrate it.
I learned from all the theories that we have discussed in class that there is a social hierarchy in society wherein a few people enjoy more power, which may be economic or non-economic, than most people. This inequality in power is manifested in various institutions and various situations in society and from these manifestations I conclude that this inequality only serves in favor of those in power. What follows after the study of the problems of social hierarchy conducted in these theories is to organize solutions to these problems i.e. how to balance the distribution of power, be it economic or political, for the benefit of the whole population.