UC

Characteristics of
Different Systems
SP
of Stratification

MARILYN B. ENCARNACION
Escuela Secondaria Señor de Salinas 11
 TO THE LEARNERS

Here are some reminders as you use this module:

 Use the module with care especially in turning each page.
 Be reminded to answer the Pre-Test before moving on to the
Learning Module.
 Read and comprehend the directions in every exercise.
 Observe honesty in answering the tests and exercises.
 Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of this
material.
 Try to finish a given activity before proceeding to the next.
 11
Understanding
Culture, Society
and Politics
Characteristics of Different
Systems of Stratification

MARILYN B. ENCARNACION
Copyright 2019

1
 WHAT IS THIS MODULE ALL ABOUT?

This module serves as a learning resource material in understanding the target

competency expected in the curriculum.

TOPIC
Characteristics of Different Systems of Stratification

CONTENT STANDARD
Social stratification as the ranking of individuals according to wealth,
power, and prestige.

LEARNING COMPETENCY

UCSP11/12HSO-IId-31

The learners identify characteristics of the systems of

stratification.

The presented activities or exercises and texts are developed in

order to meet the following objectives:

1. Identify different systems of stratification.

2. Differentiate different systems of stratification.

3. Help in promoting equality in the society.

2
PRE- PRE-TEST

1. Read the following items carefully. Write the letter

of your answer.

1. How can a society be stratified?

A. age, gender, culture, religion
B. prestige, power, wealth, race
C. age, gender, power, wealth
D. prestige, race, culture, religion

2. What factor makes caste systems closed?

A. Most have been outlawed.
B. They exist only in rural areas.
C. They are run by secretive governments.
D. People cannot change their social standings.

3. What factor makes class systems open?

A. People are more open-minded.
B. They do not have clearly defined layers.
C. They allow for movement between the classes.
D. People are encouraged to socialize within their class.

4. Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery

5. Which statement illustrates low status consistency?

A. A celebrity actress owns homes in three countries.
B. A suburban family lives in a modest ranch home and
enjoys a nice vacation each summer.
C. A single mother receives food stamps and struggles to find
adequate employment.
D. A college dropout launches an online company that earns
millions in its first year.

3
6. What is the movement from one social status to another by
individuals or groups?
A. caste system
B. class system
C. social mobility
D. social stratification

7. In which system is status achieved from merit or effort?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery

8. In which system is membership ascribed at birth?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery

9. Which if the following is an example of social mobility?

A. interacting with rich people
B. going on a tour of the country
C. buying a budget-friendly cellphone
D. transferring from lower class to middle class

10. Who among the following people belongs to the caste system?
A. Leon, who wants to marry after college
B. Ariel, who is arranged to marry their family friend
C. Jenna, who can marry whoever she wants
D. Caryn, who does not want to marry at all

4
 MEMORY LANE

Identify if the following statements describes stratification

from
either a functionalist (F) or conflict (C) perspectives. Write the letter of the
correct answer.

________ 1. Different aspects of society exist because they serve a needed

purpose.
________ 2. Social stratification represents the inherently unequal value
of different work.
________ 3. All social roles maintain social balance and equilibrium.
________ 4. Social stratification benefits only some people in the society.
________ 5. Stratification perpetuates inequality.
________ 6. Social stratification resulted from people’s relationship to
production.
________ 7. Systems exist in society for good reasons.
________ 8. Stratification promotes distance between rich business
owners
and poor workers.

ON FOCUS!

SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

Sociologists distinguish between two types of systems of stratification.

Closed systems accommodate little change in social position. They do
not allow people to shift levels and do not permit social relationships
between levels. Open systems, which are based on achievement, allow

5
movement and interaction between layers and classes. Different systems
reflect, emphasize, and foster certain cultural values and shape
individual beliefs. Stratification systems include class systems and caste
systems, as well as meritocracy.

www.dreamstime.com
Slavery

Slavery is a system in which people are bought and sold as

property, forced to work, or held in captivity against their will.

Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture,
purchase, or birth; and can also be deprived of the right to leave, to
refuse to work, or to demand compensation. Historically, slavery was
institutionally recognized by many societies. In more recent times
slavery has been outlawed in most societies, but continues through the
practices of debt bondage, indentured servitude, serfdom, domestic
servants kept in captivity, certain adoptions in which children are forced
to work as slaves, child soldiers, and forced marriage.

Slavery predates written records and has existed in many cultures. The
number of slaves today is higher than at any point in history, remaining
as high as 12 million to 27 million. Most are debt slaves, largely in
South Asia, who are under debt bondage incurred by lenders,
sometimes even for generations.

Caste Systems

Caste systems are closed social stratification systems in

which people inherit their position and experience little
mobility. 6
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines some or
all elements of endogamy, hereditary transmission of occupation, social
class, social identity, hierarchy, exclusion, and power. Caste as a closed
social stratification system in which membership is determined by birth
and remains fixed for life; castes are also endogamous, meaning
marriage is proscribed outside one’s caste, and offspring are
automatically members of their parents’ caste.

Castes are most often stratified by race or ethnicity, economic status, or

religious status.
Castes have been noted in societies all over the world throughout
history, though they are mistakenly often assumed to be a tradition
specific to India.

Historically, the caste system in India consisted of four well known

categories: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas
(commerce), Shudras (workmen). Some people left out of these four caste
classifications were called “outcasts” or “untouchables” and were
shunned and ostracized. Although Indian society is often associated
with the word “caste,” the system is common in many non-Indian
societies. Caste systems have been found across the globe, in widely
different cultural settings, including predominantly Muslim, Christian,
Hindu, Buddhist, and other societies

Class Systems

Social class refers to the grouping of individuals in a stratified

social hierarchy, usually based on wealth, education, and
occupation.

Social class refers to the grouping of individuals into positions on a

stratified social hierarchy. A class consists of a set of people who share
similar status with regard to factors like wealth, income, education, and
occupation. Unlike caste systems, class systems are open. People are
free to gain a different level of education or employment than their
parents. They can also socialize with and marry members of other
classes, which allows people to move from one class to another.

7
In a class system, occupation is not fixed at birth. Though family and
other societal models help guide a person toward a career, personal
choice plays a role. Class systems are by far the most open, meaning
they have the most vertical mobility.

Estate Systems

Estate systems are characterized by control of land and were

common in Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages and into
the 1800s.

Estates were categories in feudal systems, especially in Europe during

middle ages. They were less rigid than castes and allowed some mobility.
In an estate system men are assigned to their strata according to their
birth, military strength and landholdings. Unlike castes, estates were
created politically by man-made laws rather than religious rules. Each
estate had its own code of appropriate behaviour.

The normal divisions were three-fold:

(a) The nobility [the first (highest) estate], which was composed of
aristocracy and gentry;
(b) The clergy (the second estate), which had lower status but possessing
various distinctive privileges; and
(c) The commoners, which include everyone else from peasants to
artisans.

In an estate system, the people of various strata were identified by the

rights they had and the duties they were expected to perform.

These systems vary on their degree of vertical mobility, or the chances of

rising up or falling down the stratification ladder. In some so-called
closed societies, an individual has virtually no chance of moving up or
down. Open societies have more vertical mobility, as some people, and
perhaps many people, can move up or even down.
Sociologists use the term status consistency to describe the consistency,
or lack thereof, of an individual’s rank across these factors. Caste
systems correlate with high status consistency, whereas the more
flexible class system has lower status consistency.
Social stratification systems cause relational set of inequalities in
economic, social, political and ideological dimensions.

8
 THINK IT OVER

I. Identify which system of stratification is being described in the

following statements.

________________1. A system in which people are bought and sold as

property, forced to work, or held in captivity against
their will.
________________2. A closed social stratification systems in which people
inherit their position and experience little mobility.
________________3. These refer to the grouping of individuals in a
stratified social hierarchy, usually based on wealth,
education, and occupation.
________________4. These are characterized by control of land and were
common in Europe and Asia during the Middle
Ages.
________________5. A system of social stratification that has been
institutionally supported in many societies around
the world throughout history.
________________6. These by far the most open, meaning they have
the most vertical mobility.
________________7. In these systems, the people of various strata were
identified by the rights they had and the duties they
were expected to perform.
________________8. These are most often stratified by race or ethnicity,
economic status, or religious status.
________________9. These were created politically by man-made laws
rather than religious rules.
_______________10. In these systems, people can socialize with andmarry
members of other classes, which allows people to
move from one class to another.

II. Write a short statement that shows differentiation between:

1. slavery – caste system

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

9
2. caste system – class system

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

3. class system – estate system

____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

LET’S LEARN

Systems of stratification vary in their degree of vertical social mobility. Some

societies are more open in this regard, while some are more closed.
The major systems of stratification are slavery, estate systems, caste
systems, and class systems.
Slavery is a system of social stratification that has been institutionally
supported in many societies around the world throughout history.
Caste systems are closed social stratification systems in which people
inherit their position and experience little mobility.
Estate systems are characterized by control of land and were common in
Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages and into the 1800s.
Class systems refers to the grouping of individuals in a stratified social
hierarchy, usually based on wealth, education, and occupation.

10
 COMPLETE ME

I. Complete the table below that shows differences between and among
different systems of stratification.

Systems Open/Close Characteristics Mobility

1. Slavery

2. Caste Systems

3. Estate Systems

4. Class Systems

II. Copy and complete the pledge below that shows your support in
promoting equality in your locality.

I, _________________________ , a resident of
___________________________,
Name Barangay
do solemnly pledge to promote equality in our locality through
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________.

11
 ___________________
Signature

POST TEST

Read the following items carefully. Write the letter

of your answer.

1. What factor makes caste systems closed?

A. Most have been outlawed.
B. They exist only in rural areas.
C. They are run by secretive governments.
D. People cannot change their social standings.

2. What factor makes class systems open?

A. People are more open-minded.
B. They do not have clearly defined layers.
C. They allow for movement between the classes.
D. People are encouraged to socialize within their class.

3. How can a society be stratified?

A. age, gender, culture, religion
B. prestige, power, wealth, race
C. age, gender, power, wealth
D. prestige, race, culture, religion

4. In which system is status achieved from merit or effort?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery

5. In which system is membership ascribed at birth?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery
6. Who among the following people belongs to the caste system?
A. Leon, who wants to marry after college
B. Ariel, who is arranged to marry their family friend

12
 C. Jenna, who can marry whoever she wants
D. Caryn, who does not want to marry at all

7. Which of these systems allows for the most social mobility?

A. Caste
B. Class
C. Estate
D. Slavery

8. Which statement illustrates low status consistency?

A. A celebrity actress owns homes in three countries.
B. A suburban family lives in a modest ranch home and enjoys a
nice vacation each summer.
C. A single mother receives food stamps and struggles to find
adequate employment.
D. A college dropout launches an online company that earns
millions in its first year.

9. Which if the following is an example of social mobility?

A. interacting with rich people
B. going on a tour of the country
C. buying a budget-friendly cellphone
D. transferring from lower class to middle class

10. What is the movement from one social status to another by

individuals or groups?
A. caste system
B. class system
C. social mobility
D. social stratification

13
 KEY POINTS

Systems of stratification vary in their degree of vertical social

mobility. Some societies are more open in this regard, while some are
more closed.
The major systems of stratification are slavery, estate systems, caste
systems, and class systems.
SYSTEMS OF STRATIFICATION

Slavery is a system of social stratification

that has been institutionally supported in
many societies around the world
throughout history.

Caste systems are closed social

stratification systems in which people
inherit their position and experience little
mobility.

Estate systems are characterized by

control of land and were common in
Europe and Asia during the Middle Ages
and into the 1800s.

Class systems refers to the grouping of

individuals in a stratified social hierarchy,
usually based on wealth, education, and
occupation.

14
 REFERENCES

Davis, Kingsley, and Wilbert E. Moore. “Some Principles of

Stratification.” American Sociological Review 10(2): 242- 249. Retrieved
January 9, 2012

Quipper Study Guide, Copyright 2018

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/atd-bmcc-
sociology/chapter/tehoretical-perspectives-on-social-stratification
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2085643
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundlesssociology/chapter/syste
ms-of-stratification/
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/top-4-principal-forms-of-
social-stratification-explained/35105

15
 This module maybe adopted, modified and
reproduced for educational purposes with appropriate
credit to the author.
For inquiries, feedback and suggestions, please
contact the author through the Division Learning
resource Supervisor at Tel. No. _________________ and/or
email address ________________ @deped.gov.ph

16