11

UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE, SOCIETY AND
POLITICS
Quarter 2
Module 11: WAYS TO
ADDRESS SOCIAL
INEQUALITIES

1
 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
REGION VII, CENTRAL VISAYAS
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF SIQUIJOR

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Published by the Department of Education

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Assistant Schools Division Superintendent: Dr. Edmark Ian L. Cabio

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Writer: Anabella T. Taroc

Evaluators: Pelagio R. Caet, Marina Gilsa L. Castillon, Roxanne Mae L. Pal-ing, Rosalie C. Castillon, Jerson R.
Tumapon, Caroline D. Cayongcong, Cecil C. Saplot, Sheila Mae Juliena O. Villas

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Printed in the Philippines by___________________________

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Office Address: Larena, Siquijor
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E-mail Address: [email protected]

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 What I Need to Know
I
This module will find out some ways to address social inequalies. This
includes the definition of inequality, causes of inequality and examples of
inequality. After reading and answering the activities of this module, the
learner will understand that the problems can be addressed by governments
and aid organizations working together to ensure that opportunities are
more readily available for the nation's poorest people and that the key to
reducing inequality is better education, better healthcare, social safety nets,
and higher and broader economic growth, especially in agriculture.
At the end of this lesson, you will be able to:

 Suggest ways to address global inequality.(UCSP11/12HSOIIe-32)

What I Know

A. To find out what you already know about the topic to be discussed in
this module, take the Pre-test honestly.
Directions: Write T if the statement is correct and write F, if the statement
is incorrect. Write your answers in your notebook.
_____1 Inequality is one of the key challenges of our time. Income inequality
specifically is one of the most visible aspects of a broader and more complex
issue, one that entails inequality of opportunity and extends to ethnicity,
gender, age and disability among others.
_____2. Racial and ethnic inequities are the consequence of hierarchical
social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories within a society and
are often recognized based on characteristics such as skin, color and other
physical characteristics or an individual’s place of origin or culture.
_____3. Income Gap/ Economic inequality is described on the basis of the
equal distribution of income or wealthin the most frequently studied type of
social inequality
_____4. Social Inequality is an even opportunities and rewards for a
diverse social positions or statuses within a group or society. This occurs
when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, generally
through norms of allocation, that bring about specific patterns along lines of
socially defined categories of persons.
_____5. Gender Inequality/sexism is sex and gender-based prejudice and
discrimination or sexual division of labor.
_____6. All individuals received equal healthcare.

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_____7. Economic and social inequality are complex problems but they can
be addressed by governments and aid organizations working together to
ensure that opportunities are more readily available for the nation's poorest
people.
_____8. “The key to reducing inequality is better education, better
healthcare, social safety nets, and higher and broader economic growth,
especially in agriculture
_____9. The right of workers to organize has always been a cornerstone of
more equal societies, and should be prioritized and protected wherever this
basic right is violated
_____10. Countries do not need to adopt an integrated program that looks
at the problem across the social, economic and environmental dimensions,
as well as access to education, health care and resources to effectively solve
inequality.
_____11. Amalgamation is a blending through accepted marriage
_____12. Governments should establish and enforce a national living wage,
and corporations should also prioritize a living wage for their workers and
with the suppliers, buyers, and others with whom they do business.
_____13. In developing countries, adequate resourcing for health, education,
sanitation, and investment in the poorest citizens drives extreme inequality.
_____14. Inequality has become a defining issue to the present time that
must be addressed through social protection policies including progressive
taxation in favour of low income families as well as public spending to
support
_____15. The government of the Philippines is working to expand to access
to healthcare, education and land ownership among the country’s poorest
families
_____16. The best way to give a Filipino child access to the resources he or
she desperately needs and sponsor a child.

What`s In
You learned in the previous module that there are government
programs and initiatives addressing social inequalities. Can you suggest
four top solutions to income inequality base on your priority? Try doing the
activity below.

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ACTIVITY 1

Top
solutions
to income
inequality

ACTIVITY 2
Directions:
Enumerate some of the global inequities you have observed in the society.
Write the answers in your notebook.

What`s New

A
. What social inequality which is shown in the
picture?
Is it evident in our society nowadays?
Are there possible solutions to solve gender
inequality? Why do you say so?

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 B
.
Have you experienced income inequality?
What did you feel?
What did you do?

C. Arrange the jumbled letters below to form a new word that is related
to our topic of discussion.

1. ASLOCI YINETQUAIL
2. SEDITRINBUTRIO
3. OBJ CORNEAIT
4. LEHATH REAC
5. DIMPEOVR ENDOUCITA
6. PEROSGRIEVS SEXTA

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 What Is It

Read: Social Inequalities (local, national, global)

Introduction
Inequality- is one of the key challenges of our time. Income inequality
specifically is one of the most visible aspects of a broader and more complex
issue, one that entails inequality of opportunity and extends to ethnicity,
gender, age and disability among others.
Social Inequality- uneven opportunities and rewards for a diverse
social positions or statuses within a group or society. This occurs when
resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, generally through
norms of allocation, that bring about specific patterns along lines of socially
defined categories of persons.

What are social inequality examples?

i. Gender Inequality- Gender inequality/sexism - sex and gender-

based prejudice and discrimination or sexual division of labor. The
emphasis on gender inequality is born out of the deepening division in the
roles assigned to men and women, particularly in the economic, political
and educational spheres.
ii. Income Gap/ Economic inequality- described on the basis of the
unequal distribution of income or wealth, in the most frequently studied
type of social inequality
iii. Racial and ethnic inequality- is the consequence of hierarchical
social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories within a society and
are often recognized based on characteristics such as skin, color and other
physical characteristics or an individual’s place of origin or culture.
iv. Health Care- some individuals received better and more
professional care compared to others.
v. social class- in most societies an individual’s social status is a
combination of ascribed and achieved status.

Read: .Ways to Address Social Inequalities (Local)

Ethnic Minorities
Amalgamation is a blending through accepted marriage. Through this
process, the differences between dominant and minority members of society
disappeared. All individuals have ancestors of various nationalities in an
amalgamated society.
Ways to Address Inequalities (National)
Countries need to embrace/adopt an integrated program that looks at the
problem across the social, economic and environmental dimensions, as well
as access to education, health care and resources to effectively solve
inequality. Vital to these solutions is a host of interventions that promote

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equitable access to resources and services, as well as inclusive growth with
descent jobs and livelihoods for all people within society. The following are
the top solutions to income inequality.
1. Improved education
2. Tax policy
3. Social welfare policy
4. Redistribution
5. Job creation
6. Work force development

How can we solve income inequality in the Philippines?

What is the solution to income inequality?

Progressive taxes, estate taxes. There’s no clear-cut formula showing how

to solve inequality. But if there were one, it would certainly involve tax
reform. A truly progressive tax-rate one were the wealthiest the highest rates
and the poorest the lowest- can only help to keep income inequality in
check.
Economic and social inequalities are complex problems but they can be
addressed by governments and aid organizations working together to ensure
that opportunities are more readily available for the nation's poorest people.
“The key to reducing inequality is better education, better healthcare, social
safety nets, and higher and broader economic growth, especially in
agriculture,” Edwin Lacierda, a Spokesman of the President of the
Philippines, said in a news briefing in Manila, earlier 2016.
The government of the Philippines is working to expand to access to
healthcare, education and land ownership among the country’s poorest
families. But the road to recovery and improve quality is long. To aid in
these efforts ChildFund has to work to provide increase in resources to
children in need and help them break the cycle of poverty.
Last year, we provided home- and center-based early childhood
development services to more than 8,000 children in the Philippines
poorest provinces. Children enrolled in this program receive nutritious food
and educational opportunities and parents are trained in areas like
nutrition and basic healthcare. The best way to give a Filipino child access
to the resources he or she desperately needs and sponsor a child. Your
support will let a child have a greater chance for a fulfilling future.
Inequality must be addressed through Social Protection Policies, Speakers
Stress, as Commission for Social Development Opens 2019 Session
Inequality has become a defining issue to the present time that must be
addressed through social protection policies including progressive taxation
in favour of low income families.

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 Read and Learn More
Global

Ways to Reduce Global Inequalities

Extreme economic inequality is corrosive to our societies. It makes

poverty reduction harder, hurts our economies, and drives conflict and
violence. Reversing this trend presents a significant challenge, but one
where we’ve seen some progress. Below we offer eight ways to move the
world forward in reducing global inequality.

1. Stop Illicit Outflows

In developing countries, inadequate resourcing for health, education,

sanitation, and investment in the poorest citizens drives extreme inequality.
One reason is tax avoidance and other illicit outflows of cash. According
to Global Financial Integrity, developing countries lost $6.6 trillion in illicit
financial flows from 2003 through 2012, with illicit outflows increasing at an
average rate of 9.4 percent per year. That’s $6.6 trillion that could reduce
poverty and inequality through investments in human capital,
infrastructure, and economic growth.

2. Progressive Income Tax

After falling for much of the 20 th century, inequality is worsening in rich

countries today. The top one percent is not only capturing larger shares of
national income, but tax rates on the highest incomes have also dropped.
How much should the highest income earners be taxed? This is obviously a
question to be decided domestically by citizens, and opinions differ. For
instance, economist Tony Addison suggests a top rate of 65 percent rate on
the top 1 percent of incomes.

3. A Global Wealth Tax?

In Capital in the Twenty-first Century , Thomas Piketty recommends an

international agreement establishing a wealth tax. Under his plan,
countries would agree to tax personal assets of all kinds at graduated rates.
The skeptics do have a point about whether this particular plan is practical,
but we shouldn’t give up on the idea. Because wealth tends to accumulate
over generations, fair and well-designed wealth taxes would go a long way
towards combating extreme inequality.

4. Enforce a Living Wage

Governments should establish and enforce a national living wage, and

corporations should also prioritize a living wage for their workers and with
the suppliers, buyers, and others with whom they do business. Low and
unliveable wages are result of worker disempowerment and concentration of
wealth at the top—hallmarks of unequal societies. As human beings with

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basic needs, all workers should earn enough to support themselves and
their families. Governments and corporations should be responsible for
protecting the right to a living wage, corporations should commit to
responsible behavior that respects the dignity of all workers.

5. Workers’ Right to Organize

The right of workers to organize has always been a cornerstone of more

equal societies, and should be prioritized and protected wherever this basic
right is violated. Extreme inequality requires the disempowerment of
workers. Therefore, the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively
for better pay and conditions is a global human rights priority. Despite
Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights— which declares
the right to organize as a fundamental human right—workers worldwide,
including in the United States, still face intimidation, fear, and retribution
for attempting to organize collectively. Where unions are strong, wages are
higher and inequality is lower.

6. Stop Other Labor Abuses

Companies worldwide are also replacing what was once permanent and
stable employment with temporary and contingent labor. Often called
“contingent” or “precarious” workers, these workers fill a labor need that is
permanent while being denied the status of employment. In the United
States, this trend is called “misclassification,” in which employers
misclassify workers as “independent contractors” when they are actually
employees. Contingent labor also occurs through outsourcing,
subcontracting, and use of employment agencies.

7. Open and Democratic Trade Policy

Negotiating international trade agreements behind closed doors with only

bureaucrats and corporate lobbyists present has to end. These old-style
trade agreements are fundamentally undemocratic and put corporate profits
above workers, the environment, health, and the public interest. We need a
new, transparent trade policy that is open, and accountable to the people.

8. A New Economics?

Economists are often imagined as stuffy academics who value arcane

economic theory above humanitarian values. The field’s clinging to
parsimonious theories gave us such winners as the Washington Consensus
and a global financial system that imploded in 2008. Thankfully, there’s a
movement among economics grad students and scholars to reimagine the
discipline. As they acknowledge, we clearly need a new economics that
works to improve the lives of everyone, not just those already well off. For
instance, what could be more radical than a Buddhist economics? This is

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the path promoted by economist and Rhodes Scholar E .F. Schumacher,
who says humanity needs an economics that creates wealth for all people,
just not money for privileged people and corporations. Economics should
take into account ethics and the environment, and treat its claims less like
invariable truths.

The best solution would be education.

Several Filipinos who voted for the politicians in the Philippine government
are uneducated, thus they make bad decisions when voting government
officials. Since they are uneducated they have menial jobs and no money so
most of the time would accept electoral bribery. Being poor they would
usually turn to crime and drugs.

What`s More

 Independent Activity 1
Task: Write a possible solution in a form of slogan based on the
following social issues.
GLOBAL WARMING, FAILURE OF EDUCATION

DISCRIMINATION ECONOMIC FLUCTUATIONS

MALNUTRITION GENDER INEQUALITY

Scoring Rubrics for Slogan

Criteria Points SCORE
Relevance 20
Rhyme 15
Presentation 10
Neatness 5
TOTAL

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  Independent Assessment 1
Directions: Complete the table below. Write your answer in your
notebook.
ACTIONS WHAT MUST BE DONE BEFORE
THE ACTION
Bullying
Meeting a PWD’s person
Choosing friends
Posting your opinions and ideas in
social media

 Independent Activity 2

Directions: Do you know where to go in case you have experienced social

inequality? This time make a list of the different government agencies to
help solve social inequality. Write at least four. Do it in your notebook.

 Independent Assessment 2
Directions: What you have observed about the society around you
regarding the services rendered from any government organizations and
private institutions? Describe it in four sentences. Write your answers in
your notebook.

 Independent Activity 3
Directions: Look at the pictures below. . Do you agree that all people matter?
Why or why not? Copy the picture and write your explanation in the space
provided at the right side. Do it in your notebook.

 Independent Assessment 3

What can you say about the statement below? Do you agree with
this? Express your answers on your UCSP notebook.

“The key to reducing inequality is better education, better healthcare, social

safety nets, and higher and broader economic growth, especially in

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 agriculture,” Edwin Lacierda, a Spokesman of the President of the
Philippines, said in a news briefing in Manila, earlier 2016.

Rubric to Assess the Activity

Criteria Not yet Minimally Fully Exceeds Scor

meeting meets meet Expectations e
expectations expectations Expectati (4/4)
(1/4) poor (2/4) ons Excellent
competent (3/4)
Very
Good)
Completeness, The activity The activity The The activity
Accuracy of contains very contains activity contains lots
information, little accurate some contains of complete
and coherence information accurate complete and accurate
of position about the information informatio information
topic about the n about about the
topic the topic topic

What I Have Learned

I learned that:
 Economic and social inequality, are complex problems but they
can be addressed by governments and aid organizations working
together to ensure that opportunities are more readily available for
the nation's poorest people.

 “The key to reducing inequality is better education, better

healthcare, social safety nets, and higher and broader economic
growth, especially in agriculture

What I Can Do
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Task: Using the Chart below suggests ways to address social inequalities
(local, national, global) Do it in your notebook.

Local National Global

Assessment

Post Test:

A. Directions: Write True if the statement is correct and False if it is

incorrect. Do it in your notebook.

_____1. Inequality has become a defining issue to the present time that must
be addressed through social protection policies including progressive
taxation in favour of low income families as well as public spending to
support.
_____2 Inequality is one of the key challenges of our time. Income inequality
specifically is one of the most visible aspects of a broader and more complex
issue, one that entails inequality of opportunity and extends to ethnicity,
gender, age and disability among others.
_____3. Governments should establish and enforce a national living wage,
and corporations should also prioritize a living wage for their workers and
with the suppliers, buyers, and others with whom they do business.
_____4. In developing countries, adequate resourcing for health,
education, sanitation, and investment in the poorest citizens drives extreme
inequality.
_____5. Racial and ethnic inequality are the consequence of hierarchical
social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories within a society and
are often recognized based on characteristics such as skin, color and other
physical characteristics or an individual’s place of origin or culture.
_____6. All individuals received equal healthcare.

14
 _____7. The government of the Philippines is working to expand to access
to healthcare, education and land ownership among the country’s poorest
families
_____8. The best way to give a Filipino child access to the resources he or
she desperately needs and sponsor a child.
_____9. Economic and social inequality, are complex problems but they can
be addressed by governments and aid organizations working together to
ensure that opportunities are more readily available for the nation's poorest
people.
_____10. “The key to reducing inequality is better education, better
healthcare, social safety nets, and higher and broader economic growth,
especially in agriculture.
_____11. The right of workers to organize has always been a cornerstone of
more equal societies, and should be prioritized and protected wherever this
basic right is violated.
_____12. Countries do not need to adopt an integrated program that looks
at the problem across the social, economic and environmental dimensions,
as well as access to education, health care and resources to effectively solve
inequality.
_____13. Amalgamation is a blending through accepted marriage.
_____ 14 Income Gap/ Economic inequality is described on the basis of the
equal distribution of income or wealth in the most frequently studied type
of social inequality.
_____15. Social Inequality is an even opportunities and rewards for a
diverse social positions or statuses within a group or society. This occurs
when resources in a given society are distributed unevenly, generally
through norms of allocation, that bring about specific patterns along lines of
socially defined categories of persons.
_____16. Gender Inequality/sexism is sex and gender-based prejudice and
discrimination or sexual division of labor.

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 References:

Balena, et. al, (2016) Understanding Culture, society and Politics for Senior
High School

Contreras A.P. et. al., (2016) Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics,
Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.

Saloma et. al, Development Team of the Understanding culture, Society and
Politics Reader, DepEd Management Team, Bureau of Curriculum
Development, Bureau of Learning Resources.

Incomeinequality-140215075313-phpapp01-thumbnail-4jpg?
cb1392450838slideshare.net

https://inequality.org/great-divide/8-ways-reduce-global-inequality/

https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-solutions-to-the-problems-in-the-
Philippines

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