WITNESS SOC

Society, Social Issues

and
Social Teachings

Performance Task

Submitted by:
Cario, Analyn
Galarido, Jeremiah
Masana, Marvin
Pinat, Rheza Lee
Valiente, Tifanny Monique

Submitted to:
Prof. Jocelyn Tagaro
 Social Issue: “EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF WEALTH”

Equitable Distribution of Wealth:

 Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions, or
anything of value that benefit the common good.
 Equitable doesn’t mean equal distribution of income. It also refers to the
distribution of income that is ‘fair,’ but the concept of ‘fair’ is subjective.
 Distribution of wealth and income is the way in which the wealth and income of a
nation are divided among its population. Or the way in which the wealth and income
of the world are divided among nations. An equitable distribution of wealth gives
all citizens a fair opportunity to become successful.
 Income distribution is extremely important for development, since it influences the
cohesion of society, determines the extent of poverty for any given average per
capita income and the poverty-reducing effects of growth, and even affects
people’s health.
 Some relatively high-income economies have very unequal income
distribution with the result that there are large cleavages in society and high levels
of poverty, as of right now. Other countries with more equal income distribution
have less poverty and there is a sense of fairness within the society which makes
for political stability, as in Costa Rica.

In Social teachings of the Church:

 Distributism is an economic ideology asserting that the world's productive assets
should be widely owned rather than concentrated. The teachings of Pope Leo XIII
in his encyclical Rerum novarum (1891) and Pope Pius XI in Quadragesimo anno
(1931).
 Justitia in Mundo (Justice in the World) – Synod of Bishops, 1971 Calling
attention to the structural roots of injustice afflicting human relations, Bishop
declares that action in the pursuit of justice, and participation in the transformation
of the world are constitutive elements in the Church’s mission.
 Quadragesimo Anno, Pope Pius XI – Writing in response to the alarming
concentration of wealth and power in the socio-economic realm, Pius XI calls for
the reestablishment of a social order based on the principle of subsidiarity.
 CAUSE, EFFECT & PREVENTION

A. CAUSE: SOCIAL INEQUALITY/ DISCRIMINATION

- Social inequality refers to relational processes in society that have the effect of limiting
or harming a group's social status, social class, and social circle. Social inequality can
also be established through discriminatory legislation. Also refers to disparities in the
distribution of economic assets and income as well as between the overall quality and
luxury of each person's existence within a society.
- Areas of social inequality include access to voting rights, freedom of speech and
assembly, the extent of property rights and access to education, health care, quality
housing, traveling, transportation, vacationing and other social goods and services. Apart
from that it can also be seen in the quality of family and neighbourhood life, occupation,
job satisfaction, and access to credit.

EXAMPLE:
Schools abroad VS. Top 5 College/University VS. the rest of the schools in the
Philippines (Consideration for job positions or career opportunities)

Everyone is aware of this effect. Finding job is not easy, but for the enterprises and others when
getting a newly hired applicant one of the aspects they will consider is the school of the applicants,
those it results of inequality for those people who goes to unpopular school. That results for
discrimination. As we know, there are more applicants who goes to low schools where they can
only afford in consideration with their financial capabilities in Philippines, and in line with this, this
applicants will have a hard time to look for a job and worst end up jobless or if they have jobs it’s
unrelated for their in line courses.

Racial and Ethnic Inequality (Equality of Rights and Protection)

It is the result of hierarchical social distinctions between racial and ethnic categories within a
society and often established based on characteristics such as skin color and other physical
characteristics or an individual's place of origin or culture. Racism is whereby some races are
more privileged and are allowed to venture into the labor market and are better compensated than
others. Ethnicity is the privilege one enjoys for belonging to a particular ethnic group. Racial and
ethnic categories become a minority category in a society. Minority members in such a society
are often subjected to discriminatory actions resulting from majority policies, including
assimilation, exclusion, oppression, expulsion, and extermination.

EFFECTS:

 DEVELOPING A CRAB MENTALITY

 LOWER TRUST
PREVENTION:

 Change the Mindset of People

B. CAUSE: FAVORITISM / PADRINO SYSTEM

Favoritism is just what it sounds like; it's favoring a person not because he or she is doing the
best job but rather because of some extraneous feature-membership in a favored group, personal
likes and dislikes, etc. Favoritism can be demonstrated in hiring, honoring, or awarding contracts.
A related idea is patronage, giving public service jobs to those who may have helped elect the
person who has the power of appointment.

Padrino system, or patronage in the Filipino culture and politics is the value system where one
gains favor, promotion, or political appointment through family affiliation (nepotism) or friendship
(cronyism), as opposed to one's merit. The Padrino System in the Philippines has been the source
of many controversies and corruption. It has been an open secret that one cannot join the political
arena of the Philippines without mastery of the Padrino System. From the lowest Barangay official,
to the President of the Republic, it is expected that one gains political debts and dispenses political
favor to advance one's career or influence, if not wealth.

EFFECTS:

 NO IMPROVEMENT - Economically, it is obvious. If what we are supposed to get, may it be

service or goods, are being taken away from us, it only makes sense that we will be lacking
of it. Hence, if we are given inadequate officers just because they have backers, we will be
lacking the right kind of leaders or officers. This, is a loss for our country because if we want
to develop and progress, we will need the best kind of leaders. In terms of goods, for example,
when there is a misuse and misdirection of the people’s money as was exposed by the PDAF
issue, our country lacks progression. Because the money that was supposed to be for the
development of our country, its organizations, and its devastated lands, has been distributed
 to the rich people for their own use. What was supposed to be for our schools, hospitals, water
and the advancement of our technology are all turned into dust. In effect, the poor (people,
country, leadership) just keeps getting poorer and the rich just keeps getting richer.
 NO OPPORTUNITY GIVEN

PREVENTION:

 People Should Claim For Their Rights

C. CAUSE: SOCIAL STRATIFICATION

Social Stratification is a classification whereby people rank and evaluate each other as higher
and, on the basis of evaluations; inequality rewarded one another with wealth authority, influence
and status. It is the hierarchical arrangement and organization of social categories that develop
into social group together with status and their equivalent roles. As one of the result of these
discrimination is the formation of a number of levels within society. This number of levels within
society are can be identified by the social classes or a group of people who share a similar position
or status In modern Western societies, social stratification is typically defined in terms of three
social classes: (i) the upper class, (ii) the middle class, and (iii) the lower class. It is a hierarchical
arrangement of individual into divisions.

EXAMPLE

Rich VS. Middle Class VS. Poor

 So with the poor community they get less attention in situation like healthcare compare
to the rich who will get priorities first.
 In terms of schooling the rich have more opportunity than the poor like comparing the
education quality, the upper class have more access of things compared to the lower
class who are limited of choices and opportunities.
 Sometimes in justice the rich get more rights than the poor, the upper class get more
freedom of talking and complaining than those who came from lower class. Also in
terms of treating the upper class get more benefits than the other one.

EFFECTS

 Bullying

Result to Depression/ Status Anxiety

Income inequality changes the way people interact with other members of their society and
engage in society itself. In result of having a status ranking within the society it will shows
inequality in terms of having benefits, wealth and many more. It results high criticism for those
who benefited less. There is a substantial and robust body of research suggesting that countries
with higher levels of inequality have lower levels of trust. This lack of trust is associated with a
variety of other social issues including happiness, homicides and health.

PREVENTION:

 Participatory decision-making
 Claim for what is right
D. CAUSE: CORRUPTION
Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for
illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary, but include bribery, extortion, cronyism,
nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influence peddling, graft, and embezzlement. Corruption may
facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking, money laundering, and human trafficking,
though it is not restricted to these activities. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such
as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is also considered political
corruption.

EFFECTS:

POVERTY – The main effect of having corruption in the country is poverty. Those funds that
must be distributed for projects and development it goes to those people who are in excess of
money in their pocket. In result with the poverty it arises the following:

a) CRIMES – With conditions so troublesome, people often resort to crime and thievery to
survive. Research found that one of the overwhelming reasons to steal is due to difficulties
caused by poverty. Without proper employment, people turn to stealing, especially since
family sizes are rather large, and there are a lot of people to provide for. There are too
many people and not enough resources. And with such conditions, people become
desperate and practice drastic measures to provide for themselves and their families.
b) CHILD LABOR - With poverty taking a toll on Filipinos, parents often can’t make enough
money to support their families; children then have to be taken out of school to work in
harsh conditions. Statistics show that around 3.6 million children, from ages 5-17, are child
laborers in the Philippines. This is 15.9 percent of the entire population.
PREVENTION:

 Proper and Just Governance

 Select a Qualified Leaders
 Addressing regional inequality.

E. CAUSE: PERSONAL FACTORS/ HISTORICAL FACTORS

It is generally believed that innate abilities play a part in determining the wealth of an
individual. Hence, individuals possessing different sets of abilities may have different levels of
wealth, leading to economic inequality. For example, more determined individuals may keep
improving themselves and striving for better achievements, which justifies a higher wage.

It is a well-known fact that humans never migrate easily to a new place. Once a person settles
well at a certain place, he will never leave that area to settle in a new area. People like to
settle at places where their ancestors have lived in the past. Sons and grandsons from
generation to generation live at a place which they do not leave so easily.

EFFECTS:

 Low self-esteem –They will create within their selves a fear to interact with others,
and they will loss an ability to socialize to the people who they think are much higher
to them. In results they will just be contented of what they have, and they will cease to
in dreaming and knowing. Considering of their ascribed status of those who come from
low class, without proper guidance in their lives they will end up of same path.
 No development or improvements – With the ascribed status of each individual it
tells us everything. Those who came from wealthy class they don’t have a problem of
improving because they have the power and access without worrying something,
compare to those who came from low class they will end up of having many
considerations because of the limitation of the capabilities they had before reaching to
their final decisions. So with these it says, “The rich getting richer, and poor getting
poorer”.

PREVENTION:

 To have a guidance concealing or seminar about life./

 Better targeting of social programmes.