Social Class Systems: Definition and Examples

Social Class and Definition

• Social Class constitutes individuals in a society sharing similar socioeconomic standing

General Social Classes

• Upper Class: Individuals exceeding the poverty line, investing in luxury, and often self-centered
• Middle Class: The working class, diverse, essential to the economy, and capable of varied labor
• Lower Class: Individuals at or below the poverty line

Indian Caste System

• Originated from Islamic rule in the 13th century, reinforced during British occupation
• Brahmins: religious leaders and divine figures
• Kshatriyas: warriors and nobility
• Vaishyas: merchants and landowners
• Shudras: servants and commoners
• Dalits: the outcast or untouchables

Philippine Pre-Colonial Caste System

• Included equal opportunities for men and women
• Datu: leader
• Babaylan: religious leader and teacher
• Maharlika: the ruling class
• Maginoo: served under the Maharlika
• Timawa: free individuals, scholars, and merchants
• Aliping Namamahay: Land workers
• Aliping Saguiguilid: prisoners working for freedom

Philippine Casta System during Spanish Rule

• It was an incentivized system with taxes based on racial heritage
• Muslims were not classified due to conflicts with the Spanish
• Filipinos (Indios) and Aetas: paid base taxes and Mestizajes (except mestizo de Sangleys and Tornatras)
• Sangleys (Pure Chinese): paid quadruple tax, considered outcasts but had skills valuable to Spanish
• Tax-free Castas (blancos): the top 3 classifications that were tax-exempt
• Peninsulares were pure-blooded Spanish born in Spain
• Americanos were natural-born Americans with pure Spanish blood
• Insulares were first natural-born Filipinos with pure Spanish blood
• Mestizos paid taxes; mestizo de sangley (Filipino-Chinese) paid double
• Mestizo de Bombay did not pay taxes
• Mestizaje paid tax based on lineage/status
• Tornatras, of mixed blood, had the lowest status

Class Struggles in History

• Fall of Aristocracy/Tsardom led to the Soviet Union and Marxism
• February Revolution symbolized the Tsardom's fall under Tsar Nicholas Romanov II
• Tsardom was a monarchy ruled by Tsars
• Romanovy: Ventsenosnaya Semya documented the fall of Russia’s imperial family
• Anastasia was inspired by the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov's mystery during the Bolshevik execution
• Vladimir Lenin/Communist Party overthrew the Russian monarchy in the Bolshevik Revolution (1917), resulting in Soviet Union
• Karl Marx theorized class struggle in The Communist Manifesto (1848) and Das Kapital (1867)
• The clash between oppressors (bourgeoisie) and the oppressed (proletariat) lead to a classless, communist society
• Karl Marx was known as the father of the Communist Manifesto

Figures in Class Struggle

• Ernesto "Che" Guevarra who symbolized class struggles in South America
• Andres Bonifacio led the Katipunan in the Philippines
• Jose Rizal inspired revolution, executed by Spanish military
• Diego & Gabriela Silang rebelled against Spanish rule
• Antonio Luna was known for military strategy

Martial Law and Political Repression in the Philippines

• Ferdinand Marcos' regime (1972-1986) included cronyism, nepotism, detentions, torture, and executions
• The Mendiola Massacre involved protesters being killed
• The Dekada '70 novel/film, and cancellation of Voltes V showed the struggle of themes during the time
• Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. was the political opposition leader
• Bonifacio “Boni” Ilagan was a filmmaker, activist, and a survivor of Martial Law
• Desaparecidos referred to Martial Law victims that were still missing
• Imeldific described lavish spending

Class Struggles in Music

• Tatsulok: (Buklod, popularized by Bamboo) a protest song about social inequality
• Upuan: (Gloc-9 ft. Jeazel Grutas) the seat of power exploiting the poor
• Gangsta's Paradise: (Coolio ft. L.V.) presents violence and survival

Class Struggles in Film

• Snowpiercer: (Bong-Joon Ho) critiques systemic oppression
• Parasite: (Bong-Joon Ho) depicts capitalism's false promise
• El Hoyo/ The Platform: (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia) critiques social hierarchy

Class Struggles in Musical Theatre

• Les Miserables: explores justice and social inequality through compassion
• Miss Saigon: examines colonialism's cultural consequences and personal displacement

Definition of Sex

• Sex is the biological trait determining reproductive function based on gametes
• Male: relates to sperm carrying gametes
• Female: relates to ovum carrying gametes
• Intersex (hermaphrodites): relates to differing sex organs

Gender Spectrum

• Gender is a spectrum of norms, behaviors, and roles
• It is associated with one's self and relationships with others

Sexual Orientation Defined

• Sexual orientation describes emotional, romantic, and/or sexual inclination to others
• Androphilia: relates to attraction to masculinity (gay and heterosexual)
• Gynephilia: relates to attraction to femininity (lesbian and heterosexual)
• Bisexual: relates to attraction to both genders
• Pansexual: relates to attraction to all genders
• Asexual: relates to no sexual attraction

Gender Identity Defined

• Gender identity describes self evaluation
• Cisgender: Gender matches birth sex
• Transgender: Gender differs from birth sex
• Genderqueer: Gender not fitting cis/trans categories
• Agender: relates to no gender identity
• Non-Binary: relates to those not fitting male/female categories

Gender Expression Defined

• Gender expression communicates gender via actions and choices
• Masculinity represents male characteristics
• Femininity represents female characteristics
• Androgyny is the expression of both male and female qualities

Issues on SOGIE

• Gender ambiguity is the blurring of gender distinctions
• Gender confusion is uncertainty regarding gender
• Gender inequality is unequal access due to gender
• Gender discrimination involves unfair treatment due to gender
• Sexism is a belief system reinforcing gender stereotypes

Pronoun Debate

• The debate centers on legal, social recognition of chosen pronouns

SOGIE Bill

• The SOGIE Bill includes human rights to live, work, express, love, marry, and no discrimination
• It includes the proper use of pronouns, equal opportunities, and reducing discrimination

SOGIE Depictions in Music

• Sirena: (GLOC-9 ft. Ebe Dancel) explores discrimination and identity
• Ituloy Mo Lang: (Siakol) conveys resilience for individuals
• "If You Were a Woman": (Bonnie Tyler) explores societal roles and inequality
• Freedom! '90: (George Michael) explores self-liberation

SOGIE Depictions in Film

• Markova: Comfort Gay explores resilience during wartime
• Die Beautiful shows living authentically
• Rainbow’s Sunset shows LGBTQ+ acceptance

SOGIE Depictions in TV

• My Husband’s Lover shows forbidden love
• Destiny Rose shows self-acceptance
• Dading shows unconventional family
• Beki Boxer shows perseverance
• The Rich Man’s Daughter shows self-discovery
• Pose shows resilience in LGBTQ+ communities

Race Defined

• Race divides human species into groups based on traits

Racism Defined

• Racism reflects belief that race determinants cause superiority

Racial Science

• Racial Science splits humankind into unequal races
• The pseudoscience suggests one race dominates due to being "human"
• Carolus Linnaeus categorized racial subspecies
• Petrus Camper developed facial angles to rank beauty
• Johan Friedrich Blumenbach coined "Caucasian"
• Samuel George Morton falsely linked skull size to intelligence

C Ultural Appropriation Defined

• Cultural appropriation is taking something without the owner's permission

Racial Appropriation

• Racial appropriation involved subjugating one race for the benefit of another: slavery
• BLM Movement connects African Americans
• Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement addresses marginalization
• Historical Context of Oppression notes slavery and Civil War
• Post-Civil War Discrimination involved Jim Crow policies and redlining
• Racial Appropriation in Media highlighted struggles:
  • Hidden Figures: Contributions of Black women at NASA
  • Django Unchained: the revenge of freed slaves
  • 12 Years a Slave: slavery’s brutality

Racial Appropriation in the Philippines

• Historical Oppression of Indigenous Tribes lead to land seizure/labor under during colonization
• Major Indigenous Groups Include the Igorot in Northern Luzon
  • Consisting of Abra, Apayao, Benguet, Ifugao, Isabela, Mountain Province, and Nueva Vizcaya groups
• The Lumad resides in Mindanao -Includes Bangsamoro, CARAGA, Davao, North Mindanao, SOCCSKSARGEN, Zamboanga Peninsula
• Aetas/Atis are earliest inhabitants
• Mangyans preserve own script/culture
• Badjaos are "Sea Nomads"
• Various Palawan tribes have customs

Struggles of Indigenous People

• Businesses target these lands for deforestation
• Land conversion results in subdivisions
• Tribes resist by protesting or face displacement

Indigenous People - Government Interference

• Military presence leads tribes to clash
• Human rights get violated
• Lumad killings oppose corporate land issues

Indigenous Depiction in Music

• Masdan Mo Ang Kapaligiran: (ASIN) raises destruction awareness
• Bayan Ko: (ASIN) has nationalist tones
• Balita: (ASIN) speaks on injustice
• Ang Bayan Kong Sinilangan: (ASIN) expresses homeland love

Indigenous Depiction in Film

• Busong: deals with Palawan healing
• Baboy Halas: deals with Manobo people’s nature connection

Cultural Appropriation Defined

• Cultural appropriation is disrespectful use of non-dominant objects or elements

Whitewashing

• Whitewashing refers to white actors portraying POC
• Mickey Rooney used yellowface in Breakfast at Tiffany's
• Johnny Depp played Tonto in The Lone Ranger

The Model Minority Myth

• Asians: Stereotyped as "successful" and faced systemic ignorance and racism.

Cultural Appropriation Examples

• Yoga is practices without awareness of its religion

Peace Studies Defined

• Peace Studies is an interdisciplinary field: examines violence, conflict resolution o Peace Studies in Popular Culture o Hippie Movement: Anti-war, nonviolence o Punk Movement: Critical government

Contemporary Era Defined

• Contemporary: Anything in same time
• Andy Warhol/Lino Brocka were from the 1900s

Trends

• Trends: a prevailing preference
• Twitter - an example of hashtag for trend tracking

Contemporary Trends

• Social Media Current: TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat
• Social Media Past: Friendster, Imeem, Multiply, Vine, MySpace, and more

Popular Culture Categories

• Flops (Bombs) - Failed trends or works
• Fads - Popular but fade
• Sleeper Hits are unrecognized but become popular
• Cult Followings - fanbases devoted to media
• Blockbusters are films, books that become significant

Parodies, Samplings, Remixes

• Parodies are satirical imitations, such as Weird Al Yankovic's songs
• Samplings are reused segments; Gangsta’s Paradise sampled Stevie Wonder
• Remixes add new elements

Culture

• Classics stay culturally artistically through time
• High Culture are classical with transcend time
• Folk Culture preserves traditions in forms (music)

Celebrity Defined

• Celebrity is being celebrated and gaining public recognition

Celebrification

• Celebrification is becoming a celebrity -Intellectual Property uses indigenous property without credit -Artifacts are headdresses worn without consent Fashion sells turbans discarding religious significance Music credits without the black origin

Celebrities - Type

• Film industries’ people Filmmakers direct Writers use novels Actors are important Singers are essential
• Influential figures are helpful for lifestyle Fashion benefits from designer Filmmaker is the cinema pioneer Chefs and food experts

Sports Celebrities

• sports of course
• athletes too
• the leagues as well are also important

Media and News - Important

• influence exists for these personnel
• there are also ones who are infamous covered

Leaders and Politicians Influence

• world and history's leaders influence
• same for activists