Social Classes and Class Struggle

• Popular culture is a medium for the masses and can be described as a democracy.

Social Classes & Class Struggle

• Social class is a group within a society of the same socioeconomic status
• Social classes have been studied extensively in social science by philosophers like Thomas Hobbes, Karl Marx, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rosseau, and Max Weber.
• The lower class is a large group of people who live along or below the poverty line that cannot afford basic necessities
• The middle class, or working class, is the largest and most diverse group that lives along and beyond the poverty line
• The upper class is a small group with means to gain all basic necessities, but is apathetic and self-centered
• The Indian caste system is a famous social class system from the past
• Indian society is divided into two major groups, with one group subdivided into four sections.
• The Brahmins (priests) represent the highest level, followed by Khsatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (merchants, landowners), and Shudras (servants)
• The caste system emerged during the Islamic Rule in the 13th century and was reinforced during the British Occupation.
• The highest position in Filipino society is covered by the datu and the babaylan
• Babaylan is the highest religious position covered by Filipino women and homosexual men
• Datu is the highest position that leads the barangay
• The maharlika were feudal lords who agreed to band together
• The maginoo were people that served under the maharlika as their vassals.
• The timawa were the people that lived freely and in the service of the land
• Alipin is the lowest major caste in the pre-colonial Filipino caste system
• Aliping namamahay were workers of the land similar to peasants
• Aliping saguiguilid were the lowest because they were actual slaves
• Casta system is an incentivized system wherein each casta pays taxes based on their racial heritage.
• Indios (Filipinos) and Aetas (Aetas and other indigenous tribes) had base taxes and paid the minimum amount of tax.
• Sangleys paid quadruple the base tax because they were Chinese
• The blancos were the top three classifications that were exempted from paying taxes.
• The Mestizajes pay taxes, despite having mixed heritage and not all members having Spanish blood.
• Insulares were the first natural-born Filipinos with pure Spanish blood
• Americanos are Spaniards born from the American colonies and were exempted from paying taxes.
• Peninsulares were Spaniards from the Iberian Peninsula, were exempted from paying taxes, and held the most power and influence.
• The Mestizajes comprised four mixed heritages, each with their own hierarchy.
• The mestizo de Español was the highest, being the intermarriage of a Filipino and a Spaniard, and paid no taxes
• The tornatras term classified a mestizo de Español with Chinese blood, a mestizo de Sangley with Spanish blood, or a person with Spanish and Chinese blood.
• Mestizo de Bombay were people with both Filipino and Bombay (Indian) heritages and payed no taxes
• The Mestizo de Sangley were people with Filipino and Chinese heritages, paying fewer taxes than a chinese but more than indios
• Ernesto “Che” Guevara represents the countercultural movement and rebellion

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Expression

• Humans can experience changes in their bodies when they reach puberty, where they discover self identity including their sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression.
• Sex is the biological trait of gametes present, for sperm-carrying gametes (male) and ovum-carrying gametes (female)
• Intersex people have sex organs different from the normative organs of their respective sex.
• Gender is the spectrum of characteristics of women, men, boys and girls that include norms, behaviors, and roles that are socially constructed.
• Sexual orientation is the inclination to another person in terms of romance, emotions, and/or sexual urges.
• Androphilia describes attraction to men and/or masculinity.
• Gynephilia describes attraction to women and/or femininity.
• People who experience both androphilia and gynephilia are called bisexuals.
• Pansexuals are attracted to all people regardless of sexual orientation
• Asexual people have no sexual attraction to other people
• Gender identity is one's self-evaluation regarding their gender. People whose gender conforms to the sex they were born into are cisgender.
• Men who identify as male are cis-male, while women who identify as female are cis-female, regardless of sexual orientation. People whose gender identifies as the wrong gender are transgender: Transwomen identify as female while transmen identify as male, regardless of their sexual orientation. Many people identify as genderqueer or queer because their gender doesn't fall into cis or trans categories
• Others choose to be agender because there is no one gender fitting them, including non-binary people whom don't conform to gender or sexual identity categories
• Gender expression is how people express their gender through actions, mannerisms, and even fashion choices
• Masculinity is the expression of male qualities and attributes
• Femininity is the expression of female qualities and attributes
• Androgyny is the expression of both male and female qualities or attributes
• The SOGIE (Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression) bill is written and deliberated in the Legislative branch to ensure that everyone enjoys the same human rights. The bill ensures that everyone has proper use of pronouns, equal opportunities, and has reduced gender discrimination issues.

Race, Racism and Representation

• Race is the idea that the human species is divided into distinct groups based on shared inherited physical and behavioral differences.
• Racism is the behaviors or attitudes that reflect and foster the belief that race is a fundamental determinant of human traits, where differences make one superior.
• Carolus Linnaeus first sorted and "categorized" humans.
• Petrus Camper believed that ancient Greeks achieved human perfection, and studied facial angles to rank races on resemblance to the "ideal"
• Johan Friedrich Blumenbach coined "Caucasian" for people living on the slopes of Mount Caucasus in Europe, giving a racial name to white people
• Samuel George Morton argued that intelligence correlated to brain size, concluding that whites have larger skulls than other races

Racial and Cultural Appropriation of Indigenous People

• Racial appropriation is subjugating one race for the benefit of another.
• The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement is one of the most prominent issues concerning racial appropriation
• Redlining segregated people of color and white people in suburban homes.
• "Jim Crow policies" was abolished to give people of color recognition and equality.
• Luzon calls the indigenous people Igorot ("mountaineer"), while Mindanao calls them Lumad ("indigenous”).
• Igorot indigenous peoples are in Abra (Tinguian), Apayao, Bontoc, Gaddang, Isneg, Kalinga, Benguet, Isabela (Gaddang, Kalinga)Benguet (Ibaloi, Ifugao, Kankanaey, Ifugao), Mountain Province, Nueva Vizcaya (Ilongot). Lumad indigenous peoples (Tiruray in Bangsamoro, Banwa-on & Talandig & Manobo & Kamigiun & Mamanwa in CARAGA, Guiangga and Manobo in Davao, Tagabawa, Tagakaolo, Mandaya, Mansaka, Kalagan, T'boli in SOCCSKSARGEN)
• These tribes defend ancestral lands from businesses that destruct the environment, but are in turn placed under militarization
• Cultural appropriation: using objects and/or elements of a non-dominant culture to disrespect, discredit, reinforce stereotypes, or contribute to racial oppression.
• Whitewashing in visual entertainment: white people cast as people of color
• Another example of cultural appropriation is the model minority myth, meant to recognize Asian success, but only furthered stereotypes and hindered other communities of color
• Other forms of cultural appropriation include intellectual property, artifacts, dance, clothing/fashion, language, music, food, religious symbols, decorations, medicine, makeup, hairstyles, tattoos, and wellness practices

Peace Studies

• Peace studies: an interdisciplinary field that cements itself to offer an understanding of how armed conflicts begin, how to prevent them, and to build peaceful systems and societies
• Peace studies can take on ideologies found in countercultures, such as the hippie and punk movements