UNDERSTAND
ING CULTURE,
SOCIETY,
AND
POLITICS
Government
Programs and
Suggestions in
Addressing Social
Inequalities
The prevalence of social
inequality
in any society cannot be dismissed.
President Obama (2013) said
inequality is “the defining challenge
of our time.” It has been part of us
and is ever-growing and expanding
as time goes by.
Social inequality can be
described as a state of social affairs
in which there is a difference in
opportunity, status, and treatment
among the member of a given
As Lee and Rawls
(2010) assert, it is more
than just a case of
geographic difference.
While persons from
economically advantaged
backgrounds have always
gone to college at higher rates
than their less- privileged
peers, these gaps have
expanded since the 1980s.
However pervasive these
inequalities might be, though, it could still
be addressed.
The government, having identified
these inequalities, tries to formulate viable
projects and initiatives to support
research on programs, policies, and
practices that reduce inequality in
different sectors of society.
The cry of the minority (any small
group in society that is different from the
rest because of their race, religion, or
political beliefs, or a person who belongs
to such a group) roots from the desire to
achieve social inclusion.
Social inclusion is a fundamental
principle of social justice. It is the process
of improving the terms for individuals and
groups to take part in society” and “the
process of improving the ability,
opportunity, and dignity of people,
disadvantaged based on their identity, to
In the
Philippines, for
instance, the gap
between rich and poor
regions widens even
more. To address this,
the National Economic
and Development
Authority calls for
higher spending on
infrastructure and
social services.
In the
Philippines, for
instance, the gap
between rich and poor
regions widens even
more. To address this,
the National Economic
and Development
Authority calls for
higher spending on
infrastructure and
social services.
In 2019, Socioeconomic Planning
Undersecretary Adoracion Navarro said
the inequality in the gross regional
domestic product (GRDP) per capita, or
the average income of people in a region,
has widened from 2009 to 2018,
according to data from the Philippine
Statistics Authority.
Government Initiated Programs
The following table shows
some of the programs the
government has developed to help
alleviate social inequalities in the
country.
Despite these, although
people recognize that no single
program or project could actually
lead to major changes, the
government should still assure that
the measures it is taking are
toward approaches, programs,
policies, and practices that work to
reduce prevailing inequality in the
country.
Global Inequality
Inequality does not only exist
in our community, in our society, in
our country but also among
countries.
There are countries which are
economically matured and more
powerful than other countries and
ends up to become influential in the
global community.
This leads to a condition of
global inequality where developing
countries end up being controlled
and influenced by the developed
The case of the Philippines and
the United States is a good example
of this, where, culturally,
economically, and politically, the
Philippines is perceived to be under
the strong influence of the United
States due to the colonization in the
past.
Inequality can also be an
outcome of the relative strength of
a state as compared with another
in terms of strategic importance or
development assistance. Countries
with many resources tend to have
more power.
Countries that send official
development assistance (ODA) in
the form of loans and grants are in
the position to dictate their policy
conditions.
Military strength is also a source of
inequality where countries with superior
military competence are able to bully the
weaker ones, just in the issue of West
Philippine Sea between China and the
Philippines.
Global inequality can also be
manifested through transnational
business corporations and organizations
that operate globally. These private
corporations have enormous power to
influence the economy of the countries
where they have investments.
PT#1 - JUSTICE
PT#2 - POVERTY
REFERENCES:
1. San Juan, W. and Centeno, M.L.
(2017). Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics Books
atbp.Publishing Corp.Mandaluyong
City
2. Self-Learning Material, Department of
Education – SOCCSKSARGEN
Region
3. Department of Education PIVOT
Learner’s Material
