Vanessa Mak Sociology 101 – Take Home Exam # 2

2005 – 00875

On Social Differentiation
In the Philippines, there is a very wide gap between the rich and the poor.
Distribution of wealth, power, and other resources is unequal. Those who belong to the
lower class are much greater in numbers than those who place in the upper strata of the
social structure. The social structure has become a means of controlling access to material
goods like money, houses, cars, and the non-material, such as power and respect. Groups
of people are ranked according to their occupation and income, housing, and educational
attainment. The working class and the lower class are at a great disadvantage in terms of
these, having little economic power. Baclaran is one such place where indicators of
poverty and crime abound.
Baclaran is similar to Divisoria and Quiapo, congested with people and stalls.
Many vendors can be found along the LRT. Common goods being sold are cellphone
accessories, dvds, cds, shirts, pants, shoes, fruits, etc. They are either sold off the street or
in stalls inside the low buildings along the LRT. Most of the stalls and stands are owned
by the Taiwanese and the Muslims. The Taiwanese and the Muslims that can be found
here do not escape stereotypes. The typical Taiwanese you will see is a hard worker,
difficult to haggle with when they have already settled on a price. They persistently offer
their goods (clothing, shoes, jewelry, are common) and usually sell them for wholesale.
On the other hand, the Muslims, who are also known to be diligent workers, are
commonly found selling dvds at the price of P50 to P60. Being resourceful, they are
sometimes known to fool costumers into buying reconditioned cellphone units that look
brand new but actually have malfunctions. Baclaran, like Divisoria and Quiapo, is a good
place to find cheap bargains and wholesales. However there are also compromises. The
dust, pollution, and visible trash altogether, make for an unclean environment. There are
also the occasional thieves who snatch cellphones, purses, or jewelry when people are not
cautious while walking or sitting inside the jeep.
The narrow streets in Baclaran lead to small baranggays. The houses are
constructed very close to each other and usually two to three stories high. There is a creek
at the back which has become a garbage dump, making it a breeding ground for dengue-
causing mosquitoes and big rats. Makeshift houses have been put up along the creek.
From time to time, violence and crime can be seen on the streets. There would be
the loud drunks who cause disturbances and break beer bottles late into the night.
Sometimes, two people would break into a fight in broad daylight. As for crimes, there
are thefts and holdups. There are those who enter other people’s houses and steal items
(‘akyat-bahay’). People who are walking on the streets in the middle of the night are
approached by suspicious people, who end up threatening people with knives or guns if
they do not hand over their wallets or cellphones.
Sources of income for people living here vary. Some opt to establish small
businesses such as carinderia or sari-sari stores. The capital is just enough to pay for
electric and water bills, for everyday living, and for restocking store supplies. Those who
are better off have built houses with several rooms that they lend out to others
(‘paupahan’). People are very poor that there are those who would turn to any sort of
business or racket in order to earn money. Some people disguise as beggars and roam
around asking for sympathy and money. Others do lottery, gambling, or 5/6. Sometimes,
salesmen go from door to door, offering goods, which unknowingly might have been
stolen. There are also those who solicit money from their neighbors by giving out
envelopes and saying that a relative of theirs has just died or is very sick or they even use
the name of the church, telling others that they are doing charity work.
Authorities are known to abuse their power. At times, people get arrested by the
police without a warrant of arrest. They are arrested without evidence, accused on the
basis of possessing illegal firearms or drugs, and made to pay money. Even if there is
evidence, but as long as they pay the price, their name can be cleared. Sometimes, the
police are also known to do intermittent warehouse raids just to make money off illegal
goods (usually pirated dvds and cds) that have been confiscated.
Recently, the squatters’ houses that can be found directly below the LRT have
been demolished. Many people have become homeless in an instant. The displaced
squatters build temporary homes in the receding areas. Still, they have no choice but to be
nomads who move from place to place every day. The government has not provided an
alternative place for these homeless to relocate to.
 Poverty is the state of not having enough resources to take care of basic needs
such as food, shelter, and clothing. This defines the situation that can be observed in
Baclaran. It can not only be seen in Baclaran but in many other areas as well. In these
places, there is little room for upward mobility and so the poor remain “poor”. There are
several theories attempting to explain poverty. The social Darwinian theory of poverty
explains poverty in terms of the behavior and attitudes. The poor continue to live in
substandard conditions because they do not do anything to alleviate their circumstances;
they indulge in gambling and drinking; they had no goals and aspiration. Basically, the
social Darwinian theory follows the belief that the poor are destined to be at the bottom
of the social ladder. To some degree, the poor may remain poor because they indulge in
unproductive activity, but who does not have ambitions or the desire to rise from
poverty? The behavior and attitudes of the poor are greatly affected by their economic
circumstances, which they cannot do anything about, most of the time. It cannot also be
helped if people were born into poverty. Furthermore, the state of being poor pushes them
to commit crimes such as theft and robbery. In relation to this, there is also the situational
theory of poverty, which supports that the poor behave the way their situation (access to
resources and opportunities) does not allow for them to assume the lifestyle of the middle
class. The culture of poverty by Oscar Lewis holds the same line of view but assumes that
there is an existing subculture of the poor, who embody the same set of values and norms.
Finally, the structural theory of poverty assumes that poverty is cause by the economic
structure of the society, which gives rise to inequality. The situation of the poor
population in the Philippines can be said to have come from a combination of all these
theories.

Citation for theories of poverty:

Islam, S. (2005) Sociology of Poverty : Quest for a New Horizon. Bangladesh e-Journal
of Sociology, 2 (1) : January 2005. Retrieved March 2, 2008 from:
http://www.bangladeshsociology.org/BEJS%20-%202.1.4%20-%20Sardar.pdf