DEFINING

SOCIAL CLASSES
ANTOLIN, DAN JANNIEL
ASUNCION, DON JEROD
BUCCAT, MARC JANDEL
DIZON, GEO MARX
GANCHERO, JOHN VICTOR
 SOCIAL CLASSES
ACCORDING TO MARKET RESEARCHERS
AND BRAND MARKETERS

5 SOCIAL CLASSES:
CLASS A, B, C, D, and E.
Percentage Distribution of
Socioeconomic Classes in the
Philippines
This SWS survey shows that the high
income AB classes represent only 1% of
the families in the Philippine population.

Meanwhile Class C comprises 9%, with

class D representing the largest bulk of
families in the Philippines: 60%.

Therefore, six (6) out of every 10

Filipinos belong to Class D. Judging by
this huge percentage, we can say that
the “masa” population in the country is
Class D.
Percentage Distribution of
Socioeconomic Classes in the
Philippines
The poorest segment, Class E, also
comprises a big chunk. Around 30% of
Filipino families are classified under
this class, which undoubtedly confirms
that poverty in the Philippines remains
prevalent.

SOURCE: Social Weather Stations (SWS) research report

entitled “Family Income Distribution in the Philippines from
1985 to 2009”
 SOCIAL CLASSES
ACCORDING TO NATIONAL STATISTICAL
COORDINATION BOARD (NSCB)

3 SOCIAL CLASSES:
HIGH, MIDDLE, LOW
CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH
SOCIAL CLASS
LOWER CLASS
The lower class is typified by poverty,
homelessness, and unemployment.
People of this class, few of whom have
finished high school, suffer from lack of
medical care, adequate housing and
food, decent clothing, safety, and
vocational training.

SOURCE: cliffsnotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020,

from https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-
guides/sociology/social-and-global-stratification/types-of-
social-classes-of-people
WORKING CLASS
The working class are those minimally
educated people who engage in
“manual labor” with little or no prestige.
Unskilled workers in the class—
dishwashers, cashiers, maids, and
waitresses—usually are underpaid and
have no opportunity for career
advancement. They are often called the
working poor. Skilled workers in this
class—carpenters, plumbers, and
electricians—are often called blue
collar workers.

SOURCE: cliffsnotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020,

MIDDLE CLASS
These white collar workers have more
money than those below them on the
“social ladder,” but less than those
above them. They divide into two levels
according to wealth, education, and
prestige. The lower middle class is
often made up of less educated people
with lower incomes, such as managers,
small business owners, teachers, and
secretaries. The upper middle class is
often made up of highly educated
business and professional people with
high incomes, such as doctors, lawyers,
stockbrokers, and CEOs.

SOURCE: cliffsnotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020,

from https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-
UPPER CLASS
The lower‐upper class includes those
with “new money,” or money made from
investments, business ventures, and so
forth. The upper‐upper class includes
those aristocratic and “high‐society”
families with “old money” who have
been rich for generations. These
extremely wealthy people live off the
income from their inherited riches. The
upper‐upper class is more prestigious
than the lower‐upper class.

SOURCE: cliffsnotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020,

from https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-
guides/sociology/social-and-global-stratification/types-of-
social-classes-of-people
UPPER CLASS
Both groups have more money than they
could possibly spend, which leaves
them with much leisure time for
cultivating a variety of interests. They
live in exclusive neighborhoods, gather
at expensive social clubs, and send
their children to the finest schools. As
might be expected, they also exercise a
great deal of influence and power both
nationally and globally.

SOURCE: cliffsnotes.com. (n.d.). Retrieved February 7, 2020,

from https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-
guides/sociology/social-and-global-stratification/types-of-
social-classes-of-people
HOW TO CLIMB UP THE
LADDER?
APPROACH
OTHERS WITH
CONFIDENCE
Those with higher social status
have a greater sense of well-being,
say researchers Anderson, Kraus,
Galinsky and Keltner in “The Local-
ladder Effect: Social Status and
Subjective Well-being,” a study
published in Psychological Science.
RESPONSIVENESS
Being able to give emotional and
physical support for the people
around you is great for
relationships.
INITIATE
CONVERSATIONS
Those who cannot start
conversations or initiate activities
are less likely to be seen as social
assets. If you want to climb the
social ladder, you have to interact
with other people.
DRESS FOR
SUCCESS
As the old adage goes, "Dress for
the part you want." Find outfits that
tell others you are on your way to
the top rungs of the social ladder,
for instance, suits and ties, or
pressed slacks and an unstained
Seduce someone rich.
Marriage has always been a great way
to weasel your way into the upper class
(and for some, still is).

Find a lord who’s fallen on hard

times.
At the end of the 19th century,
America’s richest class was full of
industry titans, whose fortunes had
been recently acquired in railroads or
manufacturing.

Cross your fingers and pray a

distant relative kicks the bucket
before he can have a son.
While the American moneyed classes
could leave their fortunes to whomever
they wished, European gentry have
always been more restricted.
Fervently hope an older brother
dies.
Fancy aristocratic titles like earl and
duke (and the fortunes that accompany
them) only go to the oldest son, per a
system called primogeniture.

Make a ton of money.

The rags-to-riches tale is an American
staple. They say that money can’t buy
you love, but if enough libraries are
named after you, it’s hard for people to
argue that you’re one of the riffraff.

Join the military.

Becoming an officer in the military
could launch you into the respectability
of a gentleman.
Find God.
For Catholic men, becoming a priest
was a way to achieve greater status in
the community.

Vacation at a fancy resort.

Once upon a time, travelers had little
choice but to rub elbows at the local
inn, whether they were wealthy
merchants or poor pilgrims.

Fake it.
Before the Internet made it easy to dig
into a stranger’s past, it wasn’t hard to
completely fabricate a family history.