QUARTER 2 – MODULE 4:

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS AND SUGGESTIONS IN ADDRESSING SOCIAL INEQUALITIES

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Explain government programs and initiative in addressing social inequalities;

THE GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL INEQUALITIES

The prevalence of social inequality in any society cannot be dismissed. In fact, 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 describes as a state of social affairs in which there is difference in opportunity,
status and treatment among the member of a given society

As Lee and Rawls (2010) assert it, 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 the society. It extends
to many areas like youth development, reflecting disparities in arenas beyond education such as mental
health, criminal justice, and workforce development (Alegria, Vallas, and Pumariega 2010; Fader,
Kurlychek, and Morgan 2014; Schwartz, Ferguson, and Symonds 2010).

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 on the basis of their identity, to take part in society”
(World Bank, 2013, pp. 3-4).

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

The richest among all regions is the National Capital Region (NCR), where the GRDP per capita as of 2018
stood at P253,893, a 40% jump from the P181,748 in 2009.

The poorest Is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), with its GRDP per capita barely
improving from P14,052 in 2009 to P14,657 in 2018.

This is just one of the many social inequalities identified by the government which are either already
addressed with existing programs or are still being studied for possible formulation of viable projects.

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.

What is Social Inequality?

The best description of what social inequality is the uneven distribution of wealth in our country, where
few rich people had more, and the less fortunate people have less in life.

We often structure society by the way we divide people through different social classes. Labeling the
society as the upper class, middle class and the lower or working class. These classes were often made
on the basis of their jobs and income. One thing that we know is that as they go up in a social ladder,
they often have better access to education, healthcare, and other services such as housing, electricity,
technology, clean water, and good nutrition.
One of the best examples of social inequality brought about by this structured are felt by our minority
group of people. They tend to have greater degree of inequality experienced as manifested by their
lower income, lower education opportunities, reduce access to healthcare

Aside from our minorities, very poor people also experience greater social disadvantages.

Social inequality was also very evident in gender to, we know that being female carries with them
certain disadvantages to social equality and that female always experience differences in terms of pay
from their work, and were not given equal opportunities to be promoted to higher positions in a private
company or public institutions

What will happen when we have high rates of social inequality?

People might feel that they are socially excluded and politically disempowered. This feeling may
potentially create a combination of things which can lead to civil unrest and may tempt people to do
criminal activities.

What can we do about social inequality?

The government has the main duty to wind down if they cannot make it even all these forms of social
inequalities. It is one of the most important functions they carried out. Their scope of power involves the
exercise of authority in the production, distribution, and use of resources. This describes who gets what
and under what circumstances.

Variety of government schemes to allow financial support or social support like such as food stamps for
individuals facing considerable hardships. They can try and identify and remove barriers to healthcare
and education for people facing hardships. They can carry out further research into these vulnerable
populations to help understand their needs and try to figure out suitable interventions where they can
make a difference into lives of these people and allow them to integrate better to our and become
productive members of society.

Addressing social inequality was not the role of the government at all. Other people and organizations
may take initiative to come together to push for the advancement of their common interests by means
of collective actions. These organizations known as the civil society organizations and non-governmental
organizations are consider as non-state, nonprofit, and voluntary organizations play an important role in
addressing problems of inequality. They were considered as the third sector of the society who work
side by side with government and business sectors. One example are the private and business
foundations and independent NGO’s of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation helping the poor in the
developing and undeveloped countries. Red Cross Philippines provides emergency relief, health needs
and basic needs assistance of those who are in need. Trade Union of the Philippines which provides help
and legal assistance to our working class who experiences injustices and maltreatment in the workplace.

Social inequality remains a problem and should be everybody’s concern. Global peace will not be
possible for as long as problems arising from this inequality persisted. As what Nelson Mandela of South
Africa said and I quoted; “As long as poverty, injustice and gross inequality persist in our world none of
us can truly rest.”

So make your move and do you share.