PHILIPPINE POPULAR CULTURE

MIDTERM EXAMINATION

MANUEL, SUZETTE P.
BSAC 2 KAIZEN

1. Make an essay from the theme “unity amidst cultural diversity.”

UNITY AMIDST CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Diversity is when people belonging to different religions, ethnicity, cast, creed, class
etc. live together. While unity stands for relations between different groups that bind
them into a single unit.
A family may have members with different views, interests or preferences who
show their diversity in many aspects, but as family, they demonstrate a sense of unity
among them. There is a feeling of togetherness and integration in unity. It is the spirit
that holds people together and a bond that connotes a sense of fairness.
According to Nehru, an Indian politician, unity in diversity is not just about people
of different backgrounds living together but also about understanding one another on
the basis of difference. It would be so hard to deal with other people that is different
from you but it is the difference that enriches human interaction. Unity amid diversity
plays a very important role in maintaining peaceful co-existence with people with
diverse culture and backgrounds. It helps them stay united despite their disagreements.
The diversity has its own purpose for us humans to learn the different things, way of
thinking, and experience the diverse that will help you grow in life.
So, despite being diverse with one another, we need to respect each others’
choices as well as their social, economic, and political background. Despite having
different opinion, let others express their views and give them their space and time.
Allow human interaction without questioning one’s religious, social and economic
standing. And create a tolerant behavior towards everyone, regardless of their culture,
norms and values.

2. Ethnocentrism was known to be the opposite of the thought cultural relativism. That
ethnocentrism is using your home culture as the standard. Thus, your culture as a
superior to others. This somehow leads to social stratification. How could be ones
culture be interpreted without the thought of superiority?
 Ones culture can be viewed or interpreted without the thought of superiority in a
way that an individual person’s beliefs and activities should be viewed and
understood in terms of that individual’s own culture, which is known as cultural
relativism. It is a concept that nobody comes from a neutral position. The way to
deal with our own assumptions is not to pretend that they don’t exist but rather to
acknowledge them, and then use the awareness that we are not neutral to inform
our conclusions.

3. “Culture and individual freedom.” Pining Garcia is a lady from Taluktok, Kalinga. She
has the mesmerizing beauty that every man is dreaming. On the other hand, Mang
Salcedo, handsome and a brave man who came from Tinglayan is suddenly in loved
with Pining. But from their cultural orientation no one is allowed to marry from the
opposite tribe. Their individual freedom to choose whom they can marry was then
deprived. If you are in their situation, how will you going to handle it considering your
cultural orientation.
 How nice it would be to find someone you wanted to marry and build a future with.
And it would be nicer if your cultures and differences won’t be a hindrance to the
both of you. But in the given situation, freedom to choose someone to love and
their culture is an issue. If I was in their situation, or in the situation of the girl to be
specific, if the cultural orientation is the problem wherein we aren’t allowed to
marry from different tribe then why won’t we be on the same tribe? Because I
believe, if our love with each other is real, one of us would compromise. If it’s a
love worth fighting it wouldn’t be bad for the one of us to sacrifice. And I guess,
admit it or not, some of our cultural orientation and practices doesn’t always seem
right, but because it is the culture we was raised to, we don’t have the choice but
to abide and be one them.