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Understanding
Culture, Society
and Politics
Quarter 1 – Module 4:
Sociocultural Evolution
Subject Area – 11/12
Self-Learning Module (SLM)
Quarter 1 – Module 4: Sociocultural Evolution
First Edition, 2020

Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall subsist in any work of
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wherein the work is created shall be necessary for exploitation of such work for profit. Such
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Every effort has been exerted to locate and seek permission to use these materials from their
respective copyright owners. The publisher and authors do not represent nor claim ownership
over them.

Development Team of the Module


Writers: Lorna Solo / Sharon Cabatingan
Editors: Joel Andres
Reviewers: Judith Alba
Illustrator: Patrick Ebuetada
Layout Artist: Edward Ryan Gulam / Maylene Grigana
Cover Art Designer: Ian Caesar E. Frondoza
Management Team: Allan G. Farnazo, CESO IV – Regional Director
Fiel Y. Almendra, CESO V – Assistant Regional Director
Gildo G. Mosqueda CEO V -Schools Division Superintendent
Diosdado F. Ablanido, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent
Gilbert B. Barrera – Chief, CLMD
Arturo D. Tingson Jr. – REPS, LRMS
Peter Van C. Ang-ug – REPS, ADM
Johnny Sumugat - REPS – Subject Area Supervisor
Donna S. Panes, Ph.D - CID Chief
Elizabeth G. Torres- EPS In Charge of LRMS
Judith B. Alba Division ADM Coordinator
Judith B. Alba EPS – Araling Panlipunan Supervisor

Printed in the Philippines by Department of Education – SOCCSKSARGEN Region


Office Address: Regional Center, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, City of Koronadal
Telefax: (083) 2288825/ (083) 2281893
E-mail Address: region12@deped.gov.ph
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Understanding
Culture, Society
and Politics
Quarter 1 – Module 4:
Sociocultural Evolution
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:

Welcome to the Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Self-Learning Module


(SLM) on Sociocultural Evolution!

This module was collaboratively designed, developed and reviewed by educators both
from public and private institutions to assist you, the teacher or facilitator in helping
the learners meet the standards set by the K to 12 Curriculum while overcoming
their personal, social, and economic constraints in schooling.

This learning resource hopes to engage the learners into guided and independent
learning activities at their own pace and time. Furthermore, this also aims to help
learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration their
needs and circumstances.

In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:

Notes to the Teacher


This contains helpful tips or strategies that
will help you in guiding the learners.

As a facilitator you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to manage
their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist the
learners as they do the tasks included in the module.

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For the learner:

Welcome to the Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Self-Learning Module


(SLM) on Sociocultural Evolution!

The hand is one of the most symbolized part of the human body. It is often used to
depict skill, action and purpose. Through our hands we may learn, create and
accomplish. Hence, the hand in this learning resource signifies that you as a learner
is capable and empowered to successfully achieve the relevant competencies and
skills at your own pace and time. Your academic success lies in your own hands!

This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities for
guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be enabled to
process the contents of the learning resource while being an active learner.

This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:

What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in the
module.

What I Know This part includes an activity that aims to


check what you already know about the
lesson to take. If you get all the answers
correct (100%), you may decide to skip this
module.

What’s In This is a brief drill or review to help you link


the current lesson with the previous one.

What’s New In this portion, the new lesson will be


introduced to you in various ways such as a
story, a song, a poem, a problem opener, an
activity or a situation.

What is It This section provides a brief discussion of the


lesson. This aims to help you discover and
understand new concepts and skills.

What’s More This comprises activities for independent


practice to solidify your understanding and
skills of the topic. You may check the
answers to the exercises using the Answer
Key at the end of the module.

What I Have Learned This includes questions or blank


sentence/paragraph to be filled in to process
what you learned from the lesson.

What I Can Do This section provides an activity which will


help you transfer your new knowledge or skill
into real life situations or concerns.

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Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.

Additional Activities In this portion, another activity will be given


to you to enrich your knowledge or skill of the
lesson learned. This also tends retention of
learned concepts.

Answer Key This contains answers to all activities in the


module.

At the end of this module you will also find:

References This is a list of all sources used in developing


this module.

The following are some reminders in using this module:

1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of the
module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.

We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning and
gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!

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What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the Sociocultural Evolution. The scope of this module permits it to be used in many
different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse vocabulary
level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard sequence of the
course. But the order in which you read them can be changed to correspond with
the textbook you are now using.

The module is divided into three lessons, namely:


Lesson 1. Cultural, Social, Political and Economic Symbols
Lesson 2. Cultural, Social, Political and Economic Practices
Lesson 3. Significance of Cultural, Social, Political and Economic Symbols
and Practices

After going through this module, you are expected to:


1. Identify cultural, social, political and economic symbols
2. Discuss cultural, social, political and economic practices
3. Explain the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols
and practices
4. Compare and contrast the significance of cultural, social, political and
economic symbols and practices.

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What I Know

Hello dear students! Do you know that the world is filled with symbols and practices?
Sports uniforms, company logos, and traffic signs are symbols. In some cultures, a
gold ring is a symbol of marriage. Some symbols are highly functional; stop signs,
for instance, provide useful instruction. Humans, consciously and subconsciously,
are always striving to make sense of their surrounding world. Symbols—such as
gestures, signs, objects, signals, and words—help people understand the world.
Symbols provide clues to understanding experiences. They convey recognizable
meanings that are shared by societies.

In this module, we will analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and
economic symbols of practices shared and played by members of society.
In this part, let’s check your knowledge on cultural, social, political and
economic symbols and practices.

Choose the correct answer in the following statements below. Write your answers on
the space provided.

___1. Which of the following cultural symbols of Philippines represents nationalism?


a. Sandata
b. Baybayin
c. Philippine Flag
d. Mungul Jar

___2. An object, word, or action that stand for something else with no natural
relationship that is culturally defined.
a. culture
b. practices
c. symbols
d. belief
___3. What is the best-known symbol used to represent Islam?
a. Cross
b. Star and Crescent
c. Aum
d. Pratik

___4. A symbol that is perceived visible, external denotation of


one’s social position and perceived indicator of economic or
social status.
a. Political symbol
b. economic symbol
c. social symbol
d. cultural symbol

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___5. An object made by a human being, typically an item of
cultural or historical interest.
a. Symbol
b. Culture
c. Artifacts
d. Dove

___6. An american sociologist who argued that human society


undergoes trasnformation and evolution and in the process
develops technological advancement.
a. Gerhard Lenski
b. Karl Marx
c. Max Weber
d. George Herbert Mead

___7. It is the change that occurs in a population over time.


a. culture
b. evolution
c. politics
d. society

___8. Type of societies that grow crops with simple tools and raise
livestock.
a. Hunting and gathering
b. Horticultural and pastoral
c. Industrial
d. Postindustrial
___9. All human cultures evolve over time. Which of the following things is
responsible for this?
a. culture is an adaptive mechanism
b. culture is instinctive
c. culture is cumulative
d. all of the above

___10. It is the communication of thoughts and feelings through a system of


arbitrary symbols.
a. tools
b. language
c. culture
d. symbols

Good Job! You are done on the first part of this module. Now, let us proceed to the next
activity.

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Lesson
Cultural, Social, Political and
1 Economic Symbols

What’s In

Let’s take a review from your previous lesson by answering the statements
below.

Direction: If the statement is true, write the word AGREE. If the statement is false,
write the word DISAGREE.

__1. Society and culture is a complex whole.

__2. Cultural relativism mitigates ethnocentrism.


__3. Man’s behavior is greatly shaped by the society and culture where he belongs.

__4. Culture is an organized body of conventional understanding manifested in art


only.
__5. People live together always in a large-scale grouping.

Notes to the Teacher


To engage the learners with this lesson, please revisit from other
references on the different cultural, social, political and economic
symbols and practices. You may also ask them of their own local
practices.

Awesome! I know you are ready to the next topic in this module.

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What’s New

Symbols often get noticed when they are used out of context. Used unconventionally,
symbols convey strong messages. A stop sign on the door of a corporation makes a
political statement, as does a camouflage military jacket worn in an anti-war protest.
Symbols are the basis of culture. A symbol is an object, word, or action that stands
for something else with no natural relationship that is culturally defined. Everything
one does throughout their life is based and organized through cultural symbolism.
Symbolism is when something represents abstract ideas or concepts. Symbols mean
different things to different people, which is why it is impossible to hypothesize how
a specific culture will symbolize something. Some symbols are gained from
experience, while others are gained from culture. One of the most common cultural
symbols is language. For example, the letters of an alphabet symbolize the sounds
of a specific spoken language.

Cultural Symbols are a physical manifestation that signifies the ideology of a


particular culture or that merely has meaning within a culture. Cultural symbols
don't have to be actual symbols or signs; they can also be gestures such as
handshakes and hand signals. Additionally, the same symbol can mean different
things in different cultures. Americans should be careful in Greece, for example. The
thumbs up, which symbolizes that everything is great in American culture, is just
like giving the middle finger in Greek culture.

Social Symbols are relating to human society and its modes of


organization: social classes; social problems or a social issue. A symbol that
something people want to have or do because they think other people will respect or
admire them for it such as education, occupation, marital status, accomplishments,
or other factors.

Political Symbols are symbolism that is used to represent a political


standpoint. The symbolism can occur in various media including banners, acronyms,
pictures, flags, mottos, and countless more. For example, Red flags have traditionally
been flown by socialists, left-wing radicals, and communist groups to represent the
"blood of the workers". Black flags have traditionally been flown by anarchism, and
left-wing radicals to represent the absence of all oppressive structures. A
combination of the two colors in a black flag represents social anarchism, such as
anarchist communism and anarcho syndicalism.

Economic Symbols are symbols used in production, distribution, and


consumption of goods and services like currency, market, labor, demands and other
economic activities.

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Activity No. 1: “I KNOW THAT SYMBOL”

Instruction: Identify the pictures below, state if it is cultural, social, political or


economic symbol, and answer the guide questions given.

Symbols Name Exemplify

Processing Questions

1. What are the symbols that you have seen in the picture?
2. What are the uses of these symbols?
3. What are the significance of these symbols in the society?

Good Job!

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Have you ever wondered what society was like before your lifetime? Maybe you
wonder in what ways has society transformed in the past few centuries? Human
beings have created and lived in several types of societies throughout history. In this
activity, you are going to cite the practices of the different societies in social, cultural,
economic and political.
Activity No. 2: “PRACTICES THAT I REMEMBER”

Instruction: Cite the cultural, social, economic and political practices in the different
societies.

Type of Societies Cultural Social Economic Political


Practices Practices Practices Practices

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Processing Questions:

1. How does society emerged?


2. What type of society do we live in today?
3. Why do you think many different societies existed in the course of history?
4. Why these practices and symbols are important?

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Lesson
Cultural, Social, Political
2 and Economic Practices

What is It

What is sociocultural evolution?

Sociocultural evolution are theories of cultural and social evolution that


describe how cultures and societies change over time. Sociocultural evolution is "the
process by which structural reorganization is affected through time, eventually
producing a form or structure which is qualitatively different from the ancestral form.
Sociologist Gerhard Lenski (1924–) defined societies in terms of their technological
sophistication. As a society advances, so does its use of technology.

Sociologists have classified the different types of societies into six categories,
each of which possesses their own unique characteristics:

Earliest Societies
Hunting and gathering societies are the earliest form of society. The
members survive primarily by hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering edible
plants. The majority of the members' time is spent looking for and gathering food. A
hunting and gathering society have five characteristics:

1. Family is the society's primary institution. Family determines the distribution


of food and how to socialize children.
2. These societies are small compared to the others. They generally have less
than 50 members.
3. Hunting and gathering societies are nomadic, which means that they move
constantly in order to find food and water.
4. Members of hunting and gathering societies are mutually dependent upon
each other.
5. Although there is an equal division of labor among the members of hunting
and gathering societies, there is a division of labor based on sex. Men are
typically responsible for hunting, and women are typically gatherers.

Pastoral

Pastoral societies rely on the domestication of animals as a resource for


survival. Pastoral groups were able to breed livestock for food, clothing, and
transportation, and they created a surplus of goods. Herding, or pastoral, societies

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remained nomadic because they were forced to follow their animals to fresh feeding
grounds.
Horticultural

Horticultural societies formed in areas where rainfall and other conditions


allowed them to grow stable crops. They were similar to hunter-gatherers in that they
largely depended on the environment for survival, but since they didn’t have to
abandon their location to follow resources, they were able to start permanent
settlements. This created more stability and more material goods and became the
basis for the first revolution in human survival.

Agricultural

Agricultural societies relied on permanent tools for survival. Farmers


learned to rotate the types of crops grown on their fields and to reuse waste products
such as fertilizer, which led to better harvests and bigger surpluses of food. New tools
for digging and harvesting were made of metal, human settlements grew into towns
and cities, and particularly bountiful regions became centers of trade and commerce.

This is also the age in which people had the time and comfort to engage in
more contemplative and thoughtful activities, such as music, poetry, and philosophy.
This period became referred to as the “dawn of civilization” by some because of the
development of leisure and humanities. Craftspeople were able to support themselves
through the production of creative, decorative, or thought-provoking aesthetic
objects and writings.

As resources became more plentiful, social classes became more divisive.


Those who had more resources could afford better living and developed into a class
of nobility. Difference in social standing between men and women increased. As cities
expanded, ownership and preservation of resources became a pressing concern.

Feudal

These societies contained a strict hierarchical system of power based around


land ownership and protection. The nobility, known as lords, placed vassals in
charge of pieces of land. In return for the resources that the land provided, vassals
promised to fight for their lords.

Post-Industrial Society

Information societies, sometimes known as postindustrial or digital


societies, are a recent development. Information societies are based on the
production of information and services.

Digital technology is the steam engine of information societies, and computer


moguls such as Steve Jobs and Bill Gates are its John D. Rockefellers and Cornelius
Vanderbilts. Since the economy of information societies is driven by knowledge and
not material goods, power lies with those in charge of storing and distributing
information. Members of a postindustrial society are likely to be employed as sellers
of services—software programmers or business consultants, for example—instead of
producers of goods. Social classes are divided by access to education, since without
technical skills, people in an information society lack the means for success.

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These individual pieces of land, known as fiefdoms, were cultivated by the
lower class. In return for maintaining the land, peasants were guaranteed a place to
live and protection from outside enemies. Power was handed down through family
lines, with peasant families serving lords for generations and generations. Ultimately,
the social and economic system of feudalism failed and was replaced by capitalism
and the technological advances of the industrial era.

Industrial Society

In the eighteenth century, Europe experienced a dramatic rise in technological


invention, ushering in an era known as the Industrial Revolution. What made this
period remarkable was the number of new inventions that influenced people’s daily
lives. Within a generation, tasks that had until this point required months of labor
became achievable in a matter of days.

Steam power began appearing everywhere. Instead of paying artisans to


painstakingly spin wool and weave it into cloth, people turned to textile mills that
produced fabric quickly at a better price and often with better quality. Rather than
planting and harvesting fields by hand, farmers were able to purchase mechanical
seeders and threshing machines that caused agricultural productivity to soar.
Products such as paper and glass became available to the average person, and the
quality and accessibility of education and health care soared. Gas lights allowed
increased visibility in the dark, and towns and cities developed a nightlife.

What’s More
Societies are classified according to their development and use of technology.
For most of human history, people lived in preindustrial societies characterized by
limited technology and low production of goods. After the Industrial Revolution,
many societies based their economies around mechanized labor, leading to greater
profits and a trend toward greater social mobility. At the turn of the new millennium,
a new type of society emerged. This post-industrial, or information, society is built
on digital technology and nonmaterial goods.

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Activity No. 3: “MY COMMUNITY in the NEW ERA”
Instruction: Identify at least three (3) on the social, economic, political and cultural
practices and symbols that you observed in your municipality and cite its importance
to the society as a whole.

Ex. ALABEL
Cultural Social Political Economic Significance

Processing questions:
1. If given a chance to be born again biologically (after death), what type of society
would you like to live again? Why?

2. By the year 2050, what type of society we will have in this world?
Describe the life and practices of the people in this society.

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Lesson Significance of Cultural, Social,

3 Political and Economic Symbols


and Practices

What I Have Learned

The significance of Cultural, Social, Political and Economic Symbols and


Practices

Cultural practices are the manifestation of a culture or sub-culture,


especially concerning the traditional and customary practices of a particular ethnic
or other cultural group. It plays an important role for a civilization and character of
its citizens and society. It helps in striking the balance with Mother Nature,
conservation of natural resources and respecting each other. The examples of
cultural practices are religious and spiritual practices, medical treatment practices,
forms of artistic expression, culinary practices, housing and construction and
childcare practices.
Social Practices refer to everyday practices and the way these are typically
and habitually performed in a society. It shapes everyday life and are familiar to all
members of the community, even if not everybody participates in them. They are
relevant to community and help reinforce a sense of identity and continuity with the
past.

Economic system or practices are the means by which societies distribute


resources and trade goods and services. They are used to control the five factors of
production, including: labor, capital, entrepreneurs, physical and information
resources.
Political practices is a set of activities that are associated with making
decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations to individual such as the
distributions of resources.

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What I Can Do
Activity No. 3. “THE SIGNIFICANCE”

Instruction: From your responses from activity number 1 and 2. Write the
significance of these cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices
in our time.
Symbols and Practices Significance

1.
The Philippine Eagle

2. Great Seal of the Philippines

3.
National Sport & Martial Arts

4.
Ifugao Rice Terraces

6.
Metro Manila
You are almost done! We will try to evaluate your learning on this module.
Good luck! 😊

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Assessment
Direction: Read the statement carefully. If the statement is true, write the word
AGREE. If the statement is false, write the word DISAGREE on the space provided.
___1. Hunting and gathering societies is the oldest and most basic way of
economic subsistence.

___2. In the industrial society, human began to farm and domesticate animals.
___3. Culture is the entire way of life for a group of people.
___4. A symbol is a word, sign, or action that stands for something else.
___5. Cultural evolution focuses on the progression of only modern cultures.
___6. In horticultural societies, people use hoes and other simple hand tools to raise
crops.
___7. Symbol secures the preservation of the group.
___8. Artifact is an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or
historical interest.
___9. The development of agriculture led to an increase in social equality.
___10. Status symbol relates to how individuals and groups interact and interpret
various cultural symbols.

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Additional Activities

Activity No. 4. “I CAN COMPARE”

Instruction: Using the Venn diagram, compare and contrast the significance of
cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices.

SYMBOLS PRACTICES

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What I Know What's More Assessment
1. C 1. AGREE
2. C 2. DISAGREE
3. B 3. AGREE
4. C 4. AGREE
5. C 5. DISAGREE
6. A 6. AGREE
7. B 7. AGREE
8. B 8. AGREE
9. C 9. DISAGREE
10.B 10.AGREE
Answer Key
References

• Ariola, Mariano Understanding Culture, Society & Politics Unlimited Books Library
Services & Publishing,Inc. 2016

• Wilfredo San Juan and Ma Luz J. Centino ., General Sociology with Anthropology
and Family Planning

• Banaag, Lee Mark T., SOCIO-ANTHRO An Integrated and Interdisciplinary


Approach to the Study of Society, Culture and Politics Books ATBP. Publishing
Corp. 2016

Internet Links:

• https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.columbia.edu
/itc/anhttps://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=http://www.columb
ia.edu/itc/anthropology/rothschild/g6352/client_edit/pdfs/dec5.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjE
ieuD2dbpAhUB_GEKHWEQBqoQFjABegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0tQtCp8qrMcax
6z71DhmqZ
• https://quizlet.com/257616954
• https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-symbol-definition-examples.html
• https://www.symbols.com/category/10

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DISCLAIMER
This Self-learning Module (SLM) was developed by DepEd SOCCSKSARGEN with
the primary objective of preparing for and addressing the new normal. Contents
of this module were based on DepEd’s Most Essential Learning Competencies
(MELC). This is a supplementary material to be used by all learners of Region XII
in all public schools beginning SY 2020-2021. The process of LR development
was observed in the production of this module. This is version 1.0. We highly
encourage feedback, comments, and recommendations.

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – SOCCSKSARGEN


Learning Resource Management System (LRMS)

Regional Center, Brgy. Carpenter Hill, City of Koronadal

Telefax No.: (083) 2288825/ (083) 2281893

Email Address: region12@deped.gov.ph

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