STUDENTS LEARNING MATERIALS

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

MET #1 A. Starting points for the understanding of culture, society, and politics

The student can make a graphic organizer (in the form of a problem
identification matrix) explaining issues or phenomenon using the
LEARNING OUTCOME concepts of culture, society and politics in order to appreciate the value
of and the interrelatedness of the disciplines of Anthropology, Political
Science and Sociology.

TIME ALLOTMENT 200 minutes

INTRODUCTION
Hi there! Welcome to our most essential topic 1. This learning material will discuss the three different fields of
social sciences namely, Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science. You are expected to demonstrate an
understanding of the significance of studying culture, society, and politics and the rationale for studying
anthropology, political science, and sociology. You should be able to adopt an open and critical attitude on
various social, political, and cultural phenomena through observation and reflection and appreciate the value
of the disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science as social sciences and their
interrelatedness. If you have concerns/ clarifications, please feel free to contact me following the guidelines
and policies stipulated in the student manual.

Day 1(Time on Task:50 mins)

So, first thing first. To start with, accomplish the activity below
Activity 1-CONCEPT MAP: Complete the concept map by writing any term that you can associate with the
following concepts and answer the processing questions below.

Online Offline
Synchronous: Watch a video on culture, society and Read the UCSP textbook (pages 7-12) and use it as
politics. The links are provided below. Answer the reference to answer the activity template below.
provided template of concept map and processing
questions.
Culture and society | Society and Culture | MCAT |
Khan Academy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQsBM1dZLO4
What is Politics?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9ZHSfnvMz4

Asynchronous: This can be part of an online

discussion via video conferencing platform

1
Processing Questions:
1.Given the ideas that you associated with culture, society and politics, provide your own definition of each
term.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
2. Given your definition of culture, society, and politics, do you see any relationship between and among these
terms? Explain your answer.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY POINTS:
 Culture is a nation’s social heritage embodied in their material and non-material components passed
on from one generation to another.
 Society is the interrelated, independent and overlapping social relations among the different social
institutions with members who are interacting with each other.
 Politics is concerned with the distribution of power and authority among members of a certain group.
 The interplay of culture, society and politics can be seen in the different social realities and social
issues faced by society. These social realities can be seen in the different events taking place in our
society. It can be noted that the reality of these changes is inevitable. Election happens, there is now
the cultural shift giving rise to the loosening of what was then close family ties, the massive use of
the social media that leads to the technological revolutions, the secularization of society as well as
population growth in different parts of the world.
 In order to best look into changes that society is going through, it is therefore best fitting to look into
using the points in sociological study.
-Where we live shapes the lives we lead.
-Societies are interconnected.
-Many social problems are more serious than they look.
-Thinking globally help us learn more about ourselves.
-It helps us see the opportunities and constraints in our lives.
-It helps us assess the truth of “common sense”.
-It empowers us to be active participants in our society
-It helps us live in a diverse world. 2
 Day 2(Time on Task:50 mins)
Now that you have defined culture, society and politics and explain their interrelationship, you are now ready to
explore further the disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science and their interrelationship.

Online Offline
ASynchronous: Access the reading materials/ watch a video on Anthropology, Read the UCSP textbook
Sociology and Political Science. The links are provided below. Answer the (pages 15-26) and answer
provided template of data retrieval chart and processing questions. the activity template below.

What is Anthropology?
https://www.americananthro.org/AdvanceYourCareer/Content.aspx?ItemNumber=2150
An Introduction to the discipline of Anthropology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5aglbgTEig&t=103s
What is Sociology?
https://sociology.cornell.edu/undergraduate
An Introduction to the discipline of Anthropology
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32KG_ba_NJc
What is Political Science?
https://www.polisci.washington.edu/what-political-science
An Introduction to the discipline of Politics
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzIcWW3FWSQ&t=39s

Synchronous: This can be part of an online discussion via a web conferencing

platform

Activity 2-DATA RETRIEVAL CHART: Discuss the following social sciences.

What kinds of social

issues are of interest to
this discipline and how
Social Science
Definition Main Concern Proponents does it provide
Discipline
explanations to address
these issues?

ANTHROPOLOGY

SOCIOLOGY

POLITICAL
SCIENCE

3
 KEY POINTS:
 Science is the way of learning about the world through disciplined inquiry which combines systematic
theory and observation that provide explanation of how things work
 Anthropology is the study of humanity with the following subject matters: earliest fossilized bones of
humanlike creatures, the artifacts and material traces left in the earth by our ancestors and all of the
living or historically described peoples of the earth through the systematic analysis and compassion
of all that can be discovered about humanity.
 Sociology is the systematic study of social life and behaviors, especially in relation to social systems-
how they work, how they change, the consequences they produce and their complex relation to
people’s lives.
 Political science is the branch of social science that deals with the foundation of the state and the
principles of government.

Day 3(Time on Task:50 mins)

Great! You’re just doing it right. Now, let’s deepen our understanding by finding out the common concerns or
intersection of the social sciences namely, Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science.

Online: Offline: Read the UCSP textbook (pages 27-

ASynchronous: Access the reading materials/watch a video 28) and answer the activity template below.
links on Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science. The
links are provided below. Answer the template on data
retrieval chart below.

The Nature and Goals of Anthropology, Sociology and Political

Science
https://sosgurus.com/nature-and-goals-of-anthropology-
sociology-and-political-science/

Anthropology and Sociology - What is the Difference - Off the

Shelf 2-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njfqkj3Ej9M

The Relationship of Sociology with Other Social Sciences

https://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/sociology/the-relationship-
of-sociology-with-other-social-sciences/6248

Synchronous: This can be part of an online discussion in a

web conferencing platform

4
Activity 3- VENN DIAGRAM. Complete the Venn diagram to see the interrelatedness of social sciences. You
may use key words/phrases to support your answer.

SOCIOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY POLITICAL SCIENCE

Processing Question:
1. How are the disciplines Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science interrelated with one another? Give
one concrete example.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________

KEY POINTS:
 Each discipline provides a unique way of seeing and an equally unique way of zooming in on social
details. Regardless of their angles of looking, they share a common goal: to understand the “social”
and to explore the how it drives the unfolding society as we know. They are interdisciplinary courses
in the sense that the elements of one can be found in another.
 Together, these sciences show the three faces of the social, with each discipline representing a
unique facet of it. And given their disciplinal foci, they provide a precarious yet captivating portrayals
of social life as impinged upon by the social forces (sociology); routinized by cultural practices
(anthropology) and constantly enmeshed in power relations (political science) The junctures of these
depictions of the social forces are sought by the multidisciplinary approaches in the analysis of the
dynamics of interactions and institutions.

5
 Day 4(Time on Task:50 mins)
Wow! You’re doing a great job. Let us now see the importance of the discussion in your life.

You’re such a fast learner. We are done discussing the nature, goal and perspective in/of Anthropology.
Sociology and Political Science. Let us now apply these sciences into a real-life situation by identifying and
explaining how these social disciplines are evident in addressing societal issues.

EAA 1a: GRAPHIC ORGANIZER (PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION MATRIX): Make a graphic organizer/
problem matrix that explains the social, political, and cultural contexts of a particular phenomenon, issue or
problem faced by the Filipinos at the present time. You should be able to explain how the social sciences
namely, Anthropology, Sociology, and Political science can help understand the issue. This task will
demonstrate your open and critical perspective on the importance of studying issues/phenomenon through the
use of observation and analysis. In particular, you are tasked to do the following:

 Identify an issue or problem relevant to your immediate community or to the Philippine society in
general.
 Explain in 3-5 sentences why you are particularly concerned about this issue/problem.
 Illustrate by giving concrete examples how we can utilize the disciplines of Anthropology, Sociology and
Political Science in understanding the said issue/ problem.

CONTENT AND ANALYSIS:

CRITICAL THINKING (50%)
COMMUNICATION (50%)
breadth and depth of working
knowledge is shown through
examples, explanations,
suppositions, and premises (from
the discussion) that showed
application and realization of
Anthropology, Sociology, and
Political Science (50%)
ORGANIZATION OF IDEAS:
presentation of ideas was clear
and cohesive showing proper
association of arguments. (30%)
MECHANICS: the rules of the
written language, such as
capitalization, punctuation and
spelling. (20%)
13-15: excellent content with highly appropriate discussions
10-12: superior content with appropriate discussions
7-9: very good content with slightly appropriate discussions
4-6: good content but lacks appropriate discussion
1-3: strained content with no apparent appropriateness in
discussion
5: excellent organization with highly appropriate discussions
4: superior organization with appropriate discussions
3: very good organization with slightly appropriate discussions
2: good organization but lacks appropriate discussion
1: strained organization with no apparent appropriateness in
discussion
5: excellent mechanics with highly appropriate discussions
4: superior mechanics with appropriate discussions
3: very good mechanics with slightly appropriate discussions
2: good mechanics but lacks appropriate discussion
1: strained mechanics with no apparent appropriateness in
discussion

SYNTHESIS
Social sciences study how people interact with and relate to one another. It is comprised of a wide array of
disciplines that studies the overall function of a society as well as the interactions among individual members of
an institution. It is also the discipline under which identity, culture, society, and politics are studied. Sociology
studies social life and human interactions, from how groups form to how large organizations run to how people
interact with one another.  Anthropology examines cultures within a society and theorizes about how those
cultures affect society. Anthropologists explore how people acquire cultural values.  Political science a
systematic study of politics with its emphasis on political systems and the distribution of power and activities
through which people make, preserve, and amend the general rules under which they live.

6
Each discipline played an important role in the development of our society. In Anthropology, society connotes a
group of people linked through sustained interaction. Members typically share a common culture or at least a
recognized set of norms, values, and symbolism that defines the society’s members. Anthropologists, help us
to understand how different societies organize themselves politically and economically. Anthropologists,
increasingly shed light on how complex social systems are created, established and maintained.
Sociologists study all aspects and levels of society. Sociologists working from the micro-level study small
groups and individual interactions, while those using macro-level analysis look at trends among and between
large groups and societies. For example, a micro-level study might look at the accepted rules of conversation
in various groups such as among teenagers or business professionals. In contrast, a macro-level analysis
might research the ways that language use has changed over time or in social media outlets. It helps us look
more objectively at our society and other societies. It directs attention to how the parts of society fit together
and change, as well as make us aware of the consequences of that social change. Sociology enables us to
gain a better understanding of the social forces in society that shape your own life so that you will be better
poised to deal with them.
Political science is a classical discipline that deals with the study of political phenomena. Its goal is to deepen
human understanding of the forms and nature of political action and to develop theoretical tools for interpreting
politically meaningful phenomena. Political scientists seek to understand the underlying ways in which power,
authority, rules, constitutions, and laws affect our lives. Like other social sciences, political science focuses on
human behavior, both individually and collectively.
Activity 4- COMPARATIVE TABULAR MATRIX: Complete the tabular matrix of the relevance/importance of
the social sciences namely, Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science.

As a Student As a Member of Society In terms of using the

discipline in understanding
societal problems

1. Anthropology

2. Sociology

3. Political
Science

7
 My Takeaway
Let us end this learning material by writing on the box 1- what have you learned, 2- key concept that still needs
further clarification and 3- ideas you can propose to extend your learning.

1
2
3