12 Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Quarter 1 – Module 2 and 3: Culture and Society as

Anthropological and Sociological Concepts

Social Science – Grade 12 Alternative Delivery Mode Quarter 1 – Module 2: Culture and Society as
Anthropological and Sociological Concepts; and Module 3: Important of Cultural Relativism in attaining
Cultural Understanding. First Edition, 2020 Republic Act 8293, section 176 states that: No copyright shall
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Module Writers:

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12 Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 2 and 3: Culture and Society as Anthropological and Sociological Concepts

Introductory Message For the facilitator: Welcome to the Subject Understanding Culture, Society and
Politics of Grade 12 of Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module 2 for the lesson of Social Sciences in
the Senior High School! 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.

For the learner: Welcome to the subject Understanding Culture, Society and Politics of Grade 12 of
Alternative Delivery Mode (ADM) Module 2 for the lesson of Social Sciences in the Senior High School!
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

Need

Know

to

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. 3

This section provides a brief discussion

What is It

of the lesson. This aims to help you discover and understand new concepts and skills. This comprises
activities for independent

What’s More

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

Learned

Have

This

includes

questions

or

blank

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

What I Can Do

This section provides an activity which will

help

knowledge

you or

transfer skill

into
your real

new life

situations or concerns. 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!

What I Need to Know This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master your understanding regarding the Development of Humans as Cultural, Social and Political
Actors. 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 – Analyze the Concept, Aspects and Changes of Culture and Society.


Lesson 2 - Connection of anthropology to Culture.

Lesson 3 – Explain the Importance of Cultural Relativism in Attaining Cultural Understanding.

Most Essential Learning Competencies: 

Analyze the concept, aspects and changes of culture and society (UCSP11/12DCSIc-8 )

Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding. (UCSP11/12DCSId-10)

After going through this module, you are expected to: 1. explain the importance of the contribution of
anthropologist and sociologist to the understanding of culture and society; 2. explain the sociological
perspective on society; 3. analyze the concept of culture and society; 4. determine the aspects and changes
of culture and society. 5. define cultural relativism; and 6. explain the importance of cultural relativism in
attaining cultural understanding.

What I Know

This activity will enable you to assess your prior knowledge from the topic that will be discussed in this
lesson.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6.

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and write your answer in your activity notebook. It
defines how people relate to nature and their physical environment. a. Politics b. Anthropology c. Culture
d. Sociology It always describes human, human behavior, and human societies around the world. a.
Sociology b. Anthropology c. Political Science d. Culture It is a social science that deals with humans and
their interactions. a. Sociology b. Anthropology c. Political Science d. Culture Why anthropology a
holistic discipline? a. because the meaning of anthropology is came from Greek terms antropos (human)
and logos (study). b. because it seeks to answer the questions about human beings and its spiritual and
psychological experiences. c. because it uses an extensive and inclusive approach about the study of
human biological and sociological being. d. because there is a cultural anthropology to find the answers
about the questions regarding human as creation of God. It is a state or habit of mind in which trust or
confidence is placed in some person or thing. a. Beliefs b. Customs c. Traditions d. Norms Is the study of
anthropology important to the present generation? Why? a. no because it gives a complex confusion about
the understanding of different societies. b. no because the studies of anthropology before are not been
applicable in this present times. c. yes because anthropologists are government paid individuals, so they
need to do their part as employees. d. yes because knowing about the past gives better understanding of
today and best development comes in.

7. It refers to a theoretical foundation of contemporary anthropology. a. Nature of politics

c. Nature of culture

b. Nature of anthropology

d. Nature of sociology

8. It attempts to explain how the social world operates. a. Political theory b. Sociological theory

c. Anthropological theory d. Cultural theory

9. It is used to analyse and explain objects of social study and facilitate organizing sociological
knowledge. a. Theoretical perspective

c. Cultural perspective 7

b. Conflict perspective

d. Functionalist perspective

10. It sees social life as a competition, and focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.
a. Theoretical perspective

c. Cultural perspective

b. Conflict perspective

d. Functionalist perspective

11. The are branches of anthropology EXCEPT: a. archaeology

b. biological

d. linguistic

e. sociological

c. cultural

12. Which is a maladaptive culture but not adaptive? a. Filipino people wanted to have car even roads
can’t accommodate of many vehicles. b. Muslim countries like Saudi Arabia and Dubai eating pork even
against their culture. c. People in north side of Europe wearing thick kinds of clothing even summer
season. d. The department of education adapt other kinds of modalities to deliver the quality of learning.
13. The best statement for the general understanding of the word “deculturation” a. cultural understanding
is base from facts that never been forgotten. b. cultural application is base from theory of knowledge that
forgotten. c. cultural beliefs that can change because of the needs of the society. d. cultural beliefs that
can’t change because of the society’s needs. 14. What is the best content explanation of the figure about
culture? a. culture is a complex learning from other cultures b. culture is shared from mother culture to
other culture. c. culture is adaptive form what the environment needed. d. culture changes if needed to
change for survival. 15. For the historicism’s perspective as one theory of culture, that each culture is
unique and must be studied in its own context. Are you amenable into it? Why? a. definitely yes because
no one can answer the uniqueness of culture to other culture if there is study about the origin of life. 8

b. maybe because people do not only rely into one perspective but by many as possible ways to apply in
life’s situations. c. no because history makes the study of culture, politics and society complicated in the
field of sociology and psychology. d. yes because by the study, readers can evaluate their actions and
decisions about life process in the name of socialization.

Analyze the concept, aspects Lesson and changes of culture and 1 society What does it mean to be
human? This question is the focus of anthropology to answer. It is also the focus of this lesson to discuss
the study of culture in an anthropological perspective. By knowing human culture variation, it will give us
better understanding about human culture and the society in general. This module aids to explain the
important of anthropology in the study and culture.

What’s In Imagine our society in this present situation. In the midst of this pandemic, do you notice some
of the cultural change in your area? Example, mothers in the morning are in one place talking another
person in the barangay but now, we can’t see that happen frequently or in the celebrations, we love to
have mass gathering but now, we can’t able to do such. Activity 1. What I Think About This Directions:
List down your observations about the given picture below. Write your observations in your activity
notebook.

10

Guide Questions: 1. What are the things you can observe in the pictures? 2. What do you think are the
images all about? How can you say that? 3. Do you think, there is a need to study human further? Why or
why not? Great! Your answers symbolized that you have already know some of the parts/concepts of the
lesson. In this juncture, you may be also thinking of your part in the study of society. For the preparation
of the next lesson, concentrate first on the next activity to test your knowledge.

What’s New Activity 2. Fill up what is missing Direction: Copy the figure below and fill up the blank
images regarding your understanding about the word in the center/top. A. Anthropology

Anthropology

B. Culture

11
Culture

Guide Questions: 1. From your answers, what are the things you notice? 2. Do you think anthropology
and culture are connected to each other ? How? 3. Are you now ready for the lesson?

What is It After accomplishing the first activities, you are in the point of elaborating the topic from the
first module to this module by means of discussion as stated below: Topic 1. Concept of Anthropology
The field of anthropology that state humans’ study by humans is one of the simplest statements for the
term. Unlike other disciplines of the social sciences, this promotes a holistic study of humans.
Anthropology is derived from two Greek words antropos (human) and logos (study). The extensive and
inclusive approach such that anthropology studies humans as both biological and social creatures. It
inquires on the genetic composition of humans, their relationship with other primates, and their evolution
is what in the biological aspect concern about. Socially, it inquires on human 12

behaviors, attitudes, and belief systems, which range from birth practices to burial rites. According to
Ember, and Peregrine, 2010, anthropology can be defined as “the study of people- their origins, their
development, and contemporary variations, wherever they have been found on the face of the earth”.
Another key element that makes anthropology holistic is its research time frame, which ranges from the
evolution of humans from single specie to what we are in the current form. Various ethnic groupings and
geographic locations of humans are also part of the study of anthropology. The following are the
subdisciplines of anthropology: 1. Applied anthropology. Through the applications of theories and
approaches of the discipline, this subdiscipline attempts to solve contemporary problems. 2. Archaeology.
It examines the remains of ancient and historical human populations to promote an understanding of how
humans have adapted to their environment and developed. 3. Cultural anthropology. This promotes the
study of a society’s culture through their belief systems, practices, and possessions.Linguistic
anthropology. It examines the language of a group of people and its relation to their culture.

13

4. Physical anthropology. Views into the biological development of humans and their contemporary
variation. Anthropology key strength as a discipline of social science is its holistic approach to the study
of humans. It is holistic in the sense that it studies the following:

a. Humans, both as biological and social creatures; b. Human behavior from the time the species existed
to the time that it will desist; c. Human behavior from all regions of the world; d. All forms of human
actions and beliefs. The discipline’s arm in the applied science addresses the contemporary issues of a
globalizing world and informs public policy. For example, ethnographic researches on social issues
provide international organizations and governments key indicators for policy reforms and
implementations.

Activity 3. My Learning so far Direction: Answer the following questions in a one whole sheet of paper:
1. What is/are the additional information you gain about anthropology?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________. 2. Why is anthropology a holistic discipline?
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________. 3. Give your own example on
each branch of anthropology?
a.________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________.
b.________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________.
c.________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________. d.
_______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________.
e.________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________.

14

Lesson

Connection of anthropology to Culture

You have always heard the word culture being used in conversations.

At times, it refers to some ethnic; some people think of it as an allencompassing term that separates
humans from the rest of the animal kingdom. In addition, you also learned the concept of anthropology.
Human study humans as the general meaning. After this lesson, you can answer the question; What is the
connection of anthropology to culture? Or vice versa.

What’s In In the previous module, culture and anthropology are already defined. By this time, the
discussion gives more impasses in there connections. Do you want to continue the lesson? If so, you must
do this activity first to summarize the first lesson and connects to the next one. This is also an initial step
in the analyzation of the concept, aspects, and changes in/of culture and society; and explain the
importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding.

Activity 4. Explain me! Direction: Explain in writing (one half sheet of paper) this concept:
“Anthropologist

said,

culture

enables

humans
to

survive

in

their

environment”
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________.

15

*Use this table as the guidelines of assessment.

Categories

Points

Demonstrate a best knowledge and understanding regarding the 10 concept. Grammar and spelling, as
well as cleanliness of work are very visible Demonstrate a better knowledge and understanding regarding
the 8 concept. Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of work are clearly visible Demonstrate the
knowledge and understanding regarding the 6 concept. Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of
work are visible Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding regarding the 4 concept. Grammar and
spelling, as well as cleanliness of work are not so visible No written work

Great Job! You can now go to the next lesson because you already done the first activity to the lesson of
the module. Now, prepare yourself with the question: am I really aware the concept of culture? Then read
the next part.

What’s New Activity 5. Your song! Direction: Read the statements below and compose a song which the
lyrics are literally, discussing what you understand. “The actualization of human being in all his/her
learning is what we called culture. This idea is the overall concept about the new topic. As the lesson
presented, it will give you the meaning of culture like the following: 1.

Culture refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its
members understand the world. It includes groups that we are born into, such as race, national origin, 16
gender, class, or religion. It can also include a group we join or become part of. 2. Culture is a strong part
of people's lives. It influences their views, values, humor, hopes, loyalties, worries and fears.

It helps to have

some perspective and understanding of their cultures. 3. Culture and society defined, culture consists of
the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or
society. 4. Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and
contribute to society.

5. The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts.

a. A symbol is anything that is used to stand for something else. People who share a culture often attach a
specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound, or image. For example, a cross is a significant symbol to
Christians. It is not simply two pieces of wood attached to each other, nor is it just an old object of torture
and execution. To Christians, it represents the basis of their entire religion, and they have great reverence
for the symbol. b. Language is a system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people.
This includes full languages as we usually think of them, such as English, Spanish, French, etc. but, it
also includes body language, slang, and common phrases that are unique to certain groups of people. c.
Systems of values are culturally defined standards for what is good or desirable. Members of the culture
use the shared system of values to decide what is good and what is bad.”
_________________________________ Title
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

17

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

What is It Your initial understanding about the topic is already trace up. At this point of time, you are
already facing the next level of the module. Topic 2. Connection of anthropology to Culture The
relationship of anthropology and culture is an important factor in order to achieve a great result. The
branch of anthropology that obsessed in the study of culture is cultural anthropology. Cultural
anthropology (as you might expect) deals with culture in all of its myriad and delightful forms. It attempts
to define what culture is, to work out how it interacts with both people and the other cultures around it,
and how it changes over time. Cultural anthropologists will tell you that pretty much everything to do
with humans is culture. There are precious few non-biological things that are true human universals.
Armed out-group conflict is one. Another is the maternal incest taboo (note that incest itself is not a
universal taboo). Aside from these scarce universals, literally everything about humanity is mutable, and
you can find examples of these differences all 18

around the world. differences are culture.

For

lack

of

better

explanation,

these

“Culture” is the sum of learned, non-instinctual behaviors and beliefs that humans pass on from
generation to generation. It’s not one, unified, thing, but something groups of people create. Groups of
people overlap in various ways, and each group creates its own “culture” — so those cultures overlap,
too. How we know about it, is because of the study of anthropology. Anthropology is “the study of
humankind.” One of the things having to do with humans, is their culture — its wide variety, as well as
the underlying universals. The branch of anthropology that focuses on the study of culture is “cultural
anthropology.” So, anthropology and culture are interrelated to each other. Anthropology study human
actualization and culture is the factor of that actualization.

Activity 6. Connect me! Direction: Write what you learned from the discussion about the connection of
anthropology and culture. Anthropology

Connection/s

*Use this table as the guidelines of assessment.

Culture

Categories

Points
Demonstrate a best knowledge and understanding regarding the

10

topic. Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of work are very visible Demonstrate a better
knowledge and understanding regarding the topic. Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of work
are

19

clearly visible Demonstrate the knowledge and understanding regarding the topic.

Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of work are visible Demonstrate the knowledge and
understanding regarding the topic.

Grammar and spelling, as well as cleanliness of work are not so visible No written work

Guide Questions:

1. What is the connection of anthropology to culture? 2. Is this important in the study of the subject?
Why? 3. Are you ready for the next topic? Activity 7. Alternating Flow Chart Direction: Using the
alternating flow chart, write your opinion on the concept, aspects and changes of culture and society on a
separate sheet of paper.

Processed Questions: 1. What are your findings/ opinions based on facts? 2. What are the positive effects
of globalization? 3. How can you make the negative effects of globalization into positive one?

20

Topic 3. Understanding Society Before you start the topic, please look at your community. Imagine how
this community compose by many societies and the society that compose by many communities. In this
topic, you will understand deeper what society is by the knowledge of some scholars (sociologist). You
may start with this activity. Activity 8. Fill it in!!! Direction: Give your initial knowledge regarding the
word society that connects to your last lesson. Complete the graphic organizer below to give your initial
concept. Use another sheet of paper.

Society

Guide Questions: 1. What are the words, phrases and sentences that come into your mind if you heard or
read the word society? 2. Do you think this information can already give the whole concept of society?
Why or why not? 3. Why do we need to study more about it? The product of human interactions as
humans subscribe to the rules of their culture is called society. In general information of society, quote as
organization that caters to a human’s need for belongingness in a group. 21

The table below presents the varying understanding of society as prescribe by sociologist. Perspective on
Society

Sociologist

Society is an exchange of gestures that involves the use George of symbols.

Herbert

Mead

Society as a social organism possessing a harmony of August Comte structure and function. Society as
the complex of organized associations and George institutions with a community.

Douglas

Cole

Society is a total complex of human relationships in so Talcott Parsons far as they grow out of the action
in terms of meansend relationship. Society as a reality in its own right. Collective Emile Durkheim
consciousness is the key importance to society, which society cannot survive without. Society as a system
of usages and procedures of Robert

Maclver

authority and mutual aid of many groupings and and Charles Page divisions of controls to human
behavior and liberties. Society as a collection of individuals united by certain Morris Ginsberg relations
or mode of behavior that marks individuals off from others who do not enter into these relations or who
differ from them in behavior. *Theories of comparison about Society Note: The common terms that
surfaced in these 1. Social 4. Structure 2. Function 5. Complex 3. Collective 6. Relationship

definitions are the following: 7. Symbols 10. Exchange 8. Behavior 11. Institutions 9. System

Activity 9. Essay Writing Directions: Use separate sheet of paper to explain in writing your understanding
regarding the concept, aspects and changes of culture and society. Use the rubric assessment of activity 6
as guide to this activity.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________.
22

Lesson Explain the Importance of

Cultural Relativism in Attaining Cultural Understanding

Hi! Welcome to the last part of this module (but this lesson is for week 3). The first and second lesson as
well as the first module, introduced you to the world of culture and society. It guides you in tracing the
roots of culture and society, and it provides you some detailed account on their contributions to this fast-
changing world. Are you ready to learn more? Great!

What’s In From the last lesson, you studied the connection of anthropology to culture and analyze the
concept, aspects and changes of culture and society. In this lesson, it will give you the discussion about
the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding. Upon, finishing this lesson, you
are expected to define cultural relativism, and

explain

the

importance

of

cultural

relativism

in

attaining

cultural

understanding.

What’s New Activity 10. Complete Me! Directions: Complete the diagram by supplying the importance
of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding. Write your answer on separate sheet. Questions:
1. What is the importance of cultural relativism? 2. How do you relate each of its importance? 3. Why do
you think it is important to know cultural relativism?

23

What is It Was it hard to complete the diagram? To give you an idea of what it is, read and understand the
following concepts: ❖ Cultural relativism is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not
to make judgments using the standards of one's own culture. ❖ The goal of this is to promote
understanding of cultural practices that are not typically part of one's own culture. ❖ Cultural Relativism
is important to anthropology and one of the things that makes anthropology unique because it is a tool, a
method for attempting to see things from a multiplicity of viewpoints so as to better understand them. ❖
Cultural Relativism does not mean that anything a culture does is good or moral. This is one of the ones
that confuse people. ❖ Cultural relativism teaches us that, marriage patterns are cultural options, not
objective truth. ❖ Cultural Relativism doesn’t mean that cultures can’t be compared. There is sometimes
a strange notion that there are no commonalities between cultures. ❖ This is one of the reasons why those
trained in cultural anthropology are often great problem solvers for complex issues.

What’s More Activity 11. Stop and Reflect Directions: Create a table that shows a summary of what you
have learned from the discussion above. Write your answer in your separate sheet of paper What Cultural
Relativism is

What Cultural Relativism is not