ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTE, INC.

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, & POLITICS

Candon City, Ilocos Sur GRADE 12
School Year 2021-2022 HANDOUT # 1

STARTING POINTS FOR THE UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Defining Culture, Society, and Politics

Culture is the sum of an individual’s way of life, ranging from the food he or she eats, the clothes he or she wears, and the house where he
or she lives. It also includes both the material and non-material things that he or she possesses or acquires. Non-material things are the norms and
values as well as the intangible aspects of his or her existence: music, dance, poetry, and other forms of expressions that showcase his or her
creativity and artistry.

Culture also includes fads and fashion trends, manners, and taboos as well as scientific knowledge and technology that manifest through
tangible aspects, such as architectural and engineering wonders, advancement in medicine, and breakthroughs in transportation and
communication.

Society is an organized group or groups of interdependent people who share a common territory, language, and culture, and who act
together for collective survival and well-being. The ways that people depend upon one another can be seen in different social features, such as their
economic, communication, and defense systems. They are also bound together by a general sense of common identity and pride of place. In reality,
there can be no culture without a society and so far, there are no known human societies that do not exhibit culture (Haviland, et. al: 312).

Politics refers to the “theory, art, and practice of government.” The government is a concrete example of a political institution. It exercises
power especially in relation to governance and decision-making. Power is manifested in the acquisition of statuses and functions.

The aforementioned concepts --- culture, society, and politics --- are essential in understanding human behavior and social groups. They
are interrelated and to some extent reflective of each other.

Social, Political, and Cultural Behavior and Phenomena

Every society has its own norms to follow. These norms serve as guides or models of behavior which tell us what is proper or improper,
appropriate or inappropriate, and right or wrong. They set limits within which individuals may seek alternative ways to achieve their goals.

Norms are often in the form of rules, standards, or prescriptions that are strictly followed by people who adhere on certain conventions and
perform specific roles. Norms indicate a society’s standards of propriety, morality, ethics, and legality. In the conduct of social interaction, each
person has sets of expectations on how others will respond and react accordingly. These expectations are commonly known, understood, and
agreed upon by the group.

Although conformity to these expectations is not totally absolute, since each member has a choice in the making, and unmaking of his or
her own culture. Most often than not, these expectations relatively become sufficiently regulative and make behavior in society quite predictable.
These expectations comprise what society regards as the range of the ideal and tolerable (normal) behavior as opposed to the range of deviant
(abnormal) behavior that serves as the watershed of social norms of society.

Norms of Decency and Conventionality

Norm of Appropriateness and norm of conventionality are the most adhered norms in society.
 Norms of Appropriateness or Decency is commonly exhibited on the type of clothing a person wears in a specific occasion. This
also includes the manners and behaviors that show a person’s refinement and civility. In some society, this also includes the use
of appropriate word and gestures that convey politeness and courtesy.
 Norms of Conventionality are beliefs and practices that are acceptable to certain cultures but can be inimical to other cultures.

Individuals or groups can shape the norms and values of their society through the concrete application of their beliefs, norms, and values
in their everyday lives. Through the process of experimenting and appropriating these norms and values in society, one can gain wisdom at looking
into the significance of norms and values, whether as set of laws or rules or guiding principles that regulate actions or as social mechanisms that
warrant approval or recognition in the community.

Conformity and Deviance

Every society has a form of social control. Social control means ensuring the people to behave in expected and approved ways. All norms,
whether codified or not, are supported by sanctions: rewards for conformity and punishments for non-conformity. Nevertheless, most type of social
control is not exercised through the direct influence of other people. Thus, growing up in a society entails the internalization of norms – the
unconscious process of including conformity to the norms of one’s culture and as a part of one’s personality, so that an individual often follows social
expectations automatically and without question.

As individuals and groups conform to an established norm, the norm then becomes a convention. Conventional norms exert more
sanctions in society as it is tantamount to public approval and recognition.

There are forms of behavior that are relatively or distinctly set away from a norm. This form of behavior can be referred to as deviant
behavior or nonconformity. Deviant and nonconformist behavioral patterns can be tolerated, approved, or disapproved depending on societal views.

Deviance is divided into two types: formal and informal. Formal deviance includes actions that violate enacted laws, such as robbery, theft,
graft, rape, and other forms of criminality. Informal deviance refers to violations to social norms that are not codified into law, such as prickling one’s
nose and belching loudly among others.
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ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTE, INC. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, & POLITICS
Candon City, Ilocos Sur GRADE 12
School Year 2021-2022 HANDOUT # 1

Deviance is also seen as form of power struggle. In the Philippines, the existence of political dynasties and monopolies and the rampant
electioneering activities during polls are considered as manifestations of deviancy and a blatant reflection of the power imbalance and inequality in
Philippine society (Cragun). Rampant political dynasty building is a tactic of “self-preservation and expansion”, a means of preserving the political
power of oneself and family.

Taboos

Taboos related to food are also manifestations of deviancy. Though these practices may be a case-to-case basis since what one society
views as deviant may be seen by other societies as normative, traditional, or desirable. In the same way, cultural food and food habits vary; cultural
and religious food prohibitions also differ to some extent (Meyer-Rochow 2009). Other food taboos are more cultural than religious.

It is also interesting to cite to use folklore as form of taboo. In the Philippines, particularly in south, folklore, as expressed in the belief of
dangerous zones, discourages entry into the deep forests and fishing grounds, thus preserving and protecting the areas from increasing population
pressure in the coastal zones and forest.

These behaviors, regardless to conform or deviate from the traditional norms of society may contribute to the changes in various aspects
of society.

Social, Political and Cultural Change

Change is pervasive and takes place in culture, society, and politics. Changes in culture can bring change in society and
human beings. These types of change take in the form of social, political, or cultural aspects.

Social change refers to variations or modifications in the patterns of social organization, of sub-groups within a society, or the
entire society itself. This may be manifested in the rise or fall of groups, community, or institutional structures and functions or changes
in the statuses and roles of members in the family, work setting, church, government, school, and other sub-systems of the social
organization (Panopio:364).

Causes of Social Change:

 Invention – a new combination or a new use of existing knowledge. It produces mechanical objects, ideas, and social
patterns that reshape society to varying degrees. It can be classified into material inventions (e.g., bow and arrow,
mobile phone, airplane) and social inventions (e.g., alphabet, texting, jejemon).
 Discovery – takes place when people reorganized existing elements of the world they had noticed before or learned
to see in a new way. A discovery contributes to the emergence of a new paradigm or perspective, and even
reshapes and reinvents worldviews.
 Diffusion – the spread of culture traits from one group to another. It creates changes as cultural elements spread
from one society to another through trade, migration, and mass communication. Culture spreads through the
processes of enculturation, socialization, association, and integration. Enculturation takes place when one culture
spreads to another through learning. On the other hand, socialization refers to learning through constant exposure
and experience to culture, which ultimately imbibes the latter to the system of values, beliefs, and practices of an
individual or groups. While association is establishing a connection with the culture thereby bridging areas of
convergence and cultural symbiosis. Lastly, integration is the total assimilation of culture as manifested by change of
worldviews, attitudes, behavior, and perspectives of looking things.

The second type of change, political change, includes all categories of change in the direction of open, participatory, and
accountable politics. It is the change that occurs in the realm of civil and political societies and in the structure of relations among civil
society, political society, and the state (Alagappa: 10). Youth awareness and active participation during elections belong to this type of
change. The emergence of civil society groups as “pressure groups” during crises in Philippine politics is also a concrete manifestation
on how political change works.

Cultural change, as the third type of change refers to all alterations affecting new traits or trait complexes and changes in a
culture’s content and structure. These changes are caused by several factors, such as the physical environment, population, war and
conquest, random events, and technology. For instance, earthquakes, repeated flooding, severe droughts, and other interruptions in
the physical environment drastically alter people’s lifestyles.

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ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTE, INC. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, & POLITICS
Candon City, Ilocos Sur GRADE 12
School Year 2021-2022 HANDOUT # 1
Overall, the above-mentioned changes have brought positive and negative effects to individuals and societies. Their nature
and impact can be best understood with the aid of appropriate disciplines, such as anthropology, sociology, and political science.

The Essence of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology

Social science, any branch of academic study or science that deals with human behavior in its social and cultural aspects.
Usually included within the social sciences are cultural/social anthropology, sociology, psychology, political science, and economics.
But the focus of this lesson is on anthropology (i.e., practices and tradition), sociology (i.e., actions and interactions), and political
science (power relations).

In here, the study of society can be accomplished in three different ways: (1) by mapping the social forces by impinging on social actors as
their lives intersect in society; (2) by rehearsing the structures and components of cultural practices and traditions ; (3) by exposing the asymmetrical
power distributions among members of social communities and organizations . These attempts – different and unique in their basic assumptions
about what makes society possible and the network of relationships that define and constitute it – are made due to a common concern: to
understand the dynamics of social interactions in society.

A. Sociology

Sociology, a social science that studies human societies, their interactions, and the processes that preserve and change them. It does this
by examining the dynamics of constituent parts of societies such as institutions, communities, populations, and gender, racial, or age groups.
Sociology also studies social status or stratification, social movements, and social change, as well as societal disorder in the form of crime, deviance,
and revolution.

Social life regulates the behavior of humans, largely because humans lack the instincts that guide most animal behavior. Humans,
therefore, depend on social institutions and organizations to inform their decisions and actions. Given the important role organizations play in
influencing human action, it is sociology’s task to discover how organizations affect the behavior of persons, how they are established, how
organizations interact with one another, how they decay, and ultimately, how they disappear. Among the basic organizational structures are
economic, religious, educational, and political institutions, as well as more specialized institutions such as the family, the community, the military,
peer groups, clubs, and volunteer associations.

Studying society provides us an idea on its importance in creating an equal, just, and humane society. According to Samuel Koenig, the
ultimate goal of sociology is to improve man’s adjustment to life by developing objective knowledge concerning social phenomena which can be used
to deal effectively with social problems.

Additionally, it is being studied in order: (1) to understand how membership in one’s social group affects individual behavior; (2) to
understand the meaning and consequences of modernity, postmodernity, and the new globalization; (3) to understand the how cultures and
institutions interact in different societies; (4) to understand the causes and consequences of social change in terms of general causes and effects;
and (5) to provide information that reflects upon different policy initiatives.

B. Anthropology

Anthropology, “the science of humanity”, which studies human beings in aspects ranging from the biology and evolutionary history of
Homo Sapiens to the features of society and culture that decisively distinguish humans from other animal species. Because of the diverse subject
matter it encompasses, anthropology has become, especially since the middle of the 20 th century, a collection of more specialized fields.

According to the American Anthropological Association, they described anthropology as a science seeking to “uncover principles of
behavior that apply to all human communities.” To an anthropologist, diversity itself – seen in body shapes and sizes, customs, clothing, speech,
religion, and worldview – provides a frame of reference for understanding any single aspect of life in any given community. Instead of looking for a
“universal culture” – cultural artifacts that appear the same or similar everywhere they are found – anthropologists are looking for “culture universal”,
patterns of similarity within an array of differences. This approach is faithful to the principle of “equal but different” enshrined in the motto of the
discipline.

Furthermore, anthropology is divided into the following sub-disciplines, each focusing on a particular aspect of human existence.
 Physical anthropology – emphasizing the biological process and endowment that distinguishes Homo Sapiens from other
species.
 Archaeology – based on the physical remnants of past cultures and former conditions of contemporary cultures, usually found
buried in the earth.
 Linguistic anthropology – emphasizing the unique human capacity to communicate through articulate speech and the diverse
languages of humankind.
 Social/Cultural anthropology – emphasizing the cultural systems that distinguish human societies from one another and the
patterns of social organization associated with these systems.
 Psychological anthropology – emphasizing the relationships among culture, social structure, and the human being as a person.

To fully grasp the ideas under anthropology, the following are its goals: (1) to understand the fossil record of early humans and their
ancestors as well as the archaeological record of more recent prehistoric societies; (2) to discover what all people have in common ; (3) to discover
what makes people different from one another ; (4) to understand how we adapt to different environmental conditions and how we vary as a species ;
and (5) to learn about both the biological and cultural aspects of humanity around the globe and throughout time.

C. Political Science
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ST. JOSEPH’S INSTITUTE, INC. UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, & POLITICS
Candon City, Ilocos Sur GRADE 12
School Year 2021-2022 HANDOUT # 1

Political science, the systematic study of governance by the application of empirical and generally scientific methods of analysis. As
traditionally defined and studied, political science examines the state and its organs and institutions. The contemporary discipline, however, is
considerably broader than this, encompassing studies of all the societal, cultural, and psychological factors that mutually influence the operation of
government and the body politics.

Although political science borrows heavily from the other social sciences, it is distinguished from them by its focus on power – defined as
the ability of one political actor to get another actor to do what it wants – at the international, national, and local levels.

Political scientists analyze how people attain political position in society, how they maintain their position, and the outcomes of their policy
implementation within a definite social territory.

The primary goal of Political Science is citizenship education. It requires students to understand and appreciate the duties and obligations
of being a member of a society. Additionally, its control is on the process of growth, industrialization and change and the impact on government
forms and policies, describe how various political systems function, and to find more effective political systems, and measure the success of
governance and specific policies by examining many factors, including stability, justice material wealth, peace, and public health.

Consensus
and Sometimes people tend to associate politics with power. This connotation was formed through
compromise
man’s relationship with other people. It is a struggle of compromise between the powerful and powerless,
Academics Society the haves and the have-nots. According to Ricardo Lazo, politics may be viewed in different ways (refer
to the diagram).
Politics

Power and These perspectives show the wide-ranging ideas about politics which affect the life of every
distribution
Public affair of individual specially on human relationship.
resources

Art of

Diagram 1. PoliticsIn
describing the characteristics of politics, two important things must be emphasized: (1) all
government

questions involve the making of a common decision for a group of people, that is, a uniform decision
applying the same way to all members of the group; and (2) all involve the use of force by one person or
a group of people to affect the behavior of another person or group of people (Lazo, 2009).
REFERENCES:
Reference Books:
Contreras, A. P., Dela Cruz, A. R. D., Erasga, D. S., & Fadrigon, C. C. (2018). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics. Phoenix Publishing
House, Inc.
Santarita, J. B. & Madrid, R. M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics. Vibal Group, Inc.

Online Resources:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/sociology/chapter/what-is-sociology/
https://sosgurus.com/nature-and-goals-anthropology-sociology-and-political-science/
https:///www.britannica.com/science/anthropology
https: www.britannica.com/topic/political-science
https: www.britannica.com/topic/sociology