THE SOCIO-POLITICAL

DEVELOPMENT
 Politics is one of the pillars in every
society. Along with economics and morality, it
plays an important role in promoting the welfare
of the people as it is universal and not static. It
goes with the development of the society.
Heraclitus, the noted Greek philosopher, once
said, “there is nothing permanent in the world.”
Everything changes – indeed, there is constant
change as no one can cross the same river twice.
Politics has its own pacing and pattern change and
development in accordance with the needs of
society.
Politics – refers to activities through which
people make, preserve, and amend the general
rules under which they live.
Power – refers to the ability to do something in
order to achieve a desired outcome.
Authority – is legitimate power.
Theories on the Formation of States
For the last two million years of man’s
existence, man lived in a band or village. It was not
until 5000 B.C. when political units were developed.
Around 4000 B.C., the first state in history was
formed. A state has its own territory, centralized
government, and system of collecting taxes.
A state is a necessity to attain public safety,
promote social progress and political welfare, and
maintain law and order.
 The Divine Right Theory
Bishop Jacques-Bénigne Bossuet (1627–1704),
one of the principal French theorists of divine right,
asserted that the king’s person and authority were
sacred; that his power was modelled on that of a
father’s and was absolute, deriving from God; and that
he was governed by reason (i.e., custom and precedent)
(Encyclopedia Britannica, 2019). It is the oldest theory
formulated to explain the medieval form of governance.
 The Social Contract Theory
This refers to the political philosophy or agreement
between the government and the people.
The classic social-contract theorists of the 17th and
18th centuries are: John Locke (1632-1704) and Jean-
Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778). Although they have
different interpretations of the theory, the underlying idea
of their respective theories is similar.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) - People create a
government in exchange for law and order. Without a
government, humans would fight, rob, and oppress one
another. Humans, by nature, are selfish and must be
controlled.
John Locke (1632-1704) - On human nature,
people are born with natural rights but have to
give up some freedom to protect these rights.
Humans are rational by nature and can control
themselves. For a government to work, the
people must give their consent to give up natural
liberty, accept the bonds of civil society, and be
subject to the political power of another. Locke’s
most important and influential political writings
are contained in his Two Treatises on
Government where he argues for a limited
liberal, democratic form of government.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) - The only
good government is one formed out of the free
will by the people. To protect the people, he
approves direct democracy or a state guided by
the general will. Humans are good and
compassionate by nature but can be corrupted
by civilization. He published his book The Social
Contract Theory in 1762.
 The Force Theory
It is a theory where the state has its origin from
force. It is believed that the tribe acquired its territory
and people through force, and the kingdom is
transformed into an empire with the use of force. Going
into battle is a means to gain power and control a certain
territory.
Every state is doomed to disappear if it does not
prepare for battle, train its army, and fortify its defense.
The stronger and more advanced state is most likely to
stand out and take dominance.
 The Evolution of Political System
The family refers to the basic social institution and
primary group in the society.
The types of family are categorized as follows:
On the basis of organization
Nuclear Family - refers to a man and a woman united
through marriage and have biological or adopted children.
It is considered to be the most basic and universal form of
social organization.
Extended Family - includes other members such as aunt,
uncle, grandparents, or cousins living under the same roof.
Reconstituted Family – composed of the spouses and their
children from a previous marriage.
 On the basis of Residence:
Patrilocal Family - from the Greek word which means
“for the place of the father,” it refers to a custom when
the wife after marriage goes to live with the husband’s
family.
Matrilocal Family – from the Greek word “for the place of
the mother,” it refers to a social pattern when the couple
after marriage moves to live with the wife’s family.
Neolocal Residence – from the Greek word “for the new
place,” it refers to a marriage pattern when the couple
after marriage moves to settle in an independent
residence which is neither attached to the bride’s family
of origin nor the bridegroom’s family of origin.
 On the basis of descent
Patrilineal Family - when descent is traced
through the father. The inheritance and ancestry
of property takes place along the male line of
descent.
Matrilineal Family - when descent is traced along
the female line and inheritance of property also
takes place along the female line of descent.
Bilineal Family – refers to a descent system based
on both the male and female.
On the basis of marriage
Monogamous Family - refers to a family which
consists of one husband and one wife at a
given time. It is an ideal form of family
prevalent widely.
Polygamous Family - when one man marries
several women or vice versa at a given time.
Polygyny Family – a husband could take many
wives.
Polyandry Family – where a wife can have
many husbands.
On the basis of blood relationship
Consanguine Family - the word is derived from the
Latin consanguineus “of common blood,” which means
that individuals have the same father and thus share
the right to his inheritance. It consists of blood relatives
together with their mates and children. This maintains
the family’s continuity through many generations by
having common ancestors.
Conjugal Family – refers to a nuclear family that may
consist of a married couple and their children and
relatives through marriage.
Bands - refer to a small association of family
living together whose relationship is due to
marriage, descent, friendship, and common
interest.
❖ Bands are nomadic; they transfer from one
place to another.
❖ It is an egalitarian society which means all
persons of the same age and gender are equal.
❖ There is little to no formal leadership
associated because of marriage, descent,
friendship, and common interest.
Clan – is a non-corporate descent group whose
members claim descent from a common
ancestor (real or mythical) but are unable to
name the actual genealogical connecting links
back to the common ancestor.
Membership is assigned at birth and is
established either through female (matriarchal)
or male (patriarchal) line. Membership is
dispersed.
Tribes - like bands are still essentially egalitarian
in that no one family or residential group is
politically or economically superior to others.
This is organized around family ties and have
larger populations, with shifting leadership.
Headman - The head of the chiefdom, a
large unit of society, is chosen through
hereditary means.
 During the tribal period, the human
settlement is headed by a datu who wields trifold
power – executive, legislative and judicial.
The society is called by many different names
such as tribal community, indigenous people’s
community, cultural minority, pamayanan or
katutubo community.
It is dominated mostly by men. Women
have no power to govern in the community,
unless, she is appointed because of her education
or capacity.
 Chiefdom – refers to a regional society in which one
or more local groups are organized under a single ruling
individual, called the chief, who is at the head of a ranked
hierarchy of people. The chief is the divine king, both in
macrocosm and microcosm societies. One’s status in
society is determined by closeness to the chief. The office
of chief is often hereditary, passing to the son or to the
sister’s son. It is also based on talents and is often
conceived as a semi-sacred position. The chief may
accumulate personal wealth to maintain power with a
formal office. He performs economic redistribution
function in society as he redistributes resources like
surplus food and other commodities among his subjects.
 He has the right to collect taxes or tribute and
recruit labor for community projects such as constructing
irrigation system, temple, or palace. He can conscript in
the military force. All recognized hierarchy is linked to
the chief but tends to be unstable; thus, he may form
confederacies.

State - refers to the political organization of

society distinguished from other social groups by
its objective which is to establishment order and
security through its laws that it enforces within its
territory and by its sovereignty.
It has four absolutely essential elements as follows:
1. Population – It is determined through the size of
the territory, available resources, the standard of
living and needs of defense, production of goods
and supplies. The citizens have rights and freedom
but they have to perform several duties to the
state.
2. Territory – Definite territory is an essential element
of the state. The size can be big or small but it has to
be a definite, well-marked portion of the territory,
under sovereignty of the state. This includes the land,
mountains or hills and bodies of water.
3. Government – The organization, machinery,
instrument through which the sovereign power
of state is used. This makes, implements,
enforces and adjudicates the laws of the state.
4. Sovereignty – This is the most exclusive
element of the State as it refers to the supreme
power or authority of the State to govern itself.
It is the basis on which the state regulates all
aspects of the life of the people living in its
territory.
 Each society needs the state because of the
following reasons:

(1)It provides security against external aggressions

and war; it is for this reason the state maintains
an army.
(2) It grants and guarantees the rights of the
people.
(3) It issues and regulates currency and coinage.
(4) It ensures security against internal
disturbances, disorders, and crimes; thus, the state
has to maintain its police force.
(5) It grants citizenship and protects the
interests and rights of its citizens.
(6) It conducts foreign relations, foreign trade,
and economic relations.
(7) It secures the goals of national interest in
international relations.
 ACTIVITY #2
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen
letter on a separate sheet of paper.

1. Civilizations are referred to as complex societies which share

unique features including__________________.
a. a few population c. a centralized government
b. no social classes d. no shared communication
2. Which is NOT a factor that contributed to the shift from hunting
and gathering to farming?
a. starvation c. increased in population
b. climate change d. lack of plants and animals
3. Hobbes and Locke believed that without government, the “state of
nature” would leave humans_______________.
a. more choices c. in a state of happiness
b. in perpetual war d. with an abundance of resources
 4. The political structures that states provided were an
important factor in the rise of civilizations because_____________.
a. they made it possible to mobilize large amounts of resources
and labor.
b. they did not find common ground and build mutual trust and
respect.
c. they disintegrated larger communities by connecting them
under a common political system.
d. they failed to provide goods and services, and merchants who
engaged in the trade of these goods.
5. These are the two factors that most strongly influenced the shape
of agrarian hierarchies.
a. warfare and inequality
b. cultural status and inequality
c. population and cultural dynamics
d. food production and settlement patterns
 6. Which of the following statements is the results of increased
productivity and technology during the industrial society?
a. Workers flocked to factories for jobs, and the population of
cities became increasingly diverse.
b. Peasants were guaranteed a place to live and protection
from outside enemies.
c. Farmers learned to rotate the types of crops grown on their
fields.
d. All of the above.
7. The following are the socio-economic impact of agriculture
EXCEPT____________________.
a. provides employment c. provides food security
b. provides low income d. prevents poverty and malnutrition
8. From the point of view of Locke, how can people turn a resource
from the natural world into their own property?
a. by sharing it with somebody
b. by taking it from someone else
 c. by working to obtain or improve it
d. by simply laying claim to it for themselves
9. Hobbes and Locke believed that without government,
the “state of nature” would leave humans_______________.
a. more choices c. in a state of happiness
b. in perpetual war d. with an abundance of resources
10. The teleserye “Ang Probinsyano” has a cast featuring powerful
leaders – the president of the country, the vice president, the
secretary of the president and other cabinet members. Besides,
there is also the group of men-in-uniform that includes some
personnel from the NBI and the PNP notably Director Renato
Hipolito, General Delfin Borja, Cardo Dalisay, and his team.
In what type of political organization do they belong?
a. clan c. tribes
b. band d. state
11. It refers to the set of formal legal institutions that constitute a
government or state.
a. Political Party c. Legal institution
b. Political System d. Political Government
12. Which of the following societies is an example of a pastoral
society?
a. The Agas, an extended family of warriors served a single noble
family.
b. The Hung, the wandering group of nomads, specialized in
breeding and training horses
c. The Rosta tribe, a small community of farmers,lived in their
family lands for centuries.
d. The Deswan people, a small tribe of weavers, and based their
economy on the production and trade of textiles.
 13. Why did cities lead to the creation of governments?
a. Cities were crowded so someone needed to be in control.
b. Cities were isolated so government helped create a sense
of community.
c. Cities concentrated people and large groups of people naturally
required leaders.
d. Cities concentrated people and resources which created demand
for methods of protection and regulation.
14. Which of the following best describes the government?
a. It is a system to protect the rights of its citizens.
b. It is a system by which the state is controlled.
c. It is a group of people who exercise executive power.
d. It is an extensive group of states under a single supreme
authority.
15. The Revolution that occurred from 1750 to 1850 where
changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and
technology had a profound effect on the social, economic, and
cultural conditions of the times.
a. Neolithic c. Paleolithic
b. Industrial d. Agricultural
16. This statement explains why the Agrarian Age was different
from the Hunter-gatherer Age.
a. Human societies across the world adopted agriculture.
b. Epidemic diseases were more virulent in the Agrarian Age than
the Hunter-gatherer Age.
c. Geography played a bigger role in shaping the society during
the Agrarian Age than the Hunter-gatherer Age.
d. Humans began to cultivate crops in order to sustain life in
response to the scarcity of food.
 17. Which of the following types of government would most likely
hold free and fair elections to choose its leader?
a. Democracy c. Oligarchy
b. Dictatorship d. Theocracy
18. Early humans stopped from being nomadic and stayed in
permanent settlements because_______________.
a. of survival c. of increased competition for food
b. of population pressure d. of their want to involve elders
and children in food production
19. What development was most important in allowing some people
to specialize in activities other than food production?
a. writing b. astronomy c. agriculture d. government
20. He popularized the idea, ‘man is born free, but he is everywhere
in chains’ that challenged the traditional order of society.
a. John Locke c. Emile Durkheim
b. Thomas Hobbes d. Jean-Jacques Rousseau
 ACTIVITY #3
We Are Family!
(Critical Thinking)
The family is the basic unit of a society. It is the backbone of
a nation. In this activity, you are expected to identify the type of the
family described in each item.
Write the letter of the correct answer on a separate sheet of paper.

a. Extended f. Patrilineal
b. Matrilineal g. Patrilocal
c. Matrilocal h. Polygamous
d. Monogamous i. Polytheist
e. Nuclear j. Neolocal
1. When Jose and Maria got married, they decided to live
together in Jose’s ancestral house.
2. Jose and Maria together with their children moved in with
Josefa, Maria’s mother, in order to take care of the farm.
3. Gener dreams of building a home where his wife and kids
will spend the rest of their lives.
4. Justin is a product of a broken family. When he got married,
he promised that he would stay loyal and true to his
marital vow to love his wife for the rest of his life.
5. Certain societies allow men to marry more than one wife in
order to preserve their indigenous traditions.
6. Niel and Janice are millennial couples. They want to buy
a house where they can stay together with their children.
 7. Matthew is the eldest son in the family. He inherited
all properties from his father.
8. Casper grew up living with his parents and
grandparents.
9. Lolo Carding requested his son, Ericson, and his
family to live with him because he wanted to spend his
time with his grandchildren.
10. Hashim, Akhamad’s son from his second wife,
is a Muslim.
Assignment #2
Poetry Writing
(Communication, Creativity and Character)
Equipped with knowledge on socio-cultural and economic
development, you are now challenged to create a poem that will
reflect your understanding of the topic.

You may do the following and answer on a separate sheet of

bond paper.
1. Create a free verse poem that would describe how the
government and the economy function in this time of
pandemic.
2. The poem must consist of 4- 5 stanzas with 5 lines each

Your output will be graded based on the rubrics