What I Need to Know

Understanding Culture, This module is designed and written to

introduce to you the disciplines of Anthropology,
Society, & Politics Sociology, and Political Science; and to discuss the nature, goals, and
perspectives of the said disciplines.
Quarter 1 – Module 2: At the end of this module, it is expected that you have learned to:
Culture & Society 1. Explain anthropological and sociological perspectives on culture
and society (UCSPC11DCS-Ic-6).
2. Describe society and culture as a complex whole (UCSPC11/12DCS-Ic-
7)
3. Identify aspects of culture and society (UCSP11/12DCS-Ic-8).
4. Identify forms of tangible and intangible heritage and the threats to these
(UCSP11/12DCS-Ie-11).

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Lesson 1 a clay pot, and Photo 2 to a vehicle’s plate number. Your description would
Culture
“Culture...that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals,
law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a
member of society” -Edward Burnett Tylor
What’s New: What Do We Have Here?
Take a good look of Photo 1. You might have seen this before and you
might even know what it’s called. If you have not encountered this before, describe
the object by comparing it to something you are familiar with. What do you think
is it made out of? What do you think are the figures on top of the object? What do
you think is the purpose of this object? Do you know the name of this object?
Now look at Photo 2. Same with Photo 1, you might have seen this
before and you might even know what it’s called. If you have not encountered
this before, describe the object by comparing it to something you are familiar
with. What do you think is it made out of? What do you think is written on it?
What do you think is the purpose of this object? Do you know the name of this
object?
What is It
If it’s your first time to encounter those two objects from the previous
page you don’t need to worry. You might have described and compared Photo 1 to
completely depend on your experience and exposure to similar looking things.
You might have used your imagination in thinking about those objects’ purposes.
And you might have invented new names for those, too. Are you ready for the
reveal?
Photo 1 is called Manunggul Jar. It is a burial jar found in Manunggul
Cave, Lipuun Point, Palawan. You read that right! It’s a burial jar! Simply put,
it is an ancient “coffin”. The jar was found in the 1960’s, and was dated to have
been made around 890-710 B.C.E (Maise 2013)! It has existed for almost three
thousand years! Imagine the big change from placing a dead body in a burial
jar then, to placing it in a wooden or metal coffin now (unless the practice is
placing the ashes of a cremated body in an urn). The figures on top, which are
part of the jar cover, are believed to be representations of souls in the afterlife:
the one in front has its arms crossed on its chest—the typical arrangement for
the dead in the olden times; the one at the back paddles the boat. It is believed
that the one in front has just arrived in the afterlife, and the one at the back is
the “sundo” or carrier that would transport the newly deceased to its final
destination.
Photo 2 is called Laguna Copperplate Inscription or LCI. “Inscription”
refers to what was written on the copperplate. It was allegedly found around
1987 in a river in the province of Laguna. The plate was dated to have been
made in the 900 C.E. The date estimate came after scholars decoded what was
written in the plate. Can you guess what was written and what was the purpose
of this copperplate? It was actually a legal document—a legal proof that all
relatives and descendants of a certain man are already free from his debt! It is
like a modern-day receipt that has the word “PAID” on it. Other interesting
details in the inscription are the official titles and political territories mentioned.
Again, proving that even before the Spanish colonization, there are highly
structured political organizations in the Philippine islands.
From the two photos above, we get an idea about the two basic types of
culture: the non-material and material culture. How are these two related? You see,
although the people that used the Manunggul jar and the Laguna Copperplate
Inscription were long gone, these two are enough to prove the spirituality,
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humanity, and culture of the early people that lived in the Philippines. The jar
proves that even before the Spanish colonization (1521 C.E.), the people that lived
in the islands have their own civilization and advanced cultural practices; the LCI
on the other hand proves the complex government and economic system before
colonial times.
Their worldview and political ideas are reflected in those two objects. The
nonmaterial parts of their culture (spirituality and politics) can be seen in the
material parts (burial jar and LCI). When we say non-material culture this is the
intangible, abstract parts of culture that can’t be touched; examples would be
superstitious beliefs, knowledge, and practices. Material culture, on the other hand,
are the tangible or manmade objects of culture; examples would be artworks, tools,
and written records. Material culture is also be called artifacts—man-made objects,
or objects that show human-modification or workmanship.
Aspect of Culture: From Burial Jars to Wooden Coffins (Changing:
Dynamic, Flexible, Adaptive)
From burial jars to wooden coffins, and copperplate inscriptions to
paid receipts, nothing seems permanent in culture. This is one of the aspects or
characteristics of culture: culture changes.
Culture is dynamic—it is full of life and active; it changes from the
inside, as those who practice a culture creates and recreates it; and it changes
from the outside as external influences affect the practice of a culture.
We see how musical genres evolved in our country: from the original
precolonial music to the introduction of religious church music and secular
zarzuela brought by Spain; through the arrival of American popular music,
Japanese pop music, Korean pop music, to the renewal of interest to Original
Pilipino Music.
We see how from the precolonial worldviews the Filipino religiosity
and spirituality changed: from animism, where precolonial people in the islands
believed in the presence of life, spirits, and other entities in the environment;
to the introduction of Islam, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism; and
eventually to the rise of syncretic (characterized by mixing of different beliefs)
religions, and religious sects.
Culture is flexible—it can bend and adjust to short-term changes and
return to its earlier state.
We can see this on how people from the provinces change the language they
use when in the city, to the extent that they try to cover their local accent when
speaking. But on returning to the province, they return to their local tongue and
accent. We see this in how Filipina OFWs wear traditional Muslim clothing
when outside for work, but on returning home, they change back to their usual
clothing.
Culture is adaptive—without this invention, humans would have
difficulty in living through their changing physical and social environment.
Humans, initially, just gathered and hunted from the abundant resources in the
environment. To survive in their surroundings, they relied on passed down
traditions and knowledge—what and how to gather plant food, and how to hunt
animals. Eventually, they made tools, sewn clothing, and built makeshift
houses out of readily available materials; they tamed ferocious animals, and
cultivated wild plants, as the food resources decrease due to population
pressure. Then humans eventually created empires and put up walls to protect
themselves from invaders.
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Aspect of Culture: How do You Like Your Adobo? (Shared &
Contested)
If you will do a survey on what food could best represent the country,
adobo is a tough contender. Adobo is one of the Filipino foods that you would
easily find across the country. It is a common ulam not just in every home but
also in carinderias. Because of adobo’s presence and familiarity to the people,
it is considered as a cultural icon. Before something can be considered as part
of a culture, familiarity, recognition, and acceptance by many, if not all, people
are needed. In the first place, you cannot call something a culture if only one
person or very few people know, accept, and practice that thing. This aspect of
culture is called sharedness: culture is shared; it is common among a big
number of people, or throughout a whole nation.
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 Interestingly, although culture is shared, it is also contested. Ask around
people coming from different provinces and regions, and you will learn that they
have different recipes and own “correct way” of cooking adobo: with soy sauce or
without soy sauce; what kind of vinegar to use; with coconut milk; with lots of chili
pepper; with bay leaf, and star anise; sweet or not sweet—the list in our “how to
cook adobo” goes on. This shows that although adobo is common throughout the
country, adobo is also a contested idea. Much the same way that culture, in general,
is a contested idea. We have varying views about the Filipino culture is, and how it
should be practiced. And the differences make culture more interesting, and
exciting! It gives variety to our culture. As we have discussed a while ago, culture
is dynamic—it is full of life—the differences are the “different flavors” in a culture,
and these “flavors” keep culture from getting dull and boring. And we are hoping
that the differences unite us more that divide us.
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So how do like your adobo? Write down the step-by-step process of your local
version of cooking adobo.
Have you seen these movies? Can you guess the story by looking at these posters?
Aspect of Culture: When the Police Arrives Late in the Scene
(Patterned, Integrated, Unstable)
You might know the pattern: A protagonist seems to have a good and
simple life then an antagonist comes along to destroy the story. The first
encounter between the protagonist and antagonist happens, and the protagonist
appeared to lose, and die. But after a few scenes, the almost impossible rebirth
of the protagonist happens, and with the help of a trusted friend and sidekick,
they plan to defeat the evil antagonist. After a few months (or years) or training
and planning, the protagonist appears to the antagonist’s shock! After an
exchange of witty lines about revenge and justice, a gun fight or car chase
happens. A lot of people (not always connected to the story) and property get
smashed, burned, destroyed, and you’re thinking, “Where are the police! Can’t
they see or even hear what’s happening?”. Then at the end of the story, the
protagonist wins, and a great battalion of police arrives.
Regardless of movie or TV series genre, we’re so used to the scripts
and flow of the story that we can actually guess who killed who, who will say
what, and what will happen in the end. And we have come to accept these
scripts not just in the movies, but also in real life. We have come to understand
that all elements, events, and characters are needed and connected to the whole
story. Just like when you wake up in the morning, up until you lay down in bed,
all you did, and all your interactions with everyone is what you’re used to—
your habits, practices, customs. These are all part of your culture. And so, we
see our everyday life—in all its connected rituals, repetitiveness, and
occasional plot twists—a proof that culture is patterned, integrated (united and
connected), and sometimes unstable: everything we do, and the way we do what
we do are patterned “scripts” of culture. But remember that no matter how
patterned and repetitive culture is, it is also changing. As we have discussed
before, changes can be due to internal forces, like due to the actors inside that
culture—actors can always choose to follow or disobey traditions, beliefs,
practices, etc. And culture change can also be brought by external forces, like
influences from other cultures—foreign culture introducing new elements to
one’s culture. These plot twists are the culture changes that show that culture
is also unstable.
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 ֍֍֍
Aspect of Culture: Pass the Message1
(Learned & Transmitted through Enculturation)
Culture did not just appear out of nowhere. Situations pushed humans to think and
invent ways that will help them survive. It might have been a “trial and error
method” for the early humans (We could only imagine how many of them were
poisoned by what they ate or harmed in the process of making or using fire). The
ways, methods, beliefs, and skills that worked were eventually passed on; what did
not might have been revised or totally abandoned. Culture is learned and
transmitted; if it were not, imagine that we have to go through what the early
humans have gone through because we can’t learn their survival skills. If culture is
biologically inherited, only a few would survive—unless humans keep on
intermarrying with those with “good genes”. The good news is culture is learned
and passed on, not just in our lifetime, but also through generations. How is culture
passed on to other members of society? The answer is enculturation—the process
of culture transmission (Shimabara 1999). Your parents might have taught you how
to tie your shoelaces; you might have learned how to put makeup by watching your
friends; you might have adopted the value of discipline from school; you might
unknowingly, and unwillingly picked up some nasty habits or beliefs from getting
exposed to people having those habits and beliefs. Enculturation can be through
formal learning and teaching, or informally through casual interactions and
exposure.
Aspect of Culture: Pass the Message2 (Requires Language or
Communication)
This aspect of culture is linked to the previous one. Because culture is learned and
transmitted, by what medium is it taught and transferred? The answer is language.
And when we say language, we’re not just talking about spoken or written language.
The idea that language is only spoken and written would limit the definition of
culture, and the criteria of what it means to have culture. Think about pre-literate
societies, or those that lived before the invention of writing; or those who can’t use
spoken language because of physical limitations. Signs, symbols, body movements
and facial expressions are also parts of language because the convey meaning and
help in communicating with other people (Robins 1999).
Assessment: Answer Me!
Determine whether the following cultural elements are tangible or intangible.
1. Spoon and fork ___________
2. Paying respects to the dead ___________
3. Parol ___________
4. Saying “tabi tabi po” ___________
5. Philippine flag ___________
Determine what aspect of culture is referred to in the following sentences.
Choices: Dynamic, Contested, Patterned, Language, Transmitted
6. Every day is a routine. ___________
7. There are different versions of spaghetti: creamy, sweet, Italian-style.
___________
8. K-Pop started in South Korea and eventually reached Philippines.
___________
9. From floor-length skirts, to knee length skirts, then above the knee
skirts— the acceptable length of skirts evolved. ___________
10. You can learn how to dance by watching dancers, reading manuals,
or asking a dance instructor to teach you. ___________
Determine whether the following sentences are True or False.
11. Culture is in the blood and inherited from your parents. ___________
12. There is only one “version” of culture in a country. ___________
13. What was culture 50 years ago is still the culture until today.
___________
14. Culture needs a form of communication for it to be passed on.
___________
15. Culture is not just the things that can be seen; it is also the beliefs,
thoughts, and ideas that can’t be seen. ___________
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Lesson
2 demanding job there is. People would usually choose the corporate business
Society
One may be lonely.
“Two is a company, Three’s a crowd”. Four is double the company Five is a pair
of company and the fifth wheel.
So how does society work? To answer this question, we will use three
Sociological perspectives.
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Structural Functionalism: Just like the Human Body
If you believe that everyone is in his/her proper place; that everyone
fulfills a specific function that only he/she can do; and that every part of our
society is essential, then you already have understood how SF or Structural
Functionalism sees society—everyone, every relationship and every structure
serves a purpose in maintaining society.
Let’s look at this analogy: Has anyone told you a compliment like,
“Ang ganda ng mata mo! (Your eyes are beautiful!)”, to which you responded
something like, “Sana mata na lang ako. (I wish I’m all eyes.)”? It might be a
compliment to another part of your body, and you wished that the compliment
isn’t just for that one part, so you wished to be all hands, all nose, all eyes, or
all-whatever that body part is. And of course, that can’t be because that is not
humanly possible. And if humanly possible, it isn’t beneficial at all. Every part
of our body serves for the benefit of our whole being. No matter how good or
unpleasant that function might seem, it helps us survive. If you were to become
a body part, you might prefer the function of the mouth or the eye, or even the
brain and never the unglamorous role of your pores or sweat glands, much more
your anus, but without those “cleaning” functions, the body won’t survive. If
we will apply this analogy in society, people would unlikely choose the role of
street sweeper, parking attendant, street vendor, jeepney barker, butcher,
construction worker or whatever “humble”, unappealing, and physically
sector, or the law enforcement sector, medicine, engineering, or education
sector. But society won’t function properly if we are all police officers, doctors,
engineers, or teachers. Society is functioning smoothly as it should be because
of the different structures present. Remember our definition of social structure
from module 1? Social structure is the pattern of social interactions in a society,
and this includes, family, school, mass media, government, and religion to
name a few. Each structure has its own function to fulfill to maintain the
stability of society: the family is the first teacher and training ground of an
individual before he/she steps out of the house; the school reinforces what was
taught in the family, and teaches the individual to be an obedient and productive
citizen; mass media promotes the values and attitudes learned by an individual
by producing shows with characters that model the desired characteristics; the
government keeps the individual safe, and monitors individual behavior that
can harm the society; and the church would cultivate the spirituality of the
individual, and would teach the value faith and patience, instead of rebellion,
in times of hardships. But even though society should be working perfectly, as
its parts are doing their functions, dysfunctions happen. These dysfunctions
would turn out to be the social problems. These problems have wide-ranging
effects, and don’t just involve one or a few individuals. Examples of social
problems are poverty, illegal drug trade, and human trafficking. When
dysfunctions or social problems happen, the whole “body” or society reacts,
just like the domino effect; like when you have a wound in your hand or bruise
in your leg, the whole body reacts and adjusts to the pain. To maintain the order
and balance in society, every social structure responds to correct the
dysfunction to bring back normality.
To conclude, remember that when using SF as your “lens” to view
society, always ask, “To what social structure does this role belong to?” and
“How does this social structure contribute to the order and stability of society?”
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 ACTIVITY 1: Answer Me! Conflict theory: Inequality all around by: Karl Marx
Determine the social structure to which the following roles belong to and try to If SF investigates the orderliness of society, our next perspective sees
explain the function of these roles in the maintenance or order in society. society as a struggle. Conflict theory is a reaction to SF because it views social
structures as unfair and promotes inequality in society. This theory came from
Social structure: Education, Health sector, Market, Government, Religion
Karl Marx’s theory (Marxism) that views the conflict between the rich
capitalists or business owners (bourgeoisie) and the working class (proletariat).
Example 1: Student education Study well, learn values and ideas that
contribute to the development of the Remember that for SF everyone is in its proper place in society because everyone
country, graduate, and become a has a function to fulfill—this perspective accepts one’s place in society without
productive citizen question. Conflict theory believes that SF’s perspective is used by those in power
to control the less privileged to maintain their position of power. For example, let’s
Example 2: Church religion Sing songs that promote the spiritual
look into the relationship between a worker and his/her boss. According to SF, it is
choir well-being of the members of society;
important to maintain this relationship because they both have different functions
promote peace, harmony, and trust in
to fulfill—you can’t have a company with all workers and no boss, or all bosses and
God through songs they sing
no workers, right? How about promotion? If a worker does a good job, he/she might
Example 3: Mass media Inform people about the status of be promoted to a higher-ranking position, but is still a worker. And his boss? He
society/country; report news that is not would also move up to a higher-ranking position, thanks to the productivity of his
News reporter biased; report news that does not worker. Hard work and promotion give an illusion that you are moving up in
damage society society, because you remain a worker, and the boss remains the boss. Why? Because
1. Nurse SF says, if change will happen in one part of society, everyone else will move
because the goal is balance and maintenance—and this perspective maintains the
inequality in society according to conflict theory. Let’s look at another example:
2. Priest the function of religion or church in society. SF would say that the church’s function
is to teach faith in God in times of economic or whatever hardships in society.
Conflict theory would say that the church is an instrument of the rich and powerful
3. Senator
in controlling the people. Why? Because the church teaches the people to accept
hardships without questioning, because questioning hardships is equivalent to
4. Teacher questioning God; questioning authorities is like questioning God; and challenging
authorities is like challenging God. Conflict theory sees that inequality is present in
all social structures.
Structuration Theory: Power in Our Choices
SF gave us a very positive view on society, but Conflict theory presented the
problems of SF. These two perspectives are like opposite poles. To balance these
opposing views, we will have the middle ground of Structuration theory. But before

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we learn how this theory sees society, let’s introduce a new concept. For SSocial structures I belong to:
structuration theory, we will use the concept agency, instead of individuals. Agency
is the “power” or capacity of individuals to decide and make decisions for 1 2 3
themselves. Agency then is not dictated by social structures; it is independent and Your Role/s Your Role/s Your Role/s
can change the social structures. Now going back to our theory, Structuration theory
The problem/s you see The problem/s you see or The problem/s you see
suggests that social structures and agency have a dynamic relationship, meaning the
or experience experience or experience
social structures affect agency much the same way that agency affects the social
structures; not one factor is more powerful than the other. Let’s apply this theory! What you can do to What you can do to solve What you can do to
Have you encountered the expression, “Ipinanganak na mahirap, mamamatay na solve the problem/s the problem/s solve the problem/s
mahirap”? This expression applies what theory? If you answered SF, then you are
correct! The Conflict theory would then say that the poverty of that individual is Assessment: Answer Me!
because of the oppressive structures that are taking advantage of him/her. Determine whether the statements are True or False.
Structuration theory, on the other hand, doesn’t believe that you don’t have a choice. _______1. Society is made up of only a few people.
If you will remain poor, it might be because you did not use your agency to break _______2. Society is made up of interconnected individuals.
away from oppressive social structures; it might also be that your choices _______3. Conflict theory is a reaction to Structural functionalism.
contributed to the social structures that are oppressing you. A better approach, using _______4. Structural functionalism sees society as stable and orderly.
Structuration, would be to revise the expression to, “Ipinanganak na mahirap,
_______5. Conflict theory sees the struggle between man and animals.
mamamatay na mayaman”, because this expresses the individual’s power to choose.
Using structuration theory, you can break away from your status and contribute to
_______6. Structuration studies the interaction between SF and Conflict
changes in society: you can become a boss, too, and you can help your employees theory in society.
reach higher position than yours; you can be an obedient citizen while holding your _______7. Travel agency is the power or ability to make choices.
government accountable of its actions; you can be devote to your religion and at the _______8. SF means Structural functionalism.
same time propose changes for improvement. Structuration theory doesn’t see _______9. If one-part changes, all the other parts also change—this is
social structures and agency as enemies, but as interacting elements in society. according to Structural functionalism.
_______10. Agency is more powerful than social structures—this is
Activity 2: Answer Me!
according to Structuration.
Think of 3 Social Structures that you belong to. Write down your role/s for each
social structure, the problem/s you see or experience, and possible solutions for Write SF if the perspective used is Structural functionalism, CT if
those problems. Conflict theory, and ST for Structuration theory.
_______11. Illusion of social change.
_______12. Struggle for power.
_______13. Dynamic relationship of people and social structures.
_______14. Harmony among the different parts of society.
_______15. Choice.

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