Understanding Culture,

Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Nature, Goals and Perspectives in
Anthropology, Sociology and Political
Science

CO_Q1_UCSP SHS
Module 1
Understanding Culture Society and Politics
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 – Module 1: Nature, Goals and Perspectives in Anthropology, Sociology and
Political Science [MELC1]
First Edition, 2021

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Understanding Culture
Society and Politics
Quarter 1 – Module 1:
Nature, Goals and Perspectives
in Anthropology, Sociology and
Political Science
Introductory Message
This Self-Learning Module (SLM) is prepared so that you, our dear learners,
can continue your studies and learn while at home. Activities, questions, directions,
exercises, and discussions are carefully stated for you to understand each lesson.

Each SLM is composed of different parts. Each part shall guide you step-by-
step as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

Pre-tests are provided to measure your prior knowledge on lessons in each

SLM. This will tell you if you need to proceed on completing this module or if you
need to ask your facilitator or your teacher’s assistance for better understanding of
the lesson. At the end of each module, you need to answer the post-test to self-check
your learning. Answer keys are provided for each activity and test. We trust that you
will be honest in using these.

In addition to the material in the main text, Notes to the Teacher are also
provided to our facilitators and parents for strategies and reminders on how they can
best help you on your home-based learning.

Please use this module with care. Do not put unnecessary marks on any part
of this SLM. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises and tests. And
read the instructions carefully before performing each task.

If you have any questions in using this SLM or any difficulty in answering the
tasks in this module, do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator.

Thank you.
 What I Need to Know

This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you master
the nature of Understanding Culture Society and Politics. 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 about the Nature, Goals and Perspectives in Anthropology, Sociology
and Political Science

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. identify the nature, goals, and perspectives in anthropology, sociology and
political science;
2. recognize the concepts and the subjects of inquiries of anthropology, sociology
and political science; and
3. appreciate the importance of the goals of anthropology, sociology and political
science.

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 What I Know

General Direction: Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that
corresponds to your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

For numbers 1-4, identify the branch of science described in each item. Choose your
answer from the given choices below:

a. Anthropology b. Sociology c. Political Science

1. This is the study of society, patterns of social interactions, and culture of

everyday life.
2. Its goal is to look for the similarities and differences among the cultures of
societies around the world. In doing so, we could be able to understand more
about human nature and be more tolerant on other people’s behavior and
actions.
3. If we want to know why certain social phenomena happened, such as the
television program Eat Bulaga’s Kalyeserye gaining millions of tweets
worldwide, this field of social science answers these occurrences.
4. Its main concern is to learn how to use power over others to maintain social
order and harmony among citizens.

For numbers 5-8, identify the most appropriate discipline to be used in the following
research scenarios and recent development that happened in our country. Choose
your answer from the given choices below:

a. Anthropology b. Sociology c. Geography d. Political Science

5. Preservation of cultural diversity and respect for traditions in this period of

globalization
6. Exchange of culture and ideas in the macro level and breakdown of families
in the micro level as a result of economic migration by Filipino workers
7. Framing legislative policies abolishing or limiting political dynasties all over
the Philippines.
8. Referendum was held in selected provinces comprising the old Bangsamoro
republic for the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Basic Law. This was
done to promote development, peace, and order in their locality.

For numbers 9-15, choose the best answer for each item.
9. A researcher chose to write about indigenous people in Mindanao and he
described them using some concepts such as kinship, gender and power. He
tried to compare them to other groups of people. Which of the following fields
of science did the statement above portray?
a. Anthropology c. Political science
b. History d. Sociology

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10. It entails political ideas, ideologies, institutions, policies, processes, laws,
strategy, and war.
a. Anthropology c. Sociology
b. Philosophy d. Political science
11. Food habits like the way of cooking foods, habits of dressing up, relationship
with family members or with in-laws, and many others are some of the focuses
of this anthropological field.
a. Biological anthropology c. Cultural & social anthropology
b. Archaeology d. Linguistics
12. Society and culture is indeed connected with one another, all encompassing,
meaning we visualize culture and society as a complex whole. The following
descriptions below clearly explain how culture, society, and politics are
interrelated with one another, except for one. Which description is it?
a. People interact meaningfully with one another and observe social
norms as members of the society.
b. The culture of a society encompasses the meaningful processes and
products of social interactions.
c. People interact in society as individuals and as group with duties and
privileges.
d. Members of the society are not active in the engagement in political
activities.
13. Which of the following statement is NOT a definition of the word
anthropology?
a. This is the study of ancient societies and their cultural traditions.
b. It comes from the Greek words anthropos meaning “humankind,” and
logos meaning “study.”
c. It studies the ways in which cultural traditions of different groups of
people have changed over the years.
d. This deals with the scientific study of human interactions, social groups
and institutions, and the whole society.
14. In social science, the study of the biological evolution of man is important
because it provides explanations on the reason behind the biological
variations among contemporary human population. Which field of social
science is discussed in the said statement?
a. Archeology c. Biological anthropology
b. Ethnology d. Linguistics
15. A group of people is responsible for discovering and digging up old
communities. Based on the fossils and artifacts found during the excavation,
they try to put these pieces of evidence together to describe the community,
its people, their culture, and traditions. Who do you think are these people?
a. Archeologists c. Ethnologists
b. Historians d. Sociologists

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 What’s In

Before we proceed, let us go back with some of the important concepts about culture
that is the main focus of our discussion.

#Walang Forever –

Change is inevitable because it is the law of nature. Similarly, society does not
remain static. It changes, as the world continues to change, most especially with the
advent of new discoveries in science and technology. It is not new to us how our ways
of life before is no longer the ways of life of today’s generation. People should be open
for changes. It is very important that we understand and accept the challenges these
changes are imposing on us and recognize all the factors that brought these changes.

Since change is already happening at present, let us realize how social change
occurs because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tell the changes on some
aspects of your life by completing the table below.

Before COVID-19 During COVID-19

Way of life

View of the
world

Priorities in
life

Relationships
with others

Answer the following question:

1. Can we consider these changes as examples of social change? Why or why
not?
2. What are the roles of government in protecting us from the harmful effects of
this pandemic?
3. Aside from the government, how do you think other sectors of the community
like schools, churches, and industries, can cope with these changes?
4. What are your fears related to this unexpected event in your life? How do you
deal with your worries during this time of COVID-19 pandemic?

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 What’s New

#PIN-POINT

Using the given illustration above, identify the concepts that you can relate to
culture, society and politics.

Culture Society Politics

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After doing the activity, give your own definition of culture, society, and politics.

Culture

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Society

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Politics

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

We are now ready to engage in discussing our new

lesson in this module

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 What is It

In this part of your journey, we provide something for you to deepen your
understanding about culture.

Please continue reading with comprehension as you discover further

knowledge that will help you out in your quest on the remaining phases of this
lesson.
Since our course is Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, we can
deepen our understanding of ourselves as members of society by studying these three
specialized fields, namely: anthropology for culture, sociology for society and political
science for politics

A lot of us are likely confused with the difference between sociology and
anthropology. Confusion might come from their commonalities as the two are dealing
with society and culture. Both of them study human behavior and the different
factors that affects our social relations. Since these two fields are most likely similar
to each other, let us first draw out its differences

To find out the difference between anthropology and sociology, let us study
the similar and various concepts between each field below:

Anthropology Sociology
What does it mean to be How do we study society?
human? What are the things that you
Answers the Who are you? think influence your life?
question. Where do you come from? What is life to people living in
places with different culture and
behavior?
Anthropology started as a Sociology emerged as an
science during the time of academic field right at the height
exploration when European of the Industrial Revolution in
countries started to colonize Europe which mobilized the
what they considered as entire population in a way that
primitive societies where people had never been before in human
were believed to be savages and history. These era had brought
barbaric. great changes in the way people
live in a society.
Where did it
start? Let it be clear that anthropology Sociology started as the study of
started as the study of non- European society by European
European people by European people (inward).
people (outward).

During their colonial encounter During that time, emerging

with these people, Europeans institutions arose and replaced
started to make a written the old ones such as how science
records about non-Europeans. was taking over religion, when the
They focus on kinship, reign of kings and queens fell

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 language, race, religion, down, and when the era of
cultural perceptions, and feudalism had ended. People saw
others. the importance of studying these
emerging institutions and how
they started and what impact
they could make to an individual
and the new society in general.
Franz Boas –considered as the Auguste Comte – French
father of modern American philosopher and mathematician.
anthropology. His study led to He coined the term sociology. He
the doctrine of “historical saw the need for a systematic
Who started particularism,” where he stated science of studying society and in
this field? that each society is considered dealing with the solution of its
as having a unique form of basic problems.
culture that cannot be
understood under an overall
definition of general culture.
Anthropology is the study of Sociology is the study of society,
people and their culture. patterns of social interactions,
It uses a special research and culture of everyday life.
method known as ethnography Unlike anthropology, the
in which anthropologists are knowledge created by sociology is
Concept
required to live with their used to understand one’s own
subject of study for a long society.
period of time in order to make Sociologists use qualitative
their writings more reliable and research methods in doing their
credible. studies.
Biological anthropology refers Anything in a society that
to the study of human origins influences people’s lives can be
(genetics, race, evolutions, subjects of inquiry, like different
fossils, primates). social phenomena, issues, and
Cultural anthropology is the problems.
study of living people (religion,
social system, language, Sociologists can also look into
clothing, foods, beliefs, things that influence life like
Subjects of traditions, etc). family background, socio-
Inquiry Linguistics is the study of economic status, ethnicity, social
language, its evolution, its classes, religion, gender, beliefs,
connection to other languages, traditions, norms, among others.
and others. Some fields are social
Archeology refers to the study organization, social psychology,
of dead culture (religion, social applied sociology, and human
system, language, how they ecology.
dress, foods, beliefs, traditions,
etc).
The goals of anthropology are The goals of Sociology are the
the following: following:
- See the commonalities - Obtain possible theories and
among people (tradition, principles about society as
Goals
language, kinship, etc). well as various aspects of
- Look at what makes us the social life.
same to understand more
about human nature.

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 - Discover what makes people - Study the nature of humanity
different from each other in to further examine our roles
order to understand and within a society.
preserve diversity. - Appreciate that all things in
- Produce new knowledge and society are interdependent.
new theories about mankind - Expose our minds to different
and behavior. perspectives in attaining
- Look at one’s own culture truth.
more objectively.

After finding out the difference between anthropology and sociology, let us now
proceed with another discipline in social science that plays another important role
in our life.

Politics impacts our lives directly or indirectly, whether we are aware of its
effects or not. If there is a crime that took place, we call the police, and this scheme
is part of the government. If there was a fire that occurred, we call the fire
department, and that’s also a part of the government. Military is government as well,
let alone our civil liberty and our rights which have influences on us daily. In school,
you were asked to read by heart the Constitution. When you are apprehended by an
authority, you asked your violation and insisted on your legal rights. Even inside
your house, there are still set of rules that are being enforced and followed. All these
things are related to a field called Political Science.

Description/Explanation
- The study of political science was started by the ancient Greeks.
- Aristotle in his book “Politics” stated that Man is a political
Origin
animal. It means that it is our nature to live in a society and to
have power over another.
- Political Science is the systematic study of government, politics,
Concepts and political power.
- It is often defined as who gets what, when, where and how.
- political theory, philosophy and different political ideologies
Subjects of - public management
Inquiry - human rights
- international relations and foreign policies
- Make people a better citizen.
- Keep social order and harmony among different groups of
Goals people.
- Protect the rights of an individual.
- Avoid conflict and promote cooperation.

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 What’s More

Activity 1. #MY PERSONAL SOCIAL MAP

Find your own social location by creating your own social map. Fill up every
important feature given on each box to understand yourself better.

Race Religion

Social class Type of community (urban/rural)

Gender
Language/Dialect

Answer the following questions

1. What do you think is the importance of finding your social location in your
own society?
2. How do the following features (race, gender, religion, class, etc.) affect you in
pursuing your present and future plans? Do they provide opportunities or
serve as constraints?
3. How does government respond to the needs of those people who belong to the
same social location where you are located right now?

Activity 2
Archaeology is a branch of anthropology that studies the culture of dead
people. Archaeologists rely on the pieces of evidence that they exhumed from
discovered old cities and civilizations. We learn many things about our past based
on their findings.

Today, people can store information digitally and put it in formats that can
last for a long period. In relation, let us do an activity by describing yourself to the
future generation through clues about you and the present society where you live.

As a student of this generation, you are tasked to make a historical footprint

of your contemporary society so that people of future generations will understand
how people of today lived, and what their personality, values, set of beliefs, and ideas

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were. You have to provide them with one written evidence that describes your society
and two objects with explanation that represent your present society.

Description of your society

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Drawing or picture of two objects that represent your society with explanation

__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________
__________________________ __________________________

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 What I Have Learned

T-M-L Phrase

Complete the following phrases.

The Topic was about

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

It Matters because

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

I’ve Learned today that

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

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 What I Can Do

Photo Analysis of Social Issues

Based on the picture below, identify the major social issue or problem that
affects our society today. Discuss how the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and
political science help us in addressing this issue.

Discipline/s in social science you will

Issue/Problem
use for the problem/issue

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 Assessment

General Direction: Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that
corresponds to your answer on a separate sheet of paper.

For numbers 1-3, identify the branch of social science define in each item. Choose
your answer from the given choices below:

a. Anthropology b. Political Science c. Sociology

1. It is a systematic study of government, politics, and political power.

2. Study of society, patterns of social interactions and culture of everyday life.
3. Study of people, their origin, languages, religion, social systems and other
tangible and intangible aspects of their lives.

For numbers 4-6, identify the most appropriate discipline in terms of its goals and
subjects of inquiry as stated on each sentences below. Choose your answer from the
given choices below:
a. Anthropology c. Political Science
b. Geography d. Sociology
4. Emile Durkeim published her book “Suicide” in 1897. Here she illustrates how
social factors affect the suicide rate of a certain community.
5. The Communist Manifesto of Karl Mark presents an analytical approach to
class struggle and problems of capitalism which leads to the downfall of many
existing government forms and leads to a new ideology known as communism.
6. A published research has proven one of Charles Darwin's theories of evolution
for the first time -- nearly 140 years after his death. Researchers discovered
mammal subspecies play a more important role in evolution than previously
thought. This research could now be used to predict which species
conservationists should focus on protecting.

For numbers 7-15, choose the best answer for each item.
7. Its goal is to obtain possible theories and principles about society and study
the nature of humanity. Which of the following discipline in social sciences is
the focus of this goal?
a. Anthropology b. Humanities c. Political Science d. Sociology
8. Political dynasty is a prevalent problem in our country as only few related
people had given the chance to rule. Several important government positions
are held by people who belong to one family. Which social sciences discipline
could explain and solve the problem?
a. Anthropology b. Economics c. Political Science d. Sociology

9. The goal of this discipline in social sciences is citizenship education. It

requires us to understand and appreciate the duties and obligations of being
a member of a society we are a part. What discipline in social sciences is the
focus of this goal?

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 a. Anthropology b. Humanities c. Political Science d. Sociology
10. A researcher chose to write about indigenous people in Mindanao and he
described them using some concepts such as kinship, gender, and power. He
tried to compare them to other groups of people. Which of the following fields
of science did the statement above portray?
a. History c. Political science
b. Anthropology d. Sociology
11. Dan was conducting a qualitative research that involves immersing
himself in a particular community or organization to observe their
behavior and interactions up close. Which of the following occupation
is Dan belong?
a. Archeologists c. Ethnographer
b. Historians d. Sociologists
12. Society and culture is indeed connected with one another, all encompassing,
meaning we visualize culture and society as a complex whole. The following
descriptions below clearly explain how culture, society, and politics are
interrelated with one another, except for one. Which description is it?
a. Members of the society are not active in the engagement in political
activities.
b. People interact meaningfully with one another and observe social norms
as members of the society.
c. The culture of a society encompasses the meaningful processes and
products of social interactions
d. People interact in society as individuals and as group with duties and
privileges.
13. Which of the following statements are not TRUE.
a. The study of society is inclusive to sociology
b. Sociology was born during the Industrial Revolution era.
c. The study of sociology was started by European scholars dealing with the
problems of the lives of people within their own territory.
d. Auguste Comte was the one who coined the word sociology and proposed
it as a systematic way of studying and dealing with solutions to society’s
basic problems.
14. An anthropologist would probably NOT study
a. Primates and their behavior c. Human Remains
b. Effects of migration to Filipino Families d. Changes in languages

15. According to Morga in his Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas (1609), In some parts
of Luzon Islandthere are number of natives who are black in colour and with
kinky hair, and neither sex is very tall although they are strong and husky.
These are barbarians and of poor capacity. What can you say about this
observation of de Morga? Are they accurate and objective? Why?
a. Yes, because they don’t have an organized form of government, no formal
schooling, dressed in their primitive attire and have no concept about
their self and culture.
b. Yes, because European people are more advanced in their science and
technology. They are more civilized and educated.
c. No, because their judgement is only based on their own observation and
used their own culture as basis of comparison.
d. No, because their observations do not conform with the ethnographic
method used by anthropologists to better understand others’ culture.

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 Additional Activities

i-classify-it

Sociology and anthropology are social science disciplines that focus on

studying the behavior of humans within their societies. The main difference between
the two concepts is that sociology concentrates on society (social
institutions/structures) while anthropology focuses on culture. With this, identify
the following statements below if it is a scenario related to sociology or anthropology.
The words in bold letters serve as your clue.

1. A Family is usually consisted of a mother, father and their children.

2. Dela Cruz family was guided by the religious belief that “A family that
prays together, stays together.”
3. The parents, together with their children, loved to go out and dine in
together, eating their favorite foods like adobo, kare-kare, sinigang, and
sinampalukan.
4. Ana, a member of the family, meanwhile learned how to cook these foods
through a culinary school.
5. During summer vacations, the family goes to the province to visit their
grandparents and other relatives.
6. They learned from their grandparents that fiestas are celebrated to give
thanks to bountiful blessings and to give honor to the patron saint of the
town.
7. The leaders of their local church prepared activities during the celebration.
8. Government officials contributed some help to make the event
successful.
9. Dela Cruz family really enjoyed the activities especially the part when
native Filipino games were played.
10. Peace and order were maintained through the enforcement of certain
written rules and regulations.

#i-scrutinize

Answer the following questions

1. When you read all the statements together from numbers 1-10, does it give
you a clear picture about the people and its culture? Why?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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2. What happened when statements are broken down and grouped together into
anthropology or sociology? Does it still give you a clear picture of culture and
society?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

3. What do you think is the importance of the combined role of anthropology and
sociology in understanding the culture of other people?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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 Module 1
CO_Q1_UCSP SHS 18
What I Know ADDITIONAL Assessment
B ACTIVITIES A
A SOCIOLOGY C
B ANTHROPOLOGY B
C ANTHROPOLOGY C
A SOCIOLOGY C
B SOCIOLOGY A
D ANTHROPOLOGY C
D SOCIOLOGY D
A SOCIOLOGY D
D ANTHROPOLOGY B
C ANTHROPOLOGY D
D C
D A
C A
A D
Answer Key
References

Anthropology vs Sociology. (n.d.). Retrieved May 23,2020 from

https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anthropology_vs_Sociology.
Cultural Dynamics. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2020 from
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/cultural-
dynamics.

Department of Political Science. (n.d.). Retrieved May 20, 2020 from

https://www.polisci.washington.edu/what-political-science.
Ifie, C. (2017, November 21). Anthropology Vs. Sociology. Retrieved May 20,
2020 from https://education.seattlepi.com/anthropology-vs-
sociology-1536.html.

Parena, K. (2017, March 30). Understanding the concepts of anthropology,

sociology. Retrieved May 20, 2020 from
https://www.slideshare.net/kellykhel/ understanding-the-concepts-
of-anthropology-sociology.

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