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-bystep
as you discover and understand the lesson prepared for you.

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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
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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.

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. B
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. A
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. B
4. Its main concern is to learn how to use power over others to
maintain social order and harmony among citizens. C

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 A
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 B
7. Framing legislative policies abolishing or limiting political dynasties
all over the Philippines. D
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. D

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
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

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

- Everyone can go - Only limited people can

outside freely. only go outside.
- Everyone can hang out - Establishments and
with their families and businesses are losing.
friends anytime. - Sanitation areas can be
- Stores, found everywhere.
Establishments, Malls, - Face Masks and Shields
Parks, Carnivals are become a necessary
always open. accessory we need to wear
Way of life - Occasions can be held everywhere.
every time such as - Gatherings are strictly
Festivals, Birthdays, prohibited.
Marriage and other - Face to Face classes are
Parties without any prohibited and Online
restrictions. classes became the
- Face to Face classes is alternative educational
still a normal System.
educational system.

View of the
world - There are many things
to do every day.
- There are many
opportunities for many
people.
- Every day is a
productive day.
- Everyone has their
freedom.
- Health is not the
number 1 priority for
everyone.
- Freedom is limited.
- Opportunities are limited.
- Every day is tiring.
- Life is Boring.
- Health is a major priority.
- Economy is falling.
- Pollution and Greenhouse
gasses is decreasing.
- Nature is recovering.
 - Economy keeps
growing.
- Pollution and
Greenhouse gases
keeps increasing.

Priorities in - Studies - Physical and Mental Health

life - Family - Studies
- Friends - Myself

- Always hanging out - Can’t hangout with friends

with families and and families together.
Friends. - Much harder to find
- We are able to make a friends.
quality time together - We can’t do much quality
Relationships outside. time together.
with others - Easier to have friends

Answer the following question:

1. Can we consider these changes as examples of social change?

Why or why not?
Yes, because it is evident that many phases in our normal daily life
were changed when the pandemic hit us. Our society changed in many
ways such as our Relationships, institutions, and cultural norms as a
result of these pandemic.

2. What are the roles of government in protecting us from the

harmful effects of this pandemic?
Governmental responsibilities for public health extend beyond
voluntary activities and services to include additional authorities such
as quarantine, mandatory immunization laws, and regulatory
authorities.

3. Aside from the government, how do you think other sectors of the
community like schools, churches, and industries, can cope with
these changes?
Some other sectors of the community have been able to cope with
these changes such as the church by closing churches to reduce the
influx and increase of people in one area. Another example of sectors
is the Schools, DepEd decided to close all schools and change its usual
system to online modalities. In this way, the health of students will
not be put at risk.
 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?
I am afraid to lose my usual self because of this pandemic. I am also
afraid of being infected by this disease and transmit it to my family
and friends that will cause them to be put in danger. But I just keep
distracting myself with playing and studying to cope up with this
anxiety in this pandemic.

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

- Doing a “Mano” as - Church as part of - Political Campaigns

a sign of respect. our society. - Military power that
- Dancing a Cultural - Schools and only the
dance known as Education. Government can
“Tinikling” - Economics and control.
- Celebration of Infrastructures.
Christmas. - Community
- Playing Kite or Services.
Saranggola in - Different social
tagalog. classes.
- Military as a keeper
of peace and oreder
within the society.

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

Culture

Culture may be described as all the ways of life encompassing arts, beliefs
and traditions of a people that are handed down from generation to
generation. Culture has been termed "the way of life for a whole
community." As such, it encompasses rules of etiquette, clothing, language,
religion, rituals, art.

Society

society are the people in general regarded of as living together in structured

communities with common rules, customs, and values. For instance, this is
where the people are expressing their views as citizen of the community.

Politics

Politics is the collection of actions that are involved with making choices in
groups, or other kinds of power relationships among people, such as the
allocation of resources or reputation.
 We are now ready to engage in discussing our new
lesson in this module

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
exploration when European height of the Industrial
countries started to colonize Revolution in Europe which
what they considered as mobilized the entire population
primitive societies where in a way that had never been
people were believed to be before in human history. These
savages and barbaric. era had brought great changes
in the way people live in a
society.
Where did it Let it be clear that
start? anthropology started as the Sociology started as the study of
study of nonEuropean people European society by European
by European people people (inward).
(outward).

During their colonial During that time, emerging

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

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.
Who started anthropology. His study led to He coined the term sociology. He
this field? the doctrine of “historical saw the need for a systematic
particularism,” where he science of studying society and
stated that each society is in dealing with the solution of its
 considered as having a unique basic problems.
form of 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
Concept is used to understand one’s own
required to live with their
subject of study for a long society.
Sociologists use qualitative
period of time in order to make
research methods in doing their
their writings more reliable
studies.
and credible.
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,
language, its evolution, its social classes, religion, gender,
connection to other languages, beliefs, traditions, norms, among
and others. others.
Archeology refers to the study Some fields are social
of dead culture (religion, social organization, social psychology,
system, language, how they applied sociology, and human
dress, foods, beliefs, ecology.
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.
- Discover what makes - Study the nature of
people different from each humanity to further examine
other in order to our roles within a society.
understand and preserve - Appreciate that all things in
- diversity. - society are interdependent.
Produce new knowledge Expose our minds to
and new theories about different perspectives in
- mankind and behavior. attaining truth.
Look at one’s own culture
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
Origin
political 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,
Concepts politics, and political power.
- It is often defined as who gets what, when, where and how.
- political theory, philosophy and different political
Subjects of - ideologies public management human rights
Inquiry -
- 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.

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.

FILIPINO CATHOLIC

MALE
UPPER MIDDLE TAGALOG
CLASS URBAN

Answer the following questions

1. What do you think is the importance of finding your social location

in your own society?
Social location is important because it strongly influences our
identity, or our sense of self, and how we see the world.
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?
Race, gender, religion, class, and any other status are what
defines us in society. Even though it is what makes us human,
our identity, such characteristics are also what separates
individuals from one another. For instance, class segregates
individuals via their livelihoods such as the availability of food,
comfort, and homes. Discrimination may also develop owing to
social status as the show-off of pride and power is prevalent.
 3. How does government respond to the needs of those people who
belong to the same social location where you are located right now?
The Government responded well, on my location where the
barangay chairman was active in implementing the curfew and
distributing the government subsidy during this Pandemic
season.
The Government offers free ride when market time and
distribute canned goods and sack of rice.
We also use face mask and face shields when going outside the
vicinity and strictly follow the social distancing.

What I Have Learned

T-M-L Phrase

Complete the following phrases.

The Topic was about
The topic was about nature, goals and perspective in anthropology,
sociology and political science

It Matters because
It will help us to learn more deeper in this kind of topic, ideas,
views, and theories. It will help us to open our eyes in a much more
wider concept of our society.

I’ve Learned today that

Everything does matter in our society, community and well-being. I
also learned deeper that our culture, origins and different concepts
are always have been part of our different views, beliefs, politics
and especially our identity.
 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

Based on the picture below, the main
social issue or problem affecting our
society today is VIRUSES. In the recent
events that happened last year and this
year, we are all aware of the danger of
new viruses such as the Covid-19 that
led us to a global pandemic. Because of
this virus, many lives have been affected
greatly. Society and Economics are also
greatly affected negatively by the
pandemic.
I strongly believe that disciplines sch as
anthropology, sociology, and political
science will help us more in addressing
this issue so that people can be kept
away from danger, for example in the
picture washing hands, wearing face
masks, eating properly, and cleaning or
spraying alcohol can help to avoid what
If a virus brings harm to us, it will lead
us to a problem that is detrimental to
society and will help us to alleviate all
the problems in the country.
 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.

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

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. C
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.
C

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. A
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?
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.

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. SOCIOLOGY
2. Dela Cruz family was guided by the religious belief that “A
family that prays together, stays together.” ANTHROPOLOGY
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. ANTHROPOLOGY
 4. Ana, a member of the family, meanwhile learned how to cook
these foods through a culinary school. SOCIOLOGY
5. During summer vacations, the family goes to the province to
visit their grandparents and other relatives. SOCIOLOGY
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. ANTHROPOLOGY
7. The leaders of their local church prepared activities during the
celebration. SOCIOLOGY
8. Government officials contributed some help to make the event
successful. SOCIOLOGY
9. Dela Cruz family really enjoyed the activities especially the part
when native Filipino games were played. ANTHROPOLOGY
10. Peace and order were maintained through the enforcement of
certain written rules and regulations. ANTHROPOLOGY

#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?
Yes, because it helps me to understand what's the difference
between the people and its culture.

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?
It can. However, to understand how cultural forms in relation
are made meaningful in a particular culture, you need to have a
deep understanding of the culture based on observation and
sometimes participant observation. Anthropology studies
human behavior at the micro-level of an individual which an
anthropologist will take an example of the larger culture.
Sociology, on the other hand, tends to look at the bigger
picture, often studying political movements, and the power
relations of different groups with each other.

3. What do you think is the importance of the combined role of

anthropology and sociology in understanding the culture of other
people?
Sociology and anthropology involve the systematic study of social life
and culture in order to understand the causes and consequences of
human action. Sociology and anthropology combine scientific and
humanistic perspectives in the study of society. Sociologists and
anthropologists study the structure and processes of traditional
cultures and modern, industrial societies in both Western and non-
Western cultures. They examine how culture, social structures
(groups, organizations and communities) and social institutions
(family, education, religion, etc.) affect human attitudes, actions and
life-chances.