Cuenca Institute

Senior High School Department

Gen. Malvar Street, Brgy 3, Cuenca, Batangas Module No.

(043) 342-2045 | cuenca_institute@yahoo.com

SY 2021-2022 | First Semester

Name of Learner ___________________________________________

Strand & Section ___________________________________________

Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
MS. DANICA JANE L. DE LOS SANTOS
delossantosdanicajane@gmail.com
09760541146
Cuenca Institute - Senior High School
MS. ALONA P. CORONEL
alonacoronel.dos@gmail.com
09491321651
1 Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
 UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Subject Description:
This course uses insights from Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology to develop
students’ awareness of cultural, social and political dynamics, and sensitivity to cultural diversity; provide
them with an understanding of how culture, human agency, society and politics work; and engage them in
the examination of the country’s current human development goals. At the end of the course, students
should acquire ideas about human cultures, human agency, society and politics; recognize cultural
relativism and social inclusiveness to overcome prejudices; and develop social and cultural competence to
guide their interactions with groups, communities, networks, and institutions.

Content Standard:
The learners demonstrate an understanding of:
1. how individuals learn culture and become competent members of society
2. how individuals should behave as part of a political community

Performance Standard:
The learners:
 identify norms and values to be observed in interacting with others in society, and the consequences
of ignoring these rules
 assess the rules of social interaction to maintain stability of everyday life and the role of innovation in
response to problems and challenges
 recognize the value of human rights and promote the common good
 analyze aspects of social organization

Learning Objectives :
• Discuss the various social processes of becoming a member of society: enculturation, socialization,
conformity, and deviance);
• Identify and explain the important aspects of enculturation and socialization;
• Explain the theory of deviant behavior and its various facets of occurrence in a society; and
• Illustrate how society is organized.

For this module, the following lessons are to be discussed:

CHAPTER 3: BECOMING A MEMBER OF SOCIETY

Lesson 1: Enculturation and Socialization
Lesson 2: Conformity, Deviance, and Social Control
Lesson 3: Human Dignity, Rights, and the Common Good

CHAPTER 4: HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED

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 CHAPTER 3: BECOMING A MEMBER OF SOCIETY

For an individual to become a functional member of society, he or she should have a

meaningful interaction with the various social structures and institutions of society—that is, a
pattern of relationship among the basic components of a social system.
The most potent representation is the process of socialization. Socialization is a form of
interaction by which people acquire personality and learn the way of life of their society. It is
considered the essential link between the individual and society. In fact, socialization allows the
individual to learn the norms, values, languages, skills, beliefs, and other patterns of thought and
action that are essential for social living (Robertson, 1987: 115).

LESSON 1: ENCULTURATION AND SOCIALIZATION

Enculturation occurs when cultural knowledge is passed on to the next bearer who will
perpetuate and ensure the continuance of their tradition and practices. Enculturation is also a
diffusion of one's culture to another through diverse means, namely: learning, imposition by force,
and conquest, among others.
Meanwhile, socialization takes place when prospective culture bearers learn their culture's
body of knowledge and skills through education or conscientization, training, exposure, and
experience. In pre-modern societies, socialization is an evolving process from apprenticeship to
expertise in handling a certain craft, e.g. pottery-making and metallurgy. Overall, enculturation
and socialization results to:

• Identity formation - An individual's identity is formed through his interaction with other
people. A person's socialization with individuals or groups allows him or her to imbibe certain
characteristics and interests that contribute to his or her identity. (Idea derived from Newman,
2012). For example, the centuries of Philippine Chinese exposure to Filipino culture made them
imbibe facets of Filipino character in the same way Filipinos learned to love Chinese culture
like food (e.g. preference for noodle-based cuisine like pancit).
• Norms and values - On the one hand, norms are culturally determined rules that guide people
regarding what is right, wrong, proper, or improper. Norms create predictability in daily affairs
and interactions, making it easier to live with other members of society. These norms are
fundamental to the establishment of social order in any society (Newman, 2012).
• Statuses and roles - Status is any position that an individual can occupy in society. It is not a
ranked position, but simply a label that implies certain roles that must be performed (Newman,
2012). For example, one can be a student, a singer, or a computer genius at the same time.
While it is true that some statuses are acknowledged and recognized as prestigious (e.g. chief
justice, Hollywood star, etc.), there are of course exceptions to the rule. Although some statuses
are generally recognized as prestigious, prestige like beauty is certainly relative or subjective
(for example, a preschooler may think that being a fireman holds a lot of prestige; or a comic
book fan may see an illustrator with tremendous prestige).

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 The sociologist William Wentworth has proposed a synthesized view of socialization
which considers how factors such as free will, human autonomy, and social structures and
processes influence socialization. Wentworth believes that socialization is a two-way process
between the individual and the larger groups in society such as social organizations and
institutions.
The synthesized view identifies three significant aspects of socialization: social context, content
and process, and results.
• Social context refers to the particular circumstances of a society and consists of its culture,
language, and the social structures that define social class, ethnicity, and gender. It also includes
social and historical events, mechanisms of power and control, and institutions and individuals
that engage the person in the socialization process.
• The content and process of socialization refer to how socializing activities are structured.
Content refers to ideas, beliefs, behavior, and other information that are passed on by members
of society to the individual; the process refers to the methods of interaction that enable the
content to be given to the person undergoing socialization. Socialization is considered a highly
interactive process which enables old and new members to cooperate with and exercise mutual
influence on one another.
• Results refer to the outcomes of socialization, and are evident when individuals begin to
practice the behaviors, attitudes, and values that society considers necessary for them to
function effectively as its members. An example of a result is the ability of an individual to
speak his or her native language, and understand and comply with basic rules and norms in his
or her community. A significant result of socialization is self-identity, which refers to the
establishment of a unique sense of identity and an awareness of how it relates to their society
and the world.
Socialization and enculturation go hand-in-hand in instilling in the individual the accepted
values, norms, and standards of behavior in society through social rules on behavior and laws.
Additionally, these processes also impart social status, roles, and identity on members of society.
Socialization and enculturation occur throughout an individuals' life from childhood,
adolescence, adulthood, old age, until death.

Agents of Socialization and Enculturation

The most prominent agents of socialization include the family, school, peer groups, mass
media, religion, the state, and social and historical events.
 The family is the primary agent of socialization of an individual upon birth, throughout infancy,
and up to childhood. Parents and other family members are essential for the early care and
development of the child, and as the child matures, the family becomes an important venue for
social engagement and political socialization.
 Schools have a critical and active role in socialization, as their various academic and social
activities mold students' beliefs, values, and attitudes. Schools teach students important values
like competitiveness, cooperation, conformity, innovation, punctuality, orderliness, and respect
for authority. In addition, students learn the value of self-improvement and hard work through
classroom activities and learning tasks which give them opportunities to apply their knowledge
and skills. Students also benefit from the constant guidance and evaluation provided by
teachers.

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  Peer groups also reinforce acceptable behaviors introduced by the family and school, allow a
certain degree of independence from family and certain figures of authority, and are also a
means for socialization and involvement in social and political issues. Peer groups refer to
people who share the same interests or characteristics such as age and social background. For
instance, children going to school form groups with other children of their age. Through
interaction, these children develop habits such as sharing toys, food, and other resources;
playing games; and doing school work. By having a peer group, a child attains a sense of
belonging and a shared identity with other members of the group because of mutual support,
shared activities, and common interests.
 Mass media includes forms of communication such as books, magazines, newspapers, other
print materials, radio, television, and movies. It is a powerful agent of socialization which is
widely used by many institutions and organizations involved in the use of print and electronic
communication.
 Both religion and state are considered as the ultimate sources of authority, making the church
and government important agents of socialization. Religion exerts a great influence on the views
of a person, legitimizes accepted social practices, provides stability to society, and can even be
sources of social change. The Catholic Church in the Philippines has, in several instances, taken
a prominent role in bringing about social and political change in the country.
 Major social and political events can also be significant socializing forces for an entire
generation. The changes and developments brought about by historical events often cause trans-
formations in the values, attitudes, and views that define societies, leading to further changes in
the behavior and traditions of societies. Generations of Filipinos have been affected by various
historical events like the Second World War, the Martial Law period, and the First People
Power in 1986. The views and attitudes of Filipinos who have lived through these events were
greatly defined by the changes these events introduced.

LESSON 2: CONFORMITY, DEVIANCE, AND SOCIAL CONTROL

Groups exert great influence on an individual's thoughts, values, attitudes, and behavior.
They also provide a sense of identity and belongingness that enable the person to relate fully with
other group members. For an individual to continue functioning as a member of the group, he or
she should conform to the general behaviors and attitudes prevalent within it.
Conformity refers to the process of altering one's thoughts and actions to adapt to the
accepted behavior within his or her group or society. Social psychology considers conformity as
a product of pressure exerted by the group on the individual. Herbert Kelman identifies three
types of conformity: compliance, identification, and internalization or acceptance.
• Compliance refers to the outward conformity to social pressure but privately disagreeing with
it. This action is often motivated by the desire to gain rewards or avoid punishment. This is the
least enduring type of conformity, since the motivation provided by rewards and punishments
may not always be present, or the authority figure may be unable to exert his or her influence
fully on the group or society at all times.
• Identification, on the other hand, refers to the individual adopting a certain behavior because it
enables him or her to have a satisfying relationship with the members of his or her group. The
individuals also adopt the opinions and values of the group, and may strive to emulate an
authority figure usually a parent or leader that he or she respects or admires.

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 • Internalization or acceptance involves both public compliance and internal acceptance of the
norms and standards imposed by the group. This is the most permanent and deeply-rooted
response to social influence. Acceptance or internalization is motivated by the desire to be right,
with the authority figure or person of influence being deemed trustworthy, credible, and of good
judgment. Acceptance eventually results to the integration of the group's set of beliefs and
behavior into the individual's own framework.

Deviance is defined as a behavior that elicits a strong negative reaction from group
members and involves actions that violate commonly held social norms. What is defined as
deviance, however, varies depending on the context of the group or society. What may be
considered normal behavior in one culture may be considered deviant behavior in others.
According to Robert Merton, there are five types of deviance based upon these criteria:
• Conformity involves the acceptance of the cultural goals and means of attaining those goals.
• Innovation involves the acceptance of the goals of a culture but the rejection of the traditional
and/or legitimate means of attaining those goals. For example, a member of the Mafia values
wealth but employs alternative means of attaining his wealth; in this example, the Mafia
member’s means would be deviant.
• Ritualism involves the rejection of cultural goals but the routinized acceptance of the means for
achieving the goals.
• Retreatism involves the rejection of both the cultural goals and the traditional means of
achieving those goals.
• Rebellion is a special case wherein the individual rejects both the cultural goals and traditional
means of achieving them but actively attempts to replace both elements of the society with
different goals and means.

Robert K. Merton’s Deviance Typology

Institutionalized means
Accept Reject
Accept
Cultural goals

Conformity Innovation
Reject

Ritualism Retreatism
New means
New goals

Rebellion

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 Sociologists view deviance as rooted in society, and very evident in three ways.
 First, it exists only in relation to cultural norms. Any thought or action cannot be considered
deviant unless it is correlated to a particular norm; and a norm varies from one society to
another. For instance, traditional villages in Southern Italy, particularly Sicily, support the use
of physical violence to avenge the insult for the honor of one's family. In this case, vengeance is
regarded a norm and not a deviance. But this is not the case in the US and the rest of Europe.
What is honorable in Sicily will result to arrest and prosecution in other parts of the world.
 Second, people become deviant as others define them that way. In short, being deviant is in the
eye of the beholder and largely depends on the perception, pre-conditioned notion, and
definition of the situation of other people. For instance, a Korean celebrity can dress like a
female on stage to the praise of adorning fans, but another man doing the same thing in another
place can be branded homosexual or receive a negative response.
 Third, both norms and the way events are defined are related to patterns of social power. This
idea has been advanced by Karl Marx who considered cultural norms, especially the laws, are
likely to protect and uphold the interest of the powerful at the expense of the powerless. For
example, a theft in a soap factory is frequently blamed by the owner to workers, whom he
looked down as possible perpetrator of a crime. In the same way, displaced and homeless
individuals who marched on streets denouncing government's failure to grant them decent
shelters are likely be considered deviants by those in power charging them of lawlessness and
disturbing peace.

Mechanisms of Social Control

Deviance is checked through social control to ensure that norms and conventions are safe-
guarded and order preserved. Society controls individual ideas and behaviors through the
following mechanisms:
• Labeling theory - This theory states how members of society label others, whether they are
deviant or not. (Newman, 2012). People label others as deviant when they defy or do not
conform to social norms. Non-conformity provides offensive signals to holders of norms; non-
conformity is often tantamount to disagreement and disapproval. Being labeled a deviant entail
numerous consequences throughout an individual's life. After a group of people has labeled an
individual as a deviant, members of a community or society often treat the individual negatively
and with feelings of hate, mistrust, or fear. Moreover, a person's chance of acquiring socially
acceptable roles and relationships with other people becomes limited when he or she is labeled
as a deviant.
• Gossip - This is often practiced in small-scale communities where people know each other
personally. Because small-scale communities heavily rely on "getting along" with each other,
outbursts or confrontational situations are not ideal. By gossiping or talking behind someone's
back and spreading rumors about him or her, society reinforces what norms should be followed
and punishes the deviants by putting them to shame. Lastly, gossip is also used to level the
playing field—especially when the subject of gossips are successful people—by putting
achievers to shame or putting them to the same level as others .
• Laws - Laws are formal codes of conduct that are met with negative sanctions (i.e. punishment)
when violated. Laws are meant to guide the daily lives of members of society by providing clear
definitions of relationships among individuals, including expectations on how people should

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 behave in particular contexts. Importantly, the law dictates to whom authority is given. Only
those who exercise authority are recognized by the members of society to practice coercion in
the exercise of sanctions. Lastly, laws change as well. Old laws can be revised or discarded
according to the changing needs of a society.

LESSON 3: HUMAN DIGNITY, RIGHTS, AND THE COMMON GOOD

Human dignity refers to the idea that a person has the innate right to be valued, respected,
and treated well. Human rights are legal, social, and ethical principles that consider the human
person as deserving of liberties and protections by virtue of his or her human dignity.
Human dignity and human rights are significant concerns when dealing with socialization
and issues on deviance and social control. Socialization primarily aims to instill recognition of
and respect for human rights and dignity. These issues are also legitimate concerns when society
deals with deviance and the enforcement of social control.
Human rights are founded on natural rights, which are universal and inalienable, and are
not contingent on laws, customs, beliefs, or values of a particular culture. Examples of these
rights are the right to life and freedom. Human rights are considered to have the following
characteristics:
• They are universal because they belong to all human beings regardless of race, religion, gender,
and other characteristics.
• They are fundamental since they cannot be taken away from any human being.
• They are indivisible as various rights are interrelated and given equal importance.
• They are absolute since they cannot be qualified and are considered basic necessities for living a
genuine life.
A major legal instrument that upholds the recognition of human rights is the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was drafted by the United Nations Commission
on Human Rights in 1948. This document was one of the major results of the end of the Second
World War. The atrocities committed during the war convinced many countries of the need to
craft an international charter that will ensure that such crimes will no longer be repeated.

Within specific countries, human rights are also a recognized political and social
concern and governments address them primarily through the adoption and enforcement
of laws. The 1987 Philippine constitution includes a Bill of Rights where the rights of Filipino
citizens are enumerated.

In many democratic countries, there are some limitations to the application and recognition
of human rights. Issues of security and safety, for instance, compel governments to suspend
or ignore basic human rights such as the right to privacy and certain freedoms. This is seen
in the Philippine Constitution's provision that allows the government to impose martial law for a
limited period should the country face the grave threat of foreign invasion or rebellion.
Economic concerns may also give way to governments seizing private property when public
welfare is at stake, such as the acquisition of private land for the construction of infrastructure.
Public health concerns can also be used as a reason for governments to impose curfews,
limit travel, or bar access to certain areas or facilities.

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 CHAPTER 4: HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED

A group is a unit of people who interact with some regularity and identify themselves as a
unit (Newman, 2012). In a stricter sense, it is a collection of people interacting together in an
orderly way on the basis of shared expectations about one another's behavior. As a result of this
interaction, members feel a common sense of "belonging." A group differs from an aggregate in
the sense that the latter does not interact and do not feel any shared sense of belonging.
A group can be categorized based on number, common interest, purpose and level of inter-
actions.
Types of Groups
According to influence:
• Primary groups are small but intimate. Members have direct access and interaction with each
other. Emotional bonds are formed between members, and any loss in members affects the
identity and structure of the group. Families and close friends are often the primary groups
people have. (Newman, 2012)
• Secondary groups are formed to perform a specific purpose. Members interact with each other
to accomplish the goals of the group. Secondary groups are often formal and impersonal.
Because of the impersonal nature of relationships, any loss or change in membership does
totally affect the structure of a secondary group. On another note, members of a primary group
can join a secondary group. For example, a student can become close friends with some of his
or her classmates in school. (Newman, 2012).
According to membership:
• In-groups provide members a sense of belongingness and loyalty. For example, being part of a
basketball team lets an individual bond with his or her teammates and join pep rallies to support
the team.
• Out-groups are groups than an individual is not a member. These groups elicit a sense of
antagonism from a person (who maybe be a member of another group) (Newman. 2012). For
example, members of the women's basketball team may have a sense of antagonism toward the
men's basketball team because the latter gets more funding despite performing badly in the last
season.
Reference groups
Reference groups provide a person with a set of standards to check against and to know if one is
doing well or where he or she needs improvement. For instance, a neophyte scientist considers
his superiors as a reference group in the same way a budding artist looks up to his or her
seasoned colleagues.
Networks

This is the entirety of social connections an individual takes part in for whatever purpose
(economic, political, etc.) and through whatever means (face-to-face interaction, virtual
interaction, indirect interaction, etc.). For instance, a politician's link with civil society
organizations and non-government organizations is a good example of a network.

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 General directions:
 Follow the given directions for each activity. Ask your teacher if
you have questions or concerns in doing them.
 Make sure to accomplish your activities on time.
 Wait for further announcements in your Facebook group or online
meeting regarding the submission of each activity.

ACTIVITY 1.1: Johari Window

Directions: Fill-in related information inside the four quadrants below.

Unknown to self and

Known to self and known to others
known to others
(Open self) (Blind self)
Unknown to self and
Known to self and unknown to unknown to others
others
(Unknown self)

Do the activity in the given template below.

Open self Blind self

Hidden self Unknown self

ACTIVITY 1.2: Sharing of Johari Window

Directions: Make a one slide presentation of your accomplished Johari window. (If
not available, you can just use the template above.) For the scheduled online meeting,
please be ready to share your entries.

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 ACTIVITY 2: Dos and Don’ts
Directions: In this activity, revisit your past experiences and research on the norms and
values of your family, community, municipality, and country. Answers should be limited
to the dos and don’ts of their age. Example: Overspending for a fiesta and other
festivities. Accomplish this activity by writing your answers on the table below.

Social environment Do’s Don'ts

Family

Community

Municipality

Country

ACTIVITY 3: Together We Stand!

Directions: BY GROUP
 In doing this activity, the class will be divided by their teacher into 5-6 groups .
 Look for two (2) news articles (one local AND one international) related to human rights.
 Identify the human rights featured in the articles and determine whether these rights are
violated and denied, or exercised and protected.
4. Make a short presentation of this activity in the assigned date by your teacher.
5. Ask your teacher if you have questions or concern regarding the activity.

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 ACTIVITY 4: Group Matrix
Directions: Identify the examples of social groups and find out the advantage and
disadvantage of joining them. Write the information in the table below.

Type of Group Examples Advantage Disadvantage

Primary

Secondary

In-group

Out-group

Networks

REFERENCES
Atienza, M. E., Lusterio-Rico, R., Arugay, A., Encinas-Franco, J., & Quilala, D.. (2016). Understanding
Culture, Society and Politics (For Senior High School): C & E Publishing, Inc.
Santarita, J. B., Madrid, R. M.. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics: Vibal Group, Inc.
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Teacher’s Guide First Edition 2016
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Activity Sheets 2016
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-sociology/chapter/the-functionalist-perspective-on-deviance/

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