UNDERSTANDING CULTURE SOCIETY AND POLITICS 1

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Saint Columban College

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL DEPARTMENT
7016 Pagadian City

S T U D E N T ’ S L E A R N I N G M O D U L E

Student’s Name: ___________________________ Date: ____________________

Grade & Section:______________ Subject: SOCSCI 12

Content Standard: The learners demonstrate an understanding of the following: the political and
leadership structures, the schematic structure of Philippine Government, and recognize how
individuals should behave as part of a political community.
Performance Standard: The learners show awareness on the value of human rights and promote
the common good.
Learning Competency: The learners can advocate inclusive citizenship and promote protection
of human dignity, rights, and the common good.
Learning Content: Political and Leadership Structure
Learning Resources: Gonzales, M.C. (2019). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics.
Makati City: Diwa Publishing
Core Values: Demonstrate curiosity and openness to explore the origins and dynamics of
culture, society and politics.

Module No. 4. – POLITICAL AND LEADERSHIP STRUCTURE Time Frame: 2 weeks

Learning Targets: At the end of the lesson, you can demonstrate an understanding of the political
and leadership structures through:
a. Analyzing the social and political structures.
b. Identifying the different levels of the Philippine local government.
c. Showing awareness on the legal rights written on the Article 3 of the 1987
Constitution.

I. INTRODUCTION:

Panagdait sa tanang kabuhatan! Welcome to our last module! How are

you today? Hopefully you’re doing great and still excited to do the activities
in our next lesson in this subject. In this module, we will learn new things.
Have fun in learning students! If you are ready, let’s begin!

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A. Motivation

Before we will start our new lesson, I want you to close your eyes and imagine a
life without leaders. Now open your eyes and draw your perspective on how a society
would like if there is no government.

B. Transition/ Linking Statements:

You may wonder if that scenario is even possible. In this module, you will learn
how other societies organize their political lives that may be distinct from what you are
aware of. This module is divided into two main parts. The first part discusses the types
of political organizations created by humans. The second part discusses the types of
authority and legitimacy present in human societies that allow for the rise of leaders.

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KEY CONCEPT
Read me!
POLITICAL STRUCTURES
• BANDS
A band is the least complex form of
political organization, as it has neither a rigid
form of governance nor a structured form of
leadership. A band typically consists of 20-
50 individuals who are usually related to one
another by virtue of kinship. Due to the close
ties between members of this group, coercion
as a form of receiving compliance is not an
option. Individuals are made to follow group
decision through social mechanism such as
gossiping, ostracizing, and being ridiculed.
This society is chiefly based on foraging,
which is also known as hunting and
gathering.
Decision –making is often made by
the entire group, with the eldest member
acting as the facilitator. This form of
leadership is informal, as the extent of the
leader’s power lies only upon his or her
capacity to influence the course of dialog in
the group. He or she can, by no means, coerce
anyone in the group to do a task that the other
does not want to perform.
Bands are egalitarian in social
composition. This implies that individuals in
the group have equal access to resources and
values. Reciprocity is a primary form of
exchange among the members. Individuals
who have lesser capacity to hunt or gather
have equal access to the food that other
members are able to produce. The drawback
of this setting is the creation of free riders or
those who would partake of their share of the
community’s resources without any attempt
to contribute. In such cases, bands would
usually employ noncoercive tactics such as
ridiculing and gossiping.
• TRIBES
A tribe is a political organization that
consists of segmentary lineages. This type of
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kinship relation is marked by loyalty per
family cluster or segment. An individual’s
loyalty primarily lies on his or her immediate
family, followed by his or her cousins, and
this his or her distant cousins. This type of
kinship grouping allows for the creation of
interdependent generations. This also creates
a political organization that is less distinct
from kinship organizations. This means that
the position of the father in the family as the
prime decision maker and his position in
society will most likely be similar.
Tribes are less mobile than bands, as
their form of economic subsistence requires a
degree of settlement. Most tribes are either
horticultural (shifting agricultures) or
pastoral (tending animals). These types of
economic systems require individuals to
settle in one area for a specific period either
to let their animals graze (pastoralism) or to
harvest their crops (horticultural). This
supports the need to create an informal form
of leadership that is based on need.
The leaders that are chosen in this
type of organization are individuals who are
believed to possess special skills or aptitudes
that relate to the economic activity. Hence,
should a younger and an older hunter be in a
debate about a decision, the decision-making
power shall be accorded by the members of
the society to the person with greater skills in
hunting without considering age. Similar to
leaders of bands, the leaders in a tribe have
no concrete political power over their
members, except in areas when group
concerns are in place.
The segmented nature of a tribe’s
social dynamics allows for an economic
system that uses redistribution of
commodities among social segments through
the process of tribute. A tribute is a form of
gift that may consist of wealth, food, or other
materials given to a central figure who in turn
redistributes the accumulated goods to the
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other members of society. Through this
process, the products of one group are shared
and consumed by other groups.
• CHIEFDOMS
The ancient Mayans were known for
their complex and elaborate political system
that incorporated religion, kinship, and
politics. The Mayan political organization is
an example of a chiefdom, as it embodied its
characteristics that include a political leader
with an advisory council, a leader who
exercises power that is based on legitimacy,
and the existence of social stratification.
A chiefdom is more complex than a
tribe, as this political organization consists of
a few local communities who subscribe to the
power and rule of a leader who has absolute
power on them. This absolute power is
derived from the perceived relation of the
leader to supernatural forces and powers,
which is a form of legitimizing factor. As
long as the members of the communities
believe that their leader is a direct descendant
of their gods, this leader maintains his or her
sovereignty in the land. Once the belief of
people shifts, this leader almost
instantaneously loses power.
Similar to the tribe, this political
organization is tied with horticulture and
pastoralism. The same economic process of
redistribution through tribute collection is
practiced in chiefdom, just like in a tribe.
What distinguishes a chiefdom from a tribe is
the existence of social stratification that
segregates society into the elite and the
commoner. The elites are often the relatives
of the ruler and are also believed to have
dignity or connections to the supernatural.
• STATES AND NATIONS
State is different from a nation. The
latter refers to a group of people sharing
similar culture and political history, whereas
the former refers to a political organization
united by a common set of laws.
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A state uses absolute power in
directing the path of a society. To attain
societal goals and objectives, a state uses
complete political coerciveness, which may
come in the form of armed personnel, stricter
laws, and rigid government policies. This
provide a marginal intersection between
politics and kinship, as both are required not
to interact in the guise of professionalism and
incorruptibility.
The primary form of economic
subsistence in this political organization is
market exchange. Standardized currencies
are used to exchange commodities, unlike in
a band where a commodity or service is
exchanged with another commodity or
service, which are often deemed by both
parties to be of similar value. The
differentiated access to production and
capital creates the formation and perpetuation
of class and caste systems.
As states consist of actors with
varying interests and assertions, social rules
are implemented in the form of laws. These
laws are created to manage the interaction
among individuals and between the
individuals and state. As a citizen of a
country, an individual is subjected to the
legal norms in the territory. These norms may
include paying taxes, rendering military
service, and contributing to the political life
in the society. For example, in the event of
war, citizens may be required to render
military service for their country.
In South Korea, all males are required
to render military service and undergo
training for 21 months despite their gender or
social status. In the Philippines, some of the
obligations of its citizens include (1) payment
of at most 32% of one’s income as income tax
to the government, (2) payment of 12% value
added tax (VAT) for all commodities and
services purchased, (3) completion of the
National Service Training Program (NSTP)
or the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps
(ROTC) while in college, and (4) recognition
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of the authority of government officials (e.g.,
police officers).
LEADERSHIP STRUCTURES
The extent of a leader’s power relies
on how much his or her followers accord him
or her with it. This leads to a discussion on
the reasons that leaders rise and how they
maintain power over individuals. According
to Max Weber, a 20th century sociologist,
every leader has some form of justification as
to why he or she should be accorded with
such power. He organized these reasons into
three categories of legitimacy: legal,
traditional, and charismatic.
Legal authority is achieved by a
leader through the process of following
established codes and procedures governing
the allocation and distribution of power and
resources within a society. Leaders who are
ruling under the clout of this authority have
been either elected or appointed to office
following the existing laws of the land. The
extent as to which this type of leaders can
wield power is limited to what the codified
laws of the society accords him or her.
Traditional authority is a form of
leadership legitimacy that highlights the right
of a leader to rule based on inheritance of the
title. People under the leadership of a ruler
with traditional authority accept the latter’s
exercise of power as it has been the status quo
in the society since their forefathers. The rule
of monarchs and their allies in both
patrimonial and feudal regimes are examples
of this.
Charismatic authority creates a type
of leadership that is based on the personal
attachment of the subordinates to the ruler
whose characteristics, experiences, or even
skills are believed to be extraordinary, or
maybe even supernatural. Due to this, most
of the ruler’s followers are devoted to him or
her without regard as to whether the authority
of the ruler is accepted within the legal
framework of the society or that he or she has
not been part of a royal lineage.
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These types of authority and
legitimacy are not mutually exclusive, as
some can be combined to produce other
forms of leadership justification. For
example, institutional charisma is a
combination of charismatic and legal
authority. This kind of authority is usually
observed among religious institutions
wherein the leader’s authority is accepted
based on his or her charisma, but his or her
exercise of power is limited by the legal
structures of the church. Another
combination is called familial charisma,
which is a combination of traditional and
charismatic authority. This is often observed
in kingship rules as individuals recognize the
right of the king to rule based on his
inheritance of the position and his innate
extraordinary capacities.
CLASSIFICATION OF THE
PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT
On the basis of the above
classifications of government, it can be said
that the Philippine government is a
representative democracy, a unitary and
presidential government with separation of
powers. It also embodies some aspects of
pure democracy such as, for instance, the
constitutional provision on initiative and
referendum.
Under our constitution, executive
power is vested in the President and the
Cabinet, legislative power with the Congress
composed of a Senate and a House of
Representatives, and judicial power with the
Supreme Court and the lower courts.
LOCAL GOVERNANCE
The Philippine Constitution is the
main legal framework in the country. Laws
are promulgated to preserve and maintain
order in the society and to regulate and
control the relationships of the citizens. Laws
are formalized norms, which are enacted by
the people who are vested with governmental
power and enforced by political and legal
authorities designated by the government.
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Local governments are the political
subdivisions of a state. They are at the lowest
level of an elected territorial organization
within a state, both in federal or unitary
governments. In a unitary system like the
Philippines, local governments are created by
the national government through legislation.
Local governments are given the task to
provide local public services and implement
national welfare policies. (Atienza, 2006)
The Philippines local government
level is composed of the provinces, cities,
towns or municipalities, and the barangay,
the local chief executives who implement the
board resolutions and ordinances passed by
the provincial board, the city or municipal
council, and the barangay council are known
as governor, city mayor, municipal mayor
and barangay captain, respectively. The
interpretation of whether a law is
constitutional or not, or whether the acts of
the Presidents in implementing the law are
unconstitutional or done with abuse of
discretion of his/her power is vested in the
judicial branch of government – the Supreme
Court, the highest court of the land. Other
local government judicial bodies are the
Regional Trial Courts, City Courts,
Municipal Trial Courts, Municipal Circuit
Trial Courts, and Pangkat ng
Tagapagkasundo in the barangay level
performing quasi-judicial functions.
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Being a citizen of a country also
entails the enjoyment of certain privileges
that are labeled as rights. There are two types
of rights that are enjoyed by individuals as
members of state: natural and legal. Natural
rights are those that are expected to be
enjoyed by all individuals, regardless of
citizenship. These rights are derived from a
basic element of individuals being humans.
Some of these rights include the right to life,
the right to liberty or freedom, and the right
to property. Legal rights are those that are
awarded to an individual by the state as part
of its culture, traditions, and norms. Hence, a
Muslim-dominated state will provide its
citizens a different set of legal rights as
compared to a Christian-dominated state.
Some examples of legal rights are (1) the
right to vote, (2) the right to privacy, and (3)
the right to join formal organizations.
Here is a copy of the Bill of Rights of
the Philippines, which stated the rights to be
enjoyed by its citizens.
THE 1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES
ARTICLE III
BILL OF RIGHTS
Section 1. No person shall be deprived of life,
liberty, or property without due process of
law, nor shall any person be denied the equal
protection of the laws.
Section 2. The right of the people to be secure
in their persons, houses, papers, and effects
against unreasonable searches and seizures of
whatever nature and for any purpose shall be
inviolable, and no search warrant or warrant
of arrest shall issue except upon probable
cause to be determined personally by the
judge after examination under oath or
affirmation of the complainant and the
witnesses he may produce, and particularly
describing the place to be searched and the
persons or things to be seized.
Section 3. (1) The privacy of communication
and correspondence shall be inviolable
except upon lawful order of the court, or
when public safety or order requires
otherwise, as prescribed by law.
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(2) Any evidence obtained in violation of this
or the preceding section shall be inadmissible
for any purpose in any proceeding.
Section 4. No law shall be passed abridging
the freedom of speech, of expression, or of
the press, or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble and petition the government for
redress of grievances.
Section 5. No law shall be made respecting
an establishment of religion, or prohibiting
the free exercise thereof. The free exercise
and enjoyment of religious profession and
worship, without discrimination or
preference, shall forever be allowed. No
religious test shall be required for the
exercise of civil or political rights.
Section 6. The liberty of abode and of
changing the same within the limits
prescribed by law shall not be impaired
except upon lawful order of the court. Neither
shall the right to travel be impaired except in
the interest of national security, public safety,
or public health, as may be provided by law.
Section 7. The right of the people to
information on matters of public concern
shall be recognized. Access to official
records, and to documents and papers
pertaining to official acts, transactions, or
decisions, as well as to government research
data used as basis for policy development,
shall be afforded the citizen, subject to such
limitations as may be provided by law.
Section 8. The right of the people, including
those employed in the public and private
sectors, to form unions, associations, or
societies for purposes not contrary to law
shall not be abridged.
Section 9. Private property shall not be taken
for public use without just compensation.
Section 10. No law impairing the obligation
of contracts shall be passed.
Section 11. Free access to the courts and
quasi-judicial bodies and adequate legal
assistance shall not be denied to any person
by reason of poverty.
Section 12. (1) Any person under
investigation for the commission of an
offense shall have the right to be informed of
his right to remain silent and to have
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competent and independent counsel
preferably of his own choice. If the person
cannot afford the services of counsel, he must
be provided with one. These rights cannot be
waived except in writing and in the presence
of counsel.
(2) No torture, force, violence, threat,
intimidation, or any other means which
vitiate the free will shall be used against him.
Secret detention places, solitary,
incommunicado, or other similar forms of
detention are prohibited.
(3) Any confession or admission obtained in
violation of this or Section 17 hereof shall be
inadmissible in evidence against him.
(4) The law shall provide for penal and civil
sanctions for violations of this section as well
as compensation to and rehabilitation of
victims of torture or similar practices, and
their families.
Section 13. All persons, except those charged
with offenses punishable by reclusion
perpetua when evidence of guilt is strong,
shall, before conviction, be bailable by
sufficient sureties, or be released on
recognizance as may be provided by law. The
right to bail shall not be impaired even when
the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus is
suspended. Excessive bail shall not be
required.
Section 14. (1) No person shall be held to
answer for a criminal offense without due
process of law.
(2) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused
shall be presumed innocent until the contrary
is proved, and shall enjoy the right to be heard
by himself and counsel, to be informed of the
nature and cause of the accusation against
him, to have a speedy, impartial, and public
trial, to meet the witnesses face to face, and
to have compulsory process to secure the
attendance of witnesses and the production of
evidence in his behalf. However, after
arraignment, trial may proceed
notwithstanding the absence of the accused
provided that he has been duly notified and
his failure to appear is unjustifiable.
Section 15. The privilege of the writ of
habeas corpus shall not be suspended except
in cases of invasion or rebellion when the
public safety requires it.
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Section 16. All persons shall have the right to
a speedy disposition of their cases before all
judicial, quasi-judicial, or administrative
bodies.
Section 17. No person shall be compelled to
be a witness against himself.
Section 18. (1) No person shall be detained
solely by reason of his political beliefs and
aspirations.
(2) No involuntary servitude in any form
shall exist except as a punishment for a crime
whereof the party shall have been duly
convicted.
Section 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be
imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman
punishment inflicted. Neither shall the death
penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling
reasons involving heinous crimes, the
Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death
penalty already imposed shall be reduced to
reclusion perpetua.
(2) The employment of physical,
psychological, or degrading punishment
against any prisoner or detainee or the use of
substandard or inadequate penal facilities
under subhuman conditions shall be dealt
with by law.
Section 20. No person shall be imprisoned for
debt or non-payment of a poll tax.
Section 21. No person shall be twice put in
jeopardy of punishment for the same offense.
If an act is punished by a law and an
ordinance, conviction or acquittal under
either shall constitute a bar to another
prosecution for the same act.
Section 22. No ex post facto law or bill of
attainder shall be enacted.
The shift from one type of political
organization to another involves several
factors that include economic adaptation,
environmental conditions, and social
structure. Changes in environmental
conditions produce alternative economic
systems that require modifications of the
social structure. When these conditions
occur, the political system also adapts and
shifts to a more suitable form. Example for
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this is the development of farming, which
allowed for the creation of permanent
settlement that necessitated the establishment
of rules to govern individual behaviors that
were meant to maintain social order. This
produced state-like entities that paved the
way for modern states.
A more inclusive perspective
accommodates the plausibility of having
multiple forms of political organizations that
are functioning parallel to one another within
the varying context of each environment.
This perspective highlights the reality of
cultural variation and exercises the lens of
cultural relativism in understanding societies.
In summary, political systems are key
elements of a society’s culture with the chief
function of promoting social order with
regard to its economic systems and
environmental demands. Just like any part of
culture, political systems are structural tools
used by human populations to be able to
survive in their environments. It is due to this
characteristic that there is a plurality of
political systems across human populations.
Moreover, government is an
institution by which a community organizes
itself in order to attain the members’
individual and collective welfare. The
purpose for which it is created, as summed up
in the Constitution is to promote the common
good, conserve and develop the people’s
patrimony and serve the people’s prosperity
and protect their individual and democratic
rights. The government serves as the working
arm of the state which is responsible for its
political processes, the laws and the work of
its agencies. Philippine government system is
shaped and reshaped to address the needs of
the time.
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II. INTERACTION:
Simple Recall (WITH CHOICES). Read each question carefully and write the correct
answer on the space provided. Choose your answers based on the alternatives listed below:

Bands Charismatic authority Institutional charisma Legal authority

Nations Legal rights Familial charisma Chiefdoms
Legitimacy tributes Traditional Authority Authority
Tribes States Natural rights Egalitarian

1. What political organization consist of a political leader with an advisory council, a leader who
exercises power that is based on legitimacy, and the existence of social stratification?
_____________________
2. What right refers to those that are awarded to an individual by the state as part of its culture,
traditions, and norms? _____________________
3. What political organization consists of 20-50 individuals who are usually related to one
another by virtue of kinship? _____________________
4. What refers to an area organized into a political unit and ruled by an established government
with control over its internal and foreign affairs? _____________________
5. Bands are usually referred to as being ___________________, societies in which all persons
of the same age and gender are seen as equals.
6. This is a form of gift used by tribes that may consist of wealth, food, or other materials given
to a central figure who in turn redistributes the accumulated goods to the other members of
society? _____________________
7. What refers to a culturally distinctive group of people occupying a specific territory and bound
together by a sense of unity arising from shared ethnicity, beliefs, and customs?
_____________________
8. What do you call of a moral and ethical concept that bestows one who possesses power the
right to exercise such power since such is perceived to be justified and proper?
_____________________
9. What type of authority and legitimacy that creates a type of leadership that is based on the
personal attachment of the subordinates to the ruler whose characteristics, experiences, or even
skills are believed to be extraordinary, or maybe even supernatural? _____________________
10. What type of authority and legitimacy is observed in kingship rules as individuals recognize
the right of the king to rule based on his inheritance of the position and his innate extraordinary
capacities? _____________________
11. What type of authority and legitimacy is achieved by a leader through the process of
following established codes and procedures governing the allocation and distribution of power
and resources within a society? _____________________
12. What type of authority and legitimacy is usually observed among religious institutions
wherein the leader’s authority is accepted based on his or her charisma, but his or her exercise of
power is limited by the legal structures of the church? _____________________
13. What refers to the power to make binding decisions and issue commands?
_____________________
14. What type of leadership legitimacy highlights the right of a leader to rule based on
inheritance of the title? _____________________
15. What type of leadership legitimacy can we identify with leaders who are either elected or
appointed to office following the existing laws of the land? _____________________

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III. INTEGRATION
A. Transfer of Learning
(Excellent! Now that you have understand the concept of Political and
Leadership structure, please complete the table below to see your progress.)

1. What role does economic subsistence

play in the formation of a political
organization?

2. Why are social rules implemented by

the state?

3. What is the basis of the leadership of

a charismatic leader?

4. What are the differences between

legal authority and traditional
authority?

5. How does institutional charisma

differ from familial charisma?

B. Reflection:

In this module, some of the citizens privileges in the Bill of Rights are discuss.
Now, what does citizenship entail? How would you elaborate what a responsible
citizen would be?

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C. Closure & Synthesis:

Directions: Write a tweet of the things that you learned about the lesson. Limit your
word counts up to 30 words only. Write 2 hashtags below.

Great job! We are finally done with the module! I hope you
enjoyed learning the topic! If you have some questions send me
a message in this number 09569181127 (for Ms. EMILY
HANGCA) and 09461454058 (for Ms. ERICA BENDEBEL)
See you in our next journey!

References

Beltran, J. (2013). Sociology and Society. Metro Manila: Grandbooks Publishing.

Gonzales, M.C. (2019). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics. Makati City: Diwa Publishing

San Juan, W. & Centeno, M.L. (2011). General Sociology. Mandaluyong City: BOOKS Atbp. Publishing

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