SHS

Core Subject:
Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
Quarter 1 - Module 1

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SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL, Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
Quarter 1 – Module 1
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 Lesson 1: Anthropology and the Study of Culture
Defining Anthropology, its goals and perspectives
Introduction
You, as a twenty-first century learner who lives in the era where change happens
in just a blink should be equipped with an understanding of the changes that take place in
some aspects of culture, societal norms and laws. You need to know the factors that
caused these changes for you to be aware of how you fit in, and what relevant actions can
be done as a member of society. Change is certainly inevitable and it affects us in several
aspects. We should not deter these changes but instead, we should adapt to it, live with
it, and embrace it. As the cliché goes, nothing is permanent in this world except change.
And so indeed, the world is changing and so are we – our cultures and our societies.
In this lesson, we will begin introducing to you some concepts that will lead you in
understanding the underlying reasons of the changes in your environment. Let us start by
defining the nature, goals and perspectives of one of the three important disciplines in the
social sciences – Anthropology.
Objectives
Are you now ready to start your learning journey in this course? Great! Let’s take
a look at the Most Essential Learning Competency and the specific task that you need to
accomplish in this lesson.

Most Essential Learning Competency: Discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in
anthropology, sociology and political science.
This lesson provides various activities and discussions for you to articulate the
nature of anthropology, its goals and perspectives.

Vocabulary List

Hi there! Here are some unfamiliar words that you will encounter in this lesson.
Take a minute or two to read these words until you become familiar with them. It would be
very helpful if you will get your pen and notebook to copy the definition of the important
terms below.

1. Anthropology – is the study of humanity that looks into the biological variation in
time and space (physical or biological anthropology), and the interplay of society
and culture (cultural anthropology).
2. Culture- a complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, artifacts,
laws, symbols and everything that a person learns and shares in society.
3. Deculturation -the loss of cultural beliefs and practices tied with the changing times.
4. Cultural diffusion - a process of accommodating desirable traits from other culture
through acculturation, assimilation, amalgamation, enculturation, colonization and
revolutionary movement.

Are your done familiarizing yourself with the important terms that you will
encounter in this lesson? Great! Now, it’s time for you to have some warming up activity
before you proceed to the lesson proper.

1
Pre-Test
Before you start your learning adventure, try to answer the first task below. This
task will give you an overview of what you will learn as you go along the way in this module.
Are you ready?

Directions: Read each statement below. State whether you AGREE or DISAGREE to each
of the statements. Write the answers in your notebook.
1. Culture is innate.
2. Culture makes an individual unique.
3. Culture is never static.
4. Cultural problems arise when the environment changes but remained the same.
5. Culture can be lost or forgotten.
6. Culture is always classified as intangible/non-material.

If you scored 3 (three) and above, you can now proceed to the lesson proper.
However, if you scored 2 (two) and below, you might want to give another shot in
answering the pre-test.
You are now about to read the first lesson of this module. While reading, try to jot
down some important concepts that you might find useful in the succeeding lessons.
Remember to use a separate notebook for your notes.

Learning Activities
Defining the Nature of Anthropology

Every individual differs in various ways. So, putting your lens closer to these
differences reveal how individuals are alike in terms of their physical features, routines
and interaction with each other. The differences and similarities by which individuals live,
act and interact is a manifestation of the numerous aspects of human existence. One of
these aspects is man’s unique social behavior tied to their cultural backgrounds.
Culture is the invisible bond which ties people coming from the same society together.
It affects our judgment skills, perceptions, attitudes and even our emotions. It has a direct
impact on our behavior. Thus, the culture we have shapes our values and belief systems
which influences our personalities. Furthermore, our culture gives us our identity and
sense of belongingness to our community. It is for this reason that understanding culture
is important and this is the focus of one field in social sciences called cultural anthropology.
Anthropology is defined as the study of humanity. It is derived from the two Greek
words “anthropos” which means man and “logos” means study.

SUBDISCIPLINES OF ANTHROPOLOGY

• Physical or biological anthropology –the study of human biological variation in time

and space including genetics, growth, development and primatology.

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 • Cultural anthropology -the study of human society and culture which
describes, analyzes, interprets and explains social and cultural similarities and
differences. Its sub-categories are: (a) archeological anthropology which is the
study of human behavior and cultural patterns and processes through culture’s
material remains; and (b) linguistic anthropology, which is the descriptive,
comparative and historical study of language and of linguistic similarities and
differences in time, space and society.
• Applied Anthropology – the use of anthropological knowledge in solving
contemporary problems through the application of theories and approaches of the
discipline.
Source: Retrieved August 20, 2020 from https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/pontifical-and-royal-university-of-santo-tomas-
the-catholic-university-of-the-philippines/the-contemporary-world/lecture-notes/final-ucsp-module-very-good/5432381/view

These sub-disciplines of anthropology show that it takes a broad approach to

holistically understand the various aspect of human experience. To understand and study
humanity, anthropologists compare one society to the other society.
It also noteworthy that it is important to study anthropology because of the following
reasons: 1. It broadens your knowledge and changes your perspective; 2. It is useful in
understanding how society has evolved through time and the cultural changes that have
taken place thereto; 3. It is relevant in tracing the transitions that societies went through
leading up to its current state; 4. It helps us to deal with complexity and lastly, 5. It is
interesting.
Furthermore, in studying humans, anthropologists also consider not just the
present time but also the past through archeology in order to see how humans lived
thousand years ago. They also examine what makes up our biological system as well as
our bones, genes and health. Their curiosity in exploring the uniqueness of man from other
species led them to compare humans to other animals such as chimpanzees and other
primates to see what we have in common with these animals and what makes us unique
from them.

Talking about commonality, every person in the same society is bonded by the
same culture. Hence, it is embedded in a community to have a set of beliefs which are
manifested in their traditions and other societal practices. As part of man’s culture,
anthropologists also try to look into the variation of language from simple to complex and
on how they pronounce and write each word. Through field immersion, they observe how
people dress, what people eat, what people do and how people communicate in different
societies to validate the authenticity of their culture. These are just some of the few things
that anthropologists do in their field.

In line with cultural anthropology, in 1871, British Anthropologist Sir Edward Tylor
gave the first definition of culture. According to him, culture as the core concept of cultural
anthropology is the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals,
custom and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society
(Kroeber and Kluckhohn 1952:81). The phrase “complex whole” has been the most
durable feature of his definition.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
Since culture is a design or a roadmap that guides the behavior of members in a
society, it has the following characteristics:

• Culture is Everything
It is what a person has, does and think as part of society. This covers all of
a person’s belief systems, set of behaviors, and material possessions.

Culture therefore can be classified into two types:

o Material Culture – includes all tangible and visible parts of culture
like clothes, food, and even buildings.
- Objects are important in the study of human
history because they provide a concrete basis
for the prevailing ideas of the times and can be used
to validate the existing realities.

o Non-Material Culture – includes all intangible parts of culture, which

consists of values, norms, laws, sanctions and knowledge among others.

• Culture is Shared
This implies that a particular behavior cannot be considered as part of
culture if there is only one person practicing it. Culture is shared is intra and
inter-generational.
• Culture is Learned
Culture is a set of beliefs, attitudes and practices that an individual learns
through his or her family, school, church, and other social institutions.
Diffusion – is the spread of culture from one society to another.
• Culture affects Biology
Humans are born into cultures that have values on beauty and body. As
such, they alter their bodies to fit physiological norms that are dictated by
their culture.
• Culture is Adaptive
Culture is a tool for survival that humans use in response to the pressures
of their environment.
• Culture is Maladaptive
People when manifesting a set of cultural practices, fail to adapt to the
environmental changes leads to mal-adaptation.
• Culture Changes
Culture is never static. This dynamism of culture is due to the changing
needs of man as they interpret and survive in their environment.

Source: 1. Retrieved August 20, 2020 from https://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/2/0/5/0205260012.pdf

2. Retrieved August 20, 2020 from https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/pontifical-and-royal-university-of-santo-tomas-

the-catholic-university-of-the-philippines/the-contemporary-world/lecture-notes/final-ucsp-module-very-
good/5432381/view

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Identifying the Goals in Studying Anthropology
Here are some of the goals in studying Anthropology:

1. Explore and study the various cultures of man.

2. Realize that anthropology as a discipline has a strong commitment to issues of
social justice.
3. Understand the process of anthropological interpretation and representation.

Source: 1. Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6, Unlimited Books
Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.40

Anthropological Perspectives in Anthropology

Anthropology has different distinctive ways of thinking about the world, human
cultures, societies and people. Anthropological perspectives focuses on the study of the
full scope of human diversity and the application of that knowledge to help people of
different backgrounds. Some aspects of the anthropological perspectives are culture,
cultural relativism, fieldwork, human diversity, holism and biocultural focus. The four main
perspectives of Anthropology are the cross-cultural or comparative emphasis,
evolutionary/historical emphasis, ecological emphasis and holistic emphasis. From
an anthropological perspective, these concepts are related to each other and they are also
seen as integrated with one another.

In order to understand the origin and history of human beings and to acknowledge
global cultured and communities, people should be able to consider anthropological
perspectives in their both social and academic lives. Anthropological perspective is very
important because it looks at shared aspects of humanity like language, cultural
connections, economics and curiosity to find the common thread. What makes the
Anthropological perspective unique is that unlike other social scientists, anthropologists
look beyond the confines of our own society and compare it to the beliefs and practices of
other societies, past and present.
The holistic cross-cultural and comparative approach can help us think more
deeply about other people and cultures, and live more consciously in our global world. It
also changes your way of thinking about the world with a wider appreciation of the human
experience. It allows us to understand how the evolutionary package inherited from our
ancestors work in today’s environment.
Source: 1. Dungeon, Roy C. “The Anthropological Perspective: What Makes it Unique”
2. “Why is Athropology Important.” https://classroom.synonym.com/why-is-anthropology-important-12080725.html

Are you done reading the lesson? Now, try answering the activities below to check
if you really understood the lesson. Make sure to get a passing score in order to move to
the next activity. Let’s go!

Practice Task 1

Directions: Read and analyze the words in each item. Write TANGIBLE if it is a material
culture and INTANGIBLE if it is a non-material culture. Do this in your notebook.

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 1. heirloom
2. antiques
3. Mayon Volcano
4. folk songs
5. superstitious beliefs
6. values and traditions
7. Jose Rizal’s monument
8. Uyayi
9. Myth of Bakunawa
10. earthen jars
11. kundiman
12. rituals
13. ancestral house
14. hanging garden of Babylon
15. Pearl of the Orient
Good job! Let’s move on to the next activity.

The next activity will test if you have understood the difference of enculturation,
acculturation and deculturation (the context of enculturation and acculturation fall
part of cultural diffusion) by means of analyzing the situations in each item.

Practice Task 2
Directions: Analyze the situations in every item. Tell whether the following situations show
Enculturation, Acculturation, and Deculturation. Do this in your notebook.
1. Jillian learned to become religious and obedient from her parents and friends. She
learned it by observing the people that surrounds her.
2. Pedro is learning on how to use chopsticks before he flew to China for his
internship.
3. Children nowadays prefer playing with their iPads, Xbox and mobile games rather
than playing traditional games like “patintero”, “piko” and “tumbang preso.”
4. After Juana’s scholarship program in Michigan University, she prefers wearing
crop-tops and other western-inspired clothing.
5. Before travelling to Korea, Kardo enrolled in a Basic Korean language tutorial.
6. The University of the Philippines will be offering an elective course that will analyze
popular Korean drama series.
7. Leon’s native tongue is West Miraya but he speaks English in the University.
8. Tatay Isko asked his 10-year old grandson to teach him how to send a text
message using an android phone.
9. Nowadays, only few teenagers are practicing “pag-mamano” which is known as
the traditional honoring-gesture of Filipinos.
10. Pedro uses messenger and direct messages in expressing his feelings to Feliza.

You’re doing a great job! If you scored eight (8) and above, you are
amazingly awesome. But, don’t feel bad if you got seven (7) and below. You can

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 still review the definition of enculturation, acculturation and deculturation and
retake the task to have an awesome score.
Practice Task 3

Directions: Read the statements below and identify the sub-discipline of anthropology
described in each item. Write the answers in your notebook.

1. Ana Marie studies the language of the indigenous people in the farthest mountains
of Cordillera.
2. Juan Tamad Jr. seeks to examine the tombs of the Mummy Pharaohs in Egypt.
3. According to studies, the early Homo sapiens has larger skull than that of the
present human.
4. Len-len idolizes the Korean’s pop culture and drama.
5. Clifford Geertz’ study on culture revealed that the webs of significance suggests
that all humans create and modify their cultures, and in turn cultures define the
context where the humans are.

Well done buddy! You are a step closer in the final exercise. Keep going.
Post Test
Directions: Arrange the words inside the box, group them accordingly and create a graphic
organizer using these words. Then, answer the questions below. Do this in your notebook.

Questions:

Culture is shared Anthropology

Archeology Culture is adaptive
Culture is maladaptive Culture changes
Characteristics of culture Culture affects Biology
Applied anthropology Cultural anthropology
Linguistic anthropology Culture is learned
Culture is everything Subdisciplines of Anthropology
Biological/Physical anthropology
1. What is meant by the statement that culture is fluid rather than static? What
characteristics of culture is this?
2. What makes culture a complex whole?
3. After knowing that culture can be lost or forgotten, what can you do to avoid its
extinction?
Congratulations for passing all the activities. I hope you have learned something new
today. Don’t stop here because this is just the starting point of your learning journey. Keep
going until you reach the end of this course.

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Assignment
Directions: Choose one characteristic of culture and illustrate it in a long-bond paper.
Do not forget to label them with the appropriate characteristic of culture. Make your
output creative and neat. This will be compiled in your portfolio.

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 Lesson 2: Sociology and the Study of Society
Defining Sociology, its goals and perspectives

Introduction
Gone were the days when students like you had an inclination for reading bounded
copies of novels, doing household chores, engaging in physical activities, bonding with
family members etc… As you can see, our day-to-day practices nowadays are quite
different from the usual routine that we used to do.
Today we already have facebook, netflix, instagram, tiktok, youtube, vlogs, mobile
legends, etc… These words are quite familiar, right? Students like you might have focused
on posting various statements on social media sites, watching series of kdrama movies,
playing online games, dancing to the trend and many more.
These transformations in society manifest the trends of the times. Our behavior is
being shaped by the society where we are in and as a social being, we need to be flexible
in order to adapt to these societal changes. To know more on this, let us discuss in this
lesson how our society affects an individual’s social behavior as the focus of the discipline
of sociology.

Objectives
Are you now ready to start your learning journey in this course? Great! Let’s take
a look at the Most Essential Learning Competency and the specific task that you need to
accomplish in this lesson.

This lesson provides various activities and discussions for you to articulate the
nature of sociology, its goals and perspectives.

Vocabulary List
Hi there! Here are some unfamiliar words that you will encounter in this lesson.
Take a minute or two to read and comprehend these words until you finally become
familiar with them. It would be very helpful if you will get your pen and notebook to copy
the definition of the important terms below.

1. Sociology – is a behavioral science that deals with the study of society.

2. Society – is a group of people living together in a definite territory and sharing a
common culture.
3. Social behavior – a set of actions performed by individuals of the same species
when they interact with each other.
4. Societal norms – the behaviors that are considered acceptable in a group or
society.
5. Theory – a statement or an approach that attempts to explain why certain things
are the way they are. For this lesson, this shall cover the explanations focused on
society and the interaction processes taking place therein.

Are your done familiarizing yourself with the important terms that you will
encounter in this lesson? Now, it’s time for you to have some warming up activity before
you proceed to the lesson proper.

9
Pre-Test
Before you start your learning adventure, try to answer the first task below. This
task will give you an overview of what you will learn as you go along the lesson.

Directions: Read each statement below. State whether you AGREE or DISAGREE to each
of the statements. Write the answers in your notebook.

1. Society shapes the social behavior of man.

2. Just like culture, society is also a complex whole.
3. Sociological perspective highlights the importance of studying our society.
4. The symbolic interactionist theory states that each part of society has a function.
5. The social conflict theory originated from Karl Marx’s writings on class struggles.
If you scored 3 (three) and above, you can now proceed with the lesson proper.
However, if you scored 2 (two) and below, you might want to give another shot at
answering the pre-test.

You are now about to read the second lesson of this module. While reading, try to
jot down some important concepts that you might find useful in the succeeding lessons.
Remember to use a separate notebook for your notes.
Learning Activities

Defining the Nature of Sociology

The focal point in the study of society is man’s social behavior since his behavior
is greatly shaped by the society where s/he belongs. As a social being, we need to
understand the social behavior and processes in our community. To understand clearly
our society, it is necessary to deal with the wide variety of social dimensions such as social
change, social institutions and social stratifications and other broad range of phenomenon
that deal with the underlying recurring patterns of influence on social behavior. Thus, the
branch of social science that is responsible for helping us understand the complexity of
our society is Sociology.

Sociology is a behavioral science that deals with the study of society. Derived from
the two Greek terms “socius” which means group or partners and “logos” which means
study.
A group of people living together is considered to be a society if it has the following
characteristics:

1. It comprises a complex whole - society is a complex whole because it is a

social system. As a complex whole, it is made up of individuals and groups that
interact in a relatively stable and patterned manner. A change in one group of
individual will affect the stability in the other parts of the whole system.

2. It is relatively large–People must be socially integrated to be considered

relatively large than being individually scattered. Thus, all the smaller social

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 groups and units composed of family, neighborhood, communities, nations and
the world are socially integrated to be relatively large in scope.

3. It provides means for socialization for its members - Societal norms can be
shared and taught to those people who come from other societies before being
accepted as functioning members of a certain society.

4. It endures, produces and restrains its members for generations-

For a society to survive, it must have the ability to produce, endure and sustain
its new members for generations.

5. The members of a society share a common culture –All members of society

are bonded by the same culture.

6. It occupies a definite territory – The members in a society must live in a

certain specific habitat or place and have a feeling of belongingness and sense
of purpose.

Source: Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6,
Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.85-86

Identifying the Goals in Studying Sociology

Here are some of the results when one engages in the study of Sociology:
4. Demonstrates an understanding of the concepts on cultural variation, social
differences and social changes.
5. Demonstrates an understanding of the significance of studying society.
6. Develops a comparative perspective to explain the diversity of human societies.
7. Describe how social structures and institutions operate.
8. Communicate sociological concepts and its applications effectively.

Source: Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6, Unlimited
Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.40

Sociological Perspectives on Culture and Society

Sociologists employ three primary theoretical perspectives: the symbolic
interactionist theory, structural-functionalist theory, and the social conflict theory. For
social sciences, it is important to follow the theoretical perspectives as a framework for
understanding the phenomena such as the ways on how people form groups. Theories
can provide us with explanations on the existence of society and the interaction processes
taking place therein.

• Symbolic Interactionist Theory

The first theory suggests that people attach meanings to symbols and they
act according to their interpretation of these symbols. The premise of this theory is
that the process of interaction is an indispensable one in any society. However, not
all interaction processes are relevant or meaningful to its members. Interactions
only become meaningful symbolic the moment meanings are attached to it.

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 In the Filipino institution of marriage, symbols may include wedding bands,
vows of commitment, white bridal dress, wedding cake, a pair of doves etc. Clearly,
it shows that Philippine society attaches general meanings to these symbols.
However, critics claim that symbolic interaction theory neglects the macro level of
social interpretation. This macro level of social interpretation pertains to how
individuals perceive the scenario in a bigger picture or perspective. In other words,
symbolic interactionists may miss the larger issues of the society by focusing too
closely to the smallest detail.

• Structural-Functional Theory
The second sociological perspective is the structural-functional theory
which is also known as functionalism. This approach views society as a complex
whole with an interconnected system wherein every part works together as a
functional whole. A metaphor for this approach is the human body. You have arms,
legs, a heart, a brain, and so on. Each part has its own neurons and system for
working but each part has to work together for a fully-functioning structure or
system. Same with our society where all the institutions have their own functions
but they need to work together to achieve a common goal.
Furthermore, functionalists believe that society is held together by social
consensus in which members of the society agrees and work together to achieve
what is best for society as a whole. If all goes well, the parts of the society produce
order, stability and productivity. However, if all does not go well, the parts of the
society must adapt to recapture a new order, stability and productivity.
For example, during a financial recession with its high rates of
unemployment and inflation, social programs are trimmed or cut. Schools offer
fewer programs; families tighten their budgets and a new social order occur.

• Social Conflict Theory

The last sociological perspective is the social conflict theory. This theory
views society as a competition of limited resources. This perspective is a macro-
level approach which is mostly identified in the writings of the German philosopher
and sociologist, Karl Marx who saw society being made up of individuals in different
social classes who must compete for social, material and political resources such
as food and housing, employment, and education.

According to conflict theorists, the existence of these inequalities in a

society usually have conflicting values and agenda that causes them to compete
against one another. However, social conflict theorists emphasizes that such
conflicts between individuals help them in motivating people and societies to evolve
over time.
Source: 1.Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6, Unlimited
Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.77-81.
2. Retrieved August 20, 2020 from https://study.com/academy/lesson/sociologys-four-theoretical-perspectives-structural-
functional-social conflict-feminism-symbolic-interactionism.html

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 Are you done reading the lesson? If so, try answering the activities below
to check if you really understood the lesson. Make sure to get a passing score in
order to move to the next activity. Are you ready? Let’s go!
Practice Task 1

Directions: Identify the terms being referred to in the following statements. Use the terms
found inside the box as your answer guide. Do this in your notebook.

Symbolic Interactionism Karl Marx

Sociology Social norms
Conflict Theory Functionalism
Theory Society

1. In his writings, he observed that society is composed of individuals in different

social classes who compete against one another.
2. This approach views society as a complex whole and an interconnected system
wherein every part works together as a functional whole.
3. These are the set acceptable behaviors of a group or society.
4. An approach that attempts to explain why groups of people choose to perform
certain actions and how societies function or change in a certain way.
5. This theory suggests that people attach meanings to symbols and they act
according to their interpretation of these symbols.

Good job! Let’s move on to the next activity.

Practice Task 2
Directions: Complete the statement to give meaning and sense by choosing the correct
word enclosed inside the parenthesis. Write your chosen answer in your notebook.
1. The members in a society have a sense of (purpose, happiness, territory).
2. Functionalists believe that society is held together by social consensus in which
members of society (disagree, agree, dislike) upon and work together to achieve
what is best for society as a whole.
3. All members of the society must be bonded by the same (behavior, mind-set,
culture).
4. (Anthropology, Sociology, Psychology) is a behavioral science that deals with the
study of society.
5. People must be socially integrated to be considered (relatively large, relatively
close, relatively united) than being individually scattered.
6. For a society to survive, it must have the ability to (control, produce, reduce) endure
and sustain its new members for generations.
7. Societal norms can be shared and taught to those who come from other societies
before being (rejected, accepted, merged) as functioning members of a certain
society.
8. Society shapes human (attitude, language, behavior).

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 9. Social conflict theory emphasizes how such (functions, symbols, conflicts) between
individuals help in motivating people and societies to evolve over time.
10. A change in one group of individuals will affect the (condition, focus, stability) of
the other parts of the whole system.

You’re doing a great job! If you scored eight (8) and above, you are
amazingly awesome. But, don’t feel bad if you got seven (7) and below. You can
still go back to the discussion to review your missed items.
Practice Task 3

Directions: Read each statement and answer the questions using your critical thinking
skills. Make your answers brief and substantial. Do this in your notebook.

1. The focal point in the study of society is man’s social behavior. What is meant by
this statement?
2. Do you consider your family as a society? Why?
3. Why do we need to follow social norms?
4. What makes society as a complex system?
5. Give a scenario or an example where the concept of structural-functionalist theory
can be observed.

Well done buddy! You are now a step closer to the final exercise. Keep going.

Post Test
Directions: Arrange the words inside the box to create a meaningful definition on the
nature of sociology. Write the correct answer in your notebook.

1. Society behavior social shapes of man the.

2. People socially being individually integrated relatively to be

considered large than scattered must be.

The members must live in a belongingness certain specific

3. place and have a common in a society and sense of purpose
habitat or.

4. All culture society must be bonded members of the by the same.

5. The society of greatly shaped by is man’s social behavior

since focal point in the study his behavior is the society
where s/he belongs.

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 Congratulations for passing all the activities. I hope you have learned something new
today. Keep going until you reach the end of this course.

Assignment

Directions: Write an essay consisting of 250-500 words based on the topic below and
write it legibly in a long-bond paper. This will be compiled in your portfolio.
Topic/Working title:

How I Understand and Appreciate the Society

that Shapes my Social Behavior

Note: You may change the title of your essay as long as it is related to the given
topic. Also, take a minute or two to read the criteria in grading your output.
Criteria:
Organization of ideas 10pts.
Substantial insight to the topic 15pts.
Support and development of ideas 10 pts.
Grammar 5pts.
Total 40pts.

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 Lesson 3: Political Science in the Art of Governance
Defining Political Science, its goals and perspectives
Introduction
Students like you may find the concept of politics boring. But to tell you, if the
thought of politics makes you cringe, then, think again of the possible consequences if
you will not understand what you are capable of as a citizen of this country.
For now, you may be thinking that you don’t have a say on the different political
issues around you. But, in two years time you know that your vote will be casted and it will
somehow affect every single aspect of our society.
Today, you will be acquainted with the essential concepts of politics in our country.
You will also be engaged in understanding the structures and process of Philippine politics
and most especially, you will be guided to uphold your rights in practicing your
responsibilities to become active participants in nation-building.
To know more on this, let us discuss in this lesson the nature of political science
as well as its goals and perspectives.

Objectives
Are you now ready to start your learning journey in this course? If yes, let’s take a
look at the Most Essential Learning Competency and the specific task that you need to
accomplish in this lesson.

This lesson provides various activities and discussions for you to articulate the
nature of political science, its goals and perspectives.

Vocabulary List
Hi there! Here are some unfamiliar words that you will encounter in this lesson.
Take a minute or two to read and comprehend these words until you finally become
familiar with them. It would be very helpful if you will get your pen and notebook to copy
the definition of the important terms below.

1. Political Science- the branch of social science that deals with systems of
government, and the analysis of political activities and behavior.
2. Power – the embodiment of the symbols whose meanings influence, control,
and shape the behavior of the members of society.
3. Political Ideologies – these refer to the set of beliefs and doctrines that serve
as the guide in the political, economic and social action of a state.
4. Political Issues – these are governmental and societal controversies debated
over time inclusive of divisive topics.
5. Government – an institution run by the state and whose responsibility is tied
with delivering the needs of the citizens.

Are your done familiarizing yourself with the important terms that you will
encounter in this lesson? If yes, let us now have the warming up activity before you
proceed to the lesson proper.

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Pre-Test
Before you start your learning adventure, try to answer the first task below. This
task will give you an overview of what you will learn as you go through this lesson. Are
you ready?

Directions: Read each statement below. State whether you AGREE or DISAGREE to each
of the statements. Write the answers in your notebook.

1. Politics emanates from the Latin word politika meaning the affairs of the cities.
2. Politics is both an art and science of government encompassing the administration
and control of its internal and external affairs.
3. Public policy discussions fall under semi-formal politics.
4. Formal politics is also known as everyday politics.
5. Political science as a field of discipline is under the umbrella organization of natural
science.
6. The barangay is the basic unit of the society.
7. Issues like abortion, free trade and war on drugs are examples of political
institutions.
8. Monarchy is an example of political ideology.
9. The traditional/historical approach are concerned in the observable world than the
normative world in understanding contemporary science.
10. Governance and government have the same meaning.

If you scored 8 (eight) and above, you can now proceed to the lesson proper.
However, if you scored 7 (seven) and below, you might want to give another shot in
answering the pre-test.
You are now about to read the third lesson of this module. While reading, try to jot
down some important concepts that you might find useful in the succeeding lessons.
Remember to use a separate notebook for your notes.

Learning Activities

Defining the Nature of Political Science

In Aristotle’s Politics, he emphasized that man by nature is a political animal. This

implies that man is sociable in nature and they usually come together to form political
association. Forming political association is like choosing who will be part of your circle
of friends as well as who will be your partners in crime. Once you have built your own
group, you start making your rules and marking your boundaries.

Likewise, in our government, we have several institutions, departments and

associations that is governed by laws and led by a leader. Hence, the branch of social
science that is responsible in the study of the activities of the government and institutions
in determining who gets what and how is called Political Science.

Etymologically, the term Politics emanates from the Greek word “Politika” meaning
the affairs of the cities. It is basically the study or practice of the distribution of power and
resources within a given community. In the political spectrum, politics is both an art and

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science of government encompassing the administration and control of its internal and
external affairs.

Politics has three forms: Formal, Semi-formal and Informal.

Formal politics pertains to the structured and defined operation of a constitutional

framework, institutions and methods. An example of this is the public policy discussion.
Semi-formal politics on the other hand includes neighborhood associations and student
governments where political party exists. Lastly, informal politics which is also known as
the everyday politics affects the everyday lives of man like how the household or office is
managed and how a person impacts one another.

Political Science as a field of discipline is the most dynamic among all the
disciplines of social sciences due mainly to the topics involved in its framework of the
study from a basic social unit of the society - the family, to the complex body of politics,
the State.

Source: 1. Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6, Unlimited Books
Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.29
2. Sadera, Jefferson M. et.al. (2018). Politics Governance for Senior High School, 978-9719676-86-7,Jimczyville
Publications, p. 1-3

Components of Politics

The following are the components of politics:

• Political Institutions – these comprise the state, government agencies, political

systems and the functions of the political beings or individuals within the institution.

• Political Ideologies–these refer to the set of beliefs and doctrines that serve as the
guide in the political, economic, and social action of a state. Foremost examples are
democracy, monarchy, dictatorship etc.

• Political Parties – these are groups of certain individuals who aspire to occupy public
office.

• Political Issues - these are governmental and societal controversies debated over
time inclusive of divisive topics such as abortion, taxation, foreign policy, free trade
etc.
Characteristics of Good Governance

The following are the characteristics for good governance:

• Participation – All men and women, and all individuals regardless of race, ethnicity,
religion and gender preferences should have a voice in decision-making, either
directly or through legitimate intermediate institutions that represent their interests.

• Rule of Law – Legal frameworks should be fair and enforced impartially, particularly

18
 the laws on human rights.

• Transparency – The information are directly accessible to those concerned with

them. Also, enough information or data should be provided for easy understanding
of their transactions.

• Responsiveness – Institutions should serve all stakeholders from all walks of life but
they must consider the welfare of the majority.

• Consensus Orientation – Good governance mediate differing interests to reach a

broad consensus to come up with an agreement within the group.

• Equity – the law is based not only in printed words but it also has the will to promote
social justice for all.

• Effectiveness and Efficiency – institutions must have positive results in allocating

the resources and meeting the needs of the citizens.

• Accountability – this is a constitutional mandate that a public office is a public trust.

Decision-makers in the government are accountable to the public.

• Strategic Vision – leaders and the citizens should have a broad and long term
perspective on good governance and human development to see what the country
needs and for them to meet the needs of its citizens.
Source: Sadera, Jefferson M. et.al. (2018). Politics Governance for Senior High School, 978-9719676-86-7,Jimczyville
Publications, p. 6-7

Identifying the Goals in Studying Political Science

Here are some of the goals in studying Political Science:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and principles of political
science.
2. Deepens your knowledge and understanding in the field of government and
politics.
3. Political Science trains students to develop critical skills.
4. Helps students to obtain practical knowledge and insights on political issues.
5. Helps the students understand why people behave the way they do politically.
Source: Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-9654-34-6, Unlimited Books
Library Services and Publishing Inc. p.34-35

Approaches/Perspectives in the Study of Political Science

• Traditional/Historical Approach
Political scientists/experts make some use of history to study the
chronology and the historical development of government structures and
institutions. This is based on the premise that history is a very important tool in
understanding what shaped society especially its government structure.

• Scientific/Behavioralist Approach

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 Behaviorists are concerned mostly with the empirical theory which deals
with the observable world rather than the normative theory which involves value
judgments. This scientific approach of behavioralists brought a new method in
understanding the contemporary political science. It basically looks into the
processes taking place in political structures in order to understand how this affects
the functioning of the institution as a whole.

• Systems Approach / Structural-Functional Approach /General Systems

Theory Approach

This approach highlights the importance of the different structures or

branches of government and the execution of their functions in order to ensure the
stability of the political system.

• Political Economy Approach

Politics and economy are never entirely separate phenomena. Economics
involves conflict over scarce resources while politics generally involves decisions
about who will pay and who will benefit from the production and distribution of
products and services.
Source: Sadera, Jefferson M. et.al. (2018). Politics Governance for Senior High School, 978-9719676-86-7,Jimczyville
Publications, p. 3-4

Are you done reading the lesson? If yes, let us try answering the activities below
to check if you really understood the lesson. Make sure to get a passing score in order to
move to the next activity. Are you ready? Alright, let’s go!
Practice Task 1
Directions: Match the words in Column A with its appropriate definition in Column B. Write
only the letter of your answer. Do this in your notebook.

Column A Column B

1. Politika a. social controversies

2. Political issues b. everyday politics
3. Strategic vision c. affairs of the cities
4. Informal politics d. it promotes social justice for all
5. Equity e. a long term perspective on good
governance
f. approaches/theory

Good job! Let’s move on to the next activity.

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Practice Task 2
Directions: Read the words/phrases in each item. Identify what component of politics is
being referred to in each item. Do this in your notebook.

1. Department of Education
2. Liberal Party
3. Reproductive Health Bill
4. Monarchy
5. Dictatorship
6. Department of Agriculture
7. Department of Health
8. War Against Drugs
9. Press Freedom
10. Philippine Democratic Socialist Party

You’re doing a great job! If you scored eight (8) and above, you are amazingly
awesome. But, don’t feel bad if you got seven (7) and below. You can still go back to the
discussion to review your missed items.
Practice Task 3

Directions: Read the statements below and identify the characteristics of good governance
described in each item. Write the answers in your notebook.
1. All men and women voted last election.
2. Despite of the differing opinions of the class, they all agreed to wear their school
uniform until the end of the semester.
3. The class officers of Grade 11 GAS are all accountable for the improper waste
segregation inside their classroom.
4. The school’s policy of “No ID & Uniform, No Entry” lessen the number of students
who are wearing colored T-shirts in school.
5. In five years, the school Principal envisions to provide one unit of laptop to all
Senior High School students.

Well done buddy! You are now a step closer in the final exercise. Keep going.

Post Test

Directions: Read and analyze carefully the statements in each item. Identify what concept
of politics is being described. Write the correct answer in your notebook.

________1. Political scientists/experts make some use of history to study the chronology
and the historical development of government structures and institutions.

________2. All men and women should have a voice in decision-making.

________3. Political institution is the basic social unit of the society.

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________4. This is the branch of social science that deals with systems of government,
and the analysis of political activities and behavior.

________5. These are governmental and societal controversies debated over time
inclusive of divisive topics.

________6. These refer to the set of beliefs and doctrines that serve as the guide in the
political, economic and social action of a state.
________7. This is also known as the everyday politics that affects the everyday lives of
man.
________8. This approach is concerned mostly with empirical theory which deals with the
observable world rather than it, being a normative theory.
________9. This pertains to the structured and defined operation of a constitutional
framework, institutions and methods.
_______10. This characteristic of good governance implies that institutions should serve
all stakeholders from all walks of life but they must consider the welfare of the
majority.

Congratulations for passing all the activities. I hope you have learned something new
today. Keep going until you reach the end of this course.

Assignment

Directions: Indicate the things you have learned in this lesson (knowledge), then write
down the things that you have realized and appreciated (attitude) and lastly, the things
that you have discovered and wanted to do more (skills). Do this in a long bond paper
and compile this in your portfolio.

Things I have learned

(knowledge)

Things I have realized

and appreciated
(attitude)

Things I have
discovered and
wanted to do more

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 ANSWER KEY

LESSON 1

I. Pre-Test 15. Tangible

1. Agree
2. Agree III. Practice Task 2
3. Agree 1. Enculturation
4. Agree 2. Acculturation
5. Disagree 3. Deculturation
4. Deculturation
II. Practice Task 1 5. Acculturation
1. Tangible 6. Acculturation
2. Tangible 7. Acculturation
3. Tangible 8. Enculturation
4. Intangible 9. Deculturation
5. Intangible 10. Deculturation
6. Intangible
7. Tangible IV. Practice Task 3
8. Intangible 1. Linguistic anthropology
9. Intangible 2. Archeology
10. Tangible 3. Biological/Physical
11. Intangible anthropology
12. Intangible 4. Cultural anthropology
13. Tangible 5. Applied anthropology
14. Tangible

V. Post Test

ANTHROPOLOGY

Sub-disciplines of Anthropology Characteristics of Culture

Cultural anthropology Culture is shared

Archeology Culture is adaptive
Applied anthropology Culture is maladaptive
Linguistic anthropology Cultural changes
Biological/Physical Culture affects Biology
anthropology Culture is learned
Culture is everything

1. The statement means that culture is relative and flexible. Considering the dynamic
characteristic of culture, it is flexible and it rapidly changes based on the needs of man to survive
in society. Culture changes.
2. Culture is a complex whole because it includes knowledge, belief, art, morals and laws acquired
by man as a member of society.
3. Preserve the authentic Filipino culture by keeping it alive. Keeping it alive means that it should
be practiced and be shared to others from one generation to the next.

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LESSON 2

I. Pre-Test III. Practice Task 2

1. Agree 1. purpose
2. Agree 2. agree
3. Agree 3. culture
4. Disagree 4. Sociology
5. Agree 5. relatively large
6. produce
II. Practice Task 1 7. accepted
1. Karl Marx 8. behavior
2. functionalism 9. conflicts
3. social norms 10. stability
4. theory
5. Symbolic Interactionism IV. Practice Task 3
Answer may vary

V. Post Test
1. Society shapes the social behavior of man.
2. People must be socially integrated to be considered relatively larger than being individually
scattered.
3. The members in a society must live in a certain specific habitat or place and have a common
belongingness and sense of purpose.
4. All members of the society must be bonded by the same culture.
5. The focal point in the study of society is man’s social behavior since his behavior is greatly shaped
by the society where he/she belongs.

LESSON 3

I. Pre-Test 6. Political Institution

1. Agree 7. Political Institution
2. Agree 8. Political Issue
3. Disagree 9. Political Issue
4. Disagree 10. Political Party
5. Disagree
6. Disagree IV. Practice Task 3
7. Disagree 1. Participation
8. Agree 2. Consensus orientation
9. Disagree 3. Accountability
10. Disagree 4. Effectiveness and efficiency
5. Strategic vision
II. Practice Task 1
1. c
2. a V. Post Test
3. e 1. Historical/Traditional Approach
4. b 2. Participation
5. d 3. Family
4. Political Science
III. Practice Task 2 5. Political Issues
1. Political Institution 6. Political Ideologies
2. Political Party 7. Informal Politics
3. Political Issue 8. Scientific/Behavioralist Approach
4. Political Ideology 9. Formal Politics
5. Political Ideology 10. Responsiveness

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 REFERENCES
Lesson 1
Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-
9654-34-6, Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. pp.40, 74-77.
Retrieved August 20, 2020 from https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/pontifical-and-
royal-university-of-santo-tomas-the-catholic-university-of-the-philippines/the-
contemporary-world/lecture-notes/final-ucsp-module-very-good/5432381/view
Retrieved August 20, 2020 from
https://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/samplechapter/0/2/0/5/0205260012.pdf

Dungeon, Roy C. “The Anthropological Perspective: What Makes it Unique”

“Why is Anthropology Important.” https://classroom.synonym.com/why-is-anthropology-
important-12080725.html

Lesson 2
Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-
9654-34-6, Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. pp.85-86, 40, 77-81
Retrieved August 20, 2020 from
https://study.com/academy/lesson/sociologys-four-theoretical-perspectives-structural-
functional-socialconflict-feminism-symbolic-interactionism.html

Lesson 3
Ariola, Mariano M. (2016). Understanding Culture, Society and Politics, ISBN:978-971-
9654-34-6, Unlimited Books Library Services and Publishing Inc. pp. 29, 34-35
Sadera, Jefferson M. et.al. (2018). Politics Governance for Senior High School, 978-
9719676-86-7,Jimczyville Publications, p. 1-7

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