Module on Understanding Popular Culture in the Philippines

What are norms?

Oftentimes we hear and read the word “Norms” in different situations like in social
media, magazines, news, and vlogs. Trends that “challenge the norms” are also
prevalent among the Gen Z youth like you. But the question is, what are Norms
really? Let’s discuss.

Norms:
 are social constructs formed through the sharing of beliefs and opinions of people
inside a particular group
 are guidelines placed within a group in order to establish an “identity” that they should
follow or what they should be
 are standards which the group considers as basis of what is acceptable and not
acceptable conduct
 are patterns that establishes the expectation of the group to an individual (Injunctive
Norm)
 are considered as the “typical” behavior of the members in a group because almost
every member share similar behaviors (Descriptive Norm)
 may indicate a sense of fulfilment to those who follow while a sense of alienation to
those who do not
(Consolidated from Mackie, Moneti, Shakya, & Denny, 2015; Frese, 2015; McDonald & Crandall, 2015; Heise
& Manji, 2016; Nordlund, 2009)

Now that we have defined what norms are, let’s have it elaborated more by knowing what is
NOT considered as a norm.

A Norm is NOT:
 PERSONAL. A norm is owned by the group which means that the individual
may believe and do something which the group does not approve of. (e.g. The
country might be against same-sex marriage but you support it.)

 LAW. Although norms can have the same function as law (enforces what is
right and wrong), an individual who goes against the norm may not be
punished and sent to prison, unlike those who violate the law. However, most
norms have been the basis for the creation of the law that’s why sometimes
when an individual violates the law, he/she/they violate the norms as well.

To put it simply, a person who violated the norms may not be judged by
the law but a person who violated the law is surely judged by the norms.
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Let’s have more examples of Norms:
In most places around the world,
cultures have been instilling boys, from
an early age, that crying is a form of
weakness. In this case, the norm is
shaping boys and men alike that it is
unlikely to be seen crying. In some
cases, it is a weakness to cry at all. This
results to the invalidation of their
feelings sometimes.
Although at the spark of the 21st century
women have become more
revolutionary, people in the Philippines
are still not that welcome to the idea of
women having haircuts which are not
abiding by the norms. Undercuts, like
shown above, are what norms dictate as
“man-like”; therefore, should not be done
by women.
Another norm in almost every culture is
that men should be the ones providing
to their family and women should be the
ones who are taking care of their
children. Sometimes, partners would
switch roles in the family which is
considered as “weird” or “shameful” for
other people in the society. That’s why
there’s a stigma for house husbands.
Here in the Philippines, a “typical” and
“normal” family consists of a father, a
mother, and children. But, as we all
know, there are other kinds of families
out there like same-sex families, single
parent families, and families with no
children. Sadly, not all of these kinds of
families are accepted. Stigma still
affects some of these families.
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Let’s move on to the Types of Norms! Basically, we have two types:

NORMS

Folkways Mores

 are the traditional behavior or way
of life of a particular community or
group of people
 are habits, customs, traditions,
conventions
 are informal rules and norms that,
while rarely offensive to violate,
are expected to be followed
 There is really no basis for
folkways. Just like the term itself
suggests, folkways are ways of the
people which were observed by
younger generations from their
forefathers and passed down to
generations thereon. There is also
no issue on morality being put to
test because these are what their
ancestors always have done and
would have done so (Sumner,
1907).
 refer to social norms that are widely
observed and are considered to
have greater moral significance
than others
 are compulsory and coercive
 are unwritten rules placed on the
members of the group which are
easily offended and may be the
cause of social disapproval when
violated
 direct what people should be or
should not be in the society
 have a sense of truth and rights
established for the well-being of the
members of the society (Sumner,
1906 in Bag, 2010).
 According to Sumner, mores affect
and regulate an individual’s
actions and way of thinking in the
society (as cited by Bag, 2010).

What do you call a person who breaks and goes against the
social norms?
A person who breaks the social norms and does not conform by it is called a
deviant. These people deviate from what is considered as “normal” by the
group; therefore, these individuals are judged by the society and are subject to
disapproval.
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Let’s elaborate Folkways! Take a look at the examples given below:

In the Philippines, it is customary

for boys to undergo circumcision
or tuli/tule as a coming-of-age
ceremony. Although nothing is
really wrong with deciding not to
be circumcised, many boys would
rather do it than not. Why?
Because every boy he knows
would probably do so. Again, it
is not compulsory. It is only
traditional. You would not offend
another person because you
decided not to be circumcised.

Bayanihan is a Filipino word which

describes an act of helping one
another in times of need. It is a
part of our tradition but it is not
required that you must help.
Although you are expected to
help, it is not compulsory.
Rather, it is voluntary. This shows
that Filipinos work together in
times of need without seeking any
profit afterwards.

What are our keywords for Folkways?

Traditional, Typical in a Group, Not Compulsory,

No Issue on Morality
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Let’s elaborate Mores! There are actually two types:

Directs people on what they should be and

Positive what acts they should do
Mores a.k.a. “Thou Shall Behavior”
MORES
Negative Directs people on what they should not be

Mores and what they should not do

a.k.a. “Thou Shall Not Behavior”

Let’s explain Positive and Negative Mores!

Positive Mores are set in a culture in order to produce “ideal” members in the group
while Negative Norms are given as a bad example so that they would not follow those
acts and behaviors. To explain it better, we will compare examples of these mores side
by side.

Here in the Philippines, the act of sex should be saved till after marriage. Being a
highly conservative country, the Philippines abide by the Christian doctrine which
view premarital sex as immoral. Here we can see that the “sex-after-marriage”
concept is considered as one of the positive mores while pre-marital sex is one
of the negative mores we have in this country. Therefore, those who commit se
before marriage are oftentimes gain disapproval from the society because they are
doing what they consider as something that people should not do.
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In almost all cultures, cheating on your partner is considered something that you
should not do. Married or not, the commitment between the two parties are
something that they must honor and uphold. On the other hand, being faithful to
your partner is something that the society considers as something that you
should do. Using this example, we can understand that being faithful to your
partner is one of the positive mores and cheating on your partner is one of the
negative mores.

Another example is observable when riding public transportation. Before the

community quarantine, riding buses, jeepneys, and LRTs are a part of the daily
routine of almost everybody. Try to remember the common scenario during rush
hours in buses. The bus is full of passengers, men and women are squished inside
the bus. In this kind of situation, men are expected to give their seats to women. They
are expected by the society to do this whereas something that they should not do
is to take a seat when a woman is also aiming for the same spot. Although people
nowadays, especially Gen Zs, try to debunk this concept, this is one of the established
norms in our society. Again, the expectation on men to give their seats to women is
positive mores and not giving it up when there are women standing inside the bus
is negative mores.
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Now we have understood the difference between Folkways and Mores. Although these
are both under social norms, there are key distinctions between the two. Aside from the
examples that we have discussed here’s another to help you remember what mores are:

What are our keywords for Mores?

Great Moral Significance, Thou Shall and Thou Shall Not

Behavior, Compulsory, Social Disapproval when Violated
No Issue on Morality

Another cultural concept we might have heard from other platforms is the word “taboo”.
To help you understand this concept, let’s have the definition stated below and try to
understand the examples afterwards.

What is the meaning of TABOO?

A taboo is described as an extremely abominable act in every culture. According
to Fershtman, Gneezy, and Hoffman (2011), a taboo is an inconceivable conduct
that is so detestable that even thinking of it is problematic and disgusting to the
members of the culture. These are acts highly prohibited in a culture and is subject
to punishment. An individual who commits a taboo will be disapproved,
disowned, and alienated, by the group. In the worst case scenario, people who
commits a taboo will be punished by the law while experiencing the aforementioned
consequences. Taboo may be a form of negative mores but it is a far more grave
misconduct compared to simple negative mores.

Examples are:
EATING PORK w/o
INCEST Halal Certification
(In Muslim culture)

CANNIBALISM BESTIALITY
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NOTE:
Norms, although they have the power to direct people on what to do
and what not to do, may not be always right in every situation.
While norms help in regulating the morality and behavior of the
people within the culture, it sometimes becomes repressive and too
exclusive for a portion of its members. That is why movements (e.g.
Feminists, Masculinists, LGBTQIA+, etc.) that intend to “break” the
norms rise especially during the 20th and 21st Century.

What is the difference between Cultural Ideas, Cultural

Beliefs, and Cultural Values?
Whilst all of these are purely abstract, they still have a distinction from one another.
Take a look at the definitions provided below:

 Ideas – pertains to how a certain culture perceives things around it; the
conception or thoughts of a certain culture to its physical, social, and cultural
world
 Beliefs – are the conviction of a culture to a certain “truth”; pertains to the
“reality” that the people believe in
 Values – are the abstract concepts which the people within a culture deem
to important and worthwhile to be the foundation of their behavior

The Filipino Belief on “Nuno” The Filipino Values “Hospitality”

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Modes of Acquiring Culture

 Imitation
- Acquiring culture by purely The Modes of Acquiring
mimicking the actions, behavior,
and language of others (e.g. Culture shows how culture be
imitating the gesture pagnguso obtained and learned by a person.
when pointing directions because
you saw your elders do it) Although a person may learn culture
through ways other than these, culture
 Formal Teaching is mainly acquired through these four,
- Acquiring culture through formal
especially if a person is still a child or
education (e.g. learning culture
through lessons in school and new to a cultural setting.
undertaking courses about
culture)

 Informal Teaching
- Acquiring culture through the
help of peers, parents, family
members, and other people
within the culture in an informal
setting (e.g. casual
conversations in the house,
streets, markets, public transport,
etc.)

 Conditioning
- Acquiring culture by being trained
or conditioned to respond in a
certain manner that is common to
the group (e.g. conditioning a
child that after siesta, he/she can
play with friends)
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Functions of Culture

 Culture provides behavioral patterns

 Culture maintains the stability of the Sometimes we wonder how exactly

social system culture plays a part in our society and to

us as individuals. Functions of
 Culture gives meaning and direction
Culture expound the answer to this
to one’s existence
question. It gives us an idea on the role
that culture plays for us and the society.
 Culture facilitates the generation of
commitment to something larger
than one’s individual interest

 Culture develops man’s attitude and

values and gives him a conscience

To explain more about the Functions of Culture, let’s have the following examples:

In our culture here in the

Philippines, we know that before we
enter someone’s house we must
remove our shoes because it is rude
to wear shoes inside the house. In
this way, culture has the function to
shape our behaviour in certain
situations. Unlike other animals,
humans have ready-made set of
patterns awaiting him which he
needs only to learn and to follow.
Culture also defines every situation
to facilitate adjustments in some
situations.
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This photo taken in Disiplina Village,

Bignay shows how Filipinos unite and
help each other during crises. These
are relief goods that the city collected
and prepared to donate to the victims
of the Taal eruption. Filipinos, in
nature, are caring toward their kapwa.
In this example, culture acts as the
social glue within a group and helps
its members to be together in order
for the society to be stable.

Norman King is the first Aeta UP

graduate. It brought great honor and
pride to his tribe in Pampanga.
According to him, one of the
motivations that fuelled him to pursue a
degree in UP is to prove that Aetas can
be successful and do well in life just like
how the lowlanders can. This proves
that culture gives meaning and
direction to one’s existence.

After graduating from UP, Norman

King set his eyes to serving his tribe
and other indigenous tribes in
Pinatubo. He could have pursued a
job that will surely bring him bigger
profit but he instead chose to serve his
tribesmen and to enrich their culture.
This shows how culture facilitates
the generation of commitment to
something larger than one’s
individual interest.
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In the Philippines, dogs are treated as

companions or as family. We bond
with dogs and we view that dogs
should not be mistreated or treated as
livestock. When encountering news
about certain cultures eating dog
meat, we are appalled simply because
our conscience does not agree with
that kind of practice. In this example,
culture functions by shaping our
attitude and values and gives us
conscience.

Throughout history humans have replaced or altered customary behaviors and attitudes as their
needs have changed. Although culture withstands time, it is inevitable that culture will stay as it is
ages and ages ago. These changes are called Cultural Change.

Causes of Cultural Change

 Discovery Cultural Change is the process of

 Invention development of a culture as a society. It
happens when several factors like
 Cultural Diffusion
people, economy, and government
a. Acculturation
affect culture resulting to the
b. Assimilation
repositioning and restructuring of
c. Amalgamation
culture as a concept (Chigbu, 2015).
d. Enculturation
 Colonization
 Rebellion / Revolution
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What is the difference between Discovery and Invention?

According to Gillin (1948), discovery refers to the process of finding a new place
or an object, artifact or anything previously existed. It is the initial awareness of
existing but formerly unobserved relationships of elements of nature to human
life.
On the other hand, invention is a creative mental process of devising; creating
and producing something new, novel or original. Invention implies the
utilization & combination of previously known elements to produce an original or
novel product (Merriam-Webster, 2020).

In short, Discovery is becoming aware of something that exists already but

previously unknown while Invention is totally creating something that did not exist
before.

For example, fire was not invented. It

was discovered during the Paleolithic
Period about 2 million years ago. We
can say that this is an example of
discovery because the elements and
the means of producing fire already
exists then but the earlier humans did
not only learn how to use them until
much later on.

In contrast, the invention of induction

cooker is an example of an invention
simply because you cannot find an
induction cooker out of nowhere unless
someone actually creates it. You can
discover fire to cook but you cannot
just discover something which emits
heat that you can control to cook.
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What is Cultural Diffusion?

Cultural Diffusion refers to the spread of cultural traits or social practices from a
society or group to another belonging to the same society or to another through
direct contact with each other and exposure to new forms. According to Gross
(1942), the movement of cultural segments in different societies, whether
immediate or gradual, is also deemed as a form of cultural diffusion.

Acculturation vs. Assimilation

 Acculturation – cultural borrowing and imitation; adapting a new culture but
there is retention of the original culture

 Assimilation – blending of two distinct cultures through long periods of

interaction; adopting a new culture and gives up the original culture

Ryan Bang, a full-blooded South Korean,
is a comedian based here in the
Philippines. Although he is active in
Philippine showbiz since 2010, he does
not forget his Korean roots and still can
remember and value the Korean culture.
He is an example of an acculturated
person.
During the spread of Christianity, most
tribes and indigenous people (considered
as pagans) in certain lands were
converted from their original religion.
When they convert religions, they have to
renounce their old pagan ways and live
with the new teachings of the church. This
is an example of assimilation.
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Amalgamation - the action or process of uniting or merging two or more cultural

concepts through biological and hereditary fusion.

Enculturation – the process of learning the surrounding practices, values, and

norms accepted in a particular culture through socialization (Grusec & Hastings, 2007).

Chavacano, a Spanish-creole language Enculturation is best seen in foreign

in Zamboanga, Philippines, is an example
of a culture formed through
amalgamation. Spanish language and
Filipino language merged together
resulting to the formation of this language.
Due to amalgamation, we can say that
Chavacano is not pure Spanish, nor pure
Filipino. Rather, it is a 50-50 mix of the
two.
exchange students because aside from
learning the academic subjects they
enrolled in, they also strive to learn the
norms and practices in the country where
they are studying in. If we are going to
analyze the concept of enculturation, it
encompasses the other three forms of
cultural diffusion (i.e. acculturation,
assimilation, and amalgamation).

What is Colonization and how does it affect culture?

Colonization is defined as the invasion or seizure of land with the objective of land,
political, and cultural expansion in mind. It is also closely associated with the term
colonialism which pertains to domination of culture and the subjugation of people to
another (Sommer, 2011). This mandates the people to adhere to the culture of the
colonizers and renounce their old culture before they became a colony.
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During the Age of Exploration, several

world powers like Spain, Portugal, and
England started to travel the world to
discover new lands. Eventually, these
explorations led to colonization of lands
and made way for the change in the
cultural practices, values, and norms of
the people they colonized.

What is Revolution or Rebellion and how can it change culture?

According to Cohen (in Chengte, 2016), Revolution has the nature to alter the
values and myths of the society, alter the social structure, alter the institutions, alter
the leadership formation or the classes in the society, transition the powers of the
higher-ups regardless of the legality, and overthrow the government or current
regime. It is a widespread social change wherein the voice of the people and the spirit
of the revolution are one. It is also considered as an important stage in order to
transition to the next historical age and effect change (Neitzel, 2018).
Rebellion is an explicit form of resistance against and oppressive force. It is a smaller
form of resistance compared to revolution but oftentimes considered as a preliminary
stage before transitioning to a revolution.

The Edsa People Power

Revolution on February 1986 is
an example of a revolution here
in the Philippines. It was
successful in a bloodless
campaign for social change and
overthrowing dictatorship in the
country. It shows how a revolution
changes culture and transitions a
historical age to the next.