UNDERSTANDING CULTURE SOCIETY AND POLITICS

- Culture, Society, Politics

- Anthropology, Political Science, Sociology
Anthropology
- the study of people throughout the world, their evolutionary history, how
they behave, adapt to different environments, communicate and socialize
with one another
Political Science
- deals with systems of governments, and the analysis of political activities,
political thoughts and political behavior.
Sociology
- the study of social behavior or society, including its origins, development,
organization, networks, and institutions

Personality and identity

Personality
- PERSONALITY = PERSONAL ident-ITY
- the totality of person’s characteristics, attitudes, and behavior
- also mean Self-Identity
- Process of Self-Development - we decide and define our own personality
Social Identity
o Characteristics that other people attribute to an individual.
o can be based on a social group where we belong to or associated with,
as a common observable characteristic.
o “shared identities”
a. Prejudice
o Negative attitude toward the members of a particular group.
o pre-conceived idea or “pre-judgement” of others that allows us to
brand/label them in various pessimistic ways.
 b. Stereotyping
o Propensity to picture all members of a particular category as having
the same qualities.
o It is the result of overgeneralization
c. Discrimination
o Resistance of equality, or deprivation of equal treatment and keeping
in a lower status by the dominant members of the society
d. Scapegoating
o attitude wherein one is looking for someone or something else to be
blamed for their own troubles or problems.
Determinants of Personality and Identity Formation
Biological Inheritance
o genes provide “raw materials” from which personality is formed
o These characteristics may shape one’s personality and how he/she
reacts to situations happening around him/her
Environmental
1. Geographic Environment
o One’s location, climate, topography, and natural resources in his/ her
society
o Differences in personality are found among individuals situated in
different locations.
o responses depend on the geographic situation that we are in
2. Cultural Environment
o referred to as the totality of ways of living of a particular set or group
of people
o captures all norms, values, beliefs, practices of the members of a
group or society
3. Social Environment
o pertains to different groups we affiliate with
o Interactions happening in a particular group are all parts of a person’s
social environment
o social status and role are also a contributing factor in developing one’s
personality and identity
Society
- group of people
- product of human interaction and interconnectedness
- total common life (culture)
- living in particular location (for survival)
SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING SOCIETY
1. REPRESENTATION OF OUR IDENTITY
2. REPRESENTATION OF OUR IDENTITY
3. REPRESENTATION OF OUR IDENTITY
4. REPRESENTATION OF OUR IDENTITY

Sociology
- the Greek word logos meaning “science” or “study” and the Latin word
socius meaning “group” or “partner.”
- scientific study of the patterns of human behavior, which deals with the life
of a group
- focuses on social behavior
7 areas of Sociology
1. Social organization
o Studies social institutions, social groups, social stratification, social
mobility, bureaucracy, ethnic groups and relations.
2. Social Psychology
o Deals with the study of human nature resulting from group life, social
attitudes, collective behavior, and personality formation.
3. Social Change/Disorganization
o Includes changes in culture and social relations, as well as social
disruptions.
4. Human Ecology
o deals with the nature and behavior of a given population and its
relationship with other social groups and with the existing institutions
 5. Population and Demography
o Studies the number, composition, changes, and quality of a given
population as they affect the economic political, and social systems.
6. Social theory and Method
o concerned with how the principles and theories of group life may be
applied and utilized for the regulation of man.
7. Applied Sociology
o concerned with the findings of pure sociological research in various
fields (such as; criminology, community development, education,
marriage …)

Culture
- total way of life that is shared by members of a community
- includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws, customs, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society
- Cultura = care
Significance
a. Adaptation and Integration
b. Patterns of Acceptable Social Behavior
c. Conveys and Facilities Meaning
d. Production of man-made things
e. Human Satisfaction
Elements of culture
1. Beliefs
o The perception of accepted reality
o Material or non-material
2. Knowledge
o refers to any information practiced, received and perceived to be true.
3. Technology
o the practical application of knowledge in converting ideas, raw
materials into finished products
 4. Symbols
o anything that is used to represent, express, and/or stand for an event,
situation, person, or idea.
5. Language
o standardized system of symbols, either written, spoken or gestured,
that individuals utilize to communicate, interact, share views, and
creating an understanding among members of the society
6. Values
o Anything held to be relatively worthy, important, or desirable.
o It helps to determine the character of its people
Types of culture
1. Material - tangible
2. Non-material – intangible
Aspects of Culture
1. Culture is learned and transmitted through socialization and enculturation
o Socialization – learning to behave according to society
o Enculturation – passing down of culture
o No one is born with culture
2. Culture is a set of patterned social interactions
o Etiquette
o netiquette
3. Culture requires language and other forms of communication
o Channel of passing
o Foundation of culture
o Sabir-Whorf hypothesis
4. Culture is shared and contested
o Toxic filipino culture
5. Culture is It is dynamic, flexible, and adaptive
o Norms
o Maria Clara
o Dynamic in culture – living process
o Cultural change
▪ Culture lag – delay in change
 ▪ Paradoxical
- culture is conservative; resist change
- changes caused by war or natural disaster
- society searching for solutions created changes in
environment
- used in adjusting environmental and historical components
6. Culture is integrated and at times unstable

Cultural Variation
- refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit
around the world
a. Culture Universal
o Patterns, practices that are common to all societies as the means for
meeting the same human needs
o Basic needs, Technology, beliefs
b. Ideal Culture
o what is being expected from the members of society
o It is the general description of “what must be” in a particular society
c. Real Culture
o is “what actually occurs” in everyday life
d. Sub Culture
o cultural group within a larger culture, often having beliefs or interests
at variance with those of the larger culture
o ex: youth, LGBTQIA+, Indigenous groups
e. Counter Culture
o Opposes the dominant norms and values of the society of which that
group is a part of
o adheres to a set of beliefs and values that radically rejects the society’s
dominant culture, and prescribes an alternative set
o revolutions, concert protest, ripped jeans
f. High Culture
o Cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite, the rich and
wealthy. It is also known as elite culture
 g. Popular Culture
o Cultural patterns that are attributed and practiced by the masses. It is
also known as mass culture or pop culture
o Street foods, basketball
h. Culture Shock
o happens when a person does not expect or accept cultural differences
or adaptation that they get disoriented or disorganized
o climate, food, values, language
i. Culture Lag
o a time lag between an innovation and the social and cultural adaption
that the innovation requires
o Society cannot immediately catch up with a culture due to disparity in
the rate of change between the material and non-material cultures.
o E-commerce, science vs ethics
j. Multiculturism
o a perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of a particular society,
promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions
k. Polycultyrism
o perspective recognizing the cultural diversity of a particular society,
promoting equal standing for all cultural traditions
o the view that cultures influence one another over time, and that
cultural contact and borrowing are the norm
● Cultural Critique – no culture is superior (high culture is just associated with
wealth)
● Mainstream Culture- either high or low culture, as long as both adheres to
the social norms, traditions, customs, beliefs, and most especially values
Attitudes toward Cultural Variation
1. Ethnocentrism
o Judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one’s
own culture
- Own culture is superior
 2. Xenocentrism
o Preference of others products, style, or ideas
o Colonial mentality – others culture is better
o Other culture is superior
3. Culture Relativism
o Understanding other’s culture by the history
o Attempt to judge behavior according to cultural context

Norms
- Social Norms are considered as a set of society’s standards of acceptable
behavior
- Normal
Types of norms
1. Folkways
- Patterns of repetitive behavior which becomes habitual and conventional
part of living
2. Mores
- Set of ethical standards and moral obligations that dictates human acts as
right or wrong
3. Laws
- Formalized and more established norms are considered as laws.
- Laws are imposed regularly to counter all forms of threats and to establish
stability and order

Anthropology
- Greek words – anthropos which means “man” or “human being,” and logos
which means “knowledge.”
- studies the behavioral, biological, and socio-cultural aspects of man as well
as his works and achievements
Fields of anthropology
1. Physical Anthropology
o understanding humans and their nature as an animal species.
o Human variation, evolution and physical characteristics.
o Concentrates on the non-cultural aspects of humans and near-humans

2. Cultural anthropology
o Socio-Cultural Anthropology, Social Anthropology
o Focuses on the cultural aspects of human societies.
o Study of people living in present-day societies and their cultures.

3. Archeology
o systematic study of past human life and culture by the recovery and
examination of remaining material evidence, such as graves,
buildings, tools, and pottery.
4. Linguistic Anthropology
o study of language in its social and cultural context across space and
time
o Historical linguistics reconstruct ancient languages and study
linguistic variation through time.
o Sociolinguistics investigates relationships between social and
linguistic variation

Politics
- use of power to determine whose values will predominate, how rewards and
resources will be allocated, and in what manner will conflicting interests in
society be resolved
Political Science
- study of politics and government
- has developed domains which shape and dictate human interaction and
behavior in a society
- Collective Activity - Initial diversity of views - Reconciliation of difference
- Authoritative Policy
The Origin of Man and Society
Paleoanthropology
- the study of human and pre-human fossil records.
Evolution
- process by which one becomes adaptable to its environment
- process by which beings develop from earlier beings or forms
Charles Darwin
- Main proponent of the Evolution theory
- On the Origin of Species (1859)
- The Descent of Man (1871)
- man has evolved from simple forms of organism is based on the findings of
paleontology and the study of man with other living animals
Hominization
- evolutionary development of human characteristics that differentiate
hominids from their primate ancestors
Five Epoch
1. Paleocene
o marked by the demise of dinosaurs, as well as the existence of pre-
primates like the femur in Madagascar, Africa, and Indonesia
2. Eocene
o marked by warm tropical climates, along with the appearance of the
orders of mammals and prosimian-like primates
3. Oligecene
o Major changes occurred like the appearance of elephants with trunks
and early horses
4. Miocene
o landscape is mark by the development of two major ecosystem: kelp
forests and grasslands
5. Pliocene
o characterized by the cooling and drying of the global environment
Class Mamalia
1. Monotremes
o These are warm-blooded mammals with high metabolic rate
o typically have hair on their bodies and produce milk through their
mammary gland
2. Marsupials
o animals have relatively short gestation span making them alive and in
a premature state
3. Eutheria
o placental mammals whose young are nourished prenatally through the
placenta.

Human Fossils
a. Australopithecine
o Bipedal” like the early Hominids
o Capable of climbing and moving in trees
o “Southern Ape”
o Discovered in Taung, South Africa
b. Hominid
o “Bipedal”
o the first to use stone tools for survival
c. Homo Habilis
o known as “Handy Man”
o Use stone tools for survival.
o Tools were primarily used for scavenging.
o recognized to be the first true human
d. Homo Erectus
o “Upright Ape man”
o Body proportions similar to that of modern humans.
o Adapted to hot climates and mostly spread in Africa and Asia
o Had relatively small teeth.
 o Face is less prognatic, of forward-thrusting in the upper and lower
jaw.
o The brain is larger than its predecessor
o Java man: Discovered in East Java, Indonesia. Also known as the
Pithecanthropus Erectus
o Currently known as Homo Erectus Pekinesis (Peking, China)
o Constructed dwellings
o Learned hunting
o Earliest woodworks are wooden spear, wooden bowl
o Believed to discover “fire”
e. Homo Neanderthalensis
o “Neanderthal Man”
o Similar to Homo Erectus
o built adapted to winter climates especially in icy places in Europe and
Asia.
o Walked erect and had big crania.
o More primitive compared to modern humans
o First to bury their dead
o Sewing clothes from animal skin using bone needles
f. Homo Sapiens
o the “Wise Man” or “Thinking man”
o smaller face, lighter skull with bigger provision for brain, and
straighter limbs
o Taong Tabon (Philippines 1962)
o They are believed to be the first species to alter their environment and
utilize their resources.
o The first to control the growth and breeding of some plants and
animals.

Human races
1. Mongoloid
o used to describe the people from East and Southeast Asia
o yellowish and light brown on the average. Hair types and color are
usually black and straight
 2. Caucasoid
o used to refer to the Europeans and other light-skinned populations
o have variable skin color from the lightest color to dark brown
o referred to as the white race
3. Negroid
o refers to the indigenous populations of Central and South Africa
o skin varies from yellowish brown and dark brown to black
o have curly to frizzy hair, wide nose, small ears, and thick lips

Humanization
- long process of improving the humans’ everyday living through innovation,
discovery, enhancing routines, and creating mechanisms with the intention
of harmonizing and harnessing the fullest potentials of their fellow human
beings.
Tools Used by the Early Man
Stone age
1. Paleolithic
o Palaeo means “Old” ; Lithic means “Stone”
o Rough and unpolished stones
o Lower, Middle and Upper Paleolithic Age
o Upper Paleolithic age introduced the first man-made material (mixture
of clay and powdered bone)
o invention of spear throwers, the bow and arrow, and barbed harpoons
used in killing animals and catching fish.
o art has emerged.
o Cave paintings depicting hunting economy
o Hunting and gathering economy.
o Lived in caves.
o “Food-collecting cultures”
2. Neolithic
o Neo means “New”; Lithic means “Stone”
o cultural era where people employed polished stone tools as
replacement for rough stones.
o slow yet radical transformation of human behavior and organization
thus, “revolution”.
 o Cultivating of plants (agriculture)and
o domesticating of animals
o Development of different crafts such as pottery and weaving
o Settlement in permanent villages
o Improved health conditions and longer lifespans
o “Food-producing culture” (revolution)

Metal age
1. Copper age
o The first ones to make cloth from Linen
o Emergence of Mesopotamia or the land between two rivers
o Farming communities emerged
o Complexities in the division of labor, paved the way for other social
roles
o emergence of priest-kings
o Emergence of political and religious leaders
o Patriarchal societies in some civilizations
2. Bronze Age
o Sumerians learned how to smelt metal and make bronze.
o They also discovered sailing which helped them in their trade with
other towns.
o First recorded form of writing, cuneiform.
o In Egypt, hieroglyphs was the form of writing
o Systems of counting
o Invented calendar
o Wheel for pot-making and carts
o Emergence of City-States
3. Iron age
o discovery of Iron in Europe paved the way to another period.
o Hittites refined iron ore to create weapons, pots, and other essentials.
o Greeks began using shadow clocks, holding Olympic games, breeding
Philosophy and Science
 o Phoenicians developed the alphabet.
o Growth of Military Empires
o Use of Purple-Dye

Democracy
- Demokratia: Demos means “people”; Kratia means “government”
- The people held the power in governing their land
- Classical: 18+, free, male, all citizens, no external duties
- Modern: Male and female, available
Democratization
- a process by which democracy expands, within a state or across the world
Essential Ingredients of Democracy
1. Popular Support of Government
o Pulse survey
2. Political competition
o Choosing of politician
o Choices
3. Alteration in Power
o No domination
4. Popular representation
o Majority rules
o Simple majority (50% + 1)
o Super majority (2/3 votes)
5. Leader
Socialization
- It is the lifelong process of social interaction through which individuals
acquire a self-identify and the physical, mental, and social skills needed for
survival in society

Agents of Socialization
1. The Family
o It is considered as the most important socializing agent. The first
group on where an individual gets socialized with
2. School
o Deemed (educational system) as the main social group were culture of
a society is preserved and passed on to the next generation.
o individuals are given training on specific skills and knowledge needed
in the future endeavor of an individual
3. Peer Group
o Same age group, interest, hobbies etc.
 o Feeling of being “co-equal”
o Autonomy, belongingness, and acceptance
o Teaches social skills and group loyalties
o The peer group demands conformity at the expense of individuality.
4. Church/religion
o Religion and the church provide guide for moral values and principles
and gives meaning and direction to a person’s life.
5. Workplace
o being oriented with the rules and regulation that must be followed, in
order to do the job and other responsibilities
o Importance to time and money, as well as respect to authorities are
values also learned in a workplace setting
6. Mass Media
o include books, magazine, newspapers, movies television, radio, and
the internet
o most powerful and influential agent of socialization
o could have positive and negative impact on an individual.
Social Processes
1. Aculturation
o person adapts to the cultural and social influence of another culture
but doesn’t neglect and still continues to practice one’s mother culture
2. Assimilation
o person adapts to the social and cultural influences of another culture
and neglects practicing his/her mother culture.
o A total adaptation to the new culture
3. Amalgamation
o Two or more individuals/organization that come in together as one
o blend characteristics or culture from each individual/organization
o do not dismiss their own separate cultural identities
4. Cooperation
o Two or more individuals coming in together and working with each
other to achieve a specific goal or objective
 5. Differentiation
o situation wherein individuals have their own set of specialization or
tasks to do based on the skills that they have or is necessary
6. Stratifaction
o hierarchial arrangement and establishment of social categories
7. Conflict
o Struggles between opposing sides
o antagonistic and negative tendencies against each other

8. Competition
o Struggle between opposing sides but with less or no antagonistic,
harmful acts against each other.
o Breeds innovation to outplay the opposing party
o Healthier type of struggle.

Enculturation
- the gradual acquisition of the appropriate characteristics and cultural patterns
such as beliefs, practices etc. existing, and being practiced by the social
group or society

Conformity and Deviance

Institutional means
- are the processes that have been established through social structures such as
the government, school, church, and even family
Cultural goals
- consists of values and norms that are important for the society
Robert K. Mertons’s Deviance Typology
1. Conformity
o involves accepting both the cultural goal of success and the legitimate
means of achieving them
 2. Innovation
o involves accepting the goal of success but rejecting the use of socially
accepted means of achieving it, rather, coming up with other
unconventional (at times, illegitimate) means
3. Ritualism
o happens when people disregard the importance of success and
focusses only on the means of doing things.
4. Retreatism
o total withdrawal from the society’s goals and means.
5. Rebellion
o occurs when people reject and attempt to change both the goals and
the means approved by the society.

Social Control
- mechanisms to put order and promote harmony and stability amongst its
members and also to ensure that everyone adheres to the social goals, and
norms
Sanctions
- are measures done make individuals abide to social norms
a. Formal Sanctions
▪ rewards or punishments that are awarded or given by an
institution, or from someone with authority
b. Informal Sanctions
▪ spontaneously given by an individual or a group of people as a
response to a behavior either acceptable or not
c. Positive Santions
▪ actions or statements that serve as a reward for a particular
desirable behavior or act
d. Negative Sanctions
▪ are actions or statements that serve as a punishment or threat to
an undesirable act
1. Formal Positive
o Recognition of awards and honors during graduation ceremonies
2. Formal Negative
o Imprisonment for a crime committed
3. Informal Positive
o Standing ovation from the viewers/ audience.
4. Informal Negative
o Gossip about an alleged malicious act