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Culture Documents
02 Handout 1
02 Handout 1
ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
· Unilineal Evolutionism states that new cultural forms emerge from the past that pass through
similar stages of development.
Example: from Animism to Monotheism i.e. Roman Catholic or Islam
· Cultural Diffusionism asserts that culture originates from one or more culture centers, which are
results of borrowed elements of the new culture.
Example: Filipino culture is influenced by Western civilization brought by the coloniza tio n
of Western countries i.e. Spain.
· Historical Particularism believes that each group of people has its own unique culture influe nced
by its history, geography, and environment.
Example: Filipino people are influenced by superstitious beliefs, which originate from their
ancestors.
· Anthropological Functionalism believes that cultural elements and practices are interrelated and
interdependent and persist because they have a purpose.
Example: Filipinos’ actions are influenced strongly by their religion.
· Anthropological Structuralism conveys that cultural phenomena and practices have a relations hip
to one another by which human organize and structure their experiences.
Example: Father and Son; Husband and Wife
· Cultural Materialism considers the idea that culture is influenced by technology, resources,
economic values, and the utilization of things.
Example: Pork is prohibited in the Muslim diet.
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES
· Functionalism views society as an organized network cooperating groups operating orderly to
generally accepted norms.
Example: To be able to produce more productive graduates in the community, the governme nt
must pour money into education.
· Conflict Perspective sees the social environment in a continuous struggle which is in contrast with
Functionalism.
Example: Rich versus poor
· Symbolic Interactionism deals with patterns of behavior in large units of society such as
organization, communities, etc.
Example: Why does an individual in the community avoid eye contact when talking to a
stranger?
· Evolutionism explains how human groups came to exist, grow, and develop.
Example: Before people use telephones to communicate with one another, now with the
advancement of technology, many of us use cellphones as a means of
communication.
SOCIETY
· It is derived from the Latin word ‘societas’, which means ‘companion’ or ‘associate’. Thus, society
refers to all people, collectively regarded as constituting a community of related, interdepende nt
individuals living in a particular place, following a certain mode of life (Ariola, 2012).
· According to Kornblum as cited in Baliao & Parcon (2011), society refers to a population of people
that is organized in a cooperative manner to carry out the major function of life includ ing
reproduction, sustenance, shelter, and defense.
· Robertson (cited in Baliao & Parcon, 2011) defines society as a population that occupies the same
territory which is subject to the same political authority and participates in a common culture.
CULTURE
· According to Zulueta (2006), the term culture has two notions:
o It may refer to the individual’s taste, inclination, and interest in the “fine arts.”
o It is referred to as being civilized.
· Culture is a complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms,
artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of
society (E.B. Tylor 1920 [1871]).
ASPECTS OF CULTURE
Aspect here is defined as a part or feature of culture which has the following characteristics: dynamic,
flexible, & adaptive; shared & contested through time; learned through socialization or enculturatio n;
patterned social interactions; and integrated and at times unstable.
· Government – The one that implement rules, keep peace and order, and address conflicts in the
community
· Knowledge – The psychological result of perception, learning, and reasoning
· Language – The mental faculty or power of vocal communication
· Religion – A strong belief in a supernatural power that control human destiny
· Shelter – A structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
· Tools – Objects used to improve the performance of a task
· Values – The morals that we live by
· Ethnocentrism is the perception of one’s own culture as superior compared to other cultures.
Example: Filipinos are outstanding workers all around the world.
· Xenocentrism is the perception of one’s own culture as inferior compared to other cultures
(Banaag, 2012).
Example: Philippines is only a Third World country.
References:
Arcinas, Myla M. (2016). Understanding culture, society, and politics. Quezon City, Philippines:
Phoenix Publishing House, Inc.
Ariola, Mariano M. (2012). Sociology and anthropology with family planning. Manila, Philippines:
Purely Books Trading & Publishing Corp.
Baliao, Maria Elisa D. & Cristabel Rose F. Parcon. (2011). Society and culture in a changing world.
Manila, Philippines: Rex Book Store, Inc.
Banaag, Lee Mark T. (2012). Socio–anthro an integrated and interdisciplinary approach to the study
of society and culture. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.
Quizlet Inc. (2016). 12 Aspects of culture. Retrieved from https://quizlet.com/18587230/12-aspects-
of-culture- flash-cards/
02 Handout 1 *Property of STI
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