UCSP

LESSON 1
Three Concepts under SocSci
Anthropology - offers us with an idea of what it means to be human. Studying this discipline involves the
biological aspects that makes a person such as genetics, physiological evolution, etc., as well as the social
aspects like culture, political system, language used, family and religious belief.
Sociology - focuses on the study of a society and its relationship with its members. It studies the way an
individual is being influenced and molded by the society he/she belongs to and the different units that make up
this society such as the community, economic involvement, and political influence.
Political Science - is a discipline that studies the government systems, as well as its political programs and
performance. It is mainly concerned on a premise of who and what will be gained and how to get access from
it.
Anthropology discusses the nature of culture which can be connected to a certain society. The study of
sociology focuses mainly on the nature and relationship of a society to its people. Political Science is the study
of political system in a certain area or location, and its relationship on its culture and society. These three
concepts are under social sciences.
Nature :

Anthropology - It is mainly concern on human person, his attitude or behavior and the community that he is associated
with. Its main concern is the type of culture an individual can be categorized to base on the community he belongs to.

Sociology - Sociology is an independent science. It is grouped as a social science and not the physical science. Being in
the social science, it concerns on the relationship of the human person to his society such as attitudes, behavior, and
socialization

Anthropology - It is a social science discipline that focuses on the theories of politics and the different activities involve in
it.It also involves the different political activities being handed out by a certain government and how it behaves
accordingly

 Anthropology focuses on individuals across places in connection with their community, history, how
they cope, connect and adjust with the society, and how they socialize with other members of the
society.
 Sociology’s focus varies from crime to religion, from a family to its state, from sections of social classes
and race to the common principles of a certain culture, and from a social strength to radical difference
in a whole society.
 In sociology, the main concern is the society followed by culture.
 In anthropology, on the other hand, culture comes as the main concern then followed by the society.
 Political science concerns with the political system, practices, laws, and behavior of in a certain society,
and its contributions and assistance to its individual.
LESSON 2 :
Culture – comes from the latin word “colere” with the meaning “to cultivate”. According to Edward B. Tylor,
culture is "that 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.” Culture refers
to basic relationships and variations between individuals. It also refers to social institutions such as the
government, schools, churches, and the family.
Society – can be described as the socialization between individuals that shares the same culture. It can also
pertain to individuals from a specific location or community that has the values with the same culture. A specific
community is not just formed by a certain culture but also by different categories such as gender roles, values,
laws, beliefs or traditions

Culture – refers to the practices, values, attitudes, norms, laws and behavior of a group of people in a society. Culture
makes a society complete and gives its value, form, uniqueness, and distinctiveness. When we talk about culture, we can
categorize it into different tangible aspects which includes languages, infrastructure, different institutions and
technology, and the intangible aspects such as the rules, norms, values, behaviors, and traditions.

Characteristics of Culture:
1. CULTURE IS SOCIAL BECAUSE IT IS THE PRODUCT OF BEHAVIOR – culture happens between
interaction of individuals. As people interacts, culture continues to develop or change.
2. CULTURE VARIES FROM SOCIETY TO SOCIETY – culture originates from a certain society and is
different from every type of society an individual belongs to.
3. CULTURE IS SHARED – this happens when an individual interacts and shares his ideas, customs, and
wisdom as well.
4. CULTURE IS LEARNED – it is not acquired when an individual is born, but learned as he grows,
communicates and socializes.
5. CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED AMONG MEMBERS OF SOCIETY – culture is being passed on to each
member of the society through generations.
6. CULTURE IS CONTINUOUS AND CUMULATIVE – it is an endless and continuing process and is different
for every type of society.
7. CULTURE IS GRATIFYING & IDEALISTIC – it gives right chances of satisfying goals and demands of an
individual. It also allows an individual to make appropriate actions throughout his life.
Aspects of Culture:
Dynamic, Flexible, and Adaptive
Culture follows a certain period. It adapts and adjusts depending on the needs of a situation. When there are
changes, the type of culture a society has will adjust and create a development so that people can fit to the
present time. Let us say that children nowadays prefer using gadgets such as smart phones. Program
developers in return will create new programs that will suite the interest of these children and to cope up with
the demands of the present time.
Shared and Contested
Culture is being passed on through generations. As we have discussed as one of its characteristics, it is
shared trough the members of a society. Members of a society learn this culture through communicating with
each other. While culture is changing, people also get the chance to improve and follow the process. But while
culture is being shared within a society, there might be some objections within members in following or
exercising this culture. This is sometimes due to individual differences of each member of the society. Because
of this, conflict and arguments also arise.
Society – is a structured group of individuals living together and has a definite cultural patterns, religious
organization, and political patterns, and with shared goals and desires. This is a community of individuals that
were gathered through a common goal and interest.
A society is regarded by the following elements:
a. camaraderie among its members
b. collection of characters and culture
c. location and language used
d. number of its members and its survival
e. social, economic, and political institutions
The Relationship of Culture and Society
Culture and society are concepts related to each other. For culture to thrive and continue, it will be needing
socialization. It enables people to communicate with each other and need to observe it continuously. When a
society stops recognizing it, this culture might come to its end. A culture is also important to a certain society
because without its existence, a society might not function well and might collapse. A society without its own
culture is comparable to a body without his soul, or the other way around. They require each other for them to
continue and grow.
Why Recognizing Cultural Relativism Matters
Using the perspective of cultural relativism enables us to understand that no culture is superior than another
culture when compared to systems of morality, law, politics, etc. It is a concept that cultural norms and values
derive their meaning within a certain cultural way of life. This is also based on the idea that there is no superior
standard of good or evil, therefore every decision and judgment of what is right and wrong is individually
decided in every society. The concept of cultural relativism also means that ethical standard is subject to the
perspective of each person within their specific culture. Overall, there is no standard of right or wrong ethical
system. In a holistic understanding of the term cultural relativism, it tries to encourage the understanding of
cultural practices that are strange to other cultures.
Significance of Cultural, Social, Political and Economic Symbols and Practices
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are
inherited from the past generation, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future
generations.

A symbol has a meaning for the people who share the same culture in a particular community. It is created and
maintained by the members of such culture. A symbol that carries meaning for people who shares the same cultural life
does not require explanation. Language is an element and a reflection of culture. It is a system of symbols that allows
members of a culture to communicate with one another. Words symbolize objects, ideas, and actions. But meanings
differ vary in every specific culture.

People create and interpret the meaning of all symbols through shared cultural understanding and practices.
Communication can occur only if people know how to use and interpret a shared set of symbols. The ability to
communicate is rooted in culture. A culture's shared set of symbols is produced and maintained through shared cultural
beliefs, practices, traditions, and expectations. Most symbols are visual. In some cultures, particular colors are
associated with gender, such as pink for girls and blue for boys. In some group of people, accents on letters tell people
how words are pronounced have its cultural meanings. Gestures also have symbolic interpretation. A symbol has
meaning within a culture, because of a shared understanding of what the symbol signifies. Stories, traditions, history,
and cultural norms contribute to the meaning of a symbol. Symbols help people define and understand their culture
because of the shared meanings of different symbols that are learned during the process of socialization and relations
within the community, the process through which people learn the values, norms, beliefs, and expectations of each
other. At the most basic level, symbols are important because they help people craft meaning in their interactions with
one another.

Examples of Symbolism
1. Ching Chua gave his wife a red rose. In Chinese culture, the color red symbolizes property and happiness.
2. David stopped his car at the red signal. In some cultures, the color red is symbol of blood, passion, and
danger.
3. Rebels raised a white flag to negotiate. During war, the color white symbolizes making peace with the
enemy. It represents purity and life.
4. The Red Cross is working around the world. The symbol of the cross represents Christianity, and the red
cross in particular represents aid in times of need.
5. The Muslim forces raised their flag with a crescent on it. The crescent moon represents Islam.
6.Green color is often associated with greed, jealousy, and monetary affairs.)
7. The color black is associated with death.
8. The color yellow color is the symbol of deterioration and infidelity, as well as the symbol of freshness and
happiness.
9. Broken mirror is an symbol of separation.
10.Red rose is a symbol for love.
11. Silver edge/lining of clouds symbolize hope and optimism.
12. Owl symbolizes wisdom.
13. The ox symbolizes hard work and stamina.
14. Bats are the symbol of death.

 People create and interpret the meaning of all symbols through shared cultural understanding and
practices. Communication can occur only if people know how to use and interpret a shared set of
symbols.
 In some cultures, particular colors are associated with gender, such as pink for girls and blue for boys.
In some group of people, accents on letters tell people how words are pronounced have its cultural
meanings.
State and Non Institution
Non-state Institutions - groups and organizations which operate outside the support of any state or
government.
Banks and corporations both play their important functions in the economic system of society. Continued
operation of businesses through the support of banks leads to greater chances of generating more income for
the business corporations and increasing employment. More income means more savings to be deposited in a
bank which will be used to lend to business owners. In this case, it can be seen that the bank plays a role in
facilitating the cycle of expediting investments that will result to more income and savings.
Non-state Institutions
This are groups and organizations which operate outside the support of any state or government. They are
referred to be ‘stateless’ since they are considered to be independent of any state, although, they usually
collaborate with the government in implementing projects. Non-state institutions assume different functions and
focus on a specific objective. In general, they develop certain services needed by members of the society for
their progress.
A bank is a financial institution that provides financial services to different types of customers. Banks are in
operation mainly for deposit and lending function. Customers can deposit their money to banks which grow
through an interest rate. Banks also provide loans, at a higher interest rate, to customers who need money
either for personal consumption or for investment and businesses.
Different Types of Banks
A retail bank - is a type of bank that provides services for the general public as its customers. Personal bank
account, like checking and savings account, are in a retail bank.
Retail banks can be considered to be the most common and widespread of all the types of banks.
• A commercial bank- provides the same services as a retail bank. But it focuses on businesses and
businessmen as its main customers. Commercial banks provide short term loans for businessmen to start their
businesses and for investment purposes.
• An investment or an industrial bank- provides medium and long-term loans and deposits to business
industries.
• Agricultural bank-provides short-term and long-term loans to facilitate agricultural activities.
The central bank is the main financial institution in a country since it supervises and regulates the monetary
system in the country. It functions as a regulating institution to all other banks in a country and it issues all the
bank notes (or money bills) and coins of the country in which it operates. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is
the central bank of the Philippines. A central bank is the only banking institution established through a special
law of the government.
A corporation is a business organization, created by a group of people known as shareholders/board of
directors, which is legally bounded to act as a single person in carrying out certain goals and objectives of the
business corporations. As a ‘legal person’, a corporation is mandated to enjoy the rights, privileges, and
responsibilities of an individual. Using its own name, a corporation has the right to enter into contracts, to hire
employees, and to loan and borrow money. It is also authorized to have its own assets.
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), a cooperative is “an autonomous association of
persons united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations, through
a jointly owned and democratically controlled enterprise”. Members of a cooperative usually joins together in
order to achieve a specific objective, an objective which usually benefits the members of the organization itself.

Types of Cooperatives

• A credit cooperative provides financial services to its members, including securing savings and creating funds to be
used for issuing loans.

• A consumer cooperative operates mainly to obtain and distribute products and commodities to its customers, both
members and non-members.

• Producer cooperatives aids those in the sector of production, either agricultural or industrial. A subtype of a producer
cooperative is agricultural cooperatives which help producers or farmers in marketing their crops as well as in
purchasing supplies needed for further production.

• A service cooperative (or a worker cooperative) concentrates on helping workers in the service-oriented occupations
(i.e. health care, transportation, labor) by creating employment opportunities and other benefits to its members.

• A multi-purpose cooperative undertakes two or more functions of different cooperatives. For example, multi-purpose
cooperative could act as a consumer cooperative and establish a supermarket. At the same time, it could also provide
financial services like a credit cooperative.

Trade Unions is part of the universal human rights of every individual is his right to organize and form associations that
would protect his rights as a worker; the embodiment of this right is trade unions. A trade union or labor union is an
organization with a membership composed of workers or employees from related fields, which aim to represent the
interests and rights of its members, both in the workplace and in the society.

• A general union represents workers with a range of jobs and skills, from different industries and companies. An
example of this type of union is a trade union of drivers, janitors and office workers.
• Industrial unions are composed of workers from one particular industry, across different levels of the hierarchy. A
trade union of all employees who work in the mining industry (with different levels and positions) is an example of an
industrial union.

• A craft union seeks to represent skilled workers doing the same work who may be employed in different industries. A
craft union of carpenters is one example.

• A white-collar union is composed of professionals doing similar jobs across different industries. A trade union of
teachers and professors is an example of a white-collar union.