MODULE 1

Overview:

Welcome to the journey of Understanding Culture, Society and Politics! Prepare yourself to
discover how far you have gone in developing your essential life skills in Understanding Culture, Society
and Politics particularly in The Nature and Goals of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science and
the Perspectives of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science. As a Senior High School learner, you
have to deal with a variety of learning skills in your daily life (Ludeña 2020).

The very first lesson aims to accomplish the first most essential learning competency.
Specifically, this lesson we will explore the three social sciences discipline the anthropology, sociology
and political science and how they work hand in hand with each other. The other social science
disciplines will also be tackled in the discussions in this section in order to fully grasp the entirety of the
social sciences as they relate to the study of culture, society and politics.

Most Essential Learning Competencies

 Discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in/of anthropology, sociology and political science.

Lesson Learning Objectives

At the end of the lesson, the students will be able to:

 Create a personal narrative of the student’s life based from the social, cultural and political
contexts;

 Define the anthropology, sociology and political science and its relationship to social science:

 Recognize the different fields of anthropology, sociology and political science;

 Analyze the significance of aswang in understanding anthropology, sociology and political

science;

 Identify the goals of anthropology, sociology and political science; and

  Explain the Perspective of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science.

 Social Science as the Study of Society

Generally, social sciences are concerned about society. It aims at understanding all aspects of
society as well as finding solutions to deal with social problems. The social sciences encompass diverse
concerns of society and include a wide range of content. It covers major category of academic disciplines,
concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

A.       Nature B.       Methodology C.       Theories

It is concerned primarily to the nature of
man, his entire being, personality and
interaction, relationship with other human
beings. It is also concerned with how man
moves, what he does and how he perceives
things in his environment.
Techniques and approach vary for
each discipline. The methods are
used for the systematic study and
analysis of human life.
Paradigm/theories are based on
scientific problems that involve
personality, language, society and
culture. Social scientists’ postulate
and utilize different theories to
explain why social phenomena/
events exist.

Social science consists of the disciplines and systematic study of society and its institutions, and
of how and why people behave as they do, both as individuals and in groups within society. At a
minimum, it would appear that to be “scientific” entails a systematic and disciplined method of acquiring
knowledge, and that knowledge must be verifiable.

Other Social Science Disciplines (Serapio, 2016)

Though there are three primary social sciences that will be discuss here, there are still so many
other areas under the umbrella of this subject matter. All areas are equally important in the development
of an individual or group in a society. Such as:

 Philosophy- starting point of all endeavors. It is characterized generally as the pursuit for the
truth.

 Psychology – studies behavior and mental processes. It differs from sociology primarily it
focuses on individual behavior rather than on group behavior.
  Economics – analyzing the choices people make in an effort to satisfy their needs and wants is
the focus of economics. Economist study the processes by which goods and services are
produced, distributed and consumed.

 History – study of human past. It is also concerned with the interpretation of the past, how it
affects our views of the present, understanding trends or the lack thereof in the past (Berroya,
2017).

 Linguistics - study of language – looking at its form, context, or meaning. Rather than learning to
speak a particular language, it's more about how language itself works (Berroya, 2017).

 Demography - scientific study of the size, composition, and distribution of human population, it
studies why people move from place to place and their changes resulting from fertility, mortality,
and migration (Berroya, 2017).

Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of people throughout the world, their evolutionary history, how they
behave, adapt to different environments, communicate and socialize with one another. The study of
anthropology is concerned both with the biological features that make us human (such as physiology,
genetic makeup, nutritional history and evolution) and with social aspects (such as language, culture,
politics, family and religion) Wadsworth (2011).

A few common questions posed by anthropology are: how are societies different and how are
they the same? How has evolution shaped how we think? what is culture? are there human universals? By
taking the time to study peoples’ lives in detail, anthropologists explore what makes us uniquely human.
In doing so, anthropology aim to increase our understanding of ourselves and of each other

Subfields of Anthropology (Riodique III, 2016)

1.       Socio-cultural/ Cultural Anthropology

It deals with the study of human culture and its influences on the daily lives of people.  It also deals
with the study of the differences and similarities of various cultures and how they correlate with each
other.

2.       Biological/ Physical Anthropology

It studies the biological or physical aspects of human beings such as but not limited to genetics,
paleoanthropology, evolutionary science and population diversity. This studies regarding man as
biological creature and therefore subject to the laws of biology such as heredity.

3.       Archeology
Study of the cultural heritage of the past through examination of the physical remains, ruins of past
cultures and ancient civilizations.

4.       Anthropological Linguistics

It deals with the influences of language and symbols to human culture. Without language, there could be
no culture to speak or since culture can only be transmitted through symbols and communication, Hence,
communication is an essential tool for passing culture from generation to generation

FRANZ BOAS (1858- 1942)          

One of the greatest and most influential anthropologists ever and also known as the

“Father of Modern Anthropology”

He was the first person to implement the scientific method into the study of human, cultures and
societies.

SOCIOLOGY

Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. It is also defined as the
“systematic study of social behavior and human groups” (Schaefer, 2005, p. 3). Sociology’s subject
matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race
and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in
whole societies. Unifying the study of these diverse subjects of study is sociology’s purpose of
understanding how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural
and social structures (Mendoza, et al., 2018, p. 23).
Areas of Sociology

Social Organization
This involves the study of social groups, social institutions, ethnic relations, social
stratification, social mobility, and bureaucracy. It includes the sociology of the family, economy, work,
agriculture, industry, religion, law, politics and education.

Social Psychology
This area studies human nature and personality as the product of group life. It also touches on
the study of social attitudes and collective behavior.

Social Change and Disorganization

This area is concerned with change in culture and social relations and the attendant disruption
that may occur. Social reorganization is also considered.

Human Ecology
This is the study of understanding social phenomena in the context of its ecology, either with
social ecology, cultural ecology or natural ecology. It is concerned with the process of how society
adjusts or adapts with the characteristics of its environment

Population Studies
This analyzes population number, composition, change, and quality as they influence and are
influenced by the social, economic, and political orders.

Applied Sociology
This makes use of the findings of pure sociological research on the various aspects and
problems of daily life, as in criminology, community development, family counseling, squatters’
relocation, education, agrarian reform, non-governmental organizations, labor relations, nutrition, and
health.

AUGUSTE COMTE (1798-1857)

He coined the word sociology and is considered the founder/father of the sociology.

Political Science
 Political Science is the branch of knowledge that deals with systems of government; the analysis of
political activity and behavior. According to Aristotle, Political Science is the study of the state
including its forms of government, political system, political behavior and political ideology (Riodique
III, 2016, p. 8).

Different Fields in Political Science (Riodique III, 2016)

1.    Political Philosophy – deals with the study of concepts such as politics, government, liberty
and justice.

2.    Comparative Government and Politics – incorporates topics such as the different forms of

government found in different countries around the world with their concomitant advantages and
disadvantages.

3.    Public Administration- deals with the study of the bureaucracy behind the government and the
proper wat to administer the needs of the general public.

4.    International Relations – study of the diplomatic relations and practices among the states in
the worldview setting and how power being balanced in the international level.
 GOALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND
POLITICAL SCIENCE according to Ariola (2016)
GOALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE according to Ariola (2016)
Anthropology
1.     Student will learn to see
human cultures - whether in texts
religious rituals and political or
economic behavior from an
anthropological perspective. These
insights can be applied both to
cultures separated from students’
own cultures by time or space as
well their own cultures.
2.     Students will learn that
anthropology as a discipline has a
strong commitment to issues of
social justice.
3.    Students will understand the
process of anthropological
interpretation and representation.
Perspectives of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science
Sociology
Students will-
1. demonstrate an understanding of
cultural variation, social differences,
social changes and political identities.
2. demonstrate an understanding of the
significance of studying culture, society
and politics.
3. demonstrate an understanding of the
rationale for studying anthropology,
political science and sociology.
4. develop and apply a comparative
perspective to explain the diversity of
human societies.
5. be able to describe how social
structures an institution operates.
6. be able to completely and effectively
communicate sociological concepts and
their applications.
Political Science
Students will-
1. demonstrate an understanding of the
concepts and principles of political science
in the structures, institutions, and processes
of the Philippines and other nations;
2. apply the knowledge of the discipline,
using technology as well as traditional
methods, to contemporary questions;
3. organize ideas and focus them
effectively on the issue in questions;
4. demonstrate an outstanding of verbal
and written communicative, analytical and
critical thinking skills in various academic
and professional settings;
5. recognize their personal value systems
and apply these to their own social and
political worlds; and
6. provide content for integrating skills
for teacher preparation, graduate, and
professionals.
 Anthropological perspectives are culture, cultural relativism, fieldwork, human diversity, holism,
bio-cultural focus. The four main perspectives of Anthropology are the cross-cultural or comparative
emphasis, its evolutionary/historical emphasis, its ecological emphasis, and its holistic emphasis
(Dudgeon). An example for this is the analysis and solutions of the different aspects of the society such
as the environment issues of pollution, the issues on health and medicine and other issues related to the
human activities.

Sociological perspective introduces the discipline of sociology, including something about its

history, questions, theory, and scientific methods, and what distinguishes it from other social science
disciplines. Central features include social interaction and relationships, social contexts, social
structure, social change, the significance of diversity and human variation, and the critical, questioning
character of sociology. It also explores what sociologists do.

Political science perspective studies the tendencies and actions of people which cannot be easily
quantified or examined. Political science is more focused than most social sciences. It sticks to the
political arena and to the realm of politics, either dealing with situations with two competing sides or
the lateral decisions that affect the group as a whole. An example is the study of democracy as a form
of government and why is democracy considered as the best form of government.

Theoretical Perspectives on Sociology

According to Serapio (2016)
 Theoretical Perspectives on Sociology According to Serapio (2016)
Functionalist Perspective Conflict Perspective Symbolic Interactionism Perspective
     This perspective focuses heavily on the       People who employ the conflict       Interactionists focus on how people use

structure of society, it is sometimes called perspective focus on the force in symbols when interacting. This involves

structural functionalism. Structural functional society that emphasizes conflict, imagining how others see things. Interactionists

approach focuses on any institutions or competition, change, and constraint then, see social interaction as more individuals

structure’s social function. within a society (Giddens, 1097, 2005). reacting to each other’s actions.

Following in the tradition of Karl

Essential Elements:
Marx, conflict theorists are interested

in how those who possess more power

According to Robert Merton (1996) 3 a. Meaning – individual responds to people
in society exercise control over those
kinds of functions: and things based on the meanings he or she gives
with less power in society.
to those people or things.
a. MANIFEST – intended to recognized
Assumptions of Conflict
consequences of some elements of society. For b. Language – meaning arise out of the social
Perspective
example, a manifestation function of interaction, through the vehicle of language, that

automobile is to provide speed, transportation individual has with others.

a.     A society experiences
from one location to another.
inconsistency and conflict everywhere.
c. Thought – individual adjust and modifies

b. LATENT -unintended and unrecognized meanings through thought – a kind of internal

b.     A society is continually
consequences of an element of society. Latent conversation.
subjected to change.
function of the automobile is to gain social
Assumptions of Symbolic Interactionist
standing through the display of wealth. c.     A society involves the
Perspective
constraint and coercion of some
c. DYSFUNCTION – negative
members of the society.
a.      People’s interpretations of symbols are
consequences an element has for the stability of
based on the meanings they learn from others.
the social system. These are crime, disrupt the

working society as a whole and create social

b.      People base their interaction on their
problems.
interpretation of symbols.

Assumptions of Functionalism
c.       Symbols permit people to have internal
 a.     A society is a relatively integrated conversations. Thus, they can gear their

whole. interaction to the behaviour that they think of

others expect of them and the behaviour they

b.     A society tends to seek relative
expect from others.
stability.

c.     Most aspects of a society contribute to

the society’s well-being and survival.

d.     A society rest on the consensus of its

member.