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Module #1:

CULTURE

Time Frame: 2 weeks

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
INTRODUCTION

At the evacuation centers set up in Central Luzon for the victims of Mt. Pinatubo
eruption on JULY 12, 1991, it was observed that The Aetas reacted differently from the other
evacues from the lowlands. The aetas behavior puzzled the other evacues and the relief
workers. For example, the Aetas did not show a great liking for rice. They preferred to eat came
and cassava. Neither did they like the canned foods given to them. They preferred dried fish.
They washed the ‘pork and beans’ given to them. They towed their dogs and held them as very
precious possessions. They returned the goods which they did not need. When given two mats,
they would return one when they felt they had no use forit. They refused to take medicine and
did not like to be immunized. They were observed to be calm and stoic not given to hysteria in
the face of danger.

Why did the Aetas behave this way? As we go from place to place, we will note
differences in behavior and beliefs among people with regard to dressing, food, and cooking,
love, courtship, marriage practices, way of worshiping God, earning a living, leisure time
activities, and the like. The Chinese, the Japanese, the Indians, the Arabs, the American, the
Russians—people in general—are brought up differently; thus they acquire different ways of
behaving. These ways of behaving peculiar to a group of people comprise what sociologists and
other social scientists call culture.

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Often times we heard the expession, “That lady is highly cultured,” Why? It is
because she speaks English, Spanish and French; appreciates modern art, and listens to
classical music like those of Beethoven, Mozart, Bach, and the composition of Buencamino,
Santiago, and Kasilag, she attends operas, and plays, visits the museums; and reads classical
books and best selers. This is the popular view of culture, which refers to a state of refinement,
of being well-versed in the arts, philosophy, and languages. To social scientists, this is a limited
view of culture. To them every member of a society is cultured.

Sociologists define culture in a broader context. The most quoted definition is that of an
English anthropologist, Edward Tylor who defined culture as a complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
people as members of society. Culture is a person’s social heritage or the customary ways in
which groups organize their ways of behaving, thinking and feeling. It is transmitted from one
generation to another through language,. It presents people with ways of relating to others to
their surroundings. Culture represents the designs or recipes for living, the interrelated network
of norms and roles. It encompasses modes of thinking, acting, and feeling found in a society
and includes everything an individual has acquired as a member of a society. It tells one what to
do.,what not to do, and how to do things. From our culture, we learn to determine what behavior
is appropriate and what is inappropriate,what is good and what is wrong behavior, what are
allowed and what are prihibited, and even which smells are pleasant and which are not.

Unlike the lower animals which act mostly on instinct, humans have to develop and
learn their own ways of coping with their environment and with their fellow human beings. These
ways of adjusting to the environment and interacting with others are shared with others. Culture
comprises all the objects, ideas, beliefs, norms of a group of people,and the meanings that the
group applies to each cultural element.

Furthermore, the concept refers to two different but related ideas—culture as a real
phenomena and culture as an abstraction. A stone tool, a school house, a car, a ball pen, a
computer, and a spy satellite are all real things and are part of culture. These things are readily
visible and are as real as any other phenomena in nature. Likewise, culture is an abstract form
of behavior and maybe observed in the activities of people, in what people do and say, what
they avoid doing and how they make artifacts. Implied in hearing mass on Sundays is love for
God, and implied in the sharing of goods or cash with Mt. Pinatubo victims is love for others.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 1 KNOW THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

1. Anthropologist---------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Evacues-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Mt. Pinatubo-----------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Aetas--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Edward Tylor----------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Culture------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Instincts-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Beliefs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Behavior----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Language---------------------------------------------------------------------------

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 2 GIVE YOUR BEST ANSWER TO THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What are some of the common culture that you observed with Filipinos with regards to:
a) Their manner of
dressing.........................................................................................................................
b) Their manner of worshipping
God................................................................................................................................
c) Their manner of
courting..........................................................................................................................
d) Their choice of
food................................................................................................................................
e) Their choice of
music.............................................................................................................................
.

2. Discus some of the culture you practice at your home or with members of the family.
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................

3. How is man differ from an animal in terms of culture?


.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................

4. What is the most qualified definition of culture?


.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................

5. Who is Edward Tylor? How did he define culture?


.............................................................................................................................................
.............................................................................................................................................
.................................................................................................

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

What distinguishes human beings from lower animals is the possession of


culture. While animals like dogs or chimpanzees, can learn tricks or imitate certain
activities, they cannot transmit what they have learned to their young ans so they cannot
accumulate things that have been learned. A factor responsible for the existence and
development of culture is symbolic language. Language among people, refers to the “
systematized usage of speech and hearing to convey, communicate, or express feelings
and ideas”. A symbol is anything that stands or represents something else. Meanings
are given to objects by those who use them. Symbols maybe colors, emblems, gestures,
designs, marks, or words. The word “ chair” is something to sit on. During the years after
the assasination of Ninoy Aquino on August 21, 1983, the L sign was used during mass
actions or rallies to designate “Laban”, meaning “fight” and yellow flags were used to
symbolize suport to Cory Aquino,the wife of the assasinated senator. The ability to use
symbols is uniquely human.

Language is an integral part of culture and human culture cannot exist


without it. All human societies have languages. In some simple societies where people
cannot read or write, they have a spoken language. Through the use of language, wide
vistas of reality have been opened. What we have been observed and experienced, as
well as our norms, values, and ideas exist because we have learned to identify or
experience these things through language. These things are shared and transmitted
from one generation to another through the process of socialization.

Language enables people to transcend time and space. Through the use of
language, we can talk about what happened in the past and what are possibly
forthcoming. Language enables us to communicate with others, design complex plans
and projects, and develop abstract ideas.

As Emy Pascasio says:

Language is an excellent mediums in which to study the value


system of any people because it reveals choices, directions of
interest, and differences among ages, sex, and occupational groups.
Language acts as a cultural marker, a gauge of social role, indicating
at the same time the dominant social institution involved in the
situation. Since the people in a society play multiple roles within
various institutional frameworks, language events extracted from life
situations disclose a wide range of values.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 3

1. Give the importance of having a language.

a)...................................................................................................................

b)....................................................................................................................

c).....................................................................................................................

2. How does language helped man to develop his fulll potentials as a human being.
.........................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................
.........................................................................................................................................................
3. Give some examples of symbolic languages that you are familiar with. Illustrate or draw
them. Why you use them

a)................................................................................................................................................

b)................................................................................................................................................

C)...............................................................................................................................................

Draw or illustrate how your symbolic language is used.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 4

LET’S HAVE SOME FUN

FIND THE MISSING LETTERS IN THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

1. –NT--,--OPOL—GI—TS-------------------------------

2. --t. PI--,--TUB— ---------------------------------------

3. L—N—UA—E ----------------------------------------

4. E—W--RD TA—LO— ------------------------------------

5. –ET—S --------------------------------------------------

6. E--,--C—EES -----------------------------------------------

7. IN—TIN—T -----------------------------------------------

8. –ULT--,--E --------------------------------------------------

9. S—M—OL -------------------------------------------------

10. –EHA--,--OR ------------------------------------------------

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 5

ANSWERING TRUE OR FALSE QUESTIONS

------------------1. Culture change. People adopt to the environment they are living at the
moment.

-------------------2. Culture is an abstract form of behavior and may be observed in the activities
of people.

-------------------3. Animals have culture because they can transmit what they have learned to
their youngs.

-------------------4. Culture refers to the state of refinement, of being well-versed in arts,


philosophy, and languages.

-------------------5. Culture is the complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law,
morals, customs, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by people as members of
society.

------------------6. Language enables man to convey his ideas and feelings.

------------------7. Sign languages and symbolic languages are two different things.

------------------8. Human culture can exist without language.

------------------9. The ability to use symbols is uniquely human.

------------------10. Without language there can be no culture.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
Module #2:
CULTURE AS A MODE OF
ADAPTATION

Time Frame: 2 weeks

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
INTRODUCTION

Culture enables people to adjust to their physical as well as social


environment. Culture enables the members of society to develop ways of
coping with the exigencies of nature as well as ways of harnessing their environment. People
also have to learn to relate themselves with others in owrder to survive. As Schwartz pointed
out, the culture of any society represents an adaptation or adjustment to the various conditions
of life, including their physical, social and supernatural environment.

No culture is completely static. Every culture is constant flux, and the changes
represent adjustments to the environment. Culture changes at different rates. The change may
occur as a result of discoveries, inventions, and cultural borrowing. In some areas, control of the
natural environment has been pursued to a point, that the society has become endangered.
Natural resources, such as bodies of water, forests, plant and animal life and minerals, have
been so exploited that the environment is close to destruction. The acceptance of change
depends on the exposure of the members of society to new ideas and ways of different from
their own and their opportunity to accept ideas and ways through diffusion.

BEHAVIOR AS BIOLOGICALLY BASED

While sociologists and anthropologists hold that culture determines our behavior,
sociologists have formulated a new theory of behavior. Sociobiologists are biologists by training,
and the idea or view that behavior was biologically basedhas been borrowed by them. A
proponent of this vew is Edward Wilson. He formulated a new theory of behavior in his book,
“Sociology: The New Synthesis(1975). He held held that social behavior is determined by
inborn genetic traits similar to the influence of genetic traits on lower animals.

Wilson’s theory is based on Charles Darwin’s principle of natural selection. Wilson


held that genetic traits are transmitted from generation to generation through heredity. Biological
variations take place through mutation or change in genetic composition. The process of natural
selection acts on this mutation and becomes the principal factor in the origin of the new species,
as well as of new patterns of behavior. Social groups adapt to their environment through the
evolution of genetic traits or by genetic mutation and natural selection. Human culture and social

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
behavior evolve through natural selection and natural transmission. Human behavior,like
aggression, love, greed, or spite, can be explained in terms of genetically based transmission.
Wilson held that altruistic and warlike behavior are thus biologically based. Culture and symbolic
language and meanings attached to social behavior are essentially products of natural selection
and are the result of million of years of evolution.

Wilson observed certain social traits found in all cultures which, upon close
examination, are as diagnostic of humankind as are the distinguishing marks of other human
species. These behavior patterns are culture universals which indicate that much culture is
biologically inherited rather than learned.

The theory of Wilson has stirred an unusual amount of interest and criticisms.
Some anthropologists point out that there are tremendous variations and diversity of human
behavior and cultural elements so that the theory of social traits being biologically determined
cannot be accepted. Sociologists maintain that behavior varies from culture to culture. For
example, the expression of sexual behavior varies from society to society. It has also been
noted that altruism and warlike behavior are not found in many societies.

Some socio biologists point out that sociobiology underrates the emergence of the
human brain, consciousness, and culture. They believe that genetic heritage as well as culture
influence human behavior, but genetically inherited reflexes and drives do not determine how
human behave. Rather, culture channels their expression of biological reflexes and drives. One
is taught how to eat, when and how to cry, what smells are pleasant or not, when and how to
share things with others, and other forms of behavior.

ELEMENTS OF CUTURE

Culture is made up of many elements which are interrelated with each other and
unified into a whole in order for all its aspects to function effectively. Within the culture are
various shared expectations of how the members should behave. These result from the network
of social relationships involving a complex series of reciprocal responses. Modes of acting,
thinking, and feeling in various social situations are defined by the members of the society and
are leaned and shared by them. The major elements of culture are: knowledge, social norms,
beliefs, values, and material things.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 1
GET THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

1. Anthropological concept of culture

2. Sociobiologists

3. Knowledge

4. Beliefs

5. Social norms

6. Values

7. Genetic traits

8. Behavior

9. Charles Darwin’s principleof natural selection

10. Edward Wilson

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 2
MULTIPLE CHOICE: CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER

1. The anthropological concept of culture includes


a) The ideas people learn c) the ways people behave
b) b) the material things people share d) all of them

2. Which statement about the concept about the culture is true?


a) Culture is symbolic c) culture is always changing
b) culture is learned d) all of them

3. The central concept in anthropology is the concept of


a) Distribution b) power c) culture d) artifact

4. People from the same culture can predict one another’s behavior because
a) Culture determines behavior
b) culture conditions behavior
c) all people in any given society accept exactly the same rules for behavior
d) all people in any given society have exactly the same ideas

5. Trying to operate in an unfamiliar culture


a) Often leads to the experience of culture shock
b) is never difficult for an educated person
c) never hard if you have read a book about that culture
d) may lead to physical distress but not psychological distress

6. Despite many differences in details, all cultures share a number of common cultural features
including
a)marriage systems c) a system of communication
b) a system of distribution d) all of them

7. A majority of our behavioral responses are


a) Simple expressions of an individual’s thoughts
b) b) instinctive
c) c) acquired at birth
d) d) the result of complex learning process

8. The process by which people acquire their culture is


a) Enculturation
b) genetically based
c) more rapid in industrialized societies than in less technologically developed ones
d) slowest in industrialized societies and most rapid in less technologically
developed ones

9. The three basic components of culture are:


a) Things, artifacts, and blood types
b) things, ideas, behavior patterns

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
c) religions, values, and attitudes
d) music, painting and dance

10. Some people in the world have tattoos, use scarification or wear bones in their noses
because
a) They don’t understand the harm they do to their bodies
b) they have a distorted concept of beauty
c) they do it as part of their religious practices
d) their culture tells them that it looks good

11. Inherent of the holistic approach to learning about humans is the realization that

a) all people are fully and equally human

b) ethnocentic beliefs are biologically inherited

c) people cannot be understood by studying either their biological make up or


their cultural background alone. It is necessary to take into consideration both
genetically inherited and learned trait learned traits in trying to explain how we
become the people we are
d) all of them

12. What do anthropologists mean when they refer to the concept of “integration” in regards
to culture

a) Different kinds of people should learn to live together in peace

b) any successful behavior, strategy, or technique for obtaining food and surviving
in a new environment provides a selective advantagein the competition for
survival with other creatures

c) The best way to study another culture is by working with a team of researchers
from different academic disciplines

d) all aspects of a culture are interrelated

13. Culture is:

a) Entirely learned during our lifetime


b) b) the full range of learned behavior patterns and knowledge acquired by people
as members of a society
c) c) what made it possible for humans to transform themselves from relatively
insignificant plant and dead animal scavengers to a truly global species capable
of controlling the faith of all other species
d) d) all of them
KNOWLEDGE

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
The total range of what has been learned or perceived as true is
knowledge. This body of information is accumulated through experience , study,
or investigation. What is considered to be truth though may change what was
true before maybe considered an error today; what is considered truth today
may be considered an error tomorrow. In the olden times, people held the idea
that the earth was the center of the universe and that it was flat. Today, the sun
is considered as the center of the solar system and the earth was discovered to
be round. Findngs of science rectify supposed errors in the past and come out
with new knowledge. People act on the basis of what they assume to be true.

Nature includes natural, supernatural, technical and magical knowledge.


Natural knowledge refers to the accumulated facts about the natural world,
including both the biological and physical aspects. Technological knowledge
pertains to knowledge of nature which are useful in dealing with practical
problems, like knowledge of the methods of acquiring food, dealing with
diseases, means of transportation, tools and implements, and weapons of war.
Supernatural knowledge refers to perception about the action of gods,
goddesses, demons, angels and spirits, and natural beings like shamans,
witches, or prophets who are held to posses supernatural powers. Magical
knowledge refers to perceptions about methods of influencing supernatural
events by manipulating certain laws of nature. In simple sacred societies with a
traditional way of life, supernatural and magical knowledge influences social
behavior. Modern advanced societies in contrast, rely more on natural and
technological knowledge.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
SOCIAL NORMS
In our ordinary everyday activities, like eating, talking and greeting, dressing,
sleeping, cooking, courtship, rearing of children, studying, working, spending one’ s leisure time,
and in special occasions like weddings, burials, Christmas or lenten season, there are
prescriptions or standards of behavior expected to be followed. These are called norms.

A norm is an idea in the minds of the members of a group put into a statement
specifying what members of the group should do, ought to do or are expected to do under
certain circumstances. What is important in a norm is that any departure from it is followed by
some punishment or sanctions. Norms are usually in the forms of rules, standards, or
prescriptions and socially shared expectations. Some norms apply to everyone, like those
revolving around honesty, truthfulness,, or loyalty to country. Other norms apply to particular
categories of people who assume certain roles. There are norms for lawmakers, doctors,
teachers, law enforcers, barangay chairman, father and son.

Norms define the proper ways of behaving for a number of situations, In some
situations, it is unimportant whether norms are followed or not, such as folkways. In other
situations, it is important that they are followed, such as the mores. Norms pertain to society’s
standards of propriety, morality, ethics, and legality. In social interaction, each member has
expectations about the responses of others. The norms define tasks and expectations to make
group activity and cooperation possible. Although conformity to these expectations is not total,
since eacch member has a choice to make in his or her culture., the expectations become
sufficiently regulative and make behavior in society predictable. These expectations comprise
what society regards as the range of the ideal and tolerable behavior, as distinct from the range
of deviant behavior. Norms are followed automatically, although their existence maybe
questioned by some from time to time. They also influence the emotion and perceptions of
individuals.

Like any aspect of the culture, norms vary from society to society or from group to
group within a society, Norms differ according to the age, sex, religion, occupation, or ethnic
group.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
FOLKWAYS

Folkways are commonly known as the customs, traditions, and conventions of a


society. They are the general rules, customary and habitual ways and patterns of expected
behavior within the society where it is followed without much thought given to the matter.
Folkways are informal rules and norms that, while not offensive to violate, are expected to be
followed. MORES are also informal rules that are not written, but when violated, result in severe
punishments and social sanction upon the individuals, such as social and religious exclusions.
Mores are more strict than folkways as they determine what is considered moral and ethical
behavior, they structure the difference between right and wrong.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 3

ANSWER THE QUESTIONS BELOW

1. What are folkways, mores and taboos?

2. What are the elements of culture?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. What is the difference between folkways and mores?

4. Why are folkways important?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Give 5 examples of folkways.

A)------------------------------------------------------

b)-------------------------------------------------------

c)--------------------------------------------------------

d)--------------------------------------------------------

e)--------------------------------------------------------

6. Give 5 examples of mores.

A)------------------------------------------------------

b)-------------------------------------------------------

c)--------------------------------------------------------

d)--------------------------------------------------------

e)--------------------------------------------------------

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 4

GET THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

1. Gestures
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2. Values
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3. Norms
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4. Sanctions
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5. Folkways
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6. Mores
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7. Deviance
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8. Taboo
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9. Cultural relativity
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10. Subculture
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-
11. Ethnocentrism
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12. Anomie
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13. Stigma
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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
ACTIVITY 5
CHOOSE THE BEST ANSWER

1. The formal and informal rules regarding what kinds of behavior are
acceptable and appropriate within a culture. Norms govern our behavior.
a) Norms b) values c) equal d) mores

2. Shaking one’s hand you meet for the first time is an example of a......
a)sanction b) mores c) taboo d) folkway

3. Murdering someone for stealing the one you love is an example of...
a) sanction b) mores c) folkway d) taboo

4. Patterns and beliefs differ noticeably from those of the dominant culture
a) ethnocentrism b) subcultures c) mores d) taboo

5. To see all other cultures as inferior to one’s own


a) Ethnocentrism b) taboo c) mores d) cultural universal

6. Norms which are considered morally significant and whose violation is


considered a serious matter.
a) Taboo b) mores c) subculture d) cultural relativity

7. Rules of standards of standards of behavior that have been developed by a


group.
a) Taboo b) subcultures c) ethnocentric d) social norms

8. Choose the statement that best defines “deviance”


a)behavior that departs from societal norms
b) behavior that meets social expectations
c) behavior that conforms to authority
d) an affirmation of the need for norms

9. Which of the following terms means a state of normlessness when society’s


norms are no longer clear or no longer applicable?
a) Stigma b) deviance c) strain d) anomie

` 10. Deviance can be either positive, but either form involves behavior that
departs from societal norms.
a) true b) false

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
11. Norms which are considered morally significant and whose violations is
considered a serious matter.
a) taboo
b) mores
c) subcultures
d) cultural relativity

12. Rules of standards of behavior that have been developed by a group


a) taboo
b) subcultures
c) ethnocentric
d) social norms

13. What is a brief definition of deviance?


a) violation of only serious rules
b) violation of social rules
c) a crime
d) anyone considered different

14. Norms are expectations, or rules of behavior, that reflect and enforce
behavior
a) true b) False

15. Subculture is the values and related behaviors of a group that distinguish its
members from the larger culture; A world within a world.
a) True b) False

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
MODULE #3:
CULTURE SHOCK

TIME FRAME: 2 weeks

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
The cultural values and norms of behavior are internalized by an individual in the
socialization process, consequently, one behaves in accordance with the expectations of his or
her culture. Now, what happens to this individual when he o she goes to a different society? He
or she loses the familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse and may experience some
unpleasant sensations or frustrations.. It maybe a reaction to unpalatable food which one may
consider obnoxious, the inability to perform natural functions like sleeping or moving one’s
bowels, a repulsion to the norms and values of the group, or a lack of communication with the
new society. What the individual undergoes is culture shock.

When people encounter another culture whose patterns of behavior are


diverse from their own, they might get disoriented or disorganized. It is a situation brought about
by unfamiliarity, lack of understanding, and inability to communicate with the society they come
in contact with. They find themselves smothered and disgusted by the customs and beliefs they
encounter. It is ethnocentrism in a critical situation and show that one is a product of one’s
culture. When people go to societies which are regarded as primitive, they may be shocked by
the state of sanitation, the raw food being eaten, the lack of such comforts as purified water,
electricity or soft bed, the premarital relations between the sexes, or the practice of polygamy.

A conservative Filipino who migrates to the United States may experience


culture shock in the courtship practices, the open display of love and emotions, the permissive
way children interact with their parents, the frankness of conversation, and the practice of
allowing aged parents to stay in old people’s homes. Even people from the provinces who
migrate to Metro Manila may experience culture shock with the lifestyles, the hustle and bustle
in the streets, the lack of open space, and the food. We hear cases of culture shock among
Filipino workers who go to the Middle East where the culture particularly the religion, is different
from ours. They find their freedom curtailed by Muslim taboos such as eating pork, smoking and
drinking, strict segregation of the sexes, and the punishment for theft and sex transgressions
which are the cutting of the fingers and beheading respectively. Female Filipinos who go to
Japan as cultural entertainers may experience culture shock, with the rigidity and strictness of
their employees. Likewise, an American who comes to the Philippines may be repealed by
some of the food we eat such as balot and bagoong, or may feel exasperated with our
monstrous traffic jams, the Filipino lack of punctuality, our use of euphemism and circumlocution
in contrast to American’s frankness, and the concept of utang na loob.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
Cultural shock may be experienced by migrants to other lands, students who study
in other countries, nuns, priests or person given foreign assignments. Even for social scientists,
some effort is required for understanding another culture. There are some who are never able to
overcome their dismay, loneliness, and ennui over the new culture and become disorganized.
Others though are able to adjust themselves and get to like the host culture.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

When people come in contact with another culture, they observe that its patterns are
different from their own. Their tendency is to judge the new ways as strange, exotic, weird or
immoral. They tend to laugh or scoff and t the cultural norms of the other culture, and values. So
we hear people ask: “ Why do Aetas refuse to eat canned foods? Why do Muslims pray facing
the East? Why do Chinese allow abortion? Why do European males kiss in greeting? Why do
Americans leave their aged parents in old people’s home and so on. These questions bring out
fact of cultural diversity. The cultural practices and values of other people which we consider
queer, funny, or immoral maybe considered right, appropriate, and moral in other cultures.

Culture is relative and no cultural practice is good or bad in itself. It is good if it


integrates smoothly with the rest of the culture. This is the concept of cultural relativism which is
an alternative perspective to ethnocentrism. The concept of cultural relativism states that
cultures differ, so that a cultural trait, act, or idea has no meaning or function by itself but has
meaning only within its cultural setting. A trait is good or bad only with reference to the culture
in which it functions. There is no single standard to evaluate a particular cultural trait. It should
be judged within its cultural context. Any of the cultural practices may meet the needs of a
given society and enable the members to adapt to that society. People devise their own ways of
dealing with various circumstances. Cultural traits and values cannot be studied unless the
meaning and functions they stand for in the society they apply to are taken into account.

Because of cultural differences within and between societies, the sole judge of
culture’s value is the people in the society themselves. Deeper insights into cultural diversity can
be deterrent to extreme ethnocentrism and can lead to a greater and fuller realization of
mankind’s common humanity.

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ACTIVITY 1
DEFINE THE FOLLOWING TERMS
1. Law-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Technology---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Material traits -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Culture traits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Culture pattern ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Universal -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Xenocentrism -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Culture shock -----------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Ethnocentrism ----------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Subculture --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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ACTIVITY 2 ANSWER OR DO THE FOLLOWING

1. Look into the life ways of any of our cultural communities. Compare their culture with your
own..

2. Make a collage of your cultural community and show it to class.

3. Study one subculture. Look into its lingo, its norms, and values as well as the commonly
used material wealth. Share what you have gathered with your classmates in a group of 5.
Prepare to report it in class.

ACTIVITY 3
GIVE THE RIGHT ANSWER

1. The attitude that other societies’ customs and ideas can be judged in the context of
one’s own culture isknown as
a) Barbarism
b) ethnocentrism
c) relativity
d) evolution
e)paganism

2. Which of these is an example of ethnocentrism?


a) A girl picking on her little sster because she’s got freckles
b) a big brother picking on a little brother for being short
c) a westernized woman looking down on a tribal woman for not wearing
clothing
d) a father being angry with his son fornot doing his homework
e) a mother refusing to pay for her daughter’s prom gown

3. The attitude that a society’s customs andideas shouldbe viewed within the context of
that society’s problems and opportunities isknown as

a) Ethnocentrism
b) cultural relativity
c) barbarism
d) ethnicity
e) dualism

4. Which ofthefollowing wouldnotbe an example ofculturaluniversal?

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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a )marriage
b) the prohibition against incest
c) language
d) cigarette use

5. All cultures have the same values and norms


a) TRUE b) FALSE

6. Values can change in a society over time.


a) True b) false

7. An example of a taboo in our culture would be:


a) Singing in the shower
b) marrying a brother or sister
c) choosing a different religion than that of your parents
d) breaking the speed limit

8. What would be an example of ethnocentrism?


a) Believing that all cultures and societies are equal
b) believing that theculture you live is in slightly worse off than others
c) believing that the culture you live in is slightly superior to that of others
d) option 4

9. If you moved suddenly to China tomorrow, what would you most likely experience?
a) Culture shock
b) assimilation
c) taboos
d) mores

10. Culture need to instill a “ willingness to conform” so there is order and continuity. How might
they do this?

a) Through social control such as discipline for breaking the rules


b) by making sure everyone has exactly the same “material goods”
c) by making sure only one language is spoken
d) by creating an environment in which nonconformity is never allowed

TEACHING MATERIALS :
VIDEO PRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AND OTHER COUNTRY’S CULTURAL LIFE
MODULES
STUDENT’S PRESENTATION

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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MODULE #4:
UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF
CULTURE

TIME FRAME: 2 WEEKS

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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INTRODUCTION

“ I have a daughter, Lucresia, and a son, Larry, who are both balikbayan. They had a
great deal of observation toshare when they came home for vacation from the U.S.A. via
Europe. Mrs. Belmonte told a group of matrons playing bingo at her house.

Mrs. Belmonte said that according to Lucresia, traveling around the U.S.A. was very
convenient because provisions for food, housing, personal hygiene, and environmental
sanitation were accessible. European countries still lagged behind, although many technolgical
changes had taken place for smother travel. Most interesting in Europe were the quaint customs
that each country has preserved with regards to family relations, eating, drinking, and dressing
patterns. Larry perceived different degrees of friendliness, types of political activism, and
treatment of substance abuse,. Lucresia was particularly fascinated with the different art
forms---sculpture, painting, music, and dance.”

Both Lucresia and Larry were perplexed at the westernization and survival of Philippine
culture.

HOW DOES ONE FIND OUT ABOUT SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES IN CULTURE?

The comparative approach in social science research employs a wide variety of


sociological techniques. Among those which sociologists have frequently resorted toin the
study of personality, society, and culture are cross- cultural and inter- societal comparisons.

An elaborate source of data for cross-cultural and inter- societal comparisons is the “ Human
Resources Area Files( Murdock 1963). It is a systematic accumulation of nearly 800 items of
information on more than 400 societies all over the world, ranging from primitive tribes to
national states. One interested in any cultural topic like courtship and marriage practices, sex,
roles, or belief systems can consult the files. ‘The Family Of Man”(1955) is an expressive
photographic exhibition of humanity of all times. It includes 503 pictures from 68 countries
showing various aspects of their behavioral patterns from birth to death.

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Comparative studies have attempted reconstructing the beginnings of certain socio- cultural
phenomena. Max Weber’s study(1958) on the origins of the spirit of capitalism is illustrative of
the attempt. He studied not only societies where capitalism flourished but also societies where
capitalism failed to develop. Likewise, studies on Judaism and the religions of China, Japan,
India, and Africa have been made. These studies have demonstrated that religion can be a
strong motivating factor to award capital formation, material achievement, and the work ethics. It
may be used to account for the development of value orientations, such as “ utang na loob”,
hiya, and fatalism, social improvements, such as women’s liberation, family planning, and labor
unionism, or revolutions, such as the Industrial Revolution, as well as the non-development of
these in other societies or sub-groups. Comparative studies have also been used to setup
generalizations that are applicable to groups of the same type. A good example of such study is
the Barrington Moore Research(1956), which shows the roes of the landlord and peasant in
shaping the modern world.

Durkheim (1947) initiated three basic schemes for comparative studies which have been widely
used. These are:

1. Comparative technique, which involves analyzing differences among different categories


or groups within a society in a given historical period, studying subcultural norms,
values, and behavior patterns which belong to this era.

2. Study of specific differences in societies which are basically similar. An example of this
is a study of two recreational, educational, or medical settings but serves different
lientelle—the rich and the poor.

3. The approach centering on specific similarities among societies or subgroups which are
basically different. One might for instance delve into the community power structures,
leadership patterns, courtship practices, definitions of the mentally healthy or ill that
differ sharply in linguistic, economic, ecologically, or religious characteristics but adhere
to the same political ideology. Such social studies mentioned above, as well as many
other historical records, indicate that people similar to and differ from each other in many
ways.

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UNITY IN CULTURE

All societies provide for certain broad areas of social living. Wissler(1923:74)
identified these as the universal patterns of culture, such as speech, material traits, mythology
and scientific knowledge, religious practice, family and social systems, property, government,
and war. Even within these broad areas of social living are a number of common elements.
Murdock (1945: 124) listed about 88 of these, which include age-grading, sports, body
adornment, calendar, cleanliness, training, community organization, cooking, cooperative labor,
dream interpretation, education, eschatology, ethics, ethno-botany, etiquette, faith healing,
family forecasting, fire-making, folklore, food, taboos, funeral rites, games, gestures, gift- giving,
greetings, hair styles, hospitality, housing, hygiene, incest taboos, inheritance rules, joking, kin
groups, kinship nomenclature, language,, law, luck superstitions, magic, marriage, mealtimes,
medicine, modesty concerning natural functions, mourning, music, mythology, numerals,
obstetrics, penal sanctions, personal names, personal rights, propitiations of supernatural
beings, puberty costumes, religious differentiation, surgery, tool-making, trade, visiting,
weaning, and weather control. Other identifiable elements can be added to this list.

Culture universals are accounted for by human being’s biological drives, psychic
uniity, dependence upon group life, individuality, and the limited possibilities within one’s
physical and social environment.

1. Human biological drives. C. Kluchohm(1954) pointed out that cultures are


preconditioned by human being’s biological drives which appear to be products of the
individual’s organic balance. All persons are alike in many aspects. They are alike in
range of emotions, in the need for love and security, in the capacity to symbolize, and in
being subject to conditioning.

Mark Zborowski (1935) stated that in human societies, biological processes


vital for one’s survival acquire social and cultural significance. Eating, sexual intercourse,
and elimination- physiological phenomena which are universal for the entire living world
—become institutions regulated by cultural and social ones as well. Metabolic and
endoctrinal changes in human organisms may provoke hunger and sexual desire, but
culture and society dictate the kind of food one may eat, the social setting for eating, or

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the adequate partner for mating. Voluntary fasting and celibacy existonly where food
and sex fulfill more than strictly physiological functions. Hence, insights into the
significance and role of social and cultural patterns in human physiology are necessary
to clarify those aspects of human experience which remain puzzling if studied only within
the physiological frame of reference.

2. Psychic Unity. One’s psychic unity is not exactly identical with his other inherited
psychological traits. It is drawn from one’s cognitive structure, trait configurations,
acquired predisposition, and unconscious processes.

3. Dependence upon group life. Many of human needs and motives are derived from
sources other than organic. They are learned or aquired from sources other than
organic. The size and types of groups persons will continually enjoy, the people they will
cooperate and compete or even have conflict with to achieve their goals, the groups they
will depend on for hel are factors involved in the constant struggle for survival.
Expressions such as “magaan angloob ko kay-------, mabigat ang loob ko kay--------,
naka-aasar si-------, patay na patay ako kay--------, “ are common expressions of
acceptance, rejection, or avoidance of others in social interaction.

4. Physical and social environment. Montesquieu (1950;315, 317-318) believes that the
geographical environment can have significant conditioning effects upo the economic
aspects of societies. It presents alternatives that a given society may exploit, preserve,
or discard in solving problems for survival, especially in regard to food production,
military operations, and environmental exploitation and preservation,. Similarities in
staple crops, diets, health, disease, and technology arise from geographical conditions.
Means of communication like the mass media and other institutional systems available
and usable for disseminating information and propagating ideas are also important
factors for minimizing ethnic differences in society. Emphasis on assimilative or
acculturation processes might enhance greater cultural unity and reduce ethnic diversity
and cultural variation. Likewise, greater adherance to culture universals can foster
cultural unity, specialties, cultural diversity.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 1
GET THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING
CONCEPTS AND THEORIES

1. Cultural diversity

2. Capitalism

3. Industrial revolution

4. Max Weber

5. Mardock

6. Emille Durkheim

7. C. Kluchohm

8. Culture universal

9. Multi- cultural

10. . cultural integration

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 2

SUPPLIMENTARY MATERIALS IN TEACHING:


VIDEO PRESENTATION OF FILMS/ DOCUMENTARY FILMS ON
DIVERSITY OF CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 3

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. According to anthropologists, every person begins immediately through a process of


conscious and unconscious learning and interaction with others, is called

a) Faith b) symbols c) culture d) all of them

2. Climate change played a role in origin of


a) Food collection b) food production c) agriculture d) none of
them

3. In religion use of supernatural techniques to accomplish specific aims is called


a) Magic b) spirits c) Mana d) totem

4. Violence happens only among the poor or in certain cultures.


a) True b) False

5. Victims can be of any age, sex, race, culture, religion, education, employment, or
marital status.
a) True b) False

6. The values, beliefs, behavior and material objects that constitute a person’slife is
defined as:
a) Norms c) Culture c)Mores d) Folkways

7. A young person moves to a different country in order to study for a particular degree.
The disorientation she/ he feels is:
a) Culture shock b) counter culture c) cultural log d) cultural relativism

8. The process by which one generation passes culture to the next is called:
a) Cultural integration b) cultural transmission c) cultural universal

9. The concept of-------------- is often criticized for encouraging divisiveness as people


identify with their subculture rather than the country as a whole:
a) Eurocentrism b) Popular culture c) multi culturism e) cultural
integration

10. New elements of technology ( test tube babies) emerge faster than societal ideas
about how to use them. What is this inconsistencies called?
a) Cultural integration
b) cultural relativism
c) cultural transmission
d) cultural lag

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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MODULE #5:
PERSONALITY AND
SOCIALIZATION

TIME FRAME: 2 WEEKS

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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“My first playmates were my brothers since I have no sister. I tried to
join their games, which were, of course, boy’s games. I joined their tug of war
and enjoyed the challenge. Until at the end of the day, I would come home crying because I got
wounded in the skirmish. Father would then scold the boys for being inconsiderate of me, a girl,
and mother would tell me that I was not supposed to play their games because I was a girl. On
my birthday,my mother gave me a huge box containing toys for playing house. My mother tried
to impress upon me the virtues and behavior expected of my being a girl, like modesty,
helpfulness, neatness, virtues and behavior expected of my being a girl. Such was my first
distinction between feminine and muscular roles.”

What is personality?

The account of a student given above illustrates an experience in the socialization


process whose end product is personality. Sometimes we hear remarks like a person has a lot
of personality while another has no personality. (walang personalidad). The truth is that an
individual does not have more personality than another. Within each individual is an
organization of attitudes, traits, and habits which make up his or her personality. What is meant
perhaps when one says that a person has a lot of personality is that he or she is outgoing,
aggressive, friendly, and with much verve. On the other hand , one who is describe4d as not
having personality may be reticent, uncharismatic, sloopy, or shy. Sociologists view these traits
as just one aspect of personality.

What then is personality? There are various definitions of the term, depending on
one’s theoretical frame work. Barnouw (1963:12-13)defined personality as,... “ a more o rless
enduring organization of forces within the individual, associated with a complex of fairly
consistent attitudes, values, and modes of perception which account, in part, for the individual’s
consistency of behavior.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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Such an idea views every action or mode of thing, feeling, and acting as expressive of
personality to some degree and views personality as consistent in spite of internal conflicts or
seeming inconsistencies due to situational demands of certain statuses and roles. Dewey and
Humber, social psychologists look at personality as the way by which the individual is
interrelated through ideas, actions, and attitudes, to the many nonhuman aspects of his or her
environment and biological heritage. Thus, an understanding of personality depends on the
knowledge of the determinants of personality and their interrelationships.

Personality is a product of socialization and arises as a result of the interplay


of various factors, which include biological inheritance or heredity, the geo- graphical
environment, cultural environment, social groups and social structures, and past experiences.
Sometimes these factors are referred to as nature ( biological make-up) and nurture( the
environment.

Determinants of Personality Formation

The old question of how our personality is determined by our biological inheritance
(nature) and how much is determined by social-cultural environment ( nurture) goes on,
although most social scientists agree that both heredity and social environment interacting in
complex ways, influence personality development. As mentioned in the chapter on culture,
some sociologists held that many social traits are genetically determined, although they have
not identified which of the genetic potentialities would be developed as a result of the
impingement of a given physical, social, and cultural environment.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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The determinants in personality formation are biological inheritance, geographic
environment, and cultural environment.

1. The biological inheritance transferred from parents to offspring through the


mechanisms of the genes found in the chromosomes of the sex cells is composed of
the biological structures, psychological process, reflexes, urges, capacity,
intelligence, and traits such as pigmentation and stature. These provide the raw
materials or stuff from which personality is formed. These affect socialization,
because the way one defines oneself is to a certain extent determined by the way
other people react to one’s appearance and capacities. Cultural definition also affect
socialization. Some biological traits, for example are regarded as more socially
desirable than others in society.

2. Geographic environment refers to location, climate, topography, and natural


resources. The question of whether people living in tropical regions and those in
temperate regions differ in personality because of the climate; or whether living along
sea coast and living in the mountains result in a difference in personality and lifestyle
are often raised. The afternoon nap and the lazy, carefree attitude are usually
associated with people in the tropical zone. Differences in personality are found
among individuals in any kind of climate or topography. Whether we are lazy or
industrious, easy going or ambitious, may be attributed not to climate, but more to
our training on how one behaves in a specific situation. Geography may be
responsible for the different experiences in adjustment to the physical world, and ,
therefore, may have some influence upon the experiences and personality of the
individual, but it is the least important factor. For while it sets limits on cultural
development, it imposes very few limits onpersonality. Any kind of personality can be
found in any kind of climate(Horton and Hunt 1972:87)

3. The cultural and social environment are intertwined. However, we shall explain them
separately for the purpose of definition. The cultural environment refers to the
learned ways of living, the norms of behaviors--- the folkways, mores, laws, values,
ideas, and patterned ways of the group. Cultural norms are present once the child is
born and constantly impinge on him or her. Culture determines what a child will learn

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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as a member of society and specific social groups. Early in life, the individual
incorporates into his or her personality, the patterns of responses, values, and
attitudes, of the group. The culture also regulates the type of behavior which is
considered appropriate to the individual of a particular age, sex, and line of work.
Through some normative pressures and sanctions, one performs actions as the
culture approves, although one is offered situations for personal expression and
satisfaction. Studies of cultural anthropologists have personal shown the relation of
child rearing practices in a particular culture on the traits developed among its
members and the formation of personality.

4. The social environment refers to the various groups and social interactions going on
in the groups of which one is a member. Membership in a group implies exposure to
a social environment. Davis(1947) reports of the case of Isabelle, an illegitimate
child of a deaf-mute in Chicago, who was left alone in an attic until she was six-and-
a-half years old, until she was discovered by a social worker. Her behavior was
described as animal-like, showing fear and hostility. Through systematic training, she
was able to behave like other normal children. Her case shows that an individual’s
sensory, emotional, social, and mental development fails to develop in isolation.

From birth onwards, a child normally joins various groups, and each group
imposes certain norms and a set of expectations on each member. The structure and
size of the social groups and the kind of social relations and interactions the child
experiences influence personality formation. The family structure determines the nature
of the child’s inter personal experience which in turn is affected by the wider society.
Through parental training, the child is prepared for effective adaptation to a changing
social order. The size of the social group and the position or status one has in a group
also affect the social experience one gets.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 1 THINGS TO DO:

BE READY TO REPORT THE ASSIGNED TOPIC

GET MATERIALS RELATED TO THE TOPIC WHEREIN YOU ARE ASSIGNED ( IN


THE INTERNET)

REPORT/ DISCUSS THE TOPIC IN FRONT WITH THE HELP OF THE PROJECTOR

YOU CAN USE A VIDEO PRESENTATION OR A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 2 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

----------------------1. Is the complex mental characteristics that makes each of us unique


from other people

a) Heredity b) emotional tone c) personality

--------------------2. Which of the following things can have an effect on the development of
an individual’s personality?
a) Physical and mental capabilities b) health and physical appearance,
skin, color, gender, and sexual orientation c) all of them

4. The most common personality type within a society is---------------


a) A tradition- oriented personality b) an inner-directed personality type c) the
modal personality

5. Which of the following statements is true concerning personality?


a) People have either a tradition-oriented, inner – directed, or other-directed personality
—no one has a combination of traits of these modal personalities, b) other –
directed personalities arelikely to be common in culturally diverse large- scale
societies c) neither of the above statements is true

6. Our personalities developed as a result of-------------


a) Genetic inheritance b) environmental influences c) both of them

7. Gender roles refer to how we should act as males or females


a) True b) False

7) Agents of socialization include:


a) day care b) family c) the media d) all of them

8. Parents tend to treat children based on gender


a) true b) false

8. A peer group is defined as:

a) the process in which adults learn new statuses and roles b) The process of
stereotyping people based on their age c) samme-aged friends with similar
interests and social positions d) none of them

10. Children who fail to socialize often die before reaching maturity
a) True b) False

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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ACTIVITY 3 RESEARCH WORKS

1. Sigmund Freud’s three elements within the mind

2. Lawrence Kohlberg’s stages of moral development


( students will be asked to report these in class)

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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MODULE # 6
RELIGION AND SOCIETY

TIME FRAME: 2 WEEKS

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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INTRODUCTION

“Today we commemorate the birth ofour dear loved ones, Maria and Eliseo. Even
though they are not here physically present for they have gone ahead of us in the father’s
kingdom, yet we remember them because they were a part of our experience that cannot be
forgotten. But more than that today, in our Eucharistic Sacrifice that we offer, we commemorate
the feast of the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ or Corpus Christi. This is the greatest of all
commemorations which we offer to Jesus Himself. And He promised us that “whoever will eat
my body and drink my Blood will have eternal life.” I am sure that our loved ones, Maria and
Eliseo who ate the Body and drank the Blood o f Jesus are now are now enjoying the gift of
eternal life in our Father’s kingdom. I am sure too that they are very happy praying for all of us
here on earth. And we, too, may attain and experience the happiness which they have now if
we, as we receive the Body and Blood of Christ, are able to go beyond our human weakness
and limitations and be able to show and witness the Christian lifein our day to day living. Thus,
in our prayer today, we pray for Maria and Eliseo that they will intercede for us all, sinners, that
we may have a place in the Father’ Kingdom”.
---FATHER CESAR BUHAT------
THE NATURE OF RELIGION
This excerpt was taken from a homily of Fr. Buhat, parish priest of Our Lady of Fatima,
in Bangkal, Makati during a mass in honor of the dead. It embodies one of the beliefs of the
Catholic religion---gift of the eternal life and the way of life expected of those who profess the
religion.

Like the family and the economy , religion is a universal and pervasive phenomenon, a
part of the cultural system, because it is assumed to meet some basic need of human being.
Religion is an integrated part of human experience and shows remarkable continuity through
time. Even in the modern secularized societies in the West, religion has persisted and still
exerts a great influence in the lives of people. Almost all known peoples in all places and times
have some set of specific cultural patterns made up of beliefs and codes of conduct., tinged with
emotional feelings, although not all people are religious. To those who subscribe to a religious
view, an explanation or justification of human behavior and social organization regarding the
distribution of power between the leaders and the governed, the moral code, the distribution of
wealth, or the success of some and falure of others may be found in religion.

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A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
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Religion is interwoven with the social, economic, and political life of the people. It is
properly one of the areas of interest to a sociologist because of its influence on the individual
and functions in the society. A sociologist’s main concern in the study of religion is not to
establish the truth or falsity of a certain religion but to look into its structure, organization, and
the role and to observe how it affects and influence an individual or society. The sociological
theorists aver that religion arises from society and societal needs and that through religious
belifs and practices, cohesion and continuity of the society are attained.

WHAT IS RELIGION?

Because the modes of religious experience are diverse and religion means many
different things to different people, the definition of religion varies that it is difficult to reach a
generally accepted definition of religion. In the Philippines, majority of the people identify religion
with Roman Catholicism.. a belief in God, creator of the whole universe, who, because of His
love for humanity, sent His only son Jesus Christ to the world to save the people from sin.
Religion is commonly thought of as concerned with spiritual beings and the supernatural but
Giddens (1989:4 52) pointed out that religion can not be identified with belief in the
supernatural which involves beliefs in phenomena outside of nature. He cited Confucianism as
concerned with accepting the natural harmony of the world instead of finding truths that account
for them.

Etymologically, religion comes from the Ltin word “ religare”, which means “ to bind
together”. In the religion of preliterate societies, the various phenomena of nature are
associated with a number of differentpersonalities, and in many instances, numerous nature
deities are honored. Ethical qualities which correspond to the prevailing ethical standards are
attributed by different peoples to their respective deities. In other religions, the supernatural
being is conceived as a spirit, one and indivisible, and present in nature yet distinct from it.

Durkheim ( 1961) defines religion as a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to
sacredthings, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden—beliefs and practices which unite
into one single moral community called a church all those who adhere to them. Religion belongs
to sacred things, protected and isolated by prohibitions and sey apart from themundane., the

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everyday worldly objects and activities. Religion embodies beliefs or representation which
express the nature of sacred things as well as rites prescribing how a person should behave in
the presence of sacred objects. The essential thing is that religion is a collective thing, that is,
the beliefs and the values are the possession of a group which imposes them upon its
members. Nisbe t(1973:14) avers that the deepest roots of any religion lies in the experience of
the social and moral community which professes it. The togetherness in worship satisfies
human craving and this may be found in universal religions like Buddhism, Confucianism,
Christianity, and Islam.

To Giddens(1989:452), all religions involve a set of symbols which arouses feelings of


reverence or awe and are linked to rituals or ceremonial such as church services practiced by a
community of believers. In religion, there are sacred symbols which maybe beings, objects,
acts, or events that inspire awe or wonder. There maybe personalized gods, a “ divine force” or
figure who is regarded with reverence and love. Some symbols, like the cross or Star of David,
serve as representations of reality and synthesize a people’s mores and values or their way of
life adapted to activate the state of affairs described by their world view. The sacred symbols
motivate the members to certain overall courses or events, emotions are aroused, resulting in
expression of exaltation, adulation, sorrow, pity, or even awe. The members are able to
transform their problems of evil, sufferings, or injustice into concepts ororder vis a vis their
religion. Thus, they overcome their frustration, dissatisfactions, and conflicts, if not hostility.

Important in the practice of religion is the observance of rituals which prescribe some
courses of action for dealing with the sacred. These rituals are repetitive sets of action and
paterns of behavior in relation tothe sacred for the regulation and ordering of social lives. Ritual
acts may be in the form of prayers, singing, chanting, dancing, and sharing certain foods. The
rituals bring the believers of any given religion together.

The most common rites are those performed in the various stages in life that an
individual undergoes and in the interaction with the group. These rites are those performed on
the occasion of change of status----at birth, baptism, confirmation, at the pre-adolescent stage,
marriage, and death or burial. Among Catholics, there is the rite of ordination of a priest or the
acceptance of a postulant in the nunnery. A rite is also observed in moving to a new house or
building--- some kind of house blessing. Rituals are likewise widely observed in many

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horticultural and agricultural communities, centering around planting or harvesting. In some
societies, there is the so called rite of passage, from childhood to adulthood. Rituals become
occasions for people to get together to renew or affirm their belief in what they consider sacred.

RELIGIOUS STRUCTURES

Throughout the ages and throughout the world, people have been baffled by the unown
and the mysteries of life for which they have no ready answer. The Aetas of Mt.Pinatubo, for
example explain its eruption as an expression of the wrath of God because of the ravages
people have made on nature. Science has provided answers to some questions but there
remain certain fundamental questions unanswered, and these have become the focus ofhuman
religious activities.

Religion in all societies, whether preliterate or modern has more or less institutionalized
ways in which individuals and groups express their awe of the unknown and by which they
satisfy their sharply felt needs for adjustment to and communion with the supernatural realm.
In some societies in Melanesia, there is a belief in a generalized kind of force or power in
anything which makes its qualities better and may be described as marvelous. Mana explains
every extra ordinary phenomena---why trees grow fast, why a man has unusual skill or power,
or why the harvest is bountiful. This power exists invisibly throughout the universe and may be
posses by gods, human beings, the forces of nature, and natural objects such as pools, rivers,
sticks and stones, and is to be feared, worshipped and revered.

Among some Indian groups in the United States and Canada, there is the
practice of totemism which is the worship of plants and animals or other natural objects. A clan
may have for a totem a cow, or a wolf, and this totemis regarded with great reverence.

Some societies have beliefs in personalized supernatural beings or spirits which is


called “ animism”. Tylor, introduced the term “animism” which includes beliefs in spiritual beings
and souls. This includes two doctrines---the doctrine of the soul which survives after death; and
the doctrine of the spirits, the idea that the other spiritual personalized being exist. These beliefs

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arose from certain universal human experiences The idea of the survival of the sou lhas given
rise to the cult of the dead, particularly in the formod ancestor worship.

A number of our ethnic groups have animistic beliefs. The Aetas or Negritos of
Negros Oriental, believes that unseen beings inhabit trees, rivers, streams, and springs. These
spirits have no names but they are feared and respected. The general term or name given to
them is “ enkanto or taglogar”.

SUPLEMENTARY TEACHING AIDS:


VIDEOS/ FILMS/REPORTS OF ASSIGNED STUDENTS

ACTIVITY 1 FIND OUT THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS:

1. RITUALS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. RELIGION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. SHAMAN---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. CULT--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. TOTEM-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. CHRISTIANITY-------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. ISLAM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. CONFUCIANISM----------------------------------------------------------------------

9. PAGANISM------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. BUDDHISM------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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ACTIVITY 2 CHOOSE THE RIGHT ANSWER

1. Objects, places, people or things forbidden by faith are known as----------


a) Tattoos b) taboos c) ritual acts d) idols

2. Communal religions may have which of the following features?


a) Community events
b) all of the answers are correct
c) rites of passage
d) part-time specialists of the religion

3. Which of the following could be considered a dysfunction of religion?


a) It may give meaning to people’s lives
b) it may interfere with scientific education
c) it may encourage charitable giving
d) it may promote social order

4. Why might someone contact a shaman?


a) To borrow money from them
b) to settle a dispute between neighbors
c) to communicate with the spirits of the natural world
d) to put a spell on an enemy

5. Traditions that are considered Olympian are most likely to have what concept of
supernatural beings?
A) Many deities
B) none of them
C) only one supreme deities
D) gods in animal forms

6. Which of the following best defines a layman?


a) A priest/shaman of a faith
b) an official sanctioned members of church authority
c) anon- ordained member of faith
d) a female shaman/ priest

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7. A baptismal ceremony is an example of which category of social norms?
a) Taboo b) ritual c) belief d) superstition

8. What type of religion is most common in modern nation states?


a) Monotheistic b) olympian c)communal d) shamanic

9. How is shamanism connected to animism?


a) An animist society will never use a shaman
b) a society is not considered animist unless they make use of a shaman
c) shamans are often part of animist cultures
d) shamans introduced the idea of animism to the world, but no longer exist themselves.

10. Consider the statements below and indicate which one most accurately describes the
impact of religion on culture.

A. Religion is influenced by the existing culture can also trigger cultural change
B. new religious beliefs tend to bring peace to a region
C. religion influences the arts but not the science
D. the religious beliefs of governmental leaders have only minimal influence on a
religion

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MODULE #7:
GOVERMENT AND LAW

TIME FRAME: 2 WEEKS

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PHILIPPINE LEGAL SYSTEM

The Philippine legal system is a mixture customary usage. Roman( civil law) and ANGLO
– American( common law) systems, and Islamic law. The legal system is the result of the
immigration of Muslim Malays in the fourteenth century and the subsequent colonization of the
islands by Spain and the United States. The civil law operates in areas such as family relations,
property, succession, contract and criminal law while statutes and principles of common law.

LAW AND CONSTITUTION

Law and the constitution just like state and government are also fundamental concepts
in the study politics and governance. The State, through the government sustains its existence,
carry out the purpose and realize its mission through the laws and the constitution promulgated
and executed by the proper body to understand the meaning, nature and function of law and the
constitution.

MEANING OF LAW

Law has a lot of meaning and classification. Law can be taken in a non-legal meaning
such as the eternal or divine law, natural law, moral law or physical law. In legal meaning as in
Political Science, law is referred to positive law, a law or legislation passed by the State and
enforced by the legal authorities.

According to St. Thomas, law is an ordinance of reason, promulgated by those in


authorities which must be made known to the people and made for their common good or
general welfare. In its legal meaning, law is any rule or set of rules promulgated by the
lawmaking body and enforced by executive departments.

SOURCES OF LAW has its origin or source and they are the following:

Legislation—This is the most common source of law.

1. Law passed or enacted by the Legislature are called STATUTES. Laws derived from
legislation are usually collected, arranged and classified into codes. Examples are
Family Code of the Philippines, Civil Code, Revised Penal Code, Administrative Code of
the Philippines etc.

2. Legal Commentaries---these are comments made by well- known justices worldwide and
some well-known writers of law which are considered as legal truths. As such, they are
served as guiding principles in making a decision in judicial trial or legal controversies.

3. Constitution----This is the highest and fundamental law of the land. In case of conflict
with the legislation such as the Statutes, the constitution must prevail.; otherwise, the
statute is unconstitutional and therefore has no legal effect.

4. Judicial Decisions---- These are referred to as decisions of judges rendered in a judicial


trial. These decisions have the binding force of law and become Precedents which may
be applied to future cases of a familiar nature.

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5. Customs, Morals, and Good Policy---- Where there is no concrete Law applicable to a
legal controversy, these particular sources may be invoked to settle dispute. Example.
Prior to the enactment of a law against pedophiles, there was no law to deter this kind of
abuse but still there is already a law such that any act that is contrary to morals,
customs or good policy is illegal or prohibited. Such law was invoked to check pedophilia
in our country.

6. Equity--- This means equality, justice and fairness. Thus, where a law may not apply to a
particular case or to apply could become unfair, then judgement is rendered according to
equity or equality of treatment.

FUNCTION / PURPOSE OF LAW

In a democratic institution, the State exists for the people and that the
government is the means to achieve the purpose for which the State has been
established. In order for the government to operate effectively and fulfill its mandate from
the State, it needs Law. In short, the law exists to establish order, peace and justice in
our society. Society cannot operate and exists without the benefits of the law. It can
even be said that the society or the State is the law itself/It can only exists and govern if
there are laws because they serve as rules, regulations, principles and standards of
conduct and action which must be observed and followed; otherwise, there will be
penalties or punishments for their violations.

Respect for the law is a sign of mature society. Our constitution even provides
that our government exists under a rule of law. Unfortunately, this is easier said than
done because based on how the law operates and enforced, or after all, is often not a
government of laws but of men. This is the reason why there is lot of criticisms hurled
against the government as it seems to lack political will in implementing the law. Unless,
the government is impartial in its task to execute the law, then problems relative to this
issue will continue, destroying order and harmony, which serve as the spirit in our
society.

THE CONSTITUTION

Another fundamental concept in the study of government and politics is a


special kind of law called the Constitution. In its simple meaning, constitution is the
fundamental law of the land. It sets forth the organization and function of the
government, the relations of the people to the government and their rights and duties
within the state. Constitution must be distinguished from the State in that:

a) Constitution is a law direct from the people or made by few people chosen by the
people themselves for the purpose of drafting a constitution while statute is a law
enacted by the law making body, the legislature.
b) Constitution is drafted to meet not only the present but also the future conditions
while the statute is usually passed to address the present conditions or problems.
c) The constitution provides the general framework of government while the statute
states details on specific subjects.

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d) The constitution is the supreme law to which the statute and other laws must
conform, otherwise, the latter is unconstitutional and therefore it is void and it has no
legal effects.

Being the highest or fundamental law of the land, its nature is that it is
binding on all the people and organs of the government. It is the standard on which
all governmental actions whether emanating from the highest official down the rank
are legal or illegal, constitutional or unconstitutional.

As to its purpose, the constitution prescribes the permanent framework of


government and assigns to the different branches of government their respective
powers and responsibilities and at the same time, it prescribes also the rights of the
people and provides the precepts for the preservation and protection of these rights
against the arbitrary exercise of gone or mental powers.

CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTITUTION

There are some classification of constitution and some of these are:


a) As to form, a constitution maybe:

1. Written Constitution--- is embodied in a written document which is usually


promulgated by the people through constitutional convention

2. Unwritten Constitution--- is not embodied in a single written document and originates


mainly from customs and usages, principles and decisions of the courts. It has no
definite date of enactment and is the product of gradual growth and historical
evolution.

NOTE: The Philippine Constitution is a kind of written constitution while the British Constitution
is an example of unwritten constitution.

b) As to manner of amending or make changes, it may be:

1. Rigid Constitution--- is one that is difficult to change or amend except by a process


which is different from that followed in the enactment of ordinary laws.

2. Flexible Constitution---- is one that is easy to change or amend.

NOTE: The Philippine and US Constitution are rigid while the British Constitution is flexible.

AMENDMENT OR REVISION OF THE CONSTITUTION

The constitution can be changed either by amendment or revision. The former


refers to a change in a specific provision only like when the provision on life imprisonment being
the highest penalty that can be imposed was changed to death penalty if the nature of the crime
calls for it. The former, on the other hand, means total change or rewriting of the whole
constitution like the 1987 constitution which entirely replaced the 1973 constitution.

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There are 2 steps involved in the amendment or revision of the constitution. The
first is the PROPOSAL and the second one is the RATIFICATION.

PROPOSAL IS USUALLY MADE BY:


1. The Congress of the Philippines by a vote of ¾ of all its members

2. The constitutional convention either called by 2/3 votes of all the members of Congress
or when such convention is submitted to the electorate in a referendum by a majority
vote of all the members of Congress.

3. The people through a system of initiative upon a petition of at least 12% of the total
number of registered voters, of which every legislative district must be represented by at
least 3% of the registered voters therein.

In order that the amendment or revision made in any of the proposal enumerated
may be valid as part of the constitution, it must be ratified by a majority of the votes cast
in a Plebiscite called for the purpose. Ratification in this sense means the approval of the
people of the amendment to or revision of the constitution. It is the final act to make any
change valid. This act upholds the principle that sovereignity resides in the people and
all government authority emanates from them.

The plebiscite must be held not earlier than 60 days nor later than 90 days to
provide time for the people to study the proposed amendment or revision thereby
enabling them to vote intelligently during the plebiscite. The time limit of 90 days
prevents undue delay in the holding of the plebiscite.

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ACTIVITY 1
GET THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS

1. LAW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2. CONSTITUTION----------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Positive law-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Statutes---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Ratification------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Equity------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Legal Commentaries-----------------------------------------------------------------

8. Amendments---------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Revision---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Plebiscite--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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ACTIVITY 2
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS

1. What is the meaning of law and the Constitution?

2. What are the source of law? Explain the meaning of each.

3. Explain the function or purpose of law as well as the constitution.

4. State the distinction of a constitution with that of the statute.

5. What are the classification of a constitution? Explain or discuss


the meaning of each?

6. What are the requisites of a good Constitution? Discuss each.

7. In what way can a constitution be amended or revised? Explain.

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MODULE #8
THE SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF
POLITICS

TIME FRAME: 2 WEEKS

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INTRODUCTION

The state is the formal structure of government. It is the institution whose functions are
carried out by the government. Government is the working active arm of the state which
provides social control through its political processes, the laws it establishes and implements,
and the work of its agencies. Although individuals and groups that comprise the government
change, the state continues to function.

The same processes that where responsible for the creation of nations. With the
increase in size and complexity of societies, people have sought political organizations in clans
based on kinship, then in tribes that were collections of clans, and finally in city-states. In the
fifteenth century, city-states gradually developed into nation-states. The state represents a
politically organized society functioning through a government. Whereas, nation is a culture
group of people residing within the territory of the political state. The spirit of nationhood makes
a group of people a nation. People unify into a nation through factors such as geographic
boundaries (like mountains or bodies of water), commercial ties developed throughout the
geographical area, the knowledge of a common language. Additional factors appear with the
establishment of a central government such as an attempt to subordinate former loyalties to the
new political order, the development of a common history, a common literature, and a sense of
a common destiny. The sense of unity that arises becomes intense that even deep cleavages
among the people comprising the nation, even with the lack of total cultural uniformity, may
consider themselves distinct from all others whom they designate as foreigners.

Whether a nation is already existent or whether its people are hoping or fighting for
its independence, the ultimate goal is always the social, political, and economic stability of the
people. Nationalism, WHICH IS THE IDEOLOGY BEHIND THE NATION- STATE , has had a
significant part in modern history. It has been paramount in the creation of modern societies,
mitigating the narrow provincialism of loyalties to family, kin, and community common pre-
industrial societies. Nationalism is a complex social phenomena, made up of a set of beliefs
about the superiority and uniqueness of one’s own nation, and a defense of its interests above
all others. It implies the individual identification with the nation, culture, interests, and goals.
Ethnocentrism cuts across all other loyalties to emphasize loyalty to the national group.

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As a form of social control, the government operates formally and impersonally
through the state. As it operates Politically certain subsystem are discernable.

1. The legalistic, which is wholly regulated by the laws, such as in international, national or
city matters.

2. The quasi- legal, which partly within the limits of the law and partly a matter of personal
unofficial arrangements, as in villages.

3. The extra-legal, which includes alliances of shady business and under- world dealings,
as in predatory economic-political-crime-vice networks.

THE STRUGGLE FOR POWER: LIGITIMACY AND AUTHORITY

Political power is a basic force on the political process and in structuring society. It
is both a compensation and a determinant in the distribution of wealth and prestige in the
stratification system. Weber (1957:152) defined power as ”the probability that one actor within a
social a social relationship will be in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance”. The
ability to sway decision-making is a significant gauge of power. It is manifested in small or large
groups.

The state is the abstract representation of the political system of a society. It has
the authority to employ force or violence to implement social control. It has a monopoly on the
legitimate use of physical force in the enforcement of order. People accept the authority of the
state and this acceptance or consent justifies the states’ actions.

When power is held by an individual or group not accepted to members of society,


the power is illegal and illegitimate. Authority is the legitimate possession of power. Power
becomes legitimate authority when members of society accept its use as right and proper. A
political system is generally considered legitimate if its goals and values coincide with the goals
and values of a majority of the people. No political system, not even one borne of violence and
functioning through force, can survive long without legitimacy.

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When a government has legitimacy, its laws are followed and its officials respected
by a majority of people in the society, regardless of their feelings toward both the laws and the
enforcers. There is a crises of legitimacy if a majority of the people do not believe that the
government is legitimate, disregard the laws, and will not survive for a long time. These crises
occur during periods of rapid social change, and especially severe when major institutions are
threatened or if major groups in society have no access to the political system.

The struggle for power includes the acquisition, exercise and maintenance of power.
The political elite are the persons or groups who supply the political leadership in society at a
certain time.
In a monarchy, power is inherent in the ruler by “divine right”. It is transferred by
hereditary succession and exercised for the benefit of both the rulers and the ruled. A change of
rulers is brought about by purging members or houses of the royal families.

In an oligarchy, power is held by a small group belonging to the elite class of society.
Intrigues among cliques within this class commonly bring about shifts in the power structures.

In a democracy, power is vested in the masses, who, in turn, delegate this power to
those whom they elect to represent them in the government; such power is exercised primarily
for the people’s welfare. Those elected maybe removed or retained on the basis of their
performance through periodic elections by the masses.

In a totalitarian government, power is held by a small group who assert themselves


through coercive, not legitimate force. Totalitarian governments have been labeled variously as
authoritarian, autocratic, centralized, socialistic, communistic, dictatorial, Fascist, OR Nazi.
While democratic governments have been referred to as popular, representative, republican,
liberal,. Or capitalistic. Today, governments are actually combinations of the features of different
political ideologies, such as England’s democratic monarchy, Scandinavia’s socialistic
monarchies, Spain’s benevolent dictatorship (currently democratic monarchy), Japan’s
capitalistic monarchy.

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ACTIVITY 1
KNOW THE MEANING OF THE FOLLOWING TERMS
1. POLITICAL INSTITUTION----------------------------------------------------------

2. STATE-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. GOVERNMENT-----------------------------------------------------------------------

4. SOCIALISM-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. TOTALITARIANISM------------------------------------------------------------------

6. AUTOCRACY--------------------------------------------------------------------------

7. FASCISM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

8. COMMUNISM--------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. POWER---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. AUTHORITY----------------------------------------------------------------------------

11. CONSENSUS-------------------------------------------------------------------------

12. PATRONAGE--------------------------------------------------------------------------

13. POLITICAL ELITE--------------------------------------------------------------------

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ACTIVITY 2
HAVE A RESEARCH ON THE FOLLOWING

1. Compare various types of political ideologies, showing their strength


and Weaknesses.

2. Study the structure and functioning of the Barangay you belong to.
How is consensus achieved in this Barangay.

3. How would you inculcate love of country as the highest value if you
are ( parent/ teacher/ a church staff/ a government official

4. Describe the strength and weakness of past Philippine presidents

TEACHING AIDS:
VIDEOS OF MARTIAL LAW, and PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE
PHILIPPINES
REPORTING

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ACTIVITY 3
ENCIRCLE THE LETTER OF THE CORRECT ANSWER

1. Anne is a Protestant while her friend, Marie, is a Catholic. Sometimes, while doing doing
their homework in Marie’s house, Anne makes fun of the fact that Catholics have images
of saints in their houses. What should Marie do about this problem?

a) Marie should stop being friends with Anne


b) Marie should retaliate by making fun of Anne’s religion
c) Marie should talk to Anne to explain their religious differences
d) do nothing. Anne will eventually stop laughing about it

2. Amarah is a Muslim, and she studies in a public school. Her parents forbade her to make
friends with Christians because they are afraid she will be bullied. She however has
Christian friends, and they understand her religion because of what they learned in class.
What should Amarah do about this problem?
a) Amarah should tell the truth and explain to her parents that her Christian friends are
nice
b) Amarah should just avoid talking about her friends to her parents
c) Amarah should just follow her parents since they know what’s best for her
d) Amarah should tell the truth and explain to her parents that her Christian friends are
nice

3. If you are living in an area of conflict where members of two different religions are fighting
each other, what can you do to resolve the issues that led to their conflict?
a) Leave the area of conflict and find another place to live
b) tell the police or the town chief to resolve the issue so you can live peacefully
c) have a dialogue with the two groups and help them asses their concerns and
propose resolutions
d) let the two groups find each other but let them know that your family is neutral

4. Who categorizes people based on their characteristics, needs, desires, lifestyle, and
challenges?
a) Self b) society c) social status d) religion

5. What is the benefit of having knowledge on the study of culture, society, and politics?
a) To prepare people for active and responsible civic engagement
b) to make people ethnocentric
c) to change the way people view the world
d) to provide people avenues for self- expression

6. Which statement does not adhere to an anthropological meaning of culture?


a) It is manifested through both tangible and intangible evidence
b) it includes our norms, the standards or rules of acceptable behavior
c) it is what gives form and identity to a group or community of people
d) it is constant and capable of withstanding the threats of change

7. Why is the study of anthropology important in understanding culture and society?


a) It gives people an avenue to know who they are as a social beings and understands
why they behave the way they do

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b) it provides people opportunities to learn practical measures on how to live a
productive life
c) it makes people appreciate the sacrifices made by our national and local heroes
d) it makes people aware of their stories of their origin and whereabouts

8. Why is culture usually describe as “ the complex whole” ?


a) Because culture is about the activities of groups within society
b) because culture is comprised of all the faces and work of humankind
c) because culture is the end-result of society
d) because Edward Taylor said it so

9. What is the relationship between the sharing of culture and its flexibility?
a) The sharing of culture with other people helps us understand the culture of others
b) the flexibility of our culture depends on who we interact with
c) the more we share our culture with other people, the more it becomes flexible and
adaptable
d) we should choose who we share our culture with because they can easily adapt it

10. As a student what can you do to help preserve our culture and traditions?
a) I will copy the culture of other countries that I see on TV, especially those portrayed
in my favorite shows.
b) I will continue to learn more about our culture and continue to practice it and
influence others to do the same
c) I will just continue using the internet; culture does not matter to me because we live
in the modern times now
d) I can’t do anything because I’m still young

11. Who is the primary agent of socialization?


a) Barkada b) priest c) teacher d) family

12. What is the process through which we learn about the culture we live in?
a) Enculturatin b) socialization c) culturization d) justification

13. What is socialization?


a) Studying other culture b) sharing different cultures
c) learning and acquiring culture d) adapting and rejecting different cultures

14. What is the function and importance of language in our culture?


a) Language is an essential part of our culture because it is a tool that we can use to
preserve and transfer our culture
b) language is a fundamental element of a social being; it is a tool that we can use to
communicate with other people
c) a language is an essential instrument for communication; it can be used to express
our emotions
d) language is a medium for instructions; it can be expressed verbally or non-verbally

15. What is the belief that one’s own culture is the main standard by which other cultures may
be measured?
a) Xenocentrism b) bias c) ethnocentrism d) cultural relativism

Digital Communication and Technological College Inc. 67


A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
16. What refers to the idea that all norms, beliefs, and values are dependent on their cultural
context, and should be treated and understood objectively as such?
a) Xenocentrism b) bias c) ethnocentrism d) cultural relativism

17. When Carlo visited a secluded area in Mindanao to witness animal sacrifices of the
natives. He however, saw and analyzed the ritual as unique to their culture and was done
to appear their God. What was manifested through the act of Carlo?

a) Xenocentrism b) bias c) ethnocentrism d) cultural relativism

18. What refers to social, cultural, and psychological characteristics or traits related to males
and females based on certain social contexts?

a) Gender b) gender roles c) sex d) sex roles

19. What is the set of behaviors that the society expects from a person based on his/her sex?

a) Gender roles b) sex c) biological norms d) behaviorism

20. Women are capable to bear children based on what concept?


a) Sex b) gender c) biology d) sexuality

21. Andrea wants to be an engineer when she grows up. When she was younger, she used
toplay with her brother’s toy robots and cars. Her mother however told her that she can
only play with dolls because she is a girl. Which among the following concepts apply in
this situation?
a) Gender role
b) sex roles
c) sex discrimination
d) social roles

22. Patrick is being bullied in school for being more feminine than other boys of his age. His
classmates tell him that boys should not act like girls because it is what is expected by
society. What is shown in this situation?

a) Society dictates how one should act based on his or her sexual preference
b) gender roles do not dictate who a person is
c) gender roles are followed by everyone in society
d) society dictates how a person should act based on being a male or a female

23. What is the movement of people or families within or between different levels in the
society?
a) Social class
b) social mobility
c) social stratification
d) social status

Digital Communication and Technological College Inc. 68


A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd
24. What is the category of people with shared cultural attributes?
a) Gender b) race c) ethnicity d) culture

25. What is the category of people who share the same physical characteristics?
a) Race b) culture c) ethnicity d) gender

26. Amanda was born in the United States to Filipino parents. When she was five years old,
her parents sent her back to live with their family in the PHILIPPINES. Which among the
following statements is TRUE about Amanda’s nationality?

a) Amanda is a Filipino national because she was born to Filipino parents


b) Amanda is a an American national because she was born in the US
c) Amanda needs to apply for naturalization because she is an American citizen
d) both b and c

27. Which statements are true about interactions within society?


a) People make people fulfill duties of socialization
b) people expose members of society to what is on trend
c) people caused social, cultural and political behaviour and phenomena
d) all of them

28. What benefits can we get from being aware of the different social, political, and cultural
events within the society?

a) Farm animals are given the chance to serve the community


with skills and hard work

b) people acquire knowledge and experiences necessary to


survive daily challenges in life

c) people become ignorant to different occurring local and


national issues.

d) People are totally free from doing all the activities they
want to do because of freedom

29. Andy is a police officer. He sees a blind woman in the same spot every day, begging for
money. One day, he saw a group of men taking the beggar and bringing her to a different
area to beg. What is Andy supposed to do to help the blind woman?

a) Tell the beggar to escape from the place


b) tell the local social welfare office about the beggar
c) tell the armed men to stay away from the beggar
d) do nothing; the woman has been a beggar for a long time

30. What do you call the person’s instinctive membership to a specific nation?
a) Race b) nationality c) ethnicity d) citizenship

Digital Communication and Technological College Inc. 69


A Module in Understanding Philippine Society, Culture and Politics
Prepared by Mrs. Corazon P. Te, MAEd

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