Professional Documents
Culture Documents
CULTURE
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
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.
1. Anthropologist---------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Evacues-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Mt. Pinatubo-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Aetas--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Edward Tylor----------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Culture------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Instincts-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Beliefs-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Behavior----------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Language---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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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.
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)...............................................................................................................................................
1. –NT--,--OPOL—GI—TS-------------------------------
3. L—N—UA—E ----------------------------------------
5. –ET—S --------------------------------------------------
6. E--,--C—EES -----------------------------------------------
7. IN—TIN—T -----------------------------------------------
8. –ULT--,--E --------------------------------------------------
9. S—M—OL -------------------------------------------------
------------------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.
-------------------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.
------------------7. Sign languages and symbolic languages are two different things.
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.
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 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.
2. Sociobiologists
3. Knowledge
4. Beliefs
5. Social norms
6. Values
7. Genetic traits
8. Behavior
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
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
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
12. What do anthropologists mean when they refer to the concept of “integration” in regards
to culture
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
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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b)-------------------------------------------------------
c)--------------------------------------------------------
d)--------------------------------------------------------
e)--------------------------------------------------------
A)------------------------------------------------------
b)-------------------------------------------------------
c)--------------------------------------------------------
d)--------------------------------------------------------
e)--------------------------------------------------------
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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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
` 10. Deviance can be either positive, but either form involves behavior that
departs from societal norms.
a) true b) false
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
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.
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.
2. Technology---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Universal -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Xenocentrism -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Ethnocentrism ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Look into the life ways of any of our cultural communities. Compare their culture with your
own..
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
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
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?
TEACHING MATERIALS :
VIDEO PRESENTATION OF AFRICAN AND OTHER COUNTRY’S CULTURAL LIFE
MODULES
STUDENT’S PRESENTATION
“ 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?
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.
Durkheim (1947) initiated three basic schemes for comparative studies which have been widely
used. These are:
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
What is 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.
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.
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
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.
REPORT/ DISCUSS THE TOPIC IN FRONT WITH THE HELP OF THE PROJECTOR
--------------------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
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
“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.
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
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
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.
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”.
1. RITUALS---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. RELIGION-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. SHAMAN---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. CULT--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. TOTEM-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. CHRISTIANITY-------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. ISLAM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. CONFUCIANISM----------------------------------------------------------------------
9. PAGANISM------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. BUDDHISM------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
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
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 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.
SOURCES OF LAW has its origin or source and they are the following:
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
CLASSIFICATION OF CONSTITUTION
NOTE: The Philippine Constitution is a kind of written constitution while the British Constitution
is an example of unwritten constitution.
NOTE: The Philippine and US Constitution are rigid while the British Constitution is flexible.
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.
1. LAW--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. CONSTITUTION----------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Positive law-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Statutes---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Ratification------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Equity------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Legal Commentaries-----------------------------------------------------------------
8. Amendments---------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. Revision---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. Plebiscite--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
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.
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.
2. STATE-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. GOVERNMENT-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4. SOCIALISM-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. TOTALITARIANISM------------------------------------------------------------------
6. AUTOCRACY--------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. FASCISM--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. COMMUNISM--------------------------------------------------------------------------
9. POWER---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. AUTHORITY----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. CONSENSUS-------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. PATRONAGE--------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
TEACHING AIDS:
VIDEOS OF MARTIAL LAW, and PAST PRESIDENTS OF THE
PHILIPPINES
REPORTING
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?
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
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
12. What is the process through which we learn about the culture we live in?
a) Enculturatin b) socialization c) culturization d) justification
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
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?
18. What refers to social, cultural, and psychological characteristics or traits related to males
and females based on certain social contexts?
19. What is the set of behaviors that the society expects from a person based on his/her sex?
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
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?
28. What benefits can we get from being aware of the different social, political, and cultural
events within the society?
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?
30. What do you call the person’s instinctive membership to a specific nation?
a) Race b) nationality c) ethnicity d) citizenship