Understanding Culture,

Society and Politics

3 SOCIAL FORCES SOCIAL CHANGE

Culture Refers to the transformation of culture and social
“Culture is that institutions. The innovation that a certain sphere
complex whole which includes encounter may lead to social change.
knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals,
laws, customs, and any other Examples:
capabilities and habits acquired 1. Urbanization
by man as a member of society.” 2. K-12 Program
- Edward Taylor

Society CULTURAL CHANGE

A group of people who interact within a The transformation that emphasizes on the
particular territory and share a culture. attitudes, values, morals, aspirations, and other
material object on individual and community
Politics
behavior.
The process by which individual interest
(desires, wants, etc.) are reconciled with collective
Examples:
action for the provision of public goods. 1. Gender Equality
2. Promotion of Feminism
Social Forces are always subject to change which 3. Transitioning from the use of
continue to influence us as an individual. books to Wi-fi

SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS POLITICAL CHANGE

Refers to the major spheres of social life, or Occurs when there is significant disruption in the
society’s subsystem, organized to meet basic government which leads to modified leadership or
human needs policies. The mere change of government
5 BASIC SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS administration is an example of political change
itself.
1) Family

}
2) Religion always
Examples:
3) Politics subject to 1. K-12 Program
4) Economy change 2. Elections
5) Education
Family, as the most basic institution, has the most
important role in overseeing an individual’s part in
society’s progress.

There is a direct relationship between each

social sphere If one sphere becomes productive
and functional, it has a direct effect to all the
other spheres. Hence, the Domino Effect.

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 Understanding Culture,
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Social Phenomena – the individual, external,

social constructions that influence our lives and
RELEVANCE OF SOCIOLOGY
development. These are constantly evolving as
we age. • Useful in many fields, such as
business, policy making, law, and
• Modification of Policies social work because it is important
• Development of different personality that these careers understand how
and behavior
society affects individuals.
• Social trends that changed our lifestyle
• Global crisis
• Different changes in social forces RELEVANCE OF ANTHROPOLOGY
• Moving into new normal • Opens one's mind to the diverse
possibilities for human life and helps
These are parts of our ever-changing environment us to identify our cultural
which continue to influence us all the time
commonalities despite the differences
we may have.
SOCIOLOGY
- is the systematic study of human RELEVANCE OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
society.
• Knowledge of the dynamics of power
- studies how people relate to each
is particularly useful to many careers
other and how they work as a whole
that require the analysis of current
in the larger society.
events. Policy makers, government
administrators, lawyers, social
ANTHROPOLOGY
advocates all benefit from being
- A discipline that examines people’s informed about politics.
interactions, culture, and social
organization.
- Investigates the people's language,
their values, technologies, and even
how they group themselves.

POLITICAL SCIENCE SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

- A discipline that generally deals with
the study of politics and power in its
various forms.
- Deals with systems of government
and the analysis of political activity.
• Seeing the general in the particular,
which entails analyzing everyday
situations by connecting these to
broader social trends.
• Sociological perspective challenges
commonly held beliefs and
encourages us to ask ourselves

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 Understanding Culture,
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whether such beliefs are true, and if
they are not, why it is being widely
held.
WHY DO WE NEED A SOCIOLOGICAL
PERSPECTIVE?
• To help us see general social patterns
in the behavior of particular
individuals.
ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
• Entails understanding of other’s
thoughts and the actions from their
own perspectives and not judging
different cultures as better or worse
but only different.
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE
1) Emic Approach
• Entails understanding their practices
and beliefs from their own point of
view.
• Anthropologists adopt the language,
values, and norms of their chosen
social group.
Example:
“Pagpag” – a term given to left-over food,
meat picked from garbage and dumps, which
is then washed, cooked, and sold to poor
communities in Manila, Philippines. This is
their daily staple food.
These communities are at a very
bottom who fail to afford a single meal
sometimes. Pagpag can either be eaten
immediately or later.
2) There is no single correct way for
humans to live.
• Anthropologists do not judge one
culture as being better than another.
They are simply different.
POLITICAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE
• Studies the tendencies and actions of
people which cannot be easily
quantified or examined. Analyzing
the affairs of the government.
• Implementation of government
policies which regulates the life of
citizens.
• Sociological and anthropological
concepts such as gender, class,
culture can be used to explain
political issues.
POLITICS
“Padrino System” – is a predominant culture
existing in the Philippine political sphere. It is
a value system where one gains favor,
promotion, or political appointment through
family affiliation or friendship.
Loob
▪ Kagandahang loob, Kabutihang-
loob and Kalooban are terms that
show sharing of oneself to others.
Philippine values are
interpersonal.
▪ Believes in the innate goodness
of the human being.
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▪ “Utang na Loob” known for debt
of gratitude.
RELIGION
Fiesta
▪ Being a very religious centered
country, which consist 93% of
Christians believers, a fiesta is
commonly about the celebration
of a city or province’s patron
saint or of harvest.
ATTITUDE
“Bahala na”
▪ We usually apply this in times of
decision-making in life as we grow
older. It gives us courage to take risks.
CULTURE
▪ It encompasses all of the different
aspects of being a member of social
group.
▪ Everyone has a culture.
▪ It is impossible for a person to be
without a culture unless he or she is
somehow raised without human
contact.
TWO FORMS OF CULTURE
1. Material Culture – refers to the
physical products of a culture, such as
artifacts, dwellings, and artistic
expressions.
2. Non-Material Culture – refers to the
ideas that are shared by a cultural
group. Examples of these include
religion, myths, legends, and
language.
CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
1. Culture is learned.
➢ Aspects of culture are not
determined by biology.
Instead, they are acquired
through interaction with
others in a group.
2. Culture is shared.
➢ It is shared by a group with
similar understandings,
feelings, and action. what a
person thinks or does makes
most sense within his or her
cultural group.
3. Culture is based on symbols.
➢ A symbol is anything that
carries meaning and is
recognized by people who
share a culture.
4. Culture is integrated.
➢ Different aspects of culture
are connected and in order to
understand the whole, you
need to look at all of its parts.
anthropologists examine
culture by examining their
religion, festivals, language,
arts, etc.
5. Culture is dynamic.
➢ Most human groups are
connected, and ideas and
symbols from one group can
be adopted by members of
another group. Consequently,
all cultures are susceptible to
change.
6. Culture is continuous and
cumulative.
➢ Culture exists as a continuous
process. In its historical
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growth it tends to become
cumulative. Sociologist
Linton, called culture “the
social heritage” of man. it
becomes difficult for us to
imagine what society would
be like without culture.
7. Culture is gratifying and idealistic.
➢ Culture provides proper
opportunities for the
satisfaction of our needs both
biological and social. culture
determines and guides
various activities of man.
Thus, culture is defined as the
process through which
human beings satisfy their
wants.
The diversity and complexities of
culture enables us to realize that some
cultures are worth keeping for, while
some have negative implications in
the individual and society.
This is the beauty of studying culture.
SUMMARY
Three Social Forces: Culture, Society, and
Politics/Power
Change: Social Change, Cultural Change,
Political
Three Major Disciplines: Sociology,
Anthropology and Political Science:
Perspectives: Sociological, Anthropological
and Political Science
Defining Culture, Characteristics: learned,
shared, based on symbols, integrated,
dynamic, continuous, and cumulative,
gratifying, and idealistic.
• The view that one's own cultural elements
such as norms, values, ideology, customs,
and traditions are dominant and superior
to others. (Brown, 2007)
• They tend to compare, evaluate, and even
judge other people waste based on the
values and standards set in one's own
culture.
• Ethnocentric people tend to dislike or
make false judgment on other cultures.
They tend to become biased and judge
another culture as bad and wrong.
MARRIAGE
Eskimo Tradition – A man can have multiple
wives. he can share his wife to his visitors as
a sign of hospitality.
Polygamy – the practice of having multiple
wives
RELIGION
Hinduism – individuals who practice
Hinduism believe in millions of gods and
goddesses. all are responsible for governing
their lives, destiny, and fate.
Examples of Ethnocentrism:
1. The American society sees themselves as
a world leader. They interfere in the
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political affairs of other countries and try
to control them.
2. During the time of Adolf Hitler, Germans
believed that they are a superior race.
3. Korean culture is better than our
culture because many Filipinos try to
imitate and adopt this culture.
4. Indigenous people should learn to
change their old and traditional ways
of life in order to be happy and
successful.
5. Filipinos’ religious traditions like the
celebration of fiestas should be
banned because it is just a waste of
time, energy, and resources.
• Cultural relativism is a belief that cultures
are equally complex. There is no such
thing as superior or inferior culture.
• It is very important in studying the culture
of other people. It is a way of viewing the
beliefs, values, and practices of a culture
from its own viewpoint.
• Promotes greater appreciation of the
cultures that an individual might
encounter along the way
• It means that the function and meaning of
a trait are relative to its cultural setting.
Examples of Cultural Relativism:
1. The Aetas of Zambales, the
Mangyans of Mindoro and other
Filipino tribes have different religious
beliefs. Their Gods are manifested on
the different forms of nature like trees,
mountains, rivers, volcano, their dead
ancestors, and many more. I think
there is nothing wrong with that. It
does not make them a lesser group of
people.
2. People in my culture can learn a lot
from people in other cultures.
In our divided world of perspectives and
points of view, how can we maintain respect
despite cultural differences?
❖ The aspect of mutual respect and
understanding must be observed. This
is the first step towards a deeper
appreciation of one’s culture.
❖ Tolerance and acceptance of cultural
diversities within the bounds of our
own moral and ethical standards can
be a way to understand individual
differences.
Becoming a Member of Society
▪ What a horse can do in its adulthood
cannot be compared to human beings.
▪ We are shaped by the people around
us as we grow. We undergo the
process of Socialization and
Enculturation.
“The human mind at birth is nothing but a
Blank State, or Tabula Rasa.”
- John Locke
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SOCIALIZATION Secondary Group
• Socialization is a continuing process • Friends & Peer Groups
of social interaction through which • Schools
people acquire their identities and • Religion
skills in society. • Mass Media
• It exposes the person to the culture of • State/Government
society and acquires them.
• Enables the person to gradually FAMILY
become a self-aware and – Before an individual begins formal
knowledgeable human being and schooling, young children learn about norms,
learn the ways, values, rules, and values, and language from parents and
culture of his or her society. caregivers.
SCHOOL
Self-Identity – When children enter these institutions, they
- Establishment of a unique sense of are exposed to other people outside their
identity and an awareness of how an immediate social group.
individual relates to their society and the – Young people are able to realize their
world. potential and work towards improving
themselves in a process called self-
LOOKING GLASS SELF actualization.
“Self” emerges through an FRIENDS AND PEERS
interactive social process. – Young people can explore interests that may
Our identities grow out of not be of interest to teachers or parents.
how we think we are Examples are fashion, popular culture, even
perceived by others known as alcohol, and vices.
the “looking glass self.”
- Charles Cooley (1864 – 1929) RELIGION
Describes the process wherein individuals – Provides believers with clear guidelines on
base their sense of self on how they believe how they should live.
others view them.
MASS MEDIA
– Shape people's awareness, ideas, personal
AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION thoughts, and opinions through different
An important part of socialization and media platforms.
enculturation processes are the social groups
GOVERNMENT
which are called agents of socialization.
– Implements laws, sense of security, and
Primary Group sanctions of punishment.
• Family

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ENCULTURATION
• The process by which a person adopts
the behavior patterns of the culture he
lives in.
• Individuals learn cultural symbols,
norms, values, and language by
observing and interacting with family,
friends, and the rest of society.
As we move from childhood to old age, we are
challenged to adapt to the social world and are
shaped by interactions with family, friends,
peers, religion, and other authority figures.
Our identities are the product of
socialization and enculturation. Thus, social
interactions are essential to forming who we
are.
▪ According to Markus and Kitayama
(1991), conformity is a form of social
glue.
▪ Defined as “yielding to group
pressures”
▪ A type of social influence involving a
change in belief or behavior to fit in or
align their attitudes and behaviors
with the people they interact or
socialized with.
Why do people usually conform to social
norms?
Gives a sense of identity and belongingness
that enables a person to feel accepted in a
certain group. Social conformity can influence
changes in an individual’s behavior or
opinions to be accepted.
TYPES OF CONFORMITY
1. Compliance
Means conforming to a rule
or fulfilling a desire, demand,
proposal, or coercion.
Lowest form of conformity.
2. Identification
Here an individual changes
his/her behavior and beliefs,
not permanently, due to the
influence of someone he/she
likes or admires but it does
not necessarily result in a
change of a person’s private
belief. Moderate form of
conformity.
3. Internalization
A deep type of conformity
where a person conforms
publicly and privately
because they have
internalized and accepted the
views of the group.
▪ Deviance is the recognized violation
of cultural or accepted norms.
▪ Deviance encompasses a wide range
of other acts of nonconformity, from
variations in hair styles to crimes like
murder.
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Examples: ▪ It elicits certain behavior which
Strange behavior being the mildest form of enables individuals to obey and
deviance. conform to the norms of society.
➢ Hairstyle
Crime being the extreme form of deviance.
➢ Crime TWO TYPES OF SOCIAL CONTROL
1. Informal enforced by family
What do you think are the major reasons Example:
why deviant act is committed in Philippine When parents direct their
society? child towards a particular
career is an example of social
control.
2. Formal enforced by
government/organizations
Example:
People tend to violate the cultural and social Implementation of traffic
norms of the society they value to enable them laws.
to survive.
Because of this, each society has implemented GOAL OF SOCIAL CONTROL
laws to lessen the number of people ▪ Regulates individual actions to avoid
committing acts of deviance. Without the laws conflict in the society
of society, people will not know what the ▪ Avoid chaos and strengthen social
acceptable behavior is and what is not. order

SOCIAL CONTROL THEORY

’
This theory maintains that all people, from the
time we are born, are basically bad apples that Deviance Behavior: Addiction to Drugs
Social Control: Laws: “Comprehensive
must be controlled by laws, rules, and
Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 “.
regulations in order to keep society in check.
Individuals who have a weak bond to societal Deviance Behavior: Hoarding of Basic
controls tend to end up committing deviance Necessities
or criminal behavior (Bartol & Bartol, 2011). Social Control: Laws: PRICE ACT stabilize
the prices of basic necessities and prime
commodities.
SOCIAL CONTROL
▪ The process of creating and
maintaining stability.
▪ The power of society over individuals.

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ROBERT MERTON (1910 - 2003)
Manifest Functions
STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
▪ The outcomes of a social process that
▪ Believes that society is a constitution are expected.
with interconnected parts organized Examples of education manifest
to attain the biological and functions are acquiring knowledge,
sociological needs of individuals in preparing for a career, or getting a
the society. good job.
▪ Just like the
different organs of Latent Functions
the body the various ▪ Unintended outcomes of a social
parts of society process.
worked together to Examples of latent functions of
keep society education include finding new friends,
functioning. Hebert attending extracurricular activities, or
Spencer (1820 1903) even finding a life partner.
▪ A framework for building a theory
that sees society as a complex system Dysfunctions
whose parts work together to ▪ Happen when social processes have
promote solidarity and stability. undesirable outcomes for the society.
Examples: getting failing grades,
Each of the following has functions to
nonattendance in school/classes,
perform in society:
dropping out of school, not
▪ Family graduating on time, and not finding an
▪ Church appropriate occupation.
▪ School
▪ Government SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
▪ Media
Studied human interaction within a
society in which people make sense of their
SOCIAL STRUCTURE social worlds or communication through
exchange of language , symbols, and its
• Shapes our lives in various context
meaning.
such as the family, workplace,
classroom, and community and all Goal
social functions to keep society going. • Interpret the objects, events and
ideas that provide social meaning.
SOCIAL FUNCTION
• Understand the different
• A consequence of a social action or behaviors of individual in the
institution that contributes to the process of interaction.
maintenance of society.

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GEORGE HERBERT MEAD (1863-1931)
• Human beings have the capacity to
attach meaning to objects and actions.
• The more a person interacts with
others, the more they try to derive
meaning from the actions of people
around them.
CHARLES COOLEY (1864-1929)
Self emerges through an interactive social
process.
Looking Glass Self
• How we see ourselves depends on
how others see us. If they perceive as
to be intelligent, good looking or
clumsy, we think of ourselves in that
way and we become that way as well.
MARXISM
SOCIAL CONFLICT THEORY
It encompasses a whole range of ideas,
including an approach towards history, an
analysis of capitalism and a new vision of the
future. Marxism sees society as a competition
for limited resources.
KARL MARX (1818-1883)
• A philosopher, political economist,
sociologist, and historian born in
Rhineland, Germany.
• He believed that society was
composed of individuals in various
social classes competing for
resources such as food, clothing,
shelter, and employment.
Two most popular work:
1. Das Capital
2. The Communist Manifesto
• His writing became the
cornerstone of Communism and
Socialism both as philosophical
doctrines and ideological
movements.
• He understood the development
of society by analyzing and
tracing the evolution of inequality.
Political and historical events result
from conflict among social forces. This
conflict is believed to be caused by
MATERIAL NEEDS.
’
1) Primitive Communism – Society is
relatively classless. Production is done
for survival.
2) Slavery – Society is now divided in
classes. Production is carried out by
slaves.
3) Feudalism – Societal structure relies on
peasants laboring on the lord’s land.
4) Capitalism – Division between
capitalists and laborers is established.
Exploitation is done through wage labor.
5) Socialism – Collective ownership of the
means of production is emphasized.
6) Communism – Regarded by Marx as the
end of history. All are workers for a
commonly owned industry.
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SOCIAL CLASS
A division of society based on social
and economic status. For him, there were
always two competing social classes.
TWO SOCIAL CLASSES
1. Bourgeoisie composed of the wealthy
who have wide access to resources.
- Bourgeoisie, over time, has gained
unilateral control over the means of
production. (Labor, machinery and
capital)
2. Proletariat the working class.
- Proletariat has become vulnerable to
exploitation by the bourgeoisie.
CLASS STRUGGLE
The history of all existing society is
the history of class struggles.
▪ Marx’s work deals with his sharp
criticisms of capitalism , a system
where the means of production and
other economic processes are in the
hands of the capitalists.
▪ Modern work brings about alienation.
Alienation in capitalism is reinforced
when labor specialization rendered
work monotonous due to repetition of
tasks.
▪ Disparity is seen when comparing
capitalists’ profits and laborers’
wages.
▪ End capitalism and advocates for a
classless society.
▪ Socialism and Communism as a form
of economic and political system of
government through revolution.
“Baliktarin and Tatsulok”
▪ “From each according to his ability,
to each according to his needs”
STATE
A form of human association
distinguished from other social groups by its
purpose, the establishment of order and
security; its methods, the laws, and their
enforcement; its territory, the area of
jurisdiction or geographic boundaries; and
finally, by its sovereignty.
▪ Political entity which is bounded by a
territory and headed by a government.
▪ Authority is centralized and the forms
of government can vary.
STATE GOVERNMENT
is an organized is the system by
political community which a state or
that lives under a community is
single system of controlled
government
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1987 CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC
OF THE PHILIPPINES ARTICLE II
Section 9. The State shall promote a just and
dynamic social order that will ensure the
prosperity and independence of the nation and
free the people from poverty through policies
that provide adequate social services, promote
full employment, a rising standard of living,
and an improved quality of life for all.
FUNCTIONS OF THE STATE
1. Governance
- The exercise of power by a
political leader for the well
being of the country’s
citizens.
- Manner of governing and
controlling a group of
people/the state
2. Human Capital
- Includes assets like education,
training, intelligence, skills,
health.
1987 Philippine Constitution on Education
The State shall protect and promote the right
of all citizens to quality education at all levels
and shall take appropriate steps to make such
education accessible to all. (Article 14, Sec. 1)
3. Rule of Law
- Is the “glue” that binds all
aspects of the state, the
economy and society. Each
state function is defined by a
set of rules that create
governance arrangements.
4. Security
- A state’s security institutions,
such as police and the
military, and the type of force
they use must fall under
legitimate guidelines and
laws.
- Institutional checks and
balances on the state’s
monopoly on the use of force
are a critical demonstration
of the state’s accountability
to the rule of law.
5. Infrastructure
- Infrastructure serves as the
backbone of a state and often
is citizens’ primary daily
interaction.
6. Market Engagement
- A state aids the creation and
expansion of the market
through setting rules for
commercial policy,
supporting private sector
development, and
intervening at times of failure
or crisis.
7. Citizens Engagement
- The creation of citizenship
rights that cut across gender,
race, ethnicity, religion, class,
and location is critical to a
society’s prosperity.
STATE INSTITUTIONS
Refers to institutions built on the
premise of the government and its constitution
of serving the interest of the masses.
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EXAMPLE OF STATE INSTITUTIONS

▪ Includes businesses and other related

entities not owned and controlled by
the government. They are completely
autonomous from the state.
▪ The private sector, and other non-
state sectors perform roles that
complement the state.

NON-STATE INSTITUTIONS
▪ The ability to influence or control the
behavior of people. 1. Bank
▪ Use by the state to command - The exercise of power by a
agencies(state institutions), military, political leader for the well
and police personnel to command being o of people/the state
decisions. 2. Bank
- The exercise of power by a
political leader for the well
FORM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE
being o of people/the state
PHILIPPINES
Republic with a presidential form of
government wherein power is equally divided
among its three branches:
1) Legislative – makes laws
• Congress
o Senate
o House of Representatives
2) Executive – carries out laws
• President
o Vice President
o Cabinet
3) Judicial – interprets laws
• Supreme Courts
• Other Federal Courts

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