PALAWAN POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE, INC

Manalo Extension, Bry. Milagrosa

Puerto Princesa City

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

MODULE 1
The Birth and Growth of the Social Sciences
Objective:

At the end of this module, the students are expected to:

1. Acquire basic knowledge about origin growth and development of the social sciences during
the modern period;
2. Identify the significant of culture, society and politics;
3. Explain anthropology and sociological perspectives on culture, sociology and politics;

INTRODUCTION

Hi dear students! Blessed be God forever! In this module, we are going to learn about the historical
background of the growth of social sciences?

Observe me!
PRE-TEST
 I. Questions

1. In your opinion, how can the social sciences contribute in solving these specific problems?

2. Why do you think it is necessary to employ the knowledge of the social sciences to solve
these problems?

LESSON 1

The term Social Science is a body of knowledge characterized by an objective to understand

what society is and what does it do to people living inside it. This is a Group of rather
independent disciplines- with its own respective philosophies, intellectual histories, and
research methodologies- but are fundamentally bound together because they deal after all
with the same entity that is called “society”. Hence, the word “social” situates the whole
discipline in people and their social context.
On the other hand, the word “science” is also a key idea in the said rubric of disciplines.

Vocabulary ENRICHMENT

WHAT IS CULTURE?

It is shared and collective actions, ideas, and values that are demonstrated, exhibited,
produced, and reproduced by a particular group of people and communicated through
symbols including language.
Society- is a contrast to the preceding imagery of nature. It is organized, deliberately
structured and formalized, and bound by rules drafted and implemented by the people who
themselves constitute society.

Politics - refers to the process of making collective decisions in a community, society, or

group through the application of influence and power.
Political Science- is a part of social sciences that deals with study of politics, power, and
government.
Anthropology- “ anthropos” (human), “logos” (study of).
deals with the nature of human beings, both from a biological and
cultural point of view.
Colonialism - is the policy of a country seeking to extend or retain its authority over other
people or territories, generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of
colonisation, colonisers may impose their religion, economics, and other cultural practices on
indigenous peoples.
Decolonization- means giving political independence to a country that was previously
a colony.

Enlightenment- is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage. It is a philosophical

movement of the 18th century, characterized by belief in the power of human reason and by
innovations in political, religious, and educational doctrine.

Tutelage- is man’s inability to make use of his understanding without direction from
another.
Rationalization- means that social life is more and more subjected to calculation and
prediction. For Weber, it refers essentially to the disenchantment of the world.
Globalization
Indigenization
Modern Period
Postcolonialism
Reflexivity- generally refers to the examination of one's own beliefs, judgments and practices
of society.
Sikolohiyang Pilipino- refers to the psychology borne out of the experience, thought, and
orientation of Filipinos, based on the full use of the Filipino culture and language.
Sociology – “socius” (people together, associate), “logos” (study of). It is a branch of social
science that deals with the scientific study of human interactions, social groups and
institutions, whole societies, and human world as such.
 LESSON 2

The Unprecedented Growth of Science

(1473-1543) Refers to historical changes in
Nicolaus Copernicus social and belief, to changes in social and
institutional organization that unfolded in
Europe roughly between 1550-1700.
(1643-1727) Proposed universal laws of
Sir Isaac Newton motion and a mechanical model of the
universe
Who established the supremacy of reason
Sir Francis Bacon over imagination
(1596-1650) was a French philosopher,
Rene Descartes mathematician and writer who is considered
the father of modern philosophy.

The Secularization of Learning and Education

Immanuel Kant wrote the famous essay, “What is
Enlightenment?”
Max Weber (1864-1920) was the pioneer of interpretive
sociology. He also the one of the leading
figures in modern sociology, described this
process as “rationalization”
Louis Pasteur Discovered germ theory and development of
vaccination which is, people relied more
and more on medical knowledge to deal
with diseases.

The Rise of Universities

Education – is the single most important factor
in the rise of social science.

(1858-1917) was the pioneer of

Emile Durkheim functionalism in sociology. One of the
founding “fathers” of sociology.
The Dissolution of Feudal Social Relations
With the intensification of commerce and trade
in the 17th century, many medieval guilds or
workers cooperatives were dissolved and
absorbed into the emerging factory system. The
modern cities were created.
Ferdinand Tonnies (1855-1936) a German sociologist, and
contemporary of Max weber, lamented the
passing away of gemeinschaft or
community.

Trade and Commerce

Livres des merveilles du monde recorded the
travels of Marco Polo, an Italian merchant
from Venice. This book introduced the
Europeans to Asia and China, and inspired
Columbus’ five journeys to America (1492-
1506). From Marco Polo’s travels (1276-1291)
to Magellan’s circumnavigation of the world
(1519-1522), the travels of this period fed the
imaginations of the Europeans with vivid
descriptions of place whose very existence they
had so far been unaware of.
The Rise of Individualism
The intensification of commerce and trade
gradually replaced barter with the introduction
of money and banking system.
Individualism- is simply the recognition of the
power of the individual to assert one’s freedom
against the given norm and structures of
society.

George Simmel (1858-1918 was a German sociologist who

characterized the modern period as the”
tragedy of culture”.

Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Xavier Comte (1798-1857), French philosopher and
mathematician. He also is considered as the
“father” of sociology. He used “social
physics” as term for sociology.
Harriet Martineau
(1802-1876) was an English writer,
reformist, ethnographer, political,
economist, and sociologist. She is
considered as a “mother” of sociology.
Karl Marx
(1858-1883) is considered as the “father” of
scientific socialism. He introduced the
materialist analysis of history which
discounts religious and
metaphysical(spiritual) explanation for
historical development.

The Four Great Anthropologist

Franz Boas (1858-1942) is considered the “father” of
American anthropology. He was the first
 anthropologist to have rejected the
biological basis of racism or racial
discrimination. Boas advocated “cultural
relativism”
Bronislaw Malinowski (1884-1942) was an anthropologist and
ethnographer. He was a Polish immigrant
who did a comprehensive study of trobiand.
He developed what social scientist now call
as “participant observation”.
Alfred Reginald Radcliffe Brown (1881-1955 was an English social
anthropologist who developed the theory of
structural functionalism.
Marcel Mauss (1872-1950)
Political Science
Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) was a newspaper commentator
and respected world news columnist.
Indigenization of Social Sciences in the
Philippines
Filipino Social Scientist
1. Virgilio Enriquez a psychologist
2. Zeus Salazar a historian
3. Prospero Covar An anthropologist advocated for the
indigenization of social sciences.

POST-TEST

I. Direction: Read the following statements and write the answer on the blanks.

______________________ 1.) He is considered the “father” of American anthropology.

______________________ 2.) He is a newspaper commentator and respected world news
columnist.
______________________ 3.) He is considered as the “father” of scientific socialism.
______________________ 4.) The pioneer of interpretive sociology.
______________________ 5.) He is an anthropologist and ethnographer.
______________________ 6.) He was an English writer, reformist, ethnographer, political,
economist, and sociologist. She is considered as a “mother” of sociology.
______________________ 7.) The pioneer of functionalism in sociology.
______________________ 8.) The French philosopher and mathematician. He also is
considered as the “father” of sociology.
______________________ 9.) He was an English social anthropologist who developed the
theory of structural functionalism.
______________________ 10.) He was a French philosopher, mathematician and writer who
is considered the father of modern philosophy.
______________________ 11.) Discovered germ theory and development of vaccination
which is, people relied more and more on medical knowledge to deal with diseases.
______________________ 12. An anthropologist advocated for the indigenization of social
sciences.
______________________ 13.)
______________________ 14.) Who is the Filipino Social Scientist?
______________________ 15.)

II. TRUE or FALSE. Analyze the statement below. Write True on the line if the
statement is correct. Underline the word/phrase that make the statement wrong
and write on the line the correct answer.

___________ 1. Politics is a part of social sciences that deals with study of politics, power,
and government.
____________ 2. Anthropology deals with the nature of human beings, both from a
biological and cultural point of view.
____________ 3. Decolonization- means giving political independence to a country that was
previously a colony.
___________ 4. Enlightenment refers to the examination of one's own beliefs, judgments and
practices of society.
___________ 5. Reflexivity deals with how people behave and interact with one another
as a member of a particular social group.
___________ 6. Tutelage is man’s inability to make use of his understanding without
direction from another.
___________ 7. Indigenization refers to the psychology borne out of the experience, thought,
and orientation of Filipinos, based on the full use of the Filipino culture and language.
___________ 8. Education is the single most important factor in the rise of social science.
___________ 9. George Simmel introduced the materialist analysis of history which
discounts religious and metaphysical(spiritual) explanation for historical development.
___________ 10. Immanuel Kant wrote the famous essay, “What is Enlightenment?”
 SELF- EVALUATION

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SELF-CHECK CHART
Total Number of Items SCORE
PRE-TEST (10pts.)
POST-TEST ( 25 pts.)
Total Points 35 points
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