MODULE 2.

COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
OVERVIEW
There are several components of culture, culture is a holistic concept made
up of intricately connected parts or elements; these elements are unified in order
for the aspects of culture to function effectively. The ways of behaving, patterns of
responses, modes of thinking and feeling in a particular situation are defined by the
members of society who learn, share, interpret, and redefine these ways and
patterns.
Learning Outcome
At the end of this module, the student should be able to:
1. Differentiate each component of culture
2. Identify how each component contribute to culture
3. Explain how each component affect an individual

DISCUSSION
COMPONENTS OF CULTURE
A. Social Norms - are authoritative standard; a principle of right acti0n
binding upon the members of a group and serving to guide, control, or
regulate proper and acceptable behavior. Example: To have a partner and
have a family, the accepted norm is find someone and marry that person
before you have children.

B. Beliefs – represent the idea of how man thinks reality is “real”. Example:
you have to make a lot of noise during new year to drive away the evil spirit,
and you need to prepare twelve kinds of round fruits during new year to
represent each month of the coming year being financial successful.

C. Knowledge – There are three kinds of knowledge; there is the kind of

knowledge you have when you know how to do something. Example you
know how to drive a car. There is a kind of knowledge when it is truly said
of you that you know a person, example: your best friend.
 There is a kind of knowledge you have that you know that some facts are
true. What we consider or perceive today may not apply to be true
tomorrow. Knowledge could change and is subjected to test of time.
Cultural knowledge may include the natural, supernatural, technical, and
magical knowledge.

D. Folkways – are often referred to as “customs” they are standards of

behavior that are socially approved but not morally significant. Example: at
home you may eat using your hands but outside the home you use spoon and
fork. During New Year or Christmas, it is a custom that the whole family
gather for a reunion.

E. Mores – are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior. Mores are
norms based on definitions of right and wrong. Unlike folkways, mores are
morally significant. Example: Religious practices, for example you have to
go to church, your attire should be appropriate for the place. The Filipino
Christians are monogamous, they should only have one partner at one time.

F. Laws - are strict guidelines, drafted and enacted by people who are given
power to govern in one form or another –democratic, authoritarian and
others. Laws are implemented through formalized sanctions like community
service, reprimand, fines, imprisonment, physical beating imprisonment or
even death. There is a law against abuse of women and children in the
Philippines.

G. Ideology – is a system of ideas, which attempts to explain reality.

Ideologies are developed because reality is often too complex to understand.
There is a kind of ideology where they believe everything is owned by the
state and the people have to follow the state.