UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS (1st Quarter)

LESSON1: 1. Starting points in the understanding of culture, society, and politics

 Discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in/of anthropology,
sociology and political science
 Introduction to Culture, Society, and Politics Welcome to the study of culture, society and politics. As you
move forward in the discussions, you will begin to understand that your daily experiences are connected
with the realities and phenomena that define our society. The events that have defined your lives up to the
present are a product of the processes and interactions within our society. Social, cultural and political
issues go beyond the news and classroom discussions. As you learn the concepts, theories, and views that
shaped and defined how we view and examine the various aspects of Philippine culture, society and
politics, you will realize that these topics have been closely intertwined with our experiences. To study
them is to take closer and more meaningful look into our own lives and the larger forces that shape our
community and nation.
Identity, Culture, and Society
Identity, is distinctive characteristic that defines an individual or is shared by those belonging to a particular
group. People may have multiple identities depending on the groups to which they belong. In a family, for
instance, one’s identity can be that of a daughter, son, brother, or sister. Identity can be influenced by other
factors such as sexual orientation and gender (male, female, transgenders, transsexuals, intersex, gender queers)
and nationality (Filipino, Japanese, French, etc.)
Culture, which is loosely defined the as a society’s way of life, provide the basis for forging identities. It allows
people to understand themselves in relation to others and provides them a lens through which they base what is
considered the “right way” of doing things.
 Social, Cultural, and Political Change
Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science
The disciplines under which identify, culture, society, and politics are studied are collectively called the social
sciences.
Anthropology is the systematic study of the biological, cultural, and social aspects of man. It is derived from
two Greek words, anthropos, which means “man,” and logos, which means “study” or “inquiry.” Social
anthropology studies how social patterns and practices and cultural variations develop across different
societies. Cultural anthropology studies cultural variations across different societies and examines the need to
understand each culture in its own context. Linguistic anthropology studies language and discourse and how
they reflect and shape different aspects of human society and culture; and biological or physical anthropology
studies the origins of humans as well as the interplay between social factors and the processes of human
evolution,adaptation, and variation over time. Archaeology, meanwhile, deals with prehistoric societies by
studying their tools and environment. Sociology is defined by Anthony Giddens as “the study human social life,
groups, and society.” It is an academic discipline that attempts to provide a deeper assessment of individual and
group behaviour, as well as social phenomena, by examining the interplay between economic, political and
social factors. Political Science is the systemic study of politics, which Andrew Heywood describes as “the
activity through which people make, preserve, and amend the general rules under which they live.” Political
science focuses on the fundamental values of equality, freedom, and justice and its processes are linked to the
dynamics of conflict, resolution, and cooperation.
LESSON 2 : 1. Defining Culture and Society from the perspectives of Anthropology
and Sociology
 Analyze the concept, aspects and changes in/of culture.
Society is a group of individuals sharing a common culture, geographical location and government. Human
beings are considered to be naturally inclined to establish societies, since it is in interacting with other that they
are able to ensure their survival by establishing mutually beneficial relationships with one another. Societies
enable individuals to acquire necessary survival skills, maximize their potential and share resources.
Social scientists have also identified five (5) major types of societies according to how they changed and
developed over time.
Hunting and gathering communities date as far back as several million years ago and were considered the first
societies. Next is, horticultural and pastoral societies. Their emergence was brought about by the gradual
shift from the hunting-and-gathering lifestyle to a more sedentary life, and the introduction of agriculture as a
more stable food production method. Around 10,000 years ago, the development and spread agriculture led to
the emergence of civilizations in Mesopotamia and China and this brought about the establishment of
agricultural societies. Meanwhile, the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England during the latter half of
the 18th century transformed agricultural societies to industrial societies. Technological advancements resulted
in the invention of machines that improved production.
Culture is one of the important bases that define and influence a society. Culture refers to the set of beliefs,
ideas, values, practices, knowledge, history and shared experiences, attitudes, and material objects and
possessions accumulated over time and shared by the members of the society.
There are two primary categories of culture: material culture and non-material culture.
Material culture is composed of the physical or tangible objects produced, shared, and utilized within society
such as tools or equipment, paintings and other works of art, architectural styles, weaponry and toys. Non-
material culture, meanwhile, consists of the tangible properties and elements of society that influence the
patterns of action and behaviour of its members. \
These are the four vital cultural components: symbols, language, values and norms.
Symbols refer to things that convey meaning or represent an idea.
Language, meanwhile, is a set of symbols that enables members of society to communicate verbally (spoken)
and non-verbally (written, gestures).
Values are shared ideas, norms, and principles that provide members of the society the standards that pertain to
what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or undesirable.
Norms are shared rules of conduct that determine specific behaviour among society members.
 Folkways are norms that may be violated without serious consequences.
 Mores are norms with moral connotations.
 Laws are norms that are legally enacted and enforced.
 Socialization refers to lifelong process of forging identity through social interaction.
 Enculturation refers to the process by which an individual learns or acquires the important aspects of his
or her society’s culture.
Agents of Socialization and Enculturation:
1. Family- is the primary agent of socialization of an individual upon birth, throughout infancy, and up to
childhood. Parents and other family members are essential for the early care and development of the child, and
as the child matures, the family becomes an important venue for social engagement and political socialization.
2. School- have a critical and active role in socialization, as their various academic and social activities mold
student’s beliefs,values, and attitudes. Students also bebfit from the constant guidance and evaluation provided
by teachers.
3. Peer Groups- also reinforce acceptable behaviors introduced by the family and school, allow certain degree
of independence from the family and certain figures of authority. It also refers to people who share the same
interests or characteristics such as age, and social background.
4. Mass Media- it includes forms of communication such as books, magazines, newspaper, other print
materials, radio, television and movies.It is a powerful agent of socialization which widely used by many
institution and organizations involved in the use of print and electronic communication.
5. Religion and State- are considered as the ultimate sources of authority, making the church and government
important agents of socialization. Religion exerts a great influence on the views of a person, legitimizes
accepted social practices, provides stability to society, it can even be sources of social change.

Context refers to particular circumstances of a certain culture and is defined by location, weather, time period,
and other factors.
Society and Culture According to the Three Disciplines
Anthropology considers culture as the central focus of the discipline. It studies the different cultures of
different societies. The relativistic approach considers cultures as equal. This view holds that there are no
“superior” and “inferior” cultures, each is unique in its own way.
The ethnocentric approach is the belief that one’s native culture is superior to other cultures. Ethnocentrism
diminishes or invalidates “other” ways of life and creates a distorted view of one’s own.
There are some societies that have the tendency to consider their culture as inferior to others. This is called
xenocentrism. Another is cultural relativism which recognizes and accepts the cultural differences between
societies.
Statuses- is any position that an individual can occupy in society. It is not a ranked position, but simply a label
that implies certain roles that must be performed. Ex. a student, a singer, or a computer genius at the same time.

LESSON3: 1. Understanding Conformity and Deviance.

 Sociology define deviance in broad terms, ranging from defiance or violation of societal norms to
breakage of conventio and realms of morality. However, deviance centers on occurrences that
violate mores. Mores are strong norms that are regarded as morally significant and violations of
them are considered a serious matter. For instance, an individual who walks down the street
wearing nothing is considered violating one of the most important universal mores- the
requirement that people should cover their genitals and buttocks in public.
  What are some examples of socially deviant behavior? Examples of formal deviant behavior,
which violates codified laws, include rape, murder, domestic violence, robbery, assault, assault,
arson, vandalism, fraud, drug abuse, and animal cruelty.
 Strain Theory- one of the well-known explanations about deviant behavior.
 Members of society react to strains in five different ways:
1) Conformity- individuals still accept cultural goals and try to achieve them through culturally
approved methods.
 For instance, many poor people in the Philippines generally accept their fate although many
are still hopeful that sending their children to school will uplift them from impoverishment.
They are called hopeful poor.
2) Innovation- individuals still accept cultural goals but go about in achieving it in a culturally
disapproved way.
 For instance, some poor people resort to illegal activities (like stealing a neighbors property or
encroaching on community resources like tapping electricity from other houses in order to
survive. They are called surviving poor.
3.) Ritualism- Individuals still live in society and follow its culturally approved ways, but they
no longer try to achieve cultural goals.
 For instance, some poor people have already accepted-and content that they are poor.
Resigned to their social condition, they live peacefully with their neighbors and do not pose as
threats to their neighbors. They are called passive poor.
4.) Retreat- Individuals no longer desire to achieve cultural goals and have abandoned the
culturally approved ways of achieving those goals.
 For instance, some poor people no longer have the desire to improve their lot. They commit
illegal activities and crimes in order to earn a living. This type is called retreating poor.
5.) Rebellion- Individuals challenge the existing culturally accepted goals by coming up
with new ones and also challenge the prescribed means in achieving cultural goals.
 For instance, some people resists the prevailing notion of poverty. They use resourcefulness,
ingenuity and innovation to improve lives. They follow decent and legal means. They are
called resisting poor.

LESSON
4: How Society is

Organized? Analyze the forms and functions of social organization.

 The famous poet of John Donne, once wrote: “ No Man Is An Island, Entire Of Itself; Every Man Is
A Part Of The Continent. A Part Of The Main. “ He was recognizing the most distinctive
characteristics of people as social animals, whose behavior and personalities are shaped by groups.
Throughout life, most of the daily activities of people are performed in the company of others. The
need of human contact is both a practical and psychological need. If people are deprived of the
company of others for a prolonged period of time, mental breakdown is the usual results.
Group- is a unit of people who interact with some regularity and identify themselves as a unit.
(Newman, 2012). In a stricter sense, it is a collection of people interacting together in an orderly way
on the basis of shared expectations about one an other's behavior.
TYPES OF GROUPS:
1. According to influence:
 Primary groups are small but intimate. Members have direct access and interaction with
each other. Emotional bonds are formed between members, and any loss in members affects
the identity and structure of the group. Family and close friends are often the primary groups.
 Secondary groups are formed a specific purpose. Members interact with each other to
accomplish the goals of the group. Secondary groups are often formal and impersonal. Because of
 the impersonal nature of relationships. Classmates and Colleagues are examples of secondary
groups.
2. According to membership:
 In-groups provide members a sense of belonging and loyalty. For example being part of a
basketball team lets an individual bond with his or her teammates and join pep rallies to support
the team.
 Out-group are groups that an individual is not a member. These groups elicit a sense of
antagonism from the person (who maybe a member of another group)
3. Reference group:
 Reference groups provide a person with a set of standards to check against and to know if one is
doing well or where he or she needs improvement. For instance, a neophyte scientist considers his
superiors as a reference group in the same way a budding artist looks up to his or her seasoned
colleagues.
4. Networks:
 This is the entirety of social connections as individual takes part in for whatever
purpose( economic, political, etc.) For instance, a politician’s link with civil society organizations
and non-government organizations is a good example of a network.

Prepared by:
Mrs. Cherryl N. Villamarzo
8/30/2023