Robie Allen G.

Belizon
BSEE - 2B

Reaction Paper: “Cultures and Rationalities”

In the lecture proper, culture is first defined as “the patterns of learned and shared
behavior and beliefs of a particular social, ethnic, or age group”. It is then characterized into 6
forms. These characteristics were “learned”, “shared”, “symbolic”, “integrated”, “adaptive”,
and “dynamic”. Each characteristic of culture contributes to how we perceive and shape the
world however we like it. It is through culture that we live vibrant and unique lives that define
who and what we are. Rationality, on the other hand, is defined as “the quality or state of being
rational”. Along with culture, it also helps shape our actions and how we interact with the world.
After this, the lesson then shifts to gender and sexuality, which were previously discussed and
mentioned on the week before. However, this time, there was a strong focus on sexism and
discrimination as well as their different types.

The impact of culture and rationality in the world we live in today was something I did
not expect. It plays a vital part in how various people live and identify themselves. Without it,
the world would simply be static and bland. The vibrance, diversity, and uniqueness that culture
and rationality brings is definitely something that we all should not take for granted. Moreover,
for the topic of gender and sexuality, I was appalled to know that there were a lot of types of
sexism and gender discrimination present in today’s society. For sexism, it may be hostile,
benevolent or ambivalent, and for gender discrimination, it can be on an institutional,
interpersonal, and individual level. It definitely plagues our society today since it is rampant on
a lot of places, especially in our country.
 There are a lot of lessons to be learned from this lecture alone. The impact of culture
and rationality in our society, which is dynamic and always changing, is some thing that we
should all truly appreciate and not be afraid of. Instead, we should always have an open mind
and learn to accept changes of perspective within our lives. This is synonymous to gender and
sexuality. Due to people being uninformed about the topic, they often resort to sexism and
discrimination, which is outright wrong. As students, we must from learn from the mistakes of
the past, be informed, and try to do better.
Robie Allen G. Belizon
BSEE - 2B

1. Enumerate the characteristics of culture. Discuss them

- In the topic discussed this week, culture was characterized in various ways. The first is
that culture is learned. We learn our culture from different sources throughout our lives. They
can be from our families, schools, friends, and the community that we live in. Secondly, culture
is shared. It can be practiced, seen, and appreciated within a particular group or community. It
is through sharing that a certain culture propagates and expands. Third, is that culture is
symbolic. It is what defines a certain community. We can look no further than within our own
country. The Philippines is a melting pot of various unique cultures that each have their own
beliefs and practices that are symbolic to only them. Fourth, is that culture is integrated within
our lives. Once passed unto us, we often practice and include them within our way of living. We
adapt it as part of our identity, and often entangle our beliefs and practices within the culture.
The last two, which characterizes culture as adaptive and dynamic, are synonymous with each
other. It is adaptive and dynamic since it can change over the course of time. Furthermore, it
can expand and take on various forms, especially in this age in which technology plays a major
role in keeping us, culture, and way of living, interconnected with each other.

2. Why it is critical to understand that the term culture does not describe a singular, fixed
entity? Instead, it is a useful heuristic, or way of thinking, that can be very productive in
understanding behavior.
- As said earlier, culture is both adaptive and dynamic. It is ever-changing, and therefore
not a singular, fixed entity. Through the passing of time, some cultures may expand, evolve,
merge with others, or even create something new. It inevitably changes with various
interactions from other people, different forms of media, and the integration of technology. It
is imperative that, as students, we keep an open mind in this topic in order for us to accept new
ideas and concepts that are unfamiliar to us.