GE ETHICS WITH PEACE STUDIES

LESSON TITLE: CULTURE

GE ETHICS WITH PEACE STUDIES
Culture and Human Behavior LESSON TITLE: THE MORAL AGENT

Culture is simply understood as the way of life that is handed down from generation Guide Questions:
to generation. This includes a system of beliefs, behavior, customs, etc. Culture reflects the ★ How does culture shape moral behavior?
standards of a certain society that molds the ethical principles of how people should behave ★ Why should culture not be the determinants of values?
and interact with others. ★ Is there a Filipino understanding of right and wrong? What are its influences?

Elements of Culture Culture

Is a complex phenomenon. It contains nearly all aspects of shared human experiences.
1. Symbol “Culture has the power over individuals to create beliefs, such as belief in God.”
➔ Anything that a group of people find meaningful. — Emile Durkheim, Father of Sociology
For example, in religion, “cross” symbolizes Christianity.
Elements of Culture
2. Language 1. Symbols
➔ Means that enabled human beings to communicate verbally or through 2. Language
writing. 3. Beliefs
For example, in language, we have Tagalog and Cebuano. 4. Values
5. Norms
3. Beliefs
➔ Conviction held to be true by an individual or a group of people. For HOW DOES CULTURE DEFINE MORAL BEHAVIOR?
example, the beliefs in supernatural entities – gods and goddesses. 1. Native Traits
2. Early Childhood Experiences
4. Values 3. Cultural Surroundings
➔ Culturally accepted standards of behavior.
For example, the equality of men and women. “If a person’s cultural surroundings reward conformity to agreeable norms it would lead the
person to behave much better and quell undesirable conduct.”
5. Norms
➔ Considered as informal guidelines of what is correct and incorrect behavior. WHY CAN’T ALL CULTURAL PRACTICES BE ALWAYS CORRECT?
For example, Filipinos have this called “pagmamano” as a sign of respect to
the elders. 1. Different societies 2. The moral code of a 3. There are no
have different society determines universal moral

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 moral codes. what is right or truths. 2. Murder is wrong.
wrong. There is no 3. Tell the truth.
objective standard
considered better The point in universal values is that there are some moral rules that all societies will have in
than others. common because those rules are necessary for society to survive.
4. The moral code of a 5. It is arrogant for one
particular society culture to judge
has no special another culture. FILIPINO WAY
status. It is but one There should be ➔ Filipino culture is a mix of both Eastern and Western cultures.
among many. tolerance among
cultures. Factors that affects our cultural practices:
1. Home Environment
CULTURAL RELATIVISM 2. Social Environment
➔ The idea that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood based on 3. Culture and Language
that person's own culture, and not be judged against the criteria of another. 4. History
5. Educational System
ADVANTAGES OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM 6. Religion
1. It warns us from assuming that our preferences are the absolute rational standard. 7. Political Environment
2. It teaches us to keep an open mind and to be more amenable in discovering the truth. 8. Economic Environment
9. Mass Media
DANGERS OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM 10. Leadership and Role Models
1. We cannot call out societal practices that promote harm.
…because cultural relativism states that we cannot judge another culture in respect to STRENGTHS OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER
our own, then we obviously can’t call their practices out. 1. PAKIKIPAGKAPWA-TAO
➔ Filipinos are naturally good-natured to other people.
2. We cannot justify criticizing our own culture’s harmful practices.
…because we cannot compare our culture to others with the virtue of cultural 2. FAMILY ORIENTATION
relativism, then we cannot justify anything with other culture’s as benchmarks. ➔ Filipinos are very family oriented; making it the center of their life.

3. The idea of societal progress becomes doubtful. 3. JOY AND HUMOR

…because we cannot compare our own culture to others’, then there is no point in ➔ Filipinos are naturally joyful despite adversities.
comparing our culture to other cultures, thus there is no basis for progress.
4. FLEXIBILITY, ADAPTABILITY, CREATIVITY
WHY THERE ARE UNIVERSAL VALUES? ➔ Filipinos are very adaptable and it allows them to thrive in any kind of
1. Caring for the young. environment.
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 5. HARD WORK AND INDUSTRY 7. LACK OF SELF-ANALYSIS AND SELF-REFLECTION
➔ Filipinos are hard-working and can be seen in our drive to work in other ➔ Although Filipinos are creative and adaptable, unfortunately, they also have
countries to provide for our family. very low self-analysis and self-reflection that if they do something wrong,
they will most likely be doing it again.
6. FAITH AND RELIGIOSITY
➔ Our drive and our last straw of hope are oftentimes our deep connection with
God.

7. ABILITY TO SURVIVE
➔ Filipinos’ resilience has always been their saving grace. Aside from
Filipino’s power to adapt, it is their ability to survive that keeps them going. OTHER FILIPINO NEGATIVE TRAITS

WEAKNESSES OF THE FILIPINO CHARACTER ● BAHALA NA MENTALITY

1. EXTREME PERSONALISM A very fatalistic way of thinking. Instead of thinking about ways to solve a problem,
➔ Filipinos often relate themselves to objects too much. one does leave it to a higher being (most probably asking them to solve the problems
for them), but it also has a positive way of seeing this trait. Although it’s viewed as a
2. EXTREME FAMILY-CENTEREDNESS negative trait, in a way, it could also be a person’s kickstart to start a new innovation
➔ This is a double-edged sword. Although it’s initially a positive trait, overly without thinking of the consequences.
attaching yourself to family could lead to negative consequences.
● TARDINESS
3. LACK OF DISCIPLINE The ever famous Filipino Time.
➔ Basically ningas cogon; Filipinos oftentimes start something only to leave it
midway. ● OVERLY DRAMATIC (balat sibuyas)
Filipinos are very emotional to the point that sometimes, it can be seen out of context.
4. PASSIVITY AND LACK OF INITIATIVE
➔ Although Filipinos are regarded as hardworking people, most of them are ● MANANA HABIT
actually just like ‘nails’ – that needs to be hammered to work. Even if they are given a task, Filipinos are always trying to postpone something at a
later date, only to procrastinate after.
5. COLONIAL MENTALITY
➔ Although the Philippines' colonization period was long over, we still see ● NINGAS COGON
other races as superior. The tendency among people to start something with too much enthusiasm and effort,
but after some time, will gradually stop working until they lose interest in finishing
6. CRAB MENTALITY the task.
➔ The Kanya-Kanya attitude.
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● CRAB MENTALITY Filipinos have the desire to be the center of attraction because we are “supposed” to
‘If I can’t have it, so can you’ mentality. be a happy country. Unfortunately, this becomes a problem when we try to overpower
a more important thing just because we want to be the center of attention. Even a
● COLONIAL MENTALITY simple butting in a conversation you are not supposed to be in is a sign that we’re
The tendency of people to view our culture – products, color, and country – as naturally ‘epals’. We want everything to be about us – or at least, we’re in it.
something inferior compared to others (most specifically to those who were able to
colonize us). Overly patronizing other cultures rather than patronizing our own. ● SOCIAL CLIMBING
The Philippines’ number 1 problem is poverty. And our inability to accept that. Some
● HYPOCRISY Filipinos live (or want to) a luxurious life even if they literally cannot afford it, so
The fear of being an outcast compels people to live a double standard life. Filipinos they spend even if they need to borrow money for it resulting in debt.
often do not practice whatever they preach; example: some are condemning early
pregnancy but the irony is those people who does actually engages in premarital sex
as well – just that there is no physical evidence to prove it.
● GOSSIPING
Filipinos are too much into other people’s business to the point of making their
businesses theirs. Unfortunately, most of these small talks never end up highlighting
the person's goodness but flaws.

● BLAMING OTHERS
Because of our too self-righteous attitude, if we make mistakes, we often do not
admit to it but put the blame on someone else instead. The sad part is, most of the
people that we blame don't have anything to do with the deed and we’re just blamed
out of convenience.

● INSENSITIVITY
Probably because we are often too preoccupied with other things (eg. Providing for
the family, submitting a project, etc.) we oftentimes ignore the fact that there are also
some people whom we are offending by our actions.

● INABILITY TO FOLLOW RULES

Most Filipinos are very undisciplined. Filipinos are natural in being hard headed.
Most of us cannot follow even the simplest rule in the community and even insist that
we are correct and the law is not.

● ATTENTION GRABBING
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