Understanding

Culture, Society, and Politics

(UCSP)
Nature, Goals and Perspectives
in/of Anthropology, Sociology
and Political Science
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 Analyze the nature of Social Science,
 Explain the nature and meaning of Sociology,
Anthropology, and Political Science
 Understand the perspectives of Sociology,
Anthropology and Political Science in the study of
culture, society and politics
 Identify the leading proponents, branches or areas of
Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science
 “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.”
 Have you ever wondered
why some people are
different from you and from
one another?
 How will you describe
your social background
and identities?
Identity
Identity, Culture, and
Society
Identity

 Is the distinctive characteristic that

defines an individual or is shared by
those belonging to a particular group.
Identity

 People may have multiple identities

depending on the groups to which they
belong.
Identity
 It is continuously shaped and reshaped
through the passage of time as well as the
overall context of one’s life cycle, including
his or her activities within the society and
interaction with other people.
Why our identities important?
 Identities shape both individual and group
behavior as well as people’s views about
other people and society.
 Learning about one’s self, culture, and
society entails knowledge about various
identities and how these shape people’s
views and behavior.
 Reflecting on this enables a person to appreciate
what makes him or her similar to and different
from other people.
 It also helps a person to understand that
identities are relational and contextual, thereby
avoiding the common pitfall of having misguided
notions or prejudices of other people that are
solely based on one’s subjective views.
 A holistic knowledge and understanding of the
characteristics and overall identities of one’s self,
of other people, and of different groups in
society can lead to a better world.
Culture
 A society’s way of life, provides 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 s considered
the “right way” of doing things.
“A person may escape society for a while, but he
can never escape culture.”

- Joseph H. Fichter
Perspectives on Culture

Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs,

arts, morals, law, custom, and all aspects of man as a member of
society.
Types of

Material Non- Material

Material Culture
 Includes all the tangible and visible parts
of culture, which include clothes, food,
artwork, and even buildings
Non- Material Culture
 Includes all the intangible parts of
culture, which consist of values, ideas,
and knowledge.
High Culture vs. Popular Culture

Matthew Arnold
“Culture and Anarchy” (1867)
 High culture as opposed to popular culture, is a
product of a special intellectual or artistic endeavor humans
had invented.

 Popular Culture is widely understood to be the

culture defined by the masses, as opposed to the educated
elite.
Norms- are specific rules or standards to guide appropriate
behavior.

Types of Norms:
1. Proscriptive – defines and tells us things not to do.
2. Prescriptive – Defines and tells us things to do
Elements of Culture The University of Minnesota (2010)

Bribery plagiarism
Lying bribery

Saying of thank you, sorry, please,

knocking on the door
Characteristics of

7
Learned
 1. Culture is learned.

 It is not inborn.
 The process of learning culture is known as enculturation.
 Formal and informal learning
transmitted
2. Culture is transmitted
among members of society.

 Transmission of culture is made possible by language.

 Transmission of culture may take place also through
imitation as well as through instruction.
Example: Larong Pambata, Literature, Recipe
Social
3. Culture is social because it
is the product of behavior.

 No man can acquire culture without association with others.

 Culture does not exist in isolation.

Example: Religious affiliations

Online sellers,
Shared
4. Culture is shared.

 Culture is shared among its members, but there are

subcultures and countercultures.
 Counter Culture – rejects some of the larger culture’s
norm and values. They operate outside of greater
society
Varies/unique
5. Culture varies from society
to society.

 Every society has a culture of its own that differs from other
societies.

Example: Dialects (Surigaonon, Bisaya, Chavacano)

Eating etiquette
Gratifying
6. Culture is gratifying and
idealistic.

 It provides proper opportunities for the satisfaction of our needs

and desires.
 Culture is idealistic in nature because it embodies the ideals,
values and norms of the group.
Continous
7. Culture is continuous and
cumulative.

 No culture ever remains constant or permanent.

Question:

Can a society
function without
a culture?
 Unique

Shared
Gratifying
Transmitted

Social
Material or Non-Material

Material
Material or Non-Material

Non-
Material
Material or Non-Material

Non-
Material
Material or Non-Material

Material
 Mass Culture
Pop Culture vs. & Folk Culture
High Culture
Folk Culture
Pop Culture/
Mass Culture

SB19
High Culture
Folk Culture
What Element of Culture is this?

Belief
(Superstitious)
What Element of Culture is this?

Close Family
Ties (Values)
What Element of Culture is this?

Mano Po
(Norms)
What Element of Culture is this?

Crescent
Shape
(Symbol)
Marco didn’t know how to speak Tagalog
well, not until he met his new circle of friends.
They were speaking the said language. His
usual interactions and bonding with them
made him well versed in such language,
making him a good communicator in Filipino.

Culture is SOCIAL
The way Filipinos celebrate New Year is truly
different from the way Chinese conduct the
same event. Pinoys have it every end of
December, while Chinese hold it by the
month of February. In this manner, the two
races are observing different beliefs,
practices, and traditions.

Culture is VARIETY
A fashion designer, Roberta, migrated in the
U.S.A since 2001. This year, he visited his
former employer in the Philippines to be the
guest speaker of an event. Roberta was able
to introduce new fashion techniques he had
learned from the States.

Culture is SHARED
Karlo and Andrea used to celebrate
birthdays, Valentines, Christmas, and New
Year together. These celebrations had been
part of their life as sweethearts, making their
life satisfied and ideal.

Culture is GRATIFYING
Mrs. Isabella owned a famous restaurant in
their hometown, Surigao. Its bestsellers were
the unique recipes of sinugba and kinilaw.
According to her, their family managed to
run the business despite all the challenges. In
fact, she inherited the business from her great
grandmother and modified some cuisines.

Culture is CONTINUOUS
Anselmo is a proud grandfather to his 12
grandchildren. He often shared his childhood
experiences with them including stories
during the old times. He also demonstrated
Filipino values such as saying “po & opo”,
pagmamano, etc. All these traits were being
transferred to and practiced by his
grandchildren.

Culture is TRANSMITTED