THE SOCIAL

SCIENCE AND
THE THREE
SOCIA
FACES OF THE LESSON 1:
L
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, &
POLITICS:
SOME KEY OBSERVATIONS
By: Jeremias B. Magdaong Jr.
 SOCIETY
•AN ORGANIZED GROUP OF PERSONS ASSOCIATED
TOGETHER FOR RELIGIOUS, BENEVOLENT, CULTURAL,
SCIENTIFIC, POLITICAL, PATRIOTIC, OR OTHER
PURPOSES.
• SOCIAL SCIENCE IS ANY DISCIPLINE OR BRANCH OF
SCIENCE THAT DEALS WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOUR IN ITS
SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ASPECTS. THE SOCIAL SCIENCES
INCLUDE CULTURAL
(OR SOCIAL) ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL
PSYCHOLOGY, POLITICAL SCIENCE, AND ECONOMICS.
 CULTURE, SOCIETY & POLITICS AS
CONCEPTUAL TOOLS
• CONCEPTS ARE CREATED AND HAVE BEEN USED TO HAVE A
FIRM GRIP OF PHENOMENON.

• “THE RATIONAL PURPORT OF A WORD OR A CONCEPTION.”

• CONCEPTS ARE MADE TO EXAMINE CLOSELY AND DETERMINE
WHAT IS ESSENTIAL BEHIND THE MEANING.
 WHY DO WE HAVE TO VIEW
CULTURE, POLITICS & SOCIETY AS
CONCEPTUAL TOOLS?
• IN A GENERAL SENSE, THESE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS SHALL GIVE US
A
BETTER AND BROADER UNDERSTANDING IN DESCRIBING THE FACETS OF
SOCIAL EXPERIENCE IN RELATION THE PHENOMENA CONCERNED OR THE
COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN TODAY.
• AND IN TURN, THESE CONCEPTUAL TOOLS SHALL ALLOW US TO FORM
OTHER CONCEPTS ABOUT OUR UNDERSTANDINGS AND ALSO HAVING
THE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE IT AS WELL.
AS A HEURISTIC TOOL (SIMPLIFYING TOOL), CONCEPTS ALLOWS THE DISCOVERY
OF NEW ASPECTS OF A PHENOMENON. IN THIS CASE, A CONCEPT CAN BE
CONVINCED MORE AS A ‘MEANS’ RATHER THAN AS AN ‘END’.
WITH THE STUDY OF CULTURE, ANTHROPOLOGISTS ARE ABLE TO HAVE A BETTER
UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE COMPLEX PROCESSES AND DYNAMICS THAT
CHARACTERIZE THE GREAT VARIETY OF “ WAYS OF LIVING” PRACTICED AND
OBSERVED AROUND THE WORLD.
IF THESE FACETS OF SOCIAL EXPERIENCES ARE TO BE VIEWED AS CONCEPTUAL
TOOLS, WE NOW HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO THOROUGHLY UNDERSTAND IT AND
HOW DOES IT IMPACT THE PHENOMENON IN QUESTION.
 STUDENTS AS SOCIAL BEINGS
• OUR CATEGORIES AS MALE/FEMALE, RICH/POOR, OR TALL/SHORT AND
EVEN THE PROBLEMATIC EFFECT OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN
ARE
EVIDENCE OF THE OPERATION OF THESE SOCIAL FORCES.
WE HAVE DISTINCT CATEGORIES AND EVEN CHARACTERISTICS THAT WE
POSSESS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY ASSIGNED TO US BY SOCIETY AT LARGE.
GENDER IN PARTICULAR, LABELS US AS AND FUNDAMENTAL, INTRUSIVE,
AND LIMITING BECAUSE IT CAN BE EASILY GENERALIZED BY PERSONAL
TRAITS AND SOCIAL POSITIONS SURROUNDING IT AND ARE SOCIALLY
CONSTRUCTED FOR US.
 SOCIAL REALITIES: BEHAVIOR AND
PHENOMENON
• THERE ARE TIMES THAT WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION
UNLIKE OTHER SITUATIONS. WE PERSONALLY ENCOUNTER
DIFFERENT WAYS OF DOING THINGS, BEHAVING, AND MAKING
SENSE OF EVENTS.
WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY OF OBSERVING PEOPLE BY MEANS OF
LINKING THE BEHAVIOR AND PHENOMENON AT HAND.
OBSERVATION TOWARDS UNEVENTFUL SITUATION CAN HELP US
UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENT BEHAVIORAL STEPS OF AN
INDIVIDUAL IN TERMS OF PERSPECTIVES.
EXAMPLE:
JAMES DISTURBS ME IN ANY POSSIBLE WAY, HE BULLIES
ME IN FRONT OF THE CLASS, CALL NAMES, AND
SOMETIMES PICK A FIGHT TO ME. IT HAPPENED WHEN I
BEFRIENDED HER EX-GIRLFRIEND AND IN TURN, WE ARE
HAPPILY TOGETHER AND TO THIS DAY, HE’S HOLDING A
GRUDGE TO ME AS IF I'M A PRIMARY ENEMY IN HIS LIFE.
HOSTILE ATTITUDE
EXAMPLE 2
MY BESTFRIEND IS ALWAYS USING THE PHONE
AND COULDN'T LIVE WITHOUT IT. SHE USES
FACEBOOK IN PARTICULAR; READING AND
MAKING POSTS AND OR COMMUNICATION TO THE
POINT THAT IF SHE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE
STUCK IN A ROOM, HER FIRST ITEM OF RESORT
WOULD BE A PHONE AND A GOOD SIGNAL
INCLINED TO SOCIAL MEDIA
 VALUES AND BELIEFS AS BEHAVIOR
MOTIVATORS
• IT CAN BE OBSEREVED THAT HUMAN BEHAVIOR, WHETHER
INDIVIDUAL OR COLLECTIVE, ARE PROPELLED BY
POWERFUL
MOTIVATORS IN A FORM OF VALUES AND BELIEFS.

• VALUES ARE A PERSON’S OR A COLLECTIVITY’S PRINCIPLES

OR STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND ARE CONSIDERED AS
JUDGMENT OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT IN LIFE.

• BELIEFS IS SOMETHING ONE ACCEPTS AS TRUE OR REAL.

WHY DOES VALUES AND BELIEFS A
GATEWAY TO BEHAVIOR
MOTIVATION?
• VALUES AND BELIEFS ARE ASSESSMENTS OF WHY
AN
INDIVIDUAL POSSESS THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IN A CERTAIN
SITUATION OR PHENOMENON
 SOCIAL DYNAMICS: SOCIAL,
POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
• WITH THE UPRISE AND ADVENT OF INNOVATION TOWARDS OUR
SOCIETY, THE POLITICAL AND CULTURAL SOCIETY ARE THE
CONSIDERED AS PRIMARY EXAMPLES FROM IT. PEOPLE ARE
GAINING KNOWLEDGE BY THE SECOND AS OF HOW THEY
PERCIEVE THE VALUES AND BELIEFS TO WHICH IT ALSO
CONSTRUBITES THE CULTURE AND POLITICAL CHANGE IN OUR
SOCIETY.