Understanding Culture

and Society
LESSON 2
 
Society
• a group of individuals sharing a common
culture, geographical location. and
government.
Element of Society:
a) social solidarity,
b) shared identity and culture
c) a common language
d) a large population and the ability to sustain succeeding
generations of members
e) definite geographical area
f) political, economic, and social organization.
5 major types of societies
1. Hunting and gathering
2. Horticultural and Pastoral
societies
3. Agricultural societies
4. Industrial societies
5. post-industrialist societies
Culture
• refers to the set of beliefs, ideas,
values, practices, knowledge, history
and shared experiences, attitudes, as
well as material objects and
possessions accumulated over time
and shared by the members of society.
Two primary categories of culture
• Material culture - composed of the physical or
tangible objects produced, shared, and utilized
within society

• Nonmaterial culture - consists of the

intangible properties and elements of society
that influence the patterns of action and
behavior of its members.
 Four vital cultural components of
societies
• Symbols - refer to things that convey meaning or represent an idea.
• Language - set of symbols that enables members of society to
communicate verbally (spoken) and nonverbally (written, gestures).
• Values - shared ideas, norms, and principles that provide members
of society the standards that pertain to what is right or wrong,
good or bad, desirable or undesirable
• Norms - shared rules of conduct that determine specific behavior
among society members.
• Folkways, Mores and Laws
The process of culture and identity formation within
society is facilitated through socialization and
enculturation.

Socialization refers to the 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.
•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 its 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, and 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, referred as
Xenocentrism.

Cultural relativism, which recognizes and accepts the

cultural differences between societies.
Sociology relates culture with the overall context of
social order.
The sociological perspectives are:

• Structural functionalism operates on the assumption that society

is a stable and orderly system.

• Conflict theory assumes that there is a constant power struggle

among the various social groups and institutions within society.

• Symbolic interactionism views individual and group behavior and

social interactions as defining features of society.
• Political science also examines culture as a vital
aspect of society. Culture, together with political
socialization, is analyzed in order to explain
political behavior such as voting patterns and the
behavior of leaders.
• Multiculturalism - an ideology that acknowledges
and promotes cultural diversity within society.

• Cultural sensitivity - advances awareness and

acceptance of cultural differences but encourages a
critical stance in dealing with issues regarding
diversity.