Mr. Rochard T.

Tarroza
 Understanding

Society and Politics

Course Outline

 Definition of culture
 Importance of culture
 Concepts and characteristics of culture
 Components of culture
 socio-cultural change
 Social interactions
 Social institutions
 major theoretical perspectives
Using the letters of the word, think of words you can
associate to the term “culture” this word may describe or
define what culture is..

C-
U-
L-
T-
U-
R-
E-
 What are the common presumptions about gays
1.
who want to join the armed forces of the Philippines?
 Why culture Matters?

• Develops one’s attitude and values

Ex. Strong family ties among Filipinos vs. living independently among
Americans
• Ensures the survival of heritage of human kind
• Provides people with ready made solutions on
common social problems
• Design for living or blue print for social behavior
• Maintains the biological functions of the group
According to Joseph H. Fichter:

“ A person may escape

Society for a while but he
can never escape Culture”
What is Culture then?

 Originated from the Latin term “cultura” which is

translated to “cultivate”
 Edward Taylor (1932-1937) notable English
Anthropologist defined culture as “a complex whole
which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals,
customs and any other capabilities acquired by people
as a member of the society
 is a way of life, national identity, an attitude and
consolidated beliefs and a complex system and shared
social elements within a particular society
“ No culture will exists if it attempts to be
exclusive” – Mahatma Gandhi
Characteristics of Culture

 Culture is R E D E A N L
 Rather than inherited _____________
 Enculturation: The transmission of culture from
one ______________ to the next
 Mammals in general display cultural behavior (I.e.
we all have the urge to eat/sleep, but when we
do/with whom/in what order is determined by our
social relationships). With humans, our social rules
are more varied and complex.
Characteristics of Culture

 Culture is LEARNED
 Rather than inherited biologically
 Enculturation: The transmission of culture from
one generation to the next
 Mammals in general display cultural behavior (I.e.
we all have the urge to eat/sleep, but when we
do/with whom/in what order is determined by our
social relationships). With humans, our social rules
are more varied and complex.
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is D R S E A H
 By members of a society and produces ________
that is intelligible (able to be understood) to other
members of that society
 Society: An organized group or groups of
______________ people who generally ________ a
common territory, language, and culture and who
act together for collective survival and well-being.
 the relationship that holds society together is known
as Social Structure
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is SHARED
 By members of a society and produces BEHAVIOR
that is intelligible (able to be understood) to other
members of that society
 Society: An organized group or groups of
interdependent people who generally share a
common territory, language, and culture and who
act together for collective survival and well-being.
 the relationship that holds society together is known
as Social Structure
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is Based on L S O Y M B S

 according to Leslie White all _______ behavior

originates in the use of symbols. Art, Religion, money
involve the use of symbols.
 Language- the most symbolic aspect of
culture- substitution of words for objects
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is Based on SYMBOLS

 according to Leslie White all HUMAN behavior

originates in the use of symbols. Art, Religion, money
involve the use of symbols.
 Language- the most symbolic aspect of
culture- substitution of words for objects
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is D E T E T N I R A G

 Integration – all aspects of culture to function

as interrelated whole
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture is INTEGRATED

 Integration – all aspects of culture to function

as interrelated whole
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture A Y R V
 it was considered that culture was formed by separate cultures.
 Subcultures
 Cultural variation between subgroups in societies that share an overarching
culture.
 Ex: Ethnic group (A type of subculture).
 People who collectively and publicly identify themselves as a distinct
group based on various cultural features such as shared ancestry and
common origin, language customs and traditional beliefs.
 Ethnicity: The expression of the set of cultural ideas held by an ethnic
group
 Pluralistic Society: A society in which two or more ethnic groups or nationalities
are politically organized into one territorial state but maintain their cultural
differences
Sometimes can lead to some pretty nasty misunderstandings…
Characteristics of Culture
 Culture VARY
 it was considered that culture was formed by separate cultures.
 Subcultures
 Cultural variation between subgroups in societies that share an overarching
culture.
 Ex: Ethnic group (A type of subculture).
 People who collectively and publicly identify themselves as a distinct
group based on various cultural features such as shared ancestry and
common origin, language customs and traditional beliefs.
 Ethnicity: The expression of the set of cultural ideas held by an ethnic
group
 Pluralistic Society: A society in which two or more ethnic groups or nationalities
are politically organized into one territorial state but maintain their cultural
differences
Sometimes can lead to some pretty nasty misunderstandings…
Characteristics of Culture

 Culture is V I E P A T D A

 While it is important to preserve culture, it is more

important to understand that ________ is inevitable.
Characteristics of Culture

 Culture is ADAPTIVE

 While it is important to preserve culture, it is more

important to understand that CHANGE is inevitable.
Socialization

- Process of social interaction through which

members acquire personality and learn the
way of their society.
- Allows members to learn patterns of thought
that are essential in social living.
Components of Culture

 Norms
 definite guidelines for behavior based on values.
 serve as guide for people to conform or not to
conform on certain things (prescriptive and
proscriptive norms)
 follow the concept of what may be acceptable to
others maybe unacceptable to others.
Components of Culture

 Folkways
 conventions of everyday life that members are
expected to follow but whose __________ are not
that serious.
Components of Culture

 Folkways
 conventions of everyday life that members are
expected to follow but whose violations are not that
serious.
Components of Culture

 Fashion
 folkways that endure for a short time and enjoy a
widespread acceptance within the society.
Ex. Styles in clothing, home furniture
Components of Culture

 Fads
 also known as craze, becomes popular quickly
Components of Culture

Mores

 norms which reflect strongly held values and

whose violation imposed a strong negative social
reaction
 Practice such considered taboo
 Components of Culture

 Technology
 skills or objects associated with some material and
utilitarian objects.
 has become an integral part of modern culture
Components of Culture

 Laws
 are sometimes based on mores or enacted to
protect the people from the bad effects of outdated
mores.
Activity

As a group choose one Characteristic of culture

and present how it is applied in the society,
consider also the components of Culture in your
Role Playing
Culture is Learned, Shared, based on symbols,
integrated, Vary, Adapative

The components of culture are; norms, folkways,

fashion, fads, mores, laws, technnology
Concepts related to Culture

 Ethnocentrism – refers to the belief in the

superiority of one’s own race and marked
preference for one’s own culture and products
Concepts related to Culture

 Xenocentrism – refers to the preference for the

products, styles, or ideas of someone else
culture rather than of one’s own.
Suggested Activity:

Create a one minute video commercial on how

Filipinos exemplify Ethnocentric mentality and
how Filipinos can be xenocentric in some
cases.
Theoretical Perspectives of Sociology
Perspectives Proponent Focus

Structural-Functionalist Emile Durkheim  society a living org.

 status quo

Symbolic- Interactionist Max Weber  face to face

interactions
 use of Symbols

Conflict Karl Marx  Economic

Competition
 elite control the
weak