LESSON 2

THE SOCIAL SCIENCES :

Sociology, Anthropology

and
Political Science
 • Articulate how sociology, anthropology, and
political science explain the notions of the
social within their respective disciplinal
domains
• Explain the benefits of recognizing the
operation of social forces when using the
sociological, anthropological, and political
imagination
• Understand the shared concerns of sociology,
anthropology, and political science with
respect to the nature of social change
• Appreciate the role of social diversity in
promoting social understanding and cultural
tolerance

Learning Objectives
Anthropology, Sociology, and Political
Science are the essential academic
disciplines that take a closer look at
society and culture. Understanding
how individuals behave, interact, and
develop within the societies can
enlighten us on the factors, forces,
and processes that encourage and
hinder the progress of societies and
cultures in today’s world. An
appreciation of the underlying
principles and concepts that define
society and culture can set us on the
road toward understanding,
analyzing, and solving the significant
issues and concerns that confront our
own society.

Introduction:
Let’s Recap…
The study of society can be accomplished in three different ways:
(1) By mapping the social forces impinging on social actors as their lives
intersect in society
(2) By rehearsing the structures and components of cultural practices
and traditions
(3) By exposing the asymmetrical power distributions among members
of social communities and organizations.

The Social as “Driver of Interaction”

 • The oldest and most basic way of
Hunting and economic subsistence where:
Gathering  The gatherer are the females
Society  The hunters are the males
• They frequently move and do not have
permanent settlements
 Horticultural and
Pastoral Societies
• Horticultural are described as semi-
sedentary societies because they do not
frequently move.
 These societies subsist through small-scale
farming.
 Their food supply is more than enough to
feed the members of the society
• The principal means of substance of
pastoralists is animal
 They discovered fire, for food and body
heating
 • Agricultural
societies started to
cultivate: wheat,
barley, peas, and
rice
• Slavery starts in this
society

Agricultural
Societies
 • In these societies, new sources of energy
were harnessed, advance forms of
Industrial technology were applied, and machineries
Societies were invented.
• It created centralized workplace, then
people left their farm lands and transferred
to the urban areas to work in factories
 • With the development of information
and technology, and computers, many
Post- societies transformed into post-
Industrial industrial societies.
• It focused on the use and application of
Societies new information technology rather
than factories.
 Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science

Understanding culture, society and politics involve the interplay of

at least three social science disciplines; anthropology, sociology,
and political science.

Anthropology

-is the systematic study of the

biological, cultural, and social
aspects of man. It is derived from
two Greek words, Anthropos, which
means “man,” and logos, which
means “study” or “inquiry.”
 Subfields of Anthropology

Socio-cultural /
Cultural Anthropology

-This sub-field of anthropology

deals with the study of human
culture and its influences on the
daily lives of people.
 Subfields of Anthropology

Biological / Physical
Anthropology

-This sub-field of anthropology

studies the biological or physical
aspects of human beings such as
but not limited to genetics,
paleoanthropology, evolutionary
science and population diversity.
 Subfields of Anthropology

Archaeology

-Archaeology is basically the

study of the cultural heritage of
the past through examination of
the physical remains and ruins of
past cultures.
 Subfields of Anthropology

Anthropological
Linguistics

-This sub-field of anthropology

deals with the influences of
language and symbols to human
culture.
 Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science

Understanding culture, society and politics involve the interplay of at

least three social science disciplines; anthropology, sociology, and
political science.

Sociology

-is defined by Anthony Giddens as “the study

of human social life, groups, and society.” It is
an academic discipline that attempts to
provide a deeper assessment of the individual
and group behavior, as well as social
phenomena, by examining the interplay
between economic, political, and social factors.
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

The Functionalist Perspective

-This perspective sees the society as

composed of different but interdependent
integral parts and these parts play a vital
role in keeping the society together in-
tact and functioning. All the parts of the
society have different functions that in
turn maintain the society. A function is
what the different parts of the society do
for the maintenance of the social order.
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

Symbolic Interactionism

-It is a term coined by the notable

sociologist Herbert Blumer. He believes
that in order to understand society, it is
of paramount concern to know the
underlying concepts embedded in
everyday communication and
interaction. The Symbolic Interactionist
perspective outlines social interaction
and focuses on it to understand social
phenomenon.
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

Symbolic Interactionism

A. Self-
Awareness
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

Symbolic Interactionism

B. Shared
Symbols
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

Symbolic Interactionism

C. Negotiated
Order
Sociological Perspective as a tool in understanding Society

Social Conflict Perspective

-The society is always full of different

groups socially stratified. The stratification
could arise from economic status, different
ideologies, and other means of
stratification. People from different groups
are often in conflict with another social
group. When people advance their needs,
they often pair up with others who share
their perspective and tend to clash with
others with a different point of view or
status.
 Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science

Understanding culture, society and politics involve the interplay of

at least three social science disciplines; anthropology, sociology,
and political science.

Political Science

-is the art of politics and governance. It is a

Social Science that deals with the study of
the vacillating spectrums of politics as it
relates to the different situations both inside
and outside the government. It embraces the
encompassing topics in the Social Sciences
that have a touch of politics and governance.
 The Different Fields in Political Science

Political Philosophy

-Political Philosophy could

also be considered as a sub-
branch of Philosophy. It deals
with the study of concepts
such as politics, government,
liberty, and justice.
 The Different Fields in Political Science

Comparative Government
and Politics

-This sub-field incorporates

topics such as the different
forms of government found in
different countries around the
world with their concomitant
advantages and disadvantages.
 The Different Fields in Political Science

Public Administration

-This subject deals with the

study of bureaucracy behind
the government and the
proper way to administer the
needs of the general public.
 The Different Fields in Political Science

International Relations

-Topics in International Diplomacy and Public International Law are

included in this subject. It is the study of the diplomatic relations and
practices among the states in the worldview setting and low power is
being balanced in the international level.
WRITTEN ACTIVITY #3
10 POINTS
EACH
 PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY #2

1. Creatively make a version of you based on

the following:
a) How my Mom/Dad see me
b) How my Brother/Sister see me
c) How my Best friend/Boyfriend/Girlfriend see
me
d) How my ex-friend/lover see me

2. Take a picture of yourself (selfie, mirror-

selfie) which reflects each of the following version
of yourself on the eyes of different people.
PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY #2
 PERFORMANCE ACTIVITY #2

4. Attach the file/image on the space provided on the Activity

Sheet.
5. Reflect on this question: “Why do you say that those versions
of yourself that you created on the activity are those that
exist on the eyes of those people?” Answer it concisely.
6. It will be graded according to the following criteria:

Content 7
Organization of thoughts 5
Creativity 4
Relevance 4
TOTAL 20