Data Center College of the Philippines

Ubbog Lipcan, Bangued, Abra

LESSON 1
The nature, goals and perspectives of anthropology, sociology and political science

1. Anthropology relates to sociology, it always describes human, human behaviour and human
societies around the world. It is a comparative science that examines all societies. The term
anthropology means scientific study of man or human beings.

Cultural anthropology studies, human societies and elements of cultural life. An example of
cultural anthropology is the Linguistic anthropology which focuses on language in a certain
society. The goal of studying anthropology is to understand the origin human evolution and the
diverse forms of its existence throughout time

The study of Man and its various aspects is known as Anthropology. It may be a subject of
science and arts. It is a branch of sociology. It describes human, human behaviour and human
societies and it examines all societies around the world. It also describes the ancestors through
time and space in relation to its environmental, social relations, and culture.

2. Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociology’s subject
matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions
of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to
radical change in whole societies. The purpose of sociology is to understand how human action
and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.

Sociology is a social science; it belongs to the family of social sciences. As a social science,
focuses its aspects on man, his social manners, social activities and social life. The goal of
sociology is to help you understand how human action and consciousness both shape and are
shaped by the surrounding cultural and social structures

3. Political Science is a social science that deals with humans and their interactions. It is a
branch of sociology; it essentially deals with the large-scale actions of humans, and group
mentality it is a discipline that deals with several aspects such as the study of state and
government. It deals with the nature and formation of the state and attempts to understand its
forms and functions.

The goal of Political Science is to constantly deepen the knowledge, discover progress and
protect the quality of life within a group, community, country, and the world. Thus, it is the study
of power relationships and competing interests among states around the world.

4. Anthropological perspectives are culture, cultural relativism, fieldwork, human diversity,

5. Sociological perspective introduces the discipline of sociology, including something about its
history, questions, theory, and scientific methods, and what distinguishes it from other social
science disciplines. Central features include social interaction and relationships, social contexts,
social structure, social change, the significance of diversity and human variation, and the critical,
questioning character of sociology.

It also explores what sociologists do. Sociology includes three major theoretical perspectives:
a. the functionalist perspective;
b. the conflict perspective; and
c. the symbolic interaction perspective.

6. Theoretical perspective is used to analyse and explain objects of social study, and facilitat
organizing sociological knowledge. In functionalist perspective, societies are thought to function
like organisms, with various social institutions working together like organs to maintain and
reproduce societies. The conflict perspective sees social life as a competition, and focuses on the
distribution of resources, power, and inequality.

7. Political science perspective studies the tendencies and actions of people which cannot be
easily quantified or examined. Political science is more focused than most social sciences. It
sticks to the political arena and to the realm of politics, either dealing with situations with two
competing sides or the lateral decisions that affect the group as a whole. An example is the study
of democracy as a form of government and why is democracy considered as the best form of
government.

Culture and society are complexly related. As the society changes, culture follows and vice
versa. Today, we consider the world very complicated, hence it is very important to pay attention
to the interplay of society and culture. These two are fundamentals in understanding human
behavior, conduct and activities and social groups against the backdrop of globalization and
industrialization. Therefore, students as individuals and vital members of the society are
expected to value their roles in the society, apply the knowledge they learned from school, and
translate the gained knowledge/ideas into actions beneficial to nation building.
You have learned about the nature, goals and perspectives in/of anthropology, sociology and
political science. Anthropology deals with the study of human culture particularly the
components, characteristics, functions, modes, and adaptation of culture, as well as culture
values and practices (Ariola, 2012). Sociology deals with the study of society and social
interactions taking place therein (Arcinas, 2016). Political is a study and research about human
activity that deals, to a certain extent, with power, conflict, and decision making (Francisco and
Francisco, 2015). In short, it deals with study of the state, its institutions, its laws and processes.
ACTIVITY 1: Make a diagram/table that presents the difference between society in culture.
List at least five (5) each. Place it in a short bond paper. Submit it on or before October 29, 2021.