ISABELA COLLEGE OF ARTS &
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Tagaran, Cauayan City, Isabela
Telefax: (078) 652-1038
Email: [email protected]
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Grade 12 – Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime
Week Number 1 Lecture Note
Nature, Goals and Perspectives in/of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science
OBJECTIVES:
1. Define Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science in the context of Social Science;
2. Analyze how Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science affect the lives of Senior High
school students;
3. Differentiate Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science; and Political Science
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. What does Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science means?
2. How can each of them affect your life?
3. What are the differences of the three?
INTRODUCTION:
NATURE, GOALS AND PERSPECTIVES IN/OF ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
Social Science is a branch of study which deals with Human Beings – their behavior, growth and
development, relationships, resources they use and the various institutions they require to function and
the way they carry on with their lives. For example – family, school, workplace, government, judiciary,
recreation clubs, etc. All these aspects of life are inter-related and interdependent to one another.
So, whether one wants to become a doctor or an engineer or a chartered accountant, an artist
or a teacher, he or she has to live in a society, interact with individuals belonging to different cultural
and socio- economic backgrounds, adapt to various situations and circumstances, as well as to adhere
to certain societal norms in order to lead a peaceful and productive life.
Hence, as a Senior High School learner, we need to get acquainted with basic concepts to have
an effective and a holistic learning experience.
In this module you will learn about: Sociology, Anthropology and Political Science in relation to
their nature as a concept, including the aims which these concepts are centered, along with the
underlying perspectives that each of these have.
DISCUSSION:
One of the important concepts in social science that we need to learn and understand is
sociology. Now, what is meant by the sociology? To have a clear grasp of the concept, let us read the
following definitions and related information about sociology.
Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of
human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies and how
people interact within these contexts. Since all human behavior is social, the subject matter of
sociology ranges from the intimate family to the hostile mob; from organized crime to religious
traditions; from the divisions of race, gender and social class to the shared beliefs of a common
culture.
In another online article, Sociology is explained as the systematic science of studying human
behavior within the context of societies. Society is a broad topic that includes everything from
economics to politics to family dynamics. Sociology takes all these systems and more into account.
Broadly defined, a society is a group of people that share a territory and a culture. Since the definition
of society is so broad, sociology is a very broad topic as well. In fact, it may be the broadest of the
social sciences.
To elaborate further, sociology is the study of human social behavior. Sociologists may use
quantitative (measurable) or qualitative (descriptive) methods to study how humans socialize and
organize themselves socially, as well as the origins and implications of social structures. Human social
behavior is especially interesting because Homo sapiens has evolved to be a species dependent upon
socialization. Most infant animals require some amount of care from parents, however instinct serves
as the driving force for animals like deer and lizards. On the other hand, humans are entirely
dependent upon the care and teaching of others for the first several years of life.
Now let us explore another important concept which is Anthropology. How do we define and
take a look at the concept of Anthropology?
One of the online articles discussed that anthropology is the study of what makes us human.
Anthropologists take a broad approach to understanding the many different aspects of the human
experience, which we call holism. They consider the past, through archaeology, to see how human
groups lived hundreds or thousands of years ago and what was important to them. They consider what
makes up our biological bodies and genetics, as well as our bones, diet, and health. Anthropologists
also compare humans with other animals (most often, other primates like monkeys and chimpanzees)
to see what we have in common with them and what makes us unique. Even though nearly all humans
need the same things to survive, like food, water, and companionship, the ways people meet these
needs can be very different. For example, everyone needs to eat, but people eat different foods and
get food in different ways. So, anthropologists look at how different groups of people get food, prepare
it, and share it. World hunger is not a problem of production but social barriers to distribution.
Now, let us place our attention to Political science. It is a classical discipline that deals with
the study of political phenomena. Its goal is to deepen human understanding of the forms and nature
of political action and to develop theoretical tools for interpreting politically meaningful phenomena.
The discipline deals with the traditional fields of public national life, such as democracy, parliaments,
politicians, elections, and the government.
In a similar vein, political science is the study of politics and power from domestic, international,
and comparative perspectives. It entails understanding political ideas, ideologies, institutions, policies,
processes, and behavior, as well as groups, classes, government, diplomacy, law, strategy, and war. A
background in political science is valuable for citizenship and political action, as well as for future
careers in government, law, business, media, or public service.
Political science is occasionally called politology which is a social science that deals with systems
of governance, and the analysis of political activities, political thoughts, associated constitutions, and
political behavior.
Political science comprises numerous subfields, including comparative politics, political
economy, international relations, political theory, public administration, public policy, and political
methodology. Furthermore, political science is related to, and draws upon, the fields of economics, law,
sociology, history, philosophy, human geography, journalism, political anthropology, and social policy.
Prepared by: Reviewed by: Approved by:
ROSE ANDREA G. BATOON NOMER L. DUMLAO ISABELITA I. CLEMENTE
Teacher Program Coordinator Principal
LEARNING TASK / OUTPUT
LESSON : Nature, Goals and Perspectives in/of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science
TASK 1
Direction: Picture Analysis. Write A if the pictures below are related to Anthropology, S for Sociology
and P for Political Science. Do this in your notebook.
1. ______________________ 2. ____________________
3. _____________________ 4. ______________________
5. _____________________ 6. ______________________
TASK 2
Direction: Read each of the following item carefully and write only the letter which corresponds to the
correct answer.
1. It is occasionally called politology, a social science which deals with systems of governance, and the
analysis of political activities, political thoughts, associated constitutions, and political behavior.
a. sociology b. anthropology c. political science
2. It is the study of what makes us human.
a. sociology b. anthropology c. political science
3. It is the systematic science of studying human behavior within the context of societies.
a. sociology b. anthropology c. political science
4. It looks for patterns, recurring characteristics, and events.
a. sociology b. anthropology c. political science
5. It is a classical discipline that deals with the study of political phenomena.
a. sociology b. anthropology c. political science
True or False. Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.
______ 6. Political Science is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and
consequences of human behavior.
______ 7. Political Science the study of human social behavior.
______ 8. Anthropology looks for patterns, recurring characteristics, and events.
______ 9. Political Science is the study of what makes us human.
______ 10. Sociology is a classical discipline that deals with the study of political phenomena
______ 11. Political Science compares humans with other animals (most often, other primates like
monkeys and chimpanzees) to see what we have in common with them and what makes us unique.
______ 12. Anthropologists are group of people that share a territory and a culture
______ 13. Anthropology tries to see social behavior by placing it in a wide social context.
______ 14. Sociology is a science of comparison and teaching of different types of constitutions,
political actors, legislature, and associated fields, all of them from an intrastate perspective.
______ 15. Sociology is a study of politics and power from domestic, international, and comparative
perspectives.
ISABELA COLLEGE OF ARTS &
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Tagaran, Cauayan City, Isabela
Telefax: (078) 652-1038
Email: [email protected]
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Grade 12 – Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime
Week Number 2 Lecture Note
Social, Political and Cultural Change
OBJECTIVES:
1. Define and explain social, cultural, and political changes.
2. Identify common concerns or events within society on the phenomenon of change.
3. Show appreciation on the concept of social and cultural change
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. For you, what does social, cultural, and political changes means?
2. Give instances or events within your community on the different phenomenon of change.
INTRODUCTION:
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
This module tackles on culture, society and politics. It also explains the meaning, types, and
importance of innovation. Lastly, it will delve on the factors causing social, political and cultural change.
With this, you will be able to know the changes that took place 20 years ago and realized that
the advent of technologies brought us really far in the present time because of the evident differences
observable as we compare those that were used in the past.
DISCUSSION:
Society, Politics, and Culture
All countries are made up of a structured society, a political system, and a rich set of tangible
and intangible cultures. In sociological terms, a society is a group of people with a shared
environment, cultural beliefs, and ways of living. On the other hand, culture is a group’s shared belief
and value system that are preserved either through material or non-material ways. Sociologists view
culture and society as interrelated factors in the development of a national identity. An individual’s
belief system is primarily influenced by their local culture and traditions that have been usually passed
down from one generation to another. Because every nation in the world has a unique history and has
promptly developed an organized cultural system, no two cultures are alike. Nevertheless, for some
countries which are geographically close to each other, similar cultural practices may still surmise.
This process of immersing oneself in a particular society and culture, even at birth, is called
socialization. It is through socialization where individuals adapt all aspects of society and exchange
local practices to one another. Socialization is important because it allows for a nation to continue or
transmit its social, cultural, and political identity from one generation to another. Socialization is made
possible through social interactions. When two people interact with each other, may be through words
or actions, an exchange of culture occurs.
Politics is also greatly influenced by culture and society. Politics refers to a set of activities and
actions that are used to hold power in a government. All government are keen on building up its
country’s economy and capability by leveraging on cultural norms and capitalizing on the current social
system to enable macro-level growth whilst simultaneously preserving local traditions and practices.
For instance, political dynasties are a successful local practice. Many Filipinos prefer to vote for
candidates who bear a particular surname or who are well-known family members of previous
politicians. The success of this system may be attributed to the familial nature of Filipinos who, based
on culture and history, place great value in family and camaraderie.
Social and Cultural Changes
Social change is the transformation of social institutions over time. Cultural change, on the
other hand, is the transformation of culture or the way people live. Communication is a vital human
process. Through communication, people exchange information and thoughts. Nowadays,
communication is made easier, people can share information in just a click. New media−social
networking, text messaging, email, and the like−have defied time and distance.
While it makes the world seem borderless, this form of communication may produce individuals
who lack the basic understanding of direct and personal connections.
Cultural Change
Change occurs whenever developments and new discoveries take place. Culture, as dynamic as it can
be, is both inherently prone and resistant to change. This would mean that some parts of culture may
easily change, while some do not. The resistance of culture to change is dependent upon contact
between societies, societal forces at work, and natural environmental changes.
Within society, inventions and culture loss drive cultural change. Inventions occur when things or
concepts are put together and result into something that becomes useful. On the other hand, culture
loss refers to the obliteration of old culture, specifically when new technologies and knowledge about
certain cultural processes are formed. A prominent example of cultural change driven by both invention
and culture loss was during the Technological Revolution in the late 1800s until early 1900s when the
invention of machines such as the telephone, cars, lamps, airplanes, and radio paved the way for
easier access to transportation and communication. Evidently, slower-paced cultural practices were
replaced by these more advanced technologies that also simplified life.
Within the same society, habits and cultural traits integration facilitate resistance to culture change.
Habits are prevailing dispositions that emphasize a person’s character or behavior. Meanwhile, traits
contribute to behavioral consistency over time and behavioral stability across situations. Cultural habits
and traits could be shared by individuals or groups of people through social interaction. In sociological
terms, these characteristics are shared through socialization.
An example of this in the Philippine setting is the phenomenon of colonial mentality. Prior to the arrival
of the Americans, Filipinos fought the Spaniards in the revolution with a sense of pride and chivalry.
Filipino nationalism was at its peak following the defeat of the Spaniards. However, upon the arrival of
the Americans and the promulgation of their Benevolent Assimilation, the strong unity that was built
during the revolution was replaced by conflicting views about American colonialism. Over time, traces
of our colonial past became evident on our choice of food and clothing. Some Filipinos would prefer to
use imported goods than locally-made ones, and some would go as far as to discriminate our local
brands. This culture is continuously occurring even at present, primarily through the culture that was
imposed on us by the Americans.
Political Changes
Political change happens when the rulers of a country lose power or when the type of
governance in the country changes. Governance is the kind of system or ideology used to express
authority in a country. It may be a democracy, monarchy, oligarchy, and others.
Social and Political Change
In Sociology, social change refers to the alteration of mechanisms in a social structure. This
process is characterized by changes in social organizations, cultural symbols, patterns of behavior, and
value systems. Throughout the history of the social sciences, sociologists have tried to provide models
of social change. Perhaps one of the most well-known and widely used is the structural-
functionalist model that emphasizes the importance of various social structures in developing and
driving change at both the individual and societal levels.
According to both classical and contemporary sociological theories, social change occurs as a
pattern. Within these patterns, traditional theorists believed that societal decline, cyclic change, and
progress influence societal changes. However, due to the lack of empirical evidence and literature
suggesting the validity of such factors, modern sociological theorists called for the admonition of such.
Difference between Social and Cultural Change!
There is a great confusion about social and cultural change. Some early textbook writers have
made distinction between social change and cultural change, while others have considered these two
terms as one and the same thing. Such writers have used these two terms synonymously. For the
writers like Gillin and Gillin (1954) and Dawson and Gettys (1948) there is no difference between social
and cultural change.
According to Dawson and Gettys, “cultural change is social change, since all culture is social in
its origin, meaning and usage”. Similarly, Gillin and Gillin wrote: “Social changes as variations from the
accepted modes of life, whether due to alterations in geographic conditions, in cultural equipment,
composition of population, or ideologies.” For these writers, social change is a part of cultural change.
Cultural change is broader than social change which envelops social change also in its fold. For
them, society is the product of culture. “Culture tends to give direction and momentum to social
change and to set limits beyond which social change may not go” (Dawson and Gettys, 1048).
Really speaking, both types of changes have as much difference as it exists between society
and culture. Sociologists use these terms (society and culture) to convey different meaning and sense.
Clarifying the difference MacIver and Page (1959) writes: “Social change is a distinct thing from
cultural or civilization change…. cultural change includes change in ideology, administrative system,
technology etc.” Cultural change indicates changes in the accepted mode of life, habit patterns, and
the life-style.
These changes may include such things as the invention of the automobile, TV, changing
concepts of property and morality, new forms of music, art, or dance or the trends of sex equality. For
Davis (1949), “social change is only a part of a broader category of change called ‘cultural change’
cultural change refers to all changes occurring in any branch of culture including art, science,
technology, philosophy etc., as well as changes in the forms and rules of social organizations”.
In a nutshell, it may be said that social change refers specifically to alter-ations in social
relationships among people in groups, whereas cultural change refers to change in material and non-
material cultural elements both.
Mechanisms of Change
There are different mechanisms or tools involved in social and cultural changes.
1. Diffusion - is the process through which the cultural traits of one society are borrowed,
transmitted, and adopted by another and considered as its own.
Examples: • Migration •Globalization
2. Invention - is the process where new cultural elements are created to solve social and
cultural problems.
Example: Internet
3. Discovery - is the process where people recognize or gain a better understanding of already
existing elements present in the environment.
Example: Scientific research
LEARNING TASK / OUTPUT
LESSON 2 : Social, Political and Cultural Change
TASK 1
Direction: Identify what mechanism of change is involved in the following:
1. Globalization
2. Internet
3. Research
4. Mobile phones
5. Social media
TASK 2
Direction:
Make a list of changes that you want to happen in the next 20 years.
Arrange them according to ascending order of priority. For each of the changes, provide
necessary conditions that would lead to its realization. Do this in a piece of paper
TASK 3
Direction: Based on the activities and readings on this module, write the things you have learned
about SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE.
I have learned that ___________________________________________________.
I have realized that ___________________________________________________.
I will apply it by ______________________________________________________.
ISABELA COLLEGE OF ARTS &
TECHNOLOGY, INC.
Tagaran, Cauayan City, Isabela
Telefax: (078) 652-1038
Email:
[email protected] UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
Grade 12 – Pre-Baccalaureate Maritime
Week Number 3 Lecture Note
The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Attaining Cultural Understanding
OBJECTIVES:
1. Define cultural relativism
2. Demonstrate a holistic understanding of culture and society
3. Value culture and express pride of place without being ethnocentric
GUIDE QUESTIONS:
1. As a member of a society with its own unique culture, how could you remain objective in
studying other cultures?
2. How do you determine the richness of a culture?
INTRODUCTION:
ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM
This module allows the learner to know about cultural relativism and ethnocentrism. We live in
a rapid world with various cultures and different people interacting with each other. This interaction
can be positive or negative depending on the level of sensitivity and respect people have for other
cultural groups.
It becomes natural for us to read the behavior of others in terms of our own standards. But,
what may be right to you may be wrong to them and what may be wrong to you may be right to them.
It is just a matter of respect and deeper understanding.
DISCUSSION:
Cultural relativism is a principle that an individual person’s beliefs and activities should be
understood by others in terms of that individual’s own culture. It was established and accepted in
anthropological research by Franz Boas in the first few decades of the 20th century and later
popularized by his students. It refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or
wrong, strange or normal. Instead, we should try to understand cultural practices of other groups in its
own cultural context. In other words, right and wrong are culture-specific. What is considered moral in
other society may be considered immoral in another, and since no universal standard of morality exist,
no one has the right to judge another society’s customs to be correct or incorrect.
Ethnocentrism, in contrast to cultural relativism, is judging another culture solely by the
values and standards of one’s own culture. According to William G. Sumner, ethnocentrism is defined
as the “technical name for the view of things in which one’s own group is the center of everything, and
all others are scaled and rated with reference to it.” He further characterized it as often leading to
pride, vanity, beliefs of one’s own group’s superiority and contempt of outsiders.
Ethnocentric individuals born into a particular culture that grow up absorbing the values and
behavior of the culture will develop a worldview that considers their culture to be the norm (standard).
They judge other group or culture specially with concern to language, behavior, custom religion etc.
The pictures below briefly describe the cultures that exist and are practiced and honored by
some groups of people respectively. It couldn't be denied that the world suffers from cultural
differences due to a lack of acceptance leading to discrimination and racism that greatly affects the
well-being of an individual. Like for examples; these unique tribes particularly in Suri/Mursi, Ethiopia
where their women's beauty is determined by how large their lip plate is; while the Kayan near Loikaw
District, Kayah State, Myanmar, for them, wearing traditional brass coil neck rings has been a standard
of beauty in their tribe. To sum it up, cultural relativism is the practice of viewing the beliefs, values
and practices of a culture from its own viewpoint rather than being ethnocentric and viewing the
beliefs, values and practices from your own viewpoint.
Another example is a racial discrimination of a black girl in school. She was judged by the color
of her skin. During the exploration period, the discrimination against black and white was a major
controversial issue. They believed that the darker a person is, the dirtier and impure they are. That is
what an ethnocentric person would say but a cultural relativist believes that there is no ugly women
per se.
How Cultural Relativism Mitigates Ethnocentrism
It is widely believed in the field of sociology that ethnocentric behavior may be mitigated
through the recognition and application of cultural relativism. A person can practice cultural relativism
by recognizing that our culture shapes what we consider to be beautiful, ugly, appealing, disgusting,
virtuous, funny, and abhorrent and that this should not be the basis for evaluating other culture.
Cultural relativism shapes our understanding of different issues in the society as to why certain religion
believe in this and other not, or how come this group eat this type of dish, wear this weird clothing,
sing and dance along with music while others prefer not to. What we need is an open heart and
unbiased and critical mind, exposure, education, and involvement in activities, programs supporting
and recognizing the uniqueness and beauty of every culture for us to truly grasp what cultural
relativism means.
Cultural relativism leads to the view that no culture is superior to another culture in terms of
systems of morality, beliefs, values, law, politics, etc. We should not assume that all of our preferences
are based on some objective moral standard. It’s a good idea to keep an open mind when we
encounter practices different from our own.
LEARNING TASK / OUTPUT
LESSON 3 : The Importance of Cultural Relativism in Attaining Cultural Understanding
TASK 1
Direction: Make a poster that shows understanding and respect for other’s culture. Use short bond
paper.
Output is graded according to this criteria:
Relevance to the topic - 20 points
Originality - 15 points
Attractiveness - 15 points
50 points
TASK 2
Direction: Write the letter of the correct answer.
1. Which of the following is the best definition of cultural relativism?
a. A cultural group’s desire to pass on its values to the next generation
b. Refers to not judging a culture to our own standards of what is right or wrong
c. Measuring which culture are related to others
d. All of the above
2. What is ethnocentrism?
a. judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture.
b. judging another culture solely by the values and standards of another culture.
c. having no concept of right or wrong
d. both b and c
3. Which of the following sentences expresses cultural relativism?
a. an employee may refer to his client as a stupid if the client needed some time to
understand whatever the employee is trying to tell him
b. addressing a conservative woman in a liberated place as weirdo
c. thinking that people who eats fried crickets are disgusting
d. none of the above
4. Which of the following is not a claim of a cultural relativist?
a. The moral code of a society determines what is right within that society
b. Different societies have different moral code
c. It is good to judge the conduct of other societies
d. There is no objective standard that can be used to judge one society as better than
another
5.What does the picture show?
a. Cultural relativism
b. Ethnocentrism
c. Both cultural relativism an
d ethnocentrism
d. None of the above
