Lesson 2: Analyze the Concept, Aspects and

Changes in/of Culture and Society

These are the competencies included in this module:

1. Analyze the concept, aspects and changes of culture and society.

2. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding.

WHAT I KNOW (PRETEST)

This activity will enable you to assess your prior knowledge from the topic that will be
discussed in this lesson.

Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer

1. It is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to make
judgments using the standards of one's own culture.
A. Sociological view C. Cultural relativism
B. Culture D. Society

2. It refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that

shapes the way its members understand the world.
A. Politics B. Society C. Political Science D. Culture

3. It is anything that is used to stand for something else.

A. Symbols B. Norms C. Artifacts D. Language

4. Refers to a system of words and symbols used to communicate with other

people.
A. Symbols B. Norms C. Artifacts D. Language

5. It refers to valuable tools for exploring the past and using them to understand
the past.
A. Values B. Norms C. Artifacts D. Language

6. These are rules or expectations of behaviour and thoughts based on shared

beliefs within a specific cultural or social group.
A. Values B. Norms C. Artifacts D. Language

7. Refers to all alterations affecting new traits or trait complexes and changes in a
cultures content and structure.
A. Cultural change C. Political change
B. Social change D. Sociological change

8. A variations or modifications in the patterns of social organization of sub groups

within society.
A. Cultural change C. Political change
B. Social change D. Sociological change
9. Cultural relativism teaches us that, marriage patterns are__________, not
objective truth.
A. Social option C. Cultural option
B. Political option D. Socio-cultural option

10. It is a person's principles or standards of behaviour.

A. Values B. Norms C. Artifacts D. Language

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
⚫ analyze the concept of culture and society; and
⚫ determine the aspects and changes of culture and society.

WHAT’S NEW
Activity 1. What I Think About This
Directions: List down your observation about the given picture below.
Write your observations in your activity notebook.

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 WHAT IS IT
What have you noticed on the pictures above? These have something to do
with culture.

 Culture refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that

shape the way its members understand the world. It includes groups that we are born
into, such as race, national origin, gender, class, or religion. It can also include a
group we join or become part of.
 Culture is a strong part of people's lives. It influences their views, values, humor, hopes,
loyalties, worries and fears. It helps to have some perspective and understanding of
their cultures.
 Culture and society defined, culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and
other characteristics common to the members of a particular group or society.
 Through culture, people and groups define themselves, conform to society's shared
values, and contribute to society.
 The major elements of culture are symbols, language, norms, values, and artifacts.

1. A symbol is anything that is used to stand for something else.

People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture,
sound, or image. For example, a cross is a significant symbol to Christians. It is not simply
two pieces of wood attached to each other, nor is it just an old object of torture and
execution. To Christians, it represents the basis of their entire religion, and they have
great reverence for the symbol.

2. Language is a system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people.
This includes full languages as we usually think of them, such as English, Spanish, French,
etc. but, it also includes body language, slang, and common phrases that are unique
to certain groups of people.
3. Systems of values are culturally defined standards for what is good or desirable.
Members of the culture use the shared system of values to decide what is good and
what is bad.

WHAT’S MORE
Activity 2. Alternating Flow Chart
Directions: Using the alternating flow chart, write your opinion on the
concept, aspects and changes of culture and society:
This is an example:
Processed Questions:
Processed Questions:
1. What are your findings/ opinions based on facts?
2. What are the positive effects of globalization?
3. How can you make the negative effects of globalization into positive one?

Activity 3. Essay Writing

Directions: Use the space below to explain the concept, aspects and changes of culture
and society.
 WHAT I LEARNED
Let Us Remember

 Cultural artifact or artefact is a term used in the social sciences, particularly

anthropology, ethnology, and sociology for anything created by humans which
gives information about the culture of its creator and users.

 Artifacts are such valuable tools for exploring the past and using them to
understand the past. Human values are essential in our life because they help us to
grow and develop. It is a person's standards of behaviour, principles and own
judgment. Some of the values, human treasures are honesty, love, happiness, and
integrity.

 Social and cultural norms are rules or expectations of behaviour and thoughts
based on shared beliefs within a specific cultural or social group.

 Social change - variations or modifications in the patterns of social organisation of

sub groups within society

 Cultural change - refers to all alterations affecting new traits or trait complexes and
changes in a cultures content and structure.

Good work! You have finished another task! Are you excited to start a
new one? Let us proceed now to the next activity. Good luck and enjoy.
Great job! This time, it’s your turn to work on your own.

Activity 4. Reflection
Directions: In writing your reflection, you have to complete the sentence below.

I learned that________________________________________________________________________
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I realized that________________________________________________________________________
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If given a chance____________________________________________________________________
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Hello! At this point, I am sure that you are already familiar with the concepts, aspects
and changes of culture and society. Now let’s further check your understanding of
what these concepts are about through the following activities.
Lesson 2:
Explain the Importance of Cultural Relativism in
Attaining Cultural Understanding.

WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:
 define cultural relativism; and
 explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural
understanding.

WHAT IS IT
Was it hard to complete the diagram? To give you an idea of what it is, read
and understand the following concepts.

 Cultural relativism is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to
make judgments using the standards of one's own culture.

 The goal of this is to promote understanding of cultural practices that are not
typically part of one's own culture.

 Cultural Relativism is important to anthropology and one of the things that makes
anthropology unique because it is a tool, a method for attempting to see things
from a multiplicity of viewpoints so as to better understand them.

 Cultural Relativism does not mean that anything a culture does is good or moral.
This is one of the ones that confuse people.

 Cultural relativism teaches us that, marriage patterns are cultural options, not
objective truth.

 Cultural Relativism doesn’t mean that cultures can’t be compared. There is

sometimes a strange notion that there are no commonalities between cultures.

 This is one of the reasons why those trained in cultural anthropology are often great
problem solvers for complex issues.

WHAT’S MORE
Activity 5. Stop and Reflect
Directions: Create a table that shows a summary of what you have learned from
the discussion above. Write your answer in your notebook.
What Cultural Relativism is What Cultural Relativism is The importance of Cultural
not… Relativism…
 WHAT I CAN DO
Activity 6. Conceptualize Me
Directions: Use the given picture to conceptualize the importance of cultural
relativism in attaining cultural understanding.

Questions:
1. What can you say about the picture?
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2. How the given words from the picture help you conceptualize the importance of cultural
relativism in attaining cultural understanding?
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You have finally reached the last part of this module. After learning and
understanding the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural
understanding, please share your opinion and reaction about the lesson presented.
Good luck!
 SELF - TEST
Activity 7. Essay
Directions: Explain NOT MORE THAN 200 WORDS your understanding and
observation. Write your answer below.

1. Why do you think there is a need to understand cultural relativism in our society?
Expound your answer by providing examples.

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WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

The importance of understanding cultural relativism is to know one's own culture.

Understanding this perspective of cultural relativism leads to the view that no culture is
superior than another culture and the idea that culture can be compared in terms of law,
politics, and systems has no bases at all. The concept that a person's beliefs, values, and
practices should be understood based on that person's own culture, rather than be judged
against the criteria of another.

Cultural relativism cannot be used to evaluate other cultures based on the ideas
you believe in. An example is a country who specialized dried fried crickets for food and
you think it is weird because it is not usual in your culture.

Cultural relativism is an idea, that cultures must be examined, based on their own
context and merits, not to be seen as customs and codes of other cultures. Cultural
relativism is important in studying minority cultures, colonized cultures, and other traditions
which belongs to another culture.

Congratulations! You are now done with your module! I hope you are able to
understand and explore the topics discussed. The principles will be used in your
daily life. Good luck on your future endeavour. See you!
 POST TEST
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer. Encircle the correct answer.

1. It refers to all alterations affecting new traits or trait complexes and changes in a cultures
and structure.
A. Cultural change C. Political change
B. Social change D. Sociological change

2. It refers to valuable tools for exploring the past and using them to understand the past.
A. Values B. Norms C. Artefacts D. Language

3. It is the ability to understand a culture on its own terms and not to make judgments using
the standards of one's own culture.
A. Sociological view C. Cultural relativism
B. Culture D. Society

4. These are rules or expectations of behaviour and thoughts based on shared beliefs within a
specific cultural or social group.
A. Values B. Norms C. Artefacts D. Language

5. Cultural relativism teaches us that, marriage patterns are__________, not objective truth.
A. Social option C. Cultural option
B. Political option D. Socio-cultural option

6. It is a person's principles or standards of behaviour.

A. Values B. Norms C. Artefacts D. Language

7. It refers to a group or community which shares common experiences that shape the way its
members understand the world.
A. Politics B. Society C. Political Science D. Culture

8. Refers to a system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people.
A. Symbols B. Norms C. Artefacts D. Language

9. It is anything that is used to stand for something else.

A. Symbols B. Norms C. Artefacts D. Language

10. It is a variations or modifications in the patterns of social organization of sub groups within
society.
A. Cultural change C. Political change
B. Social change D. Sociological change

Great, you finished answering the questions.

Congratulations and keep on learning 