Lesson 1:
The Nature, Goals
and Perspective in/of
Anthropology,
Sociology and
Political Science
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology
Is the study, analysis, and description of
humanity’s past and present.
Questions about the past include prehistoric
origins and human evolution.
The study of contemporary humanity focuses
on biological and cultural diversity, including
language.
Major Branches of
Anthropology
• Cultural Anthropology – culture and societal norms
• Physical/Biological Anthropology – human evolution and
genetics
• Archaeology – ancient civilizations and artifacts
• Linguistic Anthropology – language in social context
• Holistic – studies all aspects of the human experience.
• Comparative – analyzes similarities and differences among
cultures.
• Field-based – relies on direct observation and participation.
• Evolutionary – considers changes in human biology and
culture over time.
• Understand the biological and cultural development of
humans.
• Promote appreciation for cultural diversity.
• Help solve social issues through cultural insight.
• Preserve cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge.
IMPORTANCE OF ANTHROPOLOGY
• Encourages respect for different cultures and lifestyles.
• Provides context for modern human behavior and social
structures.
• Informs policy, education, and development programs.
Anthropologists across the subfields utilize exceptional
points of view to direct their exploration.
The key anthropological viewpoints are comprehensive
quality, relativism, correlation, and hands on work.
MINI CULTURAL CASE STUDY
1. Pagmamano and Filipino greetings
2. Use of herbal medicines in rural areas
3. Tattoo culture in the Philippines
4. Gender roles in traditional vs. modern
households
5. Food or rituals
Analyze it using anthropological perspective
Application of Concept
Observe your home, school, or community.
Identify at least three cultural practices or behaviors that may
seem ‘normal’ but are actually learned, shared, and symbolic.
Describe them and reflect on their meaning.”
Application of Concept
1. What is the cultural practice you observed?
(e.g., using po and opo, family mealtime setup, birthday celebrations, local health beliefs)
2. Is it biological or cultural? Why?
3. How would an anthropologist interpret this practice?
(Consider holism, cultural relativism, or symbolism.)
4. What does this tell you about your community or family’s values?
5. How can understanding this help you become a more open-minded and respectful
individual?
Generalization
Every man has its own _______ and
as a human we should _______ for us
to have ____________
What is Sociology?
• Is the scientific investigation of human culture and
social behavior. Sociology is a discipline in social
sciences concerned about human society and
human social activities.
• Generally acknowledged meanings of social science
concur that it is the logical or efficient investigation
of human culture.
As a discipline, sociology arose early in the nineteenth
century in response to rapid social change. Major
transformations in the eighteenth and nineteenth
centuries, such as rapid industrialization resulting in a
large, anonymous workforce.
Auguste Comte (1798–1857) first coined the term
sociology to describe a new way of thinking about
societies as systems governed by principles of
organization and change.
Émile Durkheim (1858–1917), the French humanist,
made the biggest commitment to the development of
social science as a social scientific discipline
Goals of Sociology
to understand how membership Understand the causes and consequences of
social change in terms of general causes and
in one’s social group affects effects as well as unique historical
individual be. circumstances.
Understand how cultures and Understand the causes and consequences of
population composition and pressures and
institutions interact in different how population affects the environment and
societies. development of societies.
to understand the meaning and
to provide information that
consequences of modernity,
reflects upon different policy
postmodernity and the new
initiatives
globalization.
What is Politics
Political Science
• Is the study of the nature, causes, and consequences
of collective decisions and actions taken by groups of
people embedded in cultures and institutions that
structure power and authority.
• Is a social science discipline that deals with systems
of governance, and the analysis of political activities,
political thoughts, associated constitutions and
political behavior.
• Politics is not only a mere institution of governance
but also a mechanism for achieving societal goals.
• Nature of Political Science is a social science
concerned with the theory and practice of politics
and the description and analysis of political systems
and political behavior.
POLITICAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE
• as one of the social
sciences, uses methods
• Is and techniques that relate
• Approaches include
methodologicall to the kinds of inquiries
positivism,
y diverse and sought: primary sources,
interpretivism,
appropriates such as historical
rational choice theory,
many methods documents and official
behaviouralism,
originating in records, secondary
structuralism, post-
psychology, sources, such as scholarly
structuralism, realism,
social research, journal articles, survey
institutionalism, and
and cognitive research, statistical
pluralism.
neuroscience. analysis, case studies,
experimental research,
and model building..
Thank
you and
God Bless
!
