Social Sciences: An Overview

• These are study notes covering social sciences, culture, socialization, citizenship, migration theories, societal development, family, education, health, and political/economic systems

Social Science and Its Branches

• Social science studies human society, behavior, and social institutions
• It provides unique perspectives to understand society

Branches of Social Science

• Anthropology studies humankind across time and places
• Archaeology studies human history through artifacts
• Biological Anthropology studies human evolution and adaptation
• Cultural Anthropology examines traditional practices and structures
• Linguistic Anthropology studies language patterns and communication
• Sociology studies society, social behavior, and institutions
• Social Change examines how institutions evolve
• Population Studies analyzes demographic impacts on society
• Social Psychology explores how individuals interact within society
• Social Organization examines group behaviors and relationships
• Sociological Research uses empirical methods to analyze social issues
• Political Science studies government, politics, and policies
• Political Theory studies ideas like human rights and justice
• Comparative Politics analyzes different government systems
• International Relations studies global politics and diplomacy
• Political Behavior examines public attitudes and actions
• Public Policy & Administration studies government decision-making

Understanding Culture

• Culture is a complex whole including beliefs, customs, art, laws, and knowledge
• It varies across different societies and influences behavior

Characteristics of Culture

• Culture is learned through education, observation, and media
• It's shared through communication across generations
• Culture requires language & communication, using verbal and non-verbal expressions
• Patterned Social Interaction influences daily routines and behaviors
• Culture is dynamic and constantly changes due to external factors
• It's diverse, differing among groups and places
• Culture is flexible and adapts to new situations
• It can be contested, debated, and criticized
• Culture is adaptive, helping societies survive in changing environments
• It's integrated, connecting social, economic, and political aspects
• Culture is utilitarian, aiming to improve life satisfaction

Types of Cultural Heritage

• Tangible Heritage are physical objects like artifacts and buildings
• Intangible Heritage includes traditions, rituals, and languages
• Natural Heritage includes sites with cultural and natural significance

Non-Material Culture

• Knowledge is learned through experience and education
• Norms are shared rules guiding behavior
• Folkways are socially acceptable, not morally significant
• Mores are morally significant, with social consequences
• Taboos are strict prohibitions with severe consequences
• Laws are formal rules with penalties for violations
• Popular Culture includes trends and social fads
• Values & Beliefs shape personal and societal perspectives

Material Culture

• Material culture includes physical objects shared and used in society
• Technology also plays a role in cultural evolution

Cultural Concepts

• Cultural Universals are shared practices across societies
• Ethnocentrism is judging another culture based on one's own
• Xenocentrism is viewing another culture as superior
• Culture Shock is discomfort when exposed to a new culture
• Cultural Relativism is understanding culture within its own context
• Subcultures are groups within a larger culture with distinct traits

Current Issues in Filipino Culture

• Preservation of traditions and cultural heritage is a key issue
• National identity and globalization challenges are ongoing

Socialization and Identity Formation

• Socialization is the process of learning behaviors, values, norms, and roles in society
• It helps individuals develop their identity and interact appropriately

Agents of Socialization

• Family is the primary and most influential socializing agent
• Peer Group influences behavior and attitudes outside the family
• Religion shapes moral beliefs and ethics
• School develops skills, discipline, and social behavior
• Workplace teaches professionalism and real-world responsibilities Mass Media expands communication and global interaction

Types of Socialization

• Enculturation is learning one's culture unconsciously
• Acculturation is adapting to a different culture for survival

Identity Formation

• Identity formation involves developing a unique personality through social interactions
• It's influenced by Nature (Genetics) and Nurture (Environment)

Theories of Socialization

• Freud's Psychosexual Theory includes stages: Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
• There is an unconscious struggle between biological drives and societal expectations
• Key concepts include the Id (pleasure-seeking), Ego (reality-based), and Superego (moral compass)
• Looking-Glass Self (Cooley): Identity develops through three stages:
• How we imagine we appear to others
• How we think others judge us
• How we feel based on these judgments (pride or shame)
• George Mead's Social Self: Stages of Identity Development:
• Preparatory Stage involves imitation of people
• Play Stage involves role-playing and understanding perspectives
• Game Stage is full awareness of multiple roles in society

Status and Roles

• Status is a person's position in society
• Ascribed Status is given at birth such as race/gender
• Achieved Status is earned through actions like profession
• Role is the expected behavior of a person in a given status
• Role Set refers to multiple roles attached to one status
• Role Conflict is the struggle between multiple roles
• Role Strain is difficulty in fulfilling a single role
• Role Exit means leaving a role

Conformity and Deviance

• Conformity is following social norms to be accepted
• Deviance is violating social norms
• Social Control is:
• Internal Control via self-discipline and moral conscience
• External Control through laws, punishments, and regulations
• Planned Social Control via formal laws and rules
• Unplanned Social Control through informal social pressures like gossip

Strain Theory (Robert Merton)

• This examines why individuals conform or deviate based on goals and means

Citizenship and Rights

• Philippine Citizens based on the 1987 Constitution, Article IV:
• Citizens at the time of the Constitution's adoption
• Children of Filipino parents (Jus Sanguinis)
• Those who elected Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority
• Naturalized citizens

Human Rights

• Human Rights are fundamental rights entitled to all individuals regardless of background
• Principles: human dignity should always be honored, rights must be universally recognized and unrestricted, and all individuals deserve dignity and fair treatment

Classification of Rights

• Natural Rights are universal rights not dependent on laws
• Constitutional Rights are rights protected by the Constitution
• Political Rights are rights to participate in governance
• Civil Rights are personal freedoms granted to citizens
• Social, Economic, and Political Rights ensure well-being
• Rights of the Accused give protections for those accused of crimes
• Statutory Rights are rights granted by specific laws

Theories of Human Migration to the Philippines

• Austronesian Migration Theory / Out of Taiwan Hypothesis:
• Proposed by Peter Bellwood stating massive migration of people from Asia to the Pacific originated from Taiwan 5,000 years ago due to increased population in Taiwan using advanced maritime travel and agriculture
• Evidenced by cultural and linguistic similarities among Southeast Asian communities
• Wave Migration Theory:
• Proposed by Henry Otley Beyer stating early humans migrated to the Philippines in several waves
• Groups: Dawn Man (earliest inhabitants), Negritos (first migrants), and Malay peoples (last group to arrive)
• Criticism: Disproven by later studies of William Henry Scott and F. Landa Jocano
• Core Population Theory:
• Proposed by F. Landa Jocano suggesting that early humans in the Philippines evolved locally instead of coming from outside
• Based on discoveries of human remains in Tabon Caves, Palawan
• Core Population contributed to social and cultural developments Recent Discoveries on Early Humans in the Philippines
• Homo Luzonensis
• Discovered in Callao Cave, Cagayan (2019)
• A small-bodied hominin species
• Lived around 50,000 – 67,000 years ago
• Excavation led by Armand Mijares

The Development of Early Societies

• Neolithic Period (New Stone Age)
• Use of agriculture led to permanent communities
• Widespread pottery-making and craftsmanship
• Rise of large hierarchical states (social classes, leadership)
• Metal Age
• Use of metals for weapons and tools
• Conflicts between communities increased
• Decentralized societies formed
• Ancient Filipino Societies
• Barangay System was a basic political and social unit, led by a Datu
• Antonio Pigafetta's records describe early Filipino governance

Effects of Colonization on Philippine Society

• Spanish Colonization (16th – 19th Century)
• Reducción Policy relocated native communities into Pueblos (towns)
• Plaza Complex had a centralized town layout with a church, government buildings, and market
• American Colonialism (1898–1946)
• Post-World War II, urban development increased
• Commercial centers and modern infrastructure were introduced
• Post-Colonization Era (Modern Times)
• Rise of high-rise buildings, 24-hour convenience stores, and highways
• Expansion of commercial complexes
• Environmental challenges due to urbanization

Family Institution

• Family is a socio-economic unit that provides emotional, financial, and social support The United Nations (UN) definition of family includes:
• Married couples (with or without children), single-parent families, families with same-sex parents

Types of Families

• Nuclear Family consists of parents and children
• Extended Family includes grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins
• Blended Family is formed from remarriage or reconstituted families
• Lone-Parent Family consists of a single parent raising children
• Transnational Family means parents work abroad while children stay in the home country

Functions of the Family

• Biological reproduction ensures the continuation of society
• Socialization of children teaches norms, values, and traditions
• Economic support provides financial stability
• Emotional security offers love, care, and guidance

Kinship Systems

• Consanguineal Kinship is based on blood relations
• Affinal Kinship is based on marriage (in-laws)

Descent Rules

• Patrilineal traces ancestry through the father
• Matrilineal traces ancestry through the mother
• Bilateral traces ancestry through both parents

Marriage Types

• Monogamy is marriage to one partner at a time
• Polygamy includes multiple marriages: Polygyny is one man, multiple wives & Polyandry s one woman, multiple husbands
• Endogamy means marrying within one's social group
• Exogamy means marrying outside one's social group
• Same-Sex Marriage is legally recognized in some countries

Legal Aspects of Marriage

• Divorce is the legal termination of marriage
• Annulment declares marriage void (as if it never happened)
• Legal Separation allows spouses to live separately but not remarry

Education as an Institution

• Functions of Education:
• Socialization of children instills societal values
• Skill development trains individuals for jobs
• Social participation encourages citizenship
• Weakens parental control as schools influence behavior

Tri-Focalization of the Philippine Education System

• The Philippine education system follows a tri-focalized approach, meaning three government agencies oversee different levels of education:
• Department of Education (DepEd) manages basic education, implements the K-12 curriculum & oversees schools
• Commission on Higher Education (CHED) governs higher education institutions, regulates degree programs but does not manage technical-vocational institutions
• Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) focuses on technical-vocational education, provides skills training & oversees TVET institutions

Education as a Right

• (Philippine Constitution, Article XIV):The state shall provide quality education for all
• Section 2 states provide free public elementary and secondary education
• R.A.6655 gives free public high school education and R.A. 4090 which is a state scholarship for poor but deserving students

Health as an Institution

• Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being (WHO, 1946)

Key Aspects of Health

• Health is relative as people judge their health based on others
• Health and morality means society often links health with moral values
• Health standards change over time, what is healthy today may not be in the future and there is health inequality, poorer societies have worse health outcomes

Healthcare Systems

• Preventive Medicine focuses on disease prevention
• Holistic Medicine considers physical, emotional, and social well-being
• Global Health Strategy (WHO, 1982) includes equity in healthcare access, public education on health and adequate nutrition for all
• Culture-Specific Health Issues include "Usog" or illness caused by a stranger's presence, "Hilot" or traditional healing massage & "Pásma" or illness from exposure to hot and cold temperatures

Political and Economic Institutions

• Politics is the exercise of power in society
• It determines resource distribution and decision-making

Authority and Government

• Authority is the legitimate use of power and government is the institution that enforces laws and maintains social order

Political Systems

• Monarchy is ruled by a king/queen
• Absolute Monarchy refers to when the monarch has total power
• Constitutional Monarchy occurs when the monarch's power is limited by laws
• Democracy means power is held by the people
• Presidential Democracy means the leader is elected separately from the legislature
• Parliamentary Democracy means the leader is chosen by the legislature
• Authoritarianism is when a single ruler or group has full control
• Totalitarianism means the government controls all aspects of life
• Oligarchy is when power is held by a small, elite group
• Theocracy is a type of government based on religion

Economic Systems

• Capitalism is a private ownership of businesses which is driven by competition and profit
• Socialism focuses on public ownership of resources, where government controls major industries

Globalization & Economic Work Trends

• Globalization is the movement of goods, money, and people across nations
• Contingent Work is temporary, freelance, or contract-based employment