UCSP Week 1: Culture, Society, and Politics

UCSP Week 1

• UCSP is an abbreviation for Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
• Concepts exist in the realm of ideas and thoughts
• Concepts influence how we perceive the world individually and collectively
• Concepts are created and hold a firm grasp on phenomena
• Concepts allow for the creation of new concepts and the analysis of existing ones

Social Beings

• Individuals possess labels assigned by society
• Examples of labels include: male/female, rich/poor, tall/short, skin color
• Social attributes are defined by societal categories
• Societal categories are not natural, but socially constructed

Claude Levi-Strauss

• Anthropology studies humanity as its subject.
• Anthropology differs from other human sciences by focusing on the diverse manifestations of humanity.

Identity, Values, Beliefs

• Identity encompasses distinctive traits shared by a group
• Values represent a person's or group's principles
• Beliefs are firmly held opinions or convictions

Culture

• Culture originates from the Latin word "colere," meaning "to cultivate"
• Culture encompasses the acquired cognitive and symbolic aspects of human existence
• Society refers to social organization, interaction patterns, and power relationships within a community

Aspects of Culture

• Culture is learned through enculturation, the process of acquiring culture as a member of a group
• Culture imbues actions, beliefs, rituals, myths, dances, and artwork with meaning
• Cultural aspects are intertwined, meaning they affect each other

Culture is Shared

• Culture exists within the sphere of social relationships
• Cultural interactions create connections between people from various societies
• Cultural practices and values guide relationships

Ethnocentrism

• Ethnocentrism is evaluated using one's own cultural lens
• Ethnocentrism is the belief that one's own culture or ethnic group is superior to others
• Cultural relativism is the understanding of another culture based on its own context

Politics

• Aristotle defined humans as political animals, emphasizing the importance of human interactions within a society.
• Michael Oakeshott proposed that activities not related to the state are not political.
• David Easton defines politics as the authoritative allocation of values within a community.
• Robert Dahl views politics as human interactions related to power and authority where conflict is present.

Scope of Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science

• Anthropology derives from Greek words meaning "human" and "study" and is concerned with social and behavioral science.
• Sociology studies society, social institutions, and societal relationships, focusing on human behaviour.

Sociological Imagination

• Sociological imagination involves understanding a person's society, history, personal troubles, and societal problems to understand the individual
• C. Wright Mills is credited with this concept.

Political Science

• Politics is tied to attaining power and authority
• It's associated with governments as the ultimate authority
• Political science is a field of study involving experiments and observations to obtain knowledge

Google Forms and Google Classroom

• Google forms and Google classroom are used for educational purposes

Diagram

• The diagram shows the interconnection and influence of culture, society, and politics in a person’s life.

Explore the foundational concepts of Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics in Week 1. This quiz covers definitions of identity, social constructs, and the influence of labels on individuals. Gain insights into how concepts shape our perceptions and interactions within society.