Understanding Culture and Society

Understanding Culture

• Culture encompasses customs, beliefs, social forms, and traits defining specific racial, religious, or social groups.
• Influences behavior and interactions within social institutions.
• Varied greetings across cultures:
  • United States: handshake
  • France: cheek kisses
  • Korea: bowing
  • Philippines: “pagmamano” (pressing elders' hand to forehead)

Society and Politics

• Society: Derived from “socius” (Latin) meaning friend or companion; involves individuals sharing geographical or social territory.
• Politics: From “Politika” (Greek), related to governance and decision-making in communities.

Types of Culture

• Material Culture: Tangible creations of humans (e.g., food, clothing, technology).
• Non-Material Culture: Learned and observed behaviors (e.g., religions, customs, gestures).

Cultural Variation

• Represents differences in social behavior exhibited by various cultures worldwide.
• Religion: Derived from “religare” (Latin), signifies binding beliefs and practices toward divine entities (prayer, worship).
• Ethnicity: A collective identity based on shared culture and history, occasionally linked to national origin (e.g., racially Asian, ethnically Chinese).
• Nationality: Citizenship of a country involving legal obligations.

Examples of Cultural Variation

• Dress styles vary across Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia.
• Dance variations are evident in Philippines and Malaysia.
• Formalities differ between cultures.

Categories of Cultural Variation

• Universal: Traits found in all cultures.
• Generalities: Traits common in many but not all societies.
• Particularities: Traits unique to specific cultures.

Social Differences

• Refers to individual differences based on social characteristics such as class, role, age, ability, sex, etc.
• Can lead to discrimination rooted in these characteristics.

Key Social Differences

• Gender
• Gender roles
• Socio-economic class
• Ethnicity
• Race

Gender vs. Sex

• Gender: Personal identity (masculine or feminine) and constructed personality; varies independently of biological anatomy.
• Sex: Biological and anatomical characteristics defining male or female individuals.

LGBTQi Definitions

• Lesbian: Women attracted to other women.
• Gay: Men attracted to other men.
• Bisexual: Attraction to two genders, not necessarily equally or simultaneously.
• Transgender: Individuals whose gender identity differs from societal expectations based on their assigned sex at birth.
• Queer/Questioning: Individuals attracted to multiple genders.