Reviewer Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics PDF

REVIEWER UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS First Quarter, First Semester THE NATURE AND GOALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ANTHROPOLOGY...

REVIEWER UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS First Quarter, First Semester THE NATURE AND GOALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ANTHROPOLOGY The term anthropology means scientific study of man or human beings. It is a compound of two Greek words, ‘anthropos’ and ‘logos’, which can be translated as ‘human’ and ‘reason’, respectively. it always describes human, human behavior and human societies around the world. It also describes the ancestors through time and space in relation to its environmental, social relations, and culture. The goal of studying anthropology is to understand the origin of human evolution and the diverse forms of its existence throughout time. MAIN ELEMENTS OF ANTHROPOLOGY Philosophical Anthropology - Study of human nature conducted by the methods of philosophy. It is concerned with questions such as the status of human beings in the universe, the purpose or meaning of human life, and whether humanity can be made an object of systematic study. Max Scheler is the founder of philosophical anthropology. Ex. Aptani Beauty Standard, Apatani Rituals/practices of Marriage, Apatani Handmade Dresses Cultural Anthropology – knowledge about cultivated humans. Includes linguistic, behavior/values and culture. Franz Boas is the father of cultural anthropology. Ex. Apatani tribe were married at a very young age, they wore handmade dresses, facial tattoos, ears and nose plugs. Social Anthropology – Knowledge about humans in societies. Nature of human life in society. Ex. being conservative but later on join and accept the trend. Bronislaw Malinows is widely recognized as founder of social anthropology. Ex. Apatani decided to stop making tattoos, they wore modern dresses like other tribes, and the livelihood and way of living of Apatani is very poor. SOCIOLOGY The word Sociology originates from two words: 'Socius' of Latin language and 'Logos' of Greek language. 'Socius' means 'companion' and 'logos' means science or study. It is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Focuses its aspects on man, his social manners, social activities and social life. Study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society. Study of social problems. The goal of sociology is to help you understand how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by the surrounding cultural and social structures. POLITICAL SCIENCE It is the systematic study of the state and government. From the Greek word “Polis” – “city state” and “Scire” – “to know”. The discipline that deals with several aspects such as the study of state and government. It deals with the nature and formation of the state and attempts to understand its forms and functions. The goal of Political Science is to constantly deepen the knowledge, discover progress and protect the quality of life within a group, community, country, and the world. Thus, it is the study of power relationships and competing interests among states around the world. PERSPECTIVES OF ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES – It involves culture, cultural relativism, fieldwork, human diversity, holism, bio-cultural focus. 1. Cross-Cultural or Comparative Emphasis – uses data about the behaviors and beliefs in many societies. Ex. comparing of similarities and differences. 2. Evolutionary/Historical Emphasis – understanding the nature of culture and cultural changes of specific populations of people. Ex. historical or cultural background of an individual. Nature of culture and cultural changes. 3. Ecological Emphasis – study of cultural adaptations to environments. Ex. Playing mobile games, wearing trendy clothes, being a k-pop and koreanovela’s enthusiast, network continue to develop and innovate different environmental ideas. 4. Holistic Emphasis – understanding humankind in terms of the dynamic interrelationships of all aspects of human existence. Ex. consolidating individual’s differences as a whole. SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES - Central features include social interaction and relationships (ex. sharing our goals and interest), social contexts (ex. our good perceptions/understanding to our originated culture), social structure (ex. Family tree), social change (ex. influence or the process of adapting from environment, being able to graduate in college and find a decent job to earn money), the significance of diversity (ex. relationship of 2 or more culture) and human variation (ex. Being not open to understand and adapt other practices that can leads to ethnocentrism) and the critical questioning character of sociology. Three major theoretical perspectives: 1. Structural Functionalism– each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society’s stability and functioning as a whole. Idea of Emile Durkheim. Function: Manifest (given, obvious) and Latent (not obvious, covert) Dysfunction: Behavior that disrupts the smooth flow of society. 2. Conflict Theory – focuses on the competition between groups within society over limited resources. Conflict will exist. Class Conflict Theory of Carl Marx- Inequality between two classes under capitalism. Bourgeoisie- owner of means of production such as machines and factory Proletariat- the working class/sells service to the bourgeoisie  Racial Conflict - inequality due to the conflict of races and ethnic groups. Gender Conflict Theory - inequality between men and women. 3. Symbolic interactionism – focuses on the relationship among individuals within a society. People interacting through the use of symbols.Idea of Max Weber. Our interpretation of symbols affects our behavior. Ex. Gestures and language. POLITICAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE - Studies the tendencies and actions of people which cannot be easily quantified or examined. Political science is more focused than most social sciences. It sticks to the political arena and to the realm of politics, either dealing with situations with two competing sides or the lateral decisions that affect the group as a whole. An example is the study of democracy as a form of government and why is democracy considered as the best form of government. This set includes authority, democracy, equality, freedom, justice and power. 4 ELEMENTS OF STATE 1. People or Population - is an organization of human beings living together as a community. The population of the state comprises all individuals who, in principle, inhabit the territory in a permanent way. Characteristics: Sufficient numbers to do different functions. Self-perpetuating - continuing the functions from generation to generation. 2. Territory - is a geographical area that is owned and controlled by a government or country to exercise such state sovereignty. Such as aerial, terrestrial, fluvial and maritime territory. 5 ways of claiming territory: Discovery - old way of claiming territory. Prescription - leading the territory without any protest from others. Conquest - using military forces or power. Not legal to United Nations Charter. Cession - there is an arrangement between two state in-terms of giving or sharing a portion of territory. Accretion- additional territory because of geologic and geographic crust. 3. Government- is the executive branch of the state and has the role to administer the state uniformly in the following aspects: political, economic, social, cultural, use of natural resources, environmental protection, national defense and security, and foreign affairs. Constituent Function - such as peace and order, arrangement of properties, implementing laws and justice. It is mandatory. Ministrant Function- social welfare. Ex. Helping poor people. It is optional. 4. Sovereignty - is the quality of having supreme, independent authority over a territory. It can be found in a power to rule and make law that rests on a political fact for which no purely explanation can be provided. Internal Sovereignty - characteristics of the state to implement policies inside or within the territory.  External Sovereignty - the freedom of the state from the external control. Imperium ( characteristics of the state to implement policies to the people) and Dominium (ability of the government to claim all resources inside or within the territory) ANALYZE THE CONCEPT, ASPECTS AND CHANGES IN/OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY 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. What is the concept of culture and society? A culture represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while society represents the people who share those beliefs and practices. Neither society nor culture could exist without the other. How does the aspects of culture affect the culture and society? Our culture shapes the way we work and play, and it makes a difference in how we view ourselves and others. It affects our values—what we consider right and wrong. This is how the society we live in influences our choices. But our choices can also influence others and ultimately help shape our society. How does globalization affect Philippine culture and society? Globalization is the process of interaction and integration. The impact of globalization in the Philippines changes a lot in terms of culture, values, and economy. It also helps the improvement of infrastructure in the Philippines. It gives more opportunities to all Filipinos to work abroad and help each country to stay connected. Globalization has also opened our eyes to various cultures, which has increased people's understanding of one another. THE MAJOR ELEMENTS OF CULTURE 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. 4. Norms are unwritten rules which influence our behaviors and actions.  5. 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 CULTURAL VARIATION - It refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit around the world. What may be considered good etiquette in one culture may be considered bad etiquette in another culture. If human cultures modify the natural environment, it is also true that the natural environment initially shaped, and still shapes to some extent, the culture of society. SOCIAL DIFFERENCES - The differences among individuals on the basis of social characteristics and qualities. Includes class, role, culture, age, ability, sex etc. Social differences can create discrimination among individuals on the basis of their social characteristics. Gender – it is the socially-constructed characteristics of being male or female. Serves as guide on how males and females think and act about themselves. LGBTQi (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex) SOCIAL DISCRIMINATION – spreading or posting malicious and fake news. SOCIAL CHANGE - Is used to indicate the changes that take place in human interactions and interrelations. It is defined of behavior, social organizations or value system. Ex. Being able to graduate in college and find a decent job.  Social as “Driver of interaction”. By mapping the social forces impinging on social actors as their lives intersect in society. By rehearsing the structures and components of cultural practices and traditions. By exposing the asymmetrical power distributions among members of social communities and organizations. CULTURAL CHANGE – Human culture that have lasted for a longer period of time but eventually slow down and decline or modify. EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM IN ATTAINING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING CULTURAL RELATIVISM - is the idea that norms, belief, and values are dependent on their cultural context and should be treated as such. Ex. Not posting or ignoring any fake and malicious news. The concept of cultural relativism states that cultures differ, so that a cultural trait, act, or idea has no meaning or function by itself but has a meaning only within its cultural setting. Example: Marriage is monogamy among the Christian but polygamy among the Muslims. Polygamy is considered immoral and sinful among the Christians but moral and appropriate among the Muslims. Indeed, it promotes greater appreciation of the cultures one encountered along the way. How? 1. Reading about the practices and rituals of other cultures. 2. May take place because of travel or immigration. IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM Using the perspective of cultural relativism leads to the view that no one culture is superior than another culture when compared to systems of morality, law, politics, etc. It is a concept that cultural norms and values derive their meaning within a specific social context. ETHNOCENTRISM- The usual definition of the term is "thinking one's own group's ways are superior to others" or "judging other groups as inferior to one's own". Ethnocentrism is generally seen as a bad thing because it leads to prejudice and hatred of other groups. A global leader can reduce ethnocentrism in an organization or society by modeling open-minded behaviors and embracing new cultures with open arms. People fear differences, so ethnocentrism is a very serious and real concept. But people also learn from watching each other. Prepared by: EMMANUEL V. DEL CASTILLO Teacher II