Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics PDF

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Starting Points for the Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics Starting Points for the Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics Lesson 1 – Essentials in Studying Culture, Society, and Politics Holistically, culture...

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Starting Points for the Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics Starting Points for the Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics Lesson 1 – Essentials in Studying Culture, Society, and Politics Holistically, culture includes everything made by man. Our identity and unique differences reflect the kind of culture in our society. In this lesson, you will have a glance on the understanding of culture, society, and politics. You will begin to realize that you are connected to the social realities and phenomena based from your actions, behavior, attitude within a society. This is to prove Aristotle’s notion that we are indeed a social animal. Different political, social, and cultural issues do not stand alone inside the classroom hence, they surface beyond  Natural Science and Social Science  Social Science - It is a branch of discipline or branch of science that deals with human behavior in its social and cultural aspects (Nisbet, 1974). - It includes anthropology, sociology, political science, economics, psychology, and geography as its branches. - It also the field of human knowledge that deals with all aspects of the group of life of human beings therefore, it is subject to change with the changes of the human behavior.  Natural Science - It is a branch of science that deals with the natural world: its processes, elements, and composition.  Natural Science vs Social Science studies natural studies the events. human society.  SOCIOLOGY - came from the Latin word “socius” – means companion and Greek word “logos” – means “to study.” - studies the human society. - The purpose of sociology is to understand how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.  Father of Sociology Studied the phenomena were great changes in the field of technology most especially in the work and living pattern of the people arises during the Industrial Revolution and eventually coined Auguste Comte the He term focused on the idea sociology of in 1838. (1798- 1857) improving the development of the society and how it operates.  He also introduced the term Positivism through his book entitled Course on Positive Philosophy (1830–1842) and System of Positive Polity (1851-1854). He said that the use of scientific methods to present the laws in which societies and individuals interact would propel in a new “positivist” age of history. It allowed sociologists to study society scientifically through evidences, experiments, and statistics to clearly see the operations of the society.  Karl Marx (1818–1883) a German philosopher and economist. He made Communist Manifesto (1848) with Friedrich Engels (1820–1895). This book presents Marx's theory of society, which different from the point of view Comte. He disagreed with Comte's positivism and believed that societies developed and progressed because of the struggles of different social classes over the means of production. Types of Social Classes in the Philippines Wondering what social class in the Philippines you belong to? Your guess might not match the government's definition of social classes. Note: Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. To provide updated and accurate information that better reflects the present situation, the income computation is based on the current poverty threshold. Income Cluster Per Capita Income Monthly Income (for a family of 5) Poor Less than the official poverty threshold Less than ₱12,082 Low-income class (but not poor) Between the poverty line and twice the poverty line Between ₱12,082 and ₱24,164 Lower middle-income class Between two and four times the poverty line Between ₱24,164 and ₱48,328 Middle middle-income class Between four and seven times the poverty line Between ₱48,328 and ₱84,574 Upper middle-income class Between seven and 12 times the poverty line Between ₱84,574 and ₱144,984 Upper-income class (but not rich) Between 12 and 20 times the poverty line Between ₱144,984 and ₱241,640 Rich At least 20 times the poverty line ₱241,640 and above  Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) He was responsible for defending sociology as an independent discipline from psychology. His main contributions are in the field of sociology of religion, education, and deviance. His notable works are The Division of Labor in Society (1893) which tackles the transformation of a society from a primitive state into a capitalist, industrial society. He also published a work titled Suicide (1897).  Max Weber (1864-1920) He emphasized the role of rationalization in the development of society. ( re organization of a company in order to increase its operating efficiency) It refers essentially to the disenchantment of the world. He introduced bureaucracy as an application of scientific way of life. As bureaucracy efficiency possesses supreme value, other values such as personal relationship and intimacies are gradually rejected. ( system of government in which power is divided among diff department and officials)  Areas of Sociology 1. Social Organization 2. Social Psychology 3. Human Ecology 4. Applied Sociology 5. Population Studies 6. Social Change 7. Sociological Theory and Research  ANTHROPOLOGY - It came from a Latin word “anthropos” – means man and Greek word logos – means -toa study. branch of Social Science that deals with all aspects of human beings including their biological evolution and social and cultural features that definitively distinguish humans from other - helps animal us to species. understand our holistic identity.  With the scope of the discipline, it encompasses a group of more specific and specialized fields. Physical anthropology focuses on the biological and evolutionary framework of Other branches that deal with social and humanity. cultural interactions of human groups are categorically belong to social anthropology, cultural anthropology, psychological anthropology, and linguistic anthropology.  Charles Darwin “On the Origin of Species” (1859), it boosted the passion of the all scientists in different fields. His idea not only opened the new avenues of disciplines under Natural Science but also accelerated the pace of Socio-Cultural studies.  Bronislaw Malinowski (1884- 1942) observation as introduced participant a method of studying culture. This method also allows the researcher to obtain a close familiarity within a group of people and their practices by means of a rigorous involvement to them and to their environment over a long period of time.  Franz Boas (1858-1942) is considered the Father of American Anthropology. His works focused on rejecting the biological basis of racism or racial discrimination. He also rejected the Western idea of social evolution thus, he favored An advocate of cultural relativism or the historicalofparticularism. complexity all culture whether primitive or not.  Edward B. Tylor (1832-1917) British anthropologist. From his book Primitive Culture (1871) first gave the definition of culture which is widely quoted “culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, law, custom, and all aspects of man as a member of society”. This is the most known definition of culture and later used as a pattern in interpreting and analyzing aspects and elements of culture.  Branches of Anthropology 1. Cultural Anthropology – The study of people with their variations and progress in terms of culture. It also deals with the description and analysis of the forms and styles of social life of past and present ages. 2. Linguistic Anthropology – The study of language mainly but not exclusively among humans. It also deals with the study of communication’s origins, history, and contemporary variation. 3. Archaeology – The study of past human cultures through their material remains. It also the study of past human culture through the recovery and analysis of artifacts. 4. Biological Anthropology – The study of humans as biological organisms, including their evolution and contemporary variation. 5. Applied Anthropology – They analyze social, political, and economic problems and develop solutions to respond to present problems.  POLITICAL SCIENCE - The etymology of Political Science came from two ancient words. The word political came from Greek word “polis” means city- state and science comes from Latin word “scire” which means to know.  POLITICAL SCIENCE - a discipline in social science concerned primarily in the state, government, and politics. - It focuses widely in political theory and its practice and the analysis of political systems and behavior.  Areas of Political Science 1.Political Theory – It deals with the accumulation of principles identifying with the basis, structure, conduct, and operations of the state 2.Public Law – It pertains to laws or ordinances which control the framework of public governance. 3.Public Administration – It serves as an academic discipline that studies civil 4. Political Dynamics – It is an aspect of Political Science which are concerned with the relationship of different societal forces that dictate political opportunities and actions. 5. Government and Business – It gives importance to the regulatory and governmental function to corporate, or business entities concerning the national economy. 6. Legislatures and Legislation – The term legislation is a complex mechanism that can be extended as a discipline. It tries to explain the process, composition, and organization of 7. International Relations – It includes inquiries into the nation-states' foreign policy in their mutual ties on the various forces-geographic, technological, psychological, and political that contribute to shaping such policy. 8. International Law – It is a system of agreements and treaties that entails responsibilities of one state into another. 9. Comparative Government – It is a discipline that studies and analyzes the general structure of governments of all countries. It includes (executive, legislative, and judicial bodies, their constitutions, laws, administrative organizations, foreign policies, political parties and processes, economic, social, and political  Importance of Studying Culture, Society and Politics On Culture We need to see man’s relationship to his environment and to appreciate the contributions of culture in our lives. Banaag (2012) posited that culture can function in different ways and which we can see its importance as well.  Culture creates man to be creative and resourceful by adapting and integrating himself in the environment to survive  Culture determines outline of acceptable social behavior such as protocols, good manners, roles, and duties established by folkways, mores, and laws.  Culture carry-out meanings through different forms of verbal and non-verbal communication.  Culture produces tangible objects relevant to man such as instruments, tools, equipment, structures, and all technological advancements.  Culture contributes to the totality of living of humankind as well as on how they can make their On Society Societies are formed through social interaction of its member. These members need to understand their roles and functions to propagate patterned behavior in a structured society. Thus, society is important for:  human connection and interconnectedness  symbolizing identity of the members  characterizing the boundaries of a territory  representing political independence and economic interdependence On Politics Each society possesses distinctive characteristic of political structure. Political science deals primarily in the study of government and state processes. Understanding deeply a political life suggests that politics can be reduced to the question of who gets what, where, when, and how. According to Lazo (2009), the aim of Political Science is citizenship education. It mandates its students to participate, appreciate, and understand the duties and responsibilities of  understand the theories, concepts and knowledge and principles of governance as well as public administration and political dynamics.  manifest the underlying principles of state policies and laws to be abided and respected by all  prepares the student for possible career path in the legal profession, government service and other profession with high respect to legal matters and procedures.  FACETS OF THE SOCIAL Anthropology Social forces Cultural practice s Power Sociology Political relations Science  GOALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY Internalize the concept of individual differences and diversity Discover universality among humans See cultural patterns objectively Produce new knowledge and new theories about humankind and human behavior  GOALS OF SOCIOLOGY Obtain theories and principles about society Examine social roles within the society See the interdependency of all beings Broaden familiarity on GOALS OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Understand civic skills and humane ideals for public participation Examine the operations of the government Equip each of us intellectual resources that will harness you Starting Points for the Understanding of Culture, Society, and Politics Lesson 2 – Anthropological and Sociological Perspectives on Culture and Society  Culture and society are not the same thing. While cultures are connections of behavior patterns and perceptions, societies are formed through interacting organisms within a group. Societies are not just limited to humans but can be recognized to all organisms possessing skills in interacting like schools of fish, flocks of birds, and hives of bees. In human societies, social interaction plays a very important role. It is a skill needed for the survival of  Perspectives on Culture Matthew Arnold in his Culture and Anarchy (1867) mentioned that culture or high culture as opposed to popular culture (or folkways in an earlier usage) is a product of a special intellectual or artistic endeavor humans had invented.  Kroeber & Kluckhohn (1952) defined that culture is composed of behavior (explicit and implicit) acquired and transmitted through symbols. It is a human group that includes their distinctive achievements and embodiment in artifacts, traditional and historical ideas, and formation of values. They added that culture systems can be considered as a product of action from conditional elements of a society. Lastly, Schwartz (1992) stated that culture consists of experiences that are organized, learned or created by the individuals of a population, including those images and images adding up their unique interpretations transmitted from the past generations up to the future.  Aspects of Culture Dynamic, Flexible, & Adaptive Culture changes constantly throughout the time It varies on the societal structure and the capacities of its members to respond. Shared & Contested Culture through its elements is enjoyed by group of people who lived together It also allows its members to predict the behavior of other members but it is no assurance that they will think and act similarly. Learned through socialization or Enculturation Culture is learned with practice through continued process It is a lifelong process in which social interaction plays a vital role Patterned social interactions Culture creates patterned behavior and social interactions that can be transmitted through socialization and enculturation Integrated and at times unstable Culture to be always functioning must maintain its components integrated Languange must have all its idea and ideals intact for the successful transmission from one person to another Transmitted through socialization/ enculturation Socialization is a process of learning and internalizing rules and patterns of society (Sociological Perspective) while enculturation is a process of learning and adopting Requires language and other forms of ways and manners communication of culture..(Anthropological Perspective) Culture will be successfully transmitted if it uses language and other forms of communication within their context  Types of Culture Material culture includes all visible parts and tangible objects while non-material culture has intangible objects or the invisible parts. MATERIAL CULTURE NON-MATERIAL CULTURE Food Ideas and Knowledge Clothing and Fashion Beliefs and Traditions Buildings and Properties Symbols and Language Arts and Technology Behavior Religion  Elements of Culture Element Definition Examples in s Philippine Context NORMS These are the standard an expected behavior within a society. It is divided into two: formal norms and informal norms Formal Norms Pre-marital sex, Mores – they are norms that has a firm Homosexual control to moral and ethical behavior. relationships Laws – they are ordinance of reason 1987 Constitution, enacted to protect the people from the laws promulgated by bad effects of outdated mores the Philippine Government Informal Mores Doing “Mano Po” Folkways or Customs – they are Practicing behaviors of less importance yet still “Bayanihan”  Elements of Culture Element Definition Examples in s Philippine Context SYMBO These are anything that A symbol of cross LS carry a meaning recognized refers to by people who share a Christianity while culture. crescent shape is for Islam VALUES These are culturally defined Filipino standards by which people hospitality, assess desirability, resiliency, close- goodness, and beauty and family ties,  Elements of Culture Elements Definition Examples in Philippine Context BELIEFS These are specific statements Superstitious beliefs that people hold to be true. LANGUAG It refers to a form of The crossing of fingers communication using words may refer that E either spoken or gestured with someone is hoping for the hands and structured with good luck but in grammar, often with a writing Vietnam it represents system. the genitals of a female. TABOOS These are norms that are Incest, cannibalism crucial to a society’s moral  Theoretical Perspectives on Society As the Father of Sociology Auguste Comte coined the term sociology and said that society is a social organism possessing a harmony of structure and function, his followers were motivated to give their own perspective on this.  Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) described the emerging societies as societies of survival and primarily based on the concept of natural law. Members of each society must learn to adapt to their surroundings to outlast the prevailing conditions Karl Marxpresent in theirhad (1818-1883) environment. a different take on society. He postulated that societies develop through class conflicts. There is always s struggle between the workers and the capitalist due to the exploitation of the latter to the former which is essential in provoking social change. The only way to end  Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) said that society is composed of harmonious elements such as individuals, organizations, and social institutions. These elements must perform their role in the society for function effectively. Dysfunction may occur if these elements are not in the state of equilibrium.  George Herbert Mead (1863–1931) and other scholars who conceptualized the concept of symbolic interactionism take a different point of view on society. According to this, society can be seen in a micro-level that focuses on the relationships of individuals within aBlumer Herbert society (1969) primarily centersthe who coined interm their communication both language and symbols. symbolic interactionism studied how humans interact to the meanings ascribed into a specific object under circumstances.  Contemporary scholar such as Morris Ginsberg (1921) stated that society is a group of individuals bonded by specific relation or manner of behavior which tend to differ them from individuals who have a different Also, set of patterned Franklin behavior. (1922) Giddings mentioned that society is a unified itself, the organization, and the totality of formal relations in which interacting humans are guaranteed together.