Understanding Culture and Society PDF

Understanding Culture and Society Dear Learner, in this lesson, you will learn about the different disciplines that belong to the social sciences. At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Understand the historical development of geography, demography, and hi...

Understanding Culture and Society Dear Learner, in this lesson, you will learn about the different disciplines that belong to the social sciences. At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to: 1. Understand the historical development of geography, demography, and history as social sciences; 2. Identify the subfields under anthropology and sociology; and 3. Explain the importance of these disciplines as fields of study and practice.  ANTHROPOLOGY: The Science of Culture  Using the theory of Plato’s evolution of society, the natural tendency of human is to associate himself to other people to ensure survival. Thus, creating society.  This social group we call society creates their own pattern of behavior, beliefs, traditions, and practices that we call culture.  ANTHROPOLOGY  Society and culture is always inseparable,  Culture shapes society, while society is important for the existence of culture.  The patterns or behavioral tendencies of a certain group of people; culture, is the main focus of the study of Anthropology.  ANTHROPOLOGY Greek words Anthropos “Human” and logos “discourse/science” Scientific study of human kind – origins and nature, patterns of interaction, as well as physical and sociocultural development. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Herodotus – Greek historian Herodotus on his analysis on why Greek and Persian conflicts evolve. Greek as the dominant culture of the West while Persia is the dominant culture of the East, thus, the differences of culture caused misunderstandings and conflicts. Modern Anthropology – Age of Discovery The rise of imperialism where European explorers discovered new lands that led to the desire to study other society’s culture. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY Earliest work related to anthropology was treatises of human nature, conflict, and the role of society in regulating these human tendencies. Hugo Grotius – Dutch – published his “On the Law of War and Peace – 1625, general theory of law that will regulate war and minimize bloodshed. 1651 Thomas Hobbes – Leviathan – natural state of individuals are at war- thus, peace only will achieve when people agree to subject themselves to an absolute power called, “Leviathan.” DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  John Locke – Treatises on Civil Government – natural state of human being is at peace. German Jurist and historian Samuel Von Pufendorf – nature of humans as social beings have rights to equality and freedom based on their dignity – slavery is not a part of the natural order. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  19th century – study of human culture  British Scholar Sir Edward Burnett Tylor – earliest, clearest, and most widely accepted definition of culture. “That complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”  Book – Primitive Culture – he established a theory influenced by Charles Darwin’s theory of biological evolution. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  Primitive Culture – the evolution of culture from primitive to modern.  American Anthropologist Lewis Henry Morgan – Echoed his view by arguing that European civilization was the pinnacle of human society, and that other forms of society were backward, savage, and barbaric. European nations used these theories of cultural evolution to justify the expansion of their colonial empires. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  Policy of applying evolutionary theory to social and political policy came to be known as Social Darwinism.  1920-1930 – German Born American Anthropologist Franz Boas expressed opposition to social Darwinism and cultural evolution theories.  He argued that genetic differences between societies could not explain the differences in culture and that cultural differences were due to factors such historical events, and migration rather than genetic and physiological superiority and inferiority. DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOLOGY  Franz Boas argued that anthropologist should view culture from its point of view rather than the point of view of the anthropologists own culture.  Later became the fundamental anthropological principle of Cultural Relativism and was the dominant trend in Anthropology for much of the 20th century. SOCIOLOGY: The Science of Society Human beings as part of the society SOCIETY – group of people who exist in accordance with certain social structures, and in the process, create and maintain these structures for themselves. FAMILY – example of a social structure. Basic unit of society  SOCIOLOGY  German sociologist MAX WEBER defined sociology: “science which attempts the interpretive understanding of social actions”  PITIRIM SOROKIN  “study of relationship and correlations between various classes of social phenomena, the relationship of social and non-social aspects of life, the general characteristics common to all classes of social phenomena. “  SOCIOLOGY  C. WRIGHT MILLS concept: “Sociological Imagination”  The ability to understand the social world by drawing relationships between social forces and actions of individuals.  Mills posited that through sociological imagination, people will be able to veer away from their personal worldview and analyze daily events and phenomena through a much more broader sense.  SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS  Studying “Society” can be traced back to the Ancient Greek and Roman Civilizations.  Scholars and philosophers during these periods discussed social cohesion, collective solidarity, and community in their works.  SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS  SOCIOLOGY was born in the 19th Century  A time of scientific advancement and radical social change on one hand and great instability on the other.  Intellectuals believed that a systematic investigation of Social behavior would help restore order.  One of these intellectuals is Auguste Comte  SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS  Auguste Comte – reintroduced the word Sociology  Latin word SOCIUS (compassions/associate) and the Greek word LOGIA (study/discourse)  He wanted to have an all encompassing science of Society that would occupy the topmost position in the hierarchy of sciences.  He, along with Herbert Spencer, suggested that a science of society would lead to an improved understanding of how society works, enabling us to shape it for the better. SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS  Frederic Le Play - “Les Ouvriers Europeens” / “The European Workers”  A landmark study of the social aspects of the working classes in Continental Europe.  Alexis de Tocqueville – “Democracy in America”  A insightful explanations of the social structures and institutions in the United States of America”  SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS Ferdinand Tonnies – “Community and Society” Argued that social problems in the West were primarily caused by its transition from a communal, status- based society to more self-centered, impersonal society amidst Industrial revolution.  SOCIOLOGY THROUGH THE YEARS 1890 University of Kansas in US – offered the first course in sociology under the title Elements of Sociology. First Department of Sociology - 1895 University of Bourdeaux in France – by Emile Durkheim 1919 –Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich – by Max Weber 1893 – Rene Worms founded the International Institute of Sociology which was superseded in 1949 by the International Sociological Association.  Discuss: Answer the following questions concisely: 1. Why is there a need to study one’s native culture and other cultures? 2. Do you agree that no culture is superior to another? Explain your answer. 3. Why the study of culture and society is inseparable?