Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) PDF

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) LESSON 1: Discussing the Nature, Goals and Perspectives in/of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science ANTHROPLOGY - the science of human beings, especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation...

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) LESSON 1: Discussing the Nature, Goals and Perspectives in/of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science ANTHROPLOGY - the science of human beings, especially : the study of human beings and their ancestors through time and space and in relation to physical character, environmental and social relations, and culture. Anthropos = man/human beings The scientific study of man, his works, his body and his behavior and Logos = study values over time. Goals of Anthropology - Describe and analyze the biological evolution of mankind. - Describe and assess the cultural development of our species. - Describe, explain and analyze the present-day human cultural similarities and differences. - Describe and explain human biological diversity day. Branches of anthropology: 1. Cultural Anthropology 3. Archaeology 2. Physical/Biological Anthropology 4. Linguistic Anthropology 5. Applied Anthropology PERSPECTIVES 1. Comparative or cross-cultural studies - understand human diversity by studying diverse cultures. 2. HOLISM - view culture as a complex web of interdependent and interconnected values, beliefs, traditions, and practices that shape the way people live and interact with one another. r st 3. Cultural Relativism - must suspend your own cultural biases and avoid making value judgments about the beliefs and practices of the people you are studying. 4. Historical/Evolutionary Theory - studies both the biological and the cultural evolution of humans, past and present. RENOWNED ANTHROPOLOGISTS Franz Boas - Father of American anthropology; a physicist. - gave modern anthropology its rigorous scientific methodology - originated the notion of "culture" as learned behaviors. Alfred Kroeber & William Henry Morgan – became prominent in the field since their specialization included championing indigenous rights, like cultural preservation and ancestral domain of the American Indian tribes they intensively study. 1|Page FLAYNO Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) Edward Burnett Tylor – declared that culture is "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Tylor is credited with the establishment of anthropology as a scientific discipline, and his groundbreaking work was highly influential in the development of cultural evolution as the foundation for anthropologic studies. Ruth Benedict - a specialist in Anthropology and folklore and authored one of three famous books utilized in the academic scene for reference purposes known as the patterns of culture Margaret Mead - an American anthropologist best known for her studies of the peoples of Oceania. She also commented on a wide array of societal issues, such as women’s rights, nuclear proliferation, race relations, environmental pollution, and world hunger. Bronislaw Malinowski – the founding father of central ethnography or the ethnographic approach Ethnographic Approach – emphasizes the ethnographer’s first-hand experiences going to society and conducting a formal interview. SOCIOLOGY - It is the systematic study of groups. The study of social relations, institutions and societies. - The study of society, its development and social interactions. - The study of human social behaviour, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and culture Socius = companion of man Logos = study Goals of Sociology - Understand ourselves better and mankind. - Help with decision making, both own and that of larger organizations. - Gather systematic information from which to make a decision, provide insights into what is going on in a situation and present alternatives - Reach the rules and laws governing the conduct of these phenomena and social relations - Understanding the nature of various social realities so that this society can draw up strategic plans, set goals and programs that will work to increase progress and raise society What is the difference of Anthropology and Sociology? A culture represents the beliefs and practices of a group, while society represents the people who share those beliefs and practices. They cannot exist without each other. 2|Page FLAYNO Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) Branches of Sociology: 1. Social organization 3. Applied Sociology 5. Human Ecology 2. Social Psychology 4. Population Studies PERSPECTIVES OF SOCIOLOGY - These perspectives offer sociologists theoretical paradigms for explaining how society influences people, and vice versa. Each perspective uniquely conceptualizes society, social forces, and human behavior 1. Symbolic Interactionism - directs sociologists to consider the symbols and details of everyday life, what these symbols mean, and how people interact with each other as defining features of society. The theory operates on the assumption that society is a stable and orderly system. 2. Functionalist Perspective - each aspect of society is interdependent and contributes to society's functioning as a whole. The government, or state, provides education for the children of the family, which in turn pays taxes on which the state depends to keep itself running. 3. Conflict Theory - The theory assumes that there is a constant power struggle among various social groups and institutions within society. Conflict theorists study the culture of “dominant classes” and analyse how this culture is imposed on other classes. The effective domination of this class facilitated by culture brings about social order. RENOWNED SOCIOLOGISTS August Comte -is known as the founder of positivism and is credited with coining the term sociology. Comte helped shape and expand the field of sociology and placed a great deal of emphasis on his work on systematic observation and social order. 3|Page FLAYNO Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) Emile Durkheim - known as the "father of modern sociology". He is credited with making sociology a science. One of his most famous pieces of work is "Suicide: A Study In Sociology," and another important work of his that focuses on how society functions and regulates itself is "The Division of Labor in Society. C. Wright Mills - Calls it the sociological imagination which he defined as the “vivid awareness between private experiences and the wider society” Karl Marx - was the forerunner of the conflict theory and wrote Communist Manifesto – a book that is focused on the misery of the lower class (working class) caused by the existing social order. His critical theories collectively understood as Marxism. Max Weber - German sociologist and political economist best known for his thesis of the “Protestant ethic,” relating Protestantism to capitalism, and for his ideas on bureaucracy. Peter Berger - Explains that the perspective of sociology enables us to see “general patterns in particular events” W.I. Thomas - American sociologist who formulated a theorem in 1928 which states “if people define situations as real, they are real in their consequences” POLITICAL SCIENCE - Study of the state that deals comprehensively with the theory and practice of politics and also focuses on the analysis of political systems, political behaviour, and political culture. - Political Science examines the way people govern themselves, the various forms of government, their structures, and their relationships to other institutions. Polis = city; sovereign state Scire = to know; study Politika – affairs of the cities Goals of Political Science - Be immersed in current affairs and build an understanding on the local, national and international politics. - Learn how political activities are organized in and out of our country. - Provide substantially critical and scientific contribution to government and society. - To be able to measure the success of governance and specific policies by examining many factors, including stability, justice, material wealth. - To describe how various political systems functions and to find more effective political systems. 4|Page FLAYNO Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) PERSPECTIVES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE 1. Methodologically diverse and appropriates many methods originating from psychology, social research and cognitive neuroscience. 2. As one of the social sciences, uses methods and techniques that relate to the kinds of inquiries sought, primary sources such as historical documents and official records, secondary sources such as scholarly journal articles, survey research, statistical analysis, case studies, experimental research and model building. PROPONENTS Plato – used the term “polis” Aristotle – Father of Political Science Niccolo Machiavelli– Father of Modern Political Science Jean Bodin - a French political philosopher coined the term “Political Science” References: https://helpfulprofessor.com/symbolic-interaction-examples/ https://botpenguin.com/glossary/symbolic-interactionism https://www.simplypsychology.org/max-weber-conflict theory.html#:~:text=Max%20Weber's%20conflict%20theory%20posits,Marx%20%26%20Engels%2C%201847). https://www.slideshare.net/victorsinangote/323989810-ucsphandouts Page 8 Atienza, et. al. 2016. Understanding Culture, Society and Politics. Quezon City. C & E Publishing, Inc. https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/ucspm1pptx/261929941 5|Page FLAYNO Understanding Culture, Society and Politics (UCSP) 6|Page FLAYNO