UCSP-Week-3.pdf

11 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Quarter 1 – Module 3: Culture and Society: Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism Danilo L. Baraquiel, MAED Developer Content Standards: The learners dem...

11 Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics Quarter 1 – Module 3: Culture and Society: Ethnocentrism & Cultural Relativism Danilo L. Baraquiel, MAED Developer Content Standards: The learners demonstrate an understanding of: 1. Culture and society as anthropological and sociological concepts; 2. Perspectives in/approaches to the study of culture and society (i.e., comparative, historical, structural functional, interpretative, critical) Performance Standards: The learners 1. Appreciate the nature of culture and society from the perspectives of anthropology and sociology; 2. Demonstrates a holistic understanding of culture and society; 3. Values cultural heritage and express pride of place without being ethnocentric. Learning Competencies: Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding. Learning Objectives: At the end of this module the students will be able to: 1. Describe culture and society as a complex whole; 2. Identify the characteristics, types, elements, functions, and aspects of culture; 3. Become aware of why and how cultural relativism mitigates ethnocentrism; To the Learners This module will equip you a necessary content knowledge, skills, and competencies about the society and culture. As such, they are treated initially markers of the disciplinal territories of sociology and anthropology respectively. You read and understand carefully each part of the module so that you can be able to answers various activities. It is hoped to provide you an appreciation and understanding about the lesson. EXPECTATION To understand man’s social experience, it is necessary to make a wider analysis of man’s relationship to his natural environment. Culture makes possible for man to adapt and integrate himself to his environment by being creative and resourceful in coming up with ways and means of survival. In this module, culture establishes patterns of acceptable social behavior such as etiquette, protocols, good manners and right conduct, roles and duties, as established by social norms.  You read and understand carefully each part of the module so that you can be able to answer various activities that will help you develop your potentials in understanding the lesson. In this module you will be able to encounter terminologies such as social, cultural, anthropology, sociology, political science, etc. You are expected to identify the subjects of inquiry and goals of anthropology, political science, and sociology. You will be able to adapt an open critical attitude through observation and reflection. There are various activities prepared by the writer/s that will help you understand the nature, goals, and perspectives in/of anthropology, sociology, and political science. It is hoped that you will learn to value the knowledge and wisdom of this module. PRE-TEST Directions: Identification. Identify the following.  Values  Cultural variation  Culture  Society  Cultural Relativism  Technology  Ethnocentrism  Material culture  Mores  Values _________1. It refers to a group of people sharing a common culture within a defined territorial boundary. _________2. A composite multifarious areas that comprise beliefs practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of society. _________3. It consists of tangible things used by man in his everyday life. _________4. The patterns of repetitive behavior which becomes habitual and conventional part of living. _________5. The set of ethical standards and moral obligations as dictates of reason that distinguishes human acts as right or wrong or good from bad. _________6. It refers to anything held to be relatively worthy, important, desirable, or valuable. _________7. It refers to the practical application of knowledge in converting raw materials into finished products. _________8. It refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit around the world. _________9. It is a perception that arises from the fact that cultures differ and each culture defines reality differently. _________10. The attempts to judge behavior according to its cultural context. LOOKING BACK Directions: The following are the significance of studying society. Explain each. Representation of our identity Characterize Avenue for Significance of economic the totality of Studying Society a territory interdependence Symbol of political independence INTRODUCTION OF THE LESSON The Complexity of Culture Culture is a people’s way of life. It prefigures both the processes and structures that account not only for the development of such a way of life, but also for the inherent systems that lend it its self-perpetuating nature. The “complex whole” suggests that culture cannot be simply broken down into a set of attributes. It means that an understanding of a part can only be achieved (or is only possible) in relation to the other parts of the system. The Anatomy of Culture and Society Anthropology Sociology The What The How The Why Refers to the Refers to the Refers to the reasons for compliance and contents of the processes that the mechanisms that facilitate culture guarantee the performance transmission of the contents Actions Learned Through socialization/enculturation Individuals are exposed to and experience lessons in everyday interactions. Shared Language Through conformity Actions of individuals are routinized and  institutionalized in contexts like family, church, schools, and government. Attitude Through social control Conformity, or its absence thereof, is meted out through the system of giving rewards and imposing of punishments. Communicated “Culture is the process by which a person becomes all that they were created capable of being”. - Thomas Carlyle There are different ways of defining culture and society. Each definition is always associated with man’s relationship to his environment. Hence, man’s social interaction serves as an avenue for creating patterns of behavior that will guide the members of society to live in an organized and orderly manner. What is it What is Culture? Language Working Medical Clothes & Schedules Cure Religion Languag Manners Dressing Food Jokes CULTURE Celebrations Folk Art Culture is a composite or multifarious areas that comprise beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as member of society. Characteristics of Culture A culture is historically derived system of explicit and implicit designs for living, which tends to be shared by all or specially designed members of a group. Explicit culture refers to similarities in words and actions which can be directly observed. For example, the adolescent cultural behavior can be generalized by looking at the way teens dress, their mannerisms, and conversation. Implicit culture, on the other hand, exists in abstract forms which are not quite obvious.  Culture is a composite or diverse areas that comprise beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of society. Therefore, culture is: 1. A product of human interaction 2. A social heritage that is complex and socially transmitted 3. Provides socially acceptable patterns for meeting biological and social needs 4. A distinguishing factor 5. An established pattern of behavior 6. Cumulative 7. Meaningful to human beings Types of Culture Non-material Culture Material Culture Ideas Technological tools Behavior, gestures & Food habit Religion Fashion & Accessories Language & Symbols Architectural Structures Elements of Culture Knowledge It refers to any information received and perceived to be true. Beliefs The perception of accepted reality. Reality refers to the existence of things whether material or non-material. Social These are established expectations of society as to how a person Norms is supposed to act depending on the requirements of the time, place, or situation. Social norms are very important in understanding the nature of of man’s social relationship. In the social interaction process, each member possesses certain expectations about the responses and reactions of another member. Hence, it is very essential to determine the different forms of social norms. 1) Folkways – The patterns of repetitive behavior which becomes habitual and conventional part of living. 2) Mores – The set of ethical standards and moral obligations as dictates of reason that distinguishes human acts as right or wrong or good from bad. 3) Values – Anything held to be relatively worthy, important, desirable, or valuable.  4) Technology – The practical application of knowledge in converting raw materials into finished products. Aspects of Culture The study of society is incomplete without proper understanding of the culture of that society because culture and society go together. Culture is unique possession of man. Man is born and brought up in a cultural environment. Culture is the unique quality of man which separates him from the lower animals. Culture includes all that man acquires in his social life. There are important aspects of culture that contribute to the development of man’s social interaction.  Dynamic, flexible, and adaptive  Shared and contested  Learned through socialization or enculturation  Patterned social interactions  Integrated and at times unstable  Transmitted through socialization  Requires language and other forms of communication. Enculturation and Third Culture Shock Enculturation refers to the gradual acquisition of the characteristics and norms of a culture or group by a person, another culture, etc. It starts with actual exposure to another culture and the duration and extent of exposure account for the quality of the resulting enculturation. Third culture shock is a good example of enculturation. Individuals who have stayed for quite a good portion of their lives (especially the period after the formative years) in a foreign culture may be shocked by their birth culture once exposed to it again. The shock created by their birth culture is a product of their enculturation in the second culture. Functions of Culture Since culture seems to be universal human phenomenon, it occurs naturally to wonder whether culture corresponds to any universal human need. According to social scientists, culture has certain functions for both the individual and society. 1. Culture defines situations 3. Culture defines myths, legends, and the supernatural 2. Culture defines attitudes, values, and 4. Culture provides behavior patterns goals Ethnocentrism What is Ethnocentrism? The word ethno comes from the Greeks and it refers to a people, nation, or cultural grouping. Centric, on the other hand, comes from Latin and refers to the “center.” The term ethnocentrism then refers to the tendency of each society to place its own culture patterns at the center of the things. It is the practice of comparing other cultural practices with those of one’s own and automatically finding those other cultural practices to be inferior. Cultural variation refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit around the world. Functions of Ethnocentrism 1) First, ethnocentrism encourages the solidarity of a group. Believing that one’s own ways are the best encourages a “we” feeling with associates and strengthens the idea that loyalty to comrades and the preservation of the basis for superiority are important values. 2) Second, ethnocentrism hinders the understanding or the cooperation between groups. If the ways of one’s own group are best, there is little incentive to interact with “inferior” groups. 3) Third, conflict of course often leads to social change. In that sense, ethnocentrism becomes a vehicle for the promotion of social change. Cultural Relativism Do you know what cultural relativism is? It is the idea that all norms, beliefs, and values are dependent on their cultural context and should be treated as such. A key component of cultural relativism is the concept that nobody, not even researchers, comes from neutral position. They way to deal with our own assumptions is not to pretend that they don’t exist, but rather to acknowledge them and then use the awareness that we are not neutral to inform our conclusion. It is a research method. Social scientists strive to treat cultural differences as neither inferior nor superior. This is a method whereby different societies or cultures analyzed objectively without using the values of one culture to judge the worth of another. Xenocentrism and Xenophobia Since we are dealing with behaviors that result in evaluation of cultures, we need to include two related concepts – xenocentrism and xenophobia. Xenocentrism refers to a preference for the foreign. In this sense, it is the exact opposite of ethnocentrism. It is characterized by a strong belief that one’s own products, styles, or ideas are inferior to those which originate elsewhere. Xenophobia, on the other hand, is the fear of what is perceived as foreign or strange. Xenophobia can be seen in the relations and perceptions of an in-group toward an out-group. It may include fear of losing identity, suspicion of the other group to secure a presumed purity. Cultural Heritage Cultures have tangible (visible) and intangible (nonmaterial) components. The tangible ones are those that are produced and created based on specific and practical purposes and aesthetic values. The typical intangible heritage may be associated with events. In the Philippines, historical sites include, but are not limited to, the houses of heroes and significant historical personalities. Preservation of cultural heritage is equal to protecting them from external threats such as destruction (symbolic and physical), damage (in part or in its entirety) and violation through playful use/representation.  What’s More (Activity) Activity 1.1: My Culture, My Heritage Directions: Identify two Philippine Cultural Heritage under threat, one tangible and one intangible. For both, identify the threats and their possible sources, and then come up with a plan of action on how to deal with these threats. Write your output on the table. Heritage Threats Plan of Action Activity 1.2: Directions: Answer the following questions. 1. Is there such as superior and inferior culture? Explain. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________. 2. How is culture and behavior related? Give an examples to prove your answer. _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________. What I have learned. Directions: Answer critically the situation inside the box. In some parts of Europe and America, same sex marriage is considered as legal. Explain in your own words the applicability of same sex marriage in the Philippines.  CHECKING YOUR UNDERSTANDING What I Can Do Critical Thinking: Assess whether the statements in column A are true or false. In column B, write T if the statement is true and F if the statement is false. A B 1. Man’s social interaction serves as an avenue for creating patterns of behavior. 2. Every human society is organized in such a way that they need to conform to government policies. 3. Culture provides socially acceptable patterns for meeting biological and social needs. 4. Culture as cumulative refers to man’s ability to form ideas and use them in his environment and experiences. 5. Culture is organized in a unique way that shapes personality. 6. A person with ethnocentric view regards one’s own culture as a benchmark standard for all other cultures. 7. Culture changes overtime as people respond to challenges. 8. Geographical space determines the appropriate culture for one specific society. 9. Enculturation is the process by which people learn the requirements of their surrounding culture. 10. Culture is an imprint of man’s emotional achievement. POST TEST Matching Type. Match column B with column C. Write the letter of the correct answer on column A. Column A Column B Column C 1. These are guides or models of behavior A. Culture which tell us what is proper and which are appropriate or inappropriate, right or wrong. 2. These are established expectations of B. Mores society as to how a person is supposed to act depending on the requirements of the time, place, situation. 3. The perception of accepted reality. C. Xenocentrism 4. The gradual acquisition of the D. Enculturation characteristics and norms of a culture or group by a person or another culture. 5. It refers to any information received and E. Xenophobia perceived to be true.  6. Practice of comparing other cultural F. Cultural Relativism practices with those of one’s own and automatically finding those other cultural practices to be inferior. 7. The idea that all norms, beliefs, and G. Ethnocentrism values are dependent on their cultural context and should be treated as such. 8. The fear of what is perceived as foreign or H. Knowledge strange. 9. Refers to the preference for the foreign. I. Social norms 10. It refers to the values, beliefs, behavior, J. Beliefs and material objects that form the totality of the way of life of humans. ENRICHMENT Directions: Case Study. Perform a case study that examines culture of an indigenous group in the Philippines. Use the following guide questions as you write case study. a) Describe the indigenous group you chose. b) Provide a profile of indigenous group that you chose as your case study. c) Who are they? What do they do? Where did they come from? What do you think about them? d) Discuss the way of life of the indigenous group. Using the table below. Social Diet Economic Clothes System of Religion Grouping (What do Activities (What do writing (Do they (Do they live they eat?) (What do they wear?) (Do they have a in large or they do?) know how religion?) small to read and groups?) write?) e). How will you explain the society and culture of the indigenous group that you chose? f). Write a short reflection and answer the question: How should students treat indigenous groups? How did you feel about the culture of the indigenous people?