Understanding Culture, Society and Politics PDF

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Starting points for Understanding of Culture, Society and Politics Do you know your socio-cultural background? These are your: Gender Age Nationality Religion Ethnicity Talents Share and exchange your ideas abo...

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics Starting points for Understanding of Culture, Society and Politics Do you know your socio-cultural background? These are your: Gender Age Nationality Religion Ethnicity Talents Share and exchange your ideas about your socio- backgrounds What are cultural variation and social differences? Cultural Variation – differences in social behaviors, beliefs, customs and traditions that exists among various groups and societies. Example: Language diversity, different cultures develop their own languages, leading to vast array of languages spoken worldwide. Social Differences – the difference among the individuals on the basis of social characteristics and qualities. Example: In a society, individuals with high status are given more respect and and importance as compared to the poor and homeless people. Give 2 more examples For cultural variations Social differences  What is culture? Define culture in your words and experience CULTURE - Is the set of learned behaviors, attitudes and beliefs that characterizes a society or people in a group. Culture tells what the individual does, what to do, and how the society does those things and how he should relate to other people. Cultural Anthropology – is the study of cultural variation and social differences. Socio-economic Status 1. Upper Class – the people in this class have a great wealth and sources of income. They constitute the elite wealthy group in society. They have high reputation in terms of power and prestige. The high- income class comprises a mere 1.4% of the total population. 2. Middle Class – people in this class system may belong to upper-middle class like the businessmen and professionals or in lower-middle class like the teachers, clerks, etc. The middle class, constitutes approximately 40% of the population. 3. Lower class – people in this class belong to the bottom of socio-economic ladder. This class system may be categorized into two: upper-lower class and lower-lower class. People in the upper-lower class may be considered as the working class or the laborers. The lower-lower class people are those who are unemployed, or no source of income. A significant majority of Filipinos, accounting for 58.4% of the population, belong to the low-income class. Let’s reflect… State some problems about our social classes in the Philippines. Explain your answer. Race Is a socially constructed category composed of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of society consider important. Racial distractions become meaningful because we attach meaning to them, the consequences may form prejudice and discrimination to slavery and genocide. Your opinion… What can you say about racial discrimination? Cite an example. Gender It refers to personal traits and social positions that members of a society attach to being female and male. It is a dimension of social organization shaping how we interact with others and how we think of ourselves as persons. Religion It is one of society’s important institutions; it is a belief system that emphasizes the supernatural being. Religion is a universal cultural patterns since all people have some kind of religion. Religious symbols and meaning shape the world views thoughts and beliefs of the follower. Social Change Is the modification and alteration of a pattern of behavior, social structure, social organization and social institution. Change in society causes change in culture. Let’s think… Give an example of social change. Elaborate your answer. Political Identity Refers to a specific political party, affiliation or partisan identity. It is always associated with group affiliation and describes the ways being a member of a particular group might express specific political opinions and attitude. As political parties benefit from partisan identity, it makes for very loyal and reliable voters – parties seek to cultural partisan loyalty, including political dynasties among their members. Opinions…. Are you for or against political dynasty? Why? SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL BEHAVIOR Social Behavior – is the general conduct exhibited by individuals within a society. It is essentially in response to what is deemed acceptable by a person’s peer group or involves avoiding behavior that is characterized as unacceptable. Anti-social behavior Have you experienced…? Give a positive and negative social behavior that you have experienced? Elaborate your answer. Political Behavior Is the study of the way people think, feel and act with regards to politics. The focus of political behavior is the individual’s engagement in political life such as elections, political partisan, political dynasties, public opinion, political parties, etc. Political Phenomenon refers to the activities within an organization aimed at acquiring, developing, and utilizing power and resources to achieve desired outcomes. It encompasses both negative and positive aspects of political behavior in organizational settings. Example: Pres. Joseph “Erap” Estrada, is considered a political phenomenon The election of Barack Obama in 2008 Food Taboos is a prohibition against consuming certain foods. Most religions declare food items fit and others unfit for human consumption. Example: - food avoidance are pork among Jews, Muslims and Ethiopian Christians - beef among Hindus, some Buddhists and Jains - chicken and eggs in some African communities - dog meat in the West - fish in Mongolia and other parts of central Asia - milk and milk products in Polynesia and parts of China. What do you think? What do you think is the most taboo food? Why? Istambay Is a Tagalog term of the English version “stand-by”. It is a social behavior which carries a negative connotation. People who love to hang around or loiter in an area are called “istambays” Please explain… Why do you think there are many “istambays” in the Philippines. Political Dynasties Texting Local Public Service