Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics PDF - 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025 WEEK 1 DEFINING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS CULTURE- is generally defined as th...

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025 WEEK 1 DEFINING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS CULTURE- is generally defined as the sum of an individual’s way of life, ranging from the food he or she eats, the clothes he or she wears, and the house where he or she lives. SOCIETY- is generally defined as an organized group or groups of interdependent people who share a common territory, language, and culture and who act together for collective survival and well-being. POLITICS- refers to the theory, art, and practice of government. The political institution is a relatively stable cluster of statuses, general norms, and role behaviour, which are involved in the acquisition and exercise of power and decision-making in society. POWER- a status granted to individuals or institutions to properly run the government and implement the rule of the law in a society. GENDER- is the socially-constructed characteristics of being male or female. In short, it refers to society’s division of humanity into two distinctive categories based on sex. SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS- Refers to the category of persons who have more or less the same economic socioeconomic privileges in the society. These privileges are due to inherited wealth and/or the occupational status of the breadwinner in the household. ETHNICITY- the expression of the set of cultural ideas held by a distinct ethnic or indigenous group. RELIGION- is an organized system of ideas about the spiritual sphere or the supernatural, along with associated ceremonial or ritualistic practices by which people try to interpret or influence aspects of the universe otherwise beyond human control. EXCEPTIONALITY- refers to the state of being intellectually gifted or having physically or mentally challenged conditions concerning personality/ behaviour, communication (learning disability, speech impairment, and hearing problems), intellect (mild intellectual and mental development disabilities), physical appearance (blind-low vision), or a combination of more than one specific exceptionality or disability. NATIONALITY- is the legal relationship that binds a person and a country. FIELDS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE 1. Anthropology relates to sociology, it always describes human, human behaviour and human societies around the world. It is a comparative science that examines all societies. The term anthropology means scientific study of man or human beings. Cultural anthropology studies, human societies and elements of cultural life. An example of cultural anthropology is the Linguistic anthropology which focuses on language in a certain society. The goal of studying anthropology is to understand the origin human evolution and the diverse forms of its existence throughout time The study of Man and its various aspects is known as Anthropology. It may be a subject of science and arts. It is a branch of sociology. It describes human, human behaviour and human societies and it examines all societies around the world. It also describes the ancestors through time and space in relation to its environmental, social relations, and culture. 2. Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social stability to radical change in whole societies. The purpose of sociology is to understand how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures. Sociology is a social science; it belongs to the family of social sciences. As a social science, focuses its aspects on man, his social manners, social activities and social life. The goal of sociology is to help you understand how human action and consciousness both shape and are shaped by the surrounding cultural and social structures 3. Political Science is a social science that deals with humans and their interactions. It is a branch of sociology; it essentially deals with the large-scale actions of humans, and group mentality it is a discipline that deals with several aspects such as the study of state and government. It deals with the nature and formation of the state and attempts to understand its forms and functions. The goal of Political Science is to constantly deepen the knowledge, discover progress and protect the quality of life within a group, community, country, and the world. Thus, it is the study of power relationships and competing interests among states around the world. ARTICULATION OF CULTURAL, SOCIAL, AND POLITICAL IDENTITIES C. Wright Mills – wrote the book entitled “Sociological Imagination” where he made a distinction between troubles and issues: Troubles (personal challenges) – private matters that can be explained in terms of personal characteristics which can be resolved by changing an individual’s character or immediate relationships Examples: motivation levels, mood, personality, ability, immediate relationships with family, acquaintances, or co-workers Issues (social challenges) – public matters that can be explained by factors outside individual’s control and immediate environment Examples: unemployment rate, changing climate, unequal access to education, limited resources Sociological Imagination – quality of mind that help people to use information in a way that they can think about what is going on in the world and of what may be happening within themselves CULTURAL, SOCIAL AND POLITICAL CHANGE Change is inevitable. No society remains the same all throughout its history. Cultural change is the modification of a society through innovation, invention, discovery, or contact with other societies. Examples: the invention of the internet and smartphones, arranged marriages and surrogacy, the material culture the people are using to aid their lives Social change is the alteration of mechanisms within social structure, characterized by changes in cultural symbols, rules of behavior, social organizations, or value systems Examples: society accepting the LGBTQ+ community, roles of male and female in the family Political change refers to a subject matter that is in constant flux. It deals not only with the major processes of growth, decay, and breakdown but also with a ceaseless ferment of adaptation and adjustment of political systems. Examples: people power, coup d’ etat and martial law, women occupying positions in the national government, number of youths who are critical of the government AGENTS OF CHANGE (01)Innovation – invention of something new – an idea, a process, a practice, a device, or a tool. They are syntheses, refinements, new applications and reworking of existing inventions -Leslie White – anthropologist who believes that “invention is the mother of necessity.” He argued that (a) when the cultural base is capable of supporting an invention, that invention will come into being whether people want it or not, (b) the rate of change is tied to the size of the cultural base, and (c) inventors must live in a society with a cultural base sufficiently developed to support their inventions cultural base - number of pre-existing inventions (02)Action of Leaders – it represents a trigger to social change. A leader is someone who has the power to influence others or who is in-charge or in command of a social situation (03) Conflict – struggle of agency or power in a society. It occurs when two (2) or more actions oppose each other in a social interaction.  Understanding Culture, Society and Politics 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025 WEEK 2 Concept of Culture and Society Meaning and Nature of Society According to sociologist, a society is a group of people with common territory, interaction, and culture. Arcinas (2016) in his book, Undertanding Culture, Society, and Politics, defined society as group of people who share a common territory and culture. It is a group of people living together in a definite territory, having a sense of belongingness, mutually interdependent of each other, and follow a certain way of life. Society is derived from the Latin term “societas”, from socius, which means companion or associate. Thus, it refers to all people, collectively regarded as constituting a community of related, interdependent individuals living in a definite place, following a certain mode of life (Ariola, 2012). The following are reasons people live together as a society (Ariola, 2012): a. For survival – No man is an island. No man can live alone. From birth to death, man always dependsn upon his parents and from others. The care, support, and protection given by them are importnt factors for survival. b. Feeling of gregariousness – This is the desire of people to be with other people, especially of their own culture. People flock together for emotional warmth and belongingness, the need for approval, sympathy and understanding to which the individual belongs is a psychosocial need. Among Filipinos, the feeling of gregariousness is found in all levels of society, especially among the lower socio- econmic classess. The more the person is needy, the more he craves sympathy and understanding from someone else. c. Specialization – Teachers, businessmen, students, physicians, nurses, lawyers, pharmacists, and other professionals organize themselves into societies or associations to promote and protect their own professions. Characteristics of Society 1. It is a social system. A social system consists of individuals interacting with each other. A system consists of sub-parts whereby a change in one part affects the other parts. Thus, a change in one group of individuals will affect the stability of the other parts of the system. 2. It is relatively large. The people must be socially integrated to be considered relatively large than if the people are individually scattered. Thus, the people in a family, clan, tribe, neighborhood, community are socially integrated to be relatively large in scope. 3. It socializes its members and from those from without. Since most of society’s members are born to it, they are taught the basic norms and expectations. Those who come from other societies, before being accepted as functioning members, are socialized and taught the basic norms and expectations of the society. 4. It endures, produces and sustains its members for generations. For society to survive, it must have the ability to produce, endure and sustain its new members for at least several generations. For instance, if a society cannot assist its members during their extreme conditions of hunger and poverty, that society will not survive long. 5. It holds its members through a common culture. The individuals in a society are held together because that society has symbols, norms, values, patterns of interaction, vision and mission that are commonly shared by the members of such society. 6. It has clearly-defined geographical territory. The members in a society must live in a certain specific habitat or place and have a common belongingness and sense of purpose. Major Functions of Society A society is important because they have the following functions: 1. It provides a system of socialization. Knowledge and skills, dominant patterns of behavior, moral and social values, and aspects of personality are transmitted to each members, especially to the young. the family, the peer group, the school, the church and other government and non- government organizations play a role in the individual’s development. 2. It provides the basic needs of its members. Food, clothing, shelter, medicine, education, transportations and communication facilities, among others must be provided by society to satisfy the basic needds of its members. 3. It regulates and controls people’s behavior. Conformity to the prevailing norms of conduct ensures social control. The police, armed forces, law enforcement agencies and even the church and other government and non-government organizations exist as means of social control. Peace and order are created through a system of norms and formal organizations. 4. It provides the means of social participation. Through social participation, the individuals in a society learn to interact with each other, present and discuss their concerns and solve their own problems or renew their commitment and values. the people are give the opportunities to contribute to their knowledge and skills for the betterment of their family, neighborhood and community. religious organizations, civic organizations, people’s organizations (PO) and non-government organizations (NGOs) do their part in community development. 5. It provides mutual support to the members. Mutual support is provided to the members of society in the form of relief in any form and solution to problems met by them. This form of assistance may come from the family, neighbors, clans, government and non-government agencies, civic and religious organizations. Dissolution of a Society There are several ways by which a society is dissolved: (1) when the people kill each other through civil revolution; (2) when an outside force exterminates the members of the society; (3) when the members become apathetic among themselves or have no more sense of belongingness; (4) when a small society is absorbed by a stronger and larger society by means of conquest or territorial absorption; (5) when an existing society is submerged in water killing all the people and other living things in it; or (6) when the people living in such a society voluntarily attach themselves to another existing society. Meaning and Nature of Culture It was E.B. Taylor who conceptualized the definition of culture in 1860s. According to him, culture is a complex whole which consist of knowledge, beliefs, ideas, habits, attitudes, skills, abilities, values, norms, art, law, morals, customs, traditions, feelings and other capabilities of man which are acquired, learned and socially transmitted by man from one generation to another through language and living together as members of the society (Arcinas, 2016) Importance / Functions of Culture In the book of (David and Macaraeg, 2010), the following functions of culture were given emphasis: (1) it serves as the “trademark” of the people in the society; (2) it gives meaning and direction to one’s existence; (3) it promotes meaning to individual’s existence; (4) it predicts social behavior; (5) it unifies diverse behavior; (6) it provides social solidarity; (7) it establishes social personality; (8) it provides systematic behavioral pattern; (9) it provides social structure category; (10) it maintains the biologic functioning of the group; (11) it offers ready-made solutions to man’s material and immaterial problems; and (12) it develops man’s attitude and values and gives him a conscience. Elements of Culture 1. Symbols refers to anything that is used to stand for something else. It is anything that gives meaning to the culture. People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound, or image. 2. Language is known as the storehouse of culture ( Arcinas, 2016). It system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people. We have a lot of dialects in the Phillipines that provide a means of understanding. Through these, culture is hereby transmitted to future generation through learning (David and Macaraeg, 2010). 3. Technology refers to the application of knowledge and equipment to ease the task of living and maintaining the environment; it includes artifacts, methods and devices created and used by people (Arcinas, 2016). 4. Values are culturally defined standards for what is good or desirable. Values determine how individuals will probably respond in any given circumstances. Members of the culture use the shared system of values to decide what is good and what is bad. This also refers to the abstract concept of what is important and worthwhile (Davidand Macaraeg, 2010). What is considered as good, proper and desirable, or bad, improper or undesirable, in a culture can be called as values (Arcinas, 2016). Filipinos are known for the following values: (a) compassionate; (b) spirit of kinship and camaraderie; (c) hardwork and industry; (d) ability to survive; (e) faith and religiosity; (f) flexibility, adaptability and creativity; (g) joy and humor; (h) family orientation; (i) hospitality; and (j) pakikipagkapwa-tao. 5. Beliefs refers to the faith of an individual ( David and Macaraeg, 2010). They are conceptions or ideas of people have about what is true in the environment around them like what is life, how to value it and how one’s belied on the value of life relate with his or her interaction with others and the world. These maybe based on common sense, folk wisdom, religion, science or a combination of all of these (Arcinas, 2016). 6. Norms are specific rules/standards to guide for appropriate behavior (Arcinas, 2016). These are societal expectations that mandate specific behaviors in specific situations (David and Macaraeg, 2010). Like in school, we are expected to behave in a particular way. If violate norms, we look different. Thus, we can be called as social deviants. For example, Filipino males are expected to wear pants, not skirts and females are expected to have a long hair not a short one like that of males. Social norms are indeed very essential in understanding the nature of man’s social relationship. Types: a. Proscriptive norm defines and tells us things not to do  b. Prescriptive norm defines and tells us things to do Forms: a. Folkways are also known as customs (customary/repetitive ways of doing things); they are forms of norms for everyday behaviour that people follow for the sake of tradition or convenience. For example, we Filipinos eat with our bear hands. b. Mores are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior; they are based on definitions of right and wrong (Arcinas, 2016). They are norms also but with moral understones (David and Macaraeg, 2010). For example, since our country Philippines is a Christian nation, we are expected to practice monogamous marriage. So if a person who has two or more partners is looked upon as immoral. Polygamy is considered taboo in Philippine society. c. Laws are controlled ethics and they are morally agreed, written down and enforced by an official law enforcement agency (Arcinas, 2016). They are institutionalized norms and mores that were enacted by the state to ensure stricter punishment in order for the people to adhere to the standards set by society (David and Macaraeg, 2010). Two Components of Culture Sociologists describe two interrelated aspects of human culture: the physical objects of the culture (material culture) and the ideas associated with these objects (non-material culture). 1. Material culture consists of tangible things (Banaag, 2012). It refers to the physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture. These include homes, neighborhoods, cities, schools, churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, offices, factories and plants, tools, means of production, goods and products, stores, and so forth. All of these physical aspects of a culture help to define its members' behaviors and perceptions. Everything that is created, produced, changed and utilized by men is included in the material culture (Arcinas, 2016). 2. Non-material culture consists of intangible things (Banaag, 2012). Non‐material culture refers to the nonphysical ideas that people have about their culture, including beliefs, values, rules, norms, morals, language, organizations, and institutions. For instance, the non‐material cultural concept of religion consists of a set of ideas and beliefs about God, worship, morals, and ethics. Modes of Acquiring Culture 1. Imitation - Children and adults alike have the tendency to imitate the values, attitudes, language and all other things in their social environment. Some of those things imitated are internalized in their personality and become a part of their attitude, character and other behavioral patterns. 2. Indoctrination or Suggestion - This may take the form of formal training or informal teaching. Formally, the person learns from school. Informally, he may acquire those behaviors from listening or watching, reading, attending training activities or through interaction. 3. Conditioning - The values, beliefs, and attitudes of other people are acquired through conditioning. This conditioning can be reinforced through reward and punishment. Adaptation of Culture 1. Parallelism means that the same culture may take place in two or more different places. Example: The domestication of dogs, cats, pigs and other animals may have semblance in other places 2. Diffusion refers to those behavioral patterns that pass back and forth from one culture to another. This is the transfer or spread of culture traits from one another brought about by change agents such as people or media Examples: food and eating practices, marriage and wedding ceremonies, burial rituals, feast celebrations 3. Convergence takes place when two or more cultures are fused or merged into one culture making it different from the original culture. 4. Fission takes place when people break away from their original culture and start developing a different culture of their own. 5. Acculturation refers to the process wherein individuals incorporate the behavioral patterns of other cultures into their own either voluntarily or by force. Voluntary acculturation occurs through imitation, borrowing, or personal contact with other people. 6. Assimilation occurs when the culture of a larger society is adopted by a smaller society, that smaller society assumes some of the culture of the larger society or cost society. 7. Accommodation occurs when the larger society and smaller society are able to respect and tolerate each other’s culture even if there is already a prolonged contact of each other’s culture. Ethnocentrism, Xenocentrism and Cultural Relativism as Orientations in Viewing Other Cultures Cultural variation is the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhbit around the world. What may be considered good etiquette in one culture may be considered bad etiquette in another. In relation to this, there are important perceptions on cultural variability: ethnocentrism, xenocentrism and cultural relativism. www.shsph.blogspot.com 17 Etnocentrism is a perception that arises from the fact that cultures differ and each culture defines reality differently. This happens when judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture (Baleña, et.al,2016). This is the tendency to see and evaluate other cultures in terms of one’s own race, nation or culture. This is the feeling or belief that one’s culture is better than the rest. Whereas, xenocentrism is the opposite of ethnocentrism, the belief that one’s culture is inferior compared to others. People are highly influenced by the culture or many culture outside the realm of their society. This could be one of the effects of globalization. Exposure to cultural practices of others may make one individual or group of individuals to give preference to the ideas, lifestyle and products of of other culture. Cultural relativism is an attempt to judge behavior according to its cultural context (Baleña, et.al,2016). It is a principle that an individual person’s beliefs and activities should be understood by others in terms of that individual’s own culture. This concept emphasizes the perspective that no culture is superior to any other culture (Arcinas, 2016) because (a) different socieities have different moral code; (b) the moral code of a society determines what is right or wrong within the society; (c) there are no moral truths that hold for all people at all times; (d) the moral code of our own society has no special status, it is but one among many; and (e) it is arrogant for us to judge other cultures, so we have to be tolerant to them. Other Important Terms Related to Culture 1. Cultural diversity refers the differentiation of culture all over the world which means there is no right or wrong culture but there is appropriate culture for the need of a specific group of people. 2. Sub-culture refers to a smaller group within a larger culture. 3. Counterculture refers cultural patterns that strongly oppose those widely accepted within a society (example in the 1960”s counter culture among teenagers reflect long hair, blue jeans, peace sign, rock and roll music and drug abuse).  4. Culture lag is experienced when some parts of the society do not change as fast as with other parts and they are left behind 5. Culture shock is the inability to read meaning in one’s surroundings, feeling of lost and isolation, unsure to act as a consequence of being outside the symbolic web of culture that binds others. 6. Ideal culture refers to the social patterns mandated by cultural values and norms. 7. Real culture refers to the actual patterns that only approximate cultural expectations. 8. High culture refers to the cultural patterns that distinguish a society’s elite 9. Popular culture refers to the cultural patterns that are widespread among a society’s population. 10.Culture change is the manner by which culture evolves.  *Understanding Culture, Society and Politics 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025 WEEK 4 Human Capacity for Culture Culture is defined as “that complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of a society” (Taylor, 2010). It is by-product of the attempt of humans to survive their environment and to compensate for their biological characteristics and limitations. Our evolution toward humanity as we know it has been a long journey of survival against the elements of the environment and against competing species. As our ancestors evolved biologically in response to their environment, they have also developed cultural technologies that aided them to efficiently obtain food and deter predators. Evolution is a natural process of biological changes occurring in a population across successive generations (Banaag, 2012 p.31). It helps us identify and analyze man’s physiological development and eventually the emergence of different society. Moreover, man’s progression and characteristics are essential in understanding the capability for adaptation. Most scientists currently recognize some 15 to 20 different species of early humans. Human Biocultural Evolution Hominids (Australopithecus )“Manlike Primates” · The development of the different species of primates which were able to evolve in 40 million years ago. There have been various relics of hominids which could be described as manlike primates. Homo Habilis “Handy Man” · The apelike men who first to used stone tools as weapons and protection of their enemies. They are recognized as the first true human. Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago. Homo Erectus “The Upright Man” · It was believed to be the first man like creature that lived about 500,000 years ago in Asia, Africa and Europe. This manlike specie could walk straight with almost the same brain with modern man. He made refined stone stools for hunting and weapons for protection of the enemies. The following are the major discovered fossils: · a. Pithecanthropus Erectus “Java Man” –Discovered by Eugene Dubois at Trinil, Java, Indonesia in 1891. · b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis “Peking Man” –Discovered at Choukoutien village, Beijing, China in 1929. Homo Sapiens “The Thinking Man” · It was believed that this was the direct descendant of modern man who lived about 250,000 years ago. They had similar physical descriptions with modern man. They originated as the primitive men whose activities were largely dependent on hunting, fishing and agriculture.  They buried their dead, used had tools and had religion. The following are Homo Sapiens subspecies: · a. Neanderthal Man –Discovered in Neanderthal valley near Dusseldorf, Germany in 1856 who lived in cave and dependent in hunting and fishing. · b. Cro-Magnon Man – Discovered by a French archaeologist Louis Lartet in the Cro Magnon Cave in Southern France. It was believed to live in Europe, Asia and Africa. As a prehistoric man, they were the first to produce art in cave paintings and crafting decorated tools and accessories. Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture Our Thinking capacity · The primary biological component of humans that allowed for culture is the developed brain. It has the necessary parts for facilitating pertinent skills such as speaking, touching, feeling, seeing, and smelling. · Compared with other primates, humans have a larger brain, weighing 1.4 kg. Due to the size of brain and the complexity of its parts, humans were able to create survival skills that helped them adapt to their environment and outlive their less adaptive biological relatives. Our gripping capacity · Look at your hands. Notice how your thumb relates with your other fingers. This capacity to directly oppose your thumb with your other fingers is an exclusive trait of humans. It allowed us to have a finger grip. Our walking/ standing capacity · Primates have two forms of locomotion: bipedalism and quadropedalism. Bipedalism is the capacity to walk and stand on two feet, whereas quadropedalism uses all four limbs. Although apes are semi-bipedal, humans are the only fully bipedal primates. Cultural and Sociopolitical Development Paleolithic Period (Old Stone Age) 3 million years to 8,000 B.C · Use of simple pebble tools. · Learned to live in caves. · Discovered the use of fires. · Developed small sculptures; and monumental painting, incised designs, and reliefs on the wall of caves. · “Food-collecting cultures” Neolithic Age (New Stone Age) Occurred sometime about 10,000 BCE · Stone tools were shaped by polishing or grinding. · Settlement in permanent villages.  · Dependence on domesticated plants or animals. · Appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving. · “Food-producing cultures” Age of Metals 4,000 B.C. – 1,500 B.C · The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron produced a new historical development form cradles civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, including India and China which later on spread throughout Asia. · The civilization which defines to a more developed social, cultural, political and economic system. SOCIO- POLITICAL EVOLUTION A. The Neolithic Revolution According to V. Gordon Childe the term “Neolithic Revolution” is also called “Agricultural Revolution”. It describes the origin and impact of food production-plant cultivation and animal domestication. “Neolithic” which means “New Stone Age” which is refer to techniques of grinding and polishing stone tools. More so, the main significance of the Neolithic was the new total economy rather than just the tool-making techniques. And now Neolithic refers to the first cultural period in a given region in which the first signs of domestication are present. The economy based on food production produced substantial changes in human lifestyle (Kottak, 2009). 1. Neolithic Stone Tools - Neolithic period began when first human settled down and began farming. They continued to make tools and weapons from flint and some kinds of tools. 2. Fertile Crescent, a Cradle of Civilization The Fertile Crescent is the region in the Middle East which curves, likes a quarter-moon shape, from the Persian Gulf, through modern-day southern Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Northern Egypt. It contains comparatively moist and fertile land. The region is often called the “cradled of civilization” which saw the development of some of the earliest human civilizations. B. Early Civilization and the Rise of the state 1. The emergence of Civilization Kottak (2009) states that most ancient civilizations have been studied by archeologist rather than historians because those civilizations evolved before the advent of writing. The earliest Neolithic societies were egalitarian- people did not differ much in wealth, prestige, or power. 2. The Cradles of Civilization Is the term that refers to civilization that emerged independently. All of these civilizations developed around rivers, it provided enough water for large-scale agriculture, enabling people to abandon a hunter gatherer lifestyle and to grow and store surplus food. a. Tigris-Euphrates River Civilization of Mesopotamia- The most known ancient civilization was in Mesopotamia, in a region which lies in modern Iraq. It is sometimes called the Fertile Crescent because it is a crescent-shape area between Tigris and Euphrates river. b. The Nile Valley Civilization of Egypt Egypt was known as the Gift of the Nile because the annual flooding of the Nile made possible for agriculture on which Egyptian civilizations was based. c. The Yellow River Civilization of China In 3000 B.C. the Yellow River Valley was settled by farmers. Chinese legends holds that Xia dynasty arose and flourished during the prehistoric period. d. Indus Valley Civilization of India The ancient civilization of the Indus Valley, located in modern Pakistan, is unique because unlike the continuously existing civilization of Mesopotamia, Egypt and China it rose and fell, leaving only mysterious ruins to testify to its existence. C. Features of Civilizations a. Cities. Civilized societies were urban societies, for civilization developed in cities. They were larger and more complex than villages. They had palaces, temples, markets, workshops, and homes. b. Writing. Written language enabled people to preserve, organize and expand their knowledge. It made it easier for government officials, priests, and merchants to carry out their duties. c. Specialization. Civilized societies were specialist-artisan, merchants, priests, record-keepers, government officials, farmers. In exchange for the food they got from the villages, city dwellers supplied farmers with good manufactured in the city. It encouraged trade, local and regional, and trade encouraged the exchange of ideas. d. Government. In civilized societies government became more organized. There were rulers who issued laws and officials to carry them out. e. Religion. Civilized societies had organized religions with a powerful, trained, and wealthy priesthood. From the priesthood, people derived their values and attitudes toward life. D. Democratization · Is a process by which democracy expands within states across the world? Both as a process as a concept, democratization draws on long history. It might be most readily understood as a concept that encapsulates the expansion of a set of related political ideals with different intellectual vintages that gain public prominence during the emergence of capitalist modernity. · According to (Shively of 2005) states that democracy is a states in which all fully qualified citizens vote at regular intervals to choose, from among alternative candidates, the people who will be charge of setting the state’s policies. · Democracy comes from the Greek word demokratia: demos meaning “people” and kratia meaning “government”. Therefore, democracy is “government of the people” · At the present time the world democracy has rather magical connotation and somewhat tranquilizing effect. Any citizen who persuaded that its own government system is a democratic one is likely to accept the political power exercised by that system.  *Understanding Culture, Society and Politics 1st Semester S.Y. 2024-2025 WEEK 5 BECOMING MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY Socialization is a form of interaction by which people acquire personality and learn the way of life of their society. It is considered the essential link between the individual and society. In fact, socialization allows the individual to learn the norms, values, languages, skills, beliefs, and other patterns of thought and action that are essential for social living. (Robertson, 1987:115) Socialization is a process that introduces people to social norms and customs. This process helps individuals function well in society, and, in turn, helps society run smoothly. Family members, teachers, religious leaders, and peers all play roles in a person's socialization. Socialization concerns both social structure and interpersonal relations. It contains three key parts: context, content and process. Context refers to the culture, language, social structures and one’s position within that particular society. It also includes history and the roles people and institutions around them performed in the past. One's life context will significantly affect the socialization process. For example, a family's economic class may have a huge impact on how parents associate or deal with their children. · Gender stereotypes also bear strong influence on socialization processes. Cultural expectations for gender roles and gendered behavior are conveyed to children through color-coded clothes and sorts of game. Girls usually receive toys such as dolls or dollhouses that stresses physical appearance and domesticity while boys receive playthings such as legos, toy soldiers, or race cars that involve thinking skills or manly type of sports. Additionally, research has shown that girls with brothers are associated to understand that household labor is expected of them but not of their male siblings. Girls tend to be engaged in doing chores without receiving a pay while their brothers do. · Race also plays a factor in socialization. Since white people bear a disproportionate experience of police violence, they can encourage their children to defend and know their rights when the authorities try to violate them. In contrast, parents of color must instruct their children to remain calm, compliant and secure in the presence of law enforcement. Content and process comprise the work of this undertaking. How parents assign chores or tell their children to interact with police are examples of content and process, which are also defined by the span of socialization, the methods used, the people involved, and the type of experience. Results are the outcome of socialization and refer to the way a person conceives and conducts after undergoing this process. For example, with small children, socialization exhibits focus on control of biological and emotional impulses, such as drinking eating with bare hands rather than eating with spoon and fork or asking permission before picking something up. Charles Horton Cooley introduced the looking-glass self (1902) to describe how a person’s self of self grows out of interactions with others, and he proposed a threefold process for this development: 1) we see how others react to us, 2) we interpret that reaction (typically as positive or negative) and 3) we develop a sense of self based on those interpretations. “Looking-glass” is an archaic term for a mirror, so Cooley theorized that we “see” ourselves when we interact with others. Forms of Social Group -Groups are formed as an assemblage of people who often interact with each other on the basis of a common outlook concerning behavior and a sense of common identity. A social group may consist of two or more individuals who do things together with a common goal and interest. Three Requirements for a group 1. There must be two or more people. 2. There must be interaction. 3. The members must be together physically. Classification of groups A. Primary Groups · personal and intimate relationship · face to face communication · permanence duration · a strong sense of loyalty or “we” feeling · small in size - informal structure · traditional or non-rational decision-making B. Secondary Groups · Large - impersonal, aloof relationship · indirect communication · temporary duration - weak group cohesiveness based on self-interest - rational decision-making - formal structure GROUP BOUNDARIES A. IN- GROUP - group with which the individual identifies and which gives him sense of belonging, solidarity, camaraderie, esprit de corps, and a protective attitude toward the other members. - The members are loyal to each other and share common norms, activities, goals and background. B. OUT-GROUP - viewed as outsiders by the in-group; - Any member of the in-group has insufficient contact with the members of the out-group - Members of the in-group have feelings of strangeness, dislikes, avoidance, antagonism, indifference and even hatred toward the out-group C. REFERENCE GROUP - Group that is significant to us as models even though we ourselves may not be a part of the group. - Is one which an individual does not only have a high regard for but one after which he or she patterns his/her life - Its central aspect is self-identification rather than actual membership Prepared by: MARIA FE B. DOMINGO UCSP TEACHER