Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Culture is generally defined as to the non-Western culture

the sum of individual’s way of which is considered primitive
life--food you eat, clothes you
wear and the house where you Society
live.
Society is generally defined as
 S - Secularization the process
wherein religion was seperated
an organized group of
from the state and it eventually
interdependent people who share a
lead to rationalization.
common territory, language and
culture who act together for  O - Open-mindedness is the
collective survival and well-being. key to discovering new things.
Politics refers to the theory, art  C - Cultivating ideas for the far
and practice of government. future.
 I - Inducing social, cultural,
Culture and political awareness within
 C - it is a Collection of ideas, individuals.
beliefs, traditions and practice  E - Explains how people
that has been passed on from interact to the different ways
generation to generation by of living by our ancestors and
oral and literary means. has them embraced the true
 U - it promotes Unity by culture, practices, traditions,
advocating cultural relativism and beliefs which were
and historical particularism. “discovered”.
 L - individuaLs shape culture  T - Thinking of ideas or
just as culture shapes an
concepts on how the social
individual.
sciences studies human
 T - Through interactions,
behavior and its relationship
people are able to generate
with the society.
concepts based on their-
 U - Unique interpretations  Y - Yet there is still much that
which would eventually create we need to learn and
the human language. understand about social
 R - Rationalism in which science.
individuals are capable of
thinking, predicting, and Politics
calculating rather than
believing in religious dogma.
 P - Presents the nature and
origin of the social sciences
 E - Eurocentrism is a belief
such as anthropology, political
that Western culture is superior
 science and sociology wherein lives. Sometimes good and
- bad.
 O - anthrOpology focuses on  I - It is important because it
the development of ancient determines what government
civilization and societies means. Far beyond the role of
through the years while, government, at any level,
 L - PoLictical science deals politics determines how we
with the study of politics, manage the system that runs in
power and government the society.
 I - socIology is the study of  C - Communication is
patterns of human behavior, important to those who wield
how man and society interact political power in order for
and how it affects other them to control better the
people. direction and activity of the
government.
 T - The political decision
people make will affect many  S - Social science exists due to
the fact that socity cannot
easily be understood.

Culture is generally defines as the

sum of individuals way of life
Lesson 1  Food you eat, clothes you wear
Identity is the distinctive and the house where you live.
characteristics that defines an  Kinds of Culture:
individual or is shared by those  Material & Non-material
belonging to a particular group.  Material -
 Identity can also change over transportation,
the course of a person’s technology,
lifetime. architecture, etc.
 It is important because they  Non-material -
shape both individual and manners, taboos, facts,
group behavior as well as dance, music, and etc.
people’s views about other Society is generally defined as an
people and society organized group or groups of
 Learning about one’s self, interdependent people who share
culture, and society entails common territory, language and
knowledge about various culture who act together for
identities and how these shape collective survival and well-being.
people’s views and behavior. Politics refers to the theory, art
and practice of government
 Government - practice of  Power - states granted to
power individuals or institutions to
properly run the government.

 Supreme court and other

courts.
Branches of Government  makes sure the laws are
Legislative - Judicial - fair
Executive Branches  Executive
 Legislative  the President
 Senators and house of  Suggests the laws and
representatives. makes sure the laws are
 makes the law carried out.
 Judicial

Gender is socially constructed- Ethnicity - expression of the set of

characteristics of being male or cultural ideas held by a distinct
female ethnic or indigenous group
 Division of humanity into two  Cultural features that set them
distinctive categories based on apart from others.
sex. Religion - organized system of
 Gender Roles - vary from ideas about the spiritual sphere or
one culture to another supernatural, along with associated
ceremonial or ritualistic practices.
Socioeconomic Status refers to the Exceptionality - stage of being
category of a person who has more intellectually gifted and/or having
or less the same socioeconomic physically or mentally challenged
privileges in a society due to concerning personality/behavior,
inherited wealth and/or communication or a combination
occupational status. of more than one specific
 Upper Class exceptionality or disability.
 Middle Class Nationality - is the legal
 Lower Class relationship that binds a person
and a country.

Social Phenomena - fundamental

principle of social phenomena that
Lesson 2 is created by society. (Example:
Social Political and Cultural Racism)
Phenomena
Political Behavior and Phenomena  Types of Norms
- in sociology, Political behavior  Folkway - norms that
and phenomena include events stems from and organizes
through which authority casual interactions.
governance and public opinion are  Mores - norms that
put into practice. structure the difference
 Political Behavior - “Act of between right and wrong.
voting”  Taboo - strong negative
 Political Phenomena - how norm; violating it results in
institutions like school, extreme disgust.
churches, or companies are run  Law - norm that is
by the government. formally inscribed at the
Cultural Behavior and Phenomena state or federal level.
- is an event which certain behave Comformity - internalized norms
a certain way merely because as part of the social expectation.
other persons do as well.  Behavior in accordance with
 Cultural phenomena happened socially accepted conventions
something or someone gains or standards.
widespread popularity. Deviance - departing from usual,
Norms serve as guides or models -a behavior that violates expected
of behavior which tell us what is rules.
proper or improper, appropriate or  Formal Deviance - actions that
inappropriate, right or wrong -- violates enacted laws.
form of rules, standards, or  Informal Deviance - violations
prescriptions that can strictly to social norms that are not
follow by people codified into laws

which then becomes widely

accepted as a norm
Lesson 3 Cultural Change - refers to all
Social, Political, and Cultural alterations affecting new traits or
Change trait complexes and changes in a
Social Change - refers to the culture’s content structure.
variations or modifications in the Political Change - includes all
patterns of social organizations, of categories of change in the
sub-groups within a society or direction of open, participatory
entire society itself. and accountable politics.
 when society adopts a new
belief or way of behaving
 in it are capable of adapting
effectively to changing
demands.
 Culture is Adaptive because it
enables people adapt to their
environments and thus
increase their chances of
Lesson 4 survival.
ASPECTS OF CULTURE Culture is Shared
Culture is DYNAMIC, Learning through
FLEXIBLE, and ADAPTIVE Socialization / Enculturation
 Culture is dynamic and thus Cultured is acquired through,
complex. Culture is fluid learning, cultural ideas, activities,
rather than static, which and artifacts are handed down
means that culture changes all from generation to generation as a
the time, every day, in subtle super organic inheritance, which
and tangible ways. means it is inherently passed
 A flexible culture is one where through generation.
the organization and the people

XENOCENTRISM - “My culture

is inferior to others”
Lesson 5
Culture, Society and Politics CULTURAL RELATIVISM -
according to the Three “recognizes cultural differences”
Disciplines Society is a group of individuals
Anthropology considers culture sharing a common culture,
as the central focus of its geographical location, and
discipline. government.
 Anthropology examines and  Culture is one of the bases that
provides explanations for the define and influence a society.
existence of different cultural 5 major types of societies
patterns as well as the according to how they
similarities and differences changed and developed over
between different cultures.
2 Major Views of Culture
time.
 RELATIVISTIC APPROACH  Hunting and gathering
- “No superior and inferior  Horticultural & Pastural
culture” Societies
 ETHNOCENTRIC  Agricultural Societies
APPROACH - “My culture is  Industrial Socieites
superior than other culture”  Post-industrial Societies
The Process of culture and comprise of people from
identity formation within society diverse cultures.
is facilitated through  Cultural Sensitivity -
socialization and enculturation. Advances awareness and
 SOCIALIZATION - Refers to acceptance of cultural
the lifelong process of forging differences but encourages a
identity through social critical stance in dealing with
interaction. issues regarding diversity.
 ENCULTURATION - Refers Cultural Elements
to the process by which an Symbol - anything that is
individual learns or acquires used to stand for something
the important aspects of his or else.
her society’s culture.  Examples: Emoticons,
Political science also examines The American flag, and
culture as a vital aspect of society. redlight.
Culture, together with political Language - a system of
socialization, is analyzed in order words and symbols used to
to explain political behavior such communicate with other
as voting patterns and behavior of people.
leaders.
 Multiculturalism - Values - culturally defined
Acknowledges and promotes standards for what is good or
cultural diversity in society. desirable.
The establishment of political Norms - culturally defined
groups and institutions expectations of behavior.

tools and equipment for their daily

task such as planting crops,
domesticating animals, and trade.
Lesson 6
Biological Evolution As people learned to live together
Biological Evolution -The process as a society, shared beliefs, ideas,
whereby organisms undergo values, attitudes, practices,
various genetic and physical knowledge, and material
changes that pave away for possessions were accumulated
biological diversity. over time and forged as a sense of
 Biological evolution continues culture among the members of
to influence how people live society.
and interact with modification.
Technological Evolution - As
human learned to create various
Biocultural Evolution - The human biology and culture
mutual interactive evolution of
Society as a product of social
Henry Morgan came up with contract - Society as a product of
evolutionary scheme that divided social contract- an agreement
history into three stages of made by the members of society
development: that defines and influences their
 SAVAGERY interactions, particularly with
 BARBARISM those in the authority.
 CIVILIZATION  
Modernization Theory -
Theory in society and state- Modernization theory is used to
Society and it’s various institution explain the process of
is a product of human interaction. modernization within societies.
 Modernization refers to a
Society as a product of social model of a progressive
contract- an agreement made by transition from a 'pre-modern'
the members of society that or 'traditional' to a 'modern'
defines and influences their society.
interactions, particularly with
those in the authority.

Looking back at Human Bio

cultural and Social Evolution
 -Methods of interaction that enable
the content to be given to the
person undergoing socialization.

RESULT
-The outcome of socialization, and
Lesson 7: are evident when individuals begin
BECOMING A MEMBER to practice the behavior, attitudes
OF SOCIETY and values.

Becoming a member of society is Socialization was increasingly

through the process of viewed in the context of
SOCIALIZATION and INTERNALIZATION.
ENCULTURATION
INTERNALIZATION- the
process of accepting social norms ,
attitudes, roles an values
transmitted by the members of the
society.

4 Significant aspects of Significant result of socialization

SOCIALIZATION = Self identity

SOCIAL CONTEXT AGENTS of Socialization and

-The particular circumstances of a Enculturation
society and consists of it’s culture,
language, and social structures that FAMILY -The primary agent of
define social class, ethnicity, and socialization.
gender
-Parents and other family members
CONTENT are essential for the early care and
-The ideas , beliefs, behavior, and development of the child.
information that are passed on by
members of society to an -The family’s social and cultural
individual. backgrounds are also significant
factors that defines child’s social
opportunities and experiences.

SCHOOL -Has a critical and

active role in socialization.
PROCESS -Students learn the value of
improvement and hard work
through class room activities.
 COMPLIANCE – Outward
-Through education, students conformity to social pressure but
became aware of the interactions privately disagreeing with it.
between people and social IDENTIFICATION- An
institution and how this influence individual adopting a certain
society. behavior because it enables
him/her to have a satisfying
MASS MEDIA -Mass media relationship with the members of
includes all forms of his group.
communication includes books,
magazines, news paper, radio, SOCIAL CONTROL Social
television and etc. Control - any systematic means
and practices used to maintain
-It is powerful agent of norms, rules and laws.
socialization.
Source of information SANCTIONS- are the most
It presents various viewpoints common means of social control.
Provides entertainment Formal Sanctions - Provided
by laws and other regulations in
RELIGION and STATE -Both are the
considered as the ultimate sources society.
of authority, making the church Informal Sanctions -
and government important agents Commonly imposed by smaller
of socialization. societies, communities, or groups.

MAJOR SOCIAL &

HISTORICAL EVENTS -The Lesson 8:
changes and developments HUMAN DIGNITY &
brought about by historical events HUMAN RIGHTS
often cause transformations in the
values, attitudes and views that HUMAN DIGNITY
defines society. -The idea that person has the right
Second World War to be valued, respected, and
Martial Law treated well.
People Power
-Legal, social, and ethical
CONFORMITY, principles that consider the human
DEVIANCE & SOCIAL person as deserving of liberties
CONTROL and protections by virtue of his/her
human dignity
CONFORMITY
4 Characteristics of HUMAN
RIGHTS
Human Rights are UNIVERSAL Primary Groups - A small,
because they belong to all human intimate and les specialized group
beings regardless of race, religion, whose members engage in face-
gender and other characteristics. face and emotion based
interactions over an extended
Human Rights are period of time.
FUNDAMENTAL since they
cannot be taken away from any Self Categorization Theory -
human being. Peoples appreciation of their group
membership is influenced by their
Human Rights are INDIVISIBLE perception towards people who are
as various rights are interrelated not member of their group.
and given equal importance.
Human Rights are ABSOLUTE  In-group is a group to which one
since they cannot be qualified and belongs and with which one feels a
are considered basic necessities for sense of identity.
living genuine life. Out-group is a group to which
one does not belong and to which
UDHR one he or she may feel sense of
Universal Declaration of Human competitiveness.
Rights Fraternity - Exclusive all male
student organization.
-Major legal instrument that Sorority-Exclusive all female
upholds the recognition of human organization.
rights. Reference group -A group which
he or she compares himself or
LESSON 9: herself.
How a Society is organized
Networks - Interconnections, ties,
and linkages between people, their
Social group - A collection of groups and larger 
individuals who have relations
with one another that make them Social group - A collection of
interdependent to some significant individuals who have relations
degree. with one another that make them
interdependent to some significant
Interdependence is necessary degree
condition that exists within social
groups because is  what enables Interdependence is necessary
member to pursue shared goals or condition that exists within social
promote common  values and groups because is  what enables
principles. member to pursue shared goals or
promote common  values and
principles.