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?