DALTA EXECUTIVE ACADEMIC ACCREDITATION AND AUDIT CENTER

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CONTEN DESCRIPTION
T
Course Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics
Title
Course This course uses insights from Anthropology, Political Science and Sociology to develop
Descriptio students’ awareness of cultural, social, and political dynamics, and sensitivity to cultural
n diversity; providing them with an understanding of how culture, human agency, society and
politics work and engage them in the examination of the country’s current human development
goals. At the end of the course, students should acquire ideas about human cultures, human
agency, and society and politics; recognize cultural relativism and social inclusiveness to
overcome prejudices; and develop social and cultural competence to guide their interactions with
groups, communities, networks and institutions.
Learning At the end of the course, the students should be able to:
Outcomes 1. Demonstrate understanding of human cultural variation, social differences, social change
and political identities, the significance of studying culture, society, politics, and the
rationale for studying anthropology, political science, and sociology
2. Appreciate the culture and society as anthropological and sociological concept
3. Analyze the human origins and the capacity for culture and the role of culture in human
adaptation and the processes of cultural and sociopolitical evolution
4. Identify how individuals learn culture and become competent members of society
5. Analyze cultural, social, and political institutions as sets of norms and patterns of behavior
that relate to major social interests; social satisfaction as the ranking of individuals
according to wealth, power and prestige
6. Evaluates the agents/ institutions, processes, and outcomes of cultural, political, and social
change

Contents Lesson 1: Orientation to Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

By Unit,
or Learning Outcomes:
By At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
Chapter, a. Introduce themselves to the class and familiarize with the classroom rules and university
or By policies;
topic b. Comprehend the course outline of the subject matter; and
c. Appreciate other people’s differences for the improvement of collaborative tasks.

Topic 1: Knowing Others

Topic 2: Online Class Etiquette
Topic 3: What is Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics?
Topic 4: Course Outline

Practice Exercise:

Brainstorming via Slido.com

1. What are the hottest societal issues in the Philippines?
2. Share something about these societal issues in the Philippines.
Lesson 2: The Social Sciences and the Three Faces of Social Sciences

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in/of anthropology, sociology and political
science
b. Acknowledge human cultural variation, social differences, social changes and political
identities
c. Adopt an open and critical attitude toward different social, political and cultural
phenomena through observation and reflection
d. Appreciate the value of disciplines of anthropology, sociology and political science as
social sciences

Topic 1: Definition and Scope of Anthropology

Topic 2: Personalities in Developing Anthropology

Ruth Benedict – specialist in

Franz Boas – anthropology and folklore the author of
Patterns of Culture
The father of America Anthropology
Margaret Mead - studied sexual
practices of native population.

Bronislaw Malinowski
William Henry – cultural preservation
The founding father of
ethnography or the
ethnographic approach

Topic 3: Sociology and the Sociological Perspective

Personalities under Sociology

Auguste Max
Karl Marx
Comte Weber

Emile Herbert
Durkheim Spencer
Topic 4: Political Science

Power Order Justice

Practice Exercise:
Directions: Have a quick research on the contribution of each proponent in the field of
Anthropology and Sociology.
PERSONALITIES IN ANTHROPOLOGY
1.
2.
3.
4.

PERSONALITIES IN SOCIOLOGY
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lesson 3: Culture and Society: The Perspectives of Anthropology and Sociology

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Analyze the concept, aspects and change in/of culture and society
b. Appreciate the nature of culture and society from the perspectives of anthropology and
sociology

Topic 1: The Forms of Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

Culture, Society, and Politics are concepts as “general idea”

CULTURE

SOCIETY POLITICS

Our sociality is defined by

the categories we
possess, the categories assigned to us by society. These ‘labels,’ function as tags
which our society read our worth and value.

Social Realities: Behavior and Phenomenon

Values and Beliefs

Developmental Results of Social Sciences

 Social realities - These are the different ways of doing things, behaving, and making
sense of events.
 Values and Beliefs as Behavioral Motivators
 Developmental Results of Social Sciences
 Social change
 Social activism
 Social Contract and Social Agreement
Topic 2: Dynamics of Culture and Society
Society as a Concept and Facticity

What makes society possible: Three Theoretical Perspective

Practice Exercise
Directions: (Photo essay) Write 3 to 5 sentences about the scene below.
Does the scene below qualify as a form of social engagement? Why or Why not?

Lesson 4: Aspects of Culture

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding
b. Demonstrate a holistic understanding of culture and society
c. Value cultural heritage and express pride of place without being ethnocentric
d. Analyze key features of interrelationships of biological, cultural and sociopolitical
processes in human evolution that can still be used and developed
Topic 1: Functions of Culture

According to social scientists, culture has certain functions for both the individual and society.

Culture provides behavior patterns – if people use culture to advance their purposes, it seems
clear also that a culture imposes limits on humans and their activities. A society
without rules or norms would be result of chaos in this case.

Culture as Heritage:

Enculturation and
Culture Shock EXPLICIT AND IMPLICIT XENOCENTRISM AND
ETHNOCENTRISM CULTURAL RELATIVISM CULTURE AS HERITAGE
CULTURE XENOPHOBIA

 The Tangible – ones are those that are produced and created based on specific and
practical purposes and aesthetic values.
 The Intangible – may be associated with events or may include national anthems and
other literary genre.

Practice Exercise
Directions:
Identify two Philippine cultural heritage threat, two tangibles and two intangibles.
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 provided.

“My Culture, My Heritage”

Heritage Threats Plan of Action
Tangible:
1.
2.
Intangible:
1.
2.

Topic 2: Biological and Cultural Evolution

Socio-Political Evolution happens when societies develop new forms of economic subsistence,
 acquire knowledge, and apply new technology.

 Hunti
ng and Gathering - The oldest and most basic way of economic subsistence of hunt for animals
and vegetation for food.
 Horticultural and Pastoral Societies - These societies subsist through small-scale farming and
gathering.
 Agricultural Societies (Neolithic Age) - is also known as animal domestication provided
important contributions to the people.
 Industrial Societies - New sources of energy were harnessed and forms of technology were
applied.
 Post Industrial Societies - This is the age of the development of information technology,
computers, and social media.

Practice Exercise
Directions: You will make explanations for these questions. Each question must have at least
four (4) sentences to express and explain your answers.
• What and why culture is social and a product of behavior?
• How do humans learn and transmit culture?
• Why is culture important to society and its individual members?
• How did modern man evolve as a biological and sociocultural being?

Lesson 5: Becoming a Member of Society

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Explain the context, content, processes, and consequences of socialization
b. Analyze the forms and functions of social organizations
c. Identify the social goals and the socially acceptable means of achieving these goals
d. Advocate inclusive citizenship
e. Promote protection of human dignity, rights, and the common good

Topic 1: Socialization

Diana Baumrind – she developed the theory that there are four types of parenting styles, and that
differences in parenting styles account for the way children function socially,
emotionally, and
cognitively.

Parenting Styles
Topic 2: Deviance and Conformity

“Humans are socialized to conform, not to deviate.”

 Conformity - following the acceptable patterns of behavior.

 Deviance - is a behavior perceives as violating some widely-known and shared
moral value of group culture.

Practice Exercise
Directions: Enumerate some of the values your family holds dear. In what ways do these values
affect your lifestyle as a teenager?

Lesson 6: How Society is Organized

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Explain the forms and functions of state and non-state institutions
b. Examine the functions and importance of education in the society
c. Examine the concept, characteristics and forms of stratification systems using
sociological perspectives
d. Explain government programs and initiatives in addressing social inequalities e.g.
local, national, global

Topic 1: Social Groups

Social groups

Cultural
Political
institutions
organizations

Social relationships and

social patterns of interactions become “institutions” the moment they start being
governed by formal and informal agreements (e.g., written laws, contract)

Social
aggregat
es

Social
categories

Social
Groups

Social groups can be formed from social

aggregates and social categories
Topic 2: Cultural, Social, and Political Institutions: Kinship, Marriage and the Household

Kinship, Marriage and the Household are important key concepts in the study of society and
culture.

Kinship refers to the culturally defined relationships between individuals who are
commonly thought of as having family ties. All societies use kinship as a basis for
forming social groups and for classifying people. However, there is a great amount
of variability in kinship rules and patterns around the world.

Symbols used by
anthropologists to study patterns of descent and kin groups

Topic 3: Political and Leadership Structures

Political Structure or Institution

The organized way in which power is distributed and decisions are made within a society.

Topic 3:

Institutions

Social institutions are mechanisms

or patterns social needs, such as
government, economy,
education, family, healthcare, and
religion. A social institution
consists of a group of people
who have come together for a common purpose. These institutions are a part of the social order
of society, and they govern the behavior and expectations of individuals.

Practice Exercise
Directions: Read about how the government at present help the education system in the
Philippines. Enumerate five key points.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Lesson 7: Culture, Social, and Political Change

Learning Outcomes:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
a. Suggest ways to address social inequalities (local, national and global)
b. Examine human responses to emerging challenges in contemporary societies

Topic 1: Sources of Change and New Challenges to Human Adaptation

Sources
of Change

Challenges
of Change

Responses
to
Challenges

Change as the
driving force of the social

The process of culture and the

spread of culture (Culture diffusion)

Topic 2: Responding to Social, Political, and Cultural Change

Changes are inevitable. They bring a hose of problems, and as members of human communities,
we are challenged to respond to these problems not only individually but also collectively. There
are several ways by which we can actively respond to these changes. New mechanisms brought
by social media and networks are available. We can also participate in social movements.

Practice Exercise:
Directions: How can we use social media and
networking to address the problems bought about by social, political, and cultural changes?

Explanation

a. Social change

b. Cultural change

c. Political change

Alabang-Zapote Road, Pamplona 3, Las Piñas City, 1740 Philippines • Tel. No.: (02) 871-0639
www.perpetualdalta.edu.ph
Las Piñas Campus