The Disciplines within the Social Sciences

Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology

Sociology is the systematic study of human society, social life and groups. It provides understanding on
the development and functions of human society through understanding social relationships and
institutions.

Sociologists focus on the actions, beliefs, values, norms, organizations, institutions, and other social
forces that characterize a society and shape people’s lives. By carefully collecting and analyzing
information through surveys and /or observations, sociologists produce explanations of how our social
world works and how it influences our personal lives. Sociology therefore, is a useful tool in solving
social problems such as crime, discrimination, poverty, and inequality.

Anthropology is the study of the various aspects of humans in the past to present understanding cultural
complexities across all human history. Abelos (2006), defines Anthropology as the holistic study of
human kind, from its beginnings millions of years ago to the present day. Anthropologists historically
studied primitive societies. It now looks at cross-cultural differences in social institutions, cultural beliefs,
and communication styles.

1. Biological anthropology tackles the emergence of human and their evolution. It also studies the
origins of human beings and their ancestors just like the Homo sapiens, hence, it specializes in
evolution, genetics and health.

2. Cultural anthropology focuses on the cultural variations of past and present. It studies human
societies and elements of cultural life.

There are three main branches of cultural anthropology: archaeology, anthropological linguistics, and
ethnology:

>Archaeology seeks and traces back time through examining artifacts, eco-facts and fossils.

>Anthropological linguistics studies how languages that had been used and written for nearly thousand
years ago.
>Ethnology seeks to understand people are living today and in the past.

With the knowledge gained in anthropology, people will therefore be equipped with the perspective to
try to solve current domestic and world problems.

Political Science is concerned with the study of state, government and its systems and political behavior.
Its chief concern is the study of such concepts as the state, politics, power and ideology (Ayson &
Aligada-Reyes,2000). Politics, therefore, deals with the systems of government and analysis of political
systems.

Intersections of Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science.

The intersections of anthropology, sociology and political science would make sense to us as we begin
our quest for understanding ourselves better.

How do these disciplines intersect?

1. They are part of social science: The three are classified as branches of the social sciences, which
means that they deal with the functions and structure of human society, as well as the
interpersonal relationship of individuals as members of society.

2. Empirical proof as basis for truth. At the very heart of these three is the need for rational proof
and the recognition that the basis of truth must be found in reason, in a careful appraisal of
ideas. Empirical proof- a rational proof laid the foundation for modern science, the idea of
thinking developed into a proof.

3. Objectivity in Science. Science is not merely observation but careful observation. The scientist’s
only commitment must be to scientific investigation itself; the conclusions remain constantly
open to further investigation.

Sociology and Anthropology

Both sociology and anthropology study human behavior, social interaction, and social organization. Both
are concerned with how societies are organized and why people act as they do, but approach these
issues from different perspectives and traditions.
Sociology and Political Science

Political Sociology is the study of Socio-Political Phenomena. This was founded by Max Weber and
Moisey Ostrogorsky. Political sociology deals with power and the intersection of personality, social
structure and politics. In political sociology, political science and sociology intersect (Švarplys &
Morkevičius,2013). The discipline uses comparative history to analyze systems of government and
economic organization to understand the political climate of societies.

Anthropology and Political Science

Political Anthropology deals with the relation of human nature (both the first, biological, and the
second, cultural) and political as a product of that nature (from emergence of politics, its scope, form,
content, to its reversal action on human nature, Aronoff & Kubík, 2013). It also focuses specifically on:
human communities, particularly political communities; pre-industrial and contemporary political
systems, political organizations, i.e. state; power, government, authority, conflicts (dangerous ones).

Anthropology’s contribution to Political Science is considerable. The modern researches in the racial
division, habits, customs, and organisations of primitive man help us to know the real origin of the state
and the development of various political institutions. An individual’s political behaviour is greatly
influenced by his racial origin and the environments in which he lives.

DEFINING CULTURE AND SOCIETY FROM THE PERSPECTIVES OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

Topics: Society, Culture, Aspects of Culture, Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism

Society as a Group of People Sharing A Common Culture

Specific objectives:

At the end of the lesson, students shall be able to: 1. Differentiate society and culture.

2. Explain the anthropological and sociological perspectives of culture and society.

3. Describe the relationship of society and culture.

4. Discuss the various aspects and components of culture and society. 5. Understand different
perspectives on culture and the relationship of cultural relativism with ethnocentrism.
CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

Society refers to people who interact in a defined territory and share a culture. The term society comes
from the Latin word socius which means companionship and friendship. George Simmel emphasized the
idea of sociability which defines the true meaning of society. Sociability means the ability to interact
with other people. Thus, society means the people occupying within a common territory with shared
culture unified in one entity.

Sociologically, culture is defined as a way of life. Culture is the ways of thinking, the ways of acting, and
the material objects that together form a people’s way of life (Riodique et al., 2016). Culture includes
what we think, how we act, and what we own. Culture is both our link to the past and our guide to the
future. The term culture is synonymous to the word cultivate because it refers to people living together
as they grow their way of life over time. This means that it would be people’s decision on which belief
should they follow and practice.

Politics (or polity) is the social institution that distributes power, sets society’s goals, and makes
decisions. Power, according to Max Weber is the ability to achieve desired ends despite resistance from
others. Exercising this power is the job of the government, a formal organization that directs that
political life of a society.

CULTURE AND SOCIETY Culture cannot exist without a society, in the same manner no society could exist
without culture. People cannot be human without culture. For instance, language, as a symbolic
component of culture, is important for human beings to understand each other. Without this,
understanding will be limited.

Examining Aspects of Culture

Culture varies from one generation to another, one group to another and one society to another society
where this contains different characteristics and nature in our society. The different aspects give us the
idea that somewhat our culture has life for how a man moves, culture also do the same. Here we know
that culture is:

a. Dynamic, Flexible and Adaptive

Culture changes and as it is changing it becomes flexible and adaptive to what the time has offered.

b. Shared and Contested given in the realities of Socialization

c. Learned through Socialization

The nature of human is being social. We allow interconnection of other people for us to acquire new
knowledge and skills (weather positive or negative) which creates meaning to the lives of individual as
what the Symbolic interaction theory of Mead and Cooley says. It is required through the senses and
from experiences.

D. Patterned through Social Interactions Our learning in the interactions was mostly taught to them by
also means of interactions with another. It becomes a chain of acquiring ideas, when collectively done
by people in the society this becomes integral part of our culture. It is passed on to generations
language and other symbolic means of communication.

e. Transmitted through Socialization When members of the society reached the maturity of
understanding their culture, they tend to apply those things in their life and would share things they
learned dominantly to the young generations. By this time, you are no longer the receiver but the source
of culture. It is passed on to generation using language and other symbolic means of communication.

f. Integrated at Times Unstable As Tylor emphasize culture as a way of life, as an integral element of our
interactions. If the existing culture is not acceptable to the people, they tend to bend, innovate and the
worse reject that culture. This phenomenon happens like that adaptation of Bagobo with the urban and
popular cultures rather than keeping their own traditions in life.

g. Requires Language and other forms of Communication Verbal and non-verbal communications are
important tools in transmitting culture from one to another.

CULTURAL ORIENTATIONS

How do you view other’s culture? If you are confronted with a different culture how would you feel? Are
you an ethnocentric or a cultural relativist? Here are two of the cultural orientations that are evident in
the world today.

Ethnocentrism It is a common practice to judge another culture by standards of one’s own culture. Being
ethnocentric is important for some people to be attached to their way of life but its stigma has
generated misunderstanding and sometimes conflict. A popular example of ethnocentrism is the
Holocaust of the Jewish done by Hitler during the flourish of the Nazi power in Germany. Adolf Hitler
thought that the Jewish culture is inferior, so he slaughtered them. At present, ethnocentrism is seen
and practiced by some people through discriminating the indigenous peoples from the upland because
they have different cultures than those from the city or lowland.

Cultural Relativism It is the practice of evaluating a culture by its own standards. This is also the belief
that no culture is superior. For instance, you cannot force an Islam friend to eat Lechon just because you
believe that anyone could eat it. In this perspective, respect and acceptance of other’s culture is
essential. Aside from the different elements of culture, there are also differences in both thoughts and
things, or the nonmaterial and material cultures.

Nonmaterial cultures are the ideas created by members of a society, while material cultures are the
physical things created by members of a society.