UCSP

Understanding Culture, Society
and Politics — UCSP

Reviewer for the 1st Quarter
─
Lesson 1
What is Culture?
➔ Culture is a complex whole that encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes,
laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge, and roles.
➔ The way of life in a particular society
➔ Norms - rules that are considered normal in a particular society
Kinds of Culture
➢ Material Culture :
❖ Objects
❖ Examples - clothing, architecture, & food
➢ Non-material Culture :
❖ Abstract creations
❖ Examples - language, religion & government systems
What is a society?
➔ It comes from the Latin word “socius” which means companion, friend, or comrade.
➔ A group of people who are involved in social interactions or share the same
geographical or social territory.
➔ Social differences - situations where people are discriminated against based on
race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, ability, and class.
What is politics?
➔ Comes from the Greek word: Politiká (affairs of the city)
➔ Process of making decisions that apply to members of a group.
➔ Create, preserve, and amend laws
➔ Political institution - a concrete example of a political institution is the
government.
2
Lesson 2
Social Behavior and Social Phenomena
➢ Social behavior is described as broad and complicated sociological concepts.
➢ Happens between at least two individuals
➢ The individual, external, and social constructions that influence a person’s life
and development.
➢ Examples of Social behavior and phenomena include: Food Taboo, “Istambay”
and Marriage
Political behavior
❖ The political behavior of a person may be influenced by their political views,
ideologies, and levels of political participation
❖ Example: Act of voting
Political phenomenon
★ Not only limited to public offices, it also includes institutions like schools,
churches, and how companies are run/governed.
★ Examples: Elections, Political dynasties(e.g Dutertes), Endorsement by a celebrity
Cultural behavior
➢ Also known as the “bandwagon effect”
➢ It is an event wherein certain individuals behave a certain way merely because
other people do it as well.
Cultural phenomenon
● Happens when something or someone gains widespread popularity.
● Examples: Popularity(Fan Base), Social Media Buzz
Cultural change:
It refers to changes made in cultural elements(material and non-material)
Ex: Clothing styles, Perception of a certain group in society(e.g. Dalangang Filipina),
Language(e.g. Jejemon & Conyo)
3
Political change
● Significant disruption to a government that leads to new or modified leadership
and policies
● Includes youth awareness and active participation during elections
○ Example: People Power Revolution
Causes of Social, Cultural, and Political Change:

❖ Innovation
❖ Diffusion - the spread of innovation from one social group to another
❖ Assimilation - the loss of home cultural manners
❖ Social contradictions and tensions
Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is Learned - the process of learning culture is called “Enculturation”
a. Enculturation is the process where individuals learn about their cultures
through experience, observation, and instruction.
2. Culture is Shared - Despite the shared nature of culture, that doesn’t mean it is
homogenous. We are able to act in socially appropriate ways because we share
our culture.
3. Culture is Based On Symbols - They only have meaning when people agree on
their use
4. Culture is Intergrated - All aspects of culture are related to one another. One
must learn all of its parts, not just a few.
5. Culture is Dynamic - This simply means that cultures interact and change. They
exchange ideas and symbols.
Ethnocentrism - The belief of superiority that one’s own culture is the center of all or is
the only important culture. They believe that they are better than other individuals
solely based on their cultural heritage.
Cultural Relativism - Not judging a culture to our own standards.
4
Socialization and its effects

It is a lifelong social experience where people develop their human potential and learn
about culture. It helps people develop a conscience, it also prepares them for and to
perform social roles and lastly, it is a source of meaning and value.
● Different Agents of Socialization
1. The Family
2. Peer group
3. School
4. The Church
5. Mass media
6. Work
Identity formation
- The identity of a person is formed through his/her/their identity with other
people.
The establishment of social norms

Types of social norms —
- Folkway(stems from casual interactions)
- Taboo(strong and negative norm, violation of this will result in extreme disgust)
- More(Structure between right and wrong)
- Law(formally inscribed by the state)
Establishment of statuses and roles

Status - any position that an individual can occupy in society
1. Ascribed status - assigned at birth
2. Achieved status - acquired willfully through talents, effort, and achievements
Conformity
➢ Accepted conventions or standards in a society
➢ Desire to go along with the norms of the group
➢ Compliance - Superficial and public change
➢ Internalization - Deep and private change
Deviance
❖ Departing from usual or socially accepted norms
❖ Violating a norm causes negative reactions from the public
5
Mechanism of Social Control

1. Labeling theory
➔ Theory that states how people label other members of society
➔ Carried by the person for their entire life; treated with hate, mistrust, and
fear
2. Gossip
➔ Used with the intention of putting the deviant to shame
➔ Practiced in small-scale communities where people know each other well
3. Laws
➔ Formal codes of conduct met with negative sanctions when violated

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Understanding Culture, Society

and Politics — UCSP

Causes of Social, Cultural, and Political Change:

Socialization and its effects

The establishment of social norms

Establishment of statuses and roles

Mechanism of Social Control

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