LESSON TWO

BASICS OF
CULTURE

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, & POLITICS

WHAT IS CULTURE?
 CULTURE
is a complex whole which includes
knowledge, belief, art, law, morals,
custom and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a
member of society. - Edward
Burnett Tylor, 1871
“CULTURE is the ways of
thinking, the ways of acting, and the
material objects that together form
a people’s way of life. It includes
what we think, how we act, and
what we own”.
TYPES OF CULTURE
 Human’s material or physical inventions and
MATERIAL innovations such as tools, weapons,
instruments, artifacts, dwellings, food, and
artistic expressions and the likes are all part
CULTURE of material culture. - Physical things created
by the members of the society
(Macionis, 2017).
c
NONMATERIAL
CULTURE
Refers to the intangible ideas that
form within a society, including
beliefs, perceptions, religion, myths,
legends, language, and traditions.
c
Ideas and other non-physical things
created by the members of the
society (Macionis, 2017).
Observe the society you live in.
What are the material and
nonmaterial cultures that exist in it?
 WHAT ARE THE
COMPONENTS OR
ELEMENTS OF
CULTURE?
1. SYMBOL
Something to which people attach meaning and then use to
communicate with one another.
CULTURE SHOCK
Inability to “read” the meaning of symbols in strange surroundings.
2. LANGUAGE
it is a system of vocal and non-
vocal arbitrary symbols, tacitly
agreed upon by a group of
people, living together in a
particular place, for the purpose
of communication.
3. VALUES & BELIEFS
Values - culturally defined standards that people use to decide what
is desirable, good, and beautiful and that serve as broad guidelines
for social living.
Beliefs - specific thoughts or ideas that people hold to be true
(as supported by the values a person holds).
VALUES The standards by which people define
what is desirable or undesirable, good
or bad, beautiful or ugly.
 Represent man’s convictions
BELIEFS about the reality of things.
4. NORMS
A set of norms is a society’s standards of acceptable behavior.
FOLKWAYS
Right VS Rude
Norms for routine or
casual interaction that
are accumulated and
repetitive patterns of
expected behavior
interaction.
 MORES
Right VS Wrong
A set of norms is a
society’s standards of
acceptable behavior. are
norms that are widely
observed and have great
moral significance.
TABOOS Is a strict prohibition of behavior that is
strongly held by a society.
Right VS
Forbidden
 LAWS
Right VS Illegal
Are formalized social
norms enacted by
the people who are
vested with political
powers.
 WHAT ARE THE
DIFFERENT KINDS OF
CULTURE?
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
1. DOMINANT/MAINSTREAM CULTURE
• Refers to the established language, religion, values, rituals, and
social customs which are often the norm for society as a whole.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
2. HIGH CULTURE
• Refers to cultural patterns or behaviors that distinguish a
society’s elite.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
3. LOW/POP CULTURE
• Refers to cultural patterns that are widespread among
society’s population.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
4. SUBCULTURE
• Refers to a smaller group of people who share their own norms,
customs, values, etc. within the dominant culture of the society.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
5. COUNTERCULTURE
• Refers to a subculture whose values and norms of behavior differ
substantially from those of mainstream society.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
6. IDEAL CULTURE
• Ideal culture refers to the practices, values or norms that society is supposed
to follow or desires to achieve. It refers to those goals that a society considers
ideal, or worth aiming for.
 VARIATIONS OF CULTURE
7. REAL CULTURE
• Refers to the actual behavior of people in the society. It is the way
society actually is, based on what occurs and exists.
HOW DO PEOLE VIEW
THEIR CULTURE?
Orientations in Viewing Other
Cultures/The Cross-Cultural
Perspective
1. ETHNOCENTRISM
It is a view that a particular group is the center
of everything. It is also the practice of judging
another culture by the standards of one’s own
culture.
(ex: Superiority of Tagalogs over other ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines)
(ex: Throughout the era of European imperialism and colonization, there was a
widespread belief that Indigenous populations were inferior or even
unintelligent.)
2. XENOCENTRISM
The belief that one’s culture is inferior to
another. A xenocentric person usually has a
high regard for other cultures but disdains
his/her own or embarrassed by it.
(ex: Filipinos, for example, prefer to buy imported items from other countries,
such as America)

(ex: the colonial mentality of the Filipinos, who believe that travelling overseas is
the path to elevate their lives out of poverty.)
3. MULTICULTURALISM
Recognizes cultural diversity in a group of people and
promotes equality of cultural traditions.
(ex: Recognition of Muslims and IPs in national laws)
(ex: Diverse Political Representation)
(ex: Religious Diversity)
(ex: Multilingual Populations)
4. CULTURAL RELATIVISM
Holds that a person’s beliefs, values and practices should
be understood based on that person’s own culture rather
than be judged against the criteria of another.
(ex: Respect for the Ramadan practices of Filipino Muslims)
 WHAT ARE THE
CHARACTERISTICS OF
CULTURE?
 CULTURE IS SOCIAL
Culture is seen as the product of social interaction and
behavior. It does not exist in isolation - no man can acquire
culture without the association of others.

CULTURE VARIES FROM ONE

SOCIETY TO ANOTHER
The culture of a society is unique to itself. It is not uniform.
The culture of a group varies from time to time as well.
 CULTURE IS SHARED
Culture is not something that an individual alone can possess,
it is share with their co-members of society.

CULTURE IS LEARNED
Culture is often called “learned ways of behavior”.
 CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED AMONG
MEMBERS OF SOCIETY
Cultural ways are learned by persons from persons. Older
generations hand down cultural behaviors; younger
generations also hand up behaviors to the elders.
CULTURE IS CUMULATIVE AND
CONTINUOUS
Culture is the “social heritage” of man. Culture is responsive
(dynamic) to the changing conditions of the physical
environment.
 CULTURE IS GRATIFYING AND
IDEALISTIC
Culture provides proper opportunities for the satisfaction of
our needs and desires. It is the sum total of the ideal patterns
of behavior for a group.
HOW DO CULTURES
CHANGE?
1. INVENTION
process of creating new cultural elements.
(ex: creation of new musical instruments or modes of transportation)

2. INNOVATION
improving on something that already exists.
(ex: development of smartphones into newer and better versions)

3. DISCOVERY
recognizing and gaining a better understanding of something already in
existence.
(ex: discovery of artifacts)
HOW DO WE LEARN
CULTURE?
1.Enculturation - process by which individuals learn their group’s culture through
experience, observation, and instruction.

2.Acculturation - process of exchange of values and customs from one group to

another by individuals. The groups remain distinct even though the two groups
exchange cultural features.

3.Assimilation - process of cultural absorption of a minority group into the main

cultural body, eventually leading to the disappearance of the culture of the minority
group. This can be done through individuals or larger groups.
 WHAT ARE SOME
ASPECTS OF FILIPINO
CULTURE?
Behavior and traits are among the many things that constitute
the culture of a society. Filipino Historian Teodoro Agoncillo, in
his book “The History of the Filipino People”, outlined the
common traits that are prevalent among Filipinos:
Hospitality - Filipinos are welcoming to others (even strangers) and will
definitely offer people comfort when they arrive at a Filipino house.

Close Family Ties - Filipinos value their family (mother, father,

grandparents, children) more than anyone and anything else.

Respect for Elders - Filipinos recognize their eldery as figures of

authority. It is unthinkable for a Filipino to do an important thing without
consulting his parents, or grandparents, even.
Fatalistic - Filipinos often believe that whatever happens to them is the
work of Fate. This fatalism is best symbolized in the phrase “Bahala na”.

Loyalty - do a Filipino a little favor and they remember you to the end of
their days, for to the Filipino, friendship is sacred and should be mutual
under all circumstances.

Sensitive - Filipinos would not tolerate anyone berating their fellow

countrymen. They are easily piqued when a foreigner, for instance,
makes a sweeping generalization that is not flattering to Filipinos.
Tendency to be Indolent - indolent means laziness. Dr. Jose Rizal
explained this tendency as the result of the tropical climate, which
makes even the Western indolent in these parts of paradise. But aside
from the warm climate, indolence may be partly explained by the
abundance with which nature has endowed our country.

Lack of Initiative - this trait is explained by the natural fear of

competition, for Filipino society is cooperative, not competitive.

Curious - The Filipino (being childlike) is naturally curious but tainted

with sympathy.
Regionalistic - Filipinos think not in terms of national boundaries but in
regional oneness (ie: Bicol Region, Tagalog Region, Visayan Region,
etc)

Pakikisama - may be translated loosely as the intensive signification of

camaraderie or spirit of comradeship, the main elements of which are
unselfishness and good faith.
Is the Filipino
culture changing?
Filipino values and customs that were maintained have changed
or are changing through the sociocultural and political evolution
of the Filipino culture.