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Understanding Culture, Society and Politics: Quarter 1 - Module 3: Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics: Quarter 1 - Module 3: Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism
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learners acquire the needed 21st century skills while taking into consideration
their needs and circumstances.
In addition to the material in the main text, you will also see this box in the body of
the module:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use this module.
You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while allowing them to
manage their own learning. Furthermore, you are expected to encourage and assist
the learners as they do the tasks included in the module.
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For the learner:
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be
enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active
learner.
What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.
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Assessment This is a task which aims to evaluate your
level of mastery in achieving the learning
competency.
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part of
the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Don’t forget to answer What I Know before moving on to the other activities
included in the module.
3. Read the instruction carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in doing the tasks and checking your
answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are through with it.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module, do not
hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that you are
not alone.
We hope that through this material, you will experience meaningful learning
and gain deep understanding of the relevant competencies. You can do it!
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What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the nature of Understanding Culture Society and Politics. The scope of this
module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language
used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged
to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read
them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
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What I Know
General Direction: Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that
corresponds to your answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. Indigenous people should learn to change their old and traditional ways
of life in order to be happy and successful.
2. Korean culture is better than our culture because a lot of Filipinos try to
imitate and adopt this culture.
3. The Aetas of Zambales, the Mangyans of Mindoro and other Filipino
tribes have different religious beliefs. Their Gods are manifested on the
different forms of nature like trees, mountains, rivers, volcano, their dead
ancestors, and many more. These beliefs do not make them a lesser
group of people, and we must see that there is nothing wrong with them.
4. Filipinos’ religious traditions like celebration of fiestas should be banned
because it is just a waste of time, energy, and resources.
5. People in my own culture could learn a lot from people in other cultures.
For numbers 6-7, classify the following practices as right or wrong. Write letter A if
it is right, and letter B if it is wrong.
6. Arranged marriage
7. Polygamy or the practice of having multiple wives
For numbers 8-15, choose the best answer for each item. Write down the letter of
your choice.
8. The attitude that other societies’ customs and traditions and ideas should be
judged in the context of one’s own culture is known as ______________________.
a. Cultural relativism b. Imperialism c. Colonialism d. Ethnocentrism
9. People around the world should learn from the ill effects of the belief that one’s
culture is better than others. Which of the following is NOT an example of it?
a. The Holocaust happened when Adolf Hitler ordered the mass
murdering of the Jews.
b. Global warming is now happening and people from more
developed and industrialized countries are more liable than people
from underdeveloped countries.
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c. Slave trade happened when black African people were sold in
Europe and the Americas to serve as slaves.
d. Hate crimes happen when people are killed because of their
religious beliefs and practices.
10. What is the most important lesson we could get from studying cultural
relativism?
a. It is difficult or impossible to force your own religious beliefs
onto another group.
b. People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs
when they understand and learn the meaning behind them.
c. Something that is not good or prohibited in your own society
might be good and perfectly acceptable in another society.
d. When studying another culture, you must first convert to its
religious beliefs for better understanding.
11..Which of these is an example of ethnocentrism?
a. A father is angry with his son for not doing his homework.
b. A westernized woman is looking down on a tribal woman for not
wearing any clothes.
c. A mother refuses to pay her daughter’s prom gown.
d. A girl bullies her classmate for being clumsy.
12. Having more than one wife is not bad from a Muslim point of view. In
relation, people must see this custom within the context of Muslims’
problems and opportunities. What kind of view is illustrated here?
a. Ethnocentrism
b. Cultural relativism
c. Barbarism
d. Egocentrism
13. Which of the following is NOT a true statement about cultural relativism?
a. It requires us to abandon the values of our own culture.
b. It makes it possible for us to explain how culture makes its people
behave.
c. It requires people to consider many factors before they draw
conclusions on other people’s cultural practices.
d. It unites us as one and make us even more proud of our own culture.
14.You are an overseas Filipino worker who went to Japan for the first time.
During the first few days of your stay, you are disoriented and frustrated
due to your exposure to a very strange culture. What does this situation
signify?
a. Cultural diversity
b. Cultural relativism
c. Culture shock
d. Fear of culture
15.The Kwakintl Indians of North America lack electricity supply, and they
seem to have a less fulfilling life. The Bushmen of the Kalchari are non-
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literate and they appear less intelligent. Relatively, you view your own
culture as superior to them.
What do the statements above explain?
a. Ethnocentrism
b. Cultural relativism
c. Structuralism
d. Structural formalism
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What’s In
Before we proceed, let us go back with some of the important concepts about
culture, which is the focus of our discussion.
According to E.B. Taylor; culture is a “complex whole,” which encompasses
beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artefacts’, symbols, knowledge,
and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of a society.
Likewise, a society is understood or sometimes judged based on their
culture. What comprises a culture? Let us refresh our mind by answering the
matching type test below.
Source: Wikimedia Commons. From Popular Science Monthly 26 (1884):
145. Public Domain.
Check your answers and make sure you are very familiar with the key terms
listed before we start another lesson.
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What’s New
Am I Different?
Fill in “‘Me’ and My Culture” table by describing how you behave and practice
your own culture under similar circumstances.
Religion Religion
Individuals practicing Hinduism believe
in millions of gods and goddesses. All
are responsible for governing their
lives, destiny, and fate.
Reading text Reading Text
Hebrew and Arabic books are read from
right to left.
Table Manners Table Manners
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Europeans and Americans use spoon
and fork in eating, while Chinese and
Koreans use chopsticks.
And so I am Different
2. Are their respective cultures the same as your own culture? In what ways
are they similar and in what ways do they differ?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
3. Do you think that the cultures of these groups are bad? Why or why not?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
5. Which of the two sets of cultures is the best, their cultures or your own
culture? Why?
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
6. If one culture behaves in a particular act, does it mean that all cultures
can behave the same way? Discuss further.
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
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What is It
In this part of your journey, we provide something for you to deepen your
understanding about culture.
What is Ethnocentrism?
Ethnocentrism is a belief that one’s own culture is better than others. They
tend to compare, evaluate, and even judge other people’s ways based on the values
and standards set in one’s own culture. Their worldview is based on the beliefs,
assumptions, expectations, and values shaped by one’s language, behavior,
customs, values, religions and other aspects.
Due to ethnocentric beliefs, many people are blinded from seeing things in
another perspective. Ethnocentric people tend to dislike or make false judgment on
other cultures. They tend becoming biased and judge another culture as bad and
wrong.
Even though we deny it, most of us are ethnocentric at some point in our
lives. Some do not even realize that they are being ethnocentric at that moment.
Below are some of the examples of ethnocentrism:
a. The American society sees themselves as a world leader. As a result, they
interfere in the political affairs of other countries and try to control them,
leading to misunderstanding and miscommunication amongst nations
which sometimes result to war.
b. During the time of Adolf Hitler, Germans believed that they are a superior
race. This led to the death of 6 million Jews whom they considered as an
inferior race.
c. European countries go beyond their ethnocentric biases and saw non-
European cultures as uncivilized and underdeveloped countries of
savages and barbarians. They used this perspective to justify colonialism
and imperialism.
d. Cases of hate crimes and terrorism violence can usually be traced back to
religious conflicts and misunderstandings.
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viewpoint. Another way to say this is that others should understand an individual’s
beliefs and activities in terms of that person’s own culture.
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What’s More
Activity 1
In this activity, you will be asked to conduct a simple case study examining
the culture of other people that is somehow different from yours. If you are an
Ilocano, the subject of your study could be people who identify themselves as
Tagalog, Bisaya, Bicolano, or other ethnicity. If you know someone who belongs to
an indigenous group of people, it is much better to have them as subjects. Since
you are not allowed to go out at present because of the threat of COVID-19
pandemic, look for someone who is near to your place or whom you have contact
with through social media.
Be guided with the following questions as you write your case study:
1. Describe the group of people that you chose. Who are they? What
do they do? Where did they come from? What do you know about
them?
2. Discuss their way of life in terms of:
a. Social organizations
b. Language
c. Religion
d. Arts and literature
e. Economic systems
f. Values, beliefs and traditions
3. Summarize what you have learned using the 3-2-1 chart below:
3 Things I learned from them
2 Things I found interesting
1 Thing I realize
Activity 2
Give some concrete instances when unity exists even though there are
differences happening among people.
Unity in Diversity:
Pagkakaisa sa kabila ng pagkakaiba-iba
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Activity 3
Create a slogan that promotes respect and tolerance towards other cultures all over
the world.
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What I Have Learned
“T-M-L Phrase
It Matters because
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
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What I Can Do
State your reason why you beg to disagree to the given statements below. You have
to remember that you are a CULTURAL RELATIVIST; you have to place yourself in
the shoes of these people in order to understand them better. Culture is not good
or bad, neither it is right or wrong, but instead it is relative.
1. One society can call another society as evil such as those nations where
terrorist live. These places are also called an “axis of evil”.
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
2. Western culture is superior and opposite of non-Western culture.
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
4. The Mangyan tribe of Mindoro are backwards people because they are
uneducated.
________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________
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Assessment
Read the following items carefully. Write the letter that corresponds to your
answer on a separate sheet of paper.
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c. Shiela posted a picture of Carlos P. Romulo with a caption, “This little
brown monkey that you are referring to does not eat banana peelings.
He is a Filipino not an American.
d. Wendel tweeted, “Nakakatakot na ang panahon ngayon daming taong
gumagala na tadtad ng tattoo ang katawan.”
For numbers 11-12, classify the following practices as either good or bad based on
the point of view of the community mentioned. Write letter A if it is good and letter
B if it is bad.
11.Women in certain Muslim and Hindu societies follow the Purdah practice
of dressing, in all enveloping clothes, to stay out of sight to men and
strangers.
12.Cannibalism is the practice of eating human flesh by groups of people
from different parts of the world.
For numbers 13-15, choose the best answer for each item. Write down the letter of
your choice.
13.The attitude that other societies’ customs and traditions and ideas
should be judged in the context of one’s own culture is known as
______________________.
a. Imperialism b. Cultural relativism c. Ethnocentrism d. Colonialism
14. What is the most appropriate lesson we could get from studying cultural
relativism?
a. It is difficult or impossible to force your own religious beliefs
onto another group’s own.
b. People tend to be more tolerant of another culture’s customs
when they understand and learn the meaning behind them.
c. Something that is not good or prohibited in your own society
might be good and perfectly acceptable in another society.
d. When studying another culture, you must first convert to its
religious beliefs for better understanding.
15. People around the world should learn from the ill effects of the belief that
one’s culture is better than others. Which of the following is NOT an
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example of it?
a. The Holocaust happened when Adolf Hitler ordered the mass
murdering of the Jews.
b. Global warming is now happening and people from more
developed and industrialized countries are more liable than
people from underdeveloped countries.
c. Slave trade happened when black African people were sold in
Europe and the Americas to serve as slaves.
d. Hate crimes happens when people are being killed because of
their religious beliefs and practices.
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Additional Activities
#i-speak
You are invited as a guest speaker for a certain event where the participants
come from different places of different cultures. The topic assigned to you is
religious beliefs and practices. Your task is to make a speech which you are going
to deliver on the said affair. It should be composed of at least 3-4 paragraphs,
whereas you are comparing your religious beliefs and practices with the
participants’ own without being biased.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
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Answer Key
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References
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