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Lesson 1: Nature, Goal, and Perspective in Anthropology, Sociology
Lesson 1: Nature, Goal, and Perspective in Anthropology, Sociology
ROOT WORD
ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
SUBJECT OF INQUIRY
ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
Franz Boas –considered as the father of Auguste Comte – French philosopher and
modern American anthropology. His mathematician. He coined the term
study led to the doctrine of “historical sociology. He saw the need for a
particularism,” where he stated that each systematic science of studying society and
society is considered as having a unique in dealing with the solution of its basic
form of culture that cannot be understood problems.
under an overall definition of general
culture.
GOALS
ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
Sociology and anthropology are social science disciplines that focus on studying
the behavior of humans within their societies. The main difference between the two
concepts is that sociology concentrates on society (social institutions/structures) while
anthropology focuses on culture.
Political Science - Politics impacts our lives directly or indirectly, whether we are aware
of its effects or not. If there is a crime that took place, we call the police, and this scheme
is part of the government. If there was a fire that occurred, we call the fire department,
and that’s also a part of the government. Military is the government as well, let alone
our civil liberty and our rights which have influences on us daily. In school, you were
asked to read by heart the Constitution. When you are apprehended by an authority,
you question your violation and insisted on your legal rights. Even inside your house,
there are still a set of rules that are being enforced and followed. All these things are
related to a field called Political Science.
POLITICAL SCIENCE
The “complex whole” above suggests that culture cannot be simply broken down
into a set of characteristics. It mean that an understanding of a part can only be
achieved in relation to other parts of the system. This requires an approach where all
at once, one can get an appreciation of what culture is all about without being bothered
by its complexity or by any definition that attempts to capture such complexity.
A society cannot exist apart from culture. A society may refer to a group of people
that follows or shares the same cultures. People, as members of the society, possess,
produce, and also transmit culture but they cannot consider themselves as culture. No
culture can exist without social interaction in society; meanwhile, society cannot exist
in the absence of people who have learned to live and work together.
Characteristics of Culture
Lesson 3:
ME AND MY CULTURE
“Them” and Their Culture “Me” and My Culture
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 are bias and they 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.
Xenocentrism
● It is the opposite of ethnocentrism.
● It is a belief that another culture is more superior than your own culture.
Cultural Relativism
Cultural relativism is a belief that cultures are equally complex.
● There is no such thing as superior or inferior culture.
● It is very important in studying the culture of other people.
● It is a way of viewing the beliefs, values, and practices of a culture from its own
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.
● Cultural relativism promotes greater appreciation of the cultures that an
individual might encounter along the way.
● Cultural relativism is a good way to rehearse the norms and values of a society –
-- a requirement that one must subscribe to, regardless of his/her cultural origin.
● It means that the function and meaning of a trait are relative to its cultural
setting.
4. Out-group
- Those who do not belong to the
in-group are part of the out-
group, which exist in the
perceptions of the in-group
members. Sometimes they are
those who are being used as a
negative point of reference by the
in-group.
5. Reference groups
-A collection of people that we use
as a standard of comparison for
ourselves regardless of whether
we are part of that group or not.
6. Network
-It is a collection of people tied
together by a specific pattern of