UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE, SOCIETY
AND POLITICS
Reviewer for the 3rd Quarter period
( summary of lessons )

By; Kirsten Bianca O. Reyes good luck sa exam !

3 SOCIAL SCIENCES:
ANTHROPOLOGY

- It always describes human, human behaviour and human societies around the world.
- It is a comparative science that examines all societies.
- scientific study of man or human beings.
- Studies people throughout the world, their evolutionary history, how they behave, adapt to
different environments, communicate and socialize with one another.

PERSPECTIVES:

- cross- cultural or comparative emphasis,

- evolutionary/historical emphasis,
- ecological emphasis,
- holistic emphasis (Dudgeon).

SOCIOLOGY

- study of human social relationships and institutions.

- Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime to religion, from the family to the state,
from the divisions of race and social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from
social stability to radical change in whole societies.
- purpose of sociology is to understand how human action and consciousness both shape and
are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.

PERSPECTIVES: Central features include:

- social interaction and relationships,

- social contexts,
- social structure,
- social change,
- the significance of diversity and human variation, and
- the critical, questioning character of sociology.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

- deals with humans and their interactions.

- It is a branch of sociology; it essentially deals with the large-scale actions of humans, and group
mentality.
- body of knowledge relating to the study of the state and government.
- It primarily focuses on the “power” that plays a crucial part in the struggle in which the
individuals and groups may be found involved according to their capability and degree of interest
at all levels – local, regional, national, and international (Sharma and Sharma: 6)
- The study of political science was started by the ancient Greeks.
- Aristotle on his book “Politics” stated that Man is a political animal. It means that it is our
nature to live in a society and to have power over another.
- Political Science is the systematic study of government, politics, and political power.
- Subject of inquiry:
 political theory, philosophy and different political ideologies - public management – human
rights - international relations and foreign policies.
GOALS
• Make people a better citizens.
• Keep social order and harmony among different group of people.
• Protect the rights of an individual.
• Avoid conflict and promote cooperation

PERSPECTIVE:

- Political science is more focused than most social sciences.

- It sticks to the political arena and to the realm of politics, either dealing with situations with
two competing sides or the lateral decisions that affect the group as a whole.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY
- What does it mean to be human? - How do we study society?
- Who are you? - What are the things that you think influence
- Where do you come from? your life?
- What is life to people living in places with
different culture and behavior?
- started as a science during the time of - emerged as an academic field right at the
exploration when European - height of Industrial Revolution in Europe
- countries started to colonize what they which mobilized the entire population in a
considered as primitive societies where way that had never been before in human
people were believed to be savages and history.
barbaric. - These era had brought great changes in way
people live in a society.
- FRANZ BOAS – considered - AUGUSTE COMTE – French philosopher and
- as the father of modern American - mathematician. He coined the term sociology.
anthropology. His study led to the doctrine - He saw the need for a systematic
of “historical particularism,” where he - science of studying society and in dealing with
stated that each society is considered as the solution of its basic problems.
having a unique form of culture that
cannot be understood under an overall
definition of general culture.
- special research method known as - study of society, patterns of social
ETHNOGRAPHY in which anthropologists interactions, and culture of everyday life.
are required to live with their subject of - Unlike anthropology, the knowledge created
study for a long period of time in order to by sociology is used to understand one’s own
make their writings more reliable and society.
credible.
GOALS: GOALS:
- See the commonalities - Obtain possible theories
among people and principles about
 - Discover wha0t makes society as well as various
people different from each aspects of social life
other in order to - Examines our roles in the
understand and preserve Society
diversity - Expose our minds to
- Produce new knowledge different perspectives is attaining truth.
and new theories about mankind and
behavior.

- CULTURE AS A COMPLEX WHOLE

BELIEFS

- Ideas and VALUES thoughts common to several individuals that govern interaction- between these
people.

PRACTICES

- Shared perceptions of how people routinely in a culture.

TRAITS AND VALUES

- Cultural traits are things that allow one part of a culture to be transmitted to another. Values are
culture’s core beliefs about what’s good or right.

LAWS

- Sets rules that define minimum standards of behavior, expressing social expectations and disciplining
violators

NORMS

- They are most commonly defined rules or expectations that are socially enforced.

ARTIFACTS

- Usually simple object ( a tool or element)

EDWARD TYLOR

- ONE OF THE FOUNDERS OF MODERN ANTHROPOLOGY

CULTURE as a “complex whole”

- which encompasses beliefs, practices, traits, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols,
knowledge and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of the society.

- “complex whole” suggests that culture cannot be simply broken down into a set of characteristics.
- COMPLEX WHOLE. It means 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.

SOCIETY

- A society may refer to group of people that follows or shares same cultures.

- People, as members of the society, possess, produce and transmit culture but they cannot consider
themselves as culture.

NO CULTURE

can exist without social interaction in society.

SOCIETY

cannot exist in the absence of people who have learned to live and work together

- CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
CULTURE IS SOCIAL

- Culture is social because it is the product of behavior. Culture does not exist in isolation. It is a product
of society. It develops through social interaction. No man can acquire culture without association with
others

CULTURE HAS VARIETY

- Culture varies from society to society. Every society has a culture of its own that differs from other
societies. The culture of every society is unique by itself. Cultures are not uniform. Cultural elements like
customs, traditions, morals, values, and beliefs are not constant.

CULTURE IS SHARED

- Culture is not something that an individual alone can possess. Culture, in sociological sense, is shared.

CULTURE IS LEARNED

- Culture is not inborn. It is learned. Shaking hands, saying thanks, etc. are cultural behaviors. Not all
behaviors are learned, but most of these can be.

CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED
- Cultural ways are learned by people from others. Many of these ways are handed down from elders,
parents, teachers, and others (most likely individuals of older generation), while other cultural behaviors
are handed up to elders.

CULTURE IS TRANSMITTED

- Transmission of culture is made possible by Language. Language is the main vehicle of culture.
Transmission of culture may take place also through imitation as well as through instruction

CULTURE IS CONTINUOUS AND CUMULATIVE

- Culture exists as a continuous process. In its historical growth, it tends to become cumulative

- Ralph Linton called culture “the social heritage” of man.

CULTURE IS GRATIFYING AND IDEALISTIC

- Culture provides proper opportunities for the satisfaction of our needs and desires.

ETHNOCENTRISM AND CULTURAL RELATIVISM

ETHNOCENTRISM

- The view that one’s group is superior compared to another. In an ethnocentric viewpoint, a group is
considered as the center or core of everything and all other groups are scaled and rated in relation to it
or called peripheral.

- In many cases, a group or society uses their own values and norms as yardsticks in measuring other
folkways and values. The ways of other groups are oftentimes labelled as different, strange or queer, and
to be viewed with hostility and suspicion.

CULTURAL RELATIVISM

- a belief that cultures are equally complex. There is no such thing as superior or inferior culture.

- promotes greater appreciation of the cultures that an individual might encounter along the way.

- good way to rehearse the norms and values of a society

- function and meaning of a trait are relative to its cultural setting.

CULTURAL EVOLUTION
- Earth’s beginning can be traced back 4.5 billion years, but human evolution only counts for a tiny speck
of its history.

- The Prehistoric Period – or when there was human life before records documented human activity –
roughly dates from 2.5 million years ago to 1200 B.C.
THREE ARCHAEOLOGICAL PERIODS:

PALEOLITHIC PERIOD

- John Lubbock (1865)

- Greek word: palaios,"old"; lithos: ”stone“

- happened 2.5 million years ago.

- “Old Stone Age".

- Ice Age

- People: NOMADS

- Tools: UNPOLISHED STONES

- FORMATION OF SMALL GROUPS

- HUNTING, GATHERING

NEOLITHIC PERIOD

- “Neolithic” also comes from the samE archaeologist.

- Greek word:“neo” means new. “Lithos” means stone

- new and “lithos” meaning stone.

- “New Stone Age” (10,000 B.C.)

- First Agricultural Revolution.

- POLISHED STONE TOOL

- HUMAN SETTLEMENT

- FORMATION OF SEDENTARY VILLAGE

- AGRICULTURE

- DOMESTICATING ANIMALS

AGE OF METAL

- bronze, copper, and iron

- cradle civilization

- agricultural tools were developed with bronze, such as plows and sickles, military weapons like swords,
spears and shields, as well as household utensils like jars, bowls and cups.
- METAL TOOLS

- METTALURGY

EARLY CIVILIZATION
Civilization

- Civis- refers to person who lives in a city

- Civets - refers to urban community in which one dwells.

- Civilization describes a complex way of life that came about as people began to develop networks of
urban settlement.

MESOPOTAMIA

- Cradle of Civilization

- Euphrates and Tigris River

- Ziggurat

- Zoroastrianism (Religion)

- Cuneiform – form of writing

- Law of Hammurabi

- Government

EGYPTIAN

- Nile River

- Pyramids

- Pharaohs

- Hieroglyphics

- Nomes (provinces)

- Polytheism

- Geometry

INDIAN
- South Asia

- the civilization was started in Indus Valley were the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro arise.

- Sanskrit (classical language)

- Vedas (books)

- Caste System (Brahmin,

- Kshatriya, Vaisya, Sudra, and

- Untouchables)

SOCIALIZATION
- process of learning one’s society and its culture.
- one learns the culture’s language,their roles in life, and what is expected from them.

4 AGENTS OF SOCIALIZATION:
FAMILY
- First agent of socialization.
- Most of the habits, manners, beliefs and the way we think are developed in the family.
- Huge part of your personality is molded by your family.
PEERS

- Influences you on the way you can accept yourself.

- With your peer group that you find yourself belonged.

SCHOOL
- Socialize with other people - your classmates, teachers, administrators, and others which are
outside your family within a society.
- Made a lot of experiences in you.
- your behavior and attitude are shaped to become a better member of society.

SOCIAL MEDIA
- Crucial role in shaping your personality as well. Majority of us, young and old, are connected
through social media.

OTHER AGENTS
• CHURCH- religion
• GOVERNMENT-law
• COMMUNITY-members of society

SOCIALIZATION
-interaction
-direct
ENCULTURATION- INTERNALIZATION “CULTURE”
-norms
-conscious
-unconscious

ENCULTURATION
 - process which people learn requirements of their surrounding culture and acquiring values and
behaviors, includes observation, absorbing culture in a society, can be taught directly or indirectly
Becomes enculturated.
- Socialization helps us to be enculturated.

SOCIAL GROUPS
GROUP
- composed of two or more persons interacting with each other and guided by a set of norms.
- Everyone belongs to a group; your race, gender, favorite sports team, your college,even the
place where you were born were all examples of groups.

BASIC CLASSIFICATION OF GROUP

PRIMARY GROUP (INFLUENCE)

• FAMILY/ CLOSE FRIENDS
• Are small but intimate.
• Direct access and interaction with each other.
• Emotional bonds are formed between members.
• Influential in developing an individual’s personal identity.
• The goal of primary groups is actually the relationships themselves rather than achieving some other
purpose.

SECONDARY GROUP (INFLUENCE)

• CLASSMATES
• are formed to perform a specific purpose.
• often formal and impersonal.
• involve weak emotional ties and little personal knowledge of one another.
• don’t have the goal of maintaining and developing the relationships themselves.

IN GROUP (MEMBERSHIP)
• provide members a sense of belongingness and loyalty.
• Belonging to the same group as others who share the same common bond and interests.
• Sample Groups: Sports team, Unions and Sororities

OUT GROUP (MEMBERSHIP)

• Groups that an individual is not a member.
• These groups elicit a sense of antagonism from a person.
• Those who do not belong to the in-group are part of the out-group.

REFERENCE GROUP
• Collection of people that we use as a standard of comparison for ourselves regardless of whether we are
part of that group.
• Reference groups to understand social norms, which then shape our values, ideas, behavior, and
appearance.
• Sample of these groups are parents, siblings, teachers, peers, associates, and friends.

NETWORKS
• Collection of people tied together by a specific pattern of connections
• They can be characterized by the number of people involved, as in the dyad (by twos) and triad (by
threes), but also in terms of their structures (who is connected to whom) andfunctions (what flows across
ties).
• Able to do more things and different things than individuals acting on their own could.