The Study of Culture, Society, and Politics

THE STUDY OF
CULTURE,
SOCIETY, AND
POLITICS
Learning Competency:
Identify the subjects of
inquiry and goals of
Anthropology, Political
Science, and Sociology
(UCSP11/12SPUIb-5)
Objectives
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
• recognize the importance of the study of culture, society, and
politics, and
• identify the subjects of inquiry and goals of anthropology,
political science, and sociology.
• What is the significance of having scientific knowledge about
culture, society, and politics?
• How do the disciplines of anthropology, political science, and
politics help us understand and make decisions in society?
The Study of Culture, Society, and Politics
• Culture is the focus of anthropology, society is for sociology,
while politics is for political science. These are disciplines of the social
sciences.
• The goal of having these disciplines is to prepare people for active and
responsible civic engagement through the development of critical thought.
Exposure to these areas of discipline exposes its learners to the following:
• social diversity and inequality,
• self-reflective knowledge and practice,
• appreciation of complexity, and
• advocacy for social change and order.
Anthropology
•Anthropology is the study of humans and their
society in the past and present. Dealing with what
makes us human, anthropology delves into
objects and materials we have created, our
interconnectedness and adaptability with
environment, our lifestyle, our modes of
communication, and our understanding of the
world around us.
Goals of Anthropology
•to describe and analyze the biological evolution
of mankind
•to describe and assess the cultural development
of our species
•to explain and analyze present-day human
cultural similarities and differences
•to describe and explain human biological
diversity today
Political Science
• Political science is a social science discipline that deals
with systems of government and the analysis
of political activities and political behavior. Primarily, it
helps people gain an understanding of “who gets what,
when they get it, and how they get it.”
• Political science helps us understand politics, political
institutions and behavior, public policy, and
philosophical concepts, such as justice, equality, fairness,
and liberty, and how the said subject matters affect
economy, public and private life, law, and public services.
Goals of Political Science
•for people to be immersed in current affairs
•to build an understanding of local, national, and
international politics
•to assist people in learning how political
activities are organized in and out of our country
•to provide substantially critical and scientific
contribution to government and society
Sociology
•Sociology is the study of human social relationships
and institutions. This discipline mainly focuses on
society—its functions, its members, and its diversity.
•Specifically, sociology tackles the basic unit of the
society—the family, the functionality and relevance
of state as an important human institution, social
issues on religion, crime, race, social class, and the
stability and instability of societies.
Goals of Sociology
•to guide in understanding intrapersonal factors
•to build a better understanding of mankind
•to aid in decision-making in the micro and macro
level
•to gather systematic information from which to
make a decision, provide insights into what is
going on in a situation, and present alternatives
DEFINING CULTURE AND SOCIETY:
THE PERSPECTIVES OF
ANTHROPOLOGY AND
SOCIOLOGY, UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
ANTHROPOLOGICAL AND
SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON
CULTURE AND SOCIETY
explain anthropological
and sociological
perspectives on culture
and society
(UCSPC11DCS-Ic6)
Objectives
At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
• explain anthropological and sociological perspectives on
culture and society, and
• describe society and culture as a complex whole.
• Why should people use different perspectives in
recognizing the existence of culture and society?
• Why is culture said to be a product of society?
Anthropology and Sociology
•Humans are interesting subjects to
study. The human story has a lot to say
from their way of living to the
associations they form. The two
interrelated scientific studies of society
colloquially known as the twin social
sciences are anthropology and sociology.
Anthropology
• Anthropology is the study of people throughout the world,
their evolutionary history, how they behave, adapt to different
environments, communicate, and socialize with one another.
• Anthropology provides us with a big picture of what it means
to be human.
• The study of anthropology is concerned with the biological
features that make us human (such as physiology, genetic
makeup, nutritional history, and evolution) and their social
aspects (such as language, culture, politics, family, and
religion).
Sociology
• Sociology is the study of human institutions and their
relationships. This discipline examines how human
actions in modern societies are shaped by social groups
and by wider social, economic, and political pressures.
• 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.
Anthropological and Sociological
Perspectives on Culture and Society
•In sociology, society is the leading concept
while culture is subordinate. In
anthropology, on the other hand, culture
comes first as a subject matter followed by
society.
•Let us put the two concepts this way.
• When talking about culture, we are mostly talking about
tangible factors which include language, technology, and
institutions−like our churches, schools, or houses.
• However, culture also has intangible aspects such as our values
and behaviors. It also includes norms, the standards or rules of
acceptable behavior.
• Culture is what makes society a collective whole. It gives the
community its form, shape, and identity.
• A society, in terms of sociology, is a group of people living and
interacting with one another to create a culture. Its population is
bound by a shared culture−beliefs, attitudes, languages, and
institutions.
describe society and
culture as a complex
whole
(UCSPC11/12DCSIc-7)
Society and Culture as a Complex Whole
Edward B. Tylor defined culture as "that complex whole
which includes knowledge, art, belief, law, morals,
custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of society.“
•With this premise, it can be said that culture is a product
of society. These two exist dependently on each other.
•Culture , just like every person in society, is susceptible
to change or death.
•Society is not constant. Its members change
from time to time. As a result, culture
changes along. New trends exist. New
technologies are invented and new means of
interaction have been created.
•People evolve over time as a result of their
exposure to renewed or changed laws,
values, and standards of society.
Try it!
•Identify three societies or
groups of people. Write at
least three characteristics for
each group.

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