DEVELOPED LEARNING RESOURCES MATERIALS BASED ON THE MOST ESSENTIAL

LEARNING COMPETENCIES IN UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND

POLITICS
(MELC – UCSP Grade 11 & 12)

 MELC/Week 1: Discuss the nature, goals and perspectives in /of Anthropology, Sociology
and Political Science.
Topic: Starting Point for the Understanding of Culture, Society and Political Identities
 Social Science – study the society and the manner in which people behave and influence the world around us.
- The utmost goal is to answer different questions and find solutions to problems of the society to improve the human
condition despite cultural, social, and political differences.

Manifestations of Human Variations through Cultural Diversity, Social Differences,

and Political Identities
 Society – a group of people, wherein its members share similar lifestyle, culture, and beliefs.
 Culture – it refers to “that complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols,
knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of society.”(E.B. Tylor 1920).
- It is a strong part of people’s lives.
- It influences their views, their values, their values, their humors, their hopes, their loyalties and their worries and fears.
- has the capacity to bond the members of a society together.
- It is also a source of differences that exist between people in society and between society in the globe due to diversity in:
language, dress and traditions, food preference, etc.
- Cultures are internally affected by both forces that encouraging change and forces resisting change.
- the forces are related to both social structures and natural events, and are involved in the perpetuation of cultural ideas and
practices within current structures, which themselves are subject to change.
 Cultural Diversity – a state wherein several individuals with varied backgrounds and culture are present in an institution.
Ex. diversity in: language, dress and traditions, food preference, etc.
 Human Variations
 There are significant variations in the way societies organize themselves, in their shared conception of morality and in the ways
they interact with their environment.
 Social Differences
The society has various manifestations of social differences based on unique social characteristics or qualities like: social class, gender,
age, educational attainment, occupation, etc.
 Social Differences is usually equated with
 Social Stratification
Which describes the relative social position of persons in a given social
Group, category, geographical region, or other social unit.
describes power relations in the economic context.
- some sociologist/structural functionalist, consider social stratification divides people into different strata, creates conflict and
tension among group members in society.
 Major Types of Social Stratifications:
1. Caste – hereditary endogamous social group in which a person’s rank and his/her rights and obligations are ascribed or on the basis of
his/her birth into a particular.
2. Class – a person’s position is based upon achievement.
3. Estate – gives emphasis to birth as well as wealth and possessions.
4. Slavery – had economic basis wherein the master shows power over a slave.
 Social Class
- The most visible form of social stratification as it has the most impact on the lives of many.
 Political Identities (Filipino- people, Philippines – country, Gov’t. – Democratic/Democracy, Phil.Gov’t. System)
- The characteristics of a political group.
- People affiliate themselves and define their political identity as they relate to other people of the world from other countries.
 Government
- The institution that has authority to oversee a country or state.
- The system by which a state or community is controlled so as to put order.
3 Major Social Sciences (Areas of Discipline/Study)
1. Sociology (society/Sociologist)- the study of society and the behavior of people in the society.
Sociological Imagination (C. Wright Mills, 1959) - enables us to grasp the connection between history and biography within society.
- can explain individual and societal phenomena
- History – is what is happening or events in time.
- Biography – is the personal experience of individuals
Major Approaches:
1. Macro Perspective/ Macrosociology – examines the social structure, the social institutions, social organizations and
social groups.
- Uses structural functionalist perspective and conflict perspective.

2. Micro Perspective/ Microsociology – places emphasis on the role of the individuals in society.
- Uses symbolic interactionist perspective to look into the interactions between or among individuals in society.

2. Anthropology (Anthropologist)– is the holistic “science of man,” a science of the totality of human existence.
2 Fields of Anthropology:

1. Physical Anthropology/ Biological Anthropology- mainly concerned about how humans emerged and evolved through time.
- Under the study of human paleontology.
- How human beings differ biologically
 2. Cultural Anthropology – concerned with the differences of cultures from time to time.
a. Archeology – study past cultures through tangible or material remains.
- Archeologists help construct the life and culture of the humans in the prehistoric time.
b. Anthropological linguistics – which is the anthropological study of languages where experts explain the difference of
languages by culture and how it is constructed.
c. Ethnology – which is the study of recent or present cultures.
3. Political Science – deals with systems of government and the analysis of political activity and political behavior.
- It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics which is commonly thought of as the determining of the
distribution of powers and resources.
Subfields:
 Comparative Political Science
 International Relations
 Political Theory
 Public Administration
 Constitutional Law
 Public Policy
 The common concerns or intersections of the interdisciplines is on the phenomenon of social change.
 Beyond the disciplines is the acceptance of the unknown, the unexpected, and the unforeseeable that may be unveiled by using the multi-
disciplines. The use of a lens or perspective that embraces interplay of many disciplines to examine the sources and consequences of
change is imperative.

 MELC/Week 2: Analyze the concept, aspects and changes in/ of culture and society.
Topic: Defining Culture and Society from the Perspective of Anthropology and Sociology
 How are culture and society defined from the perspectives of Anthropology and Sociology?

Most Anthropologists would define Culture as the shared set of (implicit and explicit) values, ideas, concepts, and rules of
behavior that allow a social group to function and perpetuate itself.

According to Sociologists, Culture consists of the values, beliefs, systems of language, communication, and practices that
people share in common and that can be used to define them as a collective. Culture also includes the material objects
that are common to that group or society.

In Anthropology, Society connotes a group of people linked through a sustained interaction. ... Members typically share a
common culture or at least a recognized set of norms, values, and symbolism that defines the society's members.

According to Sociologists, a Society is a group of people with common territory, interaction, and culture. Social groups consist
of two or more people who interact and identify with one another. Territory: Most countries have formal boundaries and
territory that the world recognizes as theirs.

Different Types of Societies

1. Hunting and Gathering Societies

- the earliest forms of society.
- small and generally with less than 50 member and nomadic.
- members survive primarily by hunting, trapping, fishing, and gathering edible plants.
- They mutually dependent upon each other and there is equal division of labor among the members.
- There is division of labor based on sex: men – responsible for hunting and women – responsible for gathering.
2. Pastoral Societies
- Rely on products obtained through the domestication and breeding of animals for transportation and food.

3. Horticultural Societies
- These societies rely on the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and plants in order to survive.
- They are often force to relocate when the resources of the land are depleted or when the water supplies
decreases.

4. Agricultural Societies
- They rely on the use of technology in order to cultivate crops in large areas, including wheat, rice and corn.
- Productivity increases, as long as there are plenty of food, people do not have to move.
- Towns form, and then cities emerged, specialization increases and the economy becomes more complex.
5. Industrial Societies
- They uses advanced sources of energy to run large machinery which led to industrialization.
- Innovations in transportation led people to travel, work in factories and live in cities,
- Occupational specialization became more pronounced and a person’s vacation became more of an identifier than his or her

family ties, as was common in non-industrial societies.

6. Post – Industrial Societies

- Economy is based on services and technology, and production.
- Economy is dependent on tangible goods.
- People must pursue greater education, and the new communications technology allows work to be
performed from a variety of locations.
Topic: Aspects of Culture
Classifications of Culture
 Material Culture
-material objects/those omponents/elements of cultuew/physical
representation(tools,furnitures,buildings,bridges,gadgets,etc.)
- these are created/produced, changed and utilized by people.

 Non-Material Culture
- Non-tangible/without physical representation, can be categorized:
1. Cognitive culture - ideas, concepts, philosophies, designs, etc.
- products of the mental/intellectual functioning & reasoning of human mind.
2. Normative culture – includes all the expectations, standards, and rules for human behavior.

 Note: material and non-material cultures are always interlinked. The existence of material culture is justified by the non-
material culture (cognitive/normative). Material culture is meaningless without the ideas and normative that supports it.

 Elements of Culture

1. Beliefs – are conceptions/ ideas people have about what is true in the environment (what is life? how to value it?)
-based on common sense, folk wisdom, religion, science or combination of all these.
2. Values – describe what is appropriate/ inappropriate (good/bad; desirable/undesirable; worthy /unworthy) in a given
society or what ought to be.
- these are broad, abstract and shared to influence and guide the behavior of people.
3. Symbols – used to understand each other.
- can be verbal(words)/ non-verbal (acts, gestures, signs, and objects) that communicate meaning that people
recognize and shared.
4. Language – is a shred set of spoken and written symbols. It is basic to communication and transmission of culture.
-known as the storehouse of culture.
5. Technology – refers to the application of knowledge and equipment to ease the task of living and maintaining the
environment.
-it includes all artifacts, methods and devices created and used by people.

6. Norms – these are specific rules/standards to guide appropriate behavior.

- these are of different types and forms.
-sanctions are encourage for conformity to norms.
 Sanctions – are socially imposed rewards and punishments in society which may be formal or informal.
Types of Norms:
 a. Proscriptive – defines and tells us things not to do.
b. Prescriptive – defines and tells us things to do.

Forms of Norms:

1. Folkways/customs – these are norms for everyday behavior that people follow for the sake of tradition or convenience.
Breaking it does not have serious consequences.
2. Mores – these are strict norms that control moral and ethical behavior.
-based on definitions of right and wrong.
3. Taboos – these are norms that society holds so strongly that violating it results in extreme disgust.
-violator of the taboo is considered unfit to live in that particular society.
4. Laws – these are codified ethics, and formally agreed, written down and enforced by an official law enforcement agency.

Characteristics of Culture: Culture is ----

1. Dynamic, Flexible, and Adaptive – it means cultures interact and change; societies interact w/other societies, and lead to
exchanges of material (e.g. tools & furniture) and non-material cultures (e.g. ideas and symbols).
- All culture change or else they will have problems adjusting and adapting to changing environment.
- Once we recognize problems, culture can adapt again, in a more positive way, to find solutions.
2. Shared and may be Challenged (given the reality of social differentiation)
- Culture is shared with others, we are able to act in appropriate ways as we predict how others will act.
- It may be challenged through modernization, industrialization and globalization
3. Learned through Socialization or Enculturation

Enculturation - is the very first familiarization process to a particular culture and begins right after the
birth.
- teaches an individual of his/her position, roles, expectations and behaviors of the particular culture in which
he/she lives in.
Example:

Chinese mother teaching her child to use a chopstick.

A child innocently copying his parents or grandparents worshiping, the way of eating, talking, greeting,
etc.
Socialization is the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. Socialization encompasses both learning and
teaching and is thus "the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained". Socialization is strongly connected to
developmental psychology.

Characteristics of Culture: Culture is----

4. Patterned Social Interactions
- It sets the pattern in terms of what is appropriate or inappropriate in a given setting.
- Normative system has the capacity to define and control human behaviors.
- Human interactions are guided by some forms of standard and expectations w/c in the end regularize it.
5. Integrated
- Known as “holism,” the various parts of culture are being interconnected or interlinked.
- All aspects of a culture are related to one another.
- One must learn about all its parts, not only few.
6. Transmitted through socialization/enculturation.
- Culture is shared and pass on to the new members of society or to the next generations to the next generation in different
ways.
- Enculturation & socialization are the process that able to teach them about many things in life and equip them for
surviving, competing and making meaningful interactions w/others in society.
7. Requires language and other forms of communication
- Learning and transmitting culture needs symbols and language to communicate with others in society
- Symbols - are something that stands for something else; have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use.
(money, art)
- Language - one of the key elements of culture needed by people and for the people in one culture to interact with other
people in other cultures.
  MELC/Week 3: Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural
understanding.

KEY WORDS:

cultural relativism:
the practice of assessing a culture by its own standards, and not in comparison to another culture
culture shock:
an experience of personal disorientation when confronted with an unfamiliar way of life
ethnocentrism:
the practice of evaluating another culture according to the standards of one’s own culture.
xenocentrism:
a belief that another culture is superior to one’s own.
Ex. Ukay-ukay, States products (products from other countries) vs Phil. products,

 Ethnocentrism-the practice of evaluating another culture according to the standards of one’s own culture.
 William Graham Sumner coined the term ethnocentrism in 1906; today many sociologists identify ethnocentrism as a
feature of all cultures.

- The belief of superiority of one’s own culture or ethnic group compared to others.
Examples:
 Ethnocentrism
• Using fork and spoon is the best and proper way of eating our meal.
• Only the professionals know how to deal other professionals.

 Xenocentrism (Preference)
• Ukay-ukay is better than other clothes
• Expensive brands is of high quality
• Smart students know things better than other students
Effects of Ethnocentrism:
1. Creates hatred, mis-understanding and hostility between societies.
2. It dehumanizes others, makes them less human.
3. It limits co-operation and mutual understanding.
4. Produces pride and arrogance.
5. It divides society where there are diversities of peoples or races.

Example of Cultural Relativism

• Female genital cutting in Africa

-this procedure refers to the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or any other trauma to the female
reproductive/genital organs. By allowing this procedure to happen, females are considered women and then are able to
be married. 
• Eating Insects
• Variations of Breakfast in different countries
• Different forms of Marriage (Views of Marriage

Effects of Cultural Relativism:

1. promote understanding of cultural practices that are not typically part of one’s own culture.
2. leads to the view that no culture is superior than another culture when compared to systems of morality,
[11]
law, politics, etc.   It is a concept that cultural norms and values derive their meaning within a specific
social context.
3. help us understand that there is no absolute standard of good or evil, therefore every decision and judgment
of what is right and wrong is individually decided in each society.
 Remember This!

 The concept of cultural relativism also means that any opinion on ethics is subject to the perspective of each
person within their particular culture.
 Overall, there is no right or wrong ethical system.
 In a holistic understanding of the term cultural relativism, it tries to promote the understanding of cultural
practices that are unfamiliar to other cultures.

Conclusion:

 MELC/Week 4: Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices.

Topic: Definition of a Cultural Symbol

 Cultural symbol is a physical manifestation that signifies the ideology of a particular culture or that merely
has meaning within a culture.
 Culture is an accumulation of the beliefs, traditions, language and values of a particular group of people.

Examples of Cultural Symbols

1. Christian culture: cultural symbol = cross,
2. Jewish culture: cultural symbol = Star of David.
Cultural symbols
- don't have to be actual symbols or signs; they can also be gestures such as handshakes and hand
signals. Additionally, the same symbol can mean different things in different cultures. Americans should
be careful in Greece, for example. The thumbs up, which symbolizes that everything is great in
American culture, is just like giving the middle finger in Greek culture.
- can represent any aspect of the culture, including nationalism, belief systems, traditions, language and
values. We will specifically cover cultural symbols conveying nationalism and belief systems in this
section.
  MELC/Week 5: Explain the context, processes and consequences of socialization.
Topic: Enculturation and Socialization
Key Concepts:
 Norms – these are specific rules/standards to guide appropriate behavior.
 Values - are basic and fundamental beliefs that guide or motivate attitudes or actions. They help us to determine
what is important to us.
- in a narrow sense is that which is good, desirable, or worthwhile. 
- are the motive behind purposeful action. They are the ends to which we act and come in many forms.
Socialization- the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society.
 Enculturation – familiarization process to a particular culture that begins right after birth.
• ENCULTURATION: Happens through family, peers, and other individuals that socializes with person’s lifetime.
(“Enculturation and Acculturation,” 2012)
• Effects of Enculturation:
- enable an individual to learn and understand social norms, values, languages, behavior and other important
things about person’s culture.
- A person would become conscious or informed of his rights, obligations and privileges as part of a community or
society (Grunlan & Mayers, 1998).
- People are taught about how an individual should act in a given situation.
 Socialization – the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society.
 MELC/Week 6: Analyze the forms and functions of social organizations.
HOW SOCIETY IS ORGANIZED?
“The achievement of an organization are the results of the combined effort of each individual.”
---Vince Lombardi
Groups Within Society

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.”

 Groups –
 are where people have the chance to interact with other people and think of themselves as belonging together.
- Exist as long as individuals are interested in belonging to it.
- Society is made up of smaller groups and associations that are built on social class, personal, interest, or
common goals.
 Muzafer Sherif – a well-known social psychologist
- He define a Social Group as a number of individuals interacting with each other with respect to:
1. Common motives and goals
2. An accepted division of labor (i.e. roles)
3. Established status (social rank, dominance) relationships
4. Accepted norms and values with reference to matters relevant to the group.
5. Development of accepted sanctions if and when norms were respected or violated.

 Groups Within Society: What are the different social groups?

I. Primary Group
- (Accdg. To Charles Horton Cooley): is a small group whose members share personal and lasting relationships.
- members of primary group spend a great deal of time together
- engage in a wide range of activities and leisure time together
- feel that they know one another and show real concern for one another.
- play a significant role in an individual’s development.
- relationships goals formed are often long –lasting.
- members are often psychologically comforted and supported.
Example of Primary Groups:
 Family
- spend a significant amount of time together, allowing the members to support, comfort, and encourage one
another.
- Connected for a lifetime and are significant to each member’s personal growth.
 Friends
- Often spend a lot of time experiencing different adventures together, chatting about personal stories and simply
enjoying each- others company.
 Love Relationship
- a couple in a love relationship is first brought together as a result of a mutual physical and emotional attraction.
- they spend a significant amount of time together, whether that involves learning about one another or
collectively sharing new experiences.

II. Secondary Groups

- are large clusters of people who have a mutually shared purpose, often aiming to complete tasks.
- much less likely to be an influence to an individual’s identity.
- Sometimes involves weak emotional and interpersonal ties compared to the primary group.
- People interact in less personal level than in a primary group and their relationships are temporary.
- Established to perform functions; people roles are more interchangeable compared to the primary group.
Examples of Secondary Groups: School(Classmates); Work(workmates)

III. In-Groups
- A group wherein people feel that they are part of the social group.
- A social category or group with which you identify strongly.

Common Examples are according to: race(white/black); gender(male/female);

age(teenagers/senior) religion(Catholics/Budhists)

IV. Out – Groups

- a social group with which an individual does not identify to be part of the group.
- People that does not belong as to any affiliation or identity
V. Reference Groups
- Are groups to which we compare ourselves.
- It serves as a standard to which we measure our behaviors and attitudes.
- Are used in order to guide our behavior and attitudes and help us to identify social norms.
- are used in order to evaluate and determine the nature of a given individual or other group’s characteristics and
sociological attributes.
- It is the group to which the individual relates or aspires.

Example of Reference Group:

  Informal Reference Group – it is based on the groups shared interest and goals.
-members react on a personal levels.
Ex. Friends
 Formal Reference Group – have a specific goals or mission.
Ex. Employee Union

 Week 7: Explain the forms and functions of state and non-state institutions.
TOPIC: STATE AND NON-STATE INSTITUTION

The State Institutions:

 The Constitutional Court.

 Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD)
 Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration (CCMA)
 National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
 Judicial Service Commission.
 Financial and Fiscal Commission.
 Public Service Commission.

NON-STATE INSTITUTION

- This are groups and organizations which operate outside the support of any state or government.
- They are referred to be ‘stateless’ since they are considered to be independent of any state, although, they usually
collaborate with the government in implementing projects.
- Non-state institutions assume different functions and focus on a specific objective.
- They develop certain services needed by members of the society for their progress.

Types of Non-State Institutions

I. Banks
- act as a custodian of customer’s money, which help guarantee the safety of each deposit. When a person puts
his money in a bank, the amount given is maintained in a deposit or savings account which prevents the risk of
theft and robbery. Certain types of bank accounts also make it possible for customers to withdraw money as
needed. This ensures a more secured transaction of funds.
- Secondary functions of a bank include money remittance, which make it easier for people to send money
from one place to another. This holds importance especially for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who provide
financial assistance to their families in the Philippines.
- Most banks also accept payments to house and other utilities such as electricity and water utility. This function
of the bank eases the transaction of its customers with utility companies.
Types of Banks:
1. Retail Bank - a type of bank that focuses on consumers or the general public as its customers. One’s personal
bank account, like checking and savings account, are usually in a retail bank. Retail banks can be considered to be the
most common and widespread of all the types of banks.
2. Commercial Bank - provides the same services as a retail bank; however, it focuses on businesses and
businessmen as its main customers. Commercial banks provide short term loans for businessmen to be used for
investment purposes.
3. Investment or an Industrial Bank provide medium and long-term loans and deposits to business industries.
4. Agricultural Banks, as the name suggests, caters to the financial needs of farmers and the farming industry. They
provide short-term and long-term loans to facilitate agricultural activities. Loans from this type of bank is used for
buying seeds, fertilizers, land, or any materials needed for farming. An agricultural country such as the Philippines is
unsurprisingly abundant of agricultural banks. Examples of which are the.
- The central bank is the main financial institution in a country since it supervises the monetary system in the
country. It functions as a regulating institution to all other banks in a country and it issues all the bank notes (or
money bills) and coins of the country in which it operates.
- The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas  is the central bank of the Philippines. A central bank is the only banking institution
established through a special law of the government, which makes the government of great influence to its central
bank.

II. Corporations - a company or group of people authorized to act as a single entity (legally a person) and recognized
as such in law.
 Different types of corporations that are classified based on specific factors like the corporation’s purpose,
manner of taxation, and number of shareholders.
 1.  Business corporation is created to operate and to generate profit. Companies like McDonald’s and Starbucks are
examples of a business corporation.
2. A non-profit corporation is established with a purpose of serving the public rather than pursuing profits.
 A corporation whose income is taxed through the corporation itself is a C-corporation.
3.  S-corporation is taxed through its shareholders. An S-corporation can only have less than 100 shareholders,
unlike a C-corporation which can have an unlimited number of shareholders.
III. Cooperatives
According to the International Labor Organization (ILO), a cooperative is “an autonomous association of persons
united voluntarily to meet their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations, through a jointly
owned and democratically controlled enterprise”. Members of a cooperative usually joins together in order to
achieve a specific objective, an objective which usually benefits the members of the organization itself. In short,
cooperatives are mainly structured to benefit its members and to satisfy its members’ needs. In a cooperative, the
people who use its products or services are the same people who own and control the organization. Cooperatives
exist among different industries and are composed of
different types of people, may it be farmers, consumers, or workers.

IV. Trade Unions

 Different types of trade unions according to its members.
1. General union represents workers with a range of jobs and skills, from different industries and companies. An
example of this type of union is a trade union of drivers, janitors and office workers.
2. Industrial unions are composed of workers from one particular industry, across different levels of the hierarchy. A
trade union of all employees who work in the mining industry (with different levels and positions) is an example of
an industrial union.
3. Craft union seeks to represent skilled workers doing the same work who may be employed in different industries.
A craft union of carpenters is one example.
4. White-collar union is composed of professionals doing similar jobs across different industries. A trade union of
teachers and professors is an example of a white-collar union

V. Transnational Advocacy Group

Functions and Strategies
 The main function of a transnational advocacy group is the creation and development of advocacies and
campaigns about certain causes, issues, ideas, values and beliefs. These campaigns aim to motivate changes in
policies, which are necessary for the betterment of people involved. Since this non-state institution do not have
inherent power to make instant policy changes in the state, they use, instead, the power of information
dissemination, together with other strategies, to influence state actors who are in legitimate position to create such
changes.
Accdg. to: Keck and Sikkink named
 Four tactics used by transnational advocacy groups to influence the state’s behavior and policy making. These are
information politics, symbolic politics, leverage politics, and accountability politics.
1. information politics is the ability to produce and circulate accurate and credible ideas and information to
persuade people and motivate them to take action. Transnational advocacy groups do these through campaigns and
other ways of communication.
2. Symbolic politics is the ability of the group to interpret and use symbols or stories in such a way that it would
emphasize the issue at hand. They provide explanations about an event and connects it to the specific cause. For
example, the death and extinction of certain animal species may be used by environmental advocacy groups to raise
awareness about environmental degradation.
3. Leverage politics enables transnational advocacy groups to use some form of leverage, to tap and influence target
actors that are powerful enough to institute policy changes. These powerful actors may come from the government,
larger institutions (e.g. World Bank), or even corporate business owners.

4. Accountability politics happens as transnational advocacy groups convince state actors to change their position
about certain issues, and persuades them further to act upon their verbal support about certain issues. Advocacy
groups can use their power of information to expose the discrepancy between an actor’s words and his action. Let’s
take for example, a senator who verbally expressed his support about protecting indigenous peoples’ rights. In this
scenario, the senator has confirmed his position about the issue, but he does not make any concrete actions in
support of the cause. Because of this, advocacy groups may point out to the public, the inconsistency between the
senator’s words and his actions (or lack thereof). This will then push the senator be true to his word and translate
them into concrete operations.

VI. Development Agencies

 Development agencies were formed as a response to crises like war damage and industrial decline. In some
countries, such agencies were established with the hope of stimulating economic development, post- war.
 Development agencies have come a long way since they were first established, as thousands of them are currently
operating within the globe.
In general, we refer to development agencies as groups or entities that are tasked and committed to pursue certain
developmental agendas of a state. They are an institution that provides help in support of a state’s economic growth
and social progress.

 MELC/Week 8: Examine the functions and importance of education in the society.

Topic: Educational Institution

- Is a place where a person acquire education

- Is a social institution through which a society’s children are taught basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and
cultural norms.
- Education maybe formal or informal
 Formal education describe learning of academic facts and concepts through a formal curriculum.
Ex. Schooling
 Informal education describe learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors by
participating in a society.
Ex. We learn how to dress for different occasions, how to perform regular life routines like shopping for and preparing
food, and how to keep our bodies clean.
 Education is an essential part of the development of any country and society as this is the primary way of
enlightening an individual with each face of life.
 The essential qualities that a person must have in order to sustain a good lifestyle are introduced to them the
early education.
 Along with these qualities, the ideologies, culture, and heritages of society are taught inside the four walls of
classroom.
 Education plays a complementary role for overall individual, social, and national development. (Aman Sharman).
Education enables an individual to realize their highest self and goal.(Adam Sharman).
 Education also assists in molding a child’s behavior, social skills, and adjustability.
 Man differs a beast and its through education – the sharing of knowledge, information, and character
development – that allows man to perform differently from animalistic behaviors(Sharman,2015).

In the Philippines, about P367.1 billion from the P2.606-trillion 2015 National Budget went to the Department
of Education(Official Gazette,2015)
It is expected, each country is in high hopes that their citizens turn out to be a good citizens and properly
contribute to the development of their society.

But what makes a good and productive citizen?

 A good citizen is someone who is deserving of the state’s protection and love because of their behavior within
the state, someone who would- without a doubt- serve their society with the best of their abilities (Ori
Ichilov,1981).
 Someone who is an active member of the community- someon who analyzes political, social, and economic
structures and sees beyond what is being shown and act upon the best interewst of the sociaty (Westheimer
and Kashne, 2004).
 Education is sometimes viewed as the prerequisite to a productive citizen as education helps citizen weigh out
varying opinions and ideologies and decide on which is a good decision for the society(Roger Soder).
 It is not enough to know many thing and be educated.
 One must also be able to contribute in developing the society that has provided that education.
  Not only does education help in molding good citizens for the nation, it also guides a person in realizing who
they are, what their potentials are, and what they can become.

 SELF- ACTUALIZATION

- the realization or fulfillment of one's talents and potentialities, especially considered as a drive or need present in
everyone.
- Self-actualization was coined by organismic, Kurt Goldstien. He researched on this term for people to realize and
gain their full potential.
 - According to Abraham Maslow’s fundamental teachings, the basic needs of a person must first be met (ex.
food, shelter, security, a sense of belongingness) before an individual can achieve self-actualization – the need to be
good and fully alive.
ex. Maslow’s idea is that a person may realize that he wanted to be a great doctor by going through challenges in
attaining their basic necessities like their health.
Abraham Maslow’s Theory of Human Needs.
- He states that humans naturally wish to seek and strive to reach higher levels of consciousness and wisdom. Maslow
described this as the process towards “self-actualization”. Maslow states that Self-actualizing person is described to
focus on concerns outside of themselves; they appreciate the world around them with a sense of awe and wonder.
- Maslow’s idea with how a child can reach him full potential through education, a child’s education may enlighten
him through different exposures and learnings and allow him to achieve self-actualization.
- Despite its intentions to be good, poor educators and a bad educational system may discourage a child’s growth and
expandability. With the right educational system and good educators, a child’s potential can be fully garnered, thus
ensuring a developed and functional society for all.

 PRIMARY EDUCATION AS A HUMAN RIGHT

- It is essential that education be provided for every individual in a society.
- According to UNESCO, education is a fundamental human right as it promotes individual freedom, empowerment,
and yields important development benefits.
- Education as a right began in1995 through the UNESCO Associated Schools Program. However, the first attempt to
request for education to be a right spurted in 1974 according to UNESCO.
- Education is important in forming a child and a society, a number of children still do not have access to this basic
right.
- Across the globe, around 61 million primary school-age children were not enrolled in school back in the year
2010(UNESCO statistics). Of these children 47% were never expected to enter school, 26% attended but left, and the
remaining 27% are expected to attend school in the future.
- With the growing number of children lacking the basic right to education.
- As stated in Youth for Human Rights, “ educations shall be directed to the full development of the human
personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”

 MELC/Week 9: Examine the concept, characteristics and forms of stratification systems using sociological
perspectives.
  MELC/Week 10: Explain government programs and initiatives in addressing social inequalities (Local,
National, Global)

 Social inequality is the existence of unequal opportunities and rewards for different social positions or
statuses within a group or society
 The major examples of social inequality include:
1. income gap
2. gender inequality,
3. health care (In health care, some individuals receive better and more professional care
compared to others)
4. social class.
What creates social inequality?
 Social inequality results from a society organized by hierarchies of class, race, and gender that
unequally distributes access to resources and rights.

Causes of Inequalities: Several causes which give rise to inequality of incomes in an economy:
 Inheritance
 System of Private Property
 Differences in Natural Qualities
 Differences in Acquired Talent
 Family Influence
 Luck and Opportunity

Poverty and Inequality Reducing Programs

1. 4Ps Conditional Cash Tranfer to reduce inequalities in opportunities in education and reduce intergenerational
poverty.

The Philippines’ Conditional Cash Transfer Program: Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

 Program Description
To promote investment in human capital that ensures children belonging to poor households, aged 0-18, grow up
healthy and stay in school
Utilizes the conditional cash transfer scheme wherein beneficiaries receive cash grants based on their compliance to
their co-responsibilities

 Eligibility
Household is “poor” based on the Listahanan (formerly known as the National Household Targeting System for Poverty
Reduction) Must have children aged 0-18 or have a pregnant member at the time of the enumeration. The program
expanded the age coverage of eligible children beneficiaries from 0-14 to 0-18 years old to ensure that school-aged
children will be given financial assistance until they reach 18 years old or finish high school, whichever comes first. Must
be willing and able to comply with the conditionalities of the program as part of their co-responsibilities.

 Program Features/Design
Health Grant: P500 per month Education Grant
Elementary - P300 per month for 10 months High School – P500 per month for 10 months
Maximum of three (3) children per household is covered by the program
Children beneficiaries are covered until they exceed the age 18 or finish high school, whichever comes first.
Accordingly, the household will exit from the program when all the children beneficiaries graduate from high school or
reach the maximum age of eligibility.

Conditionalities

 FOR EDUCATION
Children 6-18 years old enroll in primary/secondary schools or equivalent Alternative Learning System/Alternative
Delivery Method, and have at least 85% school attendance
Children 3-5 years old attend daycare/preschool program with at least 85% school attendance
High school students are required to obtain a passing General Weighted Average (GWA) prescribed by the DepEd. High
school students must also be promoted to the next grade level in the succeeding school year.

2. Community Based Monitoring System (CBMS) as a tool to reduce poverty and inequality at the local level

KEY FEATURES OF CBMS

It is an organized way of collecting household and individual level data with the following features:
Designed primarily to provide inputs for local level planning and budgeting; lodged at the planning units of local
government units
Census of all households in the community Uses mobile-based technology to collect data and GIS to present spatial
disparities Conducted periodically
Provides data on the different dimensions of poverty, including the multidimensional poverty index (MPI)
Can provide data for 32 out of the 232 SDG indicators, including the desired disaggregations (“Leaving no one behind”)
CBMS aims to Promote transparency and accountability Support rational allocation or resources
Empower the community.

 CBMS Responds to:

Lack of necessary disaggregated data for: Diagnosing extent of poverty at the local level
Determining the causes of poverty
Formulating appropriate policies and program
Identifying eligible beneficiaries Assessing impact of policies and programs
Need for support mechanisms for the implementation of the decentralization policy CBMS facilitates greater
transparency and accountability in local governance.

Targeting of Interventions
- CBMS can identify who and where the poor are and what are their needs CBMS directs assistance to those who
need it most

 MELC/Week 11: Suggest ways to address social inequalities (local, national, global)

(8)Eight ways to move the world forward in reducing global inequality.

1. Stop Illicit Outflows

In developing countries, inadequate resourcing for health, education, sanitation, and investment in
the poorest citizens drives extreme inequality. One reason is tax avoidance and other illicit outflows
of cash. According to Global Financial Integrity, developing countries lost $6.6 trillionin illicit
financial flows from 2003 through 2012, with illicit outflows increasing at an average rate of
9.4 percent per year. That’s $6.6 trillion that could reduce poverty and inequality through
investments in human capital, infrastructure, and economic growth.
2. Progressive Income Tax
After falling for much of the 20 th century, inequality is worsening in rich countries today. The top
one percent is not only capturing larger shares of national income, but tax rates on the highest
incomes have also dropped. How much should the highest income earners be taxed? This is
obviously a question to be decided domestically by citizens, and opinions differ. For instance,
economist Tony Addison suggests a top rate of 65 percent rate on the top 1 percent of incomes.
3. A Global Wealth Tax
In Capital in the Twenty-first Century , Thomas Piketty recommends an international agreement
establishing a wealth tax.  Under his plan, countries would agree to tax personal assets of all kinds
at graduated rates. The skeptics do have a point about whether this particular plan is practical, but
we shouldn’t give up on the idea. Because wealth tends to accumulate over generations, fair and
well-designed wealth taxes would go a long way towards combating extreme inequality.
4. Enforce a Living Wage
Governments should establish and enforce a national living wage, and corporations should also
prioritize a living wage for their workers and with the suppliers, buyers, and others with whom they
do business. Low and unlivable wages are a result of worker disempowerment and concentration of
wealth at the top—hallmarks of unequal societies.

As human beings with basic needs, all workers should earn enough to support themselves and
their families. Governments and corporations should be responsible for protecting the right to a
living wage, corporations should commit to responsible behavior that respects the dignity of all
workers.

5. Workers’ Right to Organize

The right of workers to organize has always been a cornerstone of more equal societies, and should
be prioritized and protected wherever this basic right is violated. Extreme inequality requires the
disempowerment of workers. Therefore, the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively
for better pay and conditions is a global human rights priority. Despite Article 23 of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights— which declares the right to organize as a fundamental human right
—workers worldwide, including in the United States, still face intimidation, fear, and retribution
for attempting to organize collectively. Where unions are strong, wages are higher and inequality is
lower.
6. Stop Other Labor Abuses
Companies worldwide are also replacing what was once permanent and stable employment with
temporary and contingent labor. Often called “contingent” or “precarious” workers, these workers
fill a labor need that is permanent while being denied the status of employment. In the United
States, this trend is called “misclassification,” in which employers misclassify workers as
“independent contractors” when they are actually employees. Contingent labor also occurs through
outsourcing, subcontracting, and use of employment agencies.

7. Open and Democratic Trade Policy

Negotiating international trade agreements behind closed doors with only bureaucrats and corporate
lobbyists present has to end. These old-style trade agreements are fundamentally undemocratic and
put corporate profits above workers, the environment, health, and the public interest. We need a
new, transparent trade policy that is open, transparent, and accountable to the people.

8. A New Economics?

Economists are often imagined as stuffy academics who value arcane economic theory above
humanitarian values. 

 MELC/Week 12: Examine human responses to emerging challenges in contemporary

society.

 What are some of the challenges faced by the contemporary world?

Below are the top-10 most concerning world issues, according to millennials.
1. Climate change / destruction of nature (48.8%)
2. Large scale conflict / wars (38.9%) ...
3. Inequality (income, discrimination) (30.8%) ...
4. Poverty (29.2%) ...
5. Religious conflicts (23.9%) ...
6. Government accountability and transparency / corruption (22.7%) ...

 What are the Contemporary Social Issues:

1. abortion,
2. world poverty,
3. animal rights,
4. immigration,
5. physician-assisted suicide,
6. freedom of religion,
7. hate speech,
8. cloning,
9. income inequality,
10. pornography,
11. gun rights,
12. racial profiling,
13. capital punishment,
14. overpopulation,
15. prostitution,
16. drug legalization,
17. torture.

Prepared by:
MARITES V. NEGROS
APNHS/SHS T-II

Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Caraga Administrative Region
Butuan City Division

AGUSAN PEQUEÑO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM

DEVELOPED LEARNING RESOURCES MATERIALS

BASED ON THE MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCIES
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS
(MELC – UCSP Grade 11 & 12)

Prepared by:
MARITES V. NEGROS
SHS T-II