MODULE 3 Understanding Culture Society and Politics

WEEK 3
MELC- Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural
understanding.

Cultural Relativism – the belief that culture should be judged by their own
standards rather than by applying the standard of another culture.

The concept of cultural relativism underscores the idea that the culture in every
society should be understood and regarded on its own terms. Societies are
qualitatively different from one another, such that each one has its own “unique
inner logic” (Eriksen 2001: 14). Cultural traits can only be known and valued in the
context of the society by which they emerge and are practiced. Cultural relativism
promotes the idea that a society has to be viewed from the inside so that inner logic
can be better explained. A society’s idea of a good life will not likely be shared by
another society that interprets the notion of “good” from a sharply different social
perspective. In other words, each society has a different yardstick in appreciating
the value of its own cultural trait. Cultural relativism, however, cannot be regarded
as the flip side of ethnocentrism. The concept of cultural relativism is more
analytical and methodological rather than being a moral principle. Anthropologists
apply the concept of cultural relativity in investigating and comparing societies
without declaring one being better or more preferable to the other. Moreover,
appreciating and accepting the uniqueness of one society’s cultural trait does not
mean that universal human moral traits of right or wrong no longer apply. For
instance, cultural traits that promote subjugation of women by hurting or killing them
do not necessarily mean that they are right by virtue of one society’s inner logic.
There are underlying patterns of human cultural traits that are common and
universally acceptable to humanity.

Ethnocentrism – One people learn their culture, they tend to become strongly
committed to it. In fact, they often cannot imagine any other way of life, they may
judge others in terms of their own cultural standards, this tendency to view one’s
culture and group as superior.

When people find cultural practices and values not their own as disturbing
and threatening, that can be regarded as ethnocentrism. A literal meaning of
ethnocentrism is the regard that one’s own culture and society is the center of

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everything and therefore far more superior than others (Kottak 2012: 39;
Eriksen 2001:7). It is understandable that people laud and hold importance to the
cultural values that were taught them by their parents, elders, and other institutions
of their society. The problem is when a person or groups of people regard their
own society’s set of cultural values as the only agreeable, acceptable, and highly
respectable set of convictions. Such a perspective can harden into chauvinism, a
position that everything about the other culture is wrong, unreasonable, detestable,
and even wicked. From this perspective, the practices and institutions of people
from other societies are regarded as inferior, less intelligent, and even vicious. An
ethnocentric attitude can be an obstacle to understanding each other culture and
foster tensions within or between societies.

 TO DO/NOTE:

 In your notebook, Write (5) five or more advantages and disadvantages

of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.
Topic Advantages Disadvantages

Ethnocentrism 1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.
Cultural 1. 1.
Relativism
2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.

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A Cultural explanation of human behaviour
- The people of different societies have different beliefs and customs, and these
influences their behaviour.

Two competing views of human behaviour

- Human nature is believed by some people to explain why people do what they
do.

THE FILIPINO CONCEPT OF PERSONALITY –

Filipinos place a high premium on personality.

- Personality of person might be described as warm or despicable, aggressive
or low – keyed: weak or strong, or authoritative or withdrawn.
- Personality as the general impression a person projects to others.

Some Filipino Character Traits

1. Bahala na Attitude –Is always hopeful in the supreme power which is

expressed by the Bahala na Attitude.
2. Hospitality - It is a pleasure and an honor to accept visitors local or foreigners
to build genuine relationships and friendship with them.
3. Peace loving citizen- unity minded people thus causing peace among groups.
4. Religiosity- often consider religious practices and rituals as symbol of faith.
5. Loyalty- trustworthiness and faithfulness are shown in many form, in marriage,
politics etc.
6. Debt of Gratitude- Filipinos are grateful and can easily show gratefulness in a
thankful manner.
7. Adaptability- the quality of being able to adjust to new conditions especially
in many trials

8. Resiliency- the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness

especially in times of calamities.
9. Respect for Elders- it is very important to treat elders or elderly
people with Respect.

 TO DO/NOTE: In your notebook. Cite or mention two or more

situations wherein the abovementioned Traits of Filipinos are shown.

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Defining Culture and Society from the Perspectives of Anthropology and
Sociology

The study of culture was first used by the pioneer English Anthropologist Edward
B. Taylor, he said that culture is the complex whole, which includes knowledge,
belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits, acquired by
man as a member of society.

Elements/Components of Culture
1) Tradition –refers to custom, rituals, belief, folklore, habits in a given
ethic group.
2) Beliefs – are the ideas, viewpoints and attitudes of the particular group
of society.
3) Values – are the common ethical standards in a civilized society
wherein group members have the ability to distinguish what is right or
wrong.
4) Norms - are the proper conduct of social behavior that should be
followed in the society.
Types:
Folkways – are the expected behavior being participated in certain
ethnic groups.
Mores – are the long – established customs and traditions that have
bearing in moral and ethical values of the society.
1. Language – is a form of communication that represents the spoken and
written words to convey information to an individual or group of people.
2. Laws –are the rules, regulation and guiding policies of societal institutions.

Aspects of Culture

a. Dynamic, flexible and adaptive

The cultural adaptation is the evolutionary process that modifies the social life
of the people in the given natural environment.
 The social evolutionary process is created by the condition of the natural
environment that human being constantly adapting on any changes.

 The biological modifications and adjustments are always flexible to adapt

even in the harsh conditions of the environment.
 The human adaptations uses innovative way to create new cultural
dimension on its way of life from the cultural transformation of clothing, food
shelter, music, arts including the beliefs, traditions and history.

b. Shared and Contested ( Given a Reality of Social Differentiation)

Culture works by social dynamism using language, communication
technologies and commercial trade.
 The use of language as a form of social communication such as group
communication, informal communications, discussion and public speaking.

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 The use of communication technologies through powerful media tools such as
computers, television, DVD and cell phones.
 The commercial trade and global enterprises provide the better social
exchange through the manufactured goods and services provide in the public
and private enterprise.

c. Learned through socialization and enculturation

The cultural transmission or enculturation is the best way to describe culture
is learned.
 The members of the group learn to understand and apply certain ideals,
values. Expectations, beliefs and traditions to the society.
 The younger generations readily accept the norms of the society as a part of
their education to sustain the societal system within their family or tribe.
 The culture is only learned by the language, literature, arts, music and local
history that are passed across generation.

d. Patterned social interactions

Culture is patterned by specific dimension of social life such as the economic
and political activities and Social activities:
 The economic activities are patterned by the innovation and inventions of
cultural groups that need to be integrated by the social life of the members of
the society.
 There are activities that we always do such as going to toilet, washing the
hands, cleaning the house, driving the car etc.
 There are cultural values that are patterned to be followed to live on specific
group of people with unique cultures that individual must also follow to
integrate similar social life.

e. Integrated and at times unstable

Culture is different from each other as we must consider the social
experiences, traditions, norms, mores and other cultural ways in the
community.
 The group members of the conformed with the ways of living within the bounds
of beliefs, expectations, and norms
 The behavioural conformity is expected to follow any violations within the
norms have specific sanctions as to the provisions of law or even a given set
of norms in the social context.
 The social interaction of ma follows the collective activities with common goals
including specific norms, traditions and beliefs which is followed as a blueprint
of its distinct cultural existence in the society.

f. Transmitted Through Socialization / Enculturation

The cumulative culture may be passed from one generation to the next
generation.
Generally, the group product usually done by cultural diffusion, innovation and
amalgamation of cultures.

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 The group product is made through the social interaction among the members
of the group to form a unique life in a given geographical location.
 The group product is multi – dimension activities that provide the
understanding and learning the elements of culture such as values, beliefs,
norms, language, folkways, mores, laws, material culture and technology.
 The group products primarily use language and education of the offspring to
ensure the survival of the culture and tradition of the tribe.

g. Requires Language and Others Forms of Communication

The communication process uses symbol to identify the given actions,
attitudes and behaviours of the people.
 The use of language has varied types of symbols depending on its natural
environment, exposure, and education to groups or tribes, the social
experience and influence.
 The social experiences as a whole provides specific communicative symbols
along arts, music, literature, history and other forms of societal actions.
 The abstract knowledge is reinforced in the way they understand and learn the
feelings, ideas and behaviours of certain group of people in the society.

 TO DO/NOTE:

Reflection:

In your notebook. Reflect how each aspect of culture affects the attitude

and behaviour of people in a given environment ? How does it affect the

society?

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 MODULE 4 Understanding Culture Society and Politics
WEEK 4
MELC- Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols
and practices

Symbols are the basis of culture. A symbol is an object, word, or action that
stands for something else with no natural relationship that is culturally defined.
Everything one does throughout their life is based and organized through cultural
symbolism.

Symbolism is when something represents abstract ideas or concepts. Some

good examples of symbols/symbolism would be objects, figures, sounds, and colors.
For example in the Hawaiian culture, the performance of a Lua is a symbol of their
land and heritage which is performed through song and dance. Also, they could be
facial expressions or word interpretations. Symbols mean different things to different
people, which is why it is impossible to hypothesize how a specific culture will
symbolize something. Some symbols are gained from experience, while others are
gained from culture. One of the most common cultural symbols is language. For
example, the letters of an alphabet symbolize the sounds of a specific spoken
language. Symbolism leads to the “Layers of Meaning” concept. Culture is the
meaning that is shared to provide guiding principles for individual meaning.

It is important for anthropologists to consider their own cultural background when

looking at symbolism in a different culture. This is because many symbols, though
similar in appearance, can mean drastically different things. These symbols can best
be understood or interpreted though the eyes of the culture that they pertain to,
otherwise they may lose their unique significance. One example of a misinterpreted
cultural symbol is the “whirl log” symbol commonly used in Southwestern Native
American blanket weaving. This symbol is almost identical to the Nazi Swastika, and
therefore brings a negative response from many Americans. Although the Native
American symbol has nothing to do with Nazi or Germanic symbolism, this design is
rarely used on blankets today because of the symbolic misinterpretation.

Status symbols also indicate the cultural values of a society or a subculture.

For example, in a commercial society, having money or wealth and things that
can be bought by wealth, such as cars, houses, or fine clothing, are
considered status symbols. Where warriors are respected, a scar can
represent honor or courage.Society prepares individuals to occupy statuses
and roles (Macionis 2012: 127–128).

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Status refers a social position that a person holds.
An ascribed status is a social position a person receives at birth or takes on
involuntarily later in life.
Examples of ascribed statuses include being a daughter, a Filipino, a teenager, or a
widower.
Achieved status refers to a social position a person takes on voluntarily
that reflects personal ability and effort. Achieved statuses include honors student,
athlete, nurse, software writer, and thief.
Role refers to behavior expected of someone
who holds a particular status.
Sex refers to the biological characteristics distinguishing male and female (Macionis
2012: 169). Sex is based on chromosomes, anatomy, hormones, reproductive
systems,
and other physiological components.
Gender refers to those social, cultural, and psychological traits linked to males and
females through particular social contexts. Sex makes us male or female; gender
makes us masculine or feminine. All the major agents of socialization—family, peer
groups, schools, and the mass media—reinforce cultural definitions of what is
feminine and masculine. (Dionisio 1992: 1-2; Macionis 2012: 170).

 TO DO/NOTE:
Directions:
In your notebook.
1. Draw a square.
2. Put a circle in the middle.
3. Divide your drawing into four sections.
Write the following information of yourself in the 4 spaces:
a. gender
b. socio-economic class
c. ethnicity
d. religion

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