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MODULE CONTENT

UNIT OF COMPETENCY: 1ST Quarter: UCSP 12

MODULE TITLE: Perspectives in the Study of Culture and Society

MODULE DESCRIPTION:

1. Explain the importance of cultural relativism in attaining cultural understanding.

NOMINAL DURATION: 1 week

INFORMATION SHEET 1

Perspectives in the Study of Culture and Society

KEY CONCEPTS:
1. Cultural Perspective
2. Cultural Variation
3. Cultural Universals
4. Subculture
5. Counterculture
6. High Culture
7. Popular Culture
8. Culture Shock
9. Cultural Relativism

CONDITIONS:

The students will have access to:

 Modules in Computer
 LMS
 Activity Sheet/Worksheet

METHODOLOGIES:
 Blended Learning

ASSESSMENT METHODS:

 Paper and pencil test

 Online Observation
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Learning Experience

Learning Outcome 2

Learning Activities Special Instructions

Put your answers in your activity notebook and
1. Answer the ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITY
compile it in your envelope.
2. Read and Understand the
Information Sheet 1.1
Put your answers in your activity notebook and
3. Answer all the EXERCISES per lesson.
compile it in your envelope.

INFORMATION SHEET 1

Perspectives in the Study of Culture and Society

Learning Objective:

1. Define cultural variation, cultural perspective, cultural relativism, and ethnocentrism.

2. Differentiate the kinds of cultural variation.

3. Cite advantages of cultural relativism.

4. Cite examples of on the different theoretical perspective.

Engagement Activity

Direction: Read the situation and answer the question.

Situation: You joined in a world food exhibit. This exhibit showcases local cuisines. As a delegate of
the Philippines you will select from the dishes (see photos below). After selecting, discuss the cuisine
to the judges who will evaluate your dish.

Balot Lechong Buwaya

_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
____
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INFORMATION SHEET 1.1

Cultural Perspective refers to the way that individuals are shaped by their environments as well as
social and cultural factors. Such factors include a person’s nationality, race and gender.

Three steps you can take to cultivate cultural perspective are:

 Participate in professional development training that can fill in the gaps of your knowledge
and understanding.
 Be open-minded and in relationship to the people around you for who they are and not just
what you may want or need from them.
 Study yourself and how you react in different situations. Take note of how you are when you
are succeeding in your relationships and cultivate those ways of being.

Three Theoretical Perspectives

1. STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONAL

 This view sees society as a system with parts, and these parts have their respective function
to perform.
o Cultural norms function to support the fluid operation of society.
o Cultural values guide people in making choices.
 The health and condition of the entire system is dependent on these two processes of
functions and interdependence.

2. CONFLICT THEORY

 Instead of putting importance to social order, the conflict perspective sees society as an
arena. (Social actors are gladiators fighting for their very lives. The winner takes the rewards
and is assured of freedom.)
 Conflict theorists view social structure as inherently unequal, based on power differentials
related to issues like class, gender, race, and age. For a conflict theorist, culture is seen as
reinforcing issues of “privilege” for certain groups based upon race, sex, class, and so on.
Women strive for equality in a male-dominated society. Senior citizens struggle to protect
their rights, their health care, and their independence from a younger generation of
lawmakers.
4. SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM
 Unlike the previous two theories, symbolic interactionism does not deal with either order or
conflict. Instead, it explores the issue of meaning - making and why this is crucial in
understanding order or conflict as processes that brought about society. The symbolic
interactionist perspective would say symbols and meanings.
 Proponents of this theory conceptualize human interactions as a continuous process of
deriving meaning from both objects in the environment and the actions of others. This is
where the term symbolic comes into play.

EXERCISE 1

Direction: Differentiate the three theoretical perspective based on your understanding and give
example each.
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EXERCISE 2

Direction: Read and answer the following questions.

1. A sociologist conducts research into the ways that Hispanic American students are historically
underprivileged in the U.S. education system. What theoretical approach is the sociologist using?

A. Symbolic interactionism B. Structural Functional

C. Conflict theory D. Ethnocentrism

2. What theoretical perspective views society as having a system of interdependent inherently

connected parts?

A. Sociobiology B. Structural Functional

C. Conflict theory D. Ethnocentrism

3. The Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011 grew to be an international movement. Supporters
believe that the economic disparity between the highest economic class and the mid to lower
economic classes is growing at an exponentially alarming rate. A sociologist who studies that
movement by examining the interactions between members at Occupy camps would most likely use
what theoretical approach?

A. Symbolic interactionism B. Structural Functional

C. Conflict theory D. Ethnocentrism

Functionalism and Society

While many sociologists have contributed to research on society and social interaction, three thinkers
form the base of modern-day perspectives. Émile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber developed
different theoretical approaches to help us understand the way societies function.

Émile Durkheim and Functionalism

As a functionalist, Émile Durkheim’s (1858–1917) perspective on society stressed the

necessary interconnectivity of all its elements.

He asserted that individual behavior was not the same as collective behavior and that
studying collective behavior was quite different from studying an individual’s actions.

Durkheim called the communal beliefs, morals, and attitudes of a society the collective
conscience.

Durkheim called these elements of society “social facts.” By this, he meant that social
forces were to be considered real and existed outside the individual.

While the transition from mechanical to organic solidarity is, in the long run,
advantageous for a society, Durkheim noted that it can be a time of chaos and
“normlessness.”

One of the outcomes of the transition is something he called social anomie.

Anomie—literally, “without law”—is a situation in which society no longer has

the support of a firm collective consciousness.

Conflict Theory and Society

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Karl Marx (1818–1883) is certainly among the most significant social thinkers in recent history. While
there are many critics of his work, it is still widely respected and influential. For Marx, society’s
constructions were predicated upon the idea of “base and superstructure.” This term refers to the idea
that a society’s economic character forms its base, upon which rests the culture and social institutions,
the superstructure.

Karl Marx and Conflict Theory

Karl Marx asserted that all elements of a society’s structure depend on its economic structure.

Marx saw conflict in society as the primary means of change. Economically, he saw conflict existing
between the owners of the means of production—the bourgeoisie—and the laborers, called
the proletariat. Marx maintained that these conflicts appeared consistently throughout history during
times of social revolution. These revolutions or “class antagonisms” as he called them, were a result of
one class dominating another.

Alienation refers to the condition in which the individual is isolated and divorced from his or her society,
work, or the sense of self. Marx defined four specific types of alienation.

Alienation from the product of one’s labor. An industrial worker does not have the opportunity
to relate to the product he labors on. Instead of training for years as a watchmaker, an unskilled
worker can get a job at a watch factory pressing buttons to seal pieces together.
Example:
A worker on a Ford assembly line may spend all day installing windows on car
doors without ever seeing the rest of the car.
Alienation from the process of one’s labor. A worker does not control the conditions of her job
because she does not own the means of production.
Example:
An employee at Burger King cannot decide to change the spices used on the
fries.
Alienation from others. Workers compete, rather than cooperate.
Alienation from one’s self. An outcome of industrialization is a loss of connectivity between a
worker and her occupation because there is nothing that ties a worker to her labor, there is no
longer a sense of self.

EXERCISE 3

Think of the ways workers are alienated from the product and process of their jobs. How can these
concepts be applied to students and their educations? Explain in 3-5 sentences.

EXERCISE 4
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1. Organic solidarity is most likely to exist in which of the following types of societies?
A. Hunter-gatherer B. Agricultural
C. Industrial D. Feudal
2. The Protestant work ethic is based on the concept of predestination, which states that ________.
A. performing good deeds in life is the only way to secure a spot in Heaven.

B. God has already chosen those who will be saved and those who will be damned.

C. Salvation is only achievable through obedience to God.

D. No person can be saved before he or she accepts Jesus Christ as his or her savior.

3. Which of the following best depicts Marx’s concept of alienation from the process of one’s labor?

A. A businessman feels that he deserves a raise but is nervous to ask his manager for one;
instead, he comforts himself with the idea that hard work is its own reward.

B. An associate professor is afraid that she will not be given tenure and starts spreading rumors
about one of her associates to make herself look better.

C. A construction worker is laid off and takes a job at a fast-food restaurant temporarily,
although he has never had an interest in preparing food before.

D. A supermarket cashier always scans store coupons before company coupons because she
was taught to do it that way.

Cultural Variation refers to the rich diversity in social patterns that different human group exhibit around
the world. Music, dance, languages, cuisine, and art are different from one culture to another. The
variation in human conditions promotes diversity in cultural traditions. What may be considered good
practice in one culture may be considered bad practice in one another.

Comparing the traditions practiced by Muslims that pork serve in their meals are forbidden because
it says in their Holy Quran while for Christian community, pork is a part of their meal.

As people travel farther, moving from different regions to entirely different parts of world, certain
aspects of culture become dramatically unfamiliar. What happened when we encounter different
cultures? As we interact with different cultures other than our own, we become aware of the
differences or diversity and commonalities between our own and the others’ world.

Note: We must remember that cultural variation or diversity do not only occur between people’s
culture coming from different countries, but also between people with different practices within the
same country.

Cultural Universals are patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies.

One example of cultural universal is the family unit. Every human group recognizes family as the
building blocks of the society that regulates sexual reproduction and care of their children.

Another example of cultural universal is the language and the concept of giving names to member
of the family.

Variation between Cultures

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Within a human group, certain segments of the society develop cultural patterns that differs from the
patterns of the dominant society.

1. Subculture is a culture that is shared with a distinctive pattern of mores, folkways, and values
which differ from a larger society. The group of society who exhibit subculture have a specific
and unique set of beliefs and values that set them apart from the dominant culture.
Example:
Rock Music. In general, rock music is a culture observed in many societies all
over the globe. Since its conceptions, several subculture of rock music has
emerged- alternative rock, pop rock, metal rock, and many more.

2. Counterculture is a culture practice by groups whose values and norms place it at odds with
mainstream society or a group that actively rejects the dominant cultural values and norms.
Example:
Paramilitary is a semi-militarized force whose organizational structure, tactics,
trainings, and functions are similar to professional military and not included as a
part of formal armed forces like NPA and ISIS groups.

3. High Culture is a culture practiced and patronized by the upper classes of the society.
Example:
Watching opera, classical music, and live theater

4. Popular Culture is a culture practiced or patronized by the middle and working classes of
the society.
Example:
Watching soap opera over the televisions, movies, and rock concerts

Cultural Relativism

 The practice by assessing a culture by its own standards rather that viewing it through the lens
of one’s own culture. It is the practice that one must understood in the context of their locality.
 Cultural relativism is the idea that all norms, beliefs, and values are dependent on their cultural
context.
 Cultural relativism promotes greater appreciation of the cultures one encountered along the
way.
 The concept of cultural relativism does not mean that all customs are equally valuable, nor
does it imply that no customs are harmful.
 The central point in cultural relativism is that in a particular cultural setting certain trait are right
because they work well in that setting while other traits are wrong because they would clash
painfully with parts of that culture.
 Appreciation of other cultures may be for two complementary reasons:
1. Acquisition of sufficient knowledge about the culture in question
2. Direct exposure to other cultures

Advantages of Cultural Relativism:

1. It promotes cooperation. Embracing the differences of the different society can create
cooperation because it allows a stronger bond with one another in the society.

2. Respect and Equality is encouraged. People from different culture with different ideas that
share their own perspectives and experiences in the society can promote respect and
equality.

3. It preserves human cultures. Respect with the diverse set of traditions, ideas and practices
would help preserve the culture.
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4. Cultural relativism creates a society without judgement. Worrying and practicing your own
culture prevent disagreement & judgement in the society.

EXERCISE 5

Give 3 examples in each variation of cultures.

Subculture Counterculture High Culture Popular Culture

REFERENCES

Abulencia, A., Padernal R. (2016). A Worktest on Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics,
Novaliches, Quezon City; Brilliant Creations Publishing, Inc.

Introduction to Sociology 2e. Authored by: OpenStax CNX. Located

at: http://cnx.org/contents/02040312-72c8-441e-a685-20e9333f3e1d/Introduction_to_Sociology_2e

Slideshare

https://www.slideshare.net/charinacastillano123/culture-andsociety-1-79215593

https://www.slideshare.net/CarlPatrickTadeo1/human-cultural-variation-social-differences

Libre Texts

https://socialsci.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Sociology/Book%3A_Beyond_Race_-
_Cultural_Influences_on_Human_Social_Life_(Kennedy)/01%3A_Culture_and_Meaning/1.04%3A_The
oretical_Perspectives_on_Culture