ST.

JOHN PAUL II INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY TRAINING

ASSESSMENT AND LEARNING CENTER, INC
FRA Building, Carmen West, Rosales, Pangasinan/Aguila Road, Brgy. Sevilla, San Fernando City, La Union

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Quarter 4 – Module 9:
Analyze the basic concepts and
principles of the major social sciences
ideas
Week 9

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Subject: Discipline and Ideas in the Social Sciences
Grade & Section: Grade 11
Module No. 9
Week: Week 9
Instructor: Ms. Shendy Acosta

Objectives:
After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Identify the strengths and weaknesses of each approach.

2. Compare and contrast the three approaches.
3. Assess personal and social experiences using relevant approaches in
social sciences.

DISCOVER

What is Rational Choice?

The Rational Choice Theory explains that human action and behavior are products
of choice. Individuals rationalize their situations by processing between the most
beneficial choices and the lesser individual cost. In the Rational Choice Theory, Cost-
Benefit Analysis is always performed in every given situation and is considered an
instinctual response of every human. Cost is something disadvantageous to or what is
lost by an individual, while benefit is that which is gained by or is advantageous to
the individual after making the choice.

Basic assumptions of Rational Choice Theory:

1. Individuals act purely on self- interest

2. Individuals understand their interests enough to rationally categorize them
according to what they most prefer.

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 3. Preferences are transitive in nature. This means that choices have a
hierarchical order and that the highest preference will always be favored.

Key Concepts in Rational Choice Theory:

Social Consequence of Scarcity-based Decision

Humanity’s unlimited wants and perpetual desires drove civilizations to either
their prominence or destruction. With natural resources being finite and the
requirements of human ambition unending, the most rational choice is to conserve the
limited resources we have, and share this with each other. However, the problemis that
individuals only seek self-interest and would end up deciding what benefits them the
most.

Who are the proponents of Rational Choice?

Important Theorists

William Stanley Jevons

He was an English economist who applied the principles of Rational Choice
Theory in Political Economy. Jevons was one of the first to advance the Theory of
Marginal Utility, which sought application in determining and understanding
consumer behavior.
Jevons also identified the concept called Equation of Change, which says thatin
order to get the most utility, the ratio of marginal utility must be equal to the priceof
the commodity. Marginal utility, in this sense, points to the line wherein the value for
a certain object is still within satisfactory levels.

Gary Becker
He was an American Economist who expanded the study of Economics to the
realm of sociology and the other social sciences. Suggesting that human behavior is
subject to economic analysis, Becker argued that individuals act to maximize their own
welfare, thereby taking the scope of Economics beyond mere calculation of financial
gains. Like the other thinkers of Rational Choice Theory, Becker ascribes to the
principles that humans behave according to their “perceived values and preferences.”

Criticisms and Limitations

Rational Choice Theory is heavily criticized for its neglect of ethical and moral
standards. The main philosophy of Rational Choice Theory is the acquisition of
personal interests, power, and wealth. It is not strict with the method and the product
of decision-making.

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Directions: Read and answer the questions below. Write your answers in your
activity notebook.

1. Why did you take the track that you are currently enrolled in?

2. What are your desired goals or outcome, alternatives and strategies?

3. Would you say that you applied rationality in making that decision?

4. Aside from your choice of which track to enroll in, cite an instance in your daily
life wherein you applied rationality in making a final choice or decision. Elaborate
your answer by giving not only the choice and options available but also the reason
for your choice.

5. As a student, how will you apply rational choice in your economic condition?

What is Institutionalism?
In order to understand Institutionalism, it is important to first define
institutions in this theoretical perspective.

Institutions are patterns, routines, norms, rules and schemes that govern
and direct social thought and action.
Institutionalism therefore, is an approach that aims to understand and
analyze how actions, thoughts, and meanings penetrate into the social consciousness
deeply enough to embed themselves into the social psyche.

There are different types of institutionalism, but their common concern is to

find out the effects of these institutions and determine how these affects the manner
by which the society functions.

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What are the reasons why Institutionalism claims that institutions exists?
1. Social legitimacy
2. Survival

Try to answer this question.

Why do you need to continue your studies amidst the pandemic we

are facing right now?

An institution such as education exists because a person would have a bleak

future without it. That’s why the Department of Education made a Learning
Continuity Plan. Being educated means having to ascend social hierarchies and
organizational structures, which in turn affect the economic prosperity of the person
and survival in a capitalist market.

Institutions provide social legitimacy and survival through isomorphism.

What is isomorphism?

Isomorphism refers to the similarity in form, shape or structure. Institutions

arise, change, and persist due to their regulative, normative, and cognitive functions.
These functions are isomorphic in nature as they adopt in form, shape or structure to
provide social legitimacy, survival or both.

The regulative function operates through coercive isomorphism, which

places value on expediency as an effect to compliance. Change either happens or not
depending on external factors such as rules and laws.

The normative function operates through normative isomorphism, which

places value on complying with social obligations. Change either happens or not
depending on external factors such as accreditations and certifications.

The cognitive function operates the mimetic isomorphism, which places

value on what is being complied with by others. Change either happens or not
depending on internal factors such as uncertainty and prevalence of others’
performance.

Key Concepts in Institutionalism

Formal and Informal Institutions

Formal Institutions are codified rules, policies, and norms that are considered
official, originating from state laws, government and organizations.

Informal Institutions on the other hand, are equally known rules and norms but
are not commonly written down.

Institutional actors refer to the people who make up society, whose actions are
controlled and regulated by institutions. Institutional actors can be an individual, a

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group, an organization, or a government that creates or follows rules.

In political science, institutional actors and their relationship with one another is
oftenthe subject of research.

Who are the proponents of

Institutionalism?David Mitrany
He was a Romanian-born British scholar, historian, and political theorist. He
isconsidered the father of functionalism in international relations, which is classified
under liberal institutionalism.

Jean Monnet
He was a French political economist and diplomat. As one of the originators of
the European Union, he saw the needs of the state are to be achieved through the
principle of supranationality. As Mitrany argued against territory being the source of
authority, Monnet used the argument to erase country borderlines.

Stephen Krasner
He is an American professor of international relations. Krasner argues that the
American government and non-government organizations should prioritize the
stabilization of weakened states so that American interests would be protected.

Criticisms and Limitations

Institutionalism has, as many definitions as there, are scholars who practice it.
Unsurprisingly, Institutionalism has many forms, and as such, there is no central
approach that can define the method of Institutionalism and that the predictability of
outcome changes as different researchers conducted their studies.

One criticism against Institutionalism is that while it can describe and analyze
differences between institutions, it lacks the ability to analyze changes happening in
a certain situation.

Another criticism against Institutionalism is the assessment of institutions

themselves. Since there are many approaches to Institutionalism, there are also a
variety of ways by which institutions can be identified.

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Directions: Read and answer the following questions in your activity notebook.
(5points per number).

1. What is isomorphism?
2. How does normative function operate?
3. How is an informal institution different from formal institution?
4. What are the reasons for the creation of institutions?
5. Why is institutional change costly?

Feminist Theory

Feminism studies gender and its relation to power, and the dynamics these
two concepts play out in economics, politics, sexuality, race, and nationality, among
others. It is both a sociological perspective and a philosophy which aims to promote
gender equality, social justice, and women’s rights. However, the primary concern that
feminism tries to address is the oppression of women in society and the patriarchal
structure of most societies.

Patriarchy, in its most basic sense, is a social organization wherein the father or
eldest male heads a society or government. To illustrate this, one only has to look at
the traditional Filipino family structure or of most societies for that matter. The head
of the family is the father, and the mother is subordinate to the decisions of the father.
In labor and economics, for example, the father goes to his job every day while the
mother is left at home to take care of the children. In the past, women did find the
opportunity to leave the house and gain employment but the jobs offered to them were
limited to being a secretary or nurse. This is but one struggle that feminism undertook
in its advocacy for women.

Feminism developed in three waves. Each movement addressed a particular

issue, which women struggled with at that time, and these are as follows:

1. The first wave of feminism took place during the 19th and 20th centuries, which
challenged the legal issues concerning women. Women at that time surrendered
their properties to their husbands, were not allowed to hold public office, and were
not given the rights to suffrage. It was only in the 1920s that women first voted in

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 America. Women also advocated their right to choose their own profession. When
World War I went in full swing, men were sent to battlefields leaving women to
take on factory jobs. This development showed that women were productive as men
in the workforce.
2. The second wave of feminism began during 1960s up to the 1990s and was born
out of the civil rights’ movement. The primary issues that this movement tried to
address was of sexual equality and reproductive rights. This movement saw
“feminine” objects such as bras, lipsticks, and high heels as forms of male
oppression and an objectification of women.
3. The third wave of feminism began in the late 1980s and continues until today.
Feminists from the third wave do not consider “feminine” objects as artifacts of
male oppression, but as tools to enrich their femininity. This advocacy rules the
blame-the-victim practice in which sexually harassed women are treated as sex
objects and are actually blamed because of what they wear and because they put on
makeup.

Key Concepts in Feminism Gender Ideology

Gender ideology is a social belief that supports gender inequality. It is a

social divide that establishes perceived roles for men and women, and relegating
them to specific roles. Some gender ideologies include women staying at home while
men go to work, and women being more delicate, emotional, and nurturing compared
to men who are more aggressive, assertive, and dominant.

Gender inequality is the actualization or realization of gender ideology.

There is gender inequality when the perceived role of women subordination to men
reflects hiring procedures and requirements; for example, a secretarial post accepting
only female applicants. Salaries are also unequal when it comes to men and women.
For instance, a research on gender pay gap revealed that women in the U.S. receive
less than men even if they have the same position and title.

Gender ideology is also actualized in how toys are determined for children.
Typically, action figures are supposed to be played by boys and dolls are to be played
by girls. A boy playing with a doll is ridiculed as being gay, while a girl playing action
figures is teased as a lesbian. It is evident that at this early stage of development,
children’s perception of gender roles is already being established and affirmed. The
gender ideology in children’s play evolves in adulthood as gender bias and prejudices,
which further support inequality.

Criticisms and Limitations

During the first wave of feminism, anti-feminism was already present, which
opposed the granting of women’s right to vote, hold to public office, and attain higher
education.

Anti-feminism also argued that traditional values, beliefs, and established

religious norms be upheld, and that divorce is considered taboo. Feminists claim that

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history has provided the roles by which society has come about and that should be the
way it is. Women are to be relegated to their homes while their husbands go to earn
for the family.

Other critics of feminism are feminists themselves, who see feminism as an

attempt to make women’s rights and power more than or in supervision of men. Yet,
they argue that feminism must advocate for equality and not create a new form of
oppression.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING

As the capacity of humans to reason and make sense of their world became
complex, we were able to look closely at issues that are often seen as non-issues merely
because they have been practiced traditionally. The issue of gender equality is one of
these neglected issues that have been finally addressed by scholars and activists alike.
Today, women and other sectors of society who are prey to the dissociating and
selective systems instituted by powerful classes are still fighting for their rights, which
allows the rebirth of a new form of feminist movement.

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Activity 1: PICTURE ANALYSIS
Study the pictures below and answer the questions that follow. Place your answers
in your activity notebook.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/alth
https://primer.com.ph/blog/wp- https://cruxnow.com/wp-
istory/images/2/2e/Cory_aquino_obit_t
content/uploads/sites/14/2016/10/pia- content/uploads/2016/08/Mother-
out.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width- Teresa-690x450.jpg
wurtzbach-manila-homecoming.jpg
down/200?cb=20121119144354

https://miro.medium.com/max/700/1*_9qwC1Bwr_etMKnkWfxVNQ.jpeg

1. Do you know who are in the first, second, and third picture and their
accomplishments?
2. What do you think is the last picture trying to tell us?
3. List down your interpretations in each picture.
4. What makes them different from other women?

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 Hermeneutical
Phenomenology

Hermeneutical phenomenology is a philosophy of and a method for

interpreting human experiences as a means to understand the question of what it is to
be human. This philosophy was developed by Martin Heidegger (1889–1976) as a
continuation and divergence from phenomenology, the philosophy developed by his
mentor and colleague, Edmund Husserl (1859–1938). Hermeneutical Phenomenology
is sometimes referred to as interpretative phenomenology or existential
phenomenology, while the phenomenology developed by Husserl is sometimes
referred to as descriptive phenomenology or pure phenomenology. In order to
understand the fundamental similarities and differences of both ideas, let us first
examine Husserl’s phenomenology.

Phenomenology, as developed by Husserl is an inquiry on how the human mind

can grasp the nature of things as experienced in the world. It is a question of how a
thorough examination of experiences of the world can provide deeper insight and
perception of the world. In order to answer this inquiry, Husserl’s ideas revolved
around descriptions-by how descriptions are formed and how descriptions can form
truths about experiences. Husserl suggested that prejudgments, prejudice, and biases
must first be removed in order to grasp the essential nature of things.

Heidegger’s phenomenological approach attempts to interpret experiences of

the world to find truths, which can be used to learn about human existence or being.
Heidegger states that humans are born in a particular historical period, country,
community, and background. Rather than description, hermeneutical phenomenology
is more concerned with how experiences are interpreted and how they generate
meaning. The question of hermeneutical phenomenology is what the revelation of the
thing means for you.
The reflections made from experiences are affected by worldviews, which in
turn would be constitutive of future experiences. This is what Heidegger calls
hermeneutic circle, or the process wherein one’s influences affect his or her
experiences of the world, which would then create other influences that would affect
experiencing the world, and so on.

Criticisms and Limitations

The primary criticism against phenomenology is that it lacks the application of

the scientific method. However, the absence of such is intentional since the scientific
method is even criticized by Merleau-Ponty as contrary to perception that holds no

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preconceived judgments. The lack of an actual method is another criticism against
phenomenology. While there might be techniques such as phenomenological and
eidetic reduction, these are not the methods per se, but are ways by which
consciousness derives meaning from. The meaning derived from phenomenological
reduction is also relative to the perceiver. The creation of meanings and perception of
things, therefore, are subjective in nature and cannot be duplicated or lend itself to
falsifiability.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING

The field of hermeneutical phenomenology allows for a critical evaluation of the

nature of being. Unlike its counterparts, this field relies heavily on context and content
analysis, which others claim as its weakness due to the lack of scientific rigor that such
process entails. Today, this field remains relevant in the practice of literary criticism,
cognitive science, and qualitative research.

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 One of the major scientific challenges of our time is investigating the impact of
human activity to our natural environment and how each system affects one another.
Human-environment systems are the interdisciplinary approaches which study
the complex interactions among human and environment systems. Human systems
are the various institutions and activities humans created in society. These systems
include government policies, industrial waste management, agriculture, urbanization,
culture, and tradition. On the other hand, environment systems include the
biodiversity of Earth, global weather systems, landscapes, and animal and plant life,
among others.
The idea of human-environment systems holds that society shapes nature and
that nature shapes society. What we do to the environment affects and changes us. One
could see how human systems affect environment systems by looking at our laws and
policies.

Key Concepts in Human-Environment Systems

Sense of Place

A sense of place refers to the development of meaning or association with a

given location. A sense of place is a sense of belonging or identity, which is developed
through the community that occupies it, its landscape features, and the emotions it
brings.

Mental Map
A mental map of a place refers to the mental representation of things and people
of a given location. A mental map is formed by the memory’s identification of the
physical characteristics and features of a particular place. Over time, mental maps
change as new experiences of the place are acquired directly or indirectly from how
others would describe a place or by watching travel shows. A better focus of the mental
map is also reached when objects and people are associated to the place. For example,
you and your best friend met in a store; hence, you are reminded of the attached feeling
and memory whenever you visit that place, either physically or in your mind,

Primary Landscape
The place where we grew up is what human geographers consider as our
primary landscape and is the basis for our experience of new places. It is from the
primary landscape that we compare the new places we visit, and the memories and

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emotions we attach to it will be transposed to the new environment and bring a new
sense of place.

Spatial Distribution and Spatial Process

Spatial distribution refers to the distribution of anything that exists on Earth
that can be mapped out and is observable through spatial processes. Spatial
distribution maps out natural and physical aspects such as temperature, weather, and
cities. It observes cultural aspects such as language, nationality, gender, and religion.
It also studies the distribution of how human systems affect environmental systems
such as soil erosion, animal and plant extinction due to deforestation, and air pollution
due to factory fumes.

Spatial Process is the underlying structure responsible for the spatial

distribution of things. For example, the physical distribution of mountain ranges can
be attributed to tectonic shifts, while their cultural distribution can be attributed to
technological systems affecting human needs.

Criticisms and Limitations

The human-environment systems theory is criticized because of its
deterministic approach in understanding social phenomena. This determinism could
be seen in Hardin’s work, which highlighted population as the main cause of social
issues.

ESSENTIAL LEARNING
The interrelationship between humans and their environment is a vital point in
the pursuit of understanding human nature and the populations that they form. The
human-environment systems approach provides a diverse source of interplay between
humans and their environment. Today, this theory remains relevant in addressing
environmental issues that are either created by human populations or affecting their
existence.

Activity 1:
Using the diagram below, identify at least one strength and one weakness of each
approach. Copy and answer the diagram below in your activity notebook.

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 Approach Weakness Strength

Hermeneutical
Phenomenology
Human-Environment
Systems

Activity 2: Compare and Contrast

Direction. Using the Venn diagram below, compare and contrast the concepts and
principles of the five approaches.

EXPLORE

Activity 1: Editorial Cartooning (Performance Task)

Materials needed: pencil, crayons, ¼ illustration board
Directions: Create an editorial cartoon showing Gender Ideology in ¼ illustration
board.

Rubrics/Criteria
Relevance to the theme - 40pts
Originality - 35pts
Impact (neatness, harmony,
Color presentation - 25pts
TOTAL 100 pts

Activity 2: (Performance Task)

Give and assess your personal and social experiences of at least one of the following
approaches: Rational Choice, Institutionalism, Feminism, Hermeneutical
Phenomenology, and Human- Environment systems. Write your experience in your
activity notebook, and answer the following questions below:

 How did you deal with it?

 Was there any difference in your decision if you had known the approaches
earlier?

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 References
Alejandria-Gonzalez, Maria Carinnes P., and Elizabeth T. Urgel. DIWA Senior High
School Series: Discipline and Ideas in Social Sciences. Makati City, Philippines:
DIWA Laerning Systems Inc., 2016.

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