UNDERSTANDING

CULTURE AND SOCIETY

CHAPTER 2, GROUP 2
(SAMONTE/GUANCO/BARTOLOME/SALAZAR)
SOCIETY
➢ Is a group of individuals sharing a common culture, geographical
location, and government.

Human beings are considered to be naturally inclined to establish

societies, since it is in interacting with others that they are able to
ensure their survival by establishing mutually beneficial
relationships with one another.

➢ The classic definition of society is based on E.B. Taylor’s

concept which states that society is “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.”
➢ A society is characterized by the presence of the following
elements:

b) Shared identity and

a) Social solidarity,
culture among
whereby members of the
members that serve as
community live together
basis for their patterns
for mutual benefit. of action and behavior.

d)A large population and

the ability to sustain
c) A common language. succeeding
generations of
members.

e)Definite geographical f)Political, economic, and

area. social organization.
-date as far back as several million years ago and were considered the
first societies. The basic social and economic units were the family
and local plan which organized hunting and gathering activities
and distributed the accumulated food supply.

Ex. San people of Kalahari Dessert in Southern Africa

-Their emergence was brought about by the gradual shift from hunting-
and-gathering lifestyle to a more sedentary life, and the introduction of
agriculture as a more stable food production method.

- Horticultural societies relied on the cultivation of plants as their

primary source of food, while pastoral societies depended on the
-domestication of animals.

-Ex. Gururumba Tribe in New Guinea

-Around 10,000 years ago, the development and spread of agriculture
led to the emergence of civilizations in Mesopotamia and China and
brought about the establishment of this.

-Food production became more efficient due to the new methods of

farming, the invention of more advanced tools, and the establishment
of permanent settlements.
-Ex. Foragers became agrarian society once they settled down in
villages.

-Meanwhile, the beginning of the Industrial Revolution in England

during the latter half of 18th century transformed agricultural societies to
this type.

- Technological advancements resulted in the invention of machines that

improved production. The rise of urban centers or cities was also a
major development during this period.
-Ex. Great Britain
- Since the latter portion of the 20th century, many countries have become
post-industrialists societies.

- Knowledge is a commodity and technological innovation is key to

long-lasting growth and development.

-Ex. United States of America

Post-Industrial Society
Hunting & Gathering
Horticultural Society
Society
CULTURE
➢ Is one of the important bases that define and influence a society.

➢ Refers to the set of beliefs, ideas, values, practices, knowledge, history

and shared experiences, attitudes, as well as material objects and
possessions accumulated over time and shared by the members of
society .

➢ There are two primary categories of culture: MATERIAL

CULTURE and NONMATERIAL CULTURE.

Composed of the physical or

tangible objects produced, shared,
and utilized within society.

Ex. Tools or implements, paintings

and other works of art, architectural
styles, weaponry, and toys.
Consists of the intangible properties
and elements of the society that
influence the patterns of action and
behavior of its members.

Ex. Language, beliefs, values,

attitudes, ideas, and norms shared
among members of society.

-The community stories and other types of narratives shared within societies.

- Comes in the form of myths, legends, folktales (kuwentong bayan),

proverbs, and riddles embodies the history, beliefs, ideas, values, and
practices that define a society.

- Ex. Malakas at Maganda, a creation myth that tells about the origin of the
Filipino people.
➢ Though individual societies have varying histories, experiences,
identities, and organizations, all of them have four vital cultural
components:

-Refer to things that convey meaning or Ex.

represent an idea.
Statue of Buddha,
-They are essential in communication, shaping Philippine Flag
thoughts and ideas, and defining a society’s
culture.

Ex.
- is a set of symbols that enables members of Filipino, English, Sign
society to communicate verbally (spoken) and Language
nonverbally (written, gestures).

Ex.
- are shared ideas, norms, and principles that
provide members of society standards that
Positivity, optimism
pertain to what is right or wrong, good and
bad, desirable and undesirable.
- are shared rules of conduct that determine Ex.
specific behavior among society members. Focus on task, Begin on
time and end on
- There are various categories of norms time
according to their social importance:

- Are norms that may -Are norms with moral -Are norms that are
be violated without connotations. legally enacted and
serious consequences. - Ex. Respecting the enforced.
- Ex. Correct manners, elders, Worshipping - Ex. Civil Law (rights),
Proper eating God Criminal law (rape,
behavior. assault)

➢ The process of culture and identity formation within society is

facilitated through socialization and enculturation.
- Refers to the lifelong process of forging identity through social interaction .
- Language, as well as social agents that teach aspects of culture to the
members o society, also contributes to the socialization of the individual.

- Refers to the process by which an individual learns or acquires the

important aspects of his or her society’s culture .

➢ It is important to understand that culture is dynamic. There are

elements that have remained through the ages but there are also
some aspects that have adapted to the realities of the present
context.

- Refers to particular circumstances of a certain culture and is defined by

location, weather, time period, and other factors.
- A contextual and relational approach enables us to understand the
existence of a multitude of societies that have their own unique cultures.
 SOCIETY and CULTURE ACCORDING
to the THREE DISCIPLINES

- Considers culture as the central focus of its discipline. It studies

the different societies.
- Examines and provides explanations for the existence of
different cultural patterns as well as the similarities and
differences between different cultures.
- Anthropologists have adopted two major views with regard to
how cultures should be considered in comparison to others.

- Considers cultures as equal. - the belief that one’s native

-This view holds that there are no
“superior” and “inferior”
cultures, and each is unique in its
own way.
culture is superior to other
cultures.
-Ethnocentric societies tend to
have a negative view of other
countries and people.
- Diminishes or invalidates “other” ways of life and creates a distorted
view of one’s own. As a result, this could affect individual behavior
and relationships with other cultures. Extreme forms of ethnocentrism
have led to wars or colonization.

- Ex. William Howard Taft, for example, once referred to the Filipinos as
the Americans “little brown brothers” who needed to be supervised by
the USA in establishing a society and government that approximates
“Anglo-American standards.”

- Some Filipinos share the perception that some aspects of Philippine

culture are inferior compared to foreign cultures, particularly those of
our former colonizers. Filipino’s who have this perception are
considered as Filipinos with “colonial mentality.”

- Another manifestation of xenocentrism and colonial mentality is the

preference of Filipinos to speak in English or other European
languages.
- Recognizes and accepts the cultural differences between societies. This
view believes that every aspect of a culture can justified by the context
in which the culture has been formed.

- No particular culture therefore can claim superiority over other

cultures. However, it calls for a keen assessment of other cultures to
gain a holistic understanding of their uniqueness.

- Relates culture with the overall context of social order. There are
different sociological perspectives that explain this order.

- Operates on the assumption that

society is a stable and orderly system.

-Structural Functionalists consider culture

as a glue that binds society together,
leading to social order.
- Assumes that there is a constant
power struggle among the various
social groups and institutions within
society.
-Conflict theorists study the culture of
“dominant classes” and analyze how
this culture is imposed on other
classes. The effective domination of
this class facilitated by culture brings
about social order.
- Views individual and group
behavior and social interactions as
defining features of society.
-Symbolic Interactionists believe
culture provides shared meanings to
the members of society. The more
meanings are shared, the more
society ensures social order.

How are these perspectives applied in looking at

Philippine society?
- Using a structural functional approach, we can examine the
significance of religion in binding Filipino Roman Catholics, Filipino
Muslims, and other Filipinos who belong to other faiths, and how they
can relate to each other using the same sacred texts, doctrines, beliefs,
practices, and other related symbols. Religion, in this view, becomes
the glue that unites Filipinos together.
 How are these perspectives applied in looking at
Philippine society?
-However, using the conflict approach, Roman Catholicism could be
seen as a cultural tool that is partly responsible for the exclusion of
other local cultures.

- Through the lens of the symbolic interactionist model, religion could

be viewed as the major factor that affects the general patterns of
behavior and life situations of the members of society. It could also be
suggested that symbols outside the realm of religion can be used to
promote interactions and unite Filipinos of different regions and other
cultural orientations. It can be argued that social order is possible in the
Philippines when Filipinos of different cultures share the same symbols
and meanings.
- Also examines culture as vital aspect of society. Culture, together with
political socialization, is analyzed in order to explain political behavior
such as voting patterns and the behavior of leaders.
- Culture is seen as an important element in building social capital and
could also lead to future conflicts and division.
- It also looks into the decline of cultural domination by Western
countries and subsequent rise of multiculturalism.

-An ideology that acknowledges and promotes cultural diversity within

society.

- entails the establishment of political groups and institutions comprised of

people for diverse cultures. This view challenges the idea of the nation-
state and the advancement of nationalist and ultranationalist policies.

- Multiculturalism in the Philippines is still an ongoing process, and its

advancement is largely dependent on government initiatives and policies.
The issue of our national language for instance, reflects the intricate
nature of advancing multiculturalism in highly diverse society.
 Instead of cultural relativism, some have advanced the concept of
cultural sensitivity. Cultural relativism implies that all aspects of a
particular culture should be accepted and even celebrated .

CULTURAL SENSITIVITY
- Advances awareness and acceptance of cultural differences but
encourages a critical stance in dealing with issues regarding diversity,

- This view believes that not all cultural practices, traditions, and views can
be integrated, and that distinct cultures can harmoniously coexist in
society.

- This view advocates a respectful view of the uniqueness and distinctness

of other cultures, and encourages individuals and societies to guard
against ethnocentric and xenocentric views, as these are significant
threats to cultural diversity and social stability.
• CONCLUSION:
Culture and Society is a biome of different
aspects and elements that make us.
Although differences, similarities, and
understanding don’t fully unite our
societies , having the knowledge of the
concepts and right ideas will make our
communities intact and towards having
sensitivity for everyone.