Elizabeth C.

Van Cauwenberghe February 20, 2023

BA in Psychology IV

1. Describe how your family interaction is like if the mobile was not invented. 10 pts.

If the mobile was not invented, family interaction, especially communication, would still be done face
to face. If something had to be said, we would have to wait until we see each other in person to relay the
message. It would take longer to reach relatives that are far away, weakening the relationship with them.
Meanwhile, relationships inside the home would be tighter. Individuals can only speak with a few people –
usually, those that we see every day – making us more present with our connections.

Family culture and beliefs are more likely to be passed on because of the lack of social media
influence. We would become more collectivistic than individualistic; the ultimate goal is to keep the family
thriving.

Word count: 120

2. Explain how attending Sunday mass or service is a social fact. 10 pts.

Attending Sunday mass is a social fact because religion is institutionalized in almost all parts of the
world. A social fact is anything that is created outside an individual’s consciousness which is how religion is
imposed unto us growing up, right from the day we were baptized. Even though, as infants, we weren’t
capable of conscious thinking yet, a set of dogmatic beliefs were already assigned unto us. It has embedded its
own practices and ways on how people should regularly show up. One of it is by officializing Sunday as
Church day until it formed into a habit for people to attend mass on the same day of every week.

Word count: 111

3. Discuss how the life of Heart Evangelista-Escudero is influenced by the social force of symbolic
meanings. 10 pts.

Heart Evangelista-Escudero is an actress, businesswoman, and socialite. She is someone of high

social class, an influencer of luxury brands, and goes to international fashion events – the “Real Crazy Rich
Asian” of the Philippines as dubbed by Harper’s Bazaar magazine (Mendoza, 2022). Her influence is
powered by the social force of symbolic meanings because people ascribe so much esteem to wealth, designer
items, and fashion sense – all of which Heart embodies. Through her clout, her audience are eager to purchase
luxury items or brand themselves as fashionable, but only because they ascribe great symbolic meanings to
such. Therefore, Heart’s popularity was heavily influenced by the way people crazed over fashion items and
socialite media.
Word count: 114

4. Explain how not being employed can be both a personal trouble and an issue. 10 pts.

The unemployment rate in the Philippines has skyrocketed over the recent years, reaching its highest
peak of 3.7 million unemployed Filipinos in 2021 (The Pinoy OFW, 2021). This alarming number reflects
how unemployment is a social issue. Millions of people being out of the labor market means there must be
something wrong with the system: lack of decent employment opportunities, geographic mismatch, market
rigidities, and more. On the flip side, individual factors also come into play that makes unemployment a
personal trouble, such as lack of relevant skills, hope of a better employment, personal disabilities, or merely
individual preferences. It becomes a trouble once the barriers are those that individuals have placed against
themselves.

Word count: 114

5. Explain how celebrating Valentine’s Day is a social fact. 10 pts.

Valentine’s day is a holiday that is celebrated and honored across all parts of the world. Whenever the
date February 14th is mentioned, it is immediately associated with this love-filled holiday. Origin stories claim
that this started as a Pagan festival called Lupercalia, then was “Christianized” by the Catholic Church in
honor of St. Valentine, then was associated with the start of birds’ mating season in the Middle Ages
(History.com Editors, 2009). It has become a social fact because regardless of history, almost everyone is
excited to honor their loved ones during this day. Even without knowing the meaning, people don’t mind;
they are happy to follow this custom, a practice that is now beyond conscious thinking.

Word count: 117

References:

History.com Editors. (2009). History of Valentine’s Day. HISTORY. https://www.history.com/

topics/valentines-day/history-of-valentines-day-2

Mendoza, K. A. (2022). The reinvention of Heart Evangelista: the real-life Crazy Rich Asian is Victoria
Beckham’s ‘VB muse’ and is starting a new (single?) life in Paris – plus the Bling Empire guest star
has a baby ‘waiting’. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/
celebrity/article/3195189/reinvention-heart-evangelista-real-life-crazy-rich-asian

The Pinoy OFW. (2021). 13 Most Common Causes of Unemployment Rate in the Philippines.
https://thepinoyofw.com/unemployment-philippines/?utm_content=anc-true