UCSPOL 4th Quarter

Unit 6, Lesson 1: Kinship, Marriage, and the Household

Kinship

● Means relationships based on blood or marriage.

● Every society defines the nature of kinship interaction by determining which kin
are more socially important than others, terms to classify kin types, and expected
forms of behavior between them.

1. Fictive Kinship
● People who are not related by blood or marriage
2. Consanguineal Kin
● Kinship based on bloodline
3. Affinal Kin
● Kinship based on marriage

KINSHIP BY BLOOD

Kinship

● Can refer both to the patterns of social relationships themselves, or it can refer to the
study of the patterns of social relationships in one or more human cultures .

Descent

● A group in which membership depends on common descent from a real or mythical

ancestor.

A. Unilineal Descent
● A group in which membership may rest either on patrilineal descent
(patrilineage) or matrilineal descent (matrilineage).

B. Cognatic Descent
● Refers to all descendants of an ancestor who enjoy membership of a common
descent group by virtue of any combination of male or female linkages.
KINSHIP BY MARRIAGE

Marriage

● An institution that admits men and women to family life.

● It is a formal prescription which defines the rights, duties and privileges of

husband and wife with respect to each other, their children, their relatives, and the
society as a whole.
● Officially starts with the ceremony known as wedding or in a holy matrimony.

● A marital relationship involves some kind of contract, written or specified by

tradition, which defines the partners’ rights and obligations to each other, to their
children, and their relatives.
● Sociologically, marriage is a partnership between a man and a woman formalized by
either a religious or a civil ceremony.
● Marriage can be viewed from religious point of view and from legal point of view.

Religious Point of View

● Considers marriage as a sacrament and therefore it is the inviolable bond which

can only be dissolved upon the death of one of the spouses.

Legal Viewpoint

● Looks at marriage as a contract entered into by a man and a woman who vow to live
together as husband and wife for the discharge of their duties to each other and to the
community.

TYPES OF MARRIAGE

Marriages are of different types across the world. Forms of marriage are also culturally
driven and different types of marriages in the world are prevalent among variant societies.

1. Polygamy
● State or practice of being married to more than one person at the same time.

A. Polygyny
▪ Is a form of marriage in which one man marries more than one
woman at a given time.
B. Polyandry
▪ The marriage of one woman with more than one man. It is less
common than polygyny.
 2. Monogamy
● Is a form of marriage in which one man marries one woman. It is the most
common and acceptable form of marriage .

Serial Monogamy
▪ Happens when an individual is allowed to marry again after the
death of the first spouse or after divorce but they cannot have more
than one spouse at one and the same time.

3. Group Marriage
● Is a type of marriage of two or more women with two or more men.

● Here the husbands are common husbands and wives are common wives.

● Children are regarded as the children of the entire group as a whole.

KINSHIP BY RITUAL

Ritual Kinship

● In the form of godparenthood played an important role in strengthening and

extending the ties of kinship, as it did in much of Latin America.
● Parents selected godparents for a child at his or her baptism, confirmation, and marriage.

● The godparents were then tied to the parents as co-parents.

● Those chosen for the child’s baptism were considered the most important, and great
care was exercised in their selection.
● Ideally co-parents should be a married couple;

● They were preferred because their unions were typically more stable and they were
more likely to be able to provide a home for the child should the need arise
● Single women of good reputation were frequently chosen.

● It was important that the person asked should be of proper character and good
standing in the community.
● Often parents asked a close, important relative to serve as godparent.

● The tie between co-parents reinforced that of kinship

● The same godparents could serve for the couple’s successive children, a practice
that further strengthened the ties between the families involved.
● A godparent was expected to see to his or her godchild’s upbringing, should the
parents be unable to do so.
● Co-parents were required to treat each other with respect and assist one another in
times of need.
● Marriage or sexual relations between co-parents were considered incestuous;
 ● An insult to a co-parent was a grave matter, condemned by the community at large.

● In the countryside, ties to godparents had daily social significance;

● Children visited their godparents often and were expected to treat them with particular
respect.
● Not even quarrels or the death of the godchildren should break the ties between co-
parents.

VARIATIONS IN FAMILY PATTERNS

A. Based on Internal Organization

1. Conjugal Family
● A nuclear family of adult partners and their children (by birth or adoption)
where the family relationship is principally focused inward and ties to
extended kin are voluntary and based on emotional bonds , rather than
strict duties and obligations.
2. Extended Family
● Simply a family unit that extends past the nuclear family to include other
relatives such as aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
● It consists of two or more nuclear families living together.

B. Based in Origin
1. The Family of Orientation
● It is a group in which we are born and reared. It is the family where everyone
grows up from.
2. The Family of Pro-Creation
● It is the family we establish when we marry and have children of our own.

C. Based on Descent
1. Patrilineal Family
● Is a group whose members trace their relationships and affiliations with
relatives on the father side.
● Refers to a family whose members trace their relationships and
affiliations with relatives on the mother side.

D. Based on Who Wields Power

1. Patriarchal
● One in which family authority is vested in the oldest male member of the
family, the patriarch or the father.
 2. Matriarchal
● One in which the family authority is exercised by the mother who
dominates the household
3. Egalitarian
● Family is one where both husband and wife exercise equal amount of
authority and enjoy the same rights and privileges.

E. Based on Residence
1. Patrilocal
● A family where in the newly-married couple lives with or near the
home of the groom’s parents.
2. Matrilocal
● A family where in the newly-married couple resides with or near the
home of the bride’s parents.
3. Bilocal
● A family where in the newly-weds choose to stay with either the groom or the
bride’s parents
4. Neolocal
● A family where in the couple resides independently from either groom or
bride’s parent
5. Avunculocal
● A family where in the couple is prescribed to reside with or near the
domicile of the maternal uncle of the groom.

POLITICS OF KINSHIP

● Kinship politics is built based on the classic political principle “blood is thicker than
water”.
● It asserts that power should be distributed among family members

● For the sake of family security, power should not be seized from those who have kinship
connections and must be circulated only among those who are tied by blood.
● The concepts gave rise to political dynasties – the rule of families in the political arena.

Brutus Syndrome

● The concept is accepted by reference to the fact that politics is often replete with
adversity, conflict, and betrayal
Unit 6, Lesson 2: Political and Leadership Structures

Politics

● The systematic study of the state and government.

● Derived from the Greek word polis, meaning a “city” and scire, “to know”.

● A social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, nation, government,
and politics and policies of government.

Political Organization

● An entity that is involved in the political process . Political organization includes

political institution, political parties, and political groups, e.g. advocacy groups,
interest groups, etc.
● The existence of groups for the purposes of controlling people’s behavior and
maintaining social order or the distribution of power within a group.

Societies differ in their political organization based on three key dimensions:

a. Extent to which political institutions are distinct from other aspects of the social structure.
b. Extend to which authority is concentrated into specific political roles.
c. Level of political integration

FOUR MAIN TYPES OF POLITICAL ORGANIZATION

1. Band
● Basic social unit found in many foraging societies.

● It is characterized by being kinship-based and having no permanent political

structure
● It has flexible membership

● Oftentimes nomadic group that is connected by family ties and is politically

independent.
● Conflicts within bands are minimal and are solved informally.

● Bands are integrated by kinship and marriage and not by politics

● All members are equal, with leaders having authority or influence based on
 respect, but not coercive power.
2. Tribes
● Comprise several bands or lineage groups

● They share a similar language and lifestyle

 ● They occupy a distinct territory

● More formal than a band

● Qualifications include hard worker, generous, and good social skills.

● The leader is in charge of determining movements of people and herds,

planting and harvesting, and times for feasts and celebration.
● A leader relies on authority rather than on power.

3. Chiefdom
● Political unit headed by a chief, who holds power over more than one community
group.
● Usually more densely populated

● Have social rank, with the chief and his family holding power

● Usually chosen by heredity, this usually gives his family and their inner circle
the reigns to power
● Practice redistribution, in which goods are accumulated by one central person or
power, who then decides how to allocate them among the people.

4. State
● A community of persons more or less numerous,

● Permanently occupying a definite portion of territory

● Having a government of their own to which the great body of inhabitants render
obedience
● Enjoying freedom from external control

● Centralized political unit that governs a large population

● With a hierarchy of differing political positions and the power to enforce its
decisions.
● It includes a bureaucratic structure. Leaders possess coercive power

FOUR ELEMENTS OF STATE

● People
● Territory

● Government

● Sovereignty
Authority

● Refers to the power of right to give commands, enforce obedience, take action, or
make final decisions; jurisdiction

1. Legal Authority
● Based on a system of rules that is applied administratively and judicially in
accordance with known principles.
● The persons who administer those rules are appointed or elected by legal
procedures.
● Superiors are also subject to rules that limit their powers, separate their
private lives from official duties and require written documentation

2. Traditional Authority
● Based on a system in which authority is legitimate because it “has always
existed”.
● People in power usually enjoy it because they have in (???)

● Officials consist either of personal retainers or of personal loyal allies , such as

vassals or tributary lords
● Their prerogatives are usually similar to those of the ruler above them, just
reduced in scale, and they too are often selected based on inheritance.

3. Charismatic Authority
● Is based on the charisma of the leader, who shows that he possesses the right to
lead by virtue of magical powers, prophecies, heroism, etc.
● His followers respect his right to lead because of his unique qualities (his
charisma), not because of any tradition or legal rules.
● Officials consist of those who have shown personal devotion to the ruler, and of
those who possess their own charisma.
Unit 6, Lesson 3: Economic Institutions

Economic Organization

● Is defined as the act of coordinating the other factors of production – land, labor and
capital.
● Organization is performed by the entrepreneur described as the “captain of industry”.

ASPECTS OF THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM

1. Property
● Best understood as a socially acknowledge right rather than as a material object.

● It involves the right of ownership which differs from a simple possession over
goods or commodities.

2. Economic Exchange
● The process by which individuals and organizations give each other
valuable goods and services in return for different goods and services.

3. Division of Labor
● Refers to the distribution of work in reference to age, gender, skill or
qualification.
● In an economic organization, tasks are specialized and there is interdependence
among various statuses and roles.

4. Economic Socialization
● Is the process by which people learn the values and behavior needed to fill
positions in the economic community.

5. Price
● Refers to the monetary value of goods and services. It is determined by the
interplay of supply and demand.

6. Law of Supply and Demand

● States that when demand is greater than supply, the price increases ;

● And when supply is greater than demand, price decreases

THE TYPES OF ECONOMIC ORGANIZATIONS

1. Sole Proprietorship
● Known as a “one-man business”.

● It is an economic organization in which the proprietor solely manages the

business and undertakes the risks of the business .
● The proprietor owns capital and performs all the functions of an
entrepreneur

2. Partnership
● A type of economic organization where business is carries on by two or more men
called partners.
● It is a business arrangement in which two or more individuals share the
capital, profits and liabilities of a business venture.

3. Corporations
● A legal entity that is separate and distinct from its owners.

● Corporations enjoy most of the rights and responsibilities that an individual

possesses.
● That is, a corporation has the right to enter into contracts, loan and borrow
money, sue and be sued, hire employees, own assets and pay taxes. It is often
referred ro as a “legal person”.

4. Cooperative
● A business organizations which is established for the purpose of providing
services on a non-profit basis to its shareholders or members who own and
control it.

TYPES OF COOPERATIVE

1. Credit Cooperative
● Is one that promotes and undertakes savings and lending services
among its members.
● It generates a common pool of funds in order to provide financial
assistance and other related financial services to its members for
productive and provident purposes.

2. Consumer’s Cooperative
● One the primary purpose of which is to procure and distribute
commodities to members and non-members
 3. Producer’s Cooperative
● One that undertakes a joint production whether agricultural or industrial

4. Marketing Cooperative
● One which engages in the supply of production inputs to members and
markets their products

5. Service Cooperative
● One which engages in medical and dental care, hospitalization,
transportation, insurance, housing, labor, electric, light and power,
communication, professional and other services .

6. Multipurpose Cooperative
● Is one which combines two (2) or more of the business activities of these
different types of cooperatives

FUNCTIONS OF ECONOMIC INSTITUTIONS

1. The economic organization provides physical subsistence for the society.

2. The economy generates and incorporates social changes for the continuity of society.
3. The economy maintains balance with the other social systems and among its social
subsistence in the production, distribution and consumption of economic goods and
services.
4. Economic institutions indicate the nature of social stratification in the society. It also
shows class mobility in relation to status differentials.
Unit 6, Lesson 6: Religion and Belief Systems

Religion

● A set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe

● A specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of
persons or sects

Institutionalized Religion

● Is a social institution in which belief systems and rituals are systematically arranged and
formally established.
● Organized religion is typically characterized by an official doctrine, a hierarchal or
bureaucratic leadership structure, and a codification of rules and practices

FEATURES OF INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION

1. Beliefs
● Religious beliefs are expressed in the form of doctrines, articles of faith and
the like

2. Symbols
● The principal function of religious symbols is to emphasize the character and
meaning of supernatural forces and mysteries

3. Rituals
● Ritualistic beliefs are prescribed for believers.

● These included the offering of human and non-human sacrifices, feasts, dances,
processionals, chanting, and birth or death rites

4. Magic and Supernatural Events

● The employment of magic is performed and the supernatural occurrences
employed in certain aspects or circumstances. To apply it, rituals are
performed. This is a form of contact to the forces beyond human
understanding to draw favorable responses from followers.

5. Hierarchy
● Many religions are characterized by hierarchal arrangement of personal.
● For example: Roman Catholic clergymen perform administrative duties within
the church and its leader is the Pope
 6. Propitiation
● The ritual is intimately connected with the idea of propitiation which refers to the
behavior deemed pleasing to the deity or gods.
● It is both positive and negative

WORLD RELIGIONS AND THEIR BELIEFS

1. Animism and its Beliefs

● Animism is the belief that all things have spirit or soul, including animals, plants,
rivers, mountains, stars, the moon, and the sun.
● Each being is considered a spirit that can offer help or harm to humans.

● Spirits must either be worshipped or appeased.

2. Hinduism and its Beliefs

● Most Hindus worship one Being of ultimate oneness (Brahman) through inifinite
representations of gods and goddesses.
● The other deities in its godhead are Vishnu, the Preserver, and Shiva, the
Destroyer.
● Provides a possible explanation for suffering and evil in this life.

3. Buddhism and its Beliefs

● Buddhists do not worship any gods or God.

● People outside of Buddhism often think that Buddhists worship the Buddha.
However, the Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama) never claimed to be divine, but
rather he is viewed by the Buddhists as having attained what they are also
striving to attain, which is spiritual enlightenment and with it, freedom from the
continuous cycle of life and death

4. Islam and its Beliefs

● Muslims believe there is the one almighty God, named Allah, who is
infinitely superior to and transcendent from humankind.
● Allah is viewed as the creator of the universe and the source of all good
and all evil.
● Everything that happens is Allah’s will. He is powerful and strict judge,
who will be merciful toward followers depending on the sufficiency of their
life’s good works and religious devotion.
 5 PILLARS OF ISLAM

1. Shahadah
● Repeat a creed about Allah and Muhammad

2. Salah
● Recite certain prayers in Arabic five times a day

3. Zakat
● Give alms to the needy

4. Ramadan
● One month each year, fast from food, drink, sex and smoking from
sunrise to sunset

5. Hajj
Pilgrimage once in one’s lifetime to worship at a shrine in Mecca

5. Christianity and its Beliefs

● Christians believe in a loving God who has revealed himself and can be
known in a personal way, in this life.
● With Jesus Christ, the person’s focus is not on religious rituals or
performing good works, but on enjoying a relationship with God and growing to
know him better.

Religion

1. Monotheism
● Worship of one god

● Example: Judaism, Islam, Christianity

2. Polytheism
● Worship more than one god

● Example: Hinduism
PRINCIPLE OF SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE

● The principle simply means that the Church is not to interfere in purely political
matters or temporal aspects of man’s life and the State , in purely matters of
religion and morals, which are the exclusive concerns of the other.
● The State shall have no official religion.

● The State cannot set up a church, whether or not supported with funds; nor aid one
religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another.
● Every person is free to profess belief or disbelief in any religion.

● Meaning of “establishment of religion clause”.

● Every religious minister is free to practice his calling;

● And the State cannot punish a person for entertaining or professing religious beliefs or
disbeliefs.
● Preamble – The command that Church and State be separate is not to be
interpreted to mean hostility to religion