UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

FIRST SEMESTER / FIRST QUARTER

Lesson 1

Human Cultural Variations, Social Differences and Political Identities

Human Cultural Variations:  Acquired new citizenship in a different

country through an intervening act.
 Refers to the rich diversity in social behavior
exhibited by different cultures around the
world.
NATIONALITY VS ETHNICITY

Examples of Cultural Variations:

Ethnicity:
 Nationality
 Cultural identity based on shared ancestry,
 Religion language, and cultural tradition

 Ethnicity  Social construct

 Influenced by culture, language, religion

Nationality:

 Legal relationship binding a person and a Nationality:

country.
 Relationship between a person and a state
 Allows the state to protect and have
 Legal construct
jurisdiction over a person.
 Influenced by geographical location

How to acquire a specific nationality:

RELIGION
1. Natural Born:
 religare a Latin word – ‘ to bind together’
 People who do not need to perform any act
to acquire their Philippines citizenship.  A system of beliefs or practices as well as
system of actions directed toward entities
Jus Sanguinis - Latin term for "right of blood" or
which are above men.
"bloodright citizenship."
 An organized system of ideas about the
Jus soli or jus loci - Latin term for "right of the soil" or
spiritual sphere or the supernatural.
"birthright citizenship."

2. Naturalized:

 Individuals originally citizens of another

country.

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Abrahamic Religion TANAKH

1. Christianity PENTATEUCH (first 5 books in Tanakh)

2. Islam  Be-reshit (Genesis)

3. Judaism  Shemot (Exodus)

 Va-yikra (Leviticus)

Christianity  Be-midbar (Numbers)

 Based on the life and teachings of Jesus  Devarim (Deuteronomy)

Christ.

 Approximately 2,000 years old.

 Largest groups: Roman Catholic Church,

Eastern Orthodox churches, and Protestant
churches.

 Sacred text: The Bible.

 Spread globally through missionaries and

colonizers.

Islam:

 Second most widely practiced religion

 With an estimated 1.8 billion followers

 Started in Mecca in the 7th century CE

 Spread by the Prophet Muhammad (570–632

CE), considered God's ultimate prophet. Indian Religion

 Followers believe in Allah as God. 1. Hinduism

 Holy book: the Qurʾān. 2. Buddhism

Judaism: 3. Jainism

 Developed among the ancient Hebrews. Indian Religion

 Belief in one transcendent God.  These religions are polytheistic in nature

Greek word: poly –many, theos – god
 God revealed Himself to Abraham, Moses,
and Hebrew prophets.  Believed in the concept of:

 Religious life follows Scriptures and rabbinic 1. Karma – (action) the universal symbol
traditions. of cause and effect; action –

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FIRST SEMESTER / FIRST QUARTER
reaction. According to this principle,
we act as a conditioned free will
creating our own destiny.
2. Samsara - it means “to wander” or “
to flow through” - it is a continues
cycle of death and rebirth
(reincarnation)
Hinduism:
 Is the majority religion in India and Nepal, with
900 million adherents worldwide.
 It's the oldest living religion, dating back to
1500 BCE.
 Unlike many other religions, Hinduism lacks a
single founder, scripture, or agreed-upon
teachings.
 Addressed as a "way of life" or "family of
religions."
Hindus revere the Veda as sacred scripture.
Draw on a common system of values known as
dharma - religious and moral law governing
individual conduct.
1. Originated around the Indus Valley near the
River Indus in modern-day Pakistan. Belief in
a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed
by Karma.
2. The soul's next incarnation depends on
actions in the previous life.
3. Main Hindu texts are the Vedas and their
supplements. Veda is a Sanskrit word means
'knowledge,' and these scriptures discuss
dharma (code of conduct, law, or duty).
Accdg to Hindu scriptures, the law of karma is
universal. Karma is a Sanskrit word - “action.” The law
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of karma refers to the law of cause and effect: that
every volitional act brings about a certain result.
Hindus celebrate various holy days. Diwali, the
Festival of Lights, is the most well-known.
DIWALI FESTIVAL
 India’s most important festival of the year - a
time to celebrate the triumph of light over
darkness, knowledge over ignorance, and
good over evil. For some, Diwali is also the
beginning of a new year.
Hindu trinity:
Hindu trinity, also called the trimurti. The Supreme
Spirit or Universal Truth, called Brahman, is
represented in three forms:
 Brahma (the creator)
 Vishnu (the preserver)
 Shiva (the transformer/destroyer)
Buddhism:
 Developed from the teachings of the
Buddha. (Sanskrit “Awakened One”)
 Buddha lived in northern India between the
mid-6th and mid-4th centuries BCE.
 Spread to Central and Southeast Asia, China,
Korea, Japan, and the West.
 Fourth-largest religion globally.
 Not centered on the relationship between
humanity and God; no belief in a personal
god.
 Emphasizes impermanence and change.
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
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 They consider only Buddha can Filipino Ethnic Groups:

communicate with the gods.
1. Tagalogs: Mainly of Malay origin, historically
Jainism engaged in fishing, agriculture, and
sometimes crafts. Family bonds are central.
 Jainism emphasizes spiritual purity and
Predominant religion is Roman Catholicism.
enlightenment through discipline and
nonviolence (ahimsa) toward all living 2. Visayans (Bisaya): Settled in the Visayan
creatures. Islands around 30,000 years ago. Engaged in
farming and lumbering. Emphasize the
 All living souls are regarded as divine in
present life and have an adventurous
Jainism.
lifestyle. Predominantly Roman Catholic.
 Souls that achieve a state of infinite bliss,
3. Ilocano: Third-largest ethnolinguistic group,
knowledge, power, and perception are
known for prudence and hard work,
considered God-like.
preserving old traditions.
 The primary goal of Jainism is to attain a
4. Mangyans: Found in Mindoro provinces,
perfect soul, also referred to as Siddha,
practicing old traditions like ambahan (a
Parmatama, or God.
form of poem) carved in a bamboo,

5. Bikolanos: Descendants of Southern Chinese

immigrants in the Southern peninsula of
Luzon. Emphasize agriculture, family
cooperation, education, and celebrate
cultural festivals.

Ethnicity Around the Globe:

ETHNICITY:
 Ethnicity refers to the expression of cultural
ideas held by distinct ethnic or indigenous
groups.
 It is associated with a group's shared identity,
including culture, religion, language,
nationality, and common ancestry.
 Ethnicity embodies a shared cultural history,
resulting in similar worldviews, values, and
ideals.
Papua New Guinea:
 World's most linguistically diverse and
ethnically diverse country with thousands of
ethnic groups.
Arfak:
 Located in the Arfak Mountains, at an
elevation of 2,950 meters above sea level.
 Skilled in creating wooden arts and expert
hunters.

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 Knowledgeable about traditional  Have a rich cultural heritage and customs.

medication and rare herbal plants found in
the Arfak Mountains.
Han
 Perform the Tumbuk Tanah Dance, which is
significant for events like victory in war,  Approximately 1.16 billion Han Chinese
marriage, and welcoming guests. The dance people worldwide, making up about 19% of
holds symbols and meaning related to their the global population.
life, neighborhood, and nature.
 Considered the largest ethnic group globally.
 Emphasize the importance of kinship and
togetherness.  Predominantly concentrated in the People's
Republic of China.
Biak
 Also reside in countries such as Singapore,
 Reside in the district of Biak and Numfor. Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, North America,
and more.
 Known as great ocean explorers.

 Preserve the tradition of delivering dowry,

known as Ararem.

 Ararem is a dowry procession, a sign of honor

and pride from the groom's family, to take
the bride to establish a new household,
continuing the groom's family name and
lineage.

Asmat

 Famous for their unique wood carvings.

 Traditional houses known as Jew houses,

where they keep Asmat weapons such as
spears and arrows for hunting, along with
items like noken (bags).

 Noken is considered sacred and believed to

have healing properties for various diseases.

Dani

 Inhabit the Baliem Valley.

 Known for their koteka, traditional male attire

 Unique tradition of taking a bath in the

afternoon when the sun is high due to colder
temperatures in the morning.

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LESSON 2

Social Differences

SOCIAL DIFFERENCES identifying as a boy or a girl or rejecting the

sense of a gender binary in some way.
 It refers to the differences among the
individuals based on their social Sexual orientation
characteristics and qualities; resulting in the
 It is the emotional and sexual attraction they
assignment of roles in the society.
feel for others—i.e., bisexual, gay, straight

Example of Social Differences

LGBTQI
1. Gender
 The rainbow flag is a symbol of lesbian, gay,
2. Socio-economic status
bisexual, transgender pride and LGBT social
3. Exceptionality
movement. The colors reflect the diversity of
the LGBT community and the spectrum of
human sexuality and gender. The first LGBT
GENDER rainbow flag was designed by Gilbert Baker
in 1978.
the range of characteristics pertaining to femininity
and masculinity and differentiating between them. LESBIAN

 A woman who is emotionally, romantically, or

sexually attracted to other women.
SEX vs GENDER
GAY

 It refers to men attracted emotionally,

SEX
romantically or sexually to men
 It is the biological and anatomical structure
BISEXUAL
of an individual.
 It refers to a person who is attracted to two
GENDER
sexes or two genders
 It refers to the socially constructed roles,
TRANSGENDER
behaviors, activities, and attributes that a
given society considers appropriate for men  Also known as trans or TG , this are people
and women.” (WHO, 2013) whose psychological self differs from social
expectations for the physical sex they were
Gender identity
born with.
 referring to a person's internal sense of their
role in their culture's system defining the
traditional behavioral differences between
men and women. Examples include

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Difference between Gay and Transgender
 A gay person wants to be the opposite sex,
whereas a transgender man says he is the
opposite sex.
 Gay is a sexual orientation, and we all know
that gay are men who are homosexuals, but
transgender is a matter of gender identity
rather than sexual preference or orientation.
 Transgender feels he has been assigned a
sex that is not his own, and he belongs to the
opposite sex.
 Transgender refuses to accept his biological
gender and dresses and behaves like the
opposite sex.
 A transgender man shows effeminate
qualities while a gay may or may not show
effeminate qualities
QUEER/QUESTIONING
 It refers to a person who is attracted to
multiple genders
 Includes the many other aspects of the
gender/sexuality scale.
This could include:
Intersex
 born with reproductive anatomy that doesn’t
fit male or female
Asexual
 who doesn’t experience sexual attraction),
Non-binary
 doesn’t adhere to gender norms and may
prefer different pronouns than she/he
Pansexual
 (attraction to people not based on their sex
or gender identity)- gender blind

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SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS
 It is the social standing or class of an
individual or group. It is often measured as a
combination of education, income and
occupation.
POVERTY LINE OR BREADLINE
 the minimum level of income deemed
adequate in a particular country. Poverty line
is usually calculated by finding the total cost
of all the essential resources that an average
human adult consumes in one year.
The concept of socioeconomic class varies between
societies as the ideas associated with being poor or
rich differ based on the collective experiences of
individuals. As such, Filipinos who are from Global
South (developing countries) would perceive
poverty differently from Singaporeans (Global North
– developed countries or industrialized nations
GLOBAL NORTH
 a term that refers to developed countries
concentrated in the northern hemisphere,
characterized by high levels of income,
technological advancement, well-
developed infrastructure, and
macroeconomic and political stability
GLOBAL SOUTH
 a term that refers to developing countries
located mostly in the southern hemisphere,
with generally low income levels and facing
different structural problems.
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ESTHER VERGEER

 is a retired famous wheelchair tennis player

 socio-economic status can encompass
quality of life and opportunities and privileges
within the society. Low SES correlates lower
educational achievement, poverty and poor
health. Society benefits from an increased
focus on the foundations of socioeconomic
inequalities and efforts to reduce the deep
gaps in SES.
from the Netherlands. She lost the ability to
use both her legs and feet, when she
underwent a nine-hour operation near her
spinal cord. During her rehabilitation years
was she able to pick up sports such as
basketball, volleyball, and tennis. She was
considered to be the most renowned
wheelchair tennis player in the world, from
1999 until 2013. From 2000-2012, she acquired
seven medals for her achievement in the
Paralympics.

EXCEPTIONALITY

 It refers to the state of being intellectually

gifted and/or having physically or mentally
challenged conditions.
 These are people with characteristics that
deviates from the considered “norm” for
physical and mental abilities.
 When a person deviates from an established
set of standards and averages it can cause
rejection to social circles

Examples:

 Personality/Behavior Disorder
 Communication (learning disability, speech
impairment, and hearing problems)
 Intellectual
 Physical Disability (blind-low vision)
 Multiple Exceptionality

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LESSON 3

INTRODUCTION TO CULTURE SOCIETY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

Anthropology Linguistic Anthropology

 “Anthropos” – human, “logos” – to reason or  It examines the language (changes) of a

knowledge (Eriksen 200 1:2) group of people and its relation to their
 Studies human diversity and similarity and culture.
their social and cultural role.
Physical Anthropology
 Anthropologists study culture and social life
using participant observation.  It investigate biological and anatomical
development of humans and their
Anthropology has five sub-disciplines:
contemporary variations. Physical
 Archaeology anthropologists work broadly on three major
 Cultural anthropology sets of problems: human and nonhuman
 Linguistic anthropology primate evolution, human variation and its
 Physical anthropology significance and the biological basis of
 Applied anthropology human behavior.

Applied Anthropology

Archaeology  It the use of anthropological knowledge and

skills to solve real-world problems.
 Archaeo- ancient and primitive
 Examines the remains of ancient and SOCIOLOGY
historical population to promote an
 Etymologically, it came from the Latin word,
understanding of how humans have
socius – means companion and Greek word
adapted to their environment and
logos – mean to study.
developed.
 It is a systematic study of human relationship
 historic preservation
along with human society and interaction.
Cultural Anthropology Sociology • According to Auguste Comte
(1830), this covers human social activities.
 the study of human patterns of thought and
 Comte also coined the term Sociology in
behavior, and how and why these patterns
1838. He focuses on the idea of improving the
differ, in contemporary societies.
development of the society and how it
TOXIC FILIPINO CULTURE operates.
 Society can be defined as a product of
 ISTAMBAY human interaction – social interaction.
 BAHALA NA  Social interaction is a compilation of ways
 POLITICAL DYNASTY and means by which humans interact with
 VOTING SYSTEM each other within the society (not limited to
physical).

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Sociological Perspective
 It refers to a way of looking people in terms of
the intersection of their own lives with the
larger social and historical context.
SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION
PERSONAL TROUBLES
 these are problems experienced by
individual, which occur in his daily life
PUBLIC ISSUES
 these are problems caused by the structure
of society or the failure of one or more
society’s institutions
SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS
This is a stable, valued and recurring pattern that
guides the behavior of people in a society.
 FAMILY – considered as the bedrock or
foundation of the society
 EDUCATION – it refers to the formal institution
designated to preserve and transfer cultural
and scientific knowledge of a society.
 ECONOMY – it refers to the social institution
generally responsible for the production and
the allocation of scarce.
 GOVERNMENT– a social institution which
states policy and law is enforced
 MEDIA– the institution responsible for the
circulation of vital information among the
members of a society
 RELIGION – an organized collection of beliefs
intended to explain the meaning, origin and
purpose of life and existence.
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POLITICAL SCIENCE
 POLITICAL – POLIS - city-state
 SCIENCE – SCIRE – to know
 It focuses on the theory and practice of
government and politics at the local, state,
national and international level.
 Affairs of the state
 Study of politics and power from domestic,
international, and comparative
perspectives. It entails understanding
political ideas, ideologies, institutions,
policies, processes, and behavior, as well as
groups, classes, government, diplomacy,
law, strategy, and war.
 Being an interdisciplinary discipline, it can
explore various field that is related to
interstate relations, local governance,
political culture/behavior and even political
policy.
Important Concepts in Political Science
Political Theory
 examine the contemporary application of
political concepts such as human rights,
equality, peace and justice.
Public Law
 It pertains to laws or ordinances which
control the framework of public governance.
Comparative Politics
 provide context to the differences in the
government and political systems. Its
examines the parallelism and divergence of
political systems to provide analyses on the
factors that make the government efficient
and the factors that makes them fail.
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International Relation

 the study of state-to-state relations and the

wider margins of the impact of globalization
and climate change such as terrorism, piracy
and democratization of non-Western
territories fall into the category of
international relations.

Political Behavior

 It covers the attitude, knowledge, and

actions of an individual in response to
political variables such as policies created by
the government, behavior of politicians, and
general political environment.

Public Policy

 this field inquires the type of governmental

policies and the underlying motivations for
their enactment and implementation.

Public Administration

 this branch examines the various

administrative schemes implemented by the
government officials. It analyzes the
strategies applied by administrative units
implementing the existing policies and the
feedback mechanism that they use to gain
the opinion of the public. It also focuses on
civil service and governance.

Political Dynamics

 It is concerned with the relationship of

different societal forces that dictate political
opportunities and actions.

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LESSON 4

CONCEPTS AND ASPECTS OF CULTURE

Different Perspectives about Culture CULTURE

 Learned
o Enculturation young individual are
Matthew Arnold - Culture and Anarchy (1867).
acquiring cultural traits to the old
 He mentioned that culture is a product of a ones
special intellectual or artistic endeavor  Symbolic
humans had invented. (Filipino, Chinese, Thai)
 Integrated
Kroeber & Kluckhohn (1952)  Shared and Contested (within the society)
 defined that culture is composed of behavior  All encompassing (Evolving)
(explicit and implicit) acquired and  Dynamic, Flexible and Adaptive
transmitted through symbols.

Schwartz (1992) stated that culture consists of TYPES OF CULTURE

 experiences that are organized, learned or
created by the individuals of a population
MATERIAL CULTURE

SUBCULTURE AND COUNTERCULTURE  visible and tangible part of the society

NON-MATERIAL CULTURE

SUBCULTURE  moral, beliefs and other abstract concepts of

the society
 It is defined as modified culture within a
larger culture practiced by a society.

Example: ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

 Rock culture in music – alternative rock, punk

rock, metal rock, etc. Norms
COUNTERCULTURE  standard behavior in a society
it refers to a subculture that tends to be in conflict  mores are moral standard that allows us to
with the dominant culture and opposes the norm. evaluate what’s right or wrong in a society.
 laws are formal rules and guidelines
Example mandated by the authority
 folkways are the customs and traditions in a
 Hippie Movement of 1960s society.

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Values (virtues)

 guide for social desirability

Taboos

 practices that are negatively sanctioned

Language

 use for communication

Beliefs

 cultural facts (subjective)

Symbols

 brings recognition And serves as an identity

CULTURAL UNIVERSAL

 are patterns or traits that are globally

common to all societies.
 One example of a cultural universal is the
family unit: every human society recognizes
a family structure that regulates sexual
reproduction and the care of children.
 Other cultural universals include customs like
funeral rites, weddings, and celebrations of
births. However, each culture may view and
enact these rituals and ceremonies quite
differently.

CULTURAL PARTICULARS

 include the specific practices that distinguish

cultures from one another. For example all
people become hungry but the potential
food sources defined as edible vary across
cultures.

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