Handouts UCSP1

Quarter 1: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
A. STARTING POINTS IN UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND POLITICS

- Culture, society, and politics are essential in understanding human behavior and social groups against the
backdrop of globalization and industrialization.
 SHARING OF SOCIAL AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND OF STUDENTS AS ACTING AAGENTS OF
SOCIETY.
- As members of society, we possess different social categories which define our culture and sociality,
such as;
a. Age- the length of time that a person has lived. There is an existing cultural differences in terms of
this category
b. Gender-is the socially constructed characteristics of being male or female. it serves as a guide on
how females and males think and act about themselves; the ways they interact with others; and how
they perform their various roles in society.
 Gender roles vary from one culture to another.
 It is about masculinity and femininity.
 Culturally-learned difference between men and women
Sex- chiefly centers on biological differences.
Males- with penis or testes and any other biological characteristics which define being male.
Females- with female reproductive organ. (vagina/clitoris, mammary glands, etc…)
c. Religion- is an organized system of ideas about the spiritual sphere or supernatural, along with
associated ceremonial or ritualistic practices by which people try to interpret and/or influence
aspects of the universe otherwise beyond control.
In 2000 census;
Catholics- 82.9%
Islam/Muslims- 5%
Evangelical- 2.8%
Iglesia ni Kristo- 2.3%
Protestant groups- 4.5%
Others- 1.8%
Unspecified- 0.6%
No religion at all- 0.1%
d. Ethnicity- is the expression of the set of cultural ideas held by a distinct ethnic or indigenous group.
Ethnic group- refers to people who collectively and publicly identify themselves as distinct and unique
based on distinguishable cultural features that set them apart from others, such as language, shared
ancestry, common origin, customs, and traditions.
Based on 2000 census of NSO, these are the eight major ethno-linguistic group in the Philippines;
1. Tagalog- 28.1 %
2. Cebuano- 13.1%
3. Ilocano- 9%
4. Bisaya/Binisaya- 7.6%
5. Ilonggo/Hiligaynon- 7.5%
6. Bikol- 6%
7. Waray- 3.4%
8. Others- 25.3%
e. Socioeconomic Status- refers to the category of persons who have more or less the same
socioeconomic privileges in society. These priveleges are due to inherited wealth and/or occupational
status of breadwinner in the household.
In the Philippines, three major social classes are identified:
 Upper Class- consists of elite families. They are considered the most productive in terms of
resource generation and oftentimes very successful in their respective fields of interests and
endeavors
 Middle Class- is composed of small business and industry operators

and
mostly owners and managers, professionals, office workers, and farm owners with income
sufficient enough to provide a comfortable and decent living.
 Lower Class- consists of farm employees, skilled and unskilled artisans, service workers and
peop[le who maybe unemployed or underemployed or those who belong to indigent families
or informal sectors.
-this group is the largest in terms of of number and relatively earns their living through
subsistence.
Subsistence lifestyle is manifested through:
a. A family could hardly eat three decent meals a day
b. The daily income of the breadwinner could hardly feed the entire family
c. The breadwinner does not have a permanent job.
f. Exceptionality- refers to the state of being intellectually gifted and/or having physically or mentally
challenged conditions concerning personality/behavior, communication(learning disability, speech
impairment, and hearing problems), intellect(mild intellectual and mental development disabilities),
physical appearance (blind-low vision), or a combination of more than one specific exceptionality or
disability.
g. Nationality is the legal relationship that binds a person and a country. Nationality gives people a
sense of identity and belonginess. Individuals who are legally born of Filipino parents and those who
are naturalized in the Philippines are granted Filipino citizenship.
Culture- Is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities
and habits acquired by man as a member of society.
Human Cultural Variation- refers to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit around the
world.
Social Differences- refer to the differences in social behaviors that different cultures exhibit around the world
Social Change-Refers to changes in social structure, like role or status of a person. Also refers to modification or
improvements made in a certain living style.
Two important ways by which societies change
 Invention or discovery
 Diffusion or borrowing of cultural elements, traits, or patterns from other societies
Key Concepts
What is Anthropology?
 The etymology or origin of the term anthropology can be traced back to two Greek words, ‘anthropos’ and
‘logos’. When translated into English, ‘anthropos’ means ‘human’ while ‘logos’ refers to ‘knowledge’ (Eriksen
2001: 2). In this sense, anthropology can be understood as the “knowledge about humans”.
 The subject of anthropological study is humanity but unlike other disciplines in the human sciences,
anthropology studies the diversity and similarity of the way a person live and make connections as social
and cultural beings.
 Anthropology as a discipline compares cultural and social life primarily through participant observation, a
research method that entails lengthy fieldwork or immersion in a specific social setting.
Sociology is the systematic study of human society (Macionis 2012: 2), focusing particularly on the dynamic interplay
between individual and society. At the heart of sociology is the sociological perspective, a special point of view of
sociology that sees general patterns of society in the lives of particular people (Ibid.).
 One of the works that elaborate this special point of view is C. W. Mills’s Sociological Imagination, a quality
of mind that enables the possessor to link personal with the social.
 The sociological imagination helps us understand everyday events. Accordingto Mills, “society—not people’s
personal failings—is the main cause of poverty and other social problems. By turning personal problems into
public issues, the sociological imagination also is the key to bringing people together to create needed
change” (Macionis 2012: 7).
 The sociological imagination also requires a global perspective, a study of the larger world and our society’s
place in it (Macionis 2012: 6).
 Sociology deals with the study of society and social interactions taking place. It also deals with the origin,
evolution, and development of human society. It is focused on all kinds of social interactions, social
relationships, and social organization, structure and process.
Auguste Comte-Father of Sociology and positivism
Political Science
 Political Science is the systematic study of government, politics, and political power.
 It is often defined as who gets what, when, where and how
 The political science major aims to create educated citizens capable of organizing information, thinking
critically and communicating effectively. A solid foundational understanding of the critical theoretical
issues underlying political life: the individual and community; political obligation; stability, revolution,
and change; legitimacy and justice; and freedom and power. This is the focus of nature of politics
 According to Miller (2017), The modern word ‘political’ derives from the Greek politikos, ‘of, or
pertaining to, the ‘polis’. (The Greek term polis will be translated here as ‘city-state’. It is also translated
as ‘city’ or ‘polis’, or simply Anglicized as ‘polis’. City-states like Athens and Sparta were relatively small
and cohesive units, in which political, religious, and cultural concerns were intertwined.
Aristotle- Father of Social Science. -on his book “Politics” stated that Man is a political animal. It means that it is
our nature to live in a society and to have power over another.
GOALS
- Make people a better citizens.
- Keep social order and harmony among different group of people.
- Protect the rights of an individual.
- Avoid conflict and promote cooperation.
Whose idea of politics is the following?
1. A human being is a political animal. -Aristotle
2. Politics is the authoritative allocation of values in a society.- David Easton
2. Politics refers to any activity involving human beings associated together in
relationship of power and authority where conflict occurs. -Robert Dahl
3. Politics is a way of ruling in divided societies without violence.- Bernard Crick
4. Politics is reserved for statesmen and stateswomen.- Michael Oakeshott

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Quarter 1: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

A. STARTING POINTS IN UNDERSTANDING SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND POLITICS

 Middle Class- is composed of small business and industry operators

Two important ways by which societies change

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