UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,

SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

 Insights from… Awareness on…

Anthropology Cultural

Sociology Social
UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE,
SOCIETY AND Political Science Political
POLITICS
 • Anthropology is the study of
people; social anthropology is
the study of human society…
regarded as the study of small
UNCLOCKING OF scale societies; translation of
BUZZWORDS
culture; making sense of the
apparently exotic customs of
unfamiliar peoples.
(Layton R., 1997: 1)
 • Sociology is the scientific study of
human societies and human
behaviour in the many groups that
make up a society. To understand
possible futures of people who
confront drastic changes,
UNCLOCKING OF sociologists are continually seeking
BUZZWORDS knowledge about what holds
societies together and what makes
them bend under the impact of
major forces such as war and
migration.
(Kornblum, 2003 cited in Leano & Corpuz 2012: 14)
 • Political science is the study of
the nature of the state,
political institutions, laws of
political growth and
development, and the
UNCLOCKING OF
BUZZWORDS problems of the state.

(Mommsen, 2003: 4)
 Culture is that complex whole
which includes knowledge,
belief, art, morals, law, custom,
UNCLOCKING OF
BUZZWORDS and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a
member of the society (E. B.
Tylor, 1871)
 • Society, in its most general usage,
merely refers to the basic fact of
human association. The term has
been employed to include every
UNCLOCKING OF kind and degree of relationship
BUZZWORDS entered into by men, whether these
relations be organized or
unorganized, direct or indirect,
conscious or without a boundary of
assignable limits. (Ely Chinoy, 1954:
95)
 • Politics refers to means for making
binding collective decisions. It is
best conceptualized as consisting of
all the activities of cooperation,
UNCLOCKING OF
BUZZWORDS
conflict and negotiation involved in
decisions about the use, production,
and distribution of resources,
whether these activities are formal
or informal, public or private. (A.
Leftwich, 2006: 9)
Collective Initial diversity Reconciliation Authoritative
activity of views of difference policy
Haque
 • Human agency- role of the
individual as a member of the
public and as a participant in
economic, social, and political
actions (Sen, 2000: 19)
UNCLOCKING OF
• Human development goals-
BUZZWORDS concerned with enhancing the lives
we lead and the freedoms we enjoy
(Sen, 2000: 36)
• Cultural relativism- the belief that
human cultures are unique and that
no standards should be imposed
against which this culture is judged
(Kroeber and Kluckhorn, 1954)
 Significance of Studying Culture, Society and Politics

Adaptation
and
Integration

Patterns of
DEEPENING Human Acceptable
Satisfaction Social
Behavior
Culture

Production Conveys
of Man- and
Made Facilitates
Things Meaning
 Significance of Studying Culture, Society and Politics

Representation
of our identity

DEEPENING
Avenue for
Characterize
economic
interdependenc Society the totality of
a territory
e

Symbol of
Political
independence

philosophical theories about the

formation of the society
 Significance of Studying Culture, Society and Politics

Consensus and
compromise

Academics Society
DEEPENING

Politics
Power and
Public
affairs
distribution
of resources

Art of
government
 CULTURE AND
Society and Culture
SOCIETY FROM Lecture 1
THE Mr. Ronald B. Bustos
PERSPECTIVES Humanities and Social Sciences Department

OF
ANTHROPOLOGY
AND SOCIOLOGY

The Components of Culture

 Culture develops only through the
association of human beings, and this
presupposes society; at the same time,
culture is what makes a human society
possible.
TAKEAWAYS
FROM DAY 1 Common/shared culture- function as
society= shared culture through
transmission.

Culture becomes a social mechanism

influencing all aspects of society
including social norms (its
conventions, mores, and laws),
institutions
READING: Why there are no tribesand
in theconcepts
Philippinesthat
 “the range of variations between
culture is almost endless and yet at
the same time cultures ensemble
one another in many important
ETHNOCENTRISM ways”
AND CULTURAL
RELATIVISM Cultural variation is affected by
man’s geographical set-up and
social experiences
Cultural variation refers to the
differences in social behaviors that
different cultures exhibit around the
world
 Ethnocentrism– Judging
another culture solely by the
values and standards of
ETHNOCENTRISM
one’s own culture
AND CULTURAL Cultural relativism- The
RELATIVISM
attempt to judge behavior
SSUE: Same-sex marriage according to its cultural

context. The principle that an

individual person’s beliefs
and activities should be
understood by others in
terms of that individual’s
 “Culture should be
understood in specific cultural
contexts rather than by broad
reference to general
ETHNOCENTRISM
AND CULTURAL evolutionary trends”
RELATIVISM

“Culture as a result of
historical processes.”
READING: Early Hominins by Conrad Kottak
  Man goes through
evolutionary changes that
help him adapt to his
environment.
LOOKING BACK
AT HUMAN
 Evolution is a natural
BIOCULTURAL process of biological
AND SOCIAL
EVOLUTION changes occurring in a
population across
successive generations
(Banaag, 2012)
 It helps us identify man’s
physiological developments
which is important in his
 Species Characteristics
Homo habilis Species with a brain of Broca’s area which is associated with
speech in modern humans and was the first to make stone tools.
The ability to make and use tools is a unique quality to humans
such that the species is recognized to be the first true human. The
species name means “Handy Man”. Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 Million
years ago scavenging for food.
Homo rudolfensis Species characterizes by a longer face, larger molar and premolar
teeth, and having a larger braincase compared to habilis
particularly larger frontal lobes, areas of the brain that processes
information. The species lived about 1.9 to 1.8 million years ago.
Homo erectus The species name means “Upright Man” with body proportions
similar to that of modern humans. Lived 1.89 to 143,000 years
ago; adapted to hot climates and mostly spread in Africa and Asia.
They were the first hunters with improvised tools such as axes and
knives, and were the first to produce fire.
Homo Species with large brow ridge and short wide bodies that lived
heidelbergenesis about 700,000 to 200,000 years ago in Europe and Africa. They
were the first of early human species to live in colder climates,
first to hunt large animals on routine basis using spears, and first
to construct human shelters.
 Species Characteristics
Homo floresiensis Species nicknamed “hobbit” due to to their small stature with a
height of more or less 3 feet and lived 95,000 to 17000 years ago
in the island of Flores, Indonesia along with other dwarfed animal
species.

Homo sapiens The species name means “Wise Man” that appeared from
200,000 years ago.

Homo sapiens Subspecies with short yet stocky in body adapted to winter
neanderthalensis climates especially in icy cold places in Europe and Asia. Also
known as the “Neanderthal Man,” is the closest relative of
modern humans, the first to practice burial of their dead, hunting
and gathering for food, and sewing clothes from animal skin using
bone needles. They lived about 200,000 to 28,000 years ago.

Homo sapiens Subspecies known as Cro-Magnon characterized to be

sapiens anatomically modern humans and lived in the last Ice Age of
Europe from 40,000 to 10,000 years ago. They were the first to
produce art in cave paintings and crafting decorated tools and
accessories.
  The physical and mental
development of early
humans helped them
understand and adapt to
LOOKING BACK
AT HUMAN
their existing environment.
BIOCULTURAL  Their adjustment served as
AND SOCIAL
EVOLUTION the onset of their culture–
to develop ways of coping
with the exigencies of
nature as well as ways of
harnessing their
environment.
 PALEOLITHIC AGE (2.5 Million NEOLITHIC AGE (10,000 years
years ago) ago)
Use of simple, unpolished Stone tools were shaped by
stone tools polishing and grinding

Learned to live in caves Settlement in permanent

MAN’S CULTURAL
villages
AND
Discovered the use of fire
SOCIOPOLITICAL
Dependence on domesticated
EVOLUTION
Hunting and gathering plants and animals

Nomadic way of living Appearance of such crafts as

pottery and weaving
Developed small sculptures;
and monumental paintings, “food-producing” cultures
incised designs, and reliefs on
the walls of caves

“food-collecting cultures”
 Neolitic Revolution
Year Innovation
Climate change resulted in longer dry seasons and the
10 000 end of a 100 000 year-ice age. Abundance of wild
BCE grains enabled hunter-gatherers to settle in villages.
Domestication of dogs begins in Asia and North
America.

9 500 Founder crops of agriculture appear: wheat, barley,

peas, lentils, bitter vetch, chickpeas and flax.
BCE
8 000- Nomadic hunter-gatherers begin t grow food and
domesticate animals: Rice in China, 7 500 BCE Squash
6 000 in Mexico, 7 000 BCE Wheat in Mesopotamia.
BCE
 7 000- Irrigation system introduced.
6 000 BCE Domestication of cattle begins in
Southwest Asi, Pakistan and India
6 000- Wooden plow used in Mesopotamia and
3 000 BCE Egypt.
Permanent settlements are established
in the Fertile Crescent.
Farming established on the banks of Nile
River.
5 000- Domestication of horses in Ukraine,
3 000 BCE donkey in Egypt, and water buffalo in
China.
Corn production in Mexico.
3 000 BCE Irrigation systems and dams built
on the Nile River. Crop production
increases trade and spread of
agriculture. Potatoes domesticated
in Peru.
2 000 BCE Iron plow developed in China.
1 000 BCE Manure used as fertilizer. Iron plows
widely used in China and Southwest
Asia.
500 BCE Mouldboard plow with a V-shaped
iron cutting edge developed in
China.
Early Civilizations and the Rise of the
State
Indus Valley (South Asia)
a. Harappa
b. Mohenjo-Daro
Harappan civilization
* pottery, seals, weights and breaks
 6 Types of Human Societies
HUNTING AND GATHERING
SOCIETIES
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETIES
ACTIVITY: ROLE
PLAYING PASTORAL SOCIETIES
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES
INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
 Earliest form of human society
People survived by foraging for
vegetables and fruits, fishing, hunting
larger wild animals, and collecting
HUNTING AND
shellfish
GATHERING Subsisted from day-to-day o
SOCIETIES whatever was available
Used tools made of stones, woods,
and bones
 People learned to use human muscle
power and hand-held tools to
cultivate fields
SUBSISTENCE FARMING
SURPLUS FARMING
HORTICULTURAL
SOCIETIES
 Relied on herding and the
domestication of animals for food
and clothing to satisfy the greater
needs of the group.
Organized along male-centered
PASTORAL
SOCIETIES
kinship groups
Usually united under strong political
figures, however centralized political
leadership did not occur
 Characterized by the use of the plow
The irrigation provided farming
enough surplus for the community
People came together and settled in
broad river valley systems
AGRICULTURAL
SOCIETIES
 More than the use of mechanical
means of production
Constitutes an entirely new form of
society that requires an immense and
specialized labor force
INDUSTRIAL
SOCIETIES
Creates a highly organized systems
of exchange
The predominant form of social and
political organization in industrial
societies is the bureaucracy
 Depends on specialized knowledge
to bring about continuing progress in
technology
Knowledge and information are the
POST-
hallmarks of this society
INDUSTRIAL
SOCIETIES
 BECOMING A
MEMBER OF THE
SOCIETY
 BECOMING A DEVIANCE
MEMBER OF THE
SOCIETY
HOW SOCIETY IS
ORGANIZED
HOW SOCIETY IS
ORGANIZED
HOW SOCIETY IS
ORGANIZED
 The government or political institution is
another institution that is universal.
Political institution is defined as the
system of norms, values, and roles
responsible for maintaining social order
POLITICAL AND
LEADERSHIP
in the society.
STRUCTURES CREATING FORMAL NORMS
(Constitutional, Statutory, and
Common Laws)
APPLYING SANCTIONS
SETTLING DISPUTES AMONG
INDIVIDUALS
SETTLING DISPUTES BETWEEN
NATIONS
 BANDS- usually, small, oftentimes
nomadic group that is connected by
family ties and is politically independent
Moving from place to place in search of
food– hunters and gatherers.
POLITICAL AND
LEADERSHIP
The primary integrating mechanism for
STRUCTURES these societies is kinship– extremely
egalitarian.
Informal leaders could be reached
through casual discussion– leaders are
those who stand out for their skills and
knowledge
Conflict could arise easily and this split
the band into family lines.
No leadership position to decide on
disputes– only community consensus
 TRIBES- more complex as the
population size increases with a shift in
subsistence pattern from foraging to
horticulture or pastoralism, kinship ties
and friendship are no longer sufficient
POLITICAL AND
LEADERSHIP
to hold society together.
STRUCTURES The integrative mechanism is referred to
as sodalities or pantribal associations.
They commonly have village headman
who perform leadership roles but have
limited authority.
In New Guinea and the neighbouring
islands of Melanesia, they are called the
“Big Men”
Also egalitarian- no family is politically
superior over the others.
 CHIEFDOM- similar with bands and
tribes in being classess
Larger populations
Permanent and fulltime leader with real
authority to make major decisions for
POLITICAL AND
LEADERSHIP
the community
STRUCTURES Sometimes there is an advisory council
Seniority in kin groups is the primary
basis for individual status within
chiefdoms
Chiefs have a higher standard of living
than ordinary people
More effective in warfare and decisive
actions
 STATES- first appeared in societies with
large-scale intensive agriculture
Ancient Egypt and Ancient
Mesopotamia; Indus-Valley and China;
Mesoamerica and Andean regions
POLITICAL AND
LEADERSHIP
Pyramid of authority with a small
STRUCTURES hereditary elite class at the top and
commoners at the bottom
Far from being egalitarian
Absolute monarchy
Mercantilism
Exploration and colonization
  Economic institutions
 Reciprocity (Utang na loob,
hiya)
CULTURAL,
 Transfers
SOCIAL, AND  Redistribution
POLITICAL  Market transactions
INSTITUTIONS
 Markets and state
 Nonstate institutions
 Banks and coporations
 Cooperative and trade unions
 Transnational and advocacy
groups
 International organizations
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES: Role Playing, Data Retrieval Chart,
Venn Diagram, and Simulations
  Education
 Religion and belief systems
 Animism
 Polytheism
 Monotheism
 Institutionalized religions
CULTURAL,
SOCIAL, AND  Separation of church and state
POLITICAL  Health
INSTITUTIONS  Culture-specific syndromes and
illnesses (usog, bughat, buyag)
 Systems of diagnosis,
prevention, and healing
(traditional, western, and
alternative)
 Health as a human right
Video clip: Albularyo and Pamahiin
 Identify other forms of
CULTURAL, ethnic medicine or
SOCIAL, AND
POLITICAL alternative healing
INSTITUTIONS
mechanisms in your
community
Share an experience
about pamahiin or
superstitions
 CULTURAL,
SOCIAL, AND
POLITICAL GROUP ACTIVITY:
CHANGE
 THE MACDONALDIZATION OF THE
LESSER MACDONALDIZED SOCIETY
2017 OR PRESENT BEYOND 2017 CONSEQUENCES
EFFICIENT SOCIETY (GREATER DEVELOPMENTS OR FUTURE OF HIGHLY
SOCIETY EFFICIENCY) DEVELOPMENTS MACDONALDIZED
SOCIETIES
  History and science have proved that change
is inevitable.
 Onset of information technology,
globalization, and rapid modernization,
humans have no choice but to be flexible
CULTURAL, and open-minded to the changes that take
SOCIAL, AND
POLITICAL
place in his surroundings.
CHANGE  Today’s social structure in different countries
around the world was influenced by a variety
of factors and forces that caused it to
change.
 “Change is the only permanent thing in the
world”
 Can either be a political, economic,
technological, scientific, cultural, or social.
 Any shift in various aspects of the
society, may it be large-scale
transformation in social structure,
culture, and institutions or small –
scale change in local meanings and
interaction is considered as SOCIAL
CHANGE.
SOCIAL CHANGE
It refers to the significant
modification or alteration in the
lifestyle of a society that affects a
major portion of the member
population and brings about
transformation in patterns of
behavior.
Brought about by cultural, religious,
economic, scientific, or technological
 The Filipino family has undergone
a lot of changes
Family traditions, family set-up,
family values, attitudes, and even
SOCIAL CHANGE the everyday family way of life
IN THE
PHILIPPINES Work abroad as OFWs
Mothering and fathering
Urban-rural; rural-urban
migrations
The onset of information and
communication technology has
also affected the communication
between family members
 Hegelian- dialectic model of
change based on interaction of
opposing forces
Marxist- dialectical and materialist
WHY DO SOCIAL
CHANGES OCCUR: concept of history which highlights
THEORIES OF mankind’s struggle between social
SOCIAL CHANGE
classes.
Kuhnian- believes that people are
likely to continue utilizing an
apparently unworkable paradigm
until a better paradigm is invented
and commonly accepted
 Heraclitan- “in order to remain
alive, human must constantly be
changing”; “everything changes
and history has changed a dozen
WHY DO SOCIAL
CHANGES OCCUR: times”
THEORIES OF Daoist- Used the metaphor of
SOCIAL CHANGE
water as the ideal agent of change:
soft and yielding– change is
natural, harmonious and steady,
albeit imperceptible
Evolution theory- societies evolved
from simple to more complex one,
from being primitive to becoming
more advanced and progressive
 SOCIAL
TECHNOLOGY
INSTITUTIONS

CAUSES OF
SOCIAL CHANGE
POPULATION ENVIRONMENT

MODERNIZATION
 Innovation Diffusion

SOURCES OF
SOCIAL,
POLITICAL, AND
CULTURAL Acculturation Assimilation
CHANGE

Social
contradictions
and tensions
 • Video clip: Plight of OFWs
CULTURAL,
• Video clip: WARMER
SOCIAL, AND
POLITICAL
CHANGE
 • SAY-AWIT
• Compose a song that
GROUP ACTIVITY campaigns for sustainable use
of resources, environment
preservation, and awareness to
environmental changes