talks about the culture, society, and political status of the Philippines not limited to foreign countries

2. UNDERSTANDING
CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND
POLITICS

3. INTRODUCTION
• This course uses insights from Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology to develop students’
awareness of cultural, social and political dynamics, and sensitivity to cultural diversity; provide them with
an understanding of how culture, human agency, society and politics work; and engage them in the
examination of the country’s current human development goals.
• At the end of the course, students should acquire ideas about human cultures, human agency, society and
politics; recognize cultural relativism and social inclusiveness to overcome prejudices; and develop social
and cultural competence to guide their interactions with groups, communities, networks, and institutions.

4. ACTIVITY NO. 1
Analyze the picture below. What can you infer about human beings, or the society based
on the details presented in the picture? Write a short essay with at least 6 sentences.
Write your answers on a ½ crosswise. This activity will be worth 30 points.

5. • CULTURE- this is the complex whole which encompasses beliefs,
practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge,
and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of society.
This also refers to:
-the way we live as humans
-the way we act as well as the objects that we make as we carry
out our particular way of life every day.

7. SOCIETY- this refers to the autonomous group or organization of
people occupying a distinct geographic territory who interact with
others and share common culture.
- “Socius” means companion, ally, or associate

8. POLITICS – the process that determines the distribution of power and
resources.

9. SOCIAL CHANGE- this refers to the change as a result of various factors
including inventions, influences from other cultures, technological
advancements, conflict, adaptation, and among others.

10. THE THREE BRANCHES OF SOCIAL SCIENCE THAT
STUDIES CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS
• ANTHROPOLOGY: focuses on cultures in all periods of time and all
places in the world covering all aspects of human experience. It
relates to sociology, it always describes human, human behavior and
human societies around the world. It is a comparative science that
examines all societies.

11. • SOCIOLOGY: focuses on the structure and function of various aspects
of society. It is the study of human social relationships and
institutions. Sociology’s subject matter is diverse, ranging from crime
to religion, from the family to the state, from the divisions of race and
social class to the shared beliefs of a common culture, and from social
stability to radical change in whole societies. The purpose of sociology
is to understand how human action and consciousness both shape
and are shaped by surrounding cultural and social structures.

12. • POLITICAL SCIENCE: a social science that deals with humans and their
interactions. It is a branch of sociology; it essentially deals with the
large-scale actions of humans, and group mentality. It focuses on one
aspect- the political system, including law, governance, and power
relations.

13. PERSPECTIVES OF THE THREE FIELD OF STUDIES
ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE –These are culture, cultural relativism,
fieldwork, human diversity, holism, bio-cultural focus. Example for this is the
analysis and solutions of different aspects of the society such as the
environment issues of pollution, the issues on health and medicine and
other issues related to the human activities.
Four main perspectives of anthropology:
cross-cultural or comparative emphasis
evolutionary/historical emphasis
ecological emphasis
holistic emphasis

14. SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE – introduces the discipline of sociology,
including something about its history, questions, theory, and scientific
methods, and what distinguishes it from other social science
disciplines.
Central features of sociology:
Social interaction and relationships
Social context
Social structure
Significance of diversity and human variation
Critical questioning character of sociology
Social change

15. Sociology includes three major theoretical perspectives:
the functionalist perspective;
the conflict perspective; and
the symbolic interaction perspective
Theoretical perspective is used to analyze and explain objects of social study,
and facilitate organizing sociological knowledge. In functionalist perspective,
societies are thought to function like organisms, with various social
institutions working together like organs to maintain and reproduce
societies. The conflict perspective sees social life as a competition, and
focuses on the distribution of resources, power, and inequality.

16. • Political Science perspective studies the tendencies and actions of
people which cannot be easily quantified or examined. Political
science is more focused than most social sciences. It sticks to the
political arena and to the realm of politics, either dealing with
situations with two competing sides or the lateral decisions that
affect the group as a whole. An example is the study of democracy as
a form of government and why is democracy considered as the best
form of government.

17. • ASSIGNMENT NO. 1
Briefly discuss ONE (1) example for each of the following perspectives:
1. Cross-cultural Perspective in Anthropology
2. Holistic Emphasis in Anthropology
3. Conflict Perspective in Sociology
4. Symbolic Interaction Perspective in Sociology
5. Political Science Perspective
Write your answers on a ½ crosswise paper. This activity will be worth 30 points
(6 points for each number).

18. ACTIVITY 2 : Define the following terms.
1. Culture
2. Sociology
3. Political Science
4. Theories
5. Anthropology