USCP – identity, culture and society (CHAPTER 1)
What is identity? - distinctive characteristics that defines an individual or is shared by
those belonging to a particular group; can also change over the course of lifetime;
continuously shaped and reshaped through passage of time.
Why is identity important? - because they shape both individual and group behavior /
people’s view about other people and society; learning one’s self, culture, and society
entails knowledge about various identities / how these shape people’s views and behavior
Culture
- Defined as society’s way of life, basis for forging identities
- Allows people to understand themselves in relation to others / provides lens
through which they base what is considered the right way of doings
- Material and non-material aspects associated with culture
- Clothes, music. And food are examples of material things that comprise one’s
culture
- Interpretations of other’s behavior; bases of what we regard as right or wrong
are examples of non-material dimension of culture
- All societies have some form of subcultures
- Aside from what is generally regarded as Filipino culture, there are other
subcultures that exist in the PH, depending on the geographical origin, religion
and class among others
WHAT IS SOCIETY? - refers to a group of people living in a community; according to
Mclver and Page, “it is a web of social relationship which is always changing”
SOCIAL, CULTURAL AND POLITICAL – the concept of identity is related to social, cultural
and political change / people’s individua; and collective identities have often transformed
and social order and paved the way for lasting change / rapidly-advancing technology also
has profound implications for social-cultural and political change. Because people know
more about what is happening elsewhere in the world, trends in clothing, hair style, fashion
style, food choices, among others have also been transformed / the phenomenon of
international migration has laso changed Filipino identities and beliefs.
ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY, AND POLITICAL SCIENCE
What is social science? - discipline under which identity, culture, society, and politics are
studied are collectively called the social sciences / compromised of a wide array of
academic disciplines that study overall functions of society as well as the interactions
among the interactions among its individual members and institutions / most prominent
academic disciplines in the social sciences are anthropology, sociology, and political
science.
What is anthropology? - is the systematic study of biological, cultural and social aspects
of man / derived from two Greek words, anthrops, which means “man” and logos, which
means “study” or “inquiry” / significant branch of knowledge; it integrates elements from
biological sciences and humanities to fully comprehend the complex of human species
including their past practices and social patterns, across diverse cultures
Edward Burnett Tylor – an english anthropologist, founder of cultural anthropology. Tylor’s
ideas typify 19th century cultural evolutionism. In his works Primitive Culture and
anthropology, he defined the context of the scientific study of anthropology, based on the
evolutionary theories of Charles.
CHAPTER 2: UNDERSTANDING CULTURE AND SOCIETY
Society and culture
Society – group of individuals sharing a common culture, geographical location and
government
- Human beings are naturally inclined to establish societies, since it is interacting
with others that they can ensure their survival by establishing mutually beneficial
relationships with one another
- Societies enable individuals to acquire necessary survival skills, maximize their
potential and share resources.
• A society is characterized by the presence of the following elements
- Social solidarity, whereby members of the community live together for
mutual benefits;
- Shared identity and culture among members that serve as basis for their
patterns of action and behavior;
- A common language;
- A large population and the ability to sustain succeeding generation of
members;
- Definite geographical area;
- Political, economic, and social organization
FIVE MAJOR TYPES OF SOCITIES
1. Hunting and gathering
2. Horticultural and pastoral societies
3. Agricultural societies
4. Industrial societies
5. Post-industrial societies
Culture – one of the important bases that define and influence a society. Culture refers to
the set of beliefs, ideas, values, practices, knowledge, history and shared experiences,
attitudes as well as material objects and possessions accumulated over time and shared
by the members of society / according to E.B Tylor culture is that complex whole which
encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols,
knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares a member of society.
Two Primary Categories of Culture
1. Material culture – composed of the physical or tangible objects produced, shared
and utilized within society. (ex: tools or implements, paintings, & other work of arts)
2. Non-material culture – consists of the intangible properties and elements of society
that influence the patterns of action and behavior of its members. (ex: language,
beliefs, values, attitudes, ideas and norms shared among members of society.)
Four vital cultural components of societies
1. Symbols – refer to things that convey meaning or represent an idea. Essential in
communication, shaping thoughts and ideas and ideas, and defining a society’s
culture.
2. Language – is a set of symbols that enables members of society to communicate
verbally (spoken) and non-verbally (written/gestures)
3. Values – are shared ideas, norms, and principles that provide members of society
the standards that pertain to what is right or wrong, good or bad, desirable or
undesirable.
4. Norms – are shared rules of conduct that determine specific behavior among
society members.
Various Categories of norms according to their social importance
1. Folkways – norms that may be violated without serious consequences
2. Mores – norms with moral connotations
3. Laws – norms that are legally enacted and enforced
• Socialization – refers to the lifelong process of forging identity through social
interaction
• Enculturation – refers to the process by which an individual learns or acquires the
important aspects of his or her society’s culture
• Context – particular circumstances of a certain culture and is defined by location,
weather, period and other cultures.
SOCIETY AND CULTURE ACCORDING TO THE THREE DISCIPLINES
- Anthropology considers culture as the central focus of its discipline. Studies the
different cultures of different societies. It examines and provides explanation for the
existence of different cultural patterns; similarities and differences between them.
- Relativistic approach – considers cultures as equal, this view holds that there are no
superior and inferior cultures, each is unique.
- Ethnocentric approach – the belief that one’s native culture is superior to other
cultures, this approach tends to have negative view of other countries and people.
- Ethnocentrism – diminishes or invalidates other ways of life and creates a distorted
view of one’s own.
- Xenocentrism – the preference for the products, styles or ideas of someone else’s
culture rather than one’s own
- Sociology refers culture with overall context of social order;
- 1. structural functionalism; operates on the assumption that society is a stable and
orderly system. Considers culture as a glue that binds society together, leading to
social order.
- 2. Conflict theory; assumes that there is a constant power struggle among the
various social groups and institutions within society. Theorists study the culture of
“dominant classes”
3. Symbolic interactionism - views individual and group behavior and social
interaction as defining features of society. Symbolic interactionists believe that
culture provides shared meanings to the member of society. The more meanings
are shared, the more society ensures social order.
• Political Science also examines cultures as a vital aspect of society. Culture,
together with political socialization, is analyzed in order to explain political
behavior such as voting patterns and the behavior of leaders.
• Culture is seen as an important element in building social capital and could lead
to future conflicts and division.
