U ND E R S TA NDING C U LT U R E , S O C I ET Y A ND P O L I T I CS

LESSON 4: CULTURE AND IT’S STRUCTURES OBJECTIVES

✓Define culture; ✓Explain how culture and heredity affect social behavior;
✓Describe how language and culture are related; ✓Name the essential
components of culture; ✓Discuss how cultural diversity promoted within a
society; and ✓Understand the role of Ethnocentrism in society. WHAT IS
CULTURE? CULTURE ❖Refers to the knowledge, language, values, customs, and
physical objects that are passed from generation to generation among members
of a group. It is a human creation. ❖Derives from the Latin word “colere”,which
means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture. CULTURE
❖Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs,
values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial
relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired
by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group
striving. TYPES OF CULTURE Material Culture Nonmaterial Culture MATERIAL
CULTURE ❖Material culture is physical things that are created by a society.
❖Examples: Car, Books, Clothing, Houses, etc. NONMATERIAL CULTURE ❖The
intangible things produced by humans. ❖Abstract human creations. ❖In other
words, the parts of culture you cannot touch, feel, taste, or hold. Common
examples include social roles, ethics, beliefs, or even language. COMPONENTS OF
CULTURE 1. TECHNOLOGY ❖are the physical object created by people which
determined to do specific function. ❖The art of humanity that is combined
through skills (nonmaterial culture) and through which parts (material culture)
has specific functions guided by rules. 1. TECHNOLOGY ❖Using items of material
culture, particularly tools, requires various skills, which are part of the
nonmaterial culture. 2. SYMBOLS ❖Anything that represents something else.
❖Symbol has a shared meaning attached to it. ❖The use of symbols is the very
basis of human culture. It is through symbols that we create culture and
communicate it 2. SYMBOLS ❖Symbols range from physical objects to sounds,
smells, and tastes. 3.LANGUAGE ❖A system of communication using vocal
sounds, gestures, and written symbols. Probably the most important component
of culture because it allow us to communicate. ❖One of the most obvious
aspects of any culture. 3.LANGUAGE ❖It is the organization of written or spoken
symbols into standardized system. ❖When organized according to the accepted
rules of grammar, words can be used to express any idea. 4. VALUES ❖Abstract
standards of goodness. ❖These are shared beliefs about what is good or bad,
right or wrong, desirable or undesirable. ❖Values indicate what people find
important and morally right (or wrong). 5. BELIEFS ❖An idea that is accepted
without any facts. ❖Are specific statements that people hold to be true.
Example: A man expresses his belief in God through prayer. Wherein faith in God
is an example of a belief. 6.NORMS ❖Are shared rules of conduct that tell people
how/what to act in specific situations. ❖It is important to keep in mind that
norms are expectations for behavior, not actual governing certain behaviors and
does not necessarily mean that the actions of individuals will be in line with those
norms. 6.NORMS Examples of Norms: ❖when you encounter people, people are
expected to say hello (rather than punch you) ❖when you apply for an important
job, you’re expected to suit up a little bit ❖when you’re at a restaurant, you’re
expected not to eat with your fingers TYPES OF NORMS a.FOLKWAYS ❖Are norms
that describe socially acceptable behavior but do not have great moral
significance attached to them. ❖Outline the common customs of everyday life.
a.FOLKWAYS Examples: ❖Brushing your teeth, kinds of clothes you wear,
gestures, religious fasting, kind of car you buy, or even kind of house you live in.
b.MORES ❖Are norms that are strictly enforced because they are thought
essential to core values of the well being of the group. ❖Are norms or rules that
are guided by standards of morality within that culture, and has consequences if
not followed. b.MORES Example: Tardy slip in St. Paul University is required for
those students who keeps on getting late in their class. Failure to comply with this
rule of the University will be subjected to disciplinary action by the Discipline
Chair. c.TABOO ❖The prohibition of an action based on the belief that such
behavior is either too sacred and consecrated or too dangerous and accursed for
ordinary individuals to undertake. ❖Taboo, alternatively called tabu, tapu or
Tongan. It is a prohibition of social actions based on false beliefs that performing
such actions is either too scared, or too dangerous for the human race. c.TABOO
❖Disregarding taboo is generally considered a deviant act by the society. Taboo
is putting a person or a thing under temporary or permanent prohibition,
especially as a social custom. c.TABOO ❖Examples: ❖In many Jewish and Muslim
communities, people are forbidden from eating pork. ❖In Western cultures
which value youth, asking a woman’s age is often discouraged/ disrespect to
them. ❖In some Polynesian communities, people are forbidden to touch the
shadow of a chief/leader. c.TABOO Example: universal taboo ❖ Incest,
cannibalism, and killing one’s parents are considered universal taboo because it
projects violation on what is good in the community. d.LAWS ❖Those who
enforce laws have been given legal right by a government to control behavior for
the good of society at large. When someone violates a law, a state authority will
impose a sanction, which can be as light as a payable fine or as severe as
imprisonment. d.LAWS Example: ❖VAWC act ❖Bill of Rights ❖Suffrage ❖Magna
Carta for Women, etc. d.LAWS ASPECTS OF CULTURE Culture is Dynamic
❖Culture is fluid rather than static, which means that culture changes all the
time, every day, in subtle and tangible ways. ❖Culture continuously change as
new ways of life evolved by the changing conditions of the societal life. 1. Culture
is DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE Culture is Dynamic Example: Filipino man
before are very known to their style of courtship, wherein man are obliging to do
harana to show how deeply in love he is to the lady she loved most. But as time
passes by this traditions vanishes and was change by “pang madalian style”,
wherein the mode of courting is made easy through the used of modern
technology (cellular phone)-wherein courting only last for an hour. 1. Culture is
DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE Culture is Flexible ❖Adapts effectively to the
changing demands and allows quicker, smoother reactions to out of the ordinary
events. Example: ❖Technology usage has been a part of the evolving modern
culture in which people need the gadget to survive in this era. 1. Culture is
DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE Culture is Adaptive ❖A relatively new concept
used to define the specific capacity of human beings and human societies to
overcome changes of their natural and social environment by modifications to
their culture. 1. Culture is DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE Culture is Adaptive
Example: ❖From hunting and gathering to technology based capital activities,
people tend to adapt and learned the improvement in the society. In order to
survived and never left behind by time people need to blend with the changes
around them. 1. Culture is DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE ❖Culture is shared
by the social interaction may take in many forms to transmit the beliefs, values
and expectation of the human society. ❖The exchange of social ideas may
provide understanding and learning the human culture and tradition. ❖The
culture works by social dynamism using language, communication, technologies,
and commercial trades. 2. Culture as SHARED & CONTESTED ❖This means that
when culture is shared there lies learning, wherein through conversation with
others we acquire new information that can benefit us. ❖The acquisition and
application of learned knowledge is considered one of the major reason of
cultural changes. ❖Cultural transmission or enculturation and socialization is the
best way to describe culture is learned. 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH
SOCIALIZATION &ENCULTURATION Socialization ❖The people acquire
information about culture in many ways. This is done by learning the language
and other form of educational information of the society. For example, Maria and
Joseph is discussing about each others culture whereby sharing information
between is considered socialization. 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH
SOCIALIZATION &ENCULTURATION Enculturation ❖Is the process by which
people learn and adopt the ways and manners of other culture (refers to culture)
❖Product of socialization process. ❖Considered the actualization of the learned
culture (referring to application) 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION
&ENCULTURATION Enculturation ❖Example: Listening to someone with an slang
accent and trying to learned and adopt how it is done and make it as your
practice. ❖ note: enculturation is somewhat like “panggagaya at pagtutulad” in
Filipino. 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION &ENCULTURATION How
it is done (ways of learning culture through socialization and enculturation) ❖The
members of the social group learn to understand and apply certain ideals, values,
expectations, beliefs and traditions to the society. ❖The younger generations
readily accept the norms of the society as a part of their education to sustain the
societal system within their family or tribe. 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH
SOCIALIZATION &ENCULTURATION How it is done? (ways of learning culture
through socialization and enculturation) ❖The culture is also learned by the
language, literature, arts, music and local history that are passed across
generations. 3. Culture is LEARNED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION &ENCULTURATION
❖Culture is patterned by specific dimension of social life such as the economic
and political activities. These norms of conformity for the human beings to follow
in order to meet the psychological and social needs. 4. Culture as PATTERNED
SOCIAL INTERACTION Examples: ❖The economic activities are patterned by the
innovation and inventions of cultural groups that need to be integrated by the
social life of the member of the society. The word “bili kayo mga suki” is a
registered (patterned) practice that can not be deleted on any economic activities
in some places in a plaza or market. 4. Culture as PATTERNED SOCIAL
INTERACTION Examples: ❖Activities that we always do such as going to toilet,
washing the hands, cleaning the house, driving the car, going to bedroom and etc.
are considered patterned activities. We tend to follow these certain habits
because these are patterned by specific culture of a given society. 4. Culture as
PATTERNED SOCIAL INTERACTION ❖Culture is different from each other as we
must consider the social experiences, traditions, norms, mores and other cultural
ways in the community. ❖Human being must always consider the harmonious
relationship within any group cultures being grown for a period of time. Example:
A person (with a different culture) who visited Tabuk, Kalinga who ate with his
bare-hands as a sign of conforming to the practices of the tribes. 5. Culture is
INTEGRATED AND AT TIMES UNSTABLE ❖The cumulative culture may be passed
from one generation to the next generation. Those pertinent knowledge and
culture are gradually built as it is useful to the society. However, those
information that are no longer useful to the society may gradually phased out and
change it new culture similar to the one which is gone. ❖Example: pagmamano 6.
Culture is TRANSMITTED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION/ ENCULTURATION ❖The
communication process uses symbols to identify the given actions, attitudes and
behaviors of the people. ❖The use of language has varied types of symbols
depending on its natural environment, exposure and education to groups or
tribes, the social experiences and influence. 7. Culture REQUIRES LANGUAGE AND
OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION ORIENTATIONS IN VIEWING CULTURE AND
OTHER CULTURE ❖Is the practice of judging another culture by the values and
standards of one’s own culture. ❖Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups
relative to their ethnic group or culture, especially with concern for language,
behavior, customs, and religion. Example: "my culture's the best in every way.“
“among all religion, Christianity is the best.” ETHNOCENTRISM Sinocentrism ❖ a
belief that a certain culture is considered the center of all culture. It is the practice
of viewing something as superior and undoubtable. Example: Chinese people
believes that their country is the center of the earth and must be respected for
they are the superiority on earth. TWO TYPES OF ETHNOCENTRISM Eurocentrism
❖ a belief that all cultures are product of European Civilization. ❖A belief that
suggest that a particular culture is just a subordinate of another culture
(especially European culture). TWO TYPES OF ETHNOCENTRISM ❖Is the principle
that an individual person’s beliefs and activities should be understood by others
in terms of that individual’s own culture. ❖For example, instead of thinking,
“Fried crickets are disgusting! ” one should instead ask, “Why do some cultures
eat fried insects?”. CULTURAL RELATIVISM ❖Is a culturally based tendency to
value other cultures more highly than one’s own, which can be materialize in a
variety of different ways. ❖It serves as an antithesis to ethnocentrism. ❖It relies
instead on a fascination of others’ culture and contempt for one’s own, often
spurred by gross injustice of government, antiquated ideologies, or oppressive
religious majorities. XENOCENTRISM ❖Came from the Greek words xenos
(stranger) and phobos (fear). ❖an unreasonable fear , distrust, or hatred of
strangers, foreigners, or anyone perceived as foreigner or different. XENOPHOBIA
❖Refers to personal disorientation when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life. A
physical or emotional discomfort or anxiety that one suffers when coming to live
in another country or a place that is different from the place of origin. CULTURE
SHOCK THE REAL AND IDEAL CULTURE ❖A culture which can be observed in our
social life. The culture on which we act upon (values, norms, beliefs, etc.) in our
daily life is real culture. It is that parts of culture, which the people adopt in their
social life. ❖For example, If a person says that he/she is Muslim, will be, when
followed all the principles of Islam is the real culture and when doesn’t follow, it is
not a real one. REAL CULTURE ❖The culture which is presented as a pattern to
the people is called ideal culture. It is the goal of society and never achieved fully
because some parts remain out of practice. This culture is explained in books,
speeches etc. IDEAL CULTURE END OF LESSON 4: THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS!!!