UNIT 3: DEFINING CULTURE AND SOCIETY: THE PERSPECTIVE OF

ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY

LESSON 1: DEFINING SOCIETY AND CULTURE: DIFFERENCE AND

ROLES

Introduction Society and culture are key concepts in understanding human behavior.
While they are interconnected, they have distinct roles.

Society is a group of people who live together and follow shared norms, values, and
institutions that maintain order and cohesion.

Culture consists of the shared beliefs, values, customs, and practices that people learn
and pass down through generations.

Key Differences - Structure vs. Content

Society is the structure (institutions and relationships), while culture is the content
(beliefs and values).

Physical vs. Abstract:

Society is tangible, involving groups and institutions; culture is abstract, involving

ideas and practices.

Roles

Society - Ensures order, identity, and support.

Culture - Provides meaning, communication, and drives change.

Conclusion

Society offers the structure for human life, while culture gives it meaning. Together,
they shape human experiences and communities.

LESSON 1: Anthropological and Sociological Perspective on Culture and Society

DIFFERENT FORMS OF CULTURE
MATERIAL CULTURE - Are tangible objects significant to the society.
Consist of the following:
• Food
• Buildings and Properties
• Clothing and Fashion
• Arts and Technology
NON-MATERIAL CULTURE - Has intangible objects or the invisible parts.
Consist of the following:
• Ideas and Knowledge
• Beliefs and Traditions
• Behavior
• Religion
NORMS - These are the standard of behavior set by society.
TABOOS - Taboos are the forbidden behavior of the society.

LESSON 1: THEORIES ON CULTURE AND SOCIETY

Three Major Paradigms

1. Structural Functionalism - focuses on the interrelated parts of society and

the important functions they perform to sustain its needs.

Two types of Function

Robert Merton identified two types of functions that a member of society may
perform.

Manifest Function - Manifest functions are the expected outcome of social

phenomena.

Latent Function - are its unintended effects

2. Critical Theory - considered as a conflict theory since it focuses on the

inequalities present in society.
3. Interpretative approach - deals with micro interactions and relationships of
people within society. It explains how people, as members of society, make
sense of their world and attach meaning to it.
LESSON 2: ASPECTS OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY I (DYNAMIC,
FLEXIBLE, & ADAPTIVE; AND SHARED & CONTESTED)

Culture is defined by the previous lesson as a complex whole. It is composed of

different phenomena inherited by simply belonging to society.

Culture as Dynamic, Flexible, and Adaptive

• Culture evolves over time, although changes are often gradual.

• Changes in culture reflect the dynamic and flexible nature of society.
• Non-material culture (e.g., beliefs, values) tends to change slower than
material culture (e.g., technology, tools).

• Cultural Lag - A phenomenon where material culture changes faster than non-
material culture.

Example: Despite the availability of contraceptives in the Philippines, their use is still
widely frowned upon due to cultural taboos around sex.

Culture adapts to environmental and social changes, which is essential for the
survival of society.

Example: Ilocano cuisine, which is known for its simplicity and thriftiness, reflects
adaptation to an environment with limited agricultural resources

LESSON 2: SUBCULTURES AND COUNTERCULTURES

In our society there are groups that adapt to cultural changes. In fact, some groups in
society develop their own culture.

1. Subcultures - is the shared way of living of a subgroup in society

• Although they share the general Filipino customs, they practice their own way
of life in their communities.

2. Counterculture - is a type of subculture which rejects some of the norms

acceptable to the general public.

LESSON3: TRANSMISSION OF CULTURE THROUGH SOCIALIZATION

The transmission of preferences, ideas, beliefs, and norms of behavior as a result of an

interaction between biological predispositions and social interaction between and
within generations.

Culture - represents a collection of attitudes, values, beliefs, and behavioral scripts

that are generally agreed upon by a group of individuals.
Enculturation - the process by which people receive information about their own
culture.

The process of enculturation results in INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE,

which is the main goal of cultural transmission.

Learning the culture of another society is called ACCULTURATION

CULTURAL TRANSMISSION THEORY studies how a person learns about a new

culture.

Cultural transmission theory asserts that cultural transmission is accomplished

primarily through EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING.

EXPERIMENTAL LEARNING trial-and-error process

Socialization Examples

Primary socialization – Primary socialization occurs when a child learns the

attitudes, values, and behaviors appropriate to members of a given society

Secondary socialization – Secondary socialization occurs when an individual learns

what is appropriate to a member of a small group within a larger society.

Anticipatory socialization – Anticipatory socialization occurs when individuals learn

to adopt the values and standards of a group they aspire to join.

Resocialization – Resocialization occurs when individuals discard their former

behavior patterns and take on new ones.

Organizational socialization – Organizational socialization occurs when an

employee learns the knowledge and skills necessary to assume their organizational
role.

Group socialization – Group socialization occurs when individuals take on the

values and standards of their peer group instead of adopting the values and standards
of parental figures (Harris, 1995).

Gender socialization – Gender socialization is the process of teaching individuals

how to behave according to the societal expectations of their gender.

Racial socialization – Racial socialization occurs when a child acquires the

behaviors, perceptions, values, and attitudes of an ethnic group and comes to see
themselves and others as members of that group (Rotherman & Phinney, 1987, pp.
10-28).

Oppression socialization – Oppression socialization occurs when an individual

develops an understanding of structures of oppression, particularly of power and
political structures and their influence on perceptions of identity, and opportunities
relative to gender, race, and sexuality (Glasberg & Shannon, 2011, p. 47).
Language socialization – All children get socialized to and through the use of
language. When children acquire language, they also adopt cultural norms. When
children adopt cultural norms, they also adopt the norms of the use of language
(Schieffelin & Ochs, 1987).

Planned socialization – Planned socialization occurs when other people take actions
to teach others. This type of socialization can take on many forms and can occur at
any point in an individual’s life.

Natural socialization – Natural socialization occurs when infants and young children
explore and discover their social world. While planned socialization is mostly a
human phenomenon, natural socialization can be observed in almost all mammals.

Positive socialization – Positive socialization occurs when desired behaviors are

accompanied by pleasurable or exciting experiences.

Negative socialization – Negative socialization occurs when unwanted behavior gets

punished through force, criticism, or anger.

Political socialization – Political socialization occurs when an individual internalizes

a political lens through which they begin to see power and how the world is and
should be organized (Glasberg & Shannon, 2011, p. 56).

Educational socialization – The education system teaches the values and norms of a
society through both overt socialization and a more subtle process referred to as the
hidden curriculum.

Media socialization – Media is one of the strongest agents of socialization. With the
increasing polarization of media, people often fall into media bubbles that only share
one-sided and heavily biased points of view.

Religious socialization – When a child is raised attending religious celebrations,

going to weekly worship, and hearing stories from a religion, they become socialized
into the religious beliefs and values.

LESSON 3: ASPECTS OF CULTURE & SOCIETY II - AGENTS OF

SOCIALIZATION

Agents of Socialization - Key Influences on Our Development

• Family - The most important primary agent, teaching basic skills, values, and
cultural norms.
• Educational Institutions - Formal learning of good manners, conduct, and
socialization with peers.
• Peers - Influence tastes, behaviors, and identity development, especially
during adolescence.
• Mass Media - Shapes perceptions, values, and beliefs through various forms
of communication.
 • Religion - Provides moral guidance, ethical frameworks, and a sense of
community.

The Importance of Socialization (The Impact of Socialization on Individual and

Society)

• Socialization guides behavior and shapes our understanding of the world.

• It helps individuals function effectively within society and contribute to its
well-being.
• Lack of socialization can lead to difficulties in social interaction and
integration. - Examples: Feral children (e.g., Tarzan)

LESSON 4: ASPECTS OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY III (PATTERNED

SOCIAL INTERACTIONS, INTEGRATED AND AT TIMES UNSTABLE,
REQUIRES LANGUAGE AND OTHER FORMS OF COMMUNICATION)

Pattern of Social interaction

Society and culture are developed through patterns of interaction.

Culture is defined of as a complex whole, composed of the many things that people
learn by belonging in a society.

These patterns can be seen through arts, beliefs, values and many other facets.

CULTURE UNSTABLE AND CONTESTED

Culture is susceptible to change, it is at times unstable and contested. At times, the

development of non-material culture, such as beliefs and norms, may not catch up
with the development of material culture.

Language is a systematic means of communicating ideas or feelings by use of

conventionalized signs, sounds, gestures, or marks having understood meanings.
Language also includes signs, symbols and gestures with attached meanings that are
shared by society.

THE ASPECTS OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY I

1. Culture as Dynamic, Flexible and Adaptive
2. Subcultures and Countercultures
THE ASPECTS OF CULTURE AND SOCIETY II
1. Transmission of Culture through Socialization
2. Agents of Socialization
THE ASPECTS AND CULTURE OF SOCIETY III
1. Patterns of Social Interaction
2. Culture as Unstable and Contested