Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Quarter 1 – Module 4:

Human Capacity for Culture

Culture is defined as “that 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 a society” (Taylor,
2010). It is by-product of the attempt of humans to survive their environment and
to compensate for their biological characteristics and limitations. Our evolution
toward humanity as we know it has been a long journey of survival against the
elements of the environment and against competing species. As our ancestors
evolved biologically in response to their environment, they have also developed
cultural technologies that aided them to efficiently obtain food and deter predators.

Evolution is a natural process of biological changes occurring in a

population across successive generations (Banaag, 2012 p.31). It helps us identify
and analyze man’s physiological development and eventually the emergence of
different society. Moreover, man’s progression and characteristics are essential in
understanding the capability for adaptation. Most scientists currently recognize
some 15 to 20 different species of early humans.

Human Biocultural Evolution

Species Characteristics
Hominids The development of the different species of primates
“Manlike which were able to evolve in 40 million years ago. There have
Primates” been various relics of hominids which could be described as
manlike primates. They are Ramapithecus, Lucy and
Australopithecus.
Homo Habilis The apelike men who first to used stone tools as weapons
“Handy Man” and protection of their enemies. They are recognized as the
first true human. Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago.
Homo Erectus It was believed to be the first man like creature that lived
“The Upright Man” about 500,000 years ago in Asia, Africa and Europe. This
manlike specie could walk straight with almost the same brain
with modern man. He made refined stone stools for hunting
and weapons for protection of the enemies.
The following are the major discovered fossils:
a. Pithecanthropus Erectus “Java Man” –Discovered by
Eugene Dubois at Trinil, Java, Indonesia in 1891.
b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis “Peking Man” –Discovered at
Choukoutien village, Beijing, China in 1929.
Homo Sapiens It was believed that this was the direct descendant of
“The Thinking modern man who lived about 250,000 years ago. They had
Man” similar physical descriptions with modern man. They
originated as the primitive men whose activities were largely
dependent on hunting, fishing and agriculture. They buried
their dead, used had tools and had religion. The following are
 Homo Sapiens subspecies:
a. Neanderthal Man –Discovered in Neanderthal valley near
Dusseldorf, Germany in 1856 who lived in cave and
dependent in hunting and fishing.
b. Cro-Magnon Man – Discovered by a French archaeologist
Louis Lartet in the Cro Magnon Cave in Southern France. It
was believed to live in Europe, Asia and Africa. As a
prehistoric man, they were the first to produce art in cave
paintings and crafting decorated
tools and accessories.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

1. Our Thinking  The primary biological component of humans that allowed
capacity for culture is the developed brain. It has the necessary
parts for facilitating pertinent skills such as speaking,
touching, feeling, seeing, and smelling.
 Compared with other primates, humans have a larger
brain, weighing 1.4 kg. Due to the size of brain and the
complexity of its parts, humans were able to create survival
skills that helped them adapt to their environment and
outlive their less adaptive biological relatives.
2. Our gripping  Look at your hands. Notice how your thumb relates with
capacity your other fingers. This capacity to directly oppose your
thumb with your other fingers is an exclusive trait of
humans. It allowed us to have a finger grip.


Figure 1. Hands of selected primates

 The hand of human has digits (fingers) that are straights,

as compared with the curved ones of the other primates.
Notice that the thumb of the human is proportionately
longer than those of other primates. These characteristics
of the human hand allowed for two types of grip” power
and precision.
a) Power grip enabled humans to wrap the thumb and
fingers on an object; it became the cornerstone of our
capacity to hold tool firmly for hunting and other
activities.
b) Precision grip enabled humans to hold and pick objects
steadily using fingers. This capacity was crucial for tool-
making activities.
3. Our speaking  As the brain is the capacity source of humans’ capacity to
capacity comprehend sound and provide meaning to it, the vocal tract
 acts as the mechanism by which sounds are produced and
reproduced to transmit ideas and values.
 Humans have longer vocal tract compared with
chimpanzee. A longer vocal tract means that there is a
longer vibration surface, allowing human to produce a
wider array of sounds than chimpanzees.
 The tongue of human is also more flexible than of a
chimpanzee, allowing for more control in making sounds.
4. Our walking/  Primates have two forms of locomotion: bipedalism and
standing capacity quadropedalism. Bipedalism is the capacity to walk and
stand on two feet, whereas quadropedalism uses all four
limbs. Although apes are semi-bipedal, humans are the only
fully bipedal primates.
 Being bipedal, humans gained more capacity to move while
carrying objects with their free hands. It gave humans
more capacity or productivity with their hands like hunting and
foraging.
Cultural and Sociopolitical Development
The physical as well as the mental development of early human beings
helped them understand and adapt to their existing environment. Thus, their
adjustment served as the onset of their culture. Culture enables the members of
society to develop ways of coping with exigencies of nature as well as ways of
harnessing their environment (Panopio, et.al 1994). The changes made by man
through his interaction with the environment establish the different cultural
evolution which determines man’s socio-cultural development.
Cultural Period Cultural and Socio-political Development
Paleolithic Period  Use of simple pebble tools.
(Old Stone Age)  Learned to live in caves.
 Discovered the use of fires.
3 million years  Developed small sculptures; and monumental painting,
to 8,000 B.C. incised designs, and reliefs on the wall of caves.
 “Food-collecting cultures”
Neolithic Age  Stone tools were shaped by polishing or grinding.
(New Stone Age)  Settlement in permanent villages.
Occurred sometime  Dependence on domesticated plants or animals.
about  Appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving.
10,000 BCE  “Food-producing cultures”
Age of Metals  The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron
produced a new historical development form cradles
civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, including
4,000 B.C. – 1,500 India and China which later on spread throughout
B.C Asia.
 The civilization which defines to a more developed
social, cultural, political and economic system.
 It had already direct contacts through tribes,
kingdoms, empire and later on state which the
constant political activities were through conquest,
wars and trade.
The Early Types of Societies

During the course of human history, people have organized themselves into
various types of societies depending upon their level of technology and the related
methods of subsistence. The earliest societies confined themselves in gathering and
hunting for food. When man invented the plow, it enabled him to increase the
amount of available food. The introduction of modern technology and equipment,
mass computerization, and white-collar service occupations, has changed the
man’s society into a more complex one.
Type of Technology Economy Settlements Social
Society Organizations
A. Hunting Very simple – Bare Nomadic All resting within
and fire, arrow, necessities – 25-40 people family.
Gathering baskets no surplus
Society
B. Digging Simple crop Semi- Family-centered;
Horticultural sticks, cultivation, permanent – Religious system
And occasionally some surplus some cities begins to
Pastoral blade tools. and occasionally develop,
Society exchange. kingdoms. moderate
specialization;
Presence of social
inequality.
C. Agrarian Irrigation, Largely Permanent Family loses
Society Fertilization, agricultural urbanization significance as
Metallurgy, but much becoming distinctive
Animal-drawn surplus; important religious,
plow. increased empires political, and
market covering economic system
exchange continent. emerged.
and Increased
substantial presence of social
trade. inequality.
D. Industrial Advance Industrial Permanent – Complex set of
Society sources of – few engage urban living interdependent
energy; in agriculture predominating. institutions.
Mechanized or direct Cities now
production. production; contain most
Much of the
surplus; population.
Fully The rise of
developed state.
market
economy

COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

The beginning of early man is a proper reference in treating the interesting

subject of culture. Man’s adaptation to his society, his conformity with the culture
of his time and his education have worked alongside each other in putting him in
his present status as the strongest and the most intelligent creature in the world.
 As perceived by sociologists and anthropologists, culture is rather a complex
concept. To understand culture, one must examine its major elements:

1. Material Culture –It is the physical objects a society produces, things people
create and use. These are tools, furniture, clothing, automobiles, and
computer systems, to name a few. Thus, the awareness of the kind of objects
created and how people use them brings about greater understanding of the
culture and of a society.

1.1. Technology. A Society’s culture consists of not only physical objects

but also rules for using those objects. Sociologists sometimes refer to
this combination of objects and rules as technology. Using items of
material culture, particularly tools, requires various skills, which are
part of the nonmaterial culture.

2. Non-material Culture –It consists of elements termed norms, values, beliefs,

and language shared by the members of a society. Non-material culture is
considered as the carriers of culture.

2.1. Language. Perhaps, the most defining characteristics of human being

is the ability to develop and use highly complex systems of symbols
like language. A symbol, as sociologists say, is the very foundation of
culture. The essence of culture is the sharing of meanings among
members of a society. Unless one shares the language of a culture,
one cannot participate in it. (Fishman, 1985; p.128)
Language influences our ways of perceiving, behaving, and
feeling, and thus, tends to define and shape the world around us. It is
through language that idea values, beliefs, and knowledge are
transmitted, expressed, and shared. Without language, there will be
no culture.

2.2. Beliefs. These are ideas that people hold about the universe or any
part of the total reality surrounding them. These are the things how
people perceive reality. The subject of human beliefs may be infinite
and may include ideas concerning the individual, other people and
any all aspects of the biological, physical, social, and supernatural
world be it primitive or scientific.
 2.3. Values. They are shared ideas about desirable goals. They are the
person’s ideas about worth and desirability or an abstract of what is
important and worthwhile. Values make up our judgements of moral
and immoral, good and bad, right and wrong, beautiful and ugly, etc.

2.4. Norms. These are shared rules of conduct that specify how people
ought to think and act. A norm is ideas in the minds of the members
of a group put into a statement specifying what members of the group
should do, ought to do or are expected to do under certain
circumstances. (Homans, 1950; p. 123).

Norms are usually in the form of rules, standards, or prescriptions and

social shared expectations. Norms has three forms:

2.4.1. Mores. These are norms associated with strong ideas of right and
wrong. Mores are standard of conduct that are highly respected and
valued by the group and their fulfilment is felt to be necessary and
vital to group welfare.
They are considered essential to the group’s existence and
accordingly, the group demands that they be followed without
questions. They represent obligatory behavior because their infraction
results to punishment –formal or informal.

2.4.2. Folkways. These are norms that are simply the customary, normal,
habitual ways a group does things. These customary ways are
accumulated and become repetitive patterns of expected behavior
which tends to become permanent traditions.
One of the essential features of folkways is that there is no
strong feeling of right or wrong attached to them. If one violates
folkways, there is no punishment attached to it.

2.4.3. Laws. These are often referred to as formal norms. They are rules that
are enforced and sanctioned by the authority of the government.

The Legacy of Early Humans to Contemporary Population

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

(UNESCO) is the primary transnational entity that manages and negotiates matters
relating to human heritage. It defined cultural heritage as follows:

Cultural heritage is not limited to material manifestations, such as

monuments and objects that have been preserved over time. This notion also
encompasses living expressions and the traditions that countless groups
and communities worldwide have inherited from their ancestors and
transmit to their descendants, in most cases, orally (UNESCO, 2010)
This definition us with a two-part meaning of cultural heritage. On one end, there is
heritage being tangible in the form of structures, monuments, historical sites, and other
artifacts. On the other hand, there is heritage being intangible in the form of literature,
oral, traditions, concepts, and values.

Tangible heritage could be divided into two categories: movable and immovable. The
primary difference in these categories is the size of the heritage. For example, the
Stonehenge is an immovable tangible heritage, whereas the sarcophagus of the pharaoh
Tutankhamun is a movable tangible heritage.

Movable tangible heritage pieces are often removed from the sites where they were
found and transferred to museums for safekeeping and maintenance. Immovable tangible
heritage pieces are often left to the elements of nature (i.e., rain, wind, sand, sun), which
makes them vulnerable to decay and corrosion. This does not mean that conservation
efforts are not being made. However, due to the constant exposure of these objects to these
elements, conservation becomes more challenging.