MAHONRI ACADEMY AND SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL

Mabuhay Homes 2000, Paliparan II, City of Dasmariñas

Senior High School Department (SHS)

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND

POLITICS (UCSP)

PRINCES JANINE ANNE B. SIAGAN

Subject Teacher

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 MAHONRI ACADEMY AND SCIENCE HIGH SCHOOL
Senior High School Department (SHS)
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS (UCSP)
UCSP: ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

MOST ESSENTIAL LEARNING COMPETENCY

At the end of this module, you should be able to:
1. Observe the social, political and cultural behavior, phenomena and change around you.
2. Identify culture, society and politics.
3. Apprehend the significance of studying culture, society and politics.
4. Explain and compare and contrast anthropology, sociology and political science.
5. Create a graphic organizer and state the importance of culture, society and politics as a
student and a Filipino.
6. Explain the influential figures in anthropology, sociology and political science
7. Create a graphic organizer that recognizes the common concerns or intersections of
anthropology, sociology, and political science with respect to the phenomenon of change

OBSERVATION ABOUT SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL BEHAVIOR, PHENOMENA AND CHANGE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought about the new term called the “new normal” due to the
shutdown of thousands of big and small businesses, tourism and even the soaring of the rates of
unemployment. In the Philippines, the rising inflation rates has took a toll to its citizens. In February
2021 dispatch of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) “the inflation rate went up further to 4.3
percent in the beginning of 2021, the highest inflation recorded since February 2019,” After a while in
March 21, it strike to a 2-year high of 4.7%. Due to this, Christian Lloyd Magsoy, the spokesperson of
the board labor group Defend Jobs Philippines formally filled a wage hike petition and asserted that
“granting out workers with new round of wage increase is long overdue…”

Istambay: The idle and the unemployed

Even before the pandemic, the Philippines istambay culture is prevelant but the COVID-19
pandemic made it even worse. As per a PSA report in April 2020, the country’s unemployment rate
reached almost 20% (if rounded of).
Philippines October July 2020 April 2020 October 2019
2020
Population 15 years old and over (in 000) 74,307 74,061 73,722 72, 603
Labor Force Participation Rate (%) 58.7 61.9 55.7 61.4
Employment Rate (%) 91.3 90.0 82.4 95.4
Underemployment Rate (%) 14.4 17.3 18.9 12.6
Unemloyment Rate (%) 8.7 10.0 17.6 4.6

Texting, Internet, Online learning

Technology is central to information dissemination and education. For example, the Republic
Act 10639 or Free Mobile Disaster Alert Act, the Philippine government sends all citizen-cellphone
subscriber with free text alerts. Meanwhile, in the time of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Internet posed
a major role in education as both and public schools adopt online learning.

Local Public services, Youth Volunteerism

When the pandemic struck, local government unit (LGUs) were compelled by the
circumstances swiftly act, as national government agencies are swamped with challenges in dealing

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with a public health emergency. Among the LGUs cited for leadership at the time is Pasig City, where
Mayor Vico Sotto’s “competent management of his town’s response to the coronavirus disease
(COVID-19).”
On volunteerism, Kenneth Jim Joseph M. Jimeno from the DFA writes that “amid community
quarantine’ imposed by the government to flatten the curve, the Filipino youth has been active in
addressing food security, supporting healthcare, supporting health workers, promoting civil
accountability. The projects has been adapted to a new normal by collaborating with others and
utilizing technologies such as email and videoconference.”

Political Dynasties, Elections and Charter change

In Philippine politics, political dynasties are always at the top of publicly relevant topics. This is
expected as political dynasties dominate the country’s political system from the local and national
levels. According to Professor Bobby M. Tuazon (2012) from the Center of People Empowerment in
Governance pointed out that “weak political party system, weak electoral system, culture of
powerlessness among the people voters and warlordism” are among the factors that help
perpetuate political dynasties in the country.

DEFINING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

● CULTURE – is defined as custom beliefs, social forms, and traits that defines a specific racial,
religious or social group. It is a way of thinking, the ways of acting, and the material objects
that together form a people’s way of life. Culture includes what we think, how we act,
and what we own. (Macionis, 2016)
● SOCIETY – comes from the Latin word “socius” which means comrade, companion or friend. It
pertains to a group of individuals involved in social interaction or sharing the same
geographical or social territory.

● POLITICS – comes from the Greek word “Politika” which means affairs of the cities. It refers to
achieving and exercising positions of governance over a human community.
References:
Palero, J. (2018). Undertanding, Culture, Society and Politics – Introduction. Retrieved July 29, 2024 from [Link]
culture-society-and-politics-introduction/108319547#4

SIGNIFICANCE OF STUDYING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

CULTURE
According to Mark Banaag, culture functions in different ways:
a. makes it possible for man to adapt and integrate himself to his environment.
b. establishes patterns of acceptable social behavior
c. conveys and facilitates meanings through verbal and non-verbal communication, written
and non-written language, forms of expression and symbolisms.
d. produces man-made things
` e. contributes to overall human satisfaction
Therefore, culture creates the identities of individuals which are distinct from one another.

SOCIETY
Is an important product of human interactions and 1interconnectedness, it symbolizes the
group within which human beings can live a total common life. Studying society provides an idea on
its importance in creating an equal, just, and humane society.

POLITICS
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 Politics revolve around a collective decision of individuals based on defined rules of society.
These rules bind people together in order to preserve culture and improve human life. Moreover,
politics is a collective activity, it presumes an initial diversity of views, involves reconciliation and
becomes the authoritative policy for a group.

HUMANS AS A SOCIAL BEING, CULTURAL BEING AND POLITICAL BEING

● Human as a social being will always belong to a group and interact with people.

● Human as a cultural being or culture bearer carries their ancestors’ tradition and beliefs
through speaking a language, faith practices, and creation or showcasing the arts and
heritage of the people.

● `Human as a political being are subjected to power-relations. Human become citizens, elect
their leader, pay taxes and receives welfare and protection from the government through our
Constitution.

THE RATIONALE OF STUDYING ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

ANTHROPOLOGY
It is the branch of knowledge which deals with the scientific study of humans past and present.
It helps by providing the insights into strange aspects of past or even present societies which historian
and sociologist find difficult to comprehend and explain. Four fields of anthropology: cultural
anthropology, physical anthropology, linguistic anthropology and archaelogy.

SOCIOLOGY
It is a scientific study of patterned, shared, and human behavior. It analyzes human interaction
which is essential in understanding man’s cultural make-up. The study of sociology broadens the
experience of individuals as they learn to discard prejudices and become more understanding of
customs of other people and realize the truth is relative and “good” or “bad” behavior depends
upon the norms of conduct of the society in which behavior takes place.

POLITICAL SCIENCE
It is a systematic study of politics and power from domestic, international, and comparative
perspectives. It emphasizes the use of power, interest, influence, and diplomacy which is important in
creating a well-ordered society. Political Science includes core competencies, knowledge and skills
that help learners become participative and productive members of the community.

ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY POLITICAL SCIENCE

Genetics & evolution Culture, society Ideologies
Cultural variations Socialization State & constitutions
Concept of culture Groups & Organization Regimes & political culture
Communication and language Social inequality International Relations
Social stratification Gender stratification Political Economy
Cultural change Social change Interest groups

INFLUENTIAL FIGURES IN ANTHROPOLOGY, SOCIOLOGY AND POLITICAL SCIENCE

A. ANTHROPOLOGY

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 ● Franz Boas – father of modern American anthropology. The first anthropologist to reject the
theory of evolution (Charles Darwin) due to his favor of historical particularism. Historical
Particularism is considered as having a unique form of culture that cannot be subsumed under
an overall definition of general culture.

● Bronislaw Kasper Malinowski – contributed to the development of modern anthropology, he

developed participant observation. Participant observation is a method of social research that
requires the anthropologists to have the ability to participate and blend with the way of life of
a given group of people.

● Alfred Reginald Radcliffe-Brown – developed the theory of structural functionalism/paradigm

wherein it views the basic unit of analysis for anthropology and social sciences are the social
structures and the function they perform to maintain the equilibrium of society.

B. SOCIOLOGY
● Auguste Comte (Isidore Auguste Marie Francois Xavier Comte) – considered founding father of
sociology, he coined the term “sociology” but originally used the term “social physics.” His
sociology has always been associated with positivism or the school of thought that says
science and its method is the only valid way of knowing things.

● Harriet Martineau – considered as the founding mother of sociology.

● Karl Marx – considered as the father of scientific socialism.

● Emile Durkheim – pioneer of functionalism in sociology, he was responsible for defending

sociology as an independent discipline from psychology.

● Max Weber – pioneer of interpretive sociology, he stressed the role of rationalization in the
development of society. Rationalization refers essential to the disenchantment of the world.

C. Political Science
● Aristotle – considered as the father of political science, he applied empirical methods to the
study of politics. Aristotle claimed that politics is the study the laws of a city, the action its
citizens undertake, and leadership.

● Thomas Hobbles - developed the “social contract theory,” this is a method of justifying political
principles by appeal to the agreement that would be made among suitably situated rational,
free, and equal persons.

● Baron de Montesquieu – the tripartite system (executive, legislative, judicial) functions and
assigned to different bodies so that there will be checks and balances.

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