WEEK 2Its Nature and Dynam

Culture & Society,

Human Variations

By: Ms. Janina Louisa L. Bawit

Objectives for the week:

● Define important concepts of society and politics

● Identify the factors that hold the society together
● Explain the universal patterns of culture
● Discuss the factors that account for the diversities or differences in culture
Lesson / Topics:

● Definition and nature of culture, politics and society

● Definition and classification of theoretical paradigm
● Universal patterns of culture
 CULTURE

What comes into your mind when you hear the word ‘culture’? Think of the
things/words that you can associate with the word ‘culture’.
Definition of Culture

• Edward Taylor, an English anthropologist, defines culture as “that complex whole which
includes knowledge, beliefs, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired
by man as a member of society.”
• Clark (1998) refers to culture as that which comprises all objects, ideas, beliefs, norms of a
group of people, and the meanings that the group applies to each culture element.
• From the perspective of many social scientists, culture, refers to man’s social and material
invention, man’s artificial or man-made environment including the behavioral aspects of man’s way of
life.
• beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge
• a by-product of the attempt of humans to survive their environment and compensate for their
biological characteristics and limitations
Culture as Material and Nonmaterial

• Material culture refers to those tangible, concrete, man-made

objects, artifacts, tools, weapons, utensils, buildings, machines, fishponds,
burial grounds, and other inventions or innovations of man which are
distinct and apart from natural objects or natural environment.
• Non-material culture speaks about the thinking, beliefs,
conventions, etc., of any society.
Example: polygamy is illegal in most countries of the world, however, is
practiced and legal in a few parts of Central Asia, Africa, etc.
 MATERIAL CULTURE NON-MATERIAL CULTURE

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

5. 5.
Exercises:
Observe the society you 6. 6.

live in. What are the 7. 7.

material and nonmaterial 8. 8.

cultures that exist in it? 9. 9.

Give ten examples. 10. 10.

Source: Abulencia, A. S. and Padernal, R. S. 2016. Social Dynamics: A Worktext on

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations Publishing
Inc.p.13
What are the capacities that enabled humans to have culture?

1. Thinking capacity
a. Developed brain
b. Larger brain and its complex parts = ability to adapt to environment and
create survival skills
2. Speaking capacity
a. To transmit ideas and values
b. Language = exclusive trait of the modern human
What are the capacities that enabled humans to have culture?

3. Gripping Capacity
a. Used for tool-making activities
b. 2 types of grip
i. power grip
ii. precision grip
4. Walking/standing capacity
a. Bipedalism = gave humans more productivity with their hands
b. Suitable for hunting and gathering
Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is everything.
2. Culture is learned.
· Enculturation – learning your own culture
· Acculturation – the transfer of values and customs from one group
to another
· Deculturation – culture has been lost and forgotten due to a
conflict between older and younger generation
Characteristics of Culture

1. Culture is shared.
2. Culture affects biology.
3. Culture is adaptive.
4. Culture is maladaptive.
5. Culture changes.
Components of Culture

a. Norms
i. These are guidelines, standards or shared rules on what is right or wrong,
appropriate or inappropriate behavior, prescriptions and proscriptions of propriety, legality and
ethics of a society which provide sanctions when violations are made. Among the social norms
are:
ii. Folkways – these are everyday habits, customs, traditions and conventions
which do not have particular moral and ethical significance
a. Example: walking barefooted and eating with their bare
hands among the barrio folks.
iii. Mores – these are norms with coercive moral and ethical significance and
which carry strong moral and legal sanctions.
Exercises (Online Activity):
Ask one of your parents, grandparents or any family elders about the way they
usually:
· Dress up
· Enjoy a party
· Spend a past time
· Celebrate a holiday
· Engage in a romantic date
Components of Culture

a. Laws
i. These are formalized norms enacted by people vested with
legitimate authority.
a. Example: Revised Penal Code, Republic Acts, Batas
Pambansa. In the local government, we have the city, municipal or barangay
ordinances.
b. Ideas, Beliefs, Values
i. Ideas
1. These are man’s conception of his physical, social, and cultural world.
a. Idea of a model citizen, family or community, idea of alternative marriage.
Components of Culture

i. Beliefs
1. These refer to a person’s conviction about a certain idea, or the
people’s perception or view of reality and the world.
a. Example: Belief in spirits, belief in the afterlife
ii. Values
1. These are abstract concepts of what is important and worthwhile,
desirable, and undesirable.
a. Example: High value upon success, freedom and heroism
Components of Culture

a. Symbols
i. It refers to an object, gesture, sound, color, or
design that represents something “other than itself”.
a. Example: Cross for Christianity; dove for peace; thumbs up for
okay.
Formative Activity:
List down unique customs, beliefs, or traditions that you practice at home
or in your family.
Society, Its Nature and Dynamics
Definition of Society

· Society is derived from the Latin word “socius” meaning “companion” or “associate”.
Thus, society consists of people who are in constant association, socialization and interaction
with one another on the basis of some social criteria and norms of behavior.
· John and Mavis Biesing define society as “a group of people that shares a common
culture.”
· Auguste Comte defines society as a “social organism possessing a harmony of structure
and function.”
· Talcott Parsons defines society as a “total complex of human interrelationship in so far as
they grow out of the action in terms of means-end-relationship.”
· George Douglas Cole defines society as “the complex of organized associations and
institutions within a community.”
Theoretical Paradigm

● Analyze the difference between theory and opinion.

Theoretical Paradigm

· A theoretical paradigm is a scientific discourse, an empirical

approach, proposition, viewpoint or explanation on why or how certain
observable phenomena do happen. For example, viewing different
dimensions of society e.g. as a stable system; as a changing system; or as
an interacting system.
DIFFERENT VIEWS ON SOCIETY

Literature on theoretical perspectives gives the following general approaches or paradigms

about society and social behavior.
1. The Evolutionary Paradigm
a. This paradigm proposes that societies, like biological organisms, undergo different
stages of growth and development, from simple-primitive archaic society to
complex-modern society. The natural selection process enabled the strong societies to
survive and the weak ones to perish. For example, through increase in population and
better adaptations to their environment, stronger families banded together to form
clans, clans to tribe, tribes to community or village, towns/municipalities or cities to
province, to a nation, and so on to a world global community in the broad sense. The
noted proponent of this theory is the sociologist Herbert Spencer.
Classifications of Theoretical Paradigm

2. Structural-Functional Paradigm
a. This paradigm envisions society as a complex system whose parts work
together to promote solidarity and stability. It views society as an
organized network of cooperating groups operating in an orderly
manner according to generally accepted social norms. It recognizes that
our lives are guided by social structures, a relatively stable pattern of
social behavior. This is referred to as social institutions which give
shape to society, e.g., the family and its social functions or
consequences for the operation of society. The noted proponents are the
social scientists Auguste Comte, Talcott Parsons, Emile Durkheim and
Classifications of Theoretical Paradigm

3. Social-Conflict Paradigm
a. This paradigm envisions society as an area of inequality that generates
conflict and change. It highlights division or opposition based on inequality.
Factors such as social class, race, ethnicity, sex and age are linked to
unequal distribution of wealth, power, and social prestige. The social
structure benefits some people while depriving the greater majority. The
approach views class conflict and class exploitation as the prime moving
force in mankind’s history, and that the struggle for power and wealth as a
continuous process between and among categories of people and between or
among nations of the world in a broader sense. The proponents include Karl
Marx, Coser and Dahrendorf.
Classifications of Theoretical Paradigm

4. Symbolic-Interaction Paradigm
a. This paradigm envisions society as the product of the everyday
interactions of individuals. Society arises as shared reality that its
members construct as they interact with one another. Through the
human process of finding meanings in our surrounding and to the
symbols we employ to convey these meanings to one another, we define
our identities, rights, and obligations toward others. Society is viewed as
a mosaic of subjective meanings and variable responses. The proponents
include George Herbert Mean, W.I. Thomans, Erving Goffman, Harold
Garfinkel, Peter M. Blau and George C. Homans.
When is a Social Group a Society?

· A fairly large social group sharing a common culture and a sense of common
identity in a community is a society. The bases of such societal grouping can be ethnic
identity and loyalty, dialect or language, religious or political affiliation, regional or
national identity, cultural orientations, social category in a national or international
dimension. An emerging concept of society in a broader sense is the global society, the
dominant-dependent societies as an offshoot of the trend towards globalization advocated
by the capitalists technologically advanced nations. Another concept is “virtual society” as
an adjunct in the world-wide proliferation of electronic gadgets and devices in the
contemporary Age of Information and Age of Convergence in the global landscape.
What Holds the Society Together?

The members of the society interact more with one another than with
members of other societies. They share more values in common. They
have a sense of common identity, group consciousness and group loyalty.
This interdependent web of interrelationships, common shared values,
sentiments, mental-acts, and common way of life are the bonds that hold
the society together.
Online Activity (Canvas):
Research on and read the concept of individualism by Margaret Thatcher.
· What is your opinion of it? Do you concur with the idea of nonexistence of society?
Why or why not?
· React on the following statement:
“There is no such thing as society, there are individual men and women, and there are
families. and no government can do anything except through people, and people must look
after themselves first. It is our duty to look after ourselves and then to look after our
neighbor. (M. Thatcher, Woman’s Own, October 31, 1987)
PETA

ETHNOGRAPHY
Human Cultural Variations and Other Related
Cultural Concepts
Human Cultural Variations and Other Related Cultural Concepts

Culture varies from one society to another. However, it is essential to note that
all cultures share patterns or traits that are quite common to all societies
across the globe. This is commonly referred to as cultural universals. It also
refers to broad areas of social living found in all societies.

A cultural universal is an element, pattern, trait, or institution that is common

to all human cultures worldwide.
Human Cultural Variations and Other Related Cultural Concepts

Wissler (1923) identifies 11 broad areas of social life which constitute the universal patterns of culture.
These are as follows:
1. Material traits
2. Religious practice
3. Speech or language
4. Family
5. Mythology
6. Government
7. War
8. Art
9. Property
10. Social systems
11. Scientific knowledge
Human Cultural Variations and Other Related Cultural Concepts

George Murdock was acknowledged as the first of his contemporaries to

recognize the existence of cultural universal when he was studying kinship
systems in different parts of the world. He discovered that cultural universals
often revolve around basic human survival or around shared human experiences.
Aside from language, the concept of personal names, celebration of births and
weddings, and even exchange of jokes exemplify cultural universals. For
Murdock, humor is a universal way to release tensions and create unity among
people. Indeed, it is easier to interact with others by using humor since it helps a
person ease tense situations.
Factors that Account for the Development of Culture

1. Human biological needs and drives.

· Need is a bodily lack or deprivation without which the human
body stands to perish. This includes the need for food, water, air,
sunlight, locomotion, rest and sleep, elimination of body waste and
sex. Drive is that inner force or internal tension which impels a person
to do something to satisfy the need and restore internal balance or
equilibrium (e.g. hunger, thirst, sex drive). Culture provides a variety
of choices for the individual to satisfy his needs and drives.
Factors that Account for the Development of Culture

2. Man’s highly developed nervous system.

· This enables man to possess a superior intelligence necessary
for effective adaptation to his environment and the resolution of the
problems of existence through culture.
3. Man’s highly developed vocal apparatus.
· This enables man to develop symbolic speech or language
which is an indispensable factor in the development and transmission
of culture.
Factors that Account for the Development of Culture

4. Man’s upright posture.

· Man’s vertical posture allows for the freedom of the arms and
hands. Coupled with his opposable thumbs and fingers, man can do
more creative and manipulative activities.
5. Physical and social environment.
The natural environment provides the materials for man’s ingenuity and
creativity. It also conditions to limit his choices on the available physical
resources. On the other hand, his physical, mental, social, emotional, and
spiritual needs are nurtured by the people around him – his social environment.
Orientation or Perspectives in Viewing One’s Culture and that of Others

1. Ethnocentrism
· It pertains to the belief that one’s native culture is superior to or
the most natural among other cultures. An ethnocentric person sees
and weighs another culture based upon the values and standards of
his/her own.
· A highly ethnocentric person, when exposed to new cultures,
may experience a culture shock. Culture shock happens when a person
does not expect or accept cultural differences.
Orientation or Perspectives in Viewing One’s Culture and that of Others

2. Xenocentrism
· It is the belief that one’s culture is inferior to another. A xenocentric person usually
has a high regard for other cultures but disdains his/her own is embarrassed by it.
3. Cultural Relativism
· It is the practice of viewing another culture by its own context rather than assessing
it based on the standards of one’s culture. It requires an open mind and enthusiasm to
adapt to new cultures. Culture is relative which means that whether an act or a thing is
good or bad depends on the meaning attached to it by the members if a particular society.
(Example: polygamy is considered immoral and sinful among the Christians but moral and
appropriate among the Muslims)
Closure Activity:
Compare the culture of an organized religion and a religious cult like Satanism.
What could be the outcome if all people applied cultural relativism in their daily lives?
Why?

Online Activity:
Define Sociology, Anthropology, and Political Science. Enumerate and explain its
subfields or branches.
Online Readings:

· Future Shock by Alvin Toffler

· “Subscribing to Cultural Relativism: Pros and Cons (Notes in Ethics)” @

www.OurHappySchool.com
© 2010 OurHappySchool.com. All rights reserved.
. The Challenge of Cultural Relativism by James Rachels
https://faculty.uca.edu/rnovy/Rachels--Cultural%20Relativism.htm
Resources:

Abulencia, A. S. and Padernal, R. S. 2016. Social Dynamics: A Worktext on Understanding Culture,

Society, and Politics. Quezon City: Brilliant Creations Publishing Inc.

De Guzman, J. M., Peña, R. F. O., and Aquino, E. C. Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics.
Malabon City: Mutya Publishing House, Inc.

Lanuza, G. M., and Raymundo, S. S. Understanding, Culture, Society, and Politics. Sampaloc,
Manila: Rex Book Store, Inc.

San Juan, W. R. and Centeno, M. L. J. 2017. Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics.
Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.