Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

1ST Semester, 1st and 2nd Qtr S.Y 2017-2018

Name and Year and Section: _______________________________________________________

Culture as a 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 society. (E.B. Tylor 1920 [1871]).
Activity I. Make an illustrative interpretation of the theme, Society and culture as a complex whole. (Bond Paper)
Culture Shock- term used to describe reactions to psychological disorientation, or fish out of water feeling, most people
experience when they move for an extended period into a culture very different from their own.
1. The Honeymoon Phase- Everything is wonderful and new. New food, new buildings, & new way of life.
2. The Negotiation Phase- Anxiety arises when the difference between old and new become apparent.
3. The Adjustment Phase- Biological Clock- One gets accustomed to the new culture. Things begin to seem normal.
Culture begins to make sense.
4. The Mastery Phase.- Full participation with new culture is finally achieved.
Activity II. Share your particular experience wherein you experience culture shock (be it in your new school, new
environment, out of the country travel) and how did you overcome it?
A taboo is a vehement prohibition of an action based on the belief that such behavior is either too sacred or too accursed for
ordinary individuals to undertake, under threat of supernatural punishment. Forbidden, banned, proscribed, vetoed, ruled
out, interdicted, outlawed, not permitted, not allowed, illegal, unlawful, not acceptable, restricted, off limits, out of bounds;
are just some of its synonyms.
Activity III.Examples of Taboo Activities. Give the definition of the following words.
1. Abortion 6. Slavery
2. Addiction 7. Suicide
3. Adultery 8. Murder
4. Cannibalism 9. Self- Flagellation
5. Polygamy 10. Impaling

Agents of Socialization- People and groups that influence our self-concept, emotions, attitudes, and behaviour,
persons, groups, or institutions that teach us what we need to know in order to participate in society.
1. Family- primary agent of socialization. Family experiences give us our basic sense of identity, values, norms and
beliefs.
2. Peer Groups- people linked by common interests, equal social position, and similar age; have a great deal of power
over members. Peer groups are the only agent of socialization not dominated by adults. Children experiment with
new ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
3. School-
4. The Workplace
5. Religion especially influences morality but also ideas about dress, speech, and manners that are appropriate
6. The Government- participates in socialization through laws and other regulations that reinforce appreciate behavior,
and help form values and attitudes of the citizens.
7. Mass Media- It is a powerful agent of socialization which is widely used by many institutions and organizations
involved in the use of print and electronic communication.

Activity IV. Which agent of socialization has had the greatest influence on you? Explain why?
 Ethnocentrism, Xenocentrism and Cultural relativism
Ethnocentrism- The view to regard ones culture as the best and better than the others.
Example: Filipinos take pride in calling their country as the Pearl of the Orient Gateway to the East or window of
democracy in the far east.
Xenocentrism- This is the idea that what is foreign is best and that ones lifestyle.
Example: In the Philippines some people manifest a mania for imported goods and foreign lifestyles.
Cultural Relativism- the perspective that each culture must be understood in terms of the values and ideas of that culture
and should not be judged by the standards of another
Example: Children in America are raised to believe that dogs are pets, while in other countries such as China, dogs are
considered a source of food.
Activity V. Identify the following situations whether they can be considered as ETHNOCENTRISM, XENOCENTRISM
OR CULTURAL RELATIVISM.
1. Japan believes that their country should be the center of the world culturally, economically and politically.
2. The belief that having a white and flawless skin for women is a standard of beauty.
3. The belief that cheeses in France are far superior to those in the United States.
4. A Filipina woman would rather choose American product than Philippine made product.
5. In America, eye contact suggests that you are paying attention and interested in what a person has to say. Yet, in
other cultures, eye contact can be considered rude and a challenge of authority.

STATUS AND ITS TYPES

Status- Defines where you fit in society
Types of Statuses
Ascribed Status: assigned according to things outside your control. (Age, gender, etc.)
Achieved Status: role you achieve through your own efforts. (Occupation, college graduate, basketball player,
wife, mother, etc.)
Master Status: One rank that determines your social identity. Can change throughout life. (Fulltime Mom, Police
Officer, Grandparent, etc.)

IDENTITY- The fact of being who or what a person or thing is. The characteristics determining who or what a person or
thing is ( from OxfordDictionary.com)

Describe your identity.

VI. ESSAY. DESCRIBE THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.

Social Mobility- : Movement from one class or more usually status groupto another
Horizontal Mobility- Movement from one position to another within the same social level
Vertical Mobility- Movement from one social level to a higher one (upward mobility) or a lower one (downward mobility)

VII. Determine whether the following situation is HORIZONTAL MOBILITY or VERTICAL

MOBILITY.
_____26. Teacher Reyes is promoted from Teacher II to Teacher III.
_____27. Mayor Rodrigo Duterte runs for President and wins the election.
_____28. From living in a squatters area, Kakkai now lives in a mansion after marrying her rich boss.
_____29. Yolanda quits her job as a cashier in Robinsons Supermarket and after a month gains a job
as a cashier at City Mall-Parola.
_____30. Mang Jimmy was once a street vendor but after many years of hard work and
determination he now the owner of the famous first class restaurant in the country.

VIII. Define the following words.

1.PREJUDICE

2.SEXISM

3.DISCRIMINATION

4.STEREOTYPE

5.RACISM

IX. In your own words, what is human rights?