Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Accessible Teachers Materials

TEACHERS REFERENCE GUIDE

STUDENT LEARNING MANUAL

Prepared by
Headwaters College – Elizabeth Campus
Academic Department

July 2020

Week 5

CHAPTER 3

TOPIC: Becoming a Member of the Society

Scope: 1.1. Identity and Personality Formation

1.2. Social Process
1.3. Social Control, Conformity and Deviance
1.4. Human dignity, Rights and Common Good
Chapter 3- Becoming a Member of the Society
Lesson 3- Social control, Conformity and Deviance
Imagine that you are attending a funeral services. The atmosphere and collective feelings inside the
room is gloomy.
Suddenly, one of the visitor cracks a joke and laughs at the top of his lungs, when asked why he did it,
he calmly replylies that he just wanted to lighten up the mood of everyone.
What do you think will be the response of the bereaved relatives of the deceased and of the other
guests? Will his behavior be tolerated? Why?
Social control and conformity
 HEADWATERS COLLEGE – ELIZABETH CAMPUS
K to 12 Senior High School Department
TEACHERS REFERENCE GUIDE

According to Crapo (2001), majority of the societies in the world have created mechanisms by which
the social behavior of people is controlled to maintain order or te re-establish order once rules have
been broken. These mechanisms are collectively called social control.
When a person violates the behavioral norms of his/her societ, he/she will subjected to corresponding
social sanctions. These Sanctions can be either informal(disapproval, ridicule, gossip and deprivation) or
formal (fine, imprisonment, or death) and will vary, depending upon the type and degree of violation.
In early discussion, it was. Pointed out that teaching norms and inculcating values to person's at an
early age can motivate them to conform to social standards and means. In 1926, Polish anthropologist
Bronislaw Malinowski argued that rules must be obeyed for million reasons. These include the
following:
1. Social rules may be self-enforcing because of their practical utility. Time-tested rules can make
society work efficiently and harmoniously.
2. Violating social rules has corresponding punishments. People who violates norms often experience
ostracism, or one's exclusion from the other member of society. In the Philippines, gossip or chismis I'd
a form of ostracism.
3. Following social rules brings more rewarding interaction with others. An individual who follows the
social standards has more opportunities of establishing connections, networks and or/influences.
4. Social rules( especially faith-based ones) are believed to be sacred, thus violating it may induce
supernatural punishment.
5. Rules are matter of law enforced by the machinery of society.
However, not all societies rely on punishment alone to maintain social control. In fact, others provide
rewards to those who strictly conform to rules. Rewards may occur in the form of praise, promotion,
salary increases and more.
Deviance
In most cases, a person follows the social norms. However, there are instances when some individual
behave in contrast with what is expected of them. This non-conforming behavior is called deviance.
Sociologist describe as violation of established social norms, whether folkways, mores and laws.
Deviances varies among societies in the world. It depends upon the contexts of the norm, the condition
in the society, and the people response to a particular behavior.
To most people deviance has a negative connotation, but among Sociologist, this is not always the rule.
In some cases, deviants have paved the way to social change. Mathematicians, astronomers, and
Catholics cleric Nicolaus Copernicus deviated the belief of the conservatives during his time, paving the
way to the birth of holicentrism and a eventually, of the principle relativity masterminded by another
deviant genius Albert Einstein.
Deviance has five forms, as stated by sociologist Robert Merton (1938).
1. Innovation
This form of deviance refers to the use of unadvised or sometimes illegal method to achieve social
goals. The tampering of votes by a politician to win an election and the using of illegal practices by a
business executive to gain profit are examples of innovative deviance. Individuals acquire the social
goals, but fail to internalize the social standards in achieving the said goals.
2. Ritualism
From the term itself, ritualist strictly observe the norms set by the society. However in trying to
conform generally to the social rules, ritualists tend to forget the primary reason why they are
conforming to it- to achieve the social goals. For example a worker may be following the every rule the
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 HEADWATERS COLLEGE – ELIZABETH CAMPUS
K to 12 Senior High School Department
TEACHERS REFERENCE GUIDE

company set but is still not able to achieve any goal of the company. In trying hard to implement the
means, he/she loses the goals.
3. Retreatism
This term of deviance happens when individual try to achieve from achieving social goals because the
cannot fulfill them. Retreatism is the complete rejection of norms. Drug abusers, alcoholics, and
criminally insane individuals experience this form of deviance.
4. Rebellion
As the root word "rebel" suggest, this form of deviance is usually observed in minorities promoting
change and introducing alternative values and institution. As pointed by hunt (1982), rebellion occurs
because of the fraustration of people over the norms.
Andres Bonifacio and Jose Rizal were rebels, though the two differed in exhibiting their deviance to the
Spanish norms. On the other hand, terrorist groups, like Islamic state (IS) and Abu Sayyaf, are examples
of rebels.
HUMAN DIGNITY RIGHT AND THE COMMON GOOD
Most Societies value human life. In Fact, the primary purpose of creating social institution is to serve
serve the common good. Each member of the society is expected to enjoy the benefits of being a
member of a certain group regardlessly of age, gender, political affiliations, and socio-economic status.
In the Philippines alone, this value has been set in the 1987: Philippine constitution. It was particularly
articulated on its preamble.
"We the sovereign Filipino people, imploring the aid of almighty God, in order to build a just and
humane society and establish a Government that shall embody our ideals and aspirations, promote the
common good, conserve and develop our patrimony and secure to ourselves and our posterity the
blessings of Independence and democracy, under the rule of law and a regime of truth, justice,
freedom, love, equality and peace, do ordain and promulgate this constitution."
As a democratic nation, Philippines strongly emphasizes human dignity as it's foremost priority to
achieve a Just and humane society. This is most evident in the creation of Bill of Rights, a separate
article to ensure the protection of Rights and liberties of every Filipino.
Rights are prevailed and entitlements a person must enjoy in the attainment and protection of his/her
human dignity.
Article III, Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution enumerates every Filipino rights. This Article is
designated to protect individuals against violations from the government, fellow individuals and
institutions.
Right empowers the people to participate in the affairs of a society.

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K to 12 Senior High School Department
TEACHERS REFERENCE GUIDE

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