Understanding Culture, Society and Politics
An Instructional Learning Module
Borrowed materials (i.e., songs, stories, poems, pictures, photos, brand
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learning 1)
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The main purpose of this material is only to address the existing
challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in the education of the
young men and women as it limits our access to face-to-face learning.
For Internal Use Only
Name: Grade and Section:
Subject:
LESSON 2: SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL BEHAVIOR,
PHENOMENA AND CHANGES
[Link] – UP!
What are the norms we
follow in the society?
What are the changes that
takes place in our culture,
society and politics through
time?
At the end of the lesson
you will be able to Analyze the
concept, aspects and changes in/of
culture and society.
Based on the picture give at least 3 Filipino culture and
traditions. List them down.
Pagmamano
Respect to the elders
Courtesy
11. GEAR UP!
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL BEHAVIOR
AND PHENOMENA
Every society has its own norms to follow. Norms serves as a guide behavior
that tells us what is appropriate or inappropriate things to do. This serves as a
limitation which individuals may seek alternative ways to achieve their goals. Norms
are set of rules, standards, or prescription that are strictly followed by people who
adhere on certain conventions and perform specific roles (Santarita & Madrid, 2016).
For example, here in the Philippines we are expected to respect our elders and one
of the things we do to show respect is the act of pagmamano.
Norms of Decency – Norms of Decency or Norms of Appropriateness are the most
adhered norms in the society. This is commonly exhibited on the type of clothing a
person ears in a specific occasion. It also includes the manners and behaviors that
show z person’s refinement and civility. In some society, norm of decency includes
the use of appropriate words and gestures that convey politeness and courtesy. A
good example is this: For Westerners, it is improper for a person to be too close or
near a guest when having a conversation. This western belief is opposed to the
practice of many Asian countries that value proximity as a sign of intimacy and
friendliness.
Norms of Conventionality – Norms of conventionality are beliefs and practices that
area acceptable to a certain culture but can be inimical to other cultures. For
example, Muslim believers are prohibited to eat pork; Hindus are not allowed to eat
beef.
Individuals or groups can shape the norms and values of their society through
the concrete application of their beliefs, norms and values in their everyday lives.
Through the process of experimenting and appropriating these norms and values in
society, one can gain wisdom at looking into the significance of norms and values,
whether as sets of laws or rules or guiding principles that regulate actions or social
mechanisms that warrant approval or recognition in the community.
Conformity and Deviance
Every society has a form of social control, a set of means that ensure people
behave in expected and approved ways (Robertson, 1987:64). All norms, whether
codified or not, are supported by sanctions; rewards for conformity and punishments
for non-conformity. Conformity, therefore, is defined as the state of having
internalized norms as part of the social expectation. In addition, despite of the
tendency of social control enforce conformity as a potent mechanism in the
socialization process, there are forms of behavior that are relatively or distinctly set
away from a norm. This behavior can be referred to as nonconformity or deviancy.
Deviance is divided into two types:
Formal Deviance – these are actions that violate enacted laws such as robbery,
rape, theft, graft and other forms of criminality.
Informal Deviance – these are the violations to social norms that are not codified
into law such as pricking someone’s nose, belching loudly, and spitting on the street
and among others.
Taboos – are manifestations of deviancy. Tt is a prohibition of social actions based
on false beliefs that performing such actions is either too scared, or too dangerous
for the human race. Disregarding taboo is generally considered a deviant act by the
society. Taboo is putting a person or a thing under temporary or permanent
prohibition, especially as a social custom. These behaviors, regardless to conform or
deviate from traditional norms of society may contribute to the changes in various
aspects of society.
SOCIAL, POLITICAL AND CULTURAL CHANGE
Change is generally pervasive and takes place in culture, society and politics.
Changes in culture bring change in society and human beings; likewise, changes in
society and human beings bring change in culture and politics (Panopio,263).
There are three cause of social change: Invention, discovery and diffusion.
Invention is a combination of an existing knowledge and new knowledge. It
can be classified into material inventions such as mobile phones, air planes and
among others. Another is social inventions such as texting, jejemon and many more.
Discovery takes place when people reorganized existing element of the world
they had not noticed before or learned to see in a new way. For instance, Often, life
finds a way — sometimes, even earlier than expected. Premature babies (infants
born before the mother’s 37th week of pregnancy) are typically underdeveloped and
low in body fat percentage, inhibiting their ability to maintain their normal body
temperature. The modern medical incubator addresses this; however, not all people
who need it have access to such technology. This is a particularly serious problem in
rural areas, where such devices are generally inaccessible.
Fortunately, a solution came in the form of the first Filipino invention on this
list: the bamboo incubator, widely credited as the brainchild of Dr. Fe del Mundo.
This makeshift device is relatively inexpensive and easy to reproduce, making it ideal
for use in rural communities and areas with no electricity. Developing this ingenious
take on a life-saving machine, though, is far from her only accomplishment. In 1936,
Dr. del Mundo became a Research Fellow in Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School
(Ambag, 2018)
Diffusion refers to the spread of culture traits from one group to another.
Culture spreads through the process of enculturation, socialization, association
and integration.
Enculturation – takes place when one culture spreads to another through
learning.
Socialization – refers to the learning through constant exposure to culture and
experience culture, which ultimately imbibes the latter to learning through the system
of values, beliefs, and practices of an individual or groups.
Association – is establishing connection with the culture thereby bridging
areas of convergence and cultural symbiosis.
Integration – is the total assimilation of culture as manifested by change of
world views, attitudes, behavior and perspectives of looking things.
The second type of change is called political change which includes all
categories of change the direction of open, participatory, and accountable politics. It
is the change that occurs in the realm of civil and political societies and in structure
of relations among civil society, political society and the state.
Cultural change, on the other hand, as the third type of change refers to all
alterations affecting new traits or trait complexes and changes in a culture’s content
and structure. These changes are caused by several factors, such as the physical
environment, population, war and conquest, random events and technology.
III. CHECK POINT!
Direction: Identify the cultural elements of the Philippines and USA. Write your
answer on the table provided below.
Culture Philippines USA
Tradition PAGMAMANO HI –FIVE OR
FILIPIÑA DRESS HANDSHAKE
CONSERVATIVE BLUE JEANS
OPEN
Food RICE PANCAKES
LECHON CAKE
ISAW SPAGHETTI
BALUT BURGERS
Holiday and Ceremony LATE & LONG ON-TIME & BRIEF
FESTIVE AND SAINTS AND
MORE SOCIAL NATIONAL
INTERACTION PATRIOTISM
ABOUT RELIGION
AND HEROES
IV. ANSWER ME!
Direction: Define the process of culture change and give examples.
Definition Example
Discovery According to an article," An example for discovery
Discovery is the process by that contributed to
which something is learned Cultural Change, when
or reinterpreted". When the first European
people learn new things this
explorers set sail to the
influences them to accept,
new perspectives based
open seas and identified
from the new information new lands for them to
discovered. settle. Another example
is, when Sir Isaac Newton
discovered gravity which
that paved the way for
modern science.
Invention Invention is "the creation of Examples of invention
something new from that contributed to new
previously existing items or cultures being born are
processes". These the invention of Social
inventions contribute to
Networking Sties, Wi-Fi
much more efficient and
effective way of life for
and Artificial Intelligence.
people to benefit from.
Diffusion Diffusion is defined as “the The introduction of
process by which one Christianity to the
culture or society borrows Philippines from the
from another culture or Spaniards is an example
society”. When two cultures
of diffusion that
meet, these are likely to
blend and some of the new
contributes cultural
culture will be adopted to change. Another example
the current culture. is the spread of the
English language where
majority of the countries
that was colonized by
English speaking
countries embraced to
use the English language
as primary or secondary
language to be used.
. ALMOST THERE!
Directions: Draw a picture of public transportation means in Philippine society
across different eras to depict the technological, cultural, social and political change
in every society.
19th Century 20th Century 21st Century
VI. YOU ARE A FINISHER!
Reflection: What are the driving forces of change in the society?
The driving forces for change in society is freedom, technology and knowledge.