Reviewer for understanding 

culture,society and politics • Istambay- a Filipino term derived from the English phrase

“on standby”. The concept of istambay and the dynamics of

  inactivity in the lives of selected Filipino youth. It illustrates

the habitus, life contexts, and the web of crises that are these
 Concept 1 youth negotiate within the protective realms of family and

religion.
Culture – way of life of a group of people
• Political Dynasties- it refers to the situation wherein

members of the same family are occupying elected positions

Society – a group of people living as a community or an
either in sequence for the same position, or simultaneously
organized grou sharing a common purpose 
across different positions.

Politics – art and journalism with guiding and interviewing of

Social phenomena – are the individual, external, and social
government policy
constructs that influence a person’s life and development.

 Concept 2
Political behavior and phenomena – include events through which
• Knowledge of social and political events such as but not
authority, governance and public opinion are put into practice.
limited to rising crime rate, poverty, elections, corruption and

the media controversies will help those who want to know

Cultural behavior – is emphasized when certain individuals behave
more about the society and its social dynamics to be aware of
a certain way merely because other individuals do so well.
the different issues that besiege the society.

• Taboo – A social or religious custom prohibiting or  Concept 3

restricting a particular practice or forbidding

association with a particular person, place or thing SOCIAL CHANGE - Is the transformation of social institutions over

• Food taboo- is a prohibition against consuming time.

certain foods.

• In Religion CULTURAL CHANGE - Is the transformation of culture or the way

• Christianity- 80% of the Philippine population that is people live.

Roman Catholic will go meatless at the beginning of Lent on

Ash Wednesday and on every Lenten Friday. Political change - occurs when the rulers in a country lose power or

• Islam- Muslims are prohibited to eating pork they must only the type of governance in the country changes

eat Halal foods as prescribed to them by the commandments

of Qu’ran.  Concept 4

• Hinduism – while they believe in sacredness of nature, beef

Anthropology- Is the Scientific Study of the origins of humans, how
is especially prohibited in the Hindu religion as they consider
we have changed over the years, and how we relate to each other our
cows to be sacred creatures.
culture and with people from other cultures.
• Buddhism- they believe in reincarnation and will refrain

from slaughtering animals as there is a chance that their souls

4 main subdivisions of Anthropology
have once inhabited human bodies. Their belief in ahimsa

(non-violence) encourages them to adopt a vegetarian diet. • Physical Anthropology- scientific discipline concerned

• Judaism- Jewish dietary laws (also known as the kashrut) with the biological and behavioral aspects of human beings,

feature some of the most rigorous and complex religious their related non human primates and their

eating guidelines. The list of prohibited foods runs long, but extinct homonin ancestors.

includes pork and shellfish.

 • Archeology- is the study of ancient and human past the question of the social loss caused by death such as the

through material remains. redistribution of status and rights.

• Cultural Anthropology- focused on the study of cultural

 
variation among humans

• Linguistic Anthropology- it seeks to understand human 3 Sociological Perspectives on Culture and Society
language, written and non-written, spoken and non-

verbal.The study of how languages change over the time is  

termed historical linguistics.

1. Symbolic Interactionist perspective- people attach meanings to

Political Science - Is the study of state and government. symbols they act according to their subjective interpretations.
Understanding of the state, it’s principles   and ideals

underlying it’sorganization and activities. 2. Functionalist perspective – Interdependent and contributes to

society’s functioning as a whole.
Sociology- Is the scientific study of human values. The aim of

sociology is to understand how human action and consciousness both 2 Forms:

shape and shaped by sorroundingsand their environment.

Mechanical solidarity   - social cohesion arises in similar values and

 Concept 5 beliefs in similar types of work, common in traditional, simple

societies.
SOCIETY – a group of people living together in a definite territory.

Having a sense of belongingness, mutuallyinterdependent of each Organic Solidarity   - social cohesion arises in interdependent

other and follows a certain way of life. society but hold to varying values and beliefs and engage in varying

types of work.
CULTURE – a dynamic medium through which societies create a

collective way of life reflected in such things as beliefs, values, 2 Types

music, literature, art, dance, science, religion, ritual, technology and

others. Manifest Functions – intentional and obvious

3 Anthropological Perspectives on Culture and Society Latent Functions – unintentional and notobvious                                              

1. Evolutionist- intellectual Perspective -  Edward Burnett Tylor 3.Conflict Perspective – focuses on negative, conflictedand ever-

considered the” belief in spiritual beings”(animism), that possess changing nature of society. Challenge status-quo, encourage social

supernatural powers, (polytheism) eventually led to change, believe rich and powerful people

monotheism concept of religion and notion of death.                  

 CONCEPT NOTE NO. 6

2. French Sociology School -  Studied human behavior in a

sociological framework, focused their attention primarily on the Culture - as a "that complex whole which encompasses beliefs,

question of societal solidarity, social impact of rites and various ties practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols,

connecting individuals to society. Social determination of attitudes knowledge, and everything that a person learns and shares as a

concerning death. member of society. Two basic components of culture

3. British Functionalist School – relation of death rites and 1.Nonmaterial culture - also known as symbolic culture

accompanying emotional reactions. They focused their attention on

includes the values, beliefs, symbols, and language that define a Mores-they determine what is considered moral and ethical

society behaviour, they structure the difference between right and wrong.

2. Material culture - includes all the society's physical objects, such Concept 7

as its tools and technology, clothing, eating utensils, and means of

transportation "Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,

art, morale, laws, custom, and any other capabilities and habits as

Elements acquired by a man as a member of society"

1. Language-set of symbols that expresses ideas and concepts which ロ

enables people to formulate thoughts and communicate with one

another E.B Taylor is an English anthropologist was the first to coin the term

'culture' in the eighteenth century.

2. Symbols-allow people to go beyond what is known or seen by

creating linkages between otherwise very different concepts and ASPECTS OF CULTURE

experiences
 

3. Beliefs-represents man's conviction about the reality of things and

are shared ideas about how the world operates. DYNAMIC, FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTIVE - It changes overtime

as new phenomenon, events and discoveries exist.

4.Artifacts- or material objects, that constitute a society's material

culture SHARED AND CONTESTED - Culture is for group of people

which may be changed in accordance to the needs. Sometimes it

5.Values-sum up of all ideas and concepts that is considered by a cause conflict for other groups.

particular culture to be a good, desirable and correct conduct in day-

to-day lives. LEARNED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION OR

ENCULTURATION - According to Social Psychologist, Dr. A.

Ideal Culture - includes all of the values, norms, and beliefs that a Bandura, we learned our ways of living by interacting with people.

society aspires to achieve.

TRANSMITTED THROUGH SOCIALIZATION OR

Real Culture - refers to the actual values, norms, and beliefs of a ENCULTURATION - It can be passed from generations through

given society, observed and measured in reality. generations

6.Norms - guideline or expectation for behaviour. PATTERNED SOCIAL INTERACTIONS - It follows certain

structure such as the way we talk to our parents, teachers and other

Formal Norms  members of the society.

Laws-Formalized norm of a governing body. INTEGRATED AND AT TIMES UNSTABLE -Once certain part

of culture changes, there will be an impact to the

Informal Norms  

whole

Folkways-informal norms which are sometimes termed conventions

that are passed from generation to generation whose violation is REQUIRES LANGUAGE AND OTHER FORMS OF

generally not considered serious within a particular culture.  COMMUNICATION - It is the soul of the culture, without it,

transmission is impossible, same with understanding of it.

   

Concept 8 4 CATEGORIES OF HOMINID

Cultural relativism is the idea that a person's beliefs, values, and  

practices should be understood based on that person's own culture,

rather than be judged against the criteria of another 1. SAHELANTHROPUS

Ethnocentrism – the idea that one’s own culture is superior; 6 – 7 MILLION YEARS AGO

evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating

in the standards and customs of one’s own culture IT HAD BOTH APELIKE AND HUMANLIKE

CHARACTERISTICS

•Our decision of what is wrong and right, or acceptable and

unacceptable in our society is influenced by our cultural • A SKULL SIMILAR TO AUSTRALOPITHECUS AND MODERN

orientation. HUMAN

•Ethnocentrism leads to discrimination. • HEIGHT IS ALMOST SIMILAR TO CHIMPANZEE

•Cultural Relativism recognizes the fact of diversity, • BRAIN SIZE, 320 – 380 CC

accommodates cultural differences, and makes the individuals

• SMALL TEETH
tolerant and flexible.

• HAD THE ABILITY TO WALK UPRIGHT

•Cultural relativism poses many ethical and moral issues. If

cultures do not share common moral values, we can say that

 2. ARDIPITHECUS

universal principle does not exist.

“APE OF THE GROUND”

Concept 9
IT HAD BOTH APELIKE AND HUMANLIKE

CHARACTERISTICS
 Biological evolution is the change in inherited traits over successive

generations in populations of organisms. Evolutionary modification

• HEIGHT IS ABOUT 4 FEET
of traits occurs when variation is introduced into a population by gene

mutation or genetic recombination or is removed by natural selection

• WEIGHT OF ABOUT 20 POUNDS
or genetic drift.

• SKULL SIZE IS SIMILAR TO AN APE

Cultural evolution is an evolutionary theory of social change. It

follows from the definition of culture as "information capable of

• SMALL BRAIN
affecting individuals' behavior that they acquire from other members

of their species through teaching, imitation and other forms of social

• BIPED
transmission".

• LIVED IN JUNGLE AND FORESTS LIKE THE CHIMPANZEES

Hominid - Is the general term used to categorize the group of early

humans and other humanlike creatures that can walk erect during • HAS 2 TYPES, ARDIPITHECUS KADABBA AND
prehistoric period. ARDIPITHECUS RAMIDUS
 3. AUSTRALOPITHECUS • LIVED IN SHELTER

 5 – 1 MILLION YEARS AGO ALSO KNOWN AS THE • CRAFTED METALS

“SOUTHERN APE”

• FOOD GATHERERS

• BRAIN SIZE OF 500 CC OR ALMOST 1/3 OF THE SIZE OF

THE BRAIN OF MODERN HUMAN • ATE PLANTS AND FRUITS

• TOOL USERS AND NOT TOOL MAKERS • USE FIRE

• USE STICKS AND STONES FOR DIGGING  

• LIVED IN SMALL SOCIAL GROUP  

• FOOD SCAVENGERS  

 4. HOMO - THEY ARE CLASSIFIED AS HUMANS AND NOT  

HUMANLIKE CREATURES BECAUSE THEY HAD BIGGER

BRAINS AND THEY WERE  BIPEDAL  

 1. HOMO HABILIS (HANDY MAN)  

• HEIGHT ABOUT 3 TO 4 FEET

• BRAIN SIZE IS HALF THE SIZE OF A MODERN HUMAN

• MADE TOOL CALLED “OLDOWAN”

• USE TOOL FOR HUNTING AND FOOD GATHERING

 2. HOMO ERECTUS (UPRIGHT MAN)

• BRAIN SIZE OF 1000 CC

• HEIGHT IS ABOUT 5 FEET

• WALKS UPRIGHT

• SKILLFUL HUNTERS

• FIRST HOMO SPECIES TO USE FIRE AND TO LIVE IN CAVE

 3. HOMO SAPIENS (THINKING MAN)

• LARGE BRAIN SIZE OF 1400 CC