M1L4
M1L4
M1L4
Perspectives
1: Lesson 4 Anthropological View
by: Donald A. Delos Reyes
INTRODUCTION
You might be wondering right now and asking yourself what kind of topic is this and
what it is all about. Questions you might be asking now are why I need to study this lesson
or if this lesson will be helpful if I am working already? Sometimes, many things might not
seem worthy today. But in the future, its worth will be revealed.
This lesson will help you explore the self as a product of one's culture. Today, culture
has a very complex nature. Culture is rooted in the system of members of the group bonded
through time and their relationship with individuals, their various roles, and different
statuses. Think or imagine it as your family in which one has multiple statuses and roles.
Imagine that your status today is a byproduct of our community's culture. Culture is mainly
passed down through a narrative style, including behaviors, ideals, practices, and beliefs. It
is transmitted through time. One good example is when your mom or dad would tell you
stories during dinner or lunch about their struggles and hardship and how they overcame it,
but of course, you already heard of these stories many times.
However, nowadays, cultural influences are not just products of transmitting beliefs,
practices, and behaviors. It is no longer confined within the boundary of physical
interactions. Unlike the old ways, they would gather around the fire and tell stories of
heroism and difficulties. It becomes fluid and dynamic because of digital developments. The
internet becomes our great equalizer. Nowadays, communities have turned into digital
landscapes as it is termed as a global village. It is due to the internet serving as the
common platform of the digital universe. The changing digital landscapes lead to boundless
inter-cultural and cross- cultural interaction. It thus influences one's cultural make-up and
affects the construction of self.
Surely, you have learned from the video the definitions and areas of specialization of
Anthropology. But in the context of understanding the self, this lesson will delve into the field
of cultural anthropology. Culture is defined as the set of unwritten norms of conduct that
guide a group's behavior or members.
For starters, there are several approaches to studying the culture that I would like to
know. These are the emic, etic approaches, and the combination of the two. The table
below shows the main construct of these approaches.
Concerning the construction of self, the culture that influences and is embedded in
the self depends on the individual's three approaches. For example, in the Philippines,
"Juan Tamad" depicts a man sleeping under a guava tree with his mouth open. Outsiders
interpret it as an idle man who does not exert effort to get the guava fruit instead of waiting
for it to fall into his mouth
However,
Approaches based on the community's culture, it can be interpreted as a diligent man or
Explanation
"masipag" in the an insiders'
approach toperspective.
studying human It culture
showsthat a man resting under the tree amid the sun's
focuses on the participation of the
heat because he got up at 4:00 in the morning to work in the rice field. It is a typical practice
group/community members being studied.
of the Filipinos
Emic working
These in the
members riceasfield
serve in many
the primary agricultural areas in the country. As a Filipino
source
of information in describing, identifying, and
and from the insiders' view, which one will you accommodate as you construct yourself?
analyzing their culture.
Would you define yourself
“insiders’ as 'Juan
perspectives”
Tamad"Etic
or "Juan Masipag"?
is an approach thatAnother
generates example
information is how outsiders interpret our eating of shrimp
based on the existing theories and
paste ("bagoong" whether
perspectives alamang
from or point
the outsider's isda). They view it as that Filipinos are eating rotten
of view.
fish (nabubulok na isda). But for us, it is one of our delicacies.
“outsiders’ perspectives”
Combination A combination of the insiders’ and outsiders’
Asofstated by perspectives
Emic and T.S. Eliot “the end of all our
in understanding exploring will be to arrive where we started and
the specific
group or community.
know the place for the first time" we have that reason in everything we do. Probably we have
Etic
that neutral flatform in which we can go back and start everything before we embark on a
remarkable journey of life again and again. Then hopefully, one can know answering this
question sought. How and what can I construct myself with this?
As a consequence, the rise of global identity becomes more observable among the
present generation. Thus, the construction of self is being affected, as well as it is also
affecting others. We share a lot of common stuff with other people, but still, we are, and they
are different from us.
Check this link: Manunggul jar symbolizes our culture that communicates our
ancestors' rituals, beliefs, practices, and values. It explains
https://www.youtube.co that indeed it is ingrained in ourselves the belief about the
m/watch?v=Q98iXlxDf1g life after death. Hence, we value the way we live our lives on
earth. The functions of the self of the Filipinos are always
connected to the spiritual realm. Since the soul/spirit will
travel
to its destination, Filipinos need a clear and good conscience (budhi) to have a smooth sail
towards eternal life for more info about the Manunggul Jar.
Furthermore, culture provides mechanisms for stability and
change. It explains how diverse people and their structure, both in
the past and today, came into being. It is evident in the “creation
narrative.” The diversity of culture creates different “creation”
stories. It explains the diversity of life in a consistent manner of
ideas. While commonly seen as it depicts the relationship
between humans and their environment, mainly reflecting people's
deep- rooted connection to other living things and the earth. Like
“creation” stories, culture is one of the primary organizing
principles in social science, accounts for the diversity of life on
earth.
People tend to see and interpret behavior through their cultural filter. It is because
unconsciously, we are programmed by our culture. Our parents, friends, and relatives from
the same community merely pass on the beliefs and practices to the present generation.
These beliefs and practices are readily available tools hence, the "automatic" lens we use to
interpret other people's behaviors, events, and situations. However, this cultural lens that we
are carrying is one of the culprits for our biases (i.e., stereotypes, prejudices, and
discriminations) against members of the outgroups
GENERALIZATION
The different approaches in studying culture. These are the emic, etic, and the combination of
emic and etic
The collectivist and the individualist culture
The symbolical representation in our dances, practices, rituals, and art crafts
The cultural filter when we interpret other’s behavior from our own cultural lens
REFERENCES
Eriksen, T.H. (2004). What is anthropology? London: Pluto Press.
Haviland, W.A., Prins, H.E.L., & Walrath, D. (2016). The essence of anthropology. California:
Wadsworth Publishing Company.
Jacoby, J. & Kibbee, J.Z. (2007). Cultural anthropology: A guide to reference and
information sources. Devon, England: Libraries Unlimited.
Swallow, D. (2012, Feb 20). Intercultural communication adventure with little pilot [Video File].
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSt_op3fQck
Triandis, H.C. (1989). The self and social behavior in differing cultural contexts. Psychological
Review, 96 (3),506-520.