MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH

Pre-test: True or False – Write True if the said statement is true, and write False if the statement is false, on a
one-half cross-wised sheet of yellow pad paper.

1. Formal education is the term used when a student learns inside the classroom. A student follows a
curriculum and is being graded on his or her performance.
2. Learning gives society the potential to reach development and success.
3. Primary education is essential in the early stages of human life. Humans need education to enable them
to adapt to the dictates of their society.
4. Theism is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to
an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to
explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.
5. Animism is the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
6. Wendigo is a catchphrase often heard from elderly Filipinos when they give a compliment an infant for
its weight and size.
7. Nonformal education enables a student to learn skills and knowledge through structured learning
process.
8. Formal education, in particular, tries to keep pace with the changes in the economy, as can be observed
in the constant tuition fee increase in institutions of higher learning.
9. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning
of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.
10. An individual’s right to health is not only focused on access to health care but is also embedded with
underlying determinants such as water, sanitation, and food.
 MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH
Lesson 1 – Education

In sociology, education is views as a social institution. It gives society the potential to reach
development and success. Generally, education means the development of the intellect, it is an act of thinking
critically. It can be classified into formal and nonformal.

Formal education is the term used when a student learns inside the classroom. A student follows a
curriculum and is being graded on his or her performance.

Nonformal education emerged in response to the world’s crisis in education, identified by Philip H.
Coombs in 1967, who argued that the formal education systems have failed to address the changing dynamics of
the environment and the societies.

Nonformal education enables a student to learn skills and knowledge through structured learning
process. A student learns his or her values, principles, and beliefs and undergoes lifelong learning.

Notions on education change through history. Together with other public issues in the contemporary
world, education mainly concerns much of the social, economic, political, and cultural systems. A sociological
appreciation is required to fully understand this matter.

2.1 – Functions of Education that affect Society

The functions of education are:

1. To produce productive citizens

Productive citizenry – educational systems enable citizens to be productive members of society,

as they are equipped with knowledge and skills that could contribute to the development of their
society’s systems and institutions.

2. To develop self-actualization

Self-actualization – education develops one’s sense of self. As a huge part of the discovery
process of oneself, education encourages having the vision to become self-actualized. Moreover,
it enables one to see your strengths and maintain them. It enables one to determine weakness and
adjust to them. This helps one reach full potential and establish oneself as a whole.

Through education, humans are empowered to experience and learn their true capacities that lead
to self-actualization. Humans also tend to find boundless enthusiasm in learning outside the classroom,
which is basically through experience.

With this, it becomes easier for them to socialize, to identify a career path, to create self-identity,
and the like. They will tend to have the ability to analyze, evaluate and decide on their own.

2.2 – Primary Education as a Human Right

Primary education is essential in the early stages of human life. Humans need education to
enable them to adapt to the dictates of their society.

The qualities of education experienced by students are noticeably differentiated. The rift in the
quality of education received by students from private schools and those from public schools
have been observed in both developed and developing countries.

Formal education, in particular, tries to keep pace with the changes in the economy, as can be
observed in the constant tuition fee increase in institutions of higher learning.

The issue on education taps the economical aspect of the society, as classism stands as a barrier
to the social development of humans. This also digs on the impact of social inequality, as a
 MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH
systematic oppression lies especially on the lower class. They experience discrepancies in
educational opportunities due to financial problems.

Lesson 2 – Religion and Belief Systems

Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to
an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain
the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.

A belief system is an ideology or set of principles that helps us to interpret our everyday reality. This
could be in the form of religion, political affiliation, philosophy and spirituality, among many other things.
These beliefs are shaped and influenced by a number of different factors.

2.1 – Functions of Religion

There are several functions of religion that can be best explained through various orientations.

1. Functionalism – Religion serves several functions for society. These include:

a. Giving meaning and purpose to life
b. Reinforcing social unity and stability
c. Serving as an agent of social control of behavior
d. Promoting physical and psychological well-being
e. Motivating people to work for positive social change

2. Conflict Theory – religion reinforces and promotes social inequality and social conflict. It
helps convince the poor to accept their lot in life, and it leads to hostility and violence
motivated by religious differences.

3. Symbolic interactionism – this perspective focuses on the ways in which individuals

interpret their religious experiences. It emphasizes that beliefs and practices are not sacred
unless people regard them as such. Once they are regarded as sacred, they take on special
significance and give meaning to people’s lives.

2.2 – Animism

Religion involves several social patterns that are incorporated with different social structures, norms
and values.

Animism is the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
Potentially, animism perceives all things – animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather systems, human
handiwork, and perhaps, even words – as animated and alive.

It may have started in the precolonial and modern societies. However, there are several resurrections of
animistic traditions that were observed in contemporary periods.

These beliefs based on the spiritual concept of the universe and that everything that can be found inside
it is said to have soul and spirit, including plants, trees, animals, and rocks.

In animism, spirits can either be good or bad form. Moreover, these spirits make interactions and
influences on humans in various ways and forms.

2.3 – Polytheism
 MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH

Another religious pattern that was established during ancient periods is polytheism. It is rooted in these
two words: poly means “many”, and theism which means “god”. Hence, polytheism is characterized by
the worship of many deities, which illustrate ways of life including beliefs, practices and traditions.

Polytheistic deities consist of variants of the sky god, death deity, mother goddess, love goddess, creator
deity, trickster deity, life-death-rebirth deity, and culture hero.

2.4 – Monotheism

Monotheism strongly believes in one god, which is accountable for all the things happening in the world
including the world’s creation and existence. It is believed that polytheism paved the way for the
development of the belief in the supreme power of one being. Scholars argue that as human societies
affiliate with a few of the gods in a pantheon of gods, they have come to practice exclusive worship of
several deities.

This practice later promoted the ascension of a singular chosen deity to supremacy.

2.5 – Institutionalized Religion

When beliefs and rituals are codified and when worship of deities is structured, religion ceases to be just
a belief in the divine, as it takes on the characteristic of an institution.

Institutionalized religion is also referred to by sociologists as organized religion. Some of the notable
characteristics of institutionalized religion are the following:

1. Wide-scale religious cult – the number of individuals affiliated with this religions institution is
immense that it crosses political in international borders and cuts across social status.

2. Hierarchical leadership and membership – followers of this type of faith system are relegated to
sociopolitical posts within the system which provides ranking and status. This implies that access to
the divine may not be given to every member but is a privilege of a select few.

3. Codified rituals – the processes of interacting with the divine and with fellow members are guided
by written rules and regulations that have the power of the law, such that a member’s inability
comply results in the imposition of sanctions.

2.6 – Separation of Church and State

In ancient societies, the church and state are synonymous as the leaders of the church are also the
political elite. Political scientists refer to this as theocracy or the rule of the divine.

In some societies, political leaders also assume religions leadership by virtue of the common belief
that they are directly related to the divine.

As states developed into more complex political units, the interrelationship between it and the church
has been redefined to the extent that the church is regarded as a separate entity from the state. Most
developed and developing countries have mandated the separation of church and state affairs through
the inclusion of prohibiting provision in their constitutions.

However, despite such provisions, the religious culture of the Filipinos has oftentimes empowered the
religious sectors to influence the political affairs of the community.

Lesson 3 – Health
MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH
3.1 – Theories on Social Health

Social health is one of the most contested territories in public policy as questions on equality, quality
and availability of health care remain submerged in international and local political dialogues among
stakeholders.

Paul Farmar (1997), an anthropologist, presented the concept of structured violence to refer to the
systematic process of putting several sectors of society in greater vulnerability to dreaded diseases.

The concept of being well, or being healthy, varies among groups of people, as each group subscribes to
its own versions of explanations that aim to answer for health-related circumstances.

Arthur Kleinman argued that health issues are best understood within the frame of the individual’s local
moral world, which embodies the rationalizations of individuals about their illnesses.

These rationalizations are often rooted on their set of values and morality. Hence, a person’s
interpretation of cancer may range from a very scientific perspective to a morally dictated one, wherein
such health condition can be perceived as punishment from god for transgressions committed in the past.

3.2 – Culture-specific Syndromes and Illnesses

Pwera usog – is a catchphrase often heard from elderly Filipinos when they give a compliment an infant
for its weight and size. This is at times accompanied by the marking of a cross on the foot of the child
using a saliva-coated fingertip.

Wendigo – among the Algonquian people in Canada and United States, a legendary creature known as
wendigo is believed to exist. This half demon and half best creature is known for consuming human
flesh. It is also believed that humans can be possessed by the wendigo and turn to cannibalism.

Western medicine in the 1900s labelled this behavior as Wendigo psychosis, a culturally specific mental
disorder observed among native North Americans.

Latah – another type of culturally specific disease is that of Latah which is observed in parts of
Southeast Asia. This mental disorder embodies a set of abnormal behavior such as uncontrollable
laughter, cursing, screaming or even repetitive movements and statements.

This has been labelled as a startle disorder due to the fact that the abnormal behavior is usually triggered
by shock that an individual feel.

Although such abnormal behaviors have been observed in Malaysia, the Philippines, Indonesia and
Thailand, a similar phenomenon has observed among the jumping Frenchmen of Maine.

Run amuck – this phrase refers to a sudden attack made by an individual against a group of people
causing injuries or even death. This is rooted in the Malay word mengamok that means “to make a
furious and desperate charge”.

Although posing a great threat to security and peace, amok is understood in Malaysia within the frame
of religion, as it is believed to be a by-product of a spiritual possession of an individual by an evil tiger
spirit.

This belief complex allows for reconciliatory processes after an individual run amuck. Recent studies
have confirmed that this previously exclusive abnormal behavior is present in several societies across
the world making it less culturally specific.

3.3 – Systems of Diagnosis, Prevention, and Healing

 MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH
The process of understanding the nature of the disease and the actions that must be made to arrest its
development vary per society. In fact, even in one society, individuals often observed to have differing
opinions as to how their health conditions can be efficiently managed.

There are 3 healing systems that people subscribe to:

1. Traditional medicine – at the heart of traditional medicine is the local moral world of an
individual’s society. This includes not only morality but also the spiritual perspectives that are held
true by its members. Crucial in the practice of traditional medicine is the belief that health conditions
are interrelated to human and divine interactions. This implies that a cold is just not a cold, as it can
be a form of a reminder from the divine to pursue morally upright actions and decisions.

According to WHO (2007), there are 6 types of traditional healers based on the scope of their
healing functions:

1. Shamans
2. Magic-based healers
3. Fortune tellers
4. Traditional birth attendants
5. Trance-based healers
6. Traditional medicine experts.

2. Western Medicine – the primary characteristic of Western medicine is its reliance on science as the
sole source of knowledge and information for health-related issues. The science-based approaches of
this system allow for strict and calculated approaches to diseases. Laboratory tests are made to
confirm the symptoms narrated by the sick. In most cases, it is highly depersonalized due to the
expected practice of professionalism among practitioners.

This type of healing system is most commonly practiced in urban societies.

3. Alternative healing system – this also known as complimentary alternative medicine. Unlike the
traditional medicine that competes with Western medicine, CAM recognizes the latter’s importance
and efficiency by accepting its prescriptions and techniques while creating alternative forms of
healing.

One of the most accepted forms of CAM is acupuncture, which is believed to release negative
energies through the cleansing of pressure points.

3.4 – Health as a Human Right

WHO has defined the “right to health” as the fundamental right of every human to be able to live
healthy through equal “access to timely, acceptable and affordable health care of appropriate quality.”

An individual’s right to health is not only focused on access to health care but is also embedded with
underlying determinants such as water, sanitation, and food.

Such inclusiveness of definition presents the argument that without proper and acceptable access to the
UD, an individual’s health will be vulnerable to diseases.

Activity Time!

1. How does formal education differ from nonformal education?

2. What are the factors that hinder individuals from accessing education?
3. If you were given a chance to be a President for one day, how will you solve the crisis in
terms of education for the poor people?
4. How does religion reflect the political dynamics of a society?
5. How do cultures enable the creation of group-specific diesases?
AEvaluation: True or False – Write True if the said statement is true, and write False if the statement is false,
on a one-half cross-wised sheet of yellow pad paper.
 MODULE 11 – EDUCATION, RELIGION, BELIEF SYSTEMS, AND HEALTH

1. Formal education is the term used when a student learns inside the classroom. A student follows a
curriculum and is being graded on his or her performance.
2. Learning gives society the potential to reach development and success.
3. Primary education is essential in the early stages of human life. Humans need education to enable them
to adapt to the dictates of their society.
4. Theism is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to
an order of existence. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to
explain the meaning of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.
5. Animism is the belief that objects, places and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence.
6. Wendigo is a catchphrase often heard from elderly Filipinos when they give a compliment an infant for
its weight and size.
7. Nonformal education enables a student to learn skills and knowledge through structured learning
process.
8. Formal education, in particular, tries to keep pace with the changes in the economy, as can be observed
in the constant tuition fee increase in institutions of higher learning.
9. Many religions have narratives, symbols, and sacred histories that are intended to explain the meaning
of life and/or to explain the origin of life or the Universe.
10. An individual’s right to health is not only focused on access to health care but is also embedded with
underlying determinants such as water, sanitation, and food.

Essay: For ten points, write what have you learned about this weekly topic that we have on this interactive
module.

Some Notes:

1. Post-test will be recorded and the instructor will collect your answers.
2. Activities will also be recorded and the instructor will collect your exercises.

Bibliography/References:

Internet Connection, Wikipedia

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics by DIWA Publishing

Maria Carinnes P. Alejandria-Gonzalez, Author