Lesson 3: Cultural Variations and Social

Differences in Ethnicity and Religion

Being part of a culture in a way, makes us integrated with other people whom we share the
same culture. However, identification in one also determines our differences from other
cultures. In this lesson, we will analyze how culture sharing makes us the same, but also
different from one another.

Starting Out

On a piece of paper, create a concept map, with your name and the cultural group with which
you identify (e.g. Tagalog, Ilocano, Ifugao, Kapampangan, etc.) in the middle; and identify the
following characteristics of your cultural group: languages/dialects, religion, traditions and
rituals, food, and arts and crafts. After which, answer the following questions below:

Traditions
and Rituals

Religion Food

Language/ Name &

Arts and
Cultural
Dialects Crafts and
Group

• What makes your cultural group unique from other cultural groups in the Philippines?
• Do you share some similar characteristics with other cultural groups? What are they?
• How does your being a member of a specific cultural group affect your life in general?

Ethnicity, Ethnic Groups, and Race

An ethnic group refers to a specific group of people having certain similar characteristics and
a distinct cultural identity, which distinguish them from other groups in the community or
society. Tagalog, Ilocano, Ifugao, and Kapampangan are all examples of ethnic groups. While
ethnic group refers directly to a category or collection of people, the term ethnicity is used to
denote the shared culture of these groups, which includes cultural heritage, language or
dialect, religion, traditions and rituals, norms, values, beliefs, and other practices. Having an
ethnicity makes it easy for people to feel that they can identify with an ethnic group. In other
words, the shared culture (or ethnicity) of a group of people is what solidifies their identity as
an
ethnic group. Interestingly, it is also ethnicity that enables an individual to separate and
distinguish himself from other groups of which he is not part.

Race is a socially constructed category attributed to people who share the same biological
traits or attributes. People’s classification of race are usually based on physical characteristics
like skin color, facial features, and hair texture and color. Some of the commonly known racial
attributes are black, white, or Asian. It is important to remember that even though race is
based on biological characteristics, the concept is still socially constructed. Meaning, it is still
society that decides whether which physical characteristics are significant enough to get a
label or name. Differentiating race and ethnicity is actually not that difficult since they have
different bases. Race is constructed from biological characteristics while ethnicity is
constructed from cultural traits.

Ethnic groups are collection of people while ethnicity refers directly to the collection of
shared cultural characteristics. Race and ethnicity are both socially constructed;
however, race is based on biological traits while ethnicity is based on cultural ones.

Another difference between the two is that race tends to be more unitary or singular, while
ethnicities tend to be diverse. For example, different ethnicities like Russian, Irish, and Italian
may belong to only one race which is white. However, there are also instances where one
ethnicity could include more than one race. One example are the French. French people can
be considered as one ethnic group since they share the same culture, practices and traditions;
but members of this particular ethnic group include people with a white or black racial
background.

Ethnic and Ethnolinguistic Groups in the Philippines

The Philippines is undeniably a diverse country as it is home for more than a hundred ethnic
or ethnolinguistic groups (i.e. ethnic groups with their own language). These groups possess
different combinations of cultural characteristics, traditions, and practices. Majority of them
have already adjusted in an urban way of living, while other remain to be more in tune with
their indigenous roots and heritage. In Cordillera alone, there are several ethnic groups such
as the Bontoc, Ibaloi, Ifugao, Ikalahan, Isneg, Itneg, Kalinga, and Kankanaey. Majority of them
have agriculture as the main source of living. This is due to their geographical location, in the
mountains, which possess fertile lands appropriate for planting. Several more ethnic groups
are located in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Fig. 7. Apo Whang-od: The Oldest Mambabatok (hand-poke tattooist) in Kalinga Mawg64. July
28, 2016. Whang-od tattooing. https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50374688

Can you name other examples of ethnic or ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines?
What do you think is the reason for such a diverse collection of ethnic groups in our
country?

Religion in Ethnicity

Religion, as part of one’s culture, can also be considered as one aspect of an individual’s
ethnicity. A religion is a set of beliefs and ritual practices related to symbols, which are
considered as sacred. Ethnic groups may have different symbols, which they consider sacred;
and the differences of these symbols also entail differences in how these symbols are
expressed in a cultural group’s belief system and rituals. These belief systems influenced how
people would interpret and interact with the world in which they live.

One of the earliest recorded religions in society is animism among hunting and gathering
societies in the pre-industrial world. Animism is the belief that spiritual forces reside in natural
elements of the physical world (e.g. trees, oceans, wind). As result, such elements were
considered sacred, which invoked veneration and respect for nature. The concept of ‘God’ and
‘gods’ eventually developed in horticultural and agricultural societies. In the contemporary
world we live in now, innumerable religions are already established across the world, having
different sets of beliefs, rituals, gods, and sacred symbols. Among the religions of today are:
Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism, and Shintoism.

Religion, as part of one’s ethnicity, influence how a person would interpret and interact with the
world around him. Some religions have one superior beings, others have more than one.
Others only subscribe to spiritual beings (not superior ones).

Social Implications of Diverse Ethnicities

As much as the concept of ethnicity propagates the idea of being one and the same with
people whom you share cultural traits, it also strengthens differences among ethnic and
cultural groups. In some cases, these differences may lead to conflict and issues. Each ethnic
groups may develop prejudice and stereotypes about other ethnic groups. Prejudices are
faulty generalizations about an entire group of people that is based on little or no evidence.
Stereotypes are oversimplified assumptions that describe a whole ethnic group. Prejudices
and stereotypes can either be positive or negative, although most are created to condemn
members of other ethnic groups. One example is the overgeneralization that Muslims from
Mindanao are terrorists. Such prejudice is created because terrorism and armed rebellion is
associated with people living in Mindanao, which are mostly practice the Islam religion. These
types of false judgments may instigate more intense conflict among different ethnic groups.

Differences among ethnic groups may also lead to minority groups, collective groups of
people who are singled out, distinguished, and treated as subordinates or inferior by the
dominant or majority group, because of their physical or cultural characteristics. Minority
groups often experience different degrees of discrimination from the society in which they are
a part of. Such discriminations and maltreatment are present in the Philippine society, as some
business corporations evade the law in order to acquire ancestral lands of some ethnic tribes
in the Philippines, to be transformed into business investments.

The Anti-Ethnic or Racial Profiling and Discrimination Act of 2011 is approved by the Senate
which prohibits discrimination against race, ethnicities and religious affiliations, in terms of job
opportunities, distribution of social services, and improvement of standards of living. In your
opinion, how will this act ensure unequal treatment to members of ethnic groups? Can you
evaluate the effectiveness of this act based on your observations about the current state of the
Philippine society?
 Francisco Alves Mendes, Jr. or commonly called as Chico
Mendes, is a Brazilian labor activist and conservationist. He
was known for his active work in protecting the interests of
rubber tree tappers in a state in Amazon, and his call to
preserve the Amazon Rainforest. He helped in establishing
unions that work against the deforestation of the Amazon
forests. He believed that preserving the forests and creating
forest reserves will help peasants and indigenous
communities, to sustain their lives. A number of awards was
given to him as recognition for his efforts to protect the rights
of natives and indigenous peoples in the land, as well as for
protecting the environment. In December 1988, he was
murdered at his home in Xapuri where he died on the spot.