Module I: Culture, Society and Politics

Sociality human communities

- the categories that we (American Anthropological
possess and assigned to us Association)
by society at large.
-labels , function as tags with Goals: describe and analyze
which our society reads our the biological evolution of
worth and value. mankind describe and
-socially constructed assess the cultural
development of our species
Cultural Variation describe, explain, and
- refers to the differences in analyze the present day
social behaviors that cultures human cultural similarities
exhibit around the world and differences describe and
explain human biological and
Social Differences diversity today
refers to the situation where
people are discriminated Political Science
based on economic - the systematic study of
status, social characteristics, government and politics.
and qualities. makes generalizations and
analyses about political
systems and political
behavior and uses these
results to predict future
behavior.

Anthropology Goals : be immersed in

-focus on human diversity current affairs build an
and a science seeking to understanding on the local,
uncover principles of national, and international
behavior that apply to all politics
 MODULE 2: CULTURE & SOCIETY AS A SOCIOLOGICAL &
ANTHROPOLOGICAL CONCEPTS PART II: ASPECTS OF
CULTURE

CULT U R E

E . B TYOR
-Century complex whole,
which encompasses beliefs,
practices, values, attitudes,
laws, norms, artifacts,
symbols, knowledge, and
everything that a person
learns and shares as a
member of society.

B . MALINOWSKI KNOWLEDGE
-the handiwork of man and -refers to any information
the medium through which received and perceived to be
he achieves his ends true.

V. DEROBERT NORM
-an organized body of -established expectations of
conventional understandings society as to how a person is
manifest in art which supposed to act
persisting through tradition,
characterizes a human group BELIEFS
-refers to the existence of
ANATOMY OF CULTURE & things whether material or
SOCIETY THE WHAT, HOW, nonmaterial.
AND WHY OF CULTURE
SOCIAL NORM human acts as right or wrong
or good from bad
FOLKWAYS VALUES
-The patterns of repetitive -Anything held to be
behavior which becomes relatively worthy, important,
habitual and conventional desirable, or valuable.
part of living
TECHNOLOGY
-The practical application of
MORES knowledge in converting raw
-set of ethical standards and materials into finished
moral obligations as dictates products
of reason that distinguishes

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE

Kluckhohn and Kelly (n.d.) defined culture as historically derived

system of explicit and implicit designs for living, which tends to be
shared by all or specially designed members of a group

EXPLICIT CULTURE SUPERORGANIC

-refers to similarities in words CULTURE -culture is seen
and actions which can be as something superior to
directly observed. nature because nature
serves as the ingredient of
IMPLICIT CULTURE any cultural productions.
-exists in abstract forms
which are not quite obvious.
CULTURE IS INTEGRATED and is manifested in two
& PERVASIVE ways: (1) culture provides an
unquestioned context within
• beliefs, practices, values, which individual action and
attitudes, laws, norms, response take place; and (2)
artifacts, symbols, culture pervades social
knowledge can be integrated activities and institutions.
everywhere.
• Culture is pervasive since it
touches every aspect of life

PART I: THE INTERPRETIVE DYNAMICS OF SOCIETY

Society as a Deity

• possess the tripartite (i.e.,

threefold) powers reserved
for Him alone omnipotence,
omniscience, omnipresence
(all powerful, all-knowing,
and everywhere). THREE THEORETICAL
PERSPECTIVES
• Society limits and opens
opportunity to all the people. Structural Functionalism
(Social Order)
• Predictability of actions
and behavior is the ultimate Conflict Theory
practical fruit of our (Conflict)
enslavement to society.
Symbolic Interactionism
(MeaningMaking)
MODULE 3 : ETHNOCENTRISM & CULTURAL RELATIVISM

ETHNOCENTRISM

Ethno (Greek) people, • conflict of course often

nation, or cultural grouping leads to social change. •
the tendency of each society vehicle for the promotion of
to place its own culture social change.
patterns at the center of
things XENOCENTRISM

Centric (Latin) center characterized by a strong

belief that one's own
the belief that your native products, styles, or ideas are
culture is the most natural or inferior to those which
superior way of originate elsewhere.
understanding the world
XENOPHOBIA
FUNCTION OF
ETHNOCENTRISM the fear of what is perceived
as or strange.
• encourages the solidarity of fear of losing identity,
a group. suspicion of the other
• promotes continuance of group's activities
the status quo.
• discourages change. CULTURAL RELATIVISM
• hinders the understanding
or the cooperation between the idea that all norms,
groups. beliefs, and values are
• promote conflict, as the dependent on their cultural
records of past wars and context and should be
religious and racial conflicts treated as such
reveal.
 Module 4- HUMAN BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL
EVOLUTION - PART 1 - BIOLOGICAL EVOLUTION

NATURAL SELECTION

Environment favors certain -Organisms produce progeny

organisms and those with different sets of traits
organisms that survive can that can be inherited.
pass on their traits.
-Organisms that have traits
CHARLES DARWIN most suitable to their
environment will survive and
“It is the outcome of transfer these variations to
processes that affect the their offspring in subsequent
frequencies of traits in a generations.
particular environment. Traits
that enhance survival and Why is it important to study
reproductive success evolution or changes?
increase in frequency over
time Artifacts- Refer to objects
that were made and used by
THREE IMPORTANT humans
PRINCIPLE OF NATURAL
SELECTION Fossils- Refer to the human,
plant, and animal remains
- Every species is made up of that have been preserved
a variety of individuals through time
wherein some are better
adapted to their
environments
compared to others
EVOLUTION: FROM • height almost similar with
HOMINIDS TO HOMO the chimpanzee.
SAPIENS SAPIENS
• brain size of about 320-380
HOMINID- The group of cubic centimeters.
early humans and other
humanlike creatures that can • small teeth similar to other
walk erect during the hominids.
prehistoric times
AUSTRALOPITECUS
-Pre-Human Stage
Ape-like and Human-like • They lived in African jungle
characteristics from 5-1
million years ago.
-1st Stage of Human • Brain size of 500 cubic
Evolution centimeters (cc)
or almost of the size of the
-Modern Human and the modern
last stage of Human human brain.
Evolution • Upright, biped, and tool
users only, not
-Excavatedfrom the maker.
continent of Africa • Used stones for digging
and food
SAHELANTHROPUS scavengers.
• Distance of movement was
• They exist 6-7 million years estimated to
ago. be 15 kilometers (9.3 miles)
or more to
• a skull similar to the search for stones to be used
Australopithecus and as tools.
modern human, •Lived in a small group
mandate insects
DISCOVERY- Occurs when HOMO HABILIS
something new that is (Originated or came from
already existing is, Homo Ergaster)
intentionally or not, located
INVENTION; AXE &
INVENTION- Occurs when SHOVEL
something that is not existing
before is created, can be • Estimated to have lived
intended or not intended from 1.8 million to 300,000
years ago.
HOMO HABILIS - HOMO • Brain size of 1,000 cc or
ERGASTER about 2/3 of the modern
human brain size
OLDOWAN TOOLS or • Height of about five feet
HANDY MAN • Walks upright
• More intelligent and
• Height of about 3 to 4 feet adaptable
• Brain size half the size of • Knows how to invent and
the modern human (700 develop different
cubic centimeters) technologies to respond their
• Made tools called Oldowan needs
(name came from the place • Make complex tools for
where they were found in digging, cutting, and
Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) scraping (e.g., famous for
which were used as cutting axe tools)
tools and made from
volcanic stones
• Used tools for hunting and
food gathering
 fishing tools, harpoons, bows
HOMO ERECTUS and arrows, spear
throwers, and sewing
First Homo Species to needles)
use fire • Developed oral languages

Fire also allowed them to

cook food and meat.

They also used fire to protect

them from attacking wild
Animals.

Fire also provided the Homo

erectus a much bigger area
available for habitation.

HOMO SAPIENS
(wise or thinking man)

• Large brain size (1,400 cc)

that is almost similar
to the brain of modern
humans
• Lived in shelters and food
gatherers
• Ate plants, fruits, and
hunted animals
• Learned to gather and cook
shellfish (164,000
years ago) using fire
• Crafted metals and
developed technology (e.g.,
 MODULE 4 - HUMAN BIOLOGICAL AND SOCIOCULTURAL
EVOLUTION

Then why do we need to HUNTING AND

change? GATHERING SOCIETY
Hunting and Gathering
Societies

Gerhard Lenski • societies produce simple

forms of tools used to hunt
Humans encounters for animals and gather plants
challenges posed by and vegetation for food.
environment, and to • Family is the basic unit of
survive, we innovate, hunting and gathering
develop, and apply new societies.
forms of technology in • They usually have a
response to these shaman or a priest who acts
challenges. as the leader of the group.
• Since hunters and
Our responses to these gatherers rely on nature for
challenges will shape and food and survival, they
lead the evolution or believe that spirits live in the
transformation of the next world.
society
• They frequently move and
do not have permanent
But it is not a linear flow, it is settlements
more of a cycle, with varying
challenges but same • During the Paleolithic
scenarios of changes. period (2,500,000-10,000
BCE)
HORTICULTURE AGRICULTURAL AND
NEOLITHIC SOCIETY
• Described as semi
sedentary societies because • Began 5,000 years ago
they do not frequently move during the Neolithic Period
as opposed to hunting and (8000-4000 BCE).
gathering societies. • Agricultural societies
• small-scale farming started to cultivate wheat,
• They produce and use barley, peas, rice, and millet
simple forms of hand tools to between 8000 and 3500
plant crops BCE.
• there is a surplus of food. • Neolithic people produced
Because food supply is more cultivation tools and
than enough to feed the developed farming skills that
members of society, some of can support and sustain a
its members engage in other town with a population of
forms of subsistence like over a thousand people.
making crafts and trading • Improved ways of farming
and domestication of animals
unequal social relations compared to the previous
because some members act society
as the ruling elite.
 people in society acted as
• Money became a form of serfs and slaves while a few
exchange replacing the members became elites and
barter system. acted as owners of lands
and other resources.
• Increase in social
inequality because most

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETIES
According to Bell (1999),
Industrial societies began post-industrial societies are
when the Industrial characterized by the
Revolution swept through following:
Europe during the late
eighteenth century and the 1. Transfer of labor
first half of the nineteenth workforce from
century (from 1780s to manufacturing to service
1850s). 2. A significant increase in
the number of professional
POST-INDUSTRIAL and technical employment
SOCIETIES and a decline in the number
of skilled and semiskilled
With the development of workers
information technology and 3. Education as the basis of
computers, many societies social mobility
transformed into 4. Human capital as an
post-industrial societies essential aspect of
understanding the strength
of society
 5. Application of "intellectual Below are their important
technology" which is based characteristics:
on the application of
mathematics and linguistics
and the use of algorithms 1. Developed and highly
and software programming advanced cities
models 2. Well-defined city centers
6. Focus on communication 3. Complex and systematic
infrastructure institutions
7. Knowledge as source of 4. Organized and centralized
invention and innovation system of government
5. Formalized and complex
POLITICAL EVOLUTION form of religion
AND THE DEVELOPMENT 6. Job specialization
OF EARLY CIVILIZATION 7. Development of social
classes
The development of the early 8. Implementation of
civilizations showed the large-scale public works and
political evolution of society. infrastructure like defense
A civilization develops walls, monuments, temples,
because of a society's highly mausoleums, government
advanced level of culture, edifices, trading centers, and
social organization, political markets
developments, judicial 9. Sophisticated and
system, arts, and other forms detailed forms of arts and
of culture at a particular time. architecture
10. Advanced technology
11. System of writing and
recording
Political leaders of early
civilizations were also tasked
to do the following

1. Craft laws
2. Implement laws
3. Impose justice and
punishment
4. Collect taxes
5. Sometimes act as
religious leaders as well