STARTING POINTS FOR

THE UNDERSTANDING
OF CULTURE, SOCIETY,
AND POLITICS
 2

GUESS FROM WHAT

COUNTRY
 OBJECTIVES:
1. articulate observations on human cultural variation, social
differences, social change, and political identities
2. demonstrate curiosity and openness to explore the origins and
dynamics of culture and society, and political identities
3. analyze social, political, and cultural change
4. identify the subjects of inquiry and goals of Anthropology,
Political Science, and Sociology
5. recognize the common concerns or intersections of
anthropology, sociology, and political science with respect to the
phenomenon of change
Activity 1: SELF INTRODUCTION/BUZZ SESSION

Articulate observations on human cultural variation, social differences, social change, and political
identities

1. SELF INTRODUCTION: Selected students will

introduce themselves to the class by sharing their social
and cultural backgrounds within the class. 5 minutes will
be given to chosen students to prepare for the activity.
Demonstrate curiosity and openness to explore the origins and dynamics of culture and society, and
political identities

2. Buzz Session: After the activity, encourage students to

raise questions about the sharing.
BUZZ SESSION
Students shall discuss important points about the
sharing and will be instructed to write on a piece of
paper some questions pertaining to the sharing of the
selected students
Nature & Beginning of
Social Sciences

ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY & POLITICAL
SCIENCE
Pairwork/Sharing
Identify the subjects of inquiry and goals of Anthropology, Political Science, and Sociology

Activity: Have the students identify the subjects of

inquiry and goals of Anthropology, Political Science, and
Sociology thru a pairwork activity. 10 minutes will be
allotted for the said activity. Class sharing/discussion will
follow.
ANTHROPOLOGY
What Is Anthropology?
 derived from the
Greek words
anthropos for
“human” and logos
for “study” – the
study of humans
 The study of people
– their origins, their
development, and
contemporary
variations
Subject of Anthropology
- includes fossilized
skeletal remains of
early humans,
artifacts and other
material remains
from prehistoric and
historic
- archeological sites,
and all of the
contemporary and
historical cultures of
the world
What makes human beings unique?
Human Characteristic Anthropological Subfield
Humans shape their material Archeology
environment
Humans differ in their physical form Physical/Biological
Anthropology
Humans have a unique communication Linguistic Anthropology
system
Humans act according to learned Cultural Anthropology
knowledge systems
 Archeology

 Studies the ways humans manipulate

their material environment
 Examines material environment of

past societies for clues about their

lives
Physical Anthropology

Examines the ways

humans are
biologically similar to
and different from
other animals
 Primatology

 Human Evolution
Linguistic Anthropology

 How humans use language to

communicate
 The spread and
transformation of language
 Language acquisition
 Language revitalization
Cultural Anthropology

Describes and analyzes the

beliefs people have about their
social and material worlds, and
the ways these affect human
action
 16

SOCIOLOGY
Sociology

the science of society

and the social
interactions taking
place within it
 Sociology
18

 Howard Becker defined sociology as the

study of people “doing things together.”
 Society and the individual are inherently
connected, and each depends on the other.
 Sociologists study this link: how society

affects the individual and how the

individual affects society.
 Sociology is simply, the scientific study of
social behavior and human groups

focuses on social relationships

on how those relationships

influence people’s behavior

on how societies, the sum total of

those relationships, develop and
change.

19
 Cool Insights from Sociology
20

Humans cannot be understood

apart from social context (i.e.
society)

Society makes us who we are by

structuring out interactions and
laying out an orderly world before
us
Society is a social construction, that
is, it is an idea created by humans
through social interaction and given
a reality through our understanding
of it and our collective actions.
 Sociological imagination
21

an awareness of the relationship

between an individual and the
wider society, both today and in
the past

key element is to view one’s

own society as an outsider
would
rather than only from the
perspective of personal
experiences and cultural
biases.
Why Study Sociology?
- to obtain factual information
about our society and different
aspects of our social life
- to enable community leaders,
entrepreneurs and government
officials in maintaining social
order and plotting courses of
action for the future of a society
POLITICAL SCIENCE
What is Political Science?
 The study of the state in all its elements,
aspects and relationships (old definition)
 Its government and its organs and institution
 An attempt by systematic analysis to
discover in detail whatever principles
may exist of wider and more general
significance about the state(modern
definition)
 Political Science
Politics
 From Greek word, “polis” – city-state

 Every polis/city-state is an association and man is a

political animal.” (Aristotle – father of Pol-Sci)
 Men are involved in a political relationship that may be
characterized by “rule”, “power” or “authority”.
 When men live together in associations – rules,

authorities and government are created to deal with

conflicts
Political Science

• Involves a basic knowledge

and understanding of the state
and of the principles and
ideals which underlie its
organization and activities
• Concerned with the association
of human beings into a
political community
Political Science
• belongs to the social
sciences (study of
human behavior)
 Political Scientists
• describe and analyze
Prof. Alex Magno
the institutions and behavior
involved in the political
governance of states
• aim to explain why events
happen as they do

Prof. Francisco Nemenzo

 As a social being – We always belong to a group
and interact with people. We are always in
company with others.
 As a cultural being - We carry our ancestors
tradition, beliefs, speak the language of our
parents, practice their faith and distinct way of life.
 As political being - We are subjected to power
relations. We are governed by rules and laws of
society
Activity 2: Before and After
Analyze social, political, and cultural change

The class will be divided into 6 groups. Each group

will make a skit about the social, political, and
cultural changes in the Philippines. “Before” and
“After” will be used to categorize the transition of
change in the creative outputs.
Group 1 and 2 Social Changes
Group 3 and 4 Political Changes
Group 5 and 6 Cultural Changes
Rubric Group Presentation

CRITERIA Exceed Meet Approaches Developing Beginning

Standards Standards Standards

5 4 3 2 1 0
CONTENT The The The The The The group
presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation failed to
shows in- shows basic shows does not did not show provide
depth understandin limited show political, presentation
understandin g of the understandin understandin social, of the
g of political, g of the g of the cultural political,
political, social, political, political, changes in social,
social, cultural social, social, the cultural
cultural changes in cultural cultural Philippines changes in
changes in the changes in changes in the
the Philippines. the the Philippines
Philippines Philippines Philippines
Guide Question for Discussion:

 1. What are the social, cultural, political

changes presented in the skit?
 2. How does each changes affect
individuals, group, society?
 3. What are the best ways to cope up
with the said changes as individuals,
group, society?
APPLICATION:
Recognize the common concerns or intersections of anthropology, sociology, and political science with
respect to the phenomenon of change

Venn Diagram.
Based on your knowledge on political science, sociology,
and anthropology, write down terms related to each
social science branch in their perspective circle. In the
areas where two circles overlap, place the term that
describes or is related to both social sciences. In the
inner most connection, write down the term that is
related to all three categories.
Conflict theory indigenous people ancestors
Constitutions deviance culture
States hierarchy crime
Social sciences

POLITICAL SCIENCE

SOCIOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY
 References:
1. Dannug, Roman R. and Campanilla, M. 2004.
Politics, Governance and Government with
Philippine Constitution. Second Edition. Quezon
City: C& E Publishing, Inc.
2. Panopio, Isabel and Adelisa Raymundo,
Sociology: Focus on the Philippines. 4th edition.
2004. Quezon City: KEN Inc. pp. 2-28.
3. www.google.com.ph