Lesson 2: The Self, Society, and Culture

Society

A group of people sharing the same culture and typically interacting in a definite territory.

Culture

A group of people’s way of life which includes behaviors, values, beliefs and symbols that they accept (usually unconsciously) that are socially transmitted from generation to generation.

Material culture

Includes attires, tools, weapons, architectural designs, and religious implements.

Nonmaterial culture

Includes the belief systems, values, norms or expected behaviors, as well as shared language and symbols.

Values (Kaugalian)

Ideals that guide or qualify one’s personal conduct, interaction with others, and career choices, setting standards of what is acceptable and admirable from a person who is part of a society.

Norms (Pamantayan)

Rules on what to do or what not to do in a certain situation; action-guiding rules specific to a particular culture or society.

Socialization (Enculturation)

A lifelong process of learning, teaching, internalizing, and living the culture of a society.

Status

A recognized social position that comes with a set of expectations, responsibilities, and behaviors associated with it within a society or group.

Ascribed Status

A social position inherited or given at birth.

Achieved Status

A social position personally acquired for achieving something.

Social Institutions

Sets of ideas, norms, practices, or mechanisms organized and focused on addressing the community’s needs.

Kinship / Family

The most basic social institution of society that organizes us based on our familial ties.

Consanguineal ties

Familial ties based on blood relations, like sibling relations.

Affinal ties

Familial ties based on marriage, like a husband and a wife.

Economic / Market (Social Institution)

A system that aims to regulate the flow of resources and services, ensuring fair shares of goods and services, fair competition, and sometimes controlling demand.

Politics / Government (Social Institution)

Composed of various organizations ensuring peace and order by legitimizing the use of power of certain people or groups.

Executive (Branch of Government)

Headed by the president, in charge of enforcing the law.

Legislative (Branch of Government)

Composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the Philippines, in charge of creating, amending, or repealing laws.

Judiciary (Branch of Government)

Led by the Supreme Court, providing proper interpretation of the laws and ensuring they follow the Constitution and basic human rights.

Education / School (Social Institution)

A social institution with basic goals to develop students' personalities and critical thinking, produce harmonious individuals, equip skills, transmit knowledge and culture, and bring about changes to other institutions.

Religion / Church (Social Institution)

An organized set of practices, symbols, and artifacts regarding the belief in the supernatural.

Mass Media

Refers to technological devices that reach a large number of people.

Social Media

Refers to computer-based technology that allows users to create and distribute information as well as participate in social networking.

Health Services (Social Institution)

A structured system of norms, rules, and organizations dedicated to maintaining and improving the health of a population.

Recreation

Activities or experiences carried on within leisure, usually chosen voluntarily by the participant for satisfaction, pleasure, or creative enrichment.

Leisure

The free time that people can spend away from their everyday responsibilities to rest, relax, and enjoy life.

Sport

Refers to any type of organized physical activity, e.g., soccer, rugby, football, basketball, and athletics.

Theory of Symbolic Interactionism

States that the concept of the self is not innate but emerges, evolves, and transforms through ongoing social interaction.

Theory of Cultural Determinism

The belief that a person's culture significantly shapes their behavior, values, and beliefs, implying there is no universal "right" way of being human.

Theory of Cultural Relativism

Investigates how cultural patterns and socialization practices shape individual personalities, examining traits a community values and those it considers unacceptable.

Sociologists' view of the self

The self is not fixed but formed through interactions with others and the social environment; we learn who we are by imagining how others see us.

Anthropologists' view of the self

The self and identity are deeply rooted in cultural practices, beliefs, and values; culture influences the self.

Theory of Symbolic Interactionism (George Herbert Mead)

The concept of the self is not innate but emerges, evolves, and transforms through ongoing social interaction.

Social Construction of the Self (Mead)

The "self" is not a purely internal creation; our identity forms through interaction with external influences (family, culture, media, institutions, experiences)

Identity Requires Social Recognition (Mead)

Individuals rely on others to validate their self-perception, solidifying who they believe themselves to be.

Values & Priorities Are Based on Society (Mead)

What we personally consider important is shaped by collective norms and cultural trends; society sets the framework for what is deemed worthy or meaningful.

Culture and Personality School of Thought (Ruth Fulton Benedict)

Examined the interplay between culture and individual personality development, arguing that each culture selects a limited number of personality traits to emphasize.

Theory of Cultural Determinism

The belief that a person's culture significantly shapes their behavior, values, and beliefs, implying there is no universal "right" way of being human.

Theory of Cultural Relativism

Investigates how cultural patterns and socialization practices shape individual personalities, examining the traits a community values and those it considers unacceptable.

Symbolic and Interpretive Anthropology (Clifford James Geertz)

Looks at culture as a collection of symbols with meanings, which are made, communicated, and negotiated by each person to make sense of their lives and interactions.

Looking Glass Self (Charles Horton Cooley)

A process by which a person develops their self-image based on how they imagine others treat or perceive them; not formed in isolation.

Self-Perception (Looking Glass Self)

The first phase, where a person perceives how they present themselves in a social situation.

Imagined Judgment (Looking Glass Self)

The second phase, where a person imagines how others judge their appearance, style, or actions.

Emotional Response (Looking Glass Self)

The third phase, involving a person's emotional reaction to their imagined judgment from others.

Dramaturgical Analysis (Erving Goffman)

The study of social interactions in terms of theatrical performance, where people are like actors performing on stage, following a script based on their status and roles.

Face Work (Erving Goffman)

Strategies people use to maintain, protect, or restore their social image ("face") during conversations or social encounters.

Impression Management (Erving Goffman)

The process of controlling or influencing how others see you, often through behavior, appearance, or communication.