defining culture & society from the perspectives of anthropology & sociology (SS11)

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society

group of people whose members interact, reside in a definable area, & share a culture;

represents the social structures and organization of the people who share those beliefs and practices;

encompasses the organized patterns of relationships and institutions that create a structured environment for individuals to live and interact.

social structure

SOCIETY STRUCTURE:

 Society is characterized by its ____ _____, which include institutions like family, education, government, and religion.

• these organize & regulate social life, influencing how indivs interact with each other

maintain order and stability through social norms, roles, and institutions.

SOCIETY FUNCTION:
Primary function is to _____;

 provides a framework within which individuals can live, work, and interact.

culture

complex system of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, & material objects that are passed down from one generation to another within a society;

ways people live, think, and interact, providing a framework for understanding human experience.

provide meaning & coherence to social life

FUNCTION OF CULTURE:

shapes individuals' identities, influences their behaviors, and guides their interactions with others;

helps people make sense of their world and communicate their experiences

material culture

KEY ASPECTS OF CULTURE:

 objects or belongings of a group of people;

tangible element of culture;

• ex. tools, weapons, clothing

non-material culture

KEY ASPECTS OF CULTURE:

intangible element of culture;

not having physical appearance

• ex.  ideas, attitudes, and beliefs of a society.

beliefs

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

 individuals have these, but they share collective values;

tenets or convictions that people hold to be true;

• ex. Filipinos believe that a son/daughter are obliged to help their parents in shouldering the household expenses once they finish their schooling. (Family above personal pursuits)

values

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

culture’s standard for discerning what is good and just in society;

help shape society by suggesting what is good & bad;

judgments/standards that are seemingly agreed upon by everyone;

portray ideal culture

ideal culture

UNDER VALUES:

standards society would like to embrace and live up to

real culture

UNDER VALUES:

the way society is, based on what occurs and exists

sanctions

UNDER VALUES:

form of social control, a way to encourage conformity to cultural norms;

Societies strive to put values into action through rewards, _____, and punishments

norms

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

social rules that define acceptable behavior within a society;

guide how individuals should act in various situations (etiquette to legal regulations);

 why people do what they do in given situations;

how to behave by what society has defined as good, right, and important, and most members of the society adhere to them;

• ex. formal & informal norms

formal norms

UNDER NORMS:

established written rules;

behaviors worked out and agreed upon to suit and serve the most people;

• ex. laws

informal norms

UNDER NORMS:

dictate appropriate behaviors without the need for written rules;

• ex. table manners, silence in libraries, shaking hands as greeting

mores

UNDER NORMS:

norms that embody the moral views and principles of a group;

violating these could lead to consequences;

strongest of these are legally protected by laws;

judged and guarded by public sentiment and people who violate mores are shameful;

• ex. stealing, lying, gossiping, plagiarism

folkways

UNDER NORMS:

norms without any moral underpinnings;

direct appropriate behavior in the day-to-day practices and expressions of a culture;

• ex. taking off one's hat indoors, opening door for someone

symbols

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

objects, gestures, or images that carry specific meanings recognized by members of a culture;

help people understand the world;

provide clues to understanding experiences;

recognizable meanings that are shared by societies;

• ex. traffic signs

language

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

allows for communication and the transmission of cultural norms and values;

linguistic diversity can reflect culture & constantly evolving

artifacts

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

material objects created by a society that holds cultural significance;

• ex. technology, clothing, art, and architecture.

rituals

7 ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:

established procedures or ceremonies performed in a set sequence;

often mark significant life events or transitions and reinforce cultural norms

cultural universals

patterns or traits that are globally common to all societies;

• ex. human survival - finding food, clothing, shelter; birth & death; illness/healing; personal names, jokes, humor, music

George Murdock

recognized in 1949 the existence of cultural universals while studying systems of kinship around the world

high culture

pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in the highest-class segments of society;

associated with intellectualism, aesthetic taste, political power, prestige, wealth;

events like these are expensive & formal

popular culture

pattern of cultural experiences and attitudes that exist in mainstream society;

spread via commercial media like social media, radio, television;

known and accessible to most people;

• ex. pop culture events: parade, bball game, concert

cultural change

when something new opens up new ways of living and when new ideas enter a culture

subcultures

groups that share a specific identification, apart from a society’s majority, even as the members exist within a larger society

• ex. hippies

countercultures

groups that reject and oppose society’s widely accepted cultural patterns

culture lag

gap of time between the introduction of material culture and nonmaterial culture’s acceptance of it

globalization, cultural relativism, cultural change

3 concepts under cultural dynamics

social institutions, social stratification

2 concepts under social structures

globalization

3 CONCEPTS OF CULTURAL DYNAMICS:

increasing interconnectedness and interdependence of societies and cultures worldwide through processes;

facilitates cultural exchange and hybridization but also raises concerns about cultural homogenization and the preservation of cultural diversity

• ex. through trade, migration, communication tech

cultural relativism

3 CONCEPTS OF CULTURAL DYNAMICS:

principle that a culture should be understood on its own terms, without imposing the values and norms of one's own culture;

encourages respect for cultural diversity and acknowledges that different societies may have different moral and ethical standards.

cultural change

3 CONCEPTS OF CULTURAL DYNAMICS:

occurs through processes such as innovation, diffusion, and acculturation, as societies adapt to new environmental, economic, & social conditions;

this helps anthropologists & sociologists analyze how cultures evolve over time

social institutions

2 CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURES:

organized patterns of beliefs and behaviors centered on basic social needs (family, education, religion, gov’t)';

provide frameworks for organizing social life and transmitting cultural values and norms across generations

social stratification/social class

2 CONCEPTS OF SOCIAL STRUCTURES:

hierarchical arrangement of individuals and groups within societies, based on factors such as wealth, etc.;

 influences access to resources, opportunities, & social status, shaping patterns of inequality and social mobility

social movements

collective efforts by groups of individuals to bring about social or political change; challenges existing social norms & power structures

ethnocentrism

tendency to view one’s own culture as the standard by which other cultures should be evaluated;

 often leads to the misinterpretation or devaluation of cultural practices that differ from one’s own;

• leads to cultural biases & conflict

culture shock

one experiencing disorientation and frustration when confronted with all the differences of a new culture 

False, should be cultural relativism

TRUE OR FALSE:

Cultural change is an anthropological concept that suggests that cultures should be understood on their own terms rather than be judged against the criteria of another culture.

• promotes empathetic understanding of cultural diversity and reduces biases 

xenocentrism

belief in the superiority of cultures other than one's own;

manifest as viewing other cultures' practices or products as superior & ideal while devaluing one's own cultural practices;

• ex. Filipino who thinks American or any Western culture is superior

True

TRUE OR FALSE:

Philippine Culture is a rich tapestry of indigenous traditions, colonial influences, and modern practices.

•  reflects a blend of Austronesian roots, Spanish colonization, American influences, and local innovations.

family structure, religion, language, festivals & traditions, cuisine

5 key aspects of Philippine Culture