T1 CULTURE DEFINITION

Layman Notions of Culture

• Fine Arts: High interest in fine arts, music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and frequenting museums or galleries.
• Civilized Behavior: Associated with refinement, sophistication, and education; "uncultured" individuals are labeled backward or illiterate.
• Sociological Critique: These views are misleading and limited; modern sociology replaces "primitive" with "developing societies" to focus on continuous human self-improvement

cultura or cultus

• Latin roots of culture.

• Meaning: care or cultivation.

Prolonged Infant Dependency

Human infants depend on others for survival and must learn established ways of doing things to adjust to their environment.

Survival Mechanism

Culture provides "proved" methods for meeting basic needs, food (farm) , shelter (bayanihan), safety, reproduction, security, saving humans from trial-and-error learning.

Individual Potential to Social Achievement

Inborn talents (intelligence, creativity) are translated into actual achievements through social interaction, leading to self-actualization.

Edward Tylor

"Culture is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member a society."

Womb to Tomb

Affects a person from conception to death.

• Conception/Pregnancy: Cultural do's/don'ts for expectant mothers (e.g., looking at beautiful things, avoiding dinuguan o duhat).

• Death/Burial: Practices like pasiyam, babang-luksa, and observing All Saints' Day.

Society

• A group of people interacting on the basis of shared culture.

Interdependence of Culture and Society

• Society cannot exist without culture.

• Culture cannot exist without society.

Joseph H. Fichter (1959)

“A person may escape society for a while, but he can never escape culture.” " (e.g., Overseas Filipinos retaining habits like eating bagoong and tuyo, respecting elders).

1. Culture as Social Heritage

2. Culture as a Distinguing Factor

3. Culture as an Established Pattern of Behavior

Pertinent Meanings and Aspects of Culture

Culture as Social Heritage:

• Socially learned and shared; passed down through generations (e.g., reading the pasyon during Lenten season).
• Two implications: It is complex (acts, objects, ideas) and socially transmitted.

Culture as a Distinguishing Factor:

○ Unique way of life defining group identity (e.g., Filipino culture vs. Japanese culture)

Culture as an Established Pattern of Behavior:

◦ Provides predictable norms for social interaction.

• Guides how people are expected to behave.

• Explicit (Overt): Directly observable behaviors (e.g., bountiful tables during fiesta/Christmas, buying new clothes/shoes for children).

• Implicit (Covert): Underlying beliefs/values motivating overt behaviors (e.g, belief that Christmas is for children)

Psychologically Observable Phenomenon:

Explicit (Overt)

Directly observable behaviors (e.g., bountiful tables during fiesta/Christmas, buying new clothes/shoes for children).

Implicit (Covert)

Underlying beliefs/values motivating overt behaviors (e.., belief that Christmas is for children

Material

Physical artifacts (tools, land, buildings) given cultural meaning (e.g., land transformed into a burial ground or football field).

Immaterial

Immaterial: Non-physical elements like beliefs, thoughts, values, and social ideals.

Culture as a Pure Abstraction (Paul B. Horton)

Ideational concept where material objects are meaningful only through the group's shared mental/symbolic interpretation.

Hospitality

a Filipino trait of being receptive and generous to guests.

positive

Bayanihan -

A Filipino community spirit and cooperation wherein a group of individuals extends a helping hand without expecting any remuneration. It is characterized by communal work towards one goal exemplified in carrying a nipa house or pushing a passenger jeepney.

positive

Bahala na atitude

Filipino trait characterized by retreating or withdrawal from

certain undertaking and leaving everything to God to interfere and determine

the outcome of his deeds.

negative

Utang-na-loob

• It is a technique of reciprocity of debt of gratitude to others

within the family circle or primary group, sometimes unlimited

in nature, emotional rather than financial or rational. It is a

sign of marginal economy where no place is available for

bargaining, formal agreements, written contracts, specific

rights, and responsibilities.

Inability to repay "utang-na-loob"will result in the individual

being labeled as "walang utang-na-loob" or "walang-hiya."

Pakikisama

This is closely related to utang-na-loob. It is the value of

belongingness and loyalty to the small in-group with

sensitivity to the feelings of others on the principle of

"give and take." ___ is a folk concept of good

public relations and avoidance of conflict with the leader

or majority of the groups.

Hiya

This controls to a large extent the behavior of the

individual and most likely, is generally dependent on what

others will think, say, and do. Because of hiya, a Filipino

cannot say "NO" even if it is against his will to do what is

being requested.

Bahala Na

A common expression among Filipinos in this rest on the

fatalistic outlook and strong dependence on the "spirits' who

will take care of everything if they are really meant for a

person.

Individualism

It is a pattern of behavior which characterizes the Filipino as a

self-centered. The desire to make a name for himself becomes

the primary motivation for success.