UCSP | ETA Reviewer

Essential Question

How do cultural, social, and political changes affect a person’s way of life?

Identity

a product of the interplay of influences of culture, society, and political institutions

The Fluidity of Identity

identity changes over time as it is shaped and reshaped by external influences

The Importance of Identity

People’s individual and collective identities shape & transform the world around them. We are both influenced by changes and can make changes happen.

Personal Identity

components of the self that are intrapersonal based on personal experiences

Social Identities

components of self derived from social interaction and membership in communities, externally organized

Cultural Identities

based on socially constructed ideas, the least changeable

Ascribed Identities

how people see us; traits placed on us by other people

Avowed Identities

traits that we place on ourselves

Social Science Disciplines

Unlike STEM-based disciplines, these are volatile and constantly changing as it is based on people and their experiences. Ethical considerations are vital in these disciplines

Social Sciences

• Political Science

• Geography

• Sociology

• Anthropology

• Psychology

Anthropology

The study of the origins and development of human societies and cultures

Etymology of Anthropology

From two Greek words: “anthropos” or “human” and “logia” or “study’

History of Anthropology

It is traced back to the ancient Greeks and medieval European explorers whose accounts produced initial impressions pf native people they have encountered. This developed with the shift to North America or the New World through the perspectives of European migrants who focused on new settlements.

Famous Anthropologists

• Franz Boas

• Alfred Kroeber

• Lewis Henry Morgan

• Ruth Benedict

• Margaret Mead

Branches of Anthropology

Biological Anthropology, Archaeology, Cultural/Social Anthropology, Linguistic Anthropology

Linguistic Anthropology

The study of the state and development of languages

Biological Anthropology

study of the development and evolution of human characteristics

Archaeology

study of old tools and items, as well as fossils to reconstruct how people lived before

Cultural/Social Anthropology

the study of the beliefs, taboos, and practices of humankind and their relations to one another

Sociology

study of group and group interactions, societies and social interactions

Etymology of Sociology

From the 2 words: the Latin “soclus” or “companion” and the Greek “logia” or "study.

Also is from a French word coined by August Comte

Father of Sociology

August Comte

History of Sociology

It was truly established in the 19th century, making it one of the youngest disciplines. The ideas of the discipline were said to come from:

• the development of modern science in the 16th century.

• the emergence of democratic forms of government with the American and French Revolutions from 1775-1783 and 1789-1799

• the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century

These were the times where new ideas appeared, and existing constructs were challenged.

Branches of Sociology

• Theoretical Sociology

• Historical Sociology

• Sociology of Knowledge

• Sociology of Criminology

• Sociology of Law

• Sociology of Religion

• Sociology of the Economy

Political Science

the systematic study of governance by the application of empirical and generally scientific methods of analysis

Etymology of Political Science

From the Greek “polis” or “city-state” and the Latin “scientia” or “knowledge”

History of Political Science

• The ancient Greek philosophers, Plato and Aristotle, are credited for their early contributions to the discipline through their ideas on governing city-states.

• Medieval political writers such as Machiavelli, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and Bodin each contributed to the modern ideas of governance, power, laws and sovereignty.

Branches of Political Science

• Public Administration

• Comparative Politics

• Domestic Policy

• International Relations

Culture

beliefs, values, behaviors, and objects shared by a common group

Culture According to Edward B. Tylor

“that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society”

Symbols

anything that meaningfully represents something

Language

system of words used to communicate with others, including verbal and non-verbal communication

Values

culturally defined standards for what is good and desirable

Norms

culturally defined expectations of behaviors

Cultural Variation

ways by which culture differs and can come in a variation of forms

Proxemics

also known as personal space, it is the distance two people are comfortable being in

Food Ways

eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region, or historical period

Areas of Cultural Variation

• Language

• Religion

• Music

• Customs/Traditions

• Dance

• Clothing

• Celebrations

• Food

Characteristics of Culture

• Learned

• Normative

• Socially Transmitted

• Shared

• Relative & Adaptive

Culture as Learned

culture is always learned and acquired, never biologically inherited

Enculturation

the process by which people learn their own culture through the transmission between generations

Acculturation

the process by which people learn others’ cultures and assimilates it into their own

Culture as Normative

it sets its standards of behaviors that guides people to act accordingly

Culture as Socially Transmitted

it is passed through social interaction, usually through language. It can be done through imitation or instruction.

Culture as Shared

It is not something that an individual alone possesses as beliefs traditions, customs are always shared among groups of people

Culture as Relative and Adaptive

Cultures vary from one society to another and what is considered acceptable in one may not be in another. Cultures also change over periods of time.

Layers of Culture

1. Cultural Traditions

2. Sub-culture

3. Cultural Universals

Cultural Traditions

distinguishes one’s society from the others, highly exclusive

Sub-culture

• a cultural group within a larger culture, having beliefs and interest different from those of the larger culture

• the retained original original cultural traditions of people who belong to another society, common for diaspora and the ethnolinguistic group one identifies with

Cultural Universals

shared behavior patterns; common to all regardless of place they live in

Examples of Cultural Universals

• Verbal language communication

• Classifying people according to age and gender

• Classifying people based on kinship and social status

• Division of labor based on gender

• Regulating rules for social behavior

• Body ornaments

• Recreational Activities

• Art

• Child rearing based on specific family setting

• Concept of privacy

Orientation

knowing where one is are, the direction one is facing, or the way someone tends to go to

Ethnocentrism

coined by William Sumner, it’s the evaluation of other cultures according to preconceptions originating in the standards and customs of one’s own cultures

Xenocentrism

the desire to engage in the elements of another’s culture rather than one’s own; styles, ideas, and products can all be items of preference by someone with xenocentrist viewpoints

Cultural Relativism

understand a culture on its own terms and not to make judgement using the standards of one’s own culture

Multiculturalism

the view that cultures, races, and ethnicities, particularly those of minorities, deserve special acknowledgement pf their differences within a dominant political culture

Cultural Heritage

an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation, including customs, practice, places, objects, artistic expressions, and values

Expression of Cultural Heritage

It can be tangible/material or intangible/non-material.

Tangible Cultural Heritage

artifacts, buildings, or landscapes

Intangible Cultural Heritage

voices, values, traditions, oral history

Kinds of Tangible Cultural Heritage

Movable and Immovable

Movable

paintings, sculptures, furniture, and wall paintings

Immovable

historical buildings, monuments, archeological sites

Kinds of Intangible Cultural Heritage

1. Oral Traditions, Expressions, (including language)

2. Performing Arts

3. Social Practices, Rituals & Festive Events

4. Knowledge & Practices concerning Nature and the Universe

5. Traditional Craftsmanship

Importance of Cultural Heritage

• provides a sense of identity

• binds people together

• allows people to understand historical and cultural roots

The Heritage Cycle

Created by Simon Thurley (2005):

1. By Understanding: They will value it

2. By Valuing: they will want to care for it

3. By Caring: it will help people enjoy it

4. From Enjoying: comes a thirst to understand

Threats to Cultural Heritage

They can be natural or man-made.

Sociocultural Evolution Theory

Created by Gerhard Lenski, it views technological advance as the most fundamental factor in the evolution of cultures and societies. This means societies change as technology changes.

Lenski’s 5 Stages of Sociocultural Evolution

1. Hunting & Gathering

2. Pastoral

3. Horticultural

4. Agricultural

5. Industrial

Hunting & Gathering Stage

• composed of small groups

• nomadic

• basic tools for hunting

• very low inequality among members

Pastoral Stage

• based on the domestication of animals

• nomadic lifestyle

• simple tools are used

Horticultural Stage

• first human settlements were founded

• semi-sedentary/semi-permanent to stay near sources of food

• small-scale farming

• use of simple farming tools

Material Surplus

This was produced as societies developed, which became the basis for social inequality

Agrarian/Agricultural Society

• More sophisticated tools were developed/used

• permanent settlements

• bigger population

• creation of specialization to support needs of the society

• creation of social institutions such as schools, church & government

Industrial Stage

• Started during the Industrial Revolution

• Shift from human and animal power to machine power

• larger population

• led to wider disparity among groups in society as material surplus increased

John Locke

a British Enlightenment philosopher who promoted the idea of Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa

a Latin phrase meaning blank slate, entailing the idea that they are blank slates and that humans learn from their interactions

Socialization

a lifelong process of social interactions through which people acquire their identities and necessary skills in order to survive

Primary Socialization

The first socialization that takes place at home, where a child learns the attitudes, values, and actions appropriate to individuals as members of their group, with the help of their family.

Secondary Socialization

socialization that happens outside the home, where the appropriate behavior as a member of a smaller group within the larger society

Agents of Socialization

• Family

• School

• Government

• Religious Institutions

• Media

Pierre Bourdieu

the French sociologist who proposed the idea of Cultural Capital

Cultural Capital

the accumulation of knowledge, behaviors, and skills that a person can tap into to demonstrate one’s cultural competence and the social status; one example is the reading of bedtime stories

William Graham Sumner

the first to write about the distinctions between different types of norms in his book “Folkways: A Study of the Sociological Importance of Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals” (1906), a framework sociologists still use

Social Controls/Norms

mechanisms established by encouraging individuals to conform and obey social norms through formal and informal means

Folkways

they mark the distinction between rude and polite behavior to exert social pressure that encourages us to act and interact in certain ways but they do not have any moral significance, with rare serious consequences or sanctions for violating them

Mores

determine moral vs ethical, structuring the difference between right and wrong; exacts a greater coercive force in shaping our values, beliefs, behavior, and interactions

Taboos

a strong negative norm as a prohibition of a certain behavior; violating it results in extreme disgust and expulsion from the group or society

Laws

are formally inscribed at the state and federal level and are enforced by police and other government agents; violation leads to a sanction imposed by a state authority, ranging from a fine to imprisonment