Understanding Culture, Society & Politics – Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards summarizing major terms and concepts from the lecture on cultural variation, social differences, gender, and socioeconomic issues.

Cultural Variation

The rich diversity in social practices, beliefs and material traits that different cultures exhibit worldwide.

Evolutionary Differences

Human diversity shaped by the interplay of biology, environment and adaptation across time.

Human Mosaic

Metaphor for the unique blend of traits that make each human group different and worth understanding.

Environment + History

Core forces explaining why cultures differ; people are products of their natural surroundings and historical experiences.

Variation Within Cultures

Differences that exist among members of the same society, such as language dialects or regional customs.

Nationality

Legal membership in a nation-state that often shapes cultural identity.

Language (as a Cultural Marker)

System of symbols and sounds through which people communicate and transmit culture.

Onomatopoeic Differences

Culture-specific ways of imitating sounds (e.g., “cock-a-doodle-doo” vs. “tiktilaok”).

Ethnicity

Shared cultural heritage, ancestry, history and often language that distinguishes one group from another.

Cultural Appropriation

Adoption of elements of one culture by members of another without consent or proper understanding.

Whang-Od Controversy

Debate over commercial use of Kalinga tattoo patterns without the tribe’s free, prior and informed consent.

Social Differences

Variations among people based on gender, socioeconomic status, political identity, religion and other factors.

Gender

Socially constructed roles, behaviors and identities associated with being male, female or non-binary.

Sex (Biological)

Classification of people as male or female based on reproductive anatomy and chromosomes.

LGBTQI

Collective term for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning and Intersex individuals.

SOGI

Acronym for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Sexual Orientation

Enduring pattern of emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to others.

Heterosexual

Sexually attracted to persons of the opposite sex.

Homosexual

Sexually attracted to persons of the same sex; gay or lesbian.

Bisexual

Attracted to both men and women.

Asexual

Experiencing little or no sexual attraction to any sex or gender.

Pansexual / Polysexual

Attracted to people regardless of gender identity; inclusive of multiple gender types.

Gender Identity

Personal sense of one’s own gender, which may or may not align with biological sex.

Transgender

People whose gender identity differs from the sex assigned at birth.

Transsexual

Individuals who experience discord between internal gender identity and anatomy and may pursue medical transition.

Misconceptions about Sexual Differences

False beliefs such as assuming LGBTQI identity is a choice or can be ‘cured’.

Babaylan

Pre-colonial Filipino shaman (often female or gender-fluid) who mediated with the spirit world and held social power.

Babaylanismo

Cultural tradition recognizing gender fluidity and spiritual authority of babaylans in the Philippines.

Asog / Bayog

Male babaylans who adopted feminine dress and roles, documented in Spanish chronicles.

Spanish Two-Gender Imposition

Colonial effort to replace indigenous gender fluidity with strict male-female binaries.

Social Stratification

Systemic ranking of individuals into hierarchies based on wealth, power and prestige.

Caste System

Stratification based on birth with strict rules of endogamy and occupation.

Clan System

Status derived from extended kin networks; marriages often exogamous to form alliances.

Estate System

Medieval hierarchy of nobility, clergy and peasants tied to land ownership.

Class System

Modern stratification based on occupation, income and education (OIE) with mobility potential.

Socioeconomic Class

Position in society determined by income, assets, education, lifestyle and social networks.

Determinants of Socioeconomic Class

Income, value of assets, education, cultural interests, peers and relatives.

Bourgeoisie

Owners of the means of production who control capital in a capitalist economy.

Proletariat

Working class that sells its labor for wages.

Ancient Filipino Classes

Tri-level hierarchy of Maginoo (nobles), Timawa/Maharlika (freemen), and Alipin (dependents/slaves).

Modern Filipino Classes

Common labels: Mayaman (rich), Medyo Mayaman (upper-middle), Sakto Lang (middle), Mahirap (poor).

Poverty

Condition of lacking material resources, income and opportunities to improve living standards.

Functions of Poverty (Functionalism)

Social roles of poverty such as filling undesirable jobs, creating employment for others, and serving as moral examples.

Conflict Theory of Poverty

View that poverty stems from structural inequality inherent in capitalist systems.

Vicious Circle of Poverty

Self-perpetuating system where deprivation in one generation breeds deprivation in the next.

Absolute Poverty

Inability to meet basic survival needs; measured by a fixed threshold like the poverty line.

Relative Poverty

Economic status measured in comparison to the living standards of the wider society.

Subjective Poverty

Self-perception of being poor based on personal expectations and social comparisons.

Poverty Threshold (Philippines)

Government-set minimum income (e.g., ₱64 daily per capita in 2024) required to meet basic needs.

Family Living Wage

Estimated income (e.g., ₱1,022/day in NCR, 2020) needed by a family to live decently.

Minimum Wage Disparity

Gap between the statutory minimum wage (₱610/day in NCR) and the calculated living wage.

Poverty is Expensive

Phenomenon where the poor pay higher proportional costs for credit, transportation, health care and consumer goods.

Ownership of Production

Concentration of wealth among a few capitalists who profit from workers’ productivity.

Monetary Rewards Motivation

Capitalist mechanism that drives labor by linking effort to wages and incentives.

Gender Fluidity

Recognition that gender identities and expressions exist beyond a fixed male-female binary.