UCSP Reviewer (Quarter 1) - Anthropology, Sociology, and Political Science Flashcards

Anthropology

• UCSP: Anthropology is the study of humanity (focus on human culture).
• Etymology: derived from two Greek words - “anthropos” meaning man and “logos” meaning study.
• SUBDISCIPLINES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
  1. Physical or Biological Anthropology
  • The study of human biological variation in time and space including genetics, growth, development and primatology.
  1. Cultural Anthropology
  • Focuses on beliefs and daily life; the study of human society and culture which describes, analyzes, interprets and explains social and cultural similarities and differences.
  • Sub-categories: (a) Archeological Anthropology
    • The study of human behavior and cultural patterns and processes through culture’s material remains.
      (b) Linguistic Anthropology
    • Focuses on language and identity; the descriptive, comparative and historical study of language and linguistic similarities and differences in time, space and society.
  1. Applied Anthropology
  • The use of anthropological knowledge in solving contemporary problems through the application of theories and approaches of the discipline.
• CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE
  • Culture is Everything
  • Culture can be classified into two types:
    o Material Culture – tangible and visible parts of culture (clothes, food, buildings).
    o Non-Material Culture – intangible parts of culture (values, norms, laws, sanctions, knowledge, among others).
  • Culture is Shared
  • Culture is Learned
  • Culture affects Biology
  • Culture is Adaptive
  • Culture is Maladaptive
  • Culture Changes
• ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES IN ANTHROPOLOGY
  1. Cross-cultural or comparative emphasis
  • Comparing economic systems across different cultures, norms, and beliefs.
  1. Evolutionary/historical emphasis
  • Focuses on ancient civilizations and records history of language.
  1. Ecological emphasis
  • Studies relationship between humans and their environment.
  1. Holistic emphasis
  • Viewing humans as a whole—mind, body, society, and environment.

Sociology

• Sociology is a behavioral science that deals with the study of society.
• Etymology: Derived from two Greek terms “socius” meaning group or partners and “logos” meaning study.
• A group of people living together is considered to be a society if it has the following characteristics:
  1. It comprises a complex whole - society is a complex social system.
  2. It is relatively large – People must be socially integrated to be considered relatively large rather than individually scattered.
  3. It provides means for socialization for its members - Societal norms can be shared and taught to those who come from other societies before being accepted as functioning members.
  4. It endures, produces and restrains its members for generations - To survive, it must produce, endure and sustain new members for generations.
  5. The members of a society share a common culture – All members are bonded by the same culture.
  6. It occupies a definite territory – Members live in a specific habitat or place and feel belongingness and purpose.
• SOCIOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CULTURE AND SOCIETY
  1. Symbolic Interactionist Theory
  • People attach meanings to symbols and act according to their interpretation of these symbols.
  1. Structural-Functional Theory (Functionalism)
  • Views society as a complex whole with an interconnected system; every part works together as a functional whole; focuses on how social institutions work together to maintain stability.
  1. Social Conflict Theory
  • Sees society as a competition of limited resources; macro-level approach; associated with Karl Marx; society composed of individuals in different social classes who compete for resources like food, housing, employment, and education.

Political Science

• Political Science: the branch of social science that deals with systems of government, distribution of power, and analysis of political activities and behavior.
• Etymology: Politics from the Greek word “Politika” meaning the affairs of the cities; the study or practice of the distribution of power and resources within a given community.
• COMPONENTS OF POLITICS
  • Political Institutions – includes the state, government agencies, political systems and the functions of political beings/individuals within the institution.
  • Political Ideologies – set of beliefs/doctrines that guide political, economic, and social action; examples include democracy, monarchy, dictatorship, etc.
  • Political Parties – groups of individuals who aspire to occupy public office.
  • Political Issues – governmental and societal controversies debated over time (e.g., abortion, taxation, foreign policy, free trade).
• CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE
  • Participation – all individuals should have a voice in decision-making, directly or via legitimate intermediate institutions.
  • Rule of Law – legal frameworks should be fair and impartially enforced; human rights focused.
  • Transparency – information accessible to those concerned; sufficient data provided for easy understanding of transactions.
  • Responsiveness – institutions should serve all stakeholders and consider the welfare of the majority.
  • Consensus Orientation – good governance mediates differing interests to reach broad agreement.
  • Equity – the law should promote social justice for all, not just rely on printed words.
  • Effectiveness and Efficiency – institutions must achieve positive results in allocating resources and meeting citizens' needs.
  • Accountability – public office is a public trust; decision-makers are accountable to the public.
  • Strategic Vision – leaders and citizens should have a long-term perspective on development and how to meet citizens’ needs.
• APPROACHES/PERSPECTIVES IN THE STUDY OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
  1. Traditional/Historical Approach
  • Focuses on events and development over time; uses history to understand the chronology and development of government structures; history is a key tool.
  1. Scientific/Behavioralist Approach
  • Examines political processes and behavior; emphasizes empirical theory and observable phenomena over value judgments.
  1. Systems Approach / Structural-Functional Approach / General Systems Theory
  • Highlights the importance of different structures or branches of government and their functions to ensure stability of the political system.
  1. Political Economy Approach
  • Politics and economy are interlinked; economics involves conflicts over scarce resources while politics concerns who pays and who benefits from production and distribution.

Cultural Relativism and Ethnocentrism

• Cultural Relativism (analytical/methodological)
  • Anthropologists apply the concept of cultural relativity to investigate and compare societies without declaring one culture superior; evaluate a culture based on its own standards.
• Ethnocentrism
  • Judges another culture solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture; evaluates other groups based on language, behavior, customs, etc., often declaring one’s own culture superior.
• Xenocentrism
  • The opposite end; values other cultures more than one’s own; the transcript describes it as valuing one’s own culture over others, which is a common teaching error; in standard usage xenocentrism is the preference for or belief in the superiority of other cultures.

EMIC AND ETIC VIEWS OF CULTURE

• Etic view (outsider perspective)
  • Data gathering by outsiders; questions posed by outsiders; problem: people may act differently when observed; outsiders may have limited access to private rituals.
• Emic view (insider perspective)
  • Focuses on members’ words, perceptions, and beliefs; main sources of information; often called the insider approach; immersion in culture is common, though an emic researcher isn’t always a member.
• CULTURE
  • Derives from Latin word "colere" meaning to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture.
  • Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
  • Culture = a set of patterns of human activity within a community or social group and the symbolic structures that give significance to such activity; in other words, culture is the people’s way of life.
• CULTURAL TYPES
  1. National culture
  • Inclusive of beliefs and values shared by the population of a nation; norms, behaviors, beliefs, customs, and values shared by a sovereign nation.
  1. Global culture
  • Shared experiences, norms, symbols, and ideas that unite people at the global level.

SOCIALIZATION

• Definition: the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society; encompasses learning and teaching; means by which social and cultural continuity is attained.
• TYPES OF SOCIALIZATION
  1. Primary socialization
  • From birth through adolescence; early life; influenced by family and close friends; learn basic societal norms and customs.
  1. Secondary socialization
  • Throughout life; encountering groups/situations outside primary socialization; learning appropriate behavior within smaller groups; increases confidence.
  1. Professional or Developmental Socialization
  • Learning process focused on developing social skills; adults face new situations and roles (marriage, job, employer/employee); combines new with old to continue development.
  1. Anticipatory socialization
  • Facilitated by social interactions; non-group members learn values and standards of groups they aspire to join; eases entry and competence once accepted.
  1. Re-Socialization
  • Occurs when changing groups; abandon old values/norms to adopt new ones; adjust to new group.

Kinship in Human Society

• Kinship refers to culturally defined relationships among individuals regarded as having family ties; the web of social relationships in most societies.
• 1. AFFINITY (by marriage)
  • Husband – Wife
  • Mother – in – law; Father – in – law; Sister – in – law
• 2. CONSANGUINITY (by blood)
  • Mother; Father; Grandparents; Aunts; Children; Grandchildren; Uncles; Cousins
• 3. FICTIVE kinship (social courtesy)
  • Godparenthood; Adoption of children
• KINSHIP BY BLOOD
  1. UNILINEALITY
  • A descent system tracing through one line (patrilineal or matrilineal). a. MATRILINEALITY
    • Tracing descent through the female line.
      b. PATRILINEALITY
    • Also known as the male line or agnatic kinship; descent traced through the father.
  1. BILINEAL DESCENT
  • A system where relatives on both the mother's and father's sides are equally important for emotional ties or transfer of property/wealth.