Civic Engagement and Leadership: Components of Culture

Page 1: Module Overview

• Subject Code: SS6

• Lesson Code: 2.3

• Time Frame: 30 minutes

• Learning Objectives:

  • Analyze the concept of culture in terms of its characteristics, components, and functions.

  • Understand the relationship between culture and society.

  • Apply concepts of society and culture in social/literary analysis.

Hook

• Quote by Clifford Geertz: Culture is seen as "webs of significance" spun by humans, emphasizing the interpretive nature of cultural analysis.

• Reflection Questions:

  • Have you ever felt out of place?

  • What accounts for this feeling?

  • Possible reasons include differences in attire, knowledge, or shared experiences.

Page 2: Understanding Culture

• Key Concepts:

  • Verstehen: Max Weber's idea of mutual understanding within society.

  • Lifeworld: The shared internal world of meanings among people.

• Definitions of Culture:

  • Edward Tylor: Culture is a complex whole including knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and habits.

  • Émile Durkheim: Society exists through shared values and beliefs, reinforced by collective actions.

  • George Herbert Mead: Society is formed through symbolic gestures and social experiences.

Components of Culture

1. Symbols and Language:

   • Unique to humans, language allows for communication and the transmission of knowledge.

   • Reflects a society's worldview and identity.

2. Values and Beliefs:

   • Serve as guidelines for behavior and social interpretation.

   • Influence actions and societal norms.

3. Norms:

   • Social rules governing interactions, with variations across cultures.

   • Encourage good behavior and sanction bad behavior.

4. Knowledge Base:

   • Reflects the material conditions of society and evolves over time.

   • Cultural knowledge influences societal development and interconnectedness.

Page 3: Cultural Dynamics

• Cultural Contestation:

  • Culture can be contested, leading to changes and counter-cultures.

  • Cultural change can result in structural changes in society.

Activity: Analyzing "Colors of the Wind"

• Task: Analyze Pocahontas’ song from a societal and cultural perspective.

• Discussion Points:

  • Connection to nature and shared experiences.

  • Importance of understanding diverse perspectives.

Intersubjectivity

• Definition: Shared subjective experiences that foster communication and societal building.

• Importance of Culture:

  • Facilitates understanding and collaboration.

  • Shapes trends, issues, and collective experiences.

Page 4: Enrichment Activity

• Discussion Quotes:

  • Susan Wright (1998): Culture is a contested process of meaning-making, always evolving through negotiation and transformation.

  • Claude Lévi-Strauss (1983): Culture is likened to cooking, where raw materials are transformed into cultural matter.

References

• Atmosfera, B., Zabate, K., & Veridiano, F. (2018). Civic Engagement and Leadership.

• Durkheim, E. (1912). The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life.

• Geertz, C. (1973). The Interpretation of Cultures.

• Macionis, J. (1989). Sociology.

• Mead, G. H. (1934). Mind, Self, and Society.

• Tylor, E. (1871). Primitive Culture.

• Wright, S. (1998). The Politicization of Culture.

Prepared by:

• Ferdinand V. Veridiano, Special Science Teacher IV

• Reviewed by: Czesar Ian R. Saul, Special Science Teacher II

• Campus: PSHS-CARC and PSHS