UNDERSTAND
ING CULTURE,
SOCIETY AND
POLITICS
LESSON 1:human cultural
variation, social differences,
social change, and political
identities
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES can
create societal problems
because of discrimination
resulted by inequality,
inferiority complex and other
related problems.
SIGNIFICANT REASONS FOR CULTURAL
VARIATIONS:
1. ENVIRONMENT- Why do Filipinos different
from Eskimos and Fumagats from Badjaos?
- Environmental conditions is one of the
evident reason as inhabitants must adapt in order to
survive. From this adaptation wherein people’s way
of life can be determined such as the kind of
economics which they practice.
SIGNIFICANT REASONS FOR CULTURAL
VARIATIONS:
2. ISOLATION – as one society cut its
interaction from other society, this follows a
creation of a set of norms and values distinct from
the previous culture. The condition of isolation
prevent contact with the other people, thus the kind
of culture will continue to develop free from
influence and contamination from other society.
SIGNIFICANT REASONS FOR CULTURAL
VARIATIONS:
3. TECHNOLOGY – when tools has become
available to one culture, it likely affects not only the
norms and values but also its economic and social
interactions and relationships. This makes possible
why Filipinos dating and courtship practices has
significant differences with the Filipino customs a
decade ago.
SIGNIFICANT REASONS FOR CULTURAL
VARIATIONS:
4. DOMINANT CULTURE THEMES- new
ideas, values and inventions introduced to society
are usually accepted only when they fit into the
existing culture or represent changes that can be
absorbed without too greatly distorting the
prevailing patterns. Thus, every culture basically
carries dominant themes which makes distinction
and direction to the culture while for some it create
a closed system.
One of the Sociological concepts the Sociologists are
also interested of is the process called SOCIAL
CHANGE.
Social Change is the alteration of society over time.
Alterations are relatively long term and permanent
affecting the components of it happens culture, social
structure and permanent affecting the components
of culture, social structure and social behavior.
The change may be hardly discernible or easily
observable, may be constructive or destructive; but
whatever the nature of change is, it happens
everywhere and every time.
SOCIAL CHANGE may not only be regarded as a
process but also as a means, an end or even as a
social movement, a condition involving a program, an
ideology and a problem. As long as there are evident
differences from the social and cultural components
previously upheld by the people in the society,
change exists.
POLITICAL IDENTITY – is almost associated with a
group of affiliation and describes the ways in which
being a member of a particular group might express
specific political opinion and attitudes. Generally,
identity is often thought of as a person’s belief system
and social affiliations. There are various factors which
create an identity like nationality, race, gender,
sexuality and even the place where a person live.
This can be regarded as political arguments which
focus upon the interest and perspectives of groups
which people identify.
Example: the equal protection clamored by
homosexual community rest upon the interest and
their perception as believed by each member.
