onunEloEd Understanding

Culture
Culture, Society and Politics
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w Education

Culture

People of the same society share aspects of their culture, such as language or
beliefs.
In this lesson, we will discuss culture, which refers to our language, values,
beliefs, behavior, and material objects that constitute our way of life. Culture
is a defining element of society.
At the end of the lesson, you should be able to:
1. Articulate observations on human cultural variation, social differences,
social change, and political identities
2. Demonstrate curiosity and an openness to explore the origins and
dynamics of culture and society, and political identities.

Definition of Culture
Culture is everything that is made, learned, or shared by the members of a
society, including values, beliefs, behaviors, and material objects.
Two parts of Culture
1. Material culture is the visible part. It may be the food we eat, your cars,
your houses or anything that members of society make, use and share.
2. Non-material culture is intangible but this influences our behavior like
our language, beliefs, values, rules of behavior., family patterns and
political system
Five Components of Culture
1. Technology is one component that makes our life easier. We can have
rolume production of goods that can be used by us through this
component.
2. Symbols are cultural representations of reality - . They give meanings to
events and things like a statue, handshake, college ring, flag etc.
3. Language is the most powerful of all human symbols as it allows us to
communicate with one another. It also conveys our beliefs and culture.
4. Values are ideas. They determine our character. They are the standards
by which we assess goodness, acceptability, beauty or desirability.
5. The fifth component is norm. Norm is a rule that guides our behavior. It
gives concrete terms how we should behave - what we should do and
what we should not do.

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 Classification of Norms:
1. Mores distinguish right from wrong.
2. Folkways distinguish between right and rude. They are referred as
customs. They are measurements of behavior but not approved by
society.
3. Laws are written rules of conduct enacted and enforced by government.
4. Taboo is an activity that is forbidden or sacred based on religious beliefs
or morals. Breaking a taboo is extremely objectionable in society as a
whole. Around the world, an act may be taboo in one culture and not in
another.
Examples are:
1. Mores laws: child abuse, rape, carnapping, etc.
2. Folkway laws: jaywalking, counterflowing, etc.
3. Law: Driving while drunk, theft, murder, and trespassing are all examples
of laws. If violated, the person violating the law could get reprimanded.,
pay a fine., or go to jail.
4. Taboos: abortion, addiction, cannibalism, offensive language, slavery, etc..

Difference between Culture and Society

Society - consists of people who interact to share a common culture
Culture - consists of beliefs, behaviors, objects and other characteristics
common to a particular group or society.
Where did culture originate? Biological or Societal? Nature or nurture?
Nature refers to your innate qualities or nativism while nurture is your
personal experiences. Nature is your genes, the physical and personality
traits determined by your genes which stays with you wherever you were
born or raised.
Nurture refers to your childhood, or how you were brought up.
Nature is built from your biological and family factors while nurture from
your societal or environmental factor.

Cultural Change
We can say that culture is learned - from our families, peers, institutions and
media. As we absorb other's culture, we change ours.
It is shared as we share it with our group members.
It is based on symbols because these symbols give meaning to people either
to agree or not on their use.
Culture is integrated because if we learn culture, we should be ready to relate
all of the aspects, not only a part or a few.
It is also dynamic because of interaction and change. These changes may be
in the form of discoveries, inventions or cultural borrowings.
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However, cultural diversity is also present in society. Because of the

existence of multiple cultures, it creates differences within the society.
Sub-cultures
You must also be informed about subcultures. Subcultures exist in small
cultural groups but differ in some way. Examples of subcultures include:
"heavy metal" music devotees, tattoo enthusiasts, gangs, skinheads, etc.
When you oppose to the norms and values of a dominant culture, you
possess a counterculture. Examples of this are: protest groups, hippies, etc.
When your culture is dominant, and it absorbs subcultural and
countercultural groups, the process is called assimilation.
If culture respects cultural variations, we call this multiculturalism.
To end this session, we add ethnocentrism which involves judging other
cultures against the standards of one's culture; and cultural relativism which
says that a culture should be sociologically evaluated according to its
standards, and not those of any other culture.
This lesson might have presented you with important concepts to improve
your behavior and ways of dealing with other people like your parents,
siblings, peers and play groups.

Social Groups and Organization

This lesson deals with how man needs other members of society to survive
and to enjoy life. The issue here is how to organize ourselves to for alliance
into groups and organizations.
Classification of People
No man is an island" goes the saying. Man call not thrive without the
presence of other men. There is a natural tendency for man to live with
others in a group, to look for a companion or group of companions in order
to fulfill the need to belong and to experience some form of comfort.
People are usually classified based on the group he or she is an aggregate of.
This group may be something he consciously chose for himself or something
he was born into.
GROUP
A group serves many functions like giving an individual a sense of identity as
well as emotional intimacy.
It consists of two or more people who are distinct in the following three
Drays:
a. Interact overtime
b. Have a sense of identity or belonging

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 c. Have norms that non-members don't have.
For example: A class of students is a group who meet a few times in a week
for an entire semester and identify themselves on the basis of what classes
they are taking. Students in a class must follow their professor's class and
test schedule, as well as rules for behavior and contribution in class.
AGGREGATE
An aggregate is a collection of people who happen to be at the same place at
the same time but who have no other connection to one another.
An example: the people in a restaurant on a particular evening are an
example of an aggregate, not a group. Those people do not know one another
and they will likely never see again in the same place and the same time.
CATEGORY
Third classification is category, which is a collection of people who share a
particular characteristic. They do not necessarily interact with one another
and have nothing else in common.
Examples of categories may include people who have green eyes, or people
who were born in the Philippines, or women who gave birth to twins.
One important characteristic of a group is for group members interact on a
regular basis through communication.

Social Group
Those who interact with one another and share similar characteristics and
possess a sense of unity is called a social group. These groups may be
families, companies, circles of friends, fraternities and sororities and local
religious congregations
Nature of Social Group

The group provides specific form as to the nature of interaction in the

society.

Members should develop a structure where each member assumes a

specific. status and adopts a particular role.

Certain orderly procedures and values are agreed upon.

> The members of the group feel a sense of identity.

Types of Social Group
1. Social Group according to Ties (This is considered a primary group]
1 It is the most fundamental unit of human society
1 A long-lasting group characterized by strong ties of love and affection
1 Do's and don'ts of behavior are learned in this group
Examples: families, gangs, cliques, play groups, friendship groups
2. Social Group according to Ties (A Secondary Group]
1 Group with which the individual comes in contact later in life
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Culture

Characterized by impersonal business-like, contractual, formal and

casual relationship.
Usually large in size, not very enduring and limited relationships.
1 People needed other people for the satisfaction of their complex needs.
Examples: Industrial Workers, business associates. Faculty staff, Company
employees
3. Social Group to Form of Organization (Informal Group]
• Arises spontaneously out of the interactions of two or more persons
• It is unplanned
• Has no explicit rules for membership and does not have specific
objectives to be attained
• members are bound by emotion and sentiments
1. Social Group according to Form of Organization (Formal Group)
• Social organization
• Deliberately formed and their purpose and objectives are explicitly
defined.
• Their goals are clearly stated and the division of labor is based on
member's ability or merit
1. Social Group according to Self identification (In-Group)
It is a social unit in which individuals feel at home and with which they
identify themselves
1. Social Group according to Self identification [Out-Group)
It is a social unit to which individuals do not belong due to differences in
social categories and with which they do not identify.
1. Social Group according to Purpose (Special Interest Group)
A group which is organized to meet the special interest of the members
1. Social Group according to Purpose (Task Force)
A group is assigned to accomplish jobs which cannot be done by one
person.
1. Social Group according to Geographical Location and Degree of
Relationship (Gemeinschaft)
• A social system in which most relationships are personal and
traditional
• It is a community of intimate, private and exclusive living and
familism
• Culture is homogeneous and traditional-bound
2. Social Group according to Geographical Location and Degree of
Relationship (Gesselschaft)

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 • A social system in which most relationships are impersonal, formal,
contractual or bargain-like
• Relationship is individualistic, business-like, secondary and
rationalized
• Culture is heterogeneous and more advanced

Social Organization
Social organization
The type of collectivity established for the pursuit of specific aims or goods
Characterized by a formal structure of rules, authority relations, a division of
labor and limited membership or admission
Organization is an orderly relationship or arrangement of parts.
It is used to refer the interdependence and inter-related of parts in groups
Examples of social organization:
Family, church, college, factory, a play group, a political party, a community
Types of Social Organization
a. Political Organization: State (Government)
b. Economic Organization: Factory
c. Religious Organization: Church
d. Financial organization: Bank
e. Educational organization: School and Colleges
Goal of Social organization
That members of an organization are interrelated to each other for the
pursuit of a common goal.
Preparedness to accept one's role and status:
• Organization is an arrangement of persons and parts
• By arrangement, it is meant that every member of the organization
has an assigned role„ a positon and a status
Norms and Mores of Social Organization:
Every organization has its norms and mores which control its members, as a
result, an organization can function smoothly if its members follow the
organization norms.
Sanctions:
If a member does not follow the norms lie is compelled to follow them
through sanctions (conditions) which may range from warning to physical
punishment. For example; a member may be expelled, or dismissed.
To end our discussion on Social Groups and Organization, remember that a
group is a major source of solidarity and cohesion in society.
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References
Acton, Ashton Q. (2014). Issues in international sociology and social work
research and application. USA: Scholarly Editions.
Difference Between Anthropology and Sociolou. Retrieved from:
ww.differenc.ebetween,net miscellaneous ...anthropology-and-
sociology. (06 June 2015]
Ferrante, J. (2014). Sociology a Global Perspective, 9 th edition. USA: cengage
Learning. Print
Mauss, M. (2005). The Nature of Sociology Berghahn Series. USA: Durkheim
Press. Print
Sociolog-yjAnthropolou. Retrieved from:
www.sto1afeduicatalog/9697/socanthro.html. (06 June 2015)

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