STARTING
POINTS FOR THE
UNDERSTANDING
OF CULTURE,
SOCIETY, AND
POLITICS
Nature & Beginning of
Social Sciences
ANTHROPOLOGY,
SOCIOLOGY &
POLITICAL SCIENCE
ANTHROPOLOGY
What Is
Anthropology?
derived from the
Greek words
anthropos for
“human” and logos
for “study” – the
study of humans
The study of
people – their
origins, their
development, and
contemporary
variations
Subject of
Anthropology
- includes fossilized
skeletal remains of
early humans,
artifacts and other
material remains
from prehistoric
and historic
- archeological
sites, and all of the
contemporary and
historical cultures
of the world
What makes human beings unique?
Human Characteristic Anthropological
Subfield
Humans shape their material Archeology
environment
Humans differ in their Physical/Biological
physical form Anthropology
Humans have a unique Linguistic
communication system Anthropology
Humans act according to Cultural
learned knowledge systems Anthropology
Archeology
Studies the ways humans
manipulate their material
environment
Examines material environment
of past societies for clues about
their lives
Physical Anthropology
Examines the
ways humans are
biologically similar
to and different
from other animals
Primatology
Human Evolution
Linguistic Anthropology
How humans use
language to communicate
The spread and
transformation of
language
Language acquisition
Language revitalization
Cultural Anthropology
Describes and analyzes the
beliefs people have about
their social and material
worlds, and the ways these
affect human action
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SOCIOLOGY
Sociology
the science of
society and the
social
interactions
taking place
within it
Sociology
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Howard Becker defined sociology
as the study of people “doing
things together.”
Society and the individual are
inherently connected, and each
depends on the other.
Sociologists study this link: how
society affects the individual and
how the individual affects society.
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Cool Insights from Sociology
15
Humans cannot be
understood apart from
social context (i.e. society)
Society makes us who we
are by structuring out
interactions and laying out
an orderly world before us
Society is a social
construction, that is, it is an
idea created by humans
through social interaction
and given a reality through
our understanding of it and
our collective actions.
Sociological imagination
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an awareness of the
relationship between an
individual and the wider
society, both today and in
the past
key element is to view
one’s own society as
an outsider would
rather than only from
the perspective of
personal experiences
and cultural biases.
Why Study
Sociology?
- to obtain factual information
about our society and
different aspects of our social
life
- to enable community
leaders, entrepreneurs and
government officials in
maintaining social order and
plotting courses of action for
the future of a society
POLITICAL SCIENCE
What is Political Science?
The study of the state in all its
elements, aspects and relationships
(old definition)
Its government and its organs and
institution
An attempt by systematic analysis to
discover in detail whatever principles
may exist of wider and more general
significance about the state(modern
definition)
Political Science
Politics
From Greek word, “polis” – city-state
Every polis/city-state is an association and
man is a political animal.” (Aristotle – father
of Pol-Sci)
Men are involved in a political relationship
that may be characterized by “rule”, “power”
or “authority”.
When men live together in associations –
rules, authorities and government are
created to deal with conflicts
Political Science
• Involves a basic knowledge
and understanding of the
state and of the principles
and ideals which underlie its
organization and activities
• Concerned with the
association of human beings
into a political community
Political
Science
• belongs to the social
sciences (study of
human behavior)
Political Scientists
• describe and analyze
Prof. Alex Magno the institutions and
behavior involved in the
political governance of
states
• aim to explain why events
happen as they do
Prof. Francisco
Nemenzo
As a social being – We always belong to a
group and interact with people. We are
always in company with others.
As a cultural being - We carry our
ancestors tradition, beliefs, speak the
language of our parents, practice their
faith and distinct way of life.
As political being - We are subjected to
power relations. We are governed by
rules and laws of society
Activity 2: Before and After
Analyze social, political, and cultural change
The class will be divided into 6 groups.
Each group will make a skit about the
social, political, and cultural changes in the
Philippines. “Before” and “After” will be
used to categorize the transition of change
in the creative outputs.
Group 1 Social Changes
Group 2 Political Changes
Group 3 Cultural Changes
Rubric Group Presentation
CRITERIA Exceed Meet Approach Developi Beginnin
Standard Standard es ng g
s s Standard
s
5 4 3 2 1 0
CONTENT The The The The The The group
presentation presentation presentation presentation presentation failed to
shows in- shows basic shows does not did not show provide
depth understandin limited show political, presentation
understandin g of the understandin understandin social, of the
g of political, g of the g of the cultural political,
political, social, political, political, changes in social,
social, cultural social, social, the cultural
cultural changes in cultural cultural Philippines changes in
changes in the changes in changes in the
the Philippines. the the Philippines
Philippines Philippines Philippines
Guide Question for
Discussion:
1. What are the social, cultural,
political changes presented in
the skit?
2. How does each changes affect
individuals, group, society?
3. What are the best ways to
cope up with the said changes as
individuals, group, society?
