FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,

S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS
UNDERSTANDING SOCIAL SCIENCE
(LESSON 1)
DEFINITION

Social science is a major category of academic disciplines, concerned with society and the
relationships among individuals within a society.

They are closely related to humanities (deals with literature, music, art, and philosophy)
because both deal with humans and their culture.

• However, Social Sciences are most concerned with those basic elements of culture that
determine the general patterns of human behavior

WHAT IS CULTURE?

Definition

–Design of living or a road map that

guides the behavior of members of a SOCIAL SCIENCES AS THE
society. STUDY OF SOCIETY
–Man’s social heritage which has been
Social sciences is concerned about
transmitted from one generation to
society. It aims at understanding all
another.
aspects of society as well as finding
– It tells what man does, and it tells man
solutions to deal with social problems.
what to do and how to do things
The social sciences encompass diverse
–Total way of life shared by members of
concerns of society and include a wide
the
range of content. It covers major
Human beings tend to ask various category of academic disciplines,
questions and inquire on the things, concerned with society and the
events and phenomena that we usually relationships among individuals within a
observe in our society. It is our inherent society.
attribute to be curious and therefore look
A. NATURE
for answers to satisfy our hunger for
knowledge and wisdom. Our society is a It is concerned primarily to the nature of
vast source of questions and answers in man, his entire being, personality and
which the knowledge of scientific interaction, relationship with other
investigation is needed to provide both human beings. It is also concerned with
tentative and permanent explanations to how many moves, what he does and how
different phenomena. We begin by he perceive things in his environment.
identifying the social science disciplines
and specifically differentiate it from B. METHODOLOGY
natural science and humanities.
 Techniques and approach varies for
each discipline. The methods are used
for the systematic study and analysis of AGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
human life.
•The 1700’s are known as the Age of
C. THEORIES Enlightenment – leaders looked back to
the ‘darkness’ of past (period of the
Paradigm/theories are based on unknown) and wanted to shed light
scientific problems that involve (knowledge) on society, thus giving rise
personality, language, society and to change and allow progress for the
culture. Social scientists postulate and future
utilize different theories to explain why
changing the basic framework by which
ORIGINS OF SOCIAL
social phenomena/ events exist.
SCIENCE DARK AGES individuals understood what was
• People have always wondered why we SOCIAL SCIENCES AND
"scientific”
behave the way we do NATURAL SCIENCES
NATURAL SCIENCES
• Pre-1700 Europe was experiencing the
“Dark Ages” - believed to be a time of Natural science is a major branch of
backwardness and ignorance science that deals with the description,
- Explanations used to be a matter of prediction, and understanding of natural
faith, NOT fact… phenomena, based on observational and
empirical evidence. It includes a variety
Faith NOT fact = False of disciplines that, often in combination
Elements and relevance with human with other, focus on the various aspects
body of nature and the natural world (physics,
chemistry, biology). The disciplines
under natural science are usually divided
into two main branches: life science
(biological science) and physical
science.

NATURAL SCIENCE VS SOCIAL

SCIENCE

Faith NOT fact = False

The alignment of the planets, sun, moon
and other heavenly bodies
 FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,
S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Both sciences employ the scientific

model in order to gain information. Both
the natural and social science use ECONOMICS
empirical and measured data evidence
• Economics is the study of how people
that can be seen and discerned by the
allocate scarce resources for production,
senses. However, differences are also
distribution, and consumption, both
abundant between the two types of
individually and collectively.
sciences. Studies of the natural sciences
started during the 16th and 17th century, • Two major types of economics
whereas the social sciences arose some
300 years later. are microeconomics, which focuses on
the behavior of individual consumers
NATURAL SCIENCE VS SOCIAL
and producers, and macroeconomics,
SCIENCE
which examine overall economies on a
The two differ in the following regional, national, or international scale.
aspects:
FIELDS OF ECONOMICS
• Natural sciences deals with objects,
• Microeconomics is the branch of
whereas social sciences with subjects,
economics that focuses on the choices
that is with human beings.
made by individual decision making
• Natural science is characterized by units in the economy—typically
exactness, controlled variables, and consumers and firms.
predictability. Social science is marked
• Macroeconomics is the branch of
by the opposite, it is spontaneous,
economics that focuses on the impact of
unpredictable or uncontrollable, as it
choices on the total, or aggregate, level
deals with human emotions and
of economic activity. (regional, national,
behavior.
or international scale.)
• The basis of natural science is
GEOGRAPHY
experimental data while social sciences
rely on experiential data. • Geography is the study of places and
the relationships between people and
their environments. Geographers explore
• Natural sciences work within a closed both the physical properties of Earth’s
system while social sciences work surface and the human societies spread
within an open system. Natural science across it.
works in a closed system, that is, it
operates in a system where variables can
be controlled, Social science operates on MAJOR FIELDS IN GEOGRAPHY
an open system where uncontrolled
variables are anticipated.
DISCIPLINES WITHIN THE
SOCIAL SCIENCES
•Physical Geography - is the study of communicate within one another, is
Earth’s seasons, climate, atmosphere, defined as a system of voluntarily
soil, streams, landforms, and oceans. produced symbols by which members
of a community interact and
• Human Geography - is the study of communicate in terms of their
the distribution of networks of people common experience and
and cultures on Earth’s surface. expectations”.
HISTORY PSYCHOLOGY
• History is the study of human past. It is • Psychology is the scientific study of
a field of research, which uses a the mind and behavior. Psychology is a
narrative to examine and analyze the multifaceted discipline and includes
sequence of events, and it sometimes many sub-fields of study such areas as
attempts to investigate objectively the human development, sports, health,
patterns of cause and effect that clinical, social behavior and cognitive
determines events. It is also concerned processes. Both theoretical and
with the interpretation of the past, how it experimental, psychology makes use of
affects our views of the present, studying both social behavior and
understanding trends or the lack thereof neurobiological processes.
in the past
BEHAVIOR
RELEVANCE OF HISTORY
• As defined psychologically, refers to
•The answer is that History is actions or activities of the individual
inescapable. It studies the past and the
legacies of the past in the present. it HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF
connects things through time and PSYCHOLOGY
encourages its students to take a long
view of such connections. Pre Historic / Traditionally

LINGUISTICS • Gods and spirits were attributed the

power to direct or cause such events,
• Linguistics is the study of language – activities and behavior of men.
looking at its form, context, or meaning.
Rather than learning to speak a particular GOALS OF PSYCHOLOGY
language, it's more about how language
• Psychology is the scientific study of
itself works. Within linguistics, there is a
the mind and behavior. While you might
broad range of study, from looking at
understand what psychology is, many
grammar, to language acquisition or the
people are not quite so sure about what
evolution of language
psychology does. What purpose does
• the study of language psychology serve? What are its goals?

• Language is the “principal means DEMOGRAPHY

used by human beings to
 FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,
S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS

•Demography is the scientific study of • Biological (or physical) anthropology

the size, composition, and distribution of is the study of the biology and evolution
human population, it studies why people of humans and closely related primates.
move from place to place and their
changes resulting from fertility, • Archaeology is the study of humanly
mortality, and migration. altered material culture, or artifacts.

• It is concerned with how large or small

populations are, their size (how
populations are composed according to
age, sex, race, marital status, and other SOCIOLOGY
characteristics), their composition and
how populations are distributed in • Sociology is the study of society. It
physical space such as how urban and involves group of people, rather than
rural they are and demography also individuals and attempts to understand
studies spatial contribution, and how the way people relate to each other and
these result from the process of fertility, function as a society or social sub-
mortality, and migration groups. Subject matter ranges from the
micro level of interaction to the macro
ANTHROPOLOGY level of systems and social structures.
Known as the 'science of humanity', • The study of relationships among
Anthropology covers a broad range of people
topics – from human behavior, to
cultural relations, and how the evolution POLITICAL SCIENCE
of humanity has influenced society's
• Political science is a social science
structure. It is the study of man, his
which deals with systems of governance,
works, his body, his behavior, and
and the analysis of political activities,
values in time and space. It is the
political thoughts, and political behavior.
scientific study of physical, social and
cultural development and behavior of •It deals extensively with the theory and
human beings since their appearance on practice of politics.
earth

4 MAJOR FIELDS OF
ANTHROPOLOGY

• Cultural anthropology is the study of

human culture, i.e. human beliefs,
behaviors, symbols, etc. The a

• Linguistic anthropology is a lot like

cultural anthropology in that it studies a
specific aspect of culture: language.
 FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,
S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS

PIONEERS IN THE STUDY O

CULTURE (LESS
Thomas Hobbes (1588- 1679)

• The one who introduced the idea that

society was formed following the notion
of a social contract.

• Social contract is a concept by which

people agreed to live together because
they realized they have a common goal.

John Locke (1632- 1704)

• He reasoned that science can be

applied equally to the study of natural
bodies and to human behavior.

• He argued that predictions of both

should be based on better observation,
measurement and reason.

• He believed that humans are rational

beings.

Adam Smith (1723- 1790)

 way to produce effective knowledge of
society.
• He identifies land, labor and capital as
the three factors of production. He also • POSITIVISM
discussed the benefits of division of
labor for a nation.

• He viewed economy as a self-

regulating system that satisfies the need
of the people. It is like an invisible hand
that motivates the people to fulfill their Karl Marx (1818 – 1883)
interests, which in turn gratifies the
interest of society as a whole.

Henri Saint-Simon (1760 – 1825)

• History as a product of conflicting

forces and ideas, and society is always
with struggles between classes. He
believed the economy is at the center of
• Introduced the concept of a social
any social dynamic.
physiology, a concept he pulled from the
idea of social physics. • Together with Frederick Engels, he
published The Communist Manifesto
• For Saint-Simon, society involves
which became a critical foundation of
forces acting upon one another
most conflict perspectives in the social
producing observable patterns of
sciences.
interaction and relationships.
Herbert Spencer (1820 – 1903)
August Comte (1798 – 1857)

• Presented the idea of society as an

• Established the positivistic science of
organic system. He believed that, like
humanity he called SOCIOLOGY, for
biological organisms, society has parts
that he was called “The Father of
or organs which can be observed and
Sociology”.
investigated.
• Comte’s positivism brought the idea
• He also tried to apply the concepts of
that the scientific method is the surest
evolution to the study of social
 FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,
S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS

conditions, with the notion of “survival • For Boas, culture should be judged
of the fittest”. according its own norms rather that from
the perspective of the investigator.
Edward B. Tylor (1832 – 1917)
Max Weber (1864 – 1920)

• He formulated the widely accepted

definition of culture as a holistic body •Emphasized the goal of value-free
of ideas and knowledge. He also inquiry (relative and subjective) and the
provided an alternative concept of need for understanding the world
“savages” which for him are intellectuals through one’s perspective.
but only with limited information.

Emile Durkheim (1858 – 1917)

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE SO
(LESSON 3

• Introduced the idea of social solidarity

as he compared the conditions in an
organic society to the state of a
mechanical society.

• He also instituted the concept of

division of labor in society, as well as THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
the idea of anomie as the cause of (LESSON 4
abnormal social phenomena. PERSPECTIVES

Franz Boas (1858 – 1942) •It is the way you interpret the meaning
of an image or event.

• Beliefs or values hold influence to your

perspective

• Your perspective draws your attention

to some things and blinds you to others.
• Particularly initiated a relativistic
approach in the study of culture and THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
society.
• A theoretical perspective is a set of FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE
assumptions about an area of study- in
this case, the workings of society According to Robert Merton (1996) 3
kinds of functions:
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES
ON SOCIAL SCIENCE a. MANIFEST – intended to recognized
According to Serapio (2016) consequences of some elements of
society. For example, a manifestation
• Functionalist Perspective function of automobile is to provide
• Conflict Perspective speed, transportation from one location
• Symbolic Interactionism Perspective to another.

FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVES b. LATENT -unintended and

(Emile Durkheim) unrecognized consequences of an
element of society. Latent function of
This perspective focuses heavily on the the automobile is to gain social standing
structure of society, it is sometimes through the display of wealth.
called structural functionalism.
Structural functional approach focuses c. DYSFUNCTION – negative
on any institutions or structure’s consequences an element has for the
social function. stability of the social system. These are
crime, disrupt the working society as a
whole and create social problems.

CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE

•The conflict perspective recognizes that

society is comprised of many different
parts but insists that these parts are in
competition with each other over scarce
resources

CONFLICT PERSPECTIVE (Karl

FUNCTIONALIST PERSPECTIVE Marx)
ASSUMPTIONS:
Following in the tradition of Karl Marx,
a. A society is a relatively integrated conflict theorists are interested in how
whole and composed of different those who possess more power in society
institutions. exercise control over those with less
power in society.
b. A society tends to seek relative
stability. CAPITALISM
 FIRST SEM UNDERSTANDING CULTURE,
S.Y. 2023-2024
SOCIETY AND POLITICS

interaction to the behavior that they

think of others expect of them and the

behavior they expect from others.

In conclusion.. These perspectives help

us to be aware about our surroundings
and the incidents happened in the past.
They also help to know how different
societies are managed, structured and
governed.
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

Interactionists focus on how people use

symbols when interacting. This involves
imagining how others see things.
Interactionists then, see social
interaction as more individuals reacting
to each other’s actions

ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS IN
SYMBOLIC INTERACTIONISM

ASSUMPTIONS OF SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONIST PERSPECTIVE

• People’s interpretations of symbols are

based on the meanings they learn from
others.

• People base their interaction on their

interpretation of symbols.

• Symbols permit people to have internal

conversations. Thus, they can gear their
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