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Significance of Cultural.... UCSP Q4-M4.

The document discusses the significance of cultural, social, political, and economic symbols and practices, defining symbols as culturally defined objects or actions that represent abstract ideas. It outlines the functions of symbols in transferring culture, preserving traditions, and creating movements, while categorizing symbols into cultural, social, political, and economic types. Additionally, it provides examples of symbols and practices from various cultures, particularly focusing on those in the Philippines.

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14 views21 pages

Significance of Cultural.... UCSP Q4-M4.

The document discusses the significance of cultural, social, political, and economic symbols and practices, defining symbols as culturally defined objects or actions that represent abstract ideas. It outlines the functions of symbols in transferring culture, preserving traditions, and creating movements, while categorizing symbols into cultural, social, political, and economic types. Additionally, it provides examples of symbols and practices from various cultures, particularly focusing on those in the Philippines.

Uploaded by

yosorescy
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND POLITICS

SIGNIFICANCE OF
CULTURAL, SOCIAL,
POLITICAL, AND
ECONOMIC SYMBOLS
AND PRACTICES
SYMBOLS
AND SYMBOLISM
what is a symbol?

Symbol
is an object, word, or action that
stands for something else, without
natural relationship, that is culturally
defined.
what is symbolism?

Symbolism
is when something represents abstract ideas
or concepts; it assigns names,
denominations, and defines relations
between various elements (actors, actions,
goals, means, objects, values, etc.) articulated
within a narrative.
FUNCTIONS OF SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISMS
FUNCTIONS OF SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISM

1 Social symbols are used to transfer culture, ideologies or beliefs from a group
to another group of people, or from our elders to the new generation of people.

2 Symbols are also used to preserve traditions or beliefs of a certain group of


people.
3 All symbols contain the "face" and "hidden" values, the hidden value, in the
functional perspective, holds greater meaning and importance than the face
value.

4 Symbols and symbolism have been used to create movements, spread ideas,
and share advocacies that surpasses time and distance.
FUNCTIONS OF SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISMS
TYPES OF SYMBOLS

Cultural Symbols - manifestation that signifies ideology of a particular culture


that has meaning within that culture.

Social Symbols - relating to human societies and its model of organization (i.e.,
social class, social problems, social issues)

Political Symbols - used to represent a political standpoint; seen in various


media & forms such as banners, motto, flag, etc.

Economic Symbols - used in production, distribution, and consumption of goods


and service like currency, market, labor, demands and other economic activities.
CULTURAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

Objects, figures, sounds and colors


Facial expressions, word interpretations, or gestures, such as handshakes and
hand signal, instead symbols and signs.

Cultural Practices are the manifestation of culture or sub-culture especially


concerning the traditional and customary practices of a particular ethnic or other
culture group.

Example: religious and spiritual, medical treatment , forms of artistic


expressions, culinary, housing and child-rearing practices
SOME EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AROUND THE WORLD

Christian Cross

Christian cross has


traditionally been a symbol
representing Christianity
or Christendom as a whole,
and is the best known
symbol of Christianity.
SOME EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AROUND THE WORLD

Star and Crescent

the star and the crescent symbol


was used as the flag of the Ottoman
Empire from 1844. It was only
gradually with Islam, in particular,
due to its ubiquitous use in the
decorations of Ottoman mosques in
the late 19th century.
SOME EXAMPLES OF RELIGIOUS SYMBOLS AROUND THE WORLD

Jewish Flag

featuring hexagrams alongside


other devices appear from as
early as the 14th century CE.
Use of the Star of David as
representing the Jewish
community is first recorded in
Vienna in the 17th century CE.
SOME EXAMPLES OF
CULTURAL SYMBOLS IN
THE PHILIPPINES
SOME EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL SYMBOLS IN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippine Flag Dr. Jose P. Rizal

Philippine Eagle Philippine National Anthem


SOME EXAMPLES OF CULTURAL PRACTICES IN THE PHILIPPINES

Traditional Medical Practices - belief in <albularyo>, herbal medicines,


alternative medicines, and other home remedies.
Religious Spiritual Practices - Obando Festival in Bulacan for fertility, Panaas sa
Camiguin as act of penance and pilgrim. Feast of the Black Nazarene in Manila,
etc.
Culinary Practices - Rice 3 meals a day, Adobo, Sinigang, street foods, Balut, rice
cakes, etc.

Child-rearing Practices - respectful (used of the words mano, po at opo),


obedience to parents and elders, no talking back to elders, removing footwear before
entering the house, family mealtime, ninong/ninang, ate/kuya, punishment using
belt/tsinelas.
SOCIAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

SOCIAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

A visible, external denotation of one's social position,


indicator of one's social or economic status.

Status Symbol
relates to how individuals and groups interact and
interpret various cultural symbols. It can be seen in
clothing and possessions, societal recognition, material
possessions and other recognized symbols used worldwide
such as white dove for peace, red heart for love, etc.
SOCIAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

Examples of Common Social Symbols

Some social symbols are informative or


instructive like the following symbols:
Color

Black - evil, death


White - purity, peace
Red - blood, war, possession, danger
Purple - rayalty
POLITICAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

the artifacts of objectification of different political meanings


especially related to power.

political symbols are usually to embody an ideology, an


advocacy or a group of people with same principle.

political practices are common things that are done within a


state or country.

it is related to the practices done in the administration,


distribution and attainment of power, bureaucratic
composition etc.
POLITICAL SYMBOLS AND PRACTICES

Examples of Common Political Symbols

Color
Example of common political symbol in
Black - anarchism, fascism, the Philippines
Catholicism, Christian democracy
White - conservatism, Judaism, men,
monarchism, liberalism
Brown - Nazism, fascism
Gold - capitalism, liberalism
Economic
This represents economic standpoint. It
can be seen in various media such as

Symbols Stock Exchange, Money, and


Currency, Gold and Petroleum, Life
Insurance, Banking, etc.

Examples

New Zealand $ New Zealand Dollar


Philippines ₱ Philippine Peso
South Korea W South KoreanWon
||

Thailand B| Thai Baht


FUNCTIONS OF SYMBOLS AND SYMBOLISMS
Philippine Economic Practices

In terms of savings, one of the traditional way of saving money in


Filipino is using “alkansya”. It is where they Filipino use bamboo as a
vault to their money until it becomes full and ready to be withdrawn by
its owner.
Another way of economic practice of Filipino is “paluwagan”. It is a
group savings where group of people agrees to give money to a money
manager who is also part of this group and manages the money. The
money will cycle throughout the group.
Significance The usage of symbols and symbolism
of Symbols have given mankind an avenue to

and communicate with different groups of


people, influence others of different
Symbolism ideologies, and preserve values that were
transferred from generations to
generations.
HA N
TYOU!K
presented by: The Group 2

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