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Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
Region v
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF SORSOGON
BULACAO NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
School Year: 2021-2022

Learning Activity Sheet Number: 5 Week Number: 5

UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Introduction
Culture is a word for the 'way of life' of groups of people, meaning the way they do things.
It is a n integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior. The outlook, attitudes,
values, morals, goals, and customs shared by a society. Culture is the lifeblood of a vibrant
society, expressed in the many ways we tell our stories, celebrate, remember the past, entertain
ourselves, and imagine the future. Our creative expression helps define who we are and helps us
see the world through the eyes of others. Culture study, in general, will allow you to understand
how the different cultures came about. It will also give you an overview of how peoples' behaviors
vary from one place to another. Any change in them can impact and affect the world we live in
some ways, so you better embrace with them with keen understanding.

Most Essential Learning Competency:

Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political, and economic symbols and practices.

Specific Objectives:
1. Define emic and etic views of culture,
2. Differentiate emic perspective from ethic perspective of culture, and
3. Appreciate/Value cultural practices of an organization/society.

Learning Activities

Emic and Etic Views of Culture

When looking at any culture, our own or someone else's, it is possible to have two
different perspectives. An ethnographer requires the ability to move easily from one perspective
to the other. These two perspectives are emic and etic. The words are derived from linguistics,
but have different meanings as used in cultural anthropology.
Why do people live so differently in various parts of the world, and how can those
differences be relevant to your own people? Anthropologist Marvin Harris, coined the terms emic
and etic. An etic view of a culture is the perspective of an outsider looking in.
For example, if an American anthropologist went to Africa to study a nomadic tribe,
his/her resulting case study would be from an etic standpoint if he/she did not integrate
themselves into the culture they were observing. Some anthropologists may take this approach
to avoid altering the culture that they are studying by direct interaction. The etic perspective is
data gathering by outsiders that yield questions posed by outsiders. One problem that
anthropologists may run in to is that people tend to act differently when they are being observed.
It is especially hard for an outsider to gain access to certain private rituals, which may be
important for understanding a culture.
The emic approach to studying human culture focuses on the members of the culture
being studied. Their words, perceptions, and beliefs are the main sources of information used to
understand the culture. For this reason, the emic approach is often referred to as the insider
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approach. While this perspective stems from the concept of immersion in a specific culture, the
emic participant isn’t always a member of that culture or society. Because the observer places
themselves within the culture of intended study, they are able to go further in-depth on the
details of practices and beliefs of a society that may otherwise have been ignored.
The emic approach investigates how local people think. How they perceive and categorize
the world, their rules for behavior, what has meaning for them, and how they imagine and
explain things. "The etic (scientist-oriented) approach shifts the focus from local observations,
categories, explanations, and interpretations to those of the anthropologist.
An etic description must be able to generate scientific theories about the "causes of
sociocultural differences and similarities." While emic description uses language and concepts
that are appropriate from the native point of view, etic description uses language and concepts
drawn from social science. As a result, an etic viewpoint is often unfamiliar to the native.
Harris did considerable fieldwork in India, where Hinduism is the dominant religion. The
Hindu religion prohibits the slaughter of cattle or the consumption of beef. India's sacred cattle
have been used as the basis for the English expression "sacred cow", which can be used for any
group clinging to something which is viewed objectively as irrational.
It is an ethnocentric view of practices in India, which assumes that killing and eating
cattle would help feed people, prevent traffic hazards, and improve India's economic
development. Emically, most Hindus do not kill cattle because they believe it is morally wrong,
because they find the act of killing a cow emotionally and spiritually repulsive and defiling, and
because they would literally be sickened from eating beef. For example, McDonald's restaurants
in India serve mutton burgers instead of hamburgers. An etic explanation of the origin of the
taboo on slaughtering cattle emphasizes their traditional importance in agriculture. Cattle were
and are used in rural India to pull the plow, to pull carts, to provide fertilizer and fuel, and for
milk. Because of their ecological and economic importance, Harris argues, preserving the lives of
cattle was adaptive in Indian culture. Since in times of serious food shortages, farmers might be
tempted to slaughter their cattle for food, a religious taboo developed to prohibit it. A farmer who
killed his cattle during a food shortage would surely die, as he would be unable to plant and
harvest his next crop.

What Is an Organizational Culture?

Organizational culture refers to a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs.

that show an individual what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior. In fact, the term
organizational culture was made popular in the 1980s when Peters and Waterman’s best-selling
book In Search of Excellence made the argument that company success could be attributed to
an organizational culture that was decisive, customer oriented, empowering, and people
oriented. Since then, organizational culture has become the subject of numerous research
studies, books, and articles.

What are the levels of Organizational Culture?

Typical organizational behaviors form the

most observable level of culture, and consist of behavior
patterns and outward manifestations of culture,
such as perks provided to executives, dress codes, the
level of technology utilized (and where it is utilized),
and the physical layout of workspaces. Some notable
characteristic behaviors may have considerable longevity –
such as rites, ceremonies, organizational myths, and “shop talk.”

Values underlies and to a large extent determine behavior, but they are not directly
observable (as behaviors are). There may be a difference between stated and operating values
(the values the organization espouses, and those that are actually “in use”).

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 Organizational values are frequently expressed through norms characteristic attitudes
and accepted behaviors that might be called “the unwritten rules of the road.” To really
understand culture, we have to get to the deepest level - the level of Fundamental Assumptions.
An organization’s underlying assumptions grow out of values, until they become taken for
granted and drop out of awareness. These levels may be viewed like an iceberg, with the most
immediately visible level at the top, while the others are generally submerged or implicit.
According to Edgar Schein’s model of organizational culture where the basic assumptions
shape values and the values shape practices and behavior, is the visible part of culture.
Organizations do not adopt a culture in a single day and in fact learn from past experiences and
start practicing it every day thus forming the culture of the workplace. Schein believed that there
are three levels in an organization culture.
Artifacts. These mark the surface of the culture in every organization. The visible part of
the culture can be noticed by a visitor or an ‘outsider’ in the form of the following aspects:
Physical Artifacts can be found through the architecture and interior arrangements,
physical space and its allocation and office design, decoration, manner of dressing and even
mementos and trophies awarded on chosen occasions.
Language gives away culture through modes of speaking, levels and types of sound,
slogans and special expressions.
Stories and myths circulating among the staff indicate what type of persons or acts are
considered heroic, how certain types of situations should be handled, what should not be done,
what happens in this organization if one acts in a particular way and so on.
Technology is also a part of the culture, since it reflects and shapes the values and
assumptions through operations, materials, and knowledge.
Visible traditions displayed at ceremonies and rituals, social practices, leadership
practices and work traditions that show ‘our way of doing things’.
Values. When compared to basic assumptions, values are at higher levels of
consciousness and they reflect the members shared opinion on ‘how things should be.’

Basic Assumptions. An assumption is a kind of belief that is taken for granted as a fact and so
it is never challenged. A pattern of basic assumptions evolved among the members of a social
group and makes the core of the culture in any organization. When the basic assumptions are
understood, the apparently isolated and confusing artifacts and values become coherent. Schein
(1985) gave six types of assumptions that form the paradigm for every organization:
1. Assumptions about what is the ‘truth’ in physical and social matters, how reality and
truth are determined, and whether truth is to be revealed or discovered.
2. Assumptions about the importance of time in a group, how time is to be defined and
measured.
3. Assumptions about how space is to be owned and allocated, the symbolic meaning of
space around persons, the role that space plays in shaping relationships between
individuals and boundaries between intimacy and privacy.
4. Basic assumptions about the intrinsic or ultimate aspects of human nature, whether
the human nature is fundamentally good or bad and whether it can be perfected.
5. Assumptions about the organization’s relationship with its environment, about the
understanding of work and play, and how much of activity and passivity should be
appropriate.
6. Assumptions about the right way for people to relate with each other, the appropriate
ways to distribute power and responsibilities, the relative merits of cooperation vs.
competition, individualism or group collaboration, the basics of leadership –
whether it should be traditional authority, law or charisma. Appropriate ways of
resolving conflicts and making decisions.

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I. Learning Competencies:
Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices.

II. Activities:

Practice Task 1. How do you differentiate the two views of culture (emic and etic)? Give
examples. Write your answers in your answer sheet.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Practice Task 2. Give your opinion on this: Every organization/ society must have its own sets
of culture to follow. Why? Write your answers in your answer sheet.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Evaluation: Write TRUE if the statement is true and FALSE if the statement is false.
_____1. The emic perspective/approach is often referred to as the insider approach.
_____2.Organizational culture refers to a system of shared assumptions, values,
and beliefs. that show an individual what is appropriate and inappropriate
behavior.
_____3. An etic view of a culture is the perspective of an outsider looking in.
_____4. Values are at higher levels of consciousness but do not reflect the members
shared opinion on ‘how things should be’.
_____5.Artifacts in many aspects mark the surface of the culture in every
organization.
_____6.Norms, characteristic, attitudes and accepted behaviors are called “the
unwritten rules of the road.”
_____7.Ceremonies, rituals, social practices, leadership practices and work
traditions that show ‘our way of doing things’ are examples of displayed
visible traditions.
_____8.To really understand culture, we have to get to the deepest level of
fundamental assumptions.
_____9. According to Marvin Harris basic assumptions shape values and the values
shape practices and behavior, is the visible part of culture.
_____10. Anthropologist Marvin Harris coined the terms emic and etic.

Lesson 2: Cultural Practices Globally & Nationally

INTRODUCTION
Probably you noticed that there are symbols everywhere. From the moment you open your
eyes in the morning, until the time you close your eyes to sleep, you will see symbols. But do you
know that symbols play important roles in our lives? In fact, they form part of our culture.
Global and National culture influence the culture and practices of the society or any
organization.

OBJECTIVES

Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols and practices.
1. Define global and national cultural practices,
2. Analyze the role of the global and national cultural practices to society, and
3. Appreciate the importance of culture of a society.

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Learning Activities

The word "culture" derives from the Latin word "colere," which means to tend to the earth
and grow, or cultivation and nurture. Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a
particular group of people, encompassing language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and
arts.
Culture is a set of patterns of human activity within a community or social group and the
symbolic structures that give significance to such activity. In other words, culture is the peoples’
way of life. The elements of culture are: customs. holidays, clothing, greetings, typical rituals and
activities, marriage/family, government/laws, language, religion and many more. Values and
belief principles are the important aspects of lifestyles.
The culture of the Philippines as an example of national culture comprises a blend of
traditional Filipino and Spanish Catholic traditions, with influences from America and other
parts of Asia. However, other countries have also national cultural practices of their own.
Let’s look at our own cultural practices. What is it about the Philippines that makes it
different from the rest of the world? Well, for one thing, it is all about their culture.
Now let us name some of the national cultural practices of the Filipinos. As we all know,
Filipinos are very resilient that in times of calamities and catastrophes, they always manage to
rise above the challenge. Instead of wallowing and manage to pick themselves up and smile.
Filipinos take pride in their families; they consider the family as the basic and most important
aspect of Filipino culture. Sometimes, even the closest of friends are considered family, too. They
are very religious that in all corners of a Filipino house, you can find brazen images of crosses
and other religious paraphernalia. They go to church every Sunday, or sometimes even twice or
three times a week. They too are very respectful. From the moment they are born into this world,
they are already taught how to be respectful by using these simple catchphrases—po and opo,
words that end sentences when addressing elders. They have a culture of pagmamano, which is
where they raise the backs of the hands of their elders to their foreheads as a sign of respect.
Filipinos help one another more popularly known as bayanihan. They don’t expect anything in
return thus, undertaking their tasks and responsibilities become much easier.
Filipinos value traditions and culture for them, traditions in their home and in their
family are important. They usually set aside a specific day for a certain celebration like festivals,
birthday parties, reunions, etc. And of course, every gathering is dedicated to keeping up with
each other over sumptuous food. Filipinos love to hold celebrations, festivals, and fiestas. The
Philippines has the longest Christmas celebrations—ever even as early as August, you can hear
Christmas songs and jingles being played in the malls or in the restaurants in the Philippines.
The mood becomes festive, with many people shopping and in good spirits. Christmas
celebrations last until around the first or second week of January. Filipinos love to eat. They
manage to squeeze in a little meal in between and savor every bite. They also love to sing as part
of their recreation, the reason why karaoke has become so prevalent singing or belting out new
and old songs. They love art and architecture by bringing them to a whole new level. They love to
design creatively, to think intuitively, and have a passion for anything different and unique.
Global cultural practices of a group of human beings are members identified with each
other based on distinctiveness measured by combinations of cultural, linguistic, religious,
behavioral and/or biological traits. The discourse regarding the effects of globalization on
cultural diversity is a challenging debate. The advancement of technology dissolves international
boundaries and opens cultures to a whole new arena enabling globalization to occur.
Globalization can be an empowering entity. It can interconnect the world, support economic
development, provide information availability, and assist in developing a global community.
Globalization is the process by which people and goods move easily across borders. Principally,
it's an economic concept of the integration of markets, trade, and investments.
Furthermore, globalization has impacted culture all over the world including the influence
of multinational corporations in the workplace thereby, influencing societal values.
Understanding a country's culture is a sign of respect. It also helps to foster effective
communication, a vital factor in business success. Business habits, sports such as soccer,
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running and swimming that are enjoyed on an international basis, holidays/pastimes, fashion,
diplomacy, professions, language, and travel are some of the cultural practices shared by
nations globally. In addition to its intrinsic value, global cultural practices provide important
social and economic benefits. This is giving peoples all over the world for opportunities to come
together with others. Shared global culture enhances our quality of life and increases overall
well-being for both individuals and communities.

Practice Task 1

Direction: Picture Analysis. Identify whether the pictures are examples of a national or a global
cultural practice. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.

Practice Task 2. In your notebook, give your own understanding on the difference
between national and global practices. Cite at least 2 examples each.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________

Practice Task 3
Identify the role of a national cultural practice and a global cultural practice to our society.
Make use of the pictures below in discussing your answers.

1. National cultural practice 2. Global cultural practice

_______________________________________ ____________________________________
_______________________________________ ____________________________________
_______________________________________ ____________________________________

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EVALUATION: Modified True or False. Write TRUE if the statement is correct and if it is wrong,
change the underlined word with the correct answer. Do this in your answer sheet.
_____1. “Colere” is a French word for culture.
_____2. Filipinos are fond of merriment.
_____3. “Pagmamano” is a form/sign of community spirit.
_____4. Culture in its simplest meaning is life.
_____5. The family is the basic and most important aspect of Filipino culture.
_____6. Globalization has impact to culture all over the world by influencing
societal values of others.
_____7. Philippine culture is a mixture of other European and Asian cultures.
_____8. People learned to share and practice other nations’ culture through
globalization.
_____9. Aside from the intrinsic value brought about by globalization, global
cultural practices also provide important social and economic benefits.
_____10. Shared global culture enhances peoples’ quality of life.

Lesson 3: Social/Cultural Distinction, National Symbols &

Nation’s Social/Cultural Heritage

Introduction
Cultural difference involves the integrated and maintained system of socially
acquired values, beliefs, and rules of conduct which impact the range of accepted
behaviors distinguishable from one societal group to another. Cultural Diversity is the existence
of a variety of cultural groups within a society. Cultural groups can share many different
characteristics. Culture, religion, ethnicity, language, nationality, sexual orientation, class,
gender, age, disability, health differences, geographic location, and lots of other things.

Objectives
Analyze the significance of cultural, social and political and economic symbols
and practices.
1. Define social/cultural distinction.
2. Cite the different national symbols & the nation's social heritage
3. Appreciate the importance of national symbols.
Learning Activities
In sociology, distinction is a social force that assigns different values upon different people
in societies. Social distinction means social recognition, or “whether the people of a given society
would perceive a proposed group as sufficiently separate or distinct. The distinction made
between social groups and persons based on biological, physiological, and sociocultural factors,
as sex, age, or ethnicity, resulting in the assignment of roles and status within a society. The
differentiation of one social class from another, (also) a point of differentiation between social
classes, such as characteristic attitude, behavior, etc. is referred to as social/cultural
distinction.
Cultural diversity also known as multiculturalism is a group of diverse individuals from
different cultures or societies. Usually, cultural diversity considers language, religion, race,
sexual orientation, gender, age and ethnicity. Since culture is diverse and distinct from one
another, there is a need to respect them. An example of diversity is a classroom full of children of
different backgrounds. Culture such as traditions, beliefs and practices that is distinct to them
may vary.
On the other hand, a national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and
manifesting itself to the world as a national community. National symbols intend to unite people

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by creating visual, verbal, or iconic representations of the national people, values, goals, or
history. These symbols are often rallied around as part of celebrations of patriotism or aspiring
nationalism such as independence, autonomy or separation
movements and are designed to be inclusive and representative of all the people of the national
community. National symbols and ceremonies also have effects upon the
community they represent; that is, they raise collective consciousness of “who we are” and
“where we are from.” National symbols are expressions of nationhood.
Symbols represent a wide variety of things. When people see a particular symbol, they
associate it with something meaningful or standard. With this, each country has their own
national symbols to identify themselves from others and to unite its citizens through
nationalism. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), official national symbols
of the Philippines represent the country’s traditions and ideals and convey the principles of
Philippine sovereignty and national solidarity. In the Philippines, the official national symbols as
recognized by the NCCA are the following: Flag, anthem, sampaguita flower, carabao, barong
Tagalog and baro’t saya, eagle, narra tree, pearl gem, bangus and arnis. Having our national
symbols will give us our own national identity. It’s a
subjective feeling one shares with a group of people about a nation, regardless of one's legal
citizenship status. It is an expression of one's national identity seen in a positive light is
patriotism which is characterized by national pride and positive emotion of love for one's
country.
Social/cultural heritage on the other hand is a culturally learned customs, codes, and
rules of behavior that are constant across generations. Social/Cultural Heritage is an expression
of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation,
including customs, practices, places, objects, artistic expressions and values. Social/Cultural
Heritage is often expressed as either intangible or tangible Heritage. Examples include giving
gifts on particular occasions, greeting others when one enters a room, and shaking hands.
Social/Cultural Heritage plays a very important role in our life. It is what keeps us
attached to our religion, traditions and beliefs. It means a feeling of identity of a group or
culture, or of an individual. The concept of social/cultural heritage is the legacy of the
physical artifacts (buildings, monuments, works of art, written texts) and the intangible
attributes (folklore, traditions, language) of a group or society that are inherited from past
generations, maintained in the present and bestowed for the benefit of future. Intangible heritage
also includes traditions or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and
passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions, performing arts, social practices, rituals,
festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe or the knowledge
and skills to produce traditional crafts. Objects, artifacts, buildings, places and monuments are
known as tangible cultural heritage. Tangible cultural heritage has its physical presence.
Furthermore, preserving our heritage helps sustain the local economy, creating jobs, and
even generating capital. Preservation of it also gives us an irrefutable connection to the past – to
certain social values, beliefs, customs and traditions, that allows us to identify ourselves with
others and deepen our sense of unity, belonging and national pride.

Practice Task 1. Differentiate tangible from intangible heritage. Write your answer on your
notebook
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________

Practice Task 2. Answer the following questions in your notebook.

1. Define social distinction.
2. What is the importance of a national symbol?

Post Test
FACT or BLUFF. Write FACT if the question/statement is true and BLUFF if it is not. Do this in
your answer sheet.
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_____1. The differentiation of one social class from another such as characteristic
attitude, behavior, etc. is referred to as social/cultural distinction.
_____2. Cultural diversity also known as multiculturalism.
_____3. Feast day, Christmas and the likes are examples of tangible heritage.
_____4. A group or a class having a social distinction would mean having its own
social recognition.
_____5. Differentiation between social classes, such as characteristic attitude and
behavior is referred to as nationalism.
_____6. National symbols are expressions of nationhood which intends to unite
people.
_____7. National symbols represent the country’s traditions and ideals but do not
convey the principles of sovereignty and national solidarity.
_____8. Patriotism which is characterized by national pride and positive emotion of
love for one's country.
_____9. Patronizing our own product is not a patriotic act.
_____10. There is a need to preserve and promote century-old social/cultural
heritage.

Answer Key:
Lesson 1
Post Test
1. True 6. True
2. True 7. True
3. True 8. True
4. False 9. False
5. True 10. True
Scoring Rubric for Short and Extended Response
Score Indicator
4- The response provides all aspects of a complete interpretation and/or a correct solution.
The response thoroughly addresses the points relevant to the concept or task. It provides
strong evidence that information, reasoning, and conclusions have a definite logical
relationship. It is clearly focused and organized, showing relevance to the concept, task, or
solution process.
3- The response provides the essential elements of an interpretation and/or a solution. It
addresses the points relevant to the concept or task. It provides ample evidence that
information, reasoning, and conclusions have a logical relationship. It is focused and
organized, showing relevance to the concept, task, or solution process.
2- The response provides a partial interpretation and/or solution. It somewhat addresses
the points relevant to the concept or task. It provides some evidence that information,
reasoning, and conclusions have a relati onship. It is relevant to the concept and/or task,
but there are gaps in focus and organization.
1- The response provides an unclear, inaccurate interpretation and/or
solution. It fails to address or omits significant aspects of the concept
or task. It provides unrelated or unclear evidence that information,
reasoning, and conclusions have a relationship. There is little evidence
of focus or organization relevant to the concept, task, and/or solution
process.
0-The response does not meet the criteria required to earn one point. The student may have
written on a different topic or written "I don't know."

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Lesson 2
Practice Task 1
1. National 2. Global 3. Global 4. National 5. Global

Post-Test
1. Latin 6. TRUE
2. TRUE 7. TRUE
3. Bayanihan 8. TRUE
4. TRUE 9.TRUE
5. TRUE 10. TRUE
Lesson 3
Post Test
1. F 6. F
2. F 7. B
3. B 8. F
4. F 9. B
5. B 10. F
CRITERIA RATING
The entry relates entirely to the assigned topic or question. 12345
The information conveys a genuine personal view regarding the 12345
topic or question.
The entry is written following the conversations of good writing and 12345
proper grammar.
The information is original and does not contain plagiarized 12345
content.

I. References:
Pobocan, Winard P., Brojan Arlene A., Albalate, Karen R., Understanding Culture, Society and
Politics 2020: Region V Module

Prepared by:

IVAN POWELL E. PURA

Subject Teacher

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