BUENASHER LEARNING ACADEMY INC.
Km.39 Cityland Ave., Pulong Buhangin, Sta. Maria, Bulacan
SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY & POLITICS
MODULE 1
Name of Learner: ____________________________ Grade/Section: _________
Date: __________________ Semester: Second
ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
The Social Sciences are interconnected and interrelated disciplines that study human beings as a "social animal".
And because the disciplines are interconnected and interrelated, what sets each discipline apart is the specialization or
focus of study.
In this lesson, we will look into the sister disciplines of Anthropology and Sociology.
The disciplines of Social Science have been a part of your academic life since Elementary. The subject Araling
Panlipunan or Social Studies is basically an application of the different Social Science disciplines.
From Kinder through Grade 8, Araling Panlipunan aimed to teach you the values and perspective needed to
understand and appreciate one's self, family, community, cultural origin, country, and continent/region. The subject
also tackled world historical development as influenced by local geography, economics, culture, and politics. Grades 9
and 10, on the other hand, focused on the topics of Economics, and Contemporary Issues-all these topics are covered
by the different Social Science disciplines. But do we really know the Social Sciences? Aside from History, Economics,
and Geography, do we know of other Social Sciences?
Activity 1:
1. Take some time to read and understand the news clipping below then answer the question on the box that
follows.
What are your thoughts about the case filed against the Fil-Canadian boy? Do you also think that a person's way of
eating or way of using utensils a ground for a legal case? What is the "proper way" of eating or "proper use" of
utensils?
2. An anthropologist proposed a game to African tribe kids. He put a basket full of fruit near a tree and told them
that whoever got there first won the sweet fruits. When he told them to run, they all took each other's hands
and ran together, then sat together enjoying their treats. When he asked them why they had run like that as
one could have had all the fruits for himself, they said: UBUNTU, how can one of us be happy if all the other
ones are sad?
UBUNTU in the Xhosa culture means:
"I am because we are"
Answer the question on the box below:
Given the same challenge, do you think Filipino children would have done the same? Can you think of any local
term, translation, or phrase that means almost the same as Ubuntu?
ANTHROPOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY
We were presented with two contrasting stories; one story shows an unfortunate legal battle due to differences
in ways of using utensils; the other story shows the inspiring way how other people face challenges. Although the two
stories differ in a lot of details, they both show an underlying pattern: people across the globe have their own ways of
doing things, and ways of interacting with other people.
When we talk about people's ways of doing things, we can also think of it as "ways of life". This "way of life" is
referred to as culture. Edward B. Tylor defined culture as, "that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art,
law, morals, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society (Street 1998)."
Culture is man's way of adapting to, manipulating, and interacting with his physical and social environment.
On the other hand, when we talk about ways of interacting with other people, we refer to it as social structures.
Social structures or structures govern how we live and interact with each other in a given society (Form 1999). Social
structures include family, peers, school, religion, economy, mass media, and other.
In studying and analyzing culture and social structures the sister disciplines of Anthropologyand Sociology
take center stage:
Anthropology comes from the two Greek words: anthropos, meaning "human", and logos, meaning "study"
or "inquiry". Hence Anthropology is the study of humans, with a special emphasis on human biological evolution as a
species and cultural practices. On the other hand, Sociology is made up of the Greek words: socius, meaning
"companion" or "friend", and logos, meaning "study" or "inquiry". Hence Sociology deals with the relationships and
interactions of people within society.
Activity 2:
Think of at least five structures that you belong to and list them down. After listing down those structures, think
about and write down the ways they have influenced your way of life.
Examples:
Structure: Barkada- they have thought me how to use gel, lip tint/ they have taught me how to apply wax to my hair.
Structure: Church Choir- I learned the habit of praying before going to sleep.
1. Structure:
2. Structure:
3. Structure:
4. Structure
5. Structure
Activity#3:
Determine whether Anthropology or Sociology is best in studying the following items.
__________________ 1. How social groups are formed.
__________________ 2. The practice of "Mano po."
__________________ 3. The meaning of the red and blue color in the Philippine flag.
__________________ 4. Making friends with your new classmates.
__________________ 5. Building social networks in the digital age.
__________________ 6. Pamahiin o superstitious beliefs.
__________________ 7. Learning the Filipino Sign Language.
__________________ 8. The relationship between the boss and the worker.
__________________ 9. Starting a Kdrama fan club
__________________ 10. Using chopsticks when eating.
Mrs. Vangeline Kristel Mendiola
Teacher
