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Department of Education
Bureau of Learning Delivery
Teaching and Learning Division

Grade Levels:
Grade 11/12

Specialized Subject:

Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
Semester:
SECOND (Week 3)

LEARNING COMPETENCY:

EXPLAIN THE IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL RELATIVISM

IN ATTAINING CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING
Code: UCSP 11/12SPU-1c-5
UCSP 11/12SPU-1c-6
UCSP 11/12SPU-1c-7
Importance of Cultural relativism in Attaining Cultural Understanding

Hello! Have a good day!

We are now on the 3rd week of Quarter 1 of this module in your subject UCSP.
I hope you are all in good health condition.

Our Objectives for this module are:

At the end of this module, the students should be able to:

1. Understand the difference of every individual.
2. Compared and contrast the Ethnocentrism and Cultural Relativism.
3. Value cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.

Before we will start our lesson let’s have first an activity.

Are you ready?

Direction: Analyze this picture. Can you see the difference between the two pictures? Write
down your at least 5 observations. Write your answer in your notebook.

If you are done with activity, please attach your answer for the
activity together with your activity or answer sheet when you submit
the module for checking.
Good Day Sir!
And I guess you already finished the activity.
It means we will talk
What you have observed from that activity? That is somehow related about our own
to our topic on this module.

Exactly! So are you ready? Yes Sir!

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Environment and history are two of the primary factors that shape
the behavior of human groups. This behavior, which serves as
adaptive tool for the varied stimuli projected by the environment,
is influenced by beliefs, practices and material possessions.
Through constant practice, theses sets of behavior form human
traditions, which are passed from one generation to the other.

IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGIES

Nationality and Ethnicity

➢ Nationality is the identity that is tied to being part of a nation or country – a

‘’group of people who share the same history, traditions and language’’ and
who inhabits in a particular territory delineated by a political border and
controlled by the government.
➢ Ethnic Groups within the nation these are the smaller cultural groups that
share specific environments, traditions and histories that are not necessarily
subscribed by the mainstream culture.
SOCIAL DIFFERENCES

➢ GENDER refers to the socially constructed roles, behaviors, activities and

attributes that a given society considers appropriate for men and women.
➢ SEX biological characteristics of human such as male or female.
TYPES OF GENDER

➢ HETEROSEXUAL a person with this gender is inclined to be sexually attracted

to a person of the opposite sex
➢ HOMOSEXUAL person that is sexually attracted to the same sex.
➢ GAY- romantically and sexually attracted to male.
➢ LESBIAN - romantically and sexually attracted to female
➢ BISEXUAL individuals who are attracted to the opposite sex.
➢ ASEXUAL totally incapable of being attracted to any sex
➢ POLYSEXUAL attracted to multiple types of gender identity.
➢ PANSEXUAL accommodates all types of gender. There are people whose
gender identities do not match on their biological identity as male or female.
These people classify themselves as transgender. Their sexual orientation is
not related to their genetalia, which allow them to identify with other type of
gender. Under this category are people who allow themselves as
transsexual. These individuals believe that the discord between their internal
gender and the gender role that they have to perform can be addressed
through medical sexual reassignment.
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SOCIOECONOMIC CLASS

➢ GLOBAL SOUTH also known as developing countries that perceive poverty.

➢ GLOBAL NORTH also known as developed countries and industrialized
nations.
The typical determinants of one’s social status include income, value of assets and
savings, cultural interest and hobbies and economic status of his or her peers and
relatives.

POLITICAL IDENTITY

➢ POLITICAL IDENTITY refers to the set of attitudes and practices that an

individual adheres to in relation to the political systems and actors within his
or her society.

➢ RELIGION the belief in and worship of a superhuman controlling power

especially a personal God or Gods.
➢ MONOTHEISTIC believing in the existence of one God.
➢ POLYTHEISTIC believing in the existence of multiple Gods
CULTURAL VARIATION The variation in human conditions promotes diversity and
plurality in cultural traditions. This could lead to discrimination and ostracism.

➢ ETHNOCENTRISM is perspective that promotes an individual’s culture as the

most efficient and superior hence the individual who exhibit ethnocentrism
feels that his or her culture is the most appropriate as compared to other
cultures.
➢ CULTURAL RELATIVISM promotes the perspective that cultures must be
understood in the context of their locality. Using this perspective makes you
tolerant of the differing attitudes and practices of others.
I hope you have now the idea about our differences as individual.

Literally we can conclude that “No two Individuals have the same
culture”

Thank you Sir!

How about the difference of Cultural
Cultural Relativism Relativism and Ethnocentrism?

➢ This Concept was first formulated by William Graham Summer in his book “folkways”
➢ He said there are no universal moral standards of right and wrong and good and bad for eva luating
cultural phenomena.
➢ This means that what is right in one place maybe wrong in another place or vice versa.
➢ Standards are relative to the culture in which they appear.
➢ Customs can only be judged by how ell or how poorly they fit in with the standards of certa in
society.
For example; having several wives (polygyny) functions of society where women are needed to work in
the fields.
On the other hand,
Ethnocentrism is judging another culture solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture
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➢ Ethnocentric individuals judge other groups or relative to their own ethnic group or culture,
especially with the concern for language, behavior, customs and these ethnic distinctions and
subdivions serve to define each ethnicity’s unique cultural identity.
➢ Ethnocentrism may be overt or subtle, while it is considered a natural proclivity of human
psychology, it has develop a generally negative connotation.
➢ Ethnocentrism is a major reason for divisions amongst members of different ethnicities, races,
and religious groups in society.
➢ Ethnocentrism a belief of superiority in one’s personal ethnic group, but it can also develop from
racial or religious differences.
Ethnocentric individuals believe that they are better than other individuals

While many people may recognize the problems, they may not realize
that ethnocentrism occurs everywhere and everyday at both the local
and political levels.

Thank you Sir!

In Short, Cultural relativism is a positive thought while

You are Correct! Keep it up!

1. Cultural relativism is the positive attitude or concept while ethnocentrism is

the negative side.

2. Cultural relativism is showing a sense of understanding for different

cultures and treating the uniqueness of these cultures with utmost respect.

Thank you Sir!

How important is cultural

relativism and ethnocentrism in
the study of culture?

The goal of this is promote understanding of cultural practices that are not
typically part of one's own culture. Using the perspective of cultural
relativism leads to the view that no one culture is superior than
another culture when compared to systems of morality, law, politics, etc

In your own way, explain how Cultural Relativism mitigates Ethnocentrism?

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I have learned that _ .

I have realized that .

I will apply _.

Essay

Write an essay consisting of 250-500 words of this topic below. Use extra sheet of
paper.

I Understand and Appreciate the Culture of My Community

Online:

➢ http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-
miscellaneous/difference-between-cultural-relativism-and-ethnocentrism/- July 19,
2020
➢ https://www.studocu.com/ph/document/pontifical-and-royal-university-of-santo-
tomas-the-catholic-university-of-the-philippines/the-contemporary-world/lecture-
notes/final-ucsp-module-very-good/5432381/view- July 19, 2020
➢ ://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscellaneous/difference-
between-cultural-relativism-and-ethnocentrism/- July 19, 2020

BOOK:

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics authored by: MARIANO M. ARIOLA,

LL.B.;Ed.D.

Copyright2016 pages 91-93