LESSON 7-UNDERSTANDING CULTURE SOCIETY AND POLITICS

Functions of State and Non-state Institution

State

At the time of the initial development of the modern human rights system,
States were the dominant actors in the international arena. A state is an
organized political community acting under a government and united by
common set of laws. It uses absolute power in directing the path of a society. It
also uses complete political coerciveness, which may come in the form of armed
forces personnel, stricter laws, and rigid government policies in order to attain
its societal goals and objectives. Market exchange is the primary form of
economic subsistence of a state wherein standardized currencies are being
used to exchange commodities. States differ in sovereignty, governance,
geography, and interests. It may be classified as sovereign if they are not
dependent on, or subject to, any other power or state. Other states are subject
to external sovereignty where ultimate sovereignty lies another state.

The concept of the state is different from the concept of government. A

government is the particular group of people that controls the state at a given
time. In other words, governments are the means through which the state
power us employed like applying the rule of law

The concept of the state is also different from the concept of a nation, which
refers to a large geographical area and the people therein who perceives
themselves as having a common identity. The state is a political geopolitical
entity; the nation is a cultural or ethnic entity.

As a state, it consists of actors with varying interests and assertions, social

rules are implemented in the forms of laws. These laws are created to manage
the interaction among individuals and between the individuals and the state.
As a citizen of a country, an individual is subjected to the legal norms in the
territory. These norms may include paying taxes, rendering military services,
and contributing to the political life in the society. The State intends to be a
strong actor in the performance of the three important political functions. The
state, in full form, 1. maintains control over violence in its domain 2. allocates
resources and rewards at its discretion, and 3. stands as the major focus of
identity for the large majority of the people under its authority.

Elements of the State

1. Population
It is the people who make the state. Population is essential for the state. Without population
there can be no State.
2. Territory
There can be no state without a fixed territory. People need territory to live and organize themselves
socially and politically. It may be remembered that the territory of the states includes land, water
and airspace.

3. Government
It is the organization or machinery or agency of the State which makes, implements, enforces,
and adjudicates the laws of the state.
4. Sovereignty
It is the most exclusive elements of State. Without sovereignty no state can exist. State has the
exclusive title and prerogative to exercise supreme power over all its people and territory. It is
the basis which the State regulates all aspects of the life of the people living in its territory.

Roles of the States

1. State provides security against external aggressions and war. For this purpose, the state
maintains an army.
2. 2. State ensures security against internal disturbances disorders and crimes. For this
purpose, the state maintains police.
3. State legally grants and guarantees the rights of the people.
4. The state issues and regulates currency and coinage.
5. State undertakes steps for the creation of necessary conditions for the socio-economic-
politico-cultural development of the people.
6. State grants citizenship and protects their interests and rights.
7. State conducts foreign relations, foreign trade and economic relations.
8. State secures the goals of national interest in international relations

Nonstate Institutions

Nonstate institutions are people and/ or organization that participate in international affairs and
relations but are not affiliated with any state or nation. These nonstate institutions include the
following: bank and corporations, cooperatives and trade unions, transnational advocacy groups,
and development agencies and international organizations. These nonstate institutions are
equally capable of influencing policy formation and implementation.

a. Banks
Bank is a financial institution licensed to provide several financial services to different types
of customers. Banks are in operation mainly for their deposits and lending functions.
Customers are allowed to deposit their money to banks which grow through an interest rate.
Banks also provide loans, with an interest to customers who need money either for personal
consumption or for investment and businesses. Banks may be categorized into major forms
such as commercial banks and investment banks.

b. Corporations
 It is a form of business operation that declares the business as a separate entity guided by a
group of officers known as the Board of Directors. They were created by individuals,
stockholders or shareholders, with the purpose of operating for profit. They have all legal
rights of an individual, except for the right to vote and certain limitations. They are given the
right to exist by the state that issues their charter. Corporation example includes General
Motors Corporation an icon of American craftmanship, Apple Corporation as one of the
famous tech companies, Amazon Corporation founded by Jeff Bezos is the world’s leading
eCommerce and innovation company, Domino’s Pizza is a global food chain company
delivering quality food worldwide.

Common Types of Corporations

A corporation can be created by a single shareholder or by multiple shareholders who come
together to pursue common goal. A corporate can be formed as a for-profit or a non-for-
profit entity.
 For-profit entities form most corporations, and they are formed to generate revenues and
provide a return to their shareholders, according to their percentage of ownership in the
corporation. Examples: HBO in partnership with International Rescue Committee, Ford
Motors and Lynda.com.
 Not-for-profit entities operate under the category of charitable organizations, which are
dedicated to a particular social cause such as educational, religious, scientific, or research
purposes. Rather than distribute revenues to shareholders, not-for-profit organizations use
their revenues to further their objectives. Human Rights Campaign is a very impressive
example of using Facebook profile photos to spread the word far and wide about campaign.
Greenpeace the environmental non-profit that used GPS technology to inform the public
about their cause.

c. Cooperatives
Cooperatives are people-centers enterprises owned, controlled and run by and for their
members to realize their common economic, social, and cultural needs and aspirations.
Cooperatives are businesses governed on the principle of one member, one vote. There are
several common types of co-ops, including cooperatives owned and operated by: a. The
people working there (worker cooperatives); b. The people buying the co-op’s goods or
services (consumer cooperatives) c. The people collaborating to process and market their
products (producer cooperatives); and d. Groups uniting to enhance their purchasing power
(purchasing cooperatives) Cooperatives play a critical role in building community wealth for
several key reasons: a. They often provide quality goods and services to areas that have been
shunned by traditional businesses because they are deemed less profitable b. They typically
invest in local communities c. Since most cooperative members are local residents, business
profits remain and circulate in the community d. Cooperative membership builds social
networks and strengthens social cohesion which are essential elements of a strong, healthy
communities by connecting diverse community residents e. Purchasing cooperatives help
small, local businesses remains competitive within markets dominated by large, national
retailers

Trade Unions/Labor Unions

Trade Unions are organizations formed by workers from related fields that work for common
interest of its members. They help workers in issues like fairness of pay, good working
 environment, hours of work and benefits. They represent a cluster of workers and provide a
link between the management and workers.

The purpose of these unions is to look into the grievances of wagers and present a collective
voice in front of the management. It acts as the medium of communication between the
workers and management. Among these trade unions that exist in the Philippines are the
Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU) and the Trade Union Congress
of the Philippines (TUCP)

Functions of Trade Unions:

1. Advocating for fairness and equality for workers’ compensations
2. Securing better working conditions for workers
3. Trade Unions will organize strikes and demonstrations on behalf of worker demands
4. Fight for social welfare for workers
5. Promote and advocate for education and proper training for workers
6. Advocate and fight the government for legislative protections of the workers
7. Promote and advocate for organizational growth and stability
8. Trade Unions acts as representatives of workers in national and international forums
9. Involved in collective bargaining agreements and disputes with management to settle any
conditions on employment
10.Advising management on correct personnel policies and procedures
11.Involved in collective and personal collective grievances between management and
workers.

d. Transnational Advocacy Groups

Transnational Advocacy Groups (TAGs) play an increasingly important role in international

and regional politics and have contributed to changing policies of multilateral organizations and states.
They are particularly visible in contentious areas as human rights, environmental issues, international
peace, and women’s rights. They have specific roles to partake that can be achieved through effective
measures, case-specific methods, and activities. TAGs serve as international catalysts for change, aiming
to achieve international changes towards policies and practices. The very essence of TAGS is the
formation and development of their advocacies and campaigns that represent causes, ideas, values, and
beliefs.

Human Rights Watch and Amnesty are active in the human rights field. Oxfam and Save children deal
with humanitarian issues. Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth represent environmental concerns.

Types of Development Agencies:

International Organization is an institution with membership drawn from two or more countries. Its
activities transcend national boundaries as it facilitates cooperation among its members in the
performance of one or more tasks. The international organization can be public or private. A public
organization is an international government organization (IGO) with states as its members. Prominent
examples of IGOs are United Nations, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), International
Monetary Fund (IMF), European Union (EU), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and World
Health Organization (WHO). A private organization has a membership of individuals or groups and is an
international nongovernment organization (INGO) that originate for reasons other than politics such as
International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). INGOs may lobby or work regularly with the
government and IGOs.

Non-government Organization
is a non-profit group that functions independently of any government. It serves the social or political
goals such as humanitarian and environmental causes. Most NGOs aim to promote the practice of
democracy among societies and social change through their initiatives and organizational methods.
Many NGOs have targeted their efforts toward population groups that tend to be underserved by
governmental programs, including women, the aged, physically and mentally disabled persons, the poor,
and various social groups that have been marginalized by virtue of race, religion, ethnicity, caste, and
social class.