MODULE 2 Culture and Society

OVERVIEW Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviours, objects, and other characteristics
common to the members of a particular group or society. Through culture, people and
groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and contribute to
society. Thus, culture includes many societal aspects: language, customs, values,
norms, mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations, and institutions.
In this module, you will learn the basic knowledge and definition of culture and
process in understanding of culture to the society. Also you will analyze the culture
and society in the Philippine context which deepen your understanding and
appreciation of subculture that existed in the small group of people.
LEARNING At the end of the lesson you are expected to:
OBJECTIVES  Define culture and society.
 Discuss the culture and society in Philippine context.
 Analyze the elements of cultures in the Philippines.

Drop it! Name It!

In this activity, students should be getting piece of paper wherein they will have to
write ONE WORD about this question:
What do you  What is the first word that comes in your mind when you hear the term
“CULTURE AND SOCIETY”?
already know? In another sheet of paper, student should be writing their answer to another
question:
 What is the first word that comes into your mind when you hear the phrase
“CULTURE AND SOCIETY IN THE PHILIPPINES “?
Etymology of the word “Culture”
Culture traces its origin from the ancient Latin word cultura, meaning cultivation
or tending, and was introduced into the English language in the year 1430 (Oxford
English Dictionary).
Culture is the "training, development and refinement of mind, tastes and manners"
(Oxford English Dictionary).
Today, the new entries, products of continuing evolution and development in
the field, have the following to offer culture:
1. artistic and intellectual pursuits and products;
2. development or improvement of the mind, morals, etc.; and
3. the ways of living built up by a human group and transmitted to succeeding
generations.
This etymological evolution is an indication of how the word "culture" itself
undergoes cultural change as society develops. This kind of word evolution is
significant in that it pictures the possible world that culture can inhabit.

Raymond Williams: Ordinary Culture (1958)

Raymond Williams argues that culture is not just "the best that has been thought and
said" but that culture is ordinary. In his work, The Long Revolution (London, 1961), he
emphasized this ordinariness in the discussion of one of his definitions of culture.

There is the social definition of culture in which culture is a description of a particular

way of life which expresses certain meanings and values not only in art and learning,
 but also in institutions and ordinary behaviour. The analysis of cultures from such a
definition is the clarification of the meanings and values implicit and explicit in a
particular way of life, a particular culture. Such analysis will include the historical
criticism always referred to in which intellectual works are analysed in relation to
particular traditions and societies, but will also include analysis of elements in the way
of life that to followers of the other definitions are not culture at all: the organization of
production, the structure of the family, the structures of the institutions which express
or govern social relationships, the characteristic forms through which members of the
society communicate.

Through cultural analysis, Williams wants to establish a parameter by which

culture can be truly understood and appreciated - the experience of how culture is
actually lived. We find here a desire of being in a state of belongingness (shared
values, coexperiencing with others, common political struggle, etc.). And what is
important for Williams is not a passive appreciation of culture, but more so, a
commitment to the simplicity of ordinary, everyday cultural reconstitution.
Learn more: https://old-www.wsu.edu/gened/learn-modules/top_culture/culture-
definitions/raymond-williams.html
Let’s get to know
Culture and Society
more Culture consists of the beliefs, behaviors, objects, and other characteristics
common to the members of a particular group or society. Through culture, people and
groups define themselves, conform to society's shared values, and contribute to
society. Thus, culture includes many societal aspects: language, customs, values,
norms, mores, rules, tools, technologies, products, organizations, and institutions.
This latter term institution refers to clusters of rules and cultural meanings associated
with specific social activities. Common institutions are the family, education, religion,
work, and health care.
Popularly speaking, being cultured means being well‐educated,
knowledgeable of the arts, stylish, and well‐mannered. High culture—generally
pursued by the upper class—refers to classical music, theater, fine arts, and other
sophisticated pursuits. Members of the upper class can pursue high art because they
have cultural capital, which means the professional credentials, education,
knowledge, and verbal and social skills necessary to attain the “property, power, and
prestige” to “get ahead” socially. Low culture, or popular culture—generally pursued
by the working and middle classes—refers to sports, movies, television sitcoms and
soaps, and rock music. Remember that sociologists define culture differently than they
do cultured, high culture, low culture, and popular culture.
Sociologists define society as the people who interact in such a way as to
share a common culture. The cultural bond may be ethnic or racial, based on gender,
or due to shared beliefs, values, and activities. The term society can also have
a geographic meaning and refer to people who share a common culture in a particular
location. For example, people living in arctic or tropical climates developed different
cultures from those living in desert cultures. In time, a large variety of human cultures
arose around the world.
Culture and society are intricately related. A culture consists of the “objects” of
a society, whereas a society consists of the people who share a common culture.
When the terms culture and society first acquired their current meanings, most people
in the world worked and lived in small groups in the same locale. In today's world of 6
billion people, these terms have lost some of their usefulness because increasing
numbers of people interact and share resources globally. Still, people tend to
use culture and society in a more traditional sense: for example, being a part of a
“racial culture” within the larger “U.S. society.”

Elementary of Culture
1. Values
A basic set of values make up the essential part of a culture, providing directions on
what is good or bad and right and wrong. Different cultures have diverse values so
what are approved in one society may be disapproved in another.
2. Beliefs
People of modern age technology still consider, consult and depend upon a body of
beliefs for courses of actions. Society's beliefs, which are composed of fables,
superstitions, proverbs, myths. Folklore, theology, philosophy, art and science, are
influenced by the members' attitudes, emotions and values.
3. Norms
Norms are unquestionable standards of what society considers as good and proper
for social behaviour.
Etiquette, speech, facial expressions and mannerisms are part of society's norms.
Individuals subscribing to norms win the admiration and respect of society while those
who o not subscribe are met with disapproval.
There are two types of norms. They are either prescriptive or proscriptive.
a. Prescriptive norms are those which are right, legal, ethical, good, proper, moral and
appropriate.
b. Proscriptive norms are those which are unethical, wrong, bad, immoral, illegal,
inappropriate and improper.
4. Language
Human beings use language and, therefore, possess culture. Human language is
unique as it is complex and in written form. It is the central feature of all human
cultures.

According to Sapir (1961), language is a purely human and non-instinctive

method of communicating ideas, emotions and drives by means of voluntarily
produced symbols (Panopio & Rolda, 2000) A symbol is something or anything that
represents something else Numbers, words, marks, colors, emblems and designs are
considered symbols.
Language, considered as the most important channel for communication, is a
medium for determining a society's values. It holds people together and is vital for
cross-cultural understanding. It promotes and perpetuates one's cultural heritage and
expresses national identity and history.
5. Folkways
Folkways are customs, habits and repetitive patterns of expected behavior. Courtship
and dating folkways are still being practiced in Philippine rural areas today.
6. Mores
 Mores carry moral or ethical values and are the results of long established customs.
Example of mores are ear-piercing and circumcision.
A large part of mores consists of taboos. Taboos are forbidden
or prohibited acts. Examples of taboos are incest, child abuse and
Prostitution. Ostracism is the punishment for violating mores.
7. Laws
Laws are formalized norms sanctioned by the state. The most common example of a
law is the constitution.
8. Material Culture
Material culture refers to the physical objects made by men. In primitive societies, an
example of material culture is the bow and arrow. The cellular phone is the material
culture of today's modern technological society.
9. Technology
Technology refers to the techniques and knowledge in utilizing raw materials to
produce food, tools, clothing, shelter, means of transportation and weapon (Panopio
& Rolda, 2001).
Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyTcleKFLRE

What you have read will give you a glimpse of culture and society and its
connection both in understanding society. Let us discover what culture that have
existed in your place. Using the graph, list down the culture you have observe in your
place and explain this culture and why this is unique from the other society.
Name of Place Culture Explain

Let’s do and
discover

Accomplished the Worksheet No.1 The Family, Tradition Values and the
Sociocultural Transformation of Philippine Society. The activity will evaluate if you
will understood the lesson.
Download the full article: The_Family Traditional Values and the Sociocultural
Transformation of Philippine Society.pdf
 The following criteria may be considered in checking the output:
How much you 1. Content of the answers
have learned? 2. Clear position of answer
3. Timeliness of the submission
4. Technicalities (spelling, punctuation mark etc...)

All societies have culture although their culture differ. Culture refers to that
complex whole which consists of all knowledge, belief, arts, laws, mores customs, and
any other capabilities and habits acquired by an individual as a member of society.
Culture is that complex social heritage or general design for living within a society
which has been transmitted by human being interaction with one other. Culture may
also be viewed as real transmitted by human beings interacting with one other.
Summary As society becomes more complex, subgroups are formed on the basis of age,
sex, social class, occupation, religion, or ethnicity. These subgroups develop certain
cultural specialties and become subcultures small cultures within the culture. Every
culture must be judge on its own standards, and a culture pattern or traits must be
received in terms of its meanings, function or significance in the culture of which it is
a part.
 Aj G. (2013). Pop Culture and the Rise of Social Media in the Philippines.
Retrieved on http://www.columbia.edu/~hauben/ronda2014/Culture-
Philippines.pdf on April 21, 2021.
 J. 1996. “The Future of the State.” Development and Change 27(2): 267–
278.
Required  FERNANDEZ. D, G. (2011). Philippine Popular Culture: Dimensions and
Readings Directions the State of Research in Philippine Popular Culture. Vol. 29,
No. 1 (First Quarter 1981), pp. 26-44 (19 pages)
 Steger, Manfred B., Paul Battersby, and Joseph M. Siracusa, eds.
2014.The SAGE Handbook of Globalization. Two volumes. Thousand
Oaks: SAGE Publications.
 Zulueta, F. M. (2005). Sociology. Mandaluyong City: National Book Store, Inc.

References Colon, S. M. (2004). General sociology: A simplified approach. Quezon City:
National Book Store, Inc.
 Culture and Society Defined

Feedback
 The Family, Tradition
Values and the Sociocultural Transformation of
Philippine Society.
1. In 500 words discuss on the article and give your positional view on the topic.
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