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Ucsp Reading Guides 2019 Guide Questions

This document provides reading guides and questions for chapters in a course on understanding culture, society, and politics. It includes introductory chapters on defining key concepts and tracing human evolution. Later chapters explore topics like enculturation, social stratification, and contemporary social issues. The readings and questions aim to help students examine how cultures and societies are organized and change over time, as well as how politics shapes human interactions and institutions.

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Xyrille Santos
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419 views

Ucsp Reading Guides 2019 Guide Questions

This document provides reading guides and questions for chapters in a course on understanding culture, society, and politics. It includes introductory chapters on defining key concepts and tracing human evolution. Later chapters explore topics like enculturation, social stratification, and contemporary social issues. The readings and questions aim to help students examine how cultures and societies are organized and change over time, as well as how politics shapes human interactions and institutions.

Uploaded by

Xyrille Santos
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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UNDERSTANDING CULTURE, SOCIETY AND POLITICS

READING GUIDES

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCING CULTURE, SOCIETY, AND CULTURE


Lesson 1: Making Sense of our Everyday Experiences
Reading 1: Eriksen, (2001) Introduction: Comparison and Context, pp. 1- 6.
1. Why are there variations in the way people around the world live?
2. Amid these changes, why do we see similarities among societies?
3. In what way can we study of the different and common aspects of human
existence contribute to our understanding of culture?

Reading 2: Mills, (1959) The Promise, pp. 7-10.


1. What personal troubles have you experienced? Identify 2-3 personal troubles.
2. Are any of these troubles also a social problems? Which ones and why?
3. Identify solutions to those social problems.

Reading 3: Yu-Jose, (2010) Politics, You, and Democracy, pp. 11-23


1. Among the many definitions of politics, which one is the most agreeable to you?
Why?
2. How can one determine what is political and what is not?
3. What is the role of active participation in a democracy?
4. Do you agree that democracy is the best political system?

Lesson 2: Understanding the Concepts of Culture, Society, and Politics


Reading 4: Eriksen, Person and Society, pp. 24-38

Reading 5: Heywood, (2007) Politics, pp. 39-53


1. What are the defining features of politics as an activity?
2. How can politics be understood?
3. Does politics take place within all social institutions or only in some?
4. Can the study of politics be scientific?
5. What approaches to the study of politics as an academic discipline have been
adopted?

CHAPTER 2: TRACING HUMAN EVOLUTION AND SOCIOCULTURAL AND POLITICAL


TRANSFORATIONS

Lesson 1: Human Biological and Cultural Evolution


Reading 6: Kottak and Philip, Evolution and Genetics, pp. 54-57
Reading 7: Kottak, Early Hominins, pp. 58-79
Reading 8: Kottak & Philip, The Origin and Spread of Modern Human, pp. 100-119
Reading E: Pearce, Museum of Anthropology or Museums as Anthropology, pp. 187-199

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CHAPTER 3: BECOMING A MEMBER OF SOCIETY

Lesson 1: Enculturation and Socialization


Reading 11: Shimizu (1991), Filipino Children In Family and Society, pp. 120-127.
1. What are the context, content, processes, and consequences of the socialization of
Filipino children?
Lesson 2: Conformity and Deviance
Reading 12: The Social Production of Indifference, pp. 128-136.
1. How is social indifference conditioned by state, political, and ideological interest that
underpin bureaucratic structures?
Lesson 3: Human Dignity, Rights, and Common Good
Reading 13: Bellamy, (2008), What is Citizenship, and Why Does it Matter? pp. 137-148.
1. Why does citizenship matter to every nation?
2. Why citizenship often regarded as the solution to a country’s ill?
3. How can problems on citizenship be solved?
4. What would be your considerations in coming up with your own definition of
citizenship?

CHAPTER 4: ORGANIZING SOCIETY

Lesson 1: Exploring Groups Within Society


Reading 14: Hollnsteiner, Reciprocity in the Lowland Philippines, pp. 149-162.
1. What is utang ng loob reciprocity?
2. On what occasion is it experienced?
3. How have utang na loob practices changed along with the values and norms of
Philippine society?
Lesson 2: Examining Cultural, Social and Political Institutions
Reading 15: An Anarchy of Families: The Historiography of State and Family in the
Philippines, pp. 163-181.
1. What factors gave rise to elite families as the most powerful socio-political
institution in the Philippines?
2. How does political dynasty created and maintained?

CHAPTER 5: RANKING GROUPS IN SOCIETY

Lesson 1: Social and Political Stratification


Reading 17: Gans, (1991). The Uses of Poverty: The Poor Pay All, pp.190-194, &
1. What are the economic, cultural, and political functions of the poor?
2. What could be the functional alternatives to poverty and how can these eliminate
poverty?

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Reading 18: Bello, 2005, Multilateral Punishment…, pp.195-227.
1. What is trade liberation and how does it affect economies of developing countries
such as the Philippines?
2. Is it possible to achieve a market that is fair to both big and small players?
3. What can the Philippines do to help our farmers and local producers?

CHAPTER 6: MAKING SOCIETY BETTER


Lesson: Social Issues in Contemporary Society
Reading 20: Ritzer (1993), The McDonaldization of Society, pp. 271-279.
1. What are the features of an increasingly rational society, one that is driven by
means-end calculation?
2. What are the dangers of an increasingly rational world, and how can we cope with
it?
Reading 21: David, (2002), Modernity and the Filipino, in additional reading pp. 214-222.
1. What are the signs of modernity in the Philippines?
2. How is modernity experienced by different generations?
3. What are the similarities and differences?
4. What could be the reason for such variations?
Reading 22: Garett, (1968), The Tragedy of Common Sense, pp. ;
1. What are the examples of common own resources?
2. What brings about the tragedy of the commons?
3. What are the ways of avoiding mismanagement and abuse of the commons?
Reading I: Jocano, (1994), Culture Shock, pp. 223- 230;
1. How do differences in cultures lead to difficulties and problems for many Filipino
migrant workers?
2. How can these difficulties and problems be addressed?
Reading J: Parrenas, (2001), Mothering from a Distance … additional reading pp. 231- 252;
1. What are transnational families?
2. What are the emotional consequences of geographical distance in female-headed
transnational families? How do mothers and children cope with them?
3. How can society help female-headed transnational families manage the consequences
of mothering from a distance?
Reading L: Tilly & Tarrow, (2015), Making Claims in Contentious Politics, pp. 269-282.
1. What is contentious politics?
2. What are examples of its manifestation?
3. What factors affect contentious politics?

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