The Human Society

By: John Michael A. Bravo

Society

• Is a collection of interacting individuals

sharing the same way of life and living in the
same territory.
• Societies, especially large ones, are highly
complex.
Foundations of the Society
1. Status- is a position in society.
- people usually behave in accordance
with their statuses.
TWO TYPES:
a. Ascribed Status- pertains to gender and race
b. Achieved Status- attained though our own
action.
2. ROLE- every status has rights and obligations
- children enjoy the right to receive food,
shelter and love from their parents , but they are
expected to show respect and affection in return.
- Role is dynamic, shaped by specific
situations and persons.
- all of us play many roles everyday
-conflict (e.g. Judge and Father)
Overview of Culture
• Thomas(1997) explains that unlike other animals, humans are not
controlled by natural instincts.
• The fact that humans are not locked into set of predetermined
behaviors means they are able to adapt to and change their
environment in a variety of ways.
• To sociologists, culture consist of all the shared products of human
groups. (physical objects, beliefs, values and behaviors)
• Society is a group of mutually interdependent people who have
organized in such a way as to share a common culture and feeling of
unity.
Kinds of Culture
1. Material Culture
• Physical objects that people create.
• Artifacts are physical objects of material culture
Examples:
Automobiles, clothing, books, building, cooking, and computers
2. Non-Material Cultures
• Abstract human creations
Examples:
Language, ideas, beliefs, rules, political and economic system
Different Aspects of Culture

Culture is both learned and shared. This does

not mean that everyone in the Philippines
dresses the same way, belongs to the same
church, or likes the same music. However,
the most people choose from among the
same broad set of materials and nonmaterial
elements of culture in dealing with and
making sense of their environment.
6 basic components of Culture
1. Symbols
• Very basic to human culture
• Through symbols we create our culture and
communicate it to group members and future
generations
• A symbol is anything that stands for something else
Examples: Christmas lanterns, Ham, and Santa Claus.
2. Language

• The most obvious aspect of any culture

• Is the organization of written or spoken
symbols into a standardized system
• Can used to express ideas
• Anyone who visited a foreign country realize
how important the use of language is
3. Values

• Are shared beliefs about what is good or

bad
• The types of values held by a group help to
determine the character of its people and
the kinds of material and nonmaterial
culture they create.
4. Norms
• Are shared rules of conduct that tell people how
to act in specific situations
• Norms are expectations for behavior, not actual
behavior
Example: value of democracy
• These norms range from the unimportant like
cover your mouth when you yawn to the very
important like do not kill a human being.
5. Folkways
• It is a norm that does not have great moral
significance
• Common customs of everyday life. (do not eat
with your hand, shake hands when you are
introduced to someone and do homework)
• Some degree of nonconformity to these norms is
permitted
6. Mores

•Have great moral significance

•Violation of MORES endanger
the stability of society. ( Killing
one another, Stealing )
Characteristics of Culture
1. Culture is learned
• We learn culture from families, peers, institutions, and media
• We do not inherit it
• The process of learning culture is called ENCULTURATION
• While all humans have basic biological needs such as food,
sleep and sex, the way we fulfill those needs varies cross-
culturally.
2. Culture is dynamic

•All cultures change, otherwise, they

would have problems adapting to
changing environment.
•Most cultures interact and change over a
period of time because most cultures
are in contact with other different
cultures.
3. Culture is integrated

•All aspects of a culture are related to

one another and to truly understand a
culture, one must learn about all its
parts, not only a few. This is known as
holism, or the various parts of a culture
being interconnected.
4. Culture is shared

•We share culture with other

members of our group, we are
able to act in socially
appropriate ways as well as
predict how others will act.
5. Culture is based on symbols

•They only have meaning when

people in a culture agree on
their use
Concepts of Culture

• Culture is continually changing

• In sociological terms, it is dynamic
• New material objects constantly are being
introduced, as are new words, expressions
and ideas.
Culture Traits
• The smallest unit of culture
• Is an individual tool, act, or belief that is
related to a particular situation or need
• Use of fork and spoon when eating a culture
trait
• In the Philippines we usually address elders
with po and opo.
Culture Complexes

•Is a cluster of interrelated traits

•Individual culture traits combine to
form culture complexes
Example: Playing Basketball
Culture Patterns
• Combine to form large units
• Is a combination of a number of culture
complexes into an interrelated whole
Example
Filipino are fascinated with Basketball, basketball
originally started in United States.
Cultural Universal
• Thio (2000) explains that human beings are products
of the same evolutionary process, and all have the
same needs that must be met.
Examples:
To meet the need for food, ALL people have some kind
of food-getting technology.
To meet their need for communication, all society
develop symbols and language.
Culture Clash

• The differences among cultural domains can

be expected to generate most of the conflict
• A common example is the differences in
language
• These differences do not necessarily means
conflict or violence
Ethnocentrism, Judging another Culture
• The attitude that one’s own culture is superior
• Exist to some degree in every society
• Can also become deeply ingrained in our bodies
that we can become physically ill if we eat
something our culture defines as sickening
• Can serve as a glue to hold society BUT excessive
ethnocentrism can lead to violence.
Principle of Cultural Relativism
• Belief that a culture must be understood on its
own terms
• By looking at the cultures of others from their
own perspective, we can understand why they
do things their way.
Quiz
1. The smallest unit of culture
2. The most obvious aspect of any culture
3. A type of status that are attained
4. Collection of interacting individuals sharing the same way of life
5. A kind of culture that human create
6. Norm that does not have great moral significance
7. Attitude that owns culture is superior
True or False 8-10
8. Learning culture via media is impossible
9. Symbols are the most obvious aspect of culture
10. Ethnocentrism can serve as a glue that hold society.
Answer:
1. Culture Traits
2. Language
3. Achieved Status
4. Society
5. Material Culture
6. Folkways
7. Ethnocentrism
8. False
9. False- Language
10. True
Task
Task 1:
Differentiate ascribed status from achieved
status. Give 5 example for each
Task 2:
Explain this dynamic characteristic of culture
“All cultures change, otherwise, they would
have problems adapting to changing
environment.”
Performance Task
By reflecting on Bicolano Culture, give examples of every component of
culture
Symbol Language Values Norms Folkways Mores
Thank you