UCSP-Chapter 2.5

Summary

This script explores society and culture through the lenses of anthropology, sociology, and political science. Anthropology emphasizes cultural relativism, avoiding ethnocentrism and xenocentrism. Sociology examines culture's role in social order via structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism. Political science views culture as crucial for societal analysis, focusing on multiculturalism and cultural sensitivity. The script encourages applying these cultural understandings to daily life.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Anthropology views culture as its central focus and studies it through various approaches like cultural relativism and ethnocentrism.
• 🌍 Cultural relativism considers all cultures equal, promoting no discrimination and recognizing cultural differences.
• 🏛 Ethnocentrism is the belief in the superiority of one's own culture, often leading to discrimination against others.
• 🌐 Xenocentrism is the tendency to view one's own culture as inferior to others, influenced by historical factors like colonization.
• 👥 Sociology relates culture to social order and stability, with theories like structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.
• 🏗️ Structural functionalism sees society as an orderly system where culture acts as a binding force, adapting to changes like technology and workforce dynamics.
• 💥 Conflict theory highlights the ongoing power struggles among social groups, with Marx's idea that the rich exploit the poor.
• 🤝 Symbolic interactionism emphasizes the role of shared symbols and interactions in defining individual and group behaviors within society.
• 🏛 Political science examines culture's impact on society, including voting patterns and behaviors, promoting multiculturalism and cultural sensitivity.
• 🌈 Multiculturalism acknowledges and celebrates the diversity of cultures within a society, like the 'melting pot' of the USA.
• 🌟 Cultural sensitivity encourages awareness and respect for cultural differences, advocating for appropriate and considerate interactions across cultures.

Q & A

What are the three disciplines that focus on the study of culture in society?

The three disciplines that focus on the study of culture in society are anthropology, sociology, and political science.

How does anthropology view culture?

Anthropology considers culture as the central focus of its discipline and studies different cultures of different societies.

What is the relativistic approach in anthropology?

The relativistic approach in anthropology considers all cultures as equal, with no one being superior or inferior, thus meaning there is no discrimination of culture.

What is ethnocentrism and how does it relate to culture?

Ethnocentrism is the idea that one's own culture is superior to others, leading to a belief that one's culture is better than others, such as the example given where an American might think they are better than the Chinese.

Define cultural relativism and provide an example.

Cultural relativism is the recognition and acceptance of cultural differences between societies. An example is when someone migrates to another country and accepts their culture, and vice versa.

What is xenocentrism and how does it manifest in culture?

Xenocentrism is the tendency to consider one's own culture as inferior to others. An example is the colonial mentality some Filipinos might have, thinking that everything made in the Philippines is inferior.

How does sociology relate to culture?

Sociology relates culture with the overall context of social order and describes it through structural functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interactionism.

What is structural functionalism and how does it view society?

Structural functionalism views society as a stable and orderly system, where culture acts as a glue that binds society together, such as changes in technology leading to more technical programs in colleges.

Explain conflict theory in the context of sociology.

Conflict theory suggests that there is a constant power struggle among various social groups and institutions within society, as proposed by Karl Marx, where the rich manipulate the poor, leading to conflict.

How does symbolic interactionism view individual and group behavior?

Symbolic interactionism views individual and group behavior, and social interactions as defining features in society, focusing on the actual interaction among people through the use of shared symbols, like gestures or flags.

How does political science examine culture?

Political science examines culture as a vital aspect of society, analyzing voting patterns and behaviors of culture, and promoting concepts like multiculturalism and cultural sensitivity.

What is multiculturalism and how is it exemplified in the United States?

Multiculturalism is the ideology that acknowledges and promotes cultural diversity within society. The United States is an example, being considered a 'melting pot' of the world with the presence of various cultures such as Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Europeans, Africans, and many more.

Define cultural sensitivity and provide an example.

Cultural sensitivity advances awareness and acceptance of cultural differences and encourages a critical stance in dealing with diversity issues. An example is the different ways of greeting, like shaking hands in the Philippines versus bowing in Japan.