NIPSC LEMERY CAMPUS
Lemery, Iloilo
UNIT 1
CULTURE OF SOCIETY
Time Allotment: Four hours and thirty minutes (4:30)
Objective: At the end of this chapter the student will be able to
study culture and behavior and some issues concerning status of
women.
Topics:
A. Difference Between Culture and Society. Sometimes culture
and society are used interchangeably. While these two
concepts are interdependent and interrelated, they are not
the same. A society is a group of people bound together in
a more or less permanent association organized for
collective action. Culture is a system of behavior shared
by members of a society. The culture of one society may
slightly differ or entirely differ from the culture of
another society. Thus, in our country, although we are all
Filipinos yet, Ilonggos are culturally different from other
regional groups due to our distinctive cultural traits
(Baliao and Loriega, 1999).
B. Characteristics of Culture. There are six characteristic
of culture. The first essential characteristic of culture
is that culture is learned. It is not inborn. Culture is
acquired through association with other members of the
society in the place where the person grow up. Thus a
Genuine Ilonggo (GI) or a Full Blooded Ilonggo (FBI) whose
parents are Ilonggos, was born in Iloilo but raised in
Japan, will exhibit the personality of a Japanese. The same
thing will happen to a full blooded Japanese who was born
in Japan but grew up in Iloilo (Hunt. et. al. 41-56)
Culture is shared by a group of People. Ilonggos share
cultural characteristics unique to them. These can be
material or non- material. Ilonggos are known to be softspoken (Malambing) while Warays are known to be combative.
this characteristic of the Ilonggos can be traced to the
dialect of the Ilonggos, Hiligaynon, which follows the
natural rhythm of nature. The cuisine in Lapaz. It is in
Iloilo where one can eat a pancit; which does not look like
a pancit, does not cook like a pancit, does not taste like
a pancit, but much tastier than ordinary pancit. Pancit
Molo anyone? (Hunt. et. al)
Culture is cumulative. Each person is provided with a
mental map (brain) composed of billions of neurons which
kept on constantly changing which makes the mental map of
that person slightly different from that of another person.
Due to a slightly different mental map, what is interesting
to one person may not be interesting to another, thus
learning for one may not be learning for another. Educators
would say “The rate of forgetting is fastest right after
learning”. A student tends to forget a significant portion
of the information given by the teacher once he gets out
of the classroom. The student will only retain that portion
which he considers important or interesting to him which
forms part of his learning. He tends to forget information
which he does not consider important. What is important
then to a person is not the portion he forgets but the
portion he retains since this forms part of his learning.
Learning is the basis for knowledge and is stored and
passed on from generation to generation. What the person
learns is stored in his 2.2 pounds Central Processing Unit
known as the brain and accumulates through time. What the
person learns served as the basis of his personality and
the information he will ultimately transfer to his
offspring.(Ibid)
Culture is dynamic. No culture is ever in a permanent
state. It is constantly changing. The dynamism of culture
is manifested by the rate at which the society, its
material and non- material culture change. Dyeing of hair
was unheard of a decade ago. Earrings worn by both sexes
now were only worn by women before. In the 70’s very few
women wore trouser in the classroom, they wore micro mini
(skirt). The rate of change in culture may also be
determined by the economic condition of the people. The
better the economic condition, the faster is the rate of
change. Only change does not change (Hunt. et. al)
Culture is diverse, The Ilonggo culture is a sum total of
many separate cultures each of them different. It is
different for one to truly identify the original traits of
the Ilonggo culture since our culture is already a product
of many different traits coming from different culture.
Consider for example the food we eat; hamburger, pizza,
spaghetti, and rice noodles to name a few, are foods
introduce into our culture from other countries. It is an
accepted fact that the more advanced the society the more
diverse its culture. Transmission of cultural traits from
one country to another is further reinforced by
globalization, when we open our country’s doors to products
coming from other countries (Ibid)
Culture is a whole. Culture is a system with many mutually
interdependent parts. Ilonggo culture should be viewed from
the totality of its material and non- material traits such
as food, shelter, tools, clothing, morals, laws, customs,
tradition, and others which make our culture a whole. One
cannot look at the Ilonggo culture in terms of the dialect
alone, but in terms of its many material and non- material
aspects (Ibid)
A. Culture as a System of Norms. Culture is considered
normative since it regulates our action and conduct.
Norm is nothing but a behavior expectation. It is an
idea on how people are supposed to act and behave in
given situation. Students are expected to behave in a
prescribe manner inside the classroom. Obviously the
behavior of the student inside the classroom is
different from his behavior at home or when he is with
his friends. When a member of the family is dies, one is
expected to mourn the person’s death. Members of the
family are expected to behave accordingly. To show
respect to then departed relative, each member of the
Family is expected to mourn, and wear black, white or
lavender clothing (Scheafer, 2005)
One can cannot wear red when a family member is dead?
What does red signify?
Folkways refer to behavior patterns of society which has
become organized and repetitive. They are commonly known
as customs. A society’s folkways are the norms which the
members have come to accept as the proper way of dealing
with their day-to-day problems of living and interacting
with each other. There many things that a student does
every morning before going to school. He eats his
breakfast, washes the dishes, brush his teeth, take a
bath, com his hair, say hi Morning Prayer and others
before going to schools. These same activities are done
by the student morning after morning that they have
become organized and repetitive.
Mores define rules of conduct that are associated with
intense feelings of right and wrong. Mores are special
folkways which involve more or ethical values and
involved respect for authority, marriage and sex
behavior and other practices. It is normal for a woman
to have a boyfriend but not when she lives with her
boyfriend under one roof without the benefit of
marriage. The act is immoral (Hunt, et. al)
In our society some of our mores have been formalized or
legalized. Not all laws are necessarily mores, nor are
all mores part of the legal code. The manufacture, sale
and use of firecrackers were illegal; but Filipinos
cannot imagine how lonely our new year will be without
the use of firecrackers. Now, the manufacture, sale and
use of firecrackers are legal. Before cock- fighting and
mahjong were forms of gambling listed in a decree issued
by former President Ferdinand Marcos. Later cockfighting and mahjong were deleted from the list and now
cock- fighting is a sport and mahjong is a parlor game
(Aberia, 2010)
Technicways refer to social adjustment to technological
change. It represents a type of cultural change almost
the exact opposite of folkways and mores. Technological
changes are designed for the people. Technology makes
the life of people easier and more convenient for them
to go about their activities. The introduction of a new
technology affects the taste and preferences of people.
Many people always want to lay their hand on the newest
technology that’s why necessary adjustment has to be
made by the user relative to the product (Oma-as est.
al)
Folkways and mores develop without conscious planning
over a long period of time. Technic ways are the result
of purposeful scientific analysis of social needs and
may be made effective in a short span of time. One gadget
which has become a necessary expense on the part of many
students is the cell- phone. In fact the Philippines is
now considered the texting capital of the world. Fifteen
years ago, cell- phone was bulky, costly, expensive to
maintain, cannot be used for texting and a limited range
and area of coverage. Now cell- phone is a very important
gadget for people, used for varied purposes Aberia,
2010)
D.Manifest and Latent Aspects of Culture. Culture maybe
classified as manifest and latent aspects. Manifest
aspects of culture are those which are intended and
applauded. They can be considered positive aspects.
Latent aspects are those not intended, they are hidden
and obviously not applauded. They can be considered
negative aspects. The manifest aspect of not legalizing
divorce is to keep the family intact valuing the sanctity
of marriage. It is known fact however that not all couples
are happy in their married life. Although there is legal
separation and annulment of marriage but the former does
not give the former couple the chance to remarry while
the later is a long and costly process. The latent aspect
of not legalizing divorce is the querida/ querido system
which may result to another latent aspect, the couple
producing illegitimate children (Hunt. et. al).
E. Basic or Universal Culture Patterns. Culture may vary
or differ tremendously from place to place as to its
content. There are certain basic patterns common to all
cultures around the world. These are known as universal
cultural patterns. Wissler, an American Anthropologist,
who first use the phrase/ universal culture patterns, set
up these categories:
a. Speech and Language
b. Material traits
c. Art
d. Mythology and Scientific
knowledge
1. food habits
e. Religious practices
2. Shelter
f. Family and Social System
3. transportation
g. Property
4. dress
h. War
5. Utensils, tools, etc. i. Government
6. weapons
7. Occupation and industries
F.Organization of Culture. Culture trait represents a
single element or a combination of element related to a
specific situation. It is a cultural element which can
no longer be broken down into simpler components. Taking
a bath is an example of a culture trait since it can no
longer be broken down into simpler components. Taking a
bath like many traits, follows a ritual. It has a
definite start and end. One cannot cut the ritual or
process in the middle, doing so will not enable one to
finish what he’s doing (Oma-as, et.al)
When culture a complexes are set in routine to achieve
a goal, the term is Culture Pattern. The goal of a
student is to obtain a college degree. Thus for four
years he follows a similar routine, before going to
school, in school and after school. The pattern might be
temporarily or permanently disrupted depending on the
situation. When a student gets sick and advised by the
Medical Doctor to rest for one semester, the disruption
is only temporary since the student can return to school
the following semester. If the student however got
pregnant in school, decided to get married and quit
school, the disruption might be permanent (Baliao and
Loriega)
Alternatives allow the individual to select two or more
possibilities. Every person has always an alternative in
life. He can even choose to or not to. A student may
choose what course to enroll in college based on his
intellectual strength and weaknesses. He may shift to
other courses if he wants to or find that the course he
is enrolled at present is not what he likes (Gender
Roles, FPOP, Bulletin)
Specialties are shared by some but not all groups within
a society. Breastfeeding specialty of women. Men cannot
breastfeed even if they want to. Women are more
analytical than men. They have a higher threshold of
pain than men. (Gender Roles, FPOP Bulletin)
Assessment:
1. Can you name other traits unique to Ilonggos? Do you
believe Ilonggos are soft spoken?
2. What makes you different from your classmates, your
brother and sisters?
3. Do you believe women are more powerful than men? Why?
Why not?
4. Can you cite cultural practices we borrowed from other
cultures? Enumerate American influence to our
culture.
5. Cite the examples of our culture’s material and nonmaterial traits.
6. Can you cite examples the things you do before going
to sleep each night?
7. Cite examples of our cultural practices which can be
considered moral, ethical, right and legal.
8. Is there a possibility that numbers game like daily
double and last two digits legalized? Explain your
answer.
9. Describe the important of cell- phone to you as
student of NIPSC LEMERY CAMPUS.
10. Cite an Example of manifest and latest aspects of
culture.
11. Cite examples of a culture trait based on what you
do as a student of this Collage.
12. Name a complex of activities you do every morning
before going to school.
13. When do you expect to graduate from college? Do you
have a career plan?
14. Do you have your alternatives? Can you choose your
future partner in life?
15. What can you do that others cannot?
To do activities
a. Gender Roles Influence Attitudes to Fertility.
b. Empowerment and Status of Women
c. Women More “Productive” than Men.