Society and Culture with Family Planning with Environmental Education

Ham, Christine Dianne D. March 18, 2014

Analysis Paper #1

Pope John Paul II stated in Pontifical Council for Culture that the maker of
culture is the Church. He called extreme diversity of cultures, of customs, of traditions
and civilizations a demanding task to understand. The Pope also declared that there are
two main aspects: First, the evangelization of cultures and the defense of man and his
cultural development. And thus, Christians in every country must practice
intercultural dialogue. (1983, 283)
According to Luzbetak (1988, p.157) culture is standard and it is the societys set
of regulations of the game of life. Particularly, the ideational adaptation leads to a
code underlying the behavior. Therefore, culture is called a blueprint for behavior.
The world view of culture is an appearance of such adaptation.
The document Gaudium et Spes has revealed that human culture has two
aspects: historical and social aspects. Customs were passed down to each human
community its proper patrimony, but the different circumstances of community living
as well as the various patterns for organizing the goods of life, arise from diverse ways
of using things, of laboring, of expressing oneself, practicing religion, of forming
customs, of establishing laws and juridical institutions, of advancing the arts and
sciences and of promoting beauty. (The Council 1965, p.53)
Wang and Dissanayake (1984,4) discovered that in Asia there are general facts for
all cultures: First, Culture has a memory. Therefore, there is cultural continuity. Second,
culture is also an open system. This encourages change and the asset of these stimuli as
well as the openness of the system conditions the extent of this change. Lastly, culture
accomplishes to keep its integrity by exercising a certain degree of authority over its
members through norms, values and behavioral patterns set by that culture.
The role and importance of culture was articulated by Hall in his own words:
Culture is not an exotic notion studied by a group of anthropologists in the South Seas.
It is a mold in which we are all cast, and it controls our daily lives in many unexpected
ways Culture hides much more than it reveals and strangely enough what it hides, it
hides more effectively from its own participants. (1959:30)
Bibliography:
Eilers, F. (2012). Communicating Between Cultures: An Introduction to Intercultural
Communication. Manila: Logos (Divine Word) Publications, Inc.