INTRODUCTION TO

SOCIAL SCIENCES
TOWARDS
UNDERSTANDING OF
CULTURE, SOCIETY,
AND POLITICS
MICHAEL ANJIELO R TABUYAN
Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
Senior High School Department
Far Eastern University Alabang
 COVERAGE
ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIOLOGY

• SCOPE AND NATURE

OF STUDY
• BRANCHES AND
PERSPECTIVES

POLITICAL SCIENCE
 SOCIAL SCIENCES
 Explainand predict phenomena related to
foundation, establishment, and growth of
human society (Bining and Bining, 1956 as
cited by Jose and Ong, 2016)
 Concerned with those basic elements of
culture that determine the general
patterns of human behavior (Hunt and
Colander, 2011)
ANTHROPOLOGY
What is anthropology?
Ano nga ba ang antropolohiya?
ANTHROPOLOGY
 Science seeking to uncover
principles of behavior that
apply to all human
communities (Contreras et
al, 2016, citing American
Anthropological
Association, nd)
 Study of human beings and
their ancestors (Alejandria-
Gonzales, 2016)
 Greek antropos (human)
and logos (study)
SCOPE AND METHODS OF INQUIRY
(CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)
 Focuses on human
diversity by looking on
cross-cultural differences
in social institutions,
cultural beliefs and
communication styles
 Looking for a “culture
universal” (patterns of
similarity within an array
of differences) instead of
looking for a “universal
culture”
 BRANCHES OF ANTHROPOLOGY
(ALEJANDRIA-GONZALES, 2016; ARCINAS, 2016;
CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016; SANTARITA AND MADRID, 2016)
 PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(ALEJANDRIA-GONZALES, 2016; ARCINAS, 2016;
CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016; SANTARITA AND MADRID, 2016)

 Also known as
biological
anthropology
 Concerned how:
 humans emerged and
evolved through time
 Human beings differ
biologically
 CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(ALEJANDRIA-GONZALES, 2016; ARCINAS, 2016;
CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016; SANTARITA AND MADRID, 2016)

 Concerned with the

differences in culture
from time to time
 Sub-branches:
 Archaeology – study of
past cultures through
material remains
 Anthropological
Linguistics – study of the
difference of languages
among cultures and how it
is constructed
 Ethnology – study of
present cultures
POLITICAL SCIENCE
What is political science?
Ano nga ba ang agham pampulitika?
 POLITICAL SCIENCE
(AMERICAN POLITICAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATION, 2013)

 Study of
governments,
public
policies and
political
processes,
systems, and
political
behaviour
SCOPE AND METHODS OF INQUIRY
(CONTRERAS ET AL 2016)
 Deals extensively
with the theories
and practice of
politics
 Problematizes the
nature of power and
studies how
possession and
exercise of power
can shape individual
actions and
collective decisions
 BRANCHES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
(ARCINAS, 2016; CARAMANI 2010)

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

POLITICAL
INTL RELATIONS POLITICAL THEORY
SCIENCE

COMPARATIVE POLITICS
 BRANCHES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
(ARCINAS, 2016; CARAMANI, 2010)
 Political Theory –
application of political
ideas and concepts for
answering political
phenomena
 Comparative Politics –
study of context
different political and
government systems
 BRANCHES OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
(ARCINAS, 2016; CARAMANI, 2010)
 International Relations –
study of political
interactions between
state- and non-state
actors
 Public Administration –
study of various
administrative schemes
implemented by the
government
SOCIOLOGY
What is sociology?
Ano ang sosyolohiya?
 SOCIOLOGY
(ARCINAS, 2016; ALEJANDRIA-GONZALES, 2016;
CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016; SANTARITA AND MADRID, 2016)

 Scientificstudy of
society and the
behavior of
people in the
society
 Study of
relationships
among people
 METHOD OF STUDY:
“THE SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION”
(DAVID, 2017; ARCINAS, 2016; CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)

 Conceptualized by C.
Wright Mills (1959)
 Imagining the
intersections of their life
situations (biography)
and the events in the
society (history) as
interconnected and
influences each other
 Converting personal
issues into public issues
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY
(ARCINAS, 2016; CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)

STRUCTURALIST -
FUNCTIONALIST

CRITICAL- MICROLEVEL
HISTORICAL SOCIETY
(CONFLICT) MACROLEVEL

SYMBOLIC
INTERACTIONIST
 STRUCTURAL FUNCTIONALISM
(ARCINAS, 2016; CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)

• Society as a system with parts and functions

• Health of the system is defined by the parts
performing their assigned tasks and working
in coordination with other parts of the
system
• Functions are manifest (obvious) or latent
(hidden)
 CONFLICT THEORY
(ARCINAS, 2016; CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)

• Society as full of tensions and struggles

between groups and individuals
• Society is constructed in favor of the
powerful/wealthy over the powerless/poor
THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES IN SOCIOLOGY
(ARCINAS, 2016; CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)

• Society as composed of social interactions

• Social interactions are governed by shared
and co-created meanings made by the
social actors in every interaction
• Shared meanings are lodged on objects,
events, and persons and are seen as
symbols, the interpretation of which shape
and influence the emerging interactions
IMPORTANCE
IN ANALYZING SOCIETY, CULTURE, AND
POLITICS
 SO WHAT?
(SANTARITA AND MADRID, 2016)
 Multi-disciplinary and
inter-related nature of
these disciplines help us
to examine society,
culture, and politics
critically and
empirically
 Enables us to answer
issues and challenges
related to society,
culture, and politics
 SUMMING UP
(CONTRERAS ET AL, 2016)
POLITICAL
SOCIOLOGY ANTHROPOLOGY
SCIENCE
• Study of society • Study of politics • Study of culture
• Highlights the and political • Underlines the
external structures role of cultural
influences that • Zeroes in on structures in
facilitate or power relations organizing
constrains human and how these human
actions relations interactions
produce layered
modalities of
opportunities
among social
actors