Individually, write down:

• 3 Thoughts

• 2 Questions

• 1 Analogy

About the word "Culture"

Edward Burnett Tylor, known as the father of modern anthropology, introduced a broad definition of culture in 1871.

He defined it as “the knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, law, customs, and other capabilities or habits acquired by man as a member of society.”

Culture for anthropologists is the different ways in which humans express themselves to represent their group identity.

We can see that forms of culture have existed throughout human history, from the cave paintings of early human societies through to the multi-faceted ways that people express themselves in the twenty-first century.

Material culture refers to the physical, tangible objects that people create and use in their daily lives.

This includes buildings, clothing, technological gadgets, works of art, films, music, and literature.

These cultural products are shaped by the values, beliefs, and practices of non-material culture, but they can also influence people’s attitudes and ways of thinking.

For example, a powerful film or piece of literature may inspire new beliefs or challenge existing ones. In this way, material and non-material culture are closely connected, each shaping and reinforcing the other.

Non-material culture refers to the intangible aspects of culture that shape how people think, interact, and behave in society.

It includes values and beliefs that guide decision-making, the language and forms of communication people use, as well as the knowledge, assumptions, and expectations shared within a group.

Non-material culture is also reflected in the rules, norms, laws, and morals that govern society.

It is not biological; we do not inherit it. Much of learning culture is unconscious.

We learn culture from families, peers, institutions, and media.

The process of learning culture is known as enculturation. Enculturation refers to the process of learning and internalizing rules, values, and expectations of one’s culture (Grusec & Hastings, 2014).

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 shared.

Because 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.

Despite the shared nature of culture, that doesn’t mean that culture is homogenous (the same).

A symbol is something that stands for something else.

Symbols vary cross-culturally and are arbitrary.

They only have meaning when people in a culture agree on their use. Language, money and art are all symbols. Language is the most important symbolic component of culture.

This is known as holism, or the various parts of a culture being interconnected.

All aspects of a culture are related to one another and to truly understand a culture, one must learn about all of its parts, not only a few.

This simply means that cultures interact and change.

Because most cultures are in contact with other cultures, they exchange ideas and symbols.

All cultures change, otherwise, they would have problems adapting to changing environments.

And because cultures are integrated, if one component in the system changes, it is likely that the entire system must adjust.

1. Draw yourself in the center of your paper. Make it as unique and creative as possible—it can be realistic, cartoon-style, or symbolic.

2. Around your self-portrait, write or illustrate words and symbols that represent aspects of your culture. You may include:

   • Religion or spiritual beliefs

   • Nationality or ethnic background

   • Hobbies and interests

   • Family traditions

   • Values and principles in life

   • Language(s) you speak

   • Food you often eat at home

   • Celebrations and festivals

   • Fashion or clothing styles you like

   • Music, art, or media you enjoy

3. Make your work colorful and meaningful—each aspect should reflect something about who you are in relation to your culture.

Reflective Questions:

1. From among the aspects of culture you illustrated, which ones do you think you learned from others (family, school, community)?

2. Which aspects do you think you personally share or pass on to others?

3. Which cultural aspects might change over time as you grow older or as society changes?

4. How do these cultural aspects make you similar to or different from your classmates?

5. What does this activity help you realize about the diversity of culture in your class?

Instruction: Discuss the following in pairs. Write your answers in your notebooks.

• How do you think societies are governed?

• Are all societies governed in the same way?

• What system of governance do you live under?

• What do you know already about how your country is run?

• How does it work?

It is also defined as the activities of governments concerning the political relations between states

Studies in politics involve examining the ways in which power is distributed in a society and how and why people are governed in a particular way.

There are many different ways that societies are governed in the world. In this chapter we will discuss three broad types of governance:

• Monarchy

• Democracy

• Dictatorship

  
  

These are different systems for how to rule a society (usually a country).

Early tribal societies had basic social structures, some without any hierarchies of power, while others had leaders who exercised control over the people.

The rulers of early civilizations such as the Sumerians or Egyptians were kings who held vast power over the people.

The pharaohs of Ancient Egypt were often viewed as gods, making the laws, controlling the army and keeping everything in order.

Society was structured into a pyramid shape where power flowed downwards.

These were the early examples of monarchies.

It is also defined a form of government in which total sovereignty is invested in one person, a head of state called a monarch, who holds the position until death or abdication.

Examples:

• United Kingdom:
  Queen Elizabeth II inherited the throne in 1952 after the death of her father, King George VI. Upon her death in 2022, her son Charles III became king.

• Japan:
  The Japanese Imperial Family is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. Emperor Naruhito succeeded his father, Emperor Akihito, in 2019.

• Saudi Arabia:
  The monarchy passes among the sons and grandsons of King Abdulaziz Al Saud, the founder of modern Saudi Arabia.

• Elective Monarchy: In some cases, monarchs are chosen or elected, rather than inheriting the position (e.g., the papacy, Charles V of Holy Roman Empire).

• Self-proclaimed Monarchy: an individual declares themselves as the monarch of a country. Napoleon Bonaparte did this, declaring himself Emperor of the French in the early nineteenth century.

• Monarchs often represent the identity and unity of a nation.

• Their power varies:

  • Symbolic Monarch: A ceremonial figurehead with no real political power.

  • Partial Monarch: Has limited influence over laws and governance.

  • Absolute Monarch: Has complete control over the government and society.

• An absolute monarchy is a form of government where the monarch holds supreme, unchecked power, operating without constitutional limitations.

  
  

This system concentrates all governmental authority—executive, legislative, and judicial—in the hands of the single ruler. The monarch’s decisions are not subject to review by any other branch of government, making their word the highest law.

• Absolute monarchs can pass laws and overrule government to make decisions regarding the running of a country.

Historical Examples:

• In the Middle Ages, monarchs in Europe were said to have the ‘Divine Right of Kings’, which was a sacred power that could not be challenged; in China the emperor was said to have the ‘Mandate of Heaven’ in a similar vein.

Modern Examples:

• Saudi Arabia, Brunei, Vatican City

• In contrast, a constitutional monarchy is a system where the monarch’s power is limited by a constitution or established laws.

While serving as head of state, their authority is exercised within this legal framework.

Real political power typically resides with an elected parliament or other democratic institutions, which are responsible for day-to-day governance.

Monarchs in these systems are used as figureheads, often being a symbol for national unity.

Modern Examples:

UK, Japan, Sweden, Norway, Spain

• What do you think about the countries that are governed by a monarchy?

• What does it make you wonder?

Activity 2: LETS DISCUSS
Study the map in Figure 1.3 below and then discuss the following:

• Research the following terms used on the map: commonwealth, emirate, sultanate. Provide description and explanation for each using reliable sources.

• How do you think having a monarchy would affect the identity of a country? Justify you answers in not less than 10 sentences.

• Where in the world do you see no monarchies? Why might this be the case? Justify you answers in not less than 10 sentences.

A Commonwealth Realm is a sovereign state that recognizes the British monarch as its official head of state, while remaining independent and self-governing.

• These countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

• Each realm shares the same monarch (currently King Charles III), but has its own government, parliament, and constitution.

• Examples: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, and Papua New Guinea.

In short:
A Commonwealth Realm is an independent country that shares the same monarch with the United Kingdom but governs itself.

2. Sultanate

A Sultanate is a type of monarchy ruled by a sultan, which is a title of Muslim sovereignty.

• The sultan serves as both the political and sometimes religious leader of the state.

• The title “sultan” originated in the Islamic world, and the system often follows Islamic traditions and laws (Sharia).

• Examples: Sultanate of Oman, Brunei Darussalam, and historically the Ottoman Sultanate.

3. Emirate

An Emirate is a monarchy or principality ruled by an emir, a title meaning “commander” or “prince” in Arabic.

• The system is usually based on Islamic governance, with the emir serving as both a political and sometimes spiritual leader.

• Some emirates are independent nations, while others are part of a federation.

• Examples: State of Qatar, Kuwait, and the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, etc.).

-Thousands of years/centuries of struggles

-Challenges the power of Kings and Queens, Nobles, Rich

-Journey to attain greater rights and freedom

-Flaws/downsides of democracy

Opinion Article: What It Is, Characteristics, Features and Examples - CRGSoft

Situation and Instruction:

Imagine you are a columnist invited by a national newspaper to share your personal view on the current state of democracy in the Philippines. The editors expect your piece to be clear, well-supported, persuasive, and at least 800 words.

Your task is to:

• Take a stand on the present condition of Philippine democracy. Decide how you see democracy today in the Philippines — is it strong, fragile, or in crisis?

  
  

• Include key democratic elements: individual rights, suffrage, leadership, competence, transparency, and citizen participation.

  
  

• Research 3–5 credible articles and use them as supporting evidence throughout your discussion.

  How to Cite Sources in APA Citation Format | Mendeley

  
  

• Write your opinion article with a powerful title, strong introduction, organized body paragraphs, and a meaningful conclusion.

  
  

• Present your viewpoint confidently, as if addressing the Filipino public through a national publication.

  
  

• Design your final output as a magazine-style or newspaper-style page using Canva, organizing your text, title, visuals, and layout to resemble a real publication.

https://www.idea.int/democracytracker/country/philippines

Mateo, J. (2024, February 16). Democracy index: Philippines ranking goes down again. Philstar.com. https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/02/17/2334031/democracy-index-philippines-ranking-goes-down-again

Manila Bulletin. (2025, February 10). A critical juncture in Philippine democracy. Manila Bulletin.

https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/10/a-critical-juncture-in-philippine-democracy

ABS-CBN News. (2025, September 22). 93 police officers injured, 113 protesters arrested in violent September 21 demonstration. ABS-CBN. https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/9/22/93-police-officers-injured-113-protesters-arrested-in-violent-september-21-demonstration-0843

Villanueva, M. A. (2025, March 12). The rule of law. The Philippine Star. https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/03/12/2427672/rule-law (philstar.com)