Objectives

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:

 define and explain the meaning and the process of intersubjectivity,
 discuss the application and importance of intersubjectivity to society,
 prove that authentic dialogue means accepting others even if they are different from you, and
 demonstrate an appreciation for the talents of persons with disabilities and those from the underprivileged
sectors of society.
Whenever an unfortunate event occurs, you feel sad or anxious, but how do you assure yourself that those feelings are
real?
Find out the answer in this lesson!

Learn about it!

In looking at the example, it is easy to say that interacting with others can confirm the validity of emotions a person
may have towards the environment. In this interaction, intersubjectivity takes place.

The Meaning and Process of Intersubjectivity

Each person has a subjective experience of the world. However, because of this subjective experience, one cannot
know which events occur in reality or which are products of self-perception.
Social interactions among individuals through comparison, agreement, and confirmation of each others' perceptions
make it easier to determine real events occurring in society. This concept is called intersubjectivity−the shared
perception of reality between or among two or more individuals.
A main principle of intersubjectivity is communarization, a social process wherein the community of other people
are seen as embedded within the self. This process initially occurs with the idea that other individuals are extensions
of the self and serve as the “alter-ego” of a person’s being. The self and others are therefore seen as a pair that shares
each other’s lived experiences. This is much like the concept of empathy or “being in the shoes” of others.

The Application of Intersubjectivity to Society

Because intersubjectivity looks at others as embedded within the self, it is safe to say that this concept also promotes a
view that all people are equal. This would imply that people from other sectors of society, such as those who have
physical disabilities or socioeconomic challenges, are seen as individuals with the same potential and talents as
anybody else.
Because intersubjectivity is unbiased, everyone has the power to understand relationships and interactions occurring
within society with little regard to social or physical deficiencies. In effect, people who are marginalized may still be
seen as significant contributors to society through their talents, skills, and capabilities.
Below are some authentic examples of disadvantaged individuals who have significantly contributed to society:
 Stephen Hawking is a physicist and cosmologist who, despite his rare medical condition called amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS), made significant contributions to contemporary studies of relativity and quantum
physics.
 As a child, Oprah Winfrey experienced living in a poor household and was sexually abused. Despite this, she
motivated herself to succeed and did so by being one of the richest women alive today.

The Use of Authentic Dialogue

Authentic dialogue is a form of interpersonal communication wherein individuals acknowledge that they are part of a
greater whole and that they resonate with others within the whole. This occurs when individuals learn to set aside
their personal biases and begin seeing themselves in others through communarization. In this sense, other people,
including the marginalized sector, are seen as functional parts of a whole. No biases or preferences are exemplified
during the dialogue because an individual has learned to perceive and communicate with others with a sense of
community and oneness.
Examples:
 accepting your classmates’ opinion on government services because his experience with transacting with
government employees is different from yours
 overlooking the fact that your boss yelled at you since you understand that he only did so out of concern over
an urgent matter

The Importance of Intersubjectivity

Intersubjectivity has significant contributions to society and relationships, including the following:
 It validates real and authentic subjective experiences.
 It facilitates interaction among individuals.
 It enables individuals to look at others equally, regardless of any physical or socio-demographic factor.
 It promotes a sense of community and unity among individuals.
 It emphasizes that anyone can contribute to society.
Explore!
Many people all over the world have attested to the idea that spiritual entities, such as the ghost of a departed loved
one, are just lurking the earth with living human beings. Some people, however, are hesitant to believe this
phenomenon because there is still not enough proof that the supernatural exists.
In your perception, can the concept of intersubjectivity be used to confirm the validity of this phenomenon?

Try it!
Look around you and list down your observations. Have a friend do the same thing on the same environment.
Compare your observations once both of you are finished. Identify common observations you had and discuss any
dissimilar remarks you have each made.

What do you think?

Are intersubjective concepts always considered real occurrences? Why? Why not?

Tips
 Intersubjectivity is not a process, but rather a concept. The process incorporated within the concept is
communarization.
 Authentic dialogue is a technique that requires, at least, two people in a conversation with each other. This is a
variety of a simple dialogue.

Keypoints
 Intersubjectivity is a concept where social interactions among individuals through comparison, agreement,
and confirmation of each other's perceptions make it easier to determine real events occurring in society.
 Communarization is a social process wherein the community of other people are seen as embedded within
the self.
 An authentic dialogue is a form of interpersonal communication wherein individuals acknowledge that they
are part of a greater whole and that they resonate with others within the whole.
 Intersubjectivity is important because it validates authentic subjective experiences, facilitates interactions,
and promotes a sense of unity and community among individuals.

Learn about it!

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to:
 recognize how individuals form societies and how societies transform individuals,
 explain how social systems transform human relations, and
 evaluate how social systems change human relationships and how societies process individual people.
You have spent your whole life living in the Philippines. However, your parents told you that you will be migrating to
the United Kingdom next year and that you will be staying there for good.

 Do you think that you will change as a person once you live somewhere else?
 What can influence you to change your beliefs and attitudes?
Find out the answers in this lesson!

Learn about it!

People and society have a reciprocal and complementary relationship. People’s personalities and culture depend upon
the processes and events occurring in society. Similarly, society takes its changes from how people act, perceive, and
shape it.
Living in another community, as shown by the previous example, constitutes an entirely different social environment
that may be different from one's beliefs and culture. Immersing oneself in a new society, therefore, exhibits a change
in both the community and the person.

Social Influence and Transformation

Individuals are the building blocks of society. They take on various social roles to ensure the smooth flow of social
processes that regularly occur within the community. However, it is the collective action of individuals that mainly
influence how society is formed and structured.
Example:
If many people of one community perceive catcalling as offensive and derogatory, then society will have an unwritten
norm that such an act is unacceptable. With the repetition of this process, a community can form and develop its
culture and character.

Social Influence and Transformation

Reciprocally, society also transforms individuals into social and cultural beings. As a part of society, individuals
experience enculturation or the process by which people acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and culture
embedded in society. These social and cultural qualities vary across cultures since they are also created and
influenced by human action. As such, you may notice that different communities have unique cultures, traditions, and
norms.
Examples:
 The openness of Thai people to gender differences has made their country diverse in terms of social
partnerships and preferences.
 In the Philippines, making slurping sounds while eating noodles is a sign of disrespect. However, in Japan,
doing the same act is a positive way of expressing satisfaction with the food.

Social Systems and Their Influence on Human

Relations
A social system is the structure of society consisting of individuals who interact and relate in a shared cultural and
symbolic environment. As such, individuals serve as the backbone of the larger social system and are moderated and
formed by social institutions such as the family, education, religion, economy, and government.
In this sense, each person belonging to a society plays a social role that is at par with social norms and institutions. An
individual's role may encompass any single organization at once that he is altogether a student, son, layperson, and
playmate. It is with these roles that appropriate human behavior and relationships are defined and acted out in society.
The social system, therefore, dictates through norms and institutions how an individual can relate and interact with
others.
In your perspective, how would the following events influence human relations?
 The mode of governance shifted from democracy to dictatorship.
 Only a single religion was legally allowed to be practiced in the country.

The Importance of Human Relations in Society

Human relations make up patterned interactive relationships which are the most powerful unit of the social system.
Participation in these interactions establishes an individual's social role and status in forming the collective, intricate
characteristics of society. Without human relations, institutions and the system itself would cease to exist.

Explore!
The Philippines takes its unique social characteristics from three colonial influences that vastly shaped local society
and culture. Even until today, evidences of Spanish, American, and Japanese colonialism flourish in every day
Filipino living. For instance, many Filipino surnames were derived from Spanish origins. Filipinos are also relatively
good English speakers in comparison with other Southeast Asian nationalities. What other influences have our past
left us? How do these forces shape our culture and society?

Try it!
With a friend, write down characteristics that make each of you a social and human person. You may include your
perceived roles in society as well as the social institutions you belong to. From these, identify your contributions to
society and how society affects you. Compare your results and try to come up with a common pattern or theme with
what both of you shared. In this way, you will further understand how an individual influences society and vice versa
through social interactions.

What do you think?

What will happen to society when its social structure becomes damaged or faulty? What circumstances may cause this
event to occur?

Tips
 It is important to understand that the process of enculturation is different from acculturation. While the first
deals with acquiring one's culture, beliefs, and norms, the latter focuses on obtaining the same constructs from
another society.
 Social constructs, belief systems, interactions, culture, and structure vary across countries. This is the reason
why countries are different from each other despite some similar cultural traditions and beliefs.

Keypoints
 Individuals are the building blocks of society. They take on various social roles to ensure the smooth flow of social
processes that regularly occur within the community.
 Enculturation is the process by which people acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and culture embedded in their
society.
 A social system is the structure of society consisting of individuals who interact and relate in a shared cultural and
symbolic environment.
 Social institutions include religion, education, government, economy, and family.
 Human relations make up patterned interactive relationships which are the most important unit of the social system.