The Study of Culture, Society, and Politics

 What is the significance of having scientific knowledge about culture, society, and
politics?
 How do the disciplines of anthropology, political science, and politics help us
understand and make decisions in society?

Learn about it!

The Study of Culture, Society, and Politics

Culture is the focus of anthropology, society is for sociology, while politics is for political
science. These are disciplines of the social sciences.
The goal of having these disciplines is to prepare people for active and responsible civic
engagement through the development of critical thought. Exposure to these areas of discipline
exposes its learners to the following:
 social diversity and inequality,
 self-reflective knowledge and practice,
 appreciation of complexity, and
 advocacy for social change and order.

Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humans and their society in the past and present. Dealing with
what makes us human, anthropology delves into objects and materials we have created, our
interconnectedness and adaptability with environment, our lifestyle, our modes of
communication, and our understanding of the world around us.

Goals of Anthropology
 to describe and analyze the biological evolution of mankind
 to describe and assess the cultural development of our species
 to explain and analyze present-day human cultural similarities and differences
 to describe and explain human biological diversity today
Political Science
Political science is a social science discipline that deals with systems of government and the
analysis of political activities and political behavior. Primarily, it helps people gain an
understanding of “who gets what, when they get it, and how they get it.”
Political science helps us understand politics, political institutions and behavior, public policy,
and philosophical concepts, such as justice, equality, fairness, and liberty, and how the said
subject matters affect economy, public and private life, law, and public services.

Goals of Political Science

 for people to be immersed in current affairs
 to build an understanding of local, national, and international politics
 to assist people in learning how political activities are organized in and out of our
country
 to provide substantially critical and scientific contribution to government and society

Sociology
Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions. This discipline mainly
focuses on society—its functions, its members, and its diversity.
Specifically, sociology tackles the basic unit of the society—the family, the functionality and
relevance of state as an important human institution, social issues on religion, crime, race,
social class, and the stability and instability of societies.
Goals of Sociology
 to guide in understanding intrapersonal factors
 to build a better understanding of mankind
 to aid in decision-making in the micro and macro level
 to gather systematic information from which to make a decision, provide insights into
what is going on in a situation, and present alternatives

Tips
 The study of culture, society, and politics will prepare people for active and responsible
civic engagement through the development of critical thought.
 Learning the areas of anthropology, sociology, and political science exposes its learners
to social diversity and inequality, self-reflective knowledge and practice, appreciation of
complexity, and advocacy for social change and order.

Keypoints
 Anthropology is a social science discipline that studies humans and their society in the
past and present.
 Political science is a social science discipline that deals with systems of government
and the analysis of political activity and political behavior.
 Sociology is the study of human social relationships and institutions.