Reflection Paper In UCSP, Essays (high school) of Political studies

Download Reflection Paper In UCSP and more Essays (high school) Political studies in PDF only on Docsity! Reflection in The Nature, Goals and Perspective of Anthropology, Sociology and Political Science I have learned that Anthropology is for culture, Sociology is for society and Political Science is for Politics. Also the nature, goals, and perspective of anthropology as well in sociology and political science. ANTHROPOLOGY Anthropology is the study, examination, and description of the past and present of humanity present. Prehistoric origins and human evolution are among the unanswered questions from the past. The study of modern humanity emphasizes the diversity of biological and cultural expressions, language included. Overall, anthropology, or "the study of humankind," which investigates individuals in perspectives ranging from the science of Homo sapiens and their revolutionary history to thecharacteristics in culture and society that clearly distinguish one group of people from another species. The nature of anthropology can be view from its historical perspective because is a global discipline involving humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. The goals of anthropology is to comprehend the fossil record of early people and their precursors just as the archeological record of later ancient social orders. To understand how we adapt to different environmental conditions and how we vary as a species. SOCIOLOGY It is the study of human, social relationships and institutions. The study of human culture and social behavior is known as sociology. Sociology is a branch of the social sciences that focuses on human society and human social interactions. The goals of sociology is to understand how membership in one’s social group affects individual behavior. Understand how cultures and institutions interact in different societies. Understand the causes and consequences of social change in terms of general causes and effects as well as unique historical circumstances. POLITICAL SCIENCE The study of the nature, reasons for, and effects of collective behavior is known as political science. Collective decisions and actions that are influenced by cultures and institutions that organize authority and power. To put it another way, political science is a social science field that studies systems, examination of politics, political behavior, political ideas, and related political conduct and constitutions. The goals of political science is the concern with the process of growth, industrialization and change and the impact on government forms and policies. To describe how various political systems function, and to find more effective political systems. PERSPECTIVE OF ANTHROPOLOGY Across all of the subfields, anthropologists leverage unique perspectives to guide their exploration. These perspectives make humanity.unmistakable from related fields — like social science, history, and brain research that ask analogous questions about the past, human instinct and societal structures. The essential of the perspectives of anthropology are complete, superiority, relativism, correlation, and practical application. Additionally, there are likewise both logical and humanistic propensities inside the discipline that, now and again, struggle with each other. PERSPECTIVE OF SOCIOLOGY The core understanding of sociology is that social factors influence how people behave. Events that people can attend and via the social interaction that takes place within those gatherings. We act in the way that we are, who we are. Which we engage given that we land up residing in a particular culture at particular location in actuality. People will typically acknowledge their social environment as something "normal," without doubt, but the sociological perspective empowers we should view society as a temporary, human-made, and suitable social construct made by people and fit for being changed by them also. POLITICAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVE As one of the social sciences, uses methods and techniques that relate to the kinds of inquiries sought: primary sources, such as historical documents and official records, secondary sources, such as scholarly journal articles, survey research, statistical analysis, case studies, experimental research, and model building. Reflection in Concepts, Aspects and Changes in/of Culture and Society and Characteristics of Culture I have learned according to Edward Taylor that "Culture is complex whole which encompasses beliefs, practices, values, attitudes, laws, norms, artifacts, symbols, knowledge and everything that a person learns and shares as a member of society." I've also known the different Characteristics of Culture which includes: 1. Culture is social because it is the product of behaviour • Culture does not exist in isolation. It is a product of society. It develops through social interaction 2. Culture varies from society to society • Every society has a culture of it's own that differs from other societies. The culture of every society is unique by itself. Cultures are not uniformed. 3. Culture is shared • Culture is not something that an individual alone can posses. Culture in sociological sense is shared. For instance, all of a society's members adhere to the same norms, traditions, ideals, values, and morals. 4. Culture is learned • Culture is not inborn. Culture is learned. Therefore, unlearned behavior is not a culture. Culture dictates certain behaviors, such as handshakes and thank-yous. Though not all behaviors can be taught, the majority of them can. cracking jokes, standing in line, and combing hair. 5. Culture is transmitted among members of society • Cultural ways are learned by people from others.Many of these have been passed down through grandparents, parents, teachers and other most likely older generations of people. Transmission of culture is made possible by language. Language is the main vehicle of culture as well as also through imitation and instruction. 6. Culture is continuous and cumulative • Culture exists as a continuous process. No culture ever remains constant or permanent. Ralph Linton called culture "the social heritage". Similarly, culture is dynamic because it responds to the changing conditions of the world. 7. Culture is gratifying and idealistic • Culture provide opportunities for the satisfaction of our needs and desires. The intellectual, artistic, and social beliefs and institutions that society's members profess and strive to confirm make up culture. Reflection in Functions of Culture I have learned that all learned, accepted behavioural patterns make up culture, as do all accepted patterns of thinking, feeling, and doing. I also learned that there are two Types of Culture which are: 1. Material Culture -Physical or tangible objects produced, shared, distributed and used within the society Example: Buildings, tools, artworks 2. Non-Material Culture -Abstract ideas and ways of thinking Example: Languages, beliefs, values I have also gained knowledge about the different Functions of Culture which includes: 1.Culture defines situations. – Each culture has many subtle cues which define each situation – One does not know what to do in a situation until he has defined the situation 2.Culture defines attitudes, values, and goals. – Each person learns from his/her culture what is good, true, and beautiful – Attitude, values and goals are defined by the culture. 3.Culture defines myths, legends, and the supernatural – Myths and legends are important parts of every culture – Culture also provides the individual with a ready- made view of the universe – The nature of the divine power and the important moral issues are defined by the culture 4.Culture provides behaviour patterns. – Culture lets people find a ready-made set of patterns awaiting them which they need only to learn and follow – If people use culture to advance their purposes, it is clear that a culture imposes limits on human and their activities Reflection in Aspects and Elements of Culture I have learned that there are different Elements of Culture as follow: 1. Symbol - the first element that exists is symbols. A symbol is anything that is used to stand for something else. People who share a culture often attach a specific meaning to an object, gesture, sound, or image. For example, a cross is a significant symbol to Christians. 2. Language - the second element present is a language. Language is a system of words and symbols used to communicate with other people. This includes full languages as we usually think of them, such as English, Spanish, French, etc. But, it also includes body language, slang, and common phrases that are unique to certain groups of people. 3. Values - another cultural element is values, which are culturally defined standards for what is good or desirable. Members of the culture use the shared system of values to decide what is good and what is bad. 4. Norms - define a person's behavior are the laws and standards that make up a culture. A person remains inside the confines of society and its culture thanks to norms. It imposes limitations on what we are allowed to do and what we are not allowed to do. It shapes our behavior and imparts knowledge of good and wrong. I have also known that norms can be divided into: a. Folkways - are the simple customary ways of the people. It is the normal and habitual action of people within a culture. Folkways are the recognized or accepted Reflection on Socialization and Enculturation I have learned in this topic socialization and Enculturation that was reported that Socialization refers to a lifelong social experience by which people develop their human potential and learn culture. Although it is a general process, socialization always takes place in specific contexts. It is culturally specific: people in different cultures are socialization differently to hold different beliefs and values and to behave in different ways. Sociologists try to understand socialization, but they do not rank different schemes of socialization as good or bad. They just study practices of socialization to determine why people behave the way they do. While Enculturation on the other hand, is the process by which people learn the requirements of the surrounding cultures and acquire the values and behaviors appropriate or necessary in that culture. In this process, the influences that limit, direct, or shape the individual (whether deliberately or not) include parents, other adults and peers. There were also three goals of socialization that I have learned. First, socialization teaches impulse control and helps individuals develop a conscience. This first goal is accomplished naturally as people grow up within a particular society, they pick up on the expectations of those around them and internalize these expectations to moderate their impulses and develop a conscience. Second, socialization teaches individuals how to prepare for and perform certain social roles - occupational roles, gender roles, and the roles of institutions such as marriage and parenthood. And lastly the third, socialization cultivates sources of meaning and value. Through socialization, people learn to identify what is important and valued within a particular culture. Reflection on Human Cultural Evolution What I have in the report of the topic Human Cultural Evolution is that it refers to the changes or development in the culture from a simple form to a more complex form of culture. That cultural evolution is an evolutionary theory of social change. It follows from the difintion of culture as "information capable of affecting individual’s behavior that they acquire from other members of their species through teaching, imitation and other forms of social transmission. I have also learned the four steps of human evolution. Which is the evolving terrestriality, bipedalism, large brain (encephalization), and civilization. There are also seven stages of human evolution: Dyropithecus, ramapithecus, Australopithecus, homo erectus, homo sapiens (meanderthalensis) - the wise man and homo sapiens sapiens - consists of modern human that evolved 100-600 years ago. Reflection on Sociocultural and Political Evolution As being reported by Carlito and Geralyn, Sociocultural and Political Evolution is the development of early societies from haunting and gathering, to the agricultural and industrial to post-industrial stages. Sociocultural evolution is the development of culture through time. Socio- political evolution is the transformation of different societies and political systems. This happens when societies develop new forms of economic subsistence, acquire knowledge and apply new technology. The first type of society according to the reporters is Haunting and Gathering it is the oldest way economic subsistence. In haunting and gathering societies people come close to being socially equal. These societies lived with small groups with only 20-30 members but increased to 50 if there were abundant supply of foods. Second is Pastoral Societies that developed around 10,000 years ago in a dry region in the world where raising crops' not possible. The principle means of this societies is animal domestication. These societies are classified as animal herders and subsist based on the resources provided by their animals. Thirdly is the Horticultural Societies that developed around 10,000 years ago. These societies subsist through small-scale farming, they rely on cultivation of fruits, plants and vegetable in order to survive. They produce and used simple forms of hand tools to plants crops. Fourth is the Agricultural Societies which began 5,000 years ago during the Neolithic period. They started to cultivate wheat, barley, peas, rice and millet. And they began to form and domesticate animals as their form of subsistence. Their population increased into million and they settled permanently and improved the technology. Fifth is Industrial Societies where new source of energy were harnessed, advance forms of technology applied and machineries invented. Also, during this time, people left their farm lands and transform to the urban areas to work in factories. And lastly, is the Post-Industrial Societies where their economy is based on services and technology not production. The economy is dependent on the tangible goods, people must pursue higher education, and the new communication. Reflection on Social Groups As I have learned social group can be defined as a collection of people who regularly interact with one another on the basis of shared expectations concerning behavior and who share a sense of common identity. With these qualifications as to what constitute a group, here are the best define/describe the categories of groups based on some standards. First is primary group, this is typically a small social group whose members share close, personal, enduring relationships. Primary groups are marked by member’s concern for one another and shared activities and culture. This is characterized by long-lasting intimate relationship which binds the members together more than the goal. Examples of these include families, childhood friends, and highly influential social groups. Secondly the secondary group, which has the opposite characteristics of a primary group. secondary group can be small or large and hey are mostly impersonal and usually short-term. These groups are typically found at work and school. Common interests bind the members together more than their relationship. An example of a secondary group is a committee organized to plan a holiday party at work. Next is reference group which is a group to which we compare ourselves. Reference group can be classified as in-group or out-group. In-Group are social groups to which an individual feels he/she belongs. One feels loyalty and respect to these groups, example is a fraternity. While Out-Group are social groups that an individual does not identify with. One feels antagonism and contempt for these groups example of these are sports team opponent. And lastly is the social or network. Reflection on Characteristics of Social Groups In the report of Arnold, he said that social group can be defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. I have learned that the following are the important characteristics of social group: Mutual Awareness. The members of a social group must be mutually related to one another. Mutual attachment, is therefore regarded as it's important and distinctive feature. One or more common interests. The individuals who form a group should possess one or more than one common interests and ideals. It is for the realization of common interests that they meet together. Sense of unity. Each social group requires sense of unity and a feeling of sympathy for the development of a feeling or sense of belongingness. We-feeling. A sense of we-feeling refers to the tendency on the part of the members to identify themselves with the group. We-feeling generates sympathy, loyalty and fosters cooperation among members. Similarity of behavior. For the fulfillment of common interests, the members of a group behave in a similar way. Social groups represent collective behavior. Group norms. Each and every group has its own ideals and norms and the members are supposed to follow these. These norms may be in the form of customs, folk ways, mores, traditions, laws, etc. They may be written or unwritten. Reflection on The Sociological Perspective of Social Groups There are three main Sociological Perspective that I have in the report of Mary Joy Miras. The first one is The Functionalist perspective which is based largely on the work of Herbert Spencer, Emile Durkheim, Talcott Parsons and Robert Merton. According to funtionalism, society is a system of interconnected parts that works together in harmony to maintain a state of balance of social equilibrium for the whole. For example, each of the social institutions contributes important functions for society. Family provide a context for reproducing, nurturing and socializing children, education offers a way to transmit a society's skills, knowledge and culture to its youth. Politics provides a means governing members of society, economics provides for the production distribution, and consumption of goods and services, and religion provides moral guidance and an outlet for workshop of a higher power. The second one is Conflict perspective. The functionalist perspective views society as compared of different parts working together. In contrast, the conflict perspective views society as compared of different groups and interest competing for powers and resources. The conflict perspective explains various aspects of our social world by looking at which groups have power and benefit from a particular social arrangement. For example, feminist theory argues that we live in a patriarchal society a hierarchal system of organization controlled by men. Although there are many varieties of feminist theory, most would hold that feminism demands that existing, economic, political, and social structures be changed. And thirdly Symbolic/Interactionist Perspective. Both the functionalist and the conflict perspective are concerned with how broad aspect of society, such as institutions and large social group, influence the social works. This level of sociological analysis is called macro society. It looks of the big picture of society and suggests how social problems are affected at the institutional level.