Man’s Bio-Cultural and Social

Background
Understanding Society, Culture and Politics

Grade 11/12
First Quarter/Week 4

GERALDINE C. DAKETAN
Developer

Department of Education • Cordillera Administrative Region

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 WHAT I NEED TO KNOW

This subject Understanding Society, Culture and Politics is one of the Core Subjects in
Senior High School under the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. Thus, whatever track you
belong, you are taking USCP and answering now this module.

Due to our current situation brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face schooling
is not possible. However, the importance of education to our learners is indispensable. Thus,
formal education must be acquired in any means that both educators and learners can do. Let us
continue our learning process during this new normal.

This course aims to provide students’ ideas about human cultures, human agency, society
and politics; recognize cultural relativism and social inclusiveness to overcome prejudices; and
develop social and cultural competence to guide their interactions with groups, communities,
networks, and institutions.

This module is following the learning competencies provided by the Curriculum Guide
2016 and the Most Essential Learning Competencies (MELC) and can be answered with little to
no supervision from parent or adult or brothers or sisters.

1. Trace the biological and cultural evolution of early to modern humans.

(UCSP11/12HBS Ie-12)
CG LEARNING
COMPETENCY

2. Explore the significance of human material remains and artefactual

evidence in interpreting cultural and social, including political and
economic, processes. (UCSP11/12HBS If-13)

3. Recognize national, local, and specialized museums, and archaeological and

historical sites as venues to appreciate and reflect on the complexities of
biocultural and social evolution as part of being
and becoming human.(UCSP11/12HBS If-14)

Specific learning outcomes based on MELC:

 Analyze the significance of cultural, social, political and economic symbols and
practices.

Skills to be acquired:
1. Generate ideas through answering open-ended essay questions, pictures and reading
texts.
2. Support thinking with correct understanding of the concepts or lesson.
3. Provide concrete examples of the concepts.

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 WHAT’S IN

Lesson: Looking back at Human Biocultural and Social Evolution

The study of Sociology is fundamentally concerned with the ultimate questions of how
and why people act the way they do. To answer these questions, one has to examine man’s
inheritance from the past, his ideas, beliefs, knowledge, customs, and traditions. Hence, his
behavior can best be explained by examining his culture.

 Review of related Social Sciences in studying society, culture and politics.

I. Match Column A to Column B to identify what field of Social Science is referring to.

Column A Column B
1. Their study on social relationship and interactions A. Sociology
will provide information that will help in
understanding society objectively through the
use of scientific investigation and methodology.
2. The study of the nature, causes, and consequences of B. Archaeology
collective decisions and actions taken by groups of
people embedded in cultures and institutions that
structure power and
authority.
3. It seeks to studies human as both biological and social C. Anthropology
creatures. It seeks to answer this primary
question: What does it mean to be human?
4. Examines the remains of ancient and historical D. Economics
human populations to promote an understanding of
how humans have adapted to their
environment and developed.
5. It is the study of how people allocate scarce E. Political Science
resources for production, distribution, and
consumption, both individually and collectively.

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 WHAT’S NEW
This part of module introduces you to our lesson.

Read the article taken from History.com cite. Then answer the questions below.

Lascaux cave paintings discovered

September, 12, 1940, near Montignac, France, a collection of
prehistoric cave paintings are discovered by four teenagers who
stumbled upon the ancient artwork after following their dog down a
narrow entrance into a cavern. The 15,000 - to 17,000-year-old
paintings, consisting mostly of animal representations, are among the
finest examples of art from the Upper Paleolithic period.

First studied by the French archaeologist Henri -Édouard-

Prosper Breuil, the Lascaux grotto consists of a main cavern 66 feet
wide and 16 feet high. The walls of the cavern are decorated with
some 600 painted and drawn animals and symbols and nearly 1,500
engravings. The pictures depict in excellent detail numerous types of
animals, including horses, red deer, stags, bovines, felines, and what
appear to be mythical creatures. There is only one human figure
depicted in the cave: a bird-headed man with an erect phallus.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lascaux-cave-paintings-discovered

If you are an archaeologist, what can be your interpretations of what the paintings tell us about the
peoples’ way of life during the time this was painted? Give only two answers.
1.
2.

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 WHAT IS IT

At the end of this module, I can:

1) Trace the biological and cultural evolution of early to modern humans.
2) Discuss the significance of human material remains, material and non-material culture in
interpreting cultural and social, political, and economic processes.
3) Identify forms of tangible and intangible heritage, and the threats to these.

LESSON
Human Capacity for Culture

Culture is defined as “that 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 a society” (Taylor, 2010). It is a by-product of the attempt of humans to
survive their environment and to compensate for their biological characteristics and limitations.
Our evolution toward humanity as we know it has been a long journey of survival against the
elements of the environment and against competing species. As our ancestors evolved
biologically in response to their environment, they have also developed cultural technologies that
aided them to efficiently obtain food and deter predators.
Evolution is a natural process of biological changes occurring in a population across
successive generations (Banaag, 2012 p.31). It helps us identify and analyze man’s physiological
development and eventually the emergence of different society. Moreover, man’s progression and
characteristics are essential in understanding the capability for adaptation. Most scientists
currently recognize some 15 to 20 different species of early humans. Scientist do not all agree,
however, about how these species are related or which ones simply died out and how to identify
and classify these species of early humans.
Human Biocultural Evolution
Species Characteristics
Hominids The development of the different species of primates which were
“Manlike able to evolve in 40 million years ago. There have been various relics of
Primates” hominids which could be described as manlike primates. They are
Ramapithecus, Lucy and Australopithecus.
Homo Habilis The apelike men who first to used stone tools as weapons and
“Handy Man” protection of their enemies. They are recognized as the first true human.
Lived about 2.4 to 1.4 million years ago.
Homo Erectus It was believed to be the first man like creature that lived about
“The Upright 500,000 years ago in Asia, Africa and Europe. This manlike specie could
Man” walk straight with almost the same brain with modern man. He made
refined stone stools for hunting and weapons for protection of the
enemies.
The following are the major discovered fossils:

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 a. Pithecanthropus Erectus “Java Man” –Discovered by Eugene
Dubois at Trinil, Java, Indonesia in 1891.
b. Sinanthropus Pekinensis “Peking Man” –Discovered at
Choukoutien village, Beijing, China in 1929.
Homo Sapiens It was believed that this was the direct descendant of modern man
“The Thinking who lived about 250,000 years ago. They had similar physical
Man” descriptions with modern man. They originated as the primitive men
whose activities were largely dependent on hunting, fishing and
agriculture. They buried their dead, used had tools and had religion. The
following are Homo Sapiens subspecies:
a. Neanderthal Man –Discovered in Neanderthal valley near
Dusseldorf, Germany in 1856 who lived in cave and dependent in
hunting and fishing.
b. Cro-Magnon Man – Discovered by a French archaeologist Louis
Lartet in the Cro Magnon Cave in Southern France. It was
believed to live in Europe, Asia and Africa. As a prehistoric man,
they were the first to produce art in cave
paintings and crafting decorated tools and accessories.

Four Biological Capacity of Human to Develop Culture

The need to scrutinize human anatomy to understand culture is indispensable. Physical
and cultural anthropologists argue that we could trace how culture becomes possible by
understanding our biological makeup.
1. Our Thinking  The primary biological component of humans that allowed for
capacity culture is the developed brain. It has the necessary parts for facilitating
pertinent skills such as speaking, touching, feeling, seeing, and
smelling.
 Compared with other primates, humans have a larger brain, weighing
1.4 kg. Due to the size of brain and the complexity of its parts, humans
were able to create survival skills that helped them
adapt to their environment and outlive their less adaptive biological
relatives.
2. Our gripping  Look at your hands. Notice how your thumb relates with your other
capacity fingers. This capacity to directly oppose your thumb with your other
fingers is an exclusive trait of humans. It allowed us to have a finger
grip.

Figure 1. Hands of selected primates

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  The hand of human has digits (fingers) that are straights, as
compared with the curved ones of the other primates. Notice that the
thumb of the human is proportionately longer than those of other
primates. These characteristics of the human hand allowed for two
types of grip” power and precision.
a) Power grip enabled humans to wrap the thumb and fingers on an
object; it became the cornerstone of our capacity to hold tool firmly
for hunting and other activities.
b) Precision grip enabled humans to hold and pick objects steadily
using fingers. This capacity was crucial for tool- making activities.

3. Our  As the brain is the capacity source of humans’ capacity to

speaking comprehend sound and provide meaning to it, the vocal tract acts as the
capacity mechanism by which sounds are produced and reproduced to transmit
ideas and values.
 Humans have longer vocal tract compared with chimpanzee. A
longer vocal tract means that there is a longer vibration surface,
allowing human to produce a wider array of sounds than chimpanzees.
 The tongue of human is also more flexible than of a chimpanzee,
allowing for more control in making sounds.

4. Our  Primates have two forms of locomotion: bipedalism and

walking/ quadropedalism. Bipedalism is the capacity to walk and stand on two
standing feet, whereas quadropedalism uses all four limbs. Although apes are
capacity semi-bipedal, humans are the only fully bipedal primates.
 Being bipedal, humans gained more capacity to move while
carrying objects with their free hands. It gave humans more capacity or
productivity with their hands like hunting and foraging.

Process Questions:
1. What are the four capacities that enabled humans to have culture?
2. What is the significance of biology, anthropology, archaeology and other related science
in studying and understanding culture?

Cultural and Sociopolitical Development

The physical as well as the mental development of early human beings helped them
understand and adapt to their existing environment. Thus, their adjustment served as the onset of
their culture. Culture enables the members of society to develop ways of coping with exigencies
of nature as well as ways of harnessing their environment (Panopio, et.al 1994). The changes
made by man through his interaction with the environment establish the different cultural
evolution which determines man’s socio-cultural development.
The early humans have always been dependent on their environment, which made
foraging (hunting and gathering) the primary mode of subsistence.

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 Cultural Period Cultural and Socio-political Development
Paleolithic Period  Use of simple pebble tools.
(Old Stone Age)  Learned to live in caves.
 Discovered the use of fires.
3 million years  Developed small sculptures; and monumental painting,
to 8,000 B.C. incised designs, and reliefs on the wall of caves.
 “Food-collecting cultures”
Neolithic Age  Stone tools were shaped by polishing or grinding.
(New Stone Age)  Settlement in permanent villages.
 Dependence on domesticated plants or animals.
Occurred sometime about  Appearance of such crafts as pottery and weaving.
10,000 BCE  “Food-producing cultures”

Age of Metals  The used of metal such as bronze, copper, and iron produced
a new historical development form cradles civilization of
Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, including India and China
4,000 B.C. – 1,500 B.C which later on spread throughout Asia.
 The civilization which defines to a more developed social,
cultural, political and economic system.
 It had already direct contacts through tribes, kingdoms,
empire and later on state which the constant political
activities were through conquest, wars and trade.

The Early Types of Societies

During the course of human history, people have organized themselves into various types
of societies depending upon their level of technology and the related methods of subsistence. The
earliest societies confined themselves in gathering and hunting for food. When man invented the
plow, it enabled him to increase the amount of available food. The introduction of modern
technology and equipment, mass computerization, and white-collar service occupations, has
changed the man’s society into a more complex one.
Type of Technology Economy Settlements Social
Society Organizations
A. Hunting Very simple – Bare Nomadic All resting within
and fire, arrow, necessities – 25-40 people family.
Gathering baskets no surplus
Society
B. Digging sticks, Simple crop Semi- Family-centered;
Horticultural occasionally cultivation, permanent – Religious system
And blade tools. some surplus some cities begins to develop,
Pastoral and exchange. occasionally moderate
Society kingdoms. specialization;
Presence of social
inequality.
C. Agrarian Irrigation, Largely Permanent Family loses
Society Fertilization, agricultural urbanization significance as
Metallurgy, but much becoming distinctive
surplus; important religious, political,

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 Animal-drawn increased empires and economic
plow. market covering system emerged.
exchange and continent. Increased presence
substantial of social
trade. inequality.
D. Industrial Advance sources Industrial Permanent – Complex set of
Society of energy; – few engage urban living interdependent
Mechanized in agriculture predominating. institutions.
production. or direct Cities now
production; contain most of
Much surplus; the population.
Fully The rise of state.
developed
market
economy

Process Questions:
1. What makes human beings an important component in the development of early
society?
2. How do early societies differ from one another?
3. Compare the different societies in terms of their economic activities.

COMPONENTS OF CULTURE

The beginning of early man is a proper reference in treating the interesting subject of
culture. Mans adaptation to his society, his conformity with the culture of his time and his
education have worked alongside each other in putting him in his present status as the strongest
and the most intelligent creature in the world.

As perceived by sociologists and anthropologists, culture is rather a complex concept. To

understand culture, one must examine its major elements:

1. Material Culture –It is the physical objects a society produces, things people create and
use. These are tools, furniture, clothing, automobiles, and computer systems, to name a
few. Thus, the awareness of the kind of objects created and how people use them brings
about greater understanding of the culture and of a society.

1.1. Technology. A Society’s culture consists of not only physical objects but also
rules for using those objects. Sociologists sometimes refer to this combination of
objects and rules as technology. Using items of material culture, particularly tools,
requires various skills, which are part of the nonmaterial culture.

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 2. Non-material Culture –It is consisting of elements termed norms, values, beliefs, and
language shared by the members of a society. Non-material culture is considered as the
carriers of culture.

2.1. Language. Perhaps, the most defining characteristics of human being is the
ability to develop and use highly complex systems of symbols like language. A
symbol, as sociologists say, is the very foundation of culture. The essence of
culture is the sharing of meanings among members of a society. Unless one shares
the language of a culture, one cannot participate in it. (Fishman, 1985; p.128)
Language influences our ways of perceiving, behaving, and feeling, and
thus, tends to define and shape the world around us. It is through language that
idea values, beliefs, and knowledge are transmitted, expressed, and shared.
Without language, there will be no culture.

2.2. Beliefs. These are ideas that people hold about the universe or any part of the
total reality surrounding them. These are the things how people perceive reality.
The subject of human beliefs may be infinite and may include ideas concerning the
individual, other people and any all aspects of the biological, physical, social, and
supernatural world be it primitive or scientific.

2.3. Values. They are shared ideas about desirable goals. They are the person’s ideas
about worth and desirability or an abstract of what is important and worthwhile.
Values make up our judgements of moral and immoral, good and bad, right and
wrong, beautiful and ugly, etc.

2.4. Norms. These are shared rules of conduct that specify how people ought to think
and act. A norm is ideas in the minds of the members of a group put into a
statement specifying what members of the group should do, ought to do or are
expected to do under certain circumstances. (Homans, 1950; p. 123).

Norms are usually in the form of rules, standards, or prescriptions and social shared
expectations. Norms has three forms:

2.4.1. Mores. These are norms associated with strong ideas of right and wrong. Mores
are standard of conduct that are highly respected and valued by the group and their
fulfilment is felt to be necessary and vital to group welfare.
They are considered essential to the group’s existence and accordingly, the
group demands that they be followed without questions. They represent obligatory
behaviour because their infraction results to punishment –formal or informal.

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 2.4.2. Folkways. These are norms that are simply the customary, normal, habitual ways
a group does things. These customary ways are accumulated and become repetitive
patterns of expected behaviour which tends to become permanent traditions.
One of the essential features of folkways is that there is no strong feeling of
right or wrong attached to them. If one violates folkways, there is no punishment
attached to it.

2.4.3. Laws. These are often referred to as formal norms. They are rules that are
enforced and sanctioned by the authority of the government.

The Legacy of Early Humans to Contemporary Population

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is the
primary transnational entity that manages and negotiates matters relating to human heritage. It
defined cultural heritage as follows:

Cultural heritage is not limited to material manifestations, such as monuments and objects
that have been preserved over time. This notion also encompasses living expressions and
the traditions that countless groups and communities worldwide have inherited from their
ancestors and transmit to their descendants, in most cases, orally (UNESCO, 2010)

This definition us with a two-part meaning of cultural heritage. On one end, there is
heritage being tangible in the form of structures, monuments, historical sites, and other artifacts.
On the other hand, there is heritage being intangible in the form of literature, oral, traditions,
concepts, and values.

Tangible heritage could be divided into two categories: movable and immovable. The
primary difference in these categories is the size of the heritage. For example, the Stonehenge is
an immovable tangible heritage, where as the sarcophagus of the pharaoh Tutankhamun is a
movable tangible heritage.

Movable tangible heritage pieces are often removed from the sites where they were found
and transferred to museums for safekeeping and maintenance. Immovable tangible heritage pieces
are often left to the elements of nature (i.e., rain, wind, sand, sun), which makes them vulnerable
to decay and corrosion. This does not mean that conservation efforts are not being made.
However, due to the constant exposure of these objects to these elements, conservation becomes
more challenging.

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 WHAT’S MORE
These are enrichment activities or independent practice for you to answer in
order to help you further understand the lesson.

ACTIVITY 1
The Evolution of Man
A. Write inside the boxes the corresponding name of the species.

https://www.smithsonianmag.com

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 ASSESSMENT 1

Explain how society was formed.

Content of answer – 5 points Clarity of ideas – 5 points = 10 points

ACTIVITY 2
Enumerate practices or activities of early people that are still being practiced or
observed today.

Socio-cultural Political Economic

Practices/ Activities Practices/ Activities Practices/ Activities

1. 1. 1.

2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

4. 4. 4.

5. 5. 5.

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See the photos below which are examples of the many cultural activities and
symbols of Cordillerans.

Photos were taken during the 2017 Colos Festival of Barangay

Tinongdan. (Photos courtesy of Barangay Tinongdan Facebook page)

Tribal houses of Ibaloys in Sitio Coyoco, Tinongdan, Itogon, Benguet.

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 ASSESSMENT 2
Short-essay question.
1. What is the role played by fiestas and museums in preserving our cultural
practices and symbols?
Fiestas

Museums

2. Conduct a research or interview. Ask your parents or elders of your

community of some significant symbols or meanings of old Igorot houses.

ASSESSMENT 3

Ang hindi marunong

“
lumingon sa
pinanggalingan ay hindi
makakarating sa
paroroonan”

 These words of Jose P. Rizal give us a manifestation on how important is our past/ origin
and where we started.

 National Indigenous Peoples Month is observed every October by virtue of Proclamation

No. 1906 signed on October 5, 2009, by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
According to the proclamation, the celebration highlights Philippine indigenous peoples’
rights and the preservation of indigenous cultural communities as part of the life of the
nation.
Make a poster-slogan following the 2019 IP Month celebration “Vital Wisdoms: Learning with
the Indigenous Peoples” (Buháy na Dúnong: Pagkatúto Kasama Ang Mga Katutúbo) Use
long coupon bond and any prefer writing and coloring materials. See rubrics below:

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CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Required The poster includes all All required elements are Few of the required Several required
Elements required elements as included on the poster & elements are elements were
well as additional bookmarks. included on the missing.
information. poster.

Picture The poster is The poster is attractive in The poster is The poster is
and/or logo exceptionally attractive terms of design, layout acceptably attractive distractingly messy
in terms of design, and neatness. though it may be a or very poorly
layout, and neatness. bit messy. designed. It is not
attractive.

Content - 2 accurate reasons are 1 accurate reason is Less than 1 accurate Inaccurate
Accuracy displayed on the poster. displayed on the poster. reason is displayed reason(s) are
on the poster. used.

Slogan Slogan is catchy and Slogan is weak but Slogan is catchy but Slogan's meaning
supports the idea of the supports the idea of the doesn't support the isn't clear and doesn't
importance of our importance of our school idea of the support the idea of
school library. library. importance of our the importance of our
school library. school library.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED

Make a short but concise summary of what you have learned from this lesson.

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 WHAT I CAN DO

Apply It in Real Life.

Cordillera Mountain is the home of multi-ethnolinguistic groups in Abra, Benguet, Ifugao,

Kalinga, Mountain Province, Tabuk City and Baguio City.
The word Igorot is generally meant mountain people. For a long time now, this term has
been tacitly used in a derogatory sense, implying that Igorots were a backward tribe. How will
you help correct this wrong idea about Cordillerans? Do the activity below.

My Profile
My name is . I belong to the
ethnic tribe of . My father is from the province of
while mother is from the province of .
I grew up in and presently living in .
I can speak local dialect(s).
I am proud to be a Cordilleran because

.
I will
to prove that I am a truly proud Cordilleran.

(Note: you can revise or make your own pattern but similar with this
depending on what is applicable to your situation or family background).

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY
Link to community.
Trace the development of your town or city. Identify how your sitio/barangay/town or city came
into existence. What are the different elements that helped in the development of your own
place? Write your research/ interview in a short coupon bond.
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