Understanding Culture,

Society and Politics

Quarter 2 – Module 1:
The Forms and Functions
of the State
Understanding Culture, Society and Politics – Senior High School
Quarter 2 – Module 1: The Forms and functions of the State
First Edition, 2020

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Understanding Culture,
Society and Politics
Quarter 2 – Module 1:
The Forms and Functions of the
State
Introductory Message
For the facilitator:
As a facilitator, you are expected to orient the learners on how to use
this module. You also need to keep track of the learners' progress while
allowing them to manage their own learning at home. Furthermore, you are
expected to encourage and assist the learners as they do the tasks included
in the module.

For the learner:

As a learner, you must learn to become responsible of your own
learning. Take time to read, understand, and perform the different activities
in the module.
As you go through the different activities of this module, be reminded
of the following:
1. Use the module with care. Do not put unnecessary mark/s on any part
of the module. Use a separate sheet of paper in answering the exercises.
2. Do not forget to answer Let Us Try before moving on to the other
activities.
3. Read the instructions carefully before doing each task.
4. Observe honesty and integrity in accomplishing the tasks and checking
your answers.
5. Finish the task at hand before proceeding to the next.
6. Return this module to your teacher/facilitator once you are done.
If you encounter any difficulty in answering the tasks in this module,
do not hesitate to consult your teacher or facilitator. Always bear in mind that
you are not alone. We hope that through this material, you will experience
meaningful learning and gain deep understanding of the relevant
competencies. You can do it!

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 Let Us Learn
The inter-connectedness of the people in the society creates a
relationship that is significant in the development of social progress. Each
person must perform his/her responsibility set by the norms and social
interests of the society.

The focus of this module:

The forms and functions of state

At the end of the lesson, you are expected to:

1. identify the different social-cultural, economic and political
institutions of the state and its functions;
2. Explain the different social-cultural, economic and political
institutions of the state and its functions.

Let Us Try
Pre-Test: Direction. Choose the best answer in every selection below.
Write the letter of your chosen answer on a separate sheet of paper.
1. What is the meaning of social institutions?
a. The groups of individuals banded together with common
purpose
b. The gatherings of people in exchange of their belief systems
c. The communities of believers who work for their religious
encounter
d. The mixtures of individuals in a certain group to form a new
group
2. Which of the following best explains the main role of social
institutions?
a. Social institutions aims to unite people
b. Social group envisions to divide people
c. Social community enables to categorize people
d. Social Identity in a group desires to identify people
3. Which of the following is NOT part of the functions of Social
Institutions?
a. Forming Religious Organizations
b. Establishing Holistic Families
c. Maintains a Child-Friendly Schools
d. Celebrates with an Achievements

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 4. What is the meaning of Tribe?
a. Most Traditional and smallest type of organization
b. Permanent and formal form of government
c. Formal political organization in the modern world
d. Traditional group government
5. What do you call the inherited power in a Social Institution?
a. Traditional c. Rational
b. Charismatic d. Electorate
6. What do you call the basic social institution in the society?
a. Kinship b. Household c. Family d. Band
7. Which of the following are the forms of Marriage?
a. Heterogamy and Monogamy c. Heterogamy and Polygamy
b. Monogamy and Polygamy d. Endogamy and exogamy
8. The following are the structures of Family, EXCEPT?
a. Based on Internal Organization
b. Based on Descent
c. Based on Residence
d. Based on Physical attributes
9. Which of the following is NOT part of the functions of the Basic Social
Institution?
a. Social Institution performs the functions of biological continuity.
b. The Social institution aims to become a large family.
c. Social Institution gives its members status.
d. Social institution performs economic functions.
10. The following are the Filipino values, EXCEPT:
a. Debt of Gratitude (Utang na Loob)
b. The Act of yielding to the majority of kinship (Pakikisama)
c. Bayanihan
d. Indifference
11. What do you call the voluntary giving or taking of objects without the
use of money and hopes in the future it can be given back?
a. Reciprocity c. Indebtedness
b. Redistribution d. Hospitability
12. The kind of reciprocity in Social Institution that serves as an
exchange between groups with the donor expecting to receive something of
equal, what it is?
a. Negative Reciprocity c. General Reciprocity
b. Balance Reciprocity d. Mutual Reciprocity
13. What do you call the organized process of sale and distribution in the
society at money price?
a. Supply c. Market Exchange
b. Demand d. Redistribution
14. Which of the following does NOT include in the element description of
Social Institution?
a. Family b. Community c. Kinship d. Collaboration

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 15. What do you call the kind of state that does not intervene in
managing the market?
a. Laissez-Faire State c. Welfare State
b. Interventionist State d. Authoritative State

Let Us Study
Socio- Cultural and Political Institutions (Micheli, 2000, 11-18)
Family sets as the basic and the most essential institution in the
society. It is the core of the inter-relations of the community. It is the primary
source of the values, hierarchical status, and relational functions in the
group.
Social Institution is the inter-relationship between persons and among
the groups in accordance with the functions and responsibilities in the
society. The word “Family” is defined as the social group characterized by
common residence, economic cooperation, and reproduction (Murdock
1941:1). Family is the basic unit of the society that fosters the beginning of
values, norms, and belief systems. In addition, family is described as a group
of people united by mutual agreement through ties of marriage, blood or
adoption, and mutual relational inter-action and communication in creating
as well as maintaining common culture.

Kinship

* Kinship – is web of social relationships that creates an important level of

the lives of the people in the society. It affects and influences the socio-
cultural and political processes and development.

* Descent - is the Origin or background of a person in terms of family or

nationality.

Descent Group (Social group with same ancestry of the people)

1. Unilineal Society - The origin of a person is either from the mother’s or
father’s line of descent.

2. Matrilineal Descent – an individual’s origin from his/her mother’s

descent group.

3. Patrilineal Descent - a person’s origin from his/her father’s descent

group.

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Marriage

* Marriage - The essential institutional symbol of the family. It is a cultural

mechanism that ensures the continuity of the social group. It serves as the
foundation of family and sets as inviolable social institution. It consists of
the love, economic and social security, the parent’s desires, companionship,
protection, and common interests (Bowman). In the Philippine Family Code,
it is stated that marriage is the special contract of permanent union between
a man and a woman entered in the accordance with law for the
establishment of conjugal and family life. In addition, this law fosters two
aspects: Contact - applies to man and woman only, and Status - created
between parties.

https://pixabay.com/vectors/marriage-married-wedding-37230/

Forms of Marriage
1. Monogamy - allows a man to marry only one spouse at a time.
2. Polygamy – It is a form of more than one marriage and can be described
in two ways:
 Polygyny - Marriage of one man into two or more women at the same
time. It is commonly practiced by Muslims and known as a status
symbol for the man.
 Polyandry - Marriage of a woman to two or more men at the same time.
3. Selection of Marriage Partners
* Types of Norms in Selecting of Marriage Partners
 Endogamy - dictates one should marry within one’s group, clan or ethnic
affiliation.
 Exogamy - One can marry outside one’s clan or ethnic affiliation.
 Levirate Norms – A widow marries the brother or the nearest kin of her
deceased husband.
 Surrogate Norm - Men should marry the sister or nearest kin of his
deceased wife.

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Family

Family serves as the core of the inter-relational dynamism in the society.

It is the bearing for the persons development. It varies from one culture to
another – the way of living, belief system and values formation of its
members.

https://pixabay.com/vectors/boy-daughter-family-father-1300621/

Structures of Family
1. Based on Internal Organization or Membership
a. Nuclear Family - described as the composition of husband and his wife
and their children in union recognized by the other members of the society.
The two kinds of Nuclear Family is known as 1st, Family of Orientation - the
one that is born and reared or socialized, and 2 nd, Family of Procreation -
family is established through the mutual agreement of both parties in a
marriage that consists of husband, wife and children.
b. Extended Family – is composed of two or more nuclear families that
economically and socially related to each other. The relationship may be
through parent to child relationship.

2. Based on Authority
a. Patriarchal Family - the authority is given to the father or the eldest
male in the family.
b. Matriarchal Family - the authority is given to the mother or the eldest
female in the family.
c. Egalitarian Family - both husband and wife exercise an equal amount or
way of authority.

Functions of Family
1. The family performs the function of biological continuance and the
preservation of the bloodline in accordance with the socio-cultural
agreement of the family.
2. The Family gives its members social status that enables them to carry
all the essential benefits of the family.
3. The family performs economic and social functions in the society that
allows its members to further develop all the resources acquired by the
family.

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Structural Characteristics of the Filipino Family
1. The basic unit of the Philippine society is the nuclear family.
2. The Christian Filipino family is known as a large group that normally a
combination of both nuclear and extended families.
3. Blood kinship serves as an important role in the Filipino family that
emphasizes strong affiliation of the siblings most particularly in the rural
areas.
4. Family affiliation is emphasized in a form of “compadre or compadrazgo”
system that can be elaborated in the different rituals/occasions like
baptism, confirmation and marriage.
5. Filipino Family is commonly known as Patriarchal in authority that
means the father serves to be the leader/source of authority in the family.

Filipino Values in the Family

Utang na Loob – is an
exchange of goods and services
between individuals in form of
good faith. Most of Filipinos
strongly observe this value out
of filial piety and respect.

Palabra de Honor – is an act of

fulfilling the promised services
between individuals. Most
Filipinos prefer to do the
agreement as a sign of strong Filipino Values in
commitment and trust. the Family

Pakikisama – is an act of
being with the person in any
forms/situation.

Bayanihan – is an act of
unified workforce in a form of
volunteerism for greater
cause.

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Challenges and Threats of Filipino Families
Challenges/Threats Description
Many of the Filipino families of today are
not experiencing the difficulty of uniting
with all its members. Most common factors
Disintegration of the Family of the disintegration are lack of
communication within the family members
and acceptance among the closest
relational affinity.
There are Filipinos who are now hooked
Substance Abuse and addicted with the different illegal
substances that can greatly cause
problems into the family. The youth are
now carried away by the most common
way of living of the family in the society.
Arising number of families today are now
experiencing the absence of parents in the
growth and development of their children.
There are many valid reasons to cite of why
Parental Absenteeism this is currently happening. One of those
reasons is the low family income that
pushes both parents to seek for better
work options to supplicate the needs of
their family members.
Due to the concurrent social problems,
many families of today are greatly affected
Economic Difficulty of the economic difficulty which eventually
divide the society.
Filipinos of today are no longer practicing
the Filipino values, and instead much
Deteriorating of Family Values easier to welcome and live the other
country’s values and culture.
Many Filipino teenagers are now
Alarming Rising incident of experiencing early teenage pregnancy due
Teenage Pregnancy to lack of parental guidance and strong
peer pressure.

Social and Political Structure

Types of Political Description Functions
Organization
Band Traditional Group of Most traditional and smallest type
people of group that aims to meet the
Egalitarian - means that basic needs for survival. Power
they see people of the depends on the skills and
personality of a leader.
same age and gender as
Tribe Traditional society which focuses
the same.
on meeting the basic needs of the
group. It is now structured and

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 organized for it is more dependent
on horticulture. The leader
possesses more power, however,
can be deposed if he/she exercises
too much power to the group.
Chiefdom A political group It is permanent and formal
characterized by social government. The leaders are role
hierarchies, models who are responsible in
centralization of power resolving disputes among
members. Leadership is
and distribution of
dependent on the skills and the
resources to the capacity to lead the group.
members.
State The most complex in It is formal political organization in
relation to social, a modern or industrial way of
economic, and political living that defined the citizenship
organization. of its constituents according to
their rights and responsibilities.
The group imposes regulation to
manage the large population of the
group.

Each group of people in the society have the similarities when it comes
to translation of leadership by the leader. The role and responsibilities of a
leader is greatly beneficial to the members of the group. One thing that holds
and binds the group is the exercise of power of a leader in their respective
group or community.

Components in Social and Political Structure (Blau. 1963, 305-316.)

1. Power - It is the sum of authority and legitimacy of a leader. It is the ability
to lead the group with the use of skills, knowledge and leadership with
efficiency and effectiveness. The leader may use power to exercise sanctions,
punishments or directives to the members of the group.
2. Authority - It is the right of a leader to maximize or use power to command
the members of the group. It is a translation of power by exercising the
capacity to lead out of expertise in a particular concern or decision-making.
3. Legitimacy - It is the recognition of someone who serves to be right and
proper. When a leader is fully accepted and supported by the members of the
group because he deserves it, and he is capable of his responsibilities.

Three Types of Authority

For Max Weber, there are three types of authority in accordance with the
legitimacy of a person as a belief system1:
1. Traditional - It is the inherited power from the previous leader out of affinal
privileged.

1
Blau, P. M. (1963). "Critical remarks on Weber’s theory of authority". The American Political Science Review, 57 (2): 305-316.

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2. Charismatic - It is the capacity of a person to lead the members of the
group by virtue to inspire them to willingly follow and obey.

3. Rational - It is an exercise authority based on a system of rules set by the

group. Members have the right to choose leaders who can represent them in
fighting for justice, fairness, and equality. The rules serve as the guiding
principle of the leader in exercising his/her roles and responsibilities to the
group. Most of the time, the members will use their proper reasoning in voting
for their supported leaders. In today’s developing era, people are now rational
in electing a leader on their behalf.
The leader of the group serves as the head of the state/society that
he/she leads. The head of the group delegates the power to sub- heads he/she
has appointed in order to maintain the effectiveness of his functions and
responsibility.

Economic Institutions and State (Weber.1963)

Economic Institutions refers to the production and distribution of goods

and services in order to supplicate the needs of the members of the society.
Economic agreement through an exchange of functioning economy is
significant for it widens the capacity of the state to improve its resources in
both ends receiving and selling towards the other state.

Reciprocity is defined as the capacity to give out generosity/volunteerism

without money involvement and that in the future, it can be reciprocated.
This concept of reciprocity can be closely described as barter, hospitality,
gift-giving and sharing of resources. The purpose of this act of giving is to
build and strengthen social relationships and positively foster good favors
to the recipient.
In the previous lesson, it is important to create good relationship towards
the other group for it is essential for the development of the community. A
good example of the concept of reciprocity is the Filipino value of “Utang na
Loob”. This value enables the group to acknowledge the important
contributions extended by the other group and it is through sincere
indebtedness that equates the impact of it.

Forms of Reciprocity
1. Generalized Reciprocity - refers to the exchange of goods and services with
no time-bound frame is followed. This is a kind of reciprocity that a person
is giving without expecting something in return.
2. Balanced Reciprocity - means the exchange between groups or individuals
with something to expect to receive out of similar or equally the same in
value given. This concept somewhat creates pressure in either both parties
for it demands to reciprocate the given resources within the period of time.
3. Negative Reciprocity - described as unequal process for which the groups
try to maximize their advantage while giving as little as possible. This is
inspired by the desire to acquire a large portion of goods using minimal
resources.

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Transfer and the Government
Government transfer or transfer of payments is used for the redistribution
of resources specifically wealth and income where no goods or services are
given to the donor in return. In a State scenario, transfers are evident for
payments that can be through the collection of taxes, social services,
pensions, housing, and health care plans. In the Philippine context, the
government is providing various programs and activities intended for the
citizens. The commonly identified allocations are retirement, disability
benefits, medical, unemployment insurance, and education.

Redistribution
The process of redistribution of goods or services is observed when the
collection of goods from individual in a community is kept by the central
authority. These goods are collected to be used for future transactions. The
main goal of redistribution is to allocate such goods back to the people for
common welfare. The process requires reversal dynamism – from the storage
area of the central authority then given back to the common people.

Understanding Market Transactions

In a developing state, it is important to familiarize the capitalist economy
where the market principle dominates. The principle implies that the
market is tasked for the sale and distribution of goods and services in the
society. In the market arena, money plays a vital role for it is the main
means in all transactions. Market in economic definitions refers to a wider
setting where buyers or sellers simultaneously trade or exchange
goods/services. Market also implies how the state competitively exchange
transactions towards the other state. In a market exchange, at least two
parties are involved: one who has a product and the other who has the
money. Both parties can extend agreement using bargaining or in barter
system.

Elements of Market Transactions

1. Money - It consists of the objects that serve as way of exchange for goods
or services.
2. Prices – These refer the amount required or agreed upon by both
exchanging parties.
3. Supply – It is defined as the quantity of goods or services that are
available to sell at a given price in a period of time.
4. Demand – It refers to the quantity of goods or services that the consumer
is willing to purchase or take at a given price in a period of time.

Interaction of State and Markets

It is important for a state to acquire economic growth and development in
order to provide a good standard of living to its constituents. Market existed
because of the on-going transactions made by the state towards the others
state. This concept is significant for it opens-up the field of international
political economy or commonly known as the economic relations towards
the other states. The market-based concerns continuously develop societal

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 and economic growth in the areas of people’s communes, state-owned
enterprise, decentralization, price reform and capital market development.

Conflicts between Market and State Functions

Despite the call of every state to link with socio-economic markets in order
to boost the financial stability, there are disputes arises due to the liberal
perspective that since majority of the state deals with the citizens, it has to
delegate the power. This aspect serves to be a challenge on what to do in
the world of economic markets. Thus, both the state and citizens must work
together to solve the dispute and to go on for the development and
improvement.

Types of State According to Market Roles

1. Laissez-Faire State – is a French word that means “to leave alone”. This
principle is described as the participation of the government in the
regulations, subsidies, privileges, and other ways of development. Therefore,
this type of state completely does not have any role in managing the market.
2. Interventionist or Developmental State - describes as the intervention of
the state in the market and sets direction towards economic development.
In this concept, the state implements policies, subsidies, protection of tariffs
and local industries.
3. Welfare State - refers to a vital role in the achievement and protection of
the economic and social readiness of its citizens. This concept is centered
in the idea of a good quality life for all the people instead of prioritizing the
economic development.

Today, our government maximize the different branches with specific

areas of concentration in response to the basic needs of the society. Aside
from the state-related branches, the birth of non-state institutions
significantly creates a positive effect to the society. The non- state institutions
are compositions of private companies that foster the same vision/mission
with the government/state that is to help/respond the needs of the people in
the society.

Let Us Practice
Activity # 1: Matching Type. Match column A and B. Write the letter of your
choice on the space before the number.
A B
_____1. The right of a leader to maximize or use A. Authority
power to command the members of the social
institution
_____2. The Social entity that binds together as B. Social
one and collaborate to provide security and Institution
traveller

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