CHAPTER 6

JUDY TABINAS ANDOR

BSSW 2-A
A. Preparatory Activity

Unlock the difficulties by performing this preparatory activity first.Get the understanding
of the following main concepts before you proceed to the next part of this module by
writing your understanding in the space provided after the terms.

1. Cultural factors
 Cultural factors comprise of set of values and ideologies of a particular community or
group of individuals. It is the culture of an individual which decides the way he/she
behaves. In simpler words, culture is nothing but values of an individual. What an
individual learns from his parents and relatives as a child becomes his culture.

2. Cultural identity
 Cultural identity is the identity of belonging to a group. It is part of a person's self-
conception and self-perception and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social
class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct culture.

1. Social identity
 Social identity is the portion of an individual's self-concept derived from perceived
membership in a relevant social group.  Social identity indicates who they are in terms of
the groups to which they belong. Social identity groups are usually defined by some
physical, social, and mental characteristics of individuals. Examples of social identities
are race/ethnicity, gender, social class/socioeconomic status, sexual orientation,
(dis)abilities, and religion/religious beliefs.

1. Cultural models
 Cultural models (CM) are mental structures and patterns of behavior that distinguish one
culture from another.  They are usually learned as ready-made structures, and the
members of a society may not be aware of them. We use cultural models to reason and
make sense of information and come to opinions. Cultural models are important for
communicators to consider because they shape and constrain how people think about an
issue and the solutions that they see as effective and appropriate.

1. Cultural integration
  Cultural integration is a form of cultural exchange in which one group assumes the
beliefs, practices and rituals of another group without sacrificing the characteristics of its
own culture. Cultural integration is also used as a way to ensure there isn't a dominant
culture in the workplace. When successful, there is a noticeable reduction in cultural
gaps, and the local culture also becomes diluted, both of which can promote workplace
diversity.
A. Outcome-Based Assessment

After reading the content, you are now ready to answer the following questions and
perform the suggested activities.

CHALLENGE YOUR SELF

1. Fill in the table by identify the most influential multiple traditions that occurred
and its impact to some of the given Southeast Asian countries.

Countries Multiple Traditions General Impact

 Dayak indigenous religion The culture of Indonesia has been shaped
 Dayak indigenous religion. by long interaction between original
 Shamanic curing or balian indigenous customs and multiple foreign
 Toraja influences. Indonesia is centrally-located
Indonesia along ancient trading routes between the
 ANIMISM
 HINDU-BUDDHISM  Far East, South Asia and the Middle East,
resulting in many cultural practices being
 ISLAM 
strongly influenced by a multitude of
 Balinese
religions, including Islam, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Confucianism, and
Christianity, all strong in the major trading
cities. The result is a complex cultural
mixture very different from the original
indigenous cultures.
Examples of the fusion of Islam with
Hinduism include Javanese Abangan
belief, the fusion of Hinduism, Buddhism
and animism in Bodha, and the fusion of
Hinduism and animism in Kaharingan;
others could be cited. Balinese dances
have stories about ancient Buddhist and
Hindu kingdoms, while Islamic art forms
and architecture are present in Sumatra,
especially in the Minangkabau and Aceh
regions. Traditional art, music and sport
are combined in a martial art form called
 PencakSilat.

Many Indonesian combine their beliefs

with one of the government-recognized
religions and register under that
recognized religion. An estimated 20
million persons [8% of the population],
primarily in Java, Kalimantan, and Papua,
practice animism and other types of
traditional belief systems termed
"AliranKepercayaan." The government
permits the practice of the traditional
belief system of AliranKepercayaan as a
cultural manifestation, not a religion.
Isolated hill tribes living in the interiors of
the islands of Sulawesi, Seram, or Timor
might express devotion to ancestral spirits
through animal sacrifice at home.
Multiculturalism can, likewise, be an asset
to Indonesia. True multiculturalism creates
room for people to collaborate and remain
tolerant in the midst of disagreement. A
genuine engagement with diversity is a
source of social capital, which needs to be
taken care of regardless of place or time.

Many Indonesian Muslims still practice a

rather syncretistic mix of beliefs,
combining Islam with other cultural and
religious traditions. They are often
criticized by Muslim purists for their
eclecticism.

Vietnamese culture has certain To achieve this, Vietnamese customs,

characteristic features including traditions, and even clothing and hairstyles
ancestor veneration and worship, were prohibited by law. The Vietnamese
respect for community and family people were forced to dress in Chinese
Vietnam  values, and manual labor religious manners, adhere to Chinese rituals, and
belief. Important cultural symbols learn to read and speak the Chinese
include dragons, turtles, lotuses, and language. This process was both a success
bamboo. and failure. Chinese mannerism and styles
became widely (and in some cases
enthusiastically) adopted. China was a
cultural epicenter of East Asia, so many
Vietnamese people were already excited to
 try Chinese things. Plus, as the Chinese
came in, they brought with them the most
advanced architectural and building
technologies in that part of the world.
Vietnam was able to grow economically
and politically largely thanks to Chinese
infrastructure.

When we talk about East Asia, we're

usually talking about China. China is a big
nation, and historically was the dominant
power in this part of the continent.
However, it wasn't the only culture of East
Asia, and it would be a mistake to act like
all East Asian societies are basically
Chinese. They're not. In fact, some had to
fight long and hard to secure that fact. One
example is Vietnam. Vietnam has had an
interesting relationship with China
throughout history. Through various
economic, cultural, or military means,
China has exerted a lot of influence onto
Vietnam. But Vietnam is not China, and
the Vietnamese people are not Chinese.

 Roman Catholicism The imposition of the Roman Catholic

 Fiestas faith upon the Filipino population
permanently influenced the culture and
society of the Philippines. This is due
Philippines to the fact that the Spanish friars who
undertook the immense task of
evangelizing the Filipino natives
looked at their missionary work and
endeavor as involving more than
simple conversion. By Christianizing
the Filipinos, the Spanish Catholic
missionaries were in effect
remodelling Filipino culture and
society according to the Hispanic
standard. They would be Hispanizing
the Filipinos, teaching them the trades,
manners, customs, language and habits
of the Spanish people. This influence
is evident even in the way we tell time
("alas singko y media"), in the way we
count ("uno, dos, tres"), and in the
 family names we carry ( De la Cruz,
Reyes, Santos, etcetera).

The Filipino populace embraced Spanish

Roman Catholic Christianity almost
unquestioningly. The Spanish authorities
congregated the scattered Filipino
population into clustered village
settlements, where they could more easily
be instructed and Christianized under a
friar’s eye. This policy paved the way for
the emergence of the present system of
politico-territorial organization of villages,
towns, and provinces. At the same time,
the compact villages which were literally
under the bells of the Roman Catholic
Church permitted the regular clergy to
wake up the villagers each day summon
them to mass, and subject them to
religious indoctrination or cathechismal
instruction. This process enabled the
Church to play a central role in the lives of
the people because it touched every aspect
of their existence from birth to growth to
marriage to adulthood to death. Whether
the natives clearly understood the tenets
and dogmas of the Roman Catholic
Church is of course another matter. Some
scholars claim that the Spaniards only
superficially Christianized the Filipinos,
most of who learned to recite the prayers
and chants by rote, without any idea as to
their meaning. Some native inhabitants
became only nominal Christians. At any
rate, there is no denying the fact that many
Filipinos defended the Catholic faith
devotedly.

 Buddhism According to official census data over

 Judaism 90% of Thais follow Buddhism. However,
 Islam the religious life of the country is more
 Hindduism complex than how it is portrayed by such
Thailand  statistics. Of the large Thai Chinese
 Christianity
population, most of those who follow
Buddhism have been integrated into the
dominant Theravada tradition, with only a
negligible minority having retained
Chinese Buddhism. Otherwise, a large part
of the Thai Chinese has retained the
practice of ethnic Chinese religion,
including Taoism, Confucianism and
Chinese Salvationist religions (such as
Yiguandao and the Church of Virtue).
Despite being practiced freely, these
religions have no official recognition, and
their followers are counted as Theravada
Buddhists in statistical studies. Also, many
Thai and Isanpractice their ethnic Tai folk
religion.

Muslims are the second largest religious

group in Thailand at 4% to 5% of the
population. Thailand's southernmost
provinces — Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and
part of Songkhla and Chumphon — have
large populations of Muslims, consisting
of both ethnic Thai and Malay. Christians,
mainly Catholics, represent just over 1%
of the population. A small but influential
community of Sikhs in Thailand and some
Hindus, mostly live in the country's cities
and are engaged in retail commerce. There
is also a small Jewish community in
Thailand, dating back to the 17th century.

Theravada Buddhism is the main religion

in Thailand and remains a strong element
in Thai culture. It draws on influences
from Hinduism and animism, and the
official Thai calendar is based on the
Eastern version of the Buddhist Era (BE),
543 years in advance of the Gregorian (or
Western) calendar. More than 94% of the
populations identify themselves as
believers of Theravada Buddhism, with
around 4.5% following Islam
(predominantly Sunni Muslim in the
southern provinces) and less than 1%
Christian. There are also small minorities
of Sikhs and Hindus, as well as a Jewish
community who established themselves in
Thailand during the 17th century.
1. In a concise statement discuss the process of re-interpreting the identity of the
society and culture of some Southeast Asian countries due to the encounters of
multiple traditions significantly dominating on the area. Write your answer on
the space provided below given country. 

a. Indonesian
 The culture of Indonesia has been shaped by long interaction between
original indigenous customs and multiple foreign influences. Indonesia
is centrally-located along ancient trading routes between the Far East,
South Asia and the Middle East, resulting in many cultural practices
being strongly influenced by a multitude of religions, including
Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, and Islam, all
strong in the major trading cities. The result is a complex cultural
mixture very different from the original indigenous cultures.
Examples of the fusion of Islam with Hinduism include Javanese
Abangan belief. Balinese dances have stories about ancient Buddhist
and Hindu kingdoms, while Islamic art forms and architecture are
present in Sumatra, especially in the Minangkabau and Aceh regions.
Traditional art, music and sport are combined in a martial art form
called Pencak Silat.
The Western world has influenced Indonesia in science, technology
and modern entertainment such as television shows, film and music, as
well as political system and issues. India has notably influenced
Indonesian songs and movies. A popular type of song is the Indian-
rhythmical dangdut, which is often mixed with Arab and Malay folk
music.
Despite the influences of foreign culture, some remote Indonesian
regions still preserve uniquely indigenous culture. Indigenous ethnic
groups Mentawai, Asmat, Dani, Dayak, Toraja and many others are
still practising their ethnic rituals, customs and wearing traditional
clothes.
b. Vietnam
The culture of Vietnam is one of the oldest in Southeast Asia, with the ancient
Bronze age Đông Sơn culture considered to be one of its most important
progenitors. Although geographically Southeast Asian, Vietnamese culture
was influenced by Chinese culture in various periods in its history in terms of
politics, government, social and moral ethics, and art, due to the period 1000
years of Northern rule (Lingnan region). Vietnam is considered to be part of
the East Asian cultural sphere together with North Korea, South Korea, Japan,
Taiwan and China.
 Following independence from China in the 10th century, Vietnam began a
southward expansion and annexed territories formerly belonging to Champa
and Khmer, resulting in various influences on the Vietnamese. During the
French colonial period, Catholicism and a Latin alphabet romanizing the
Vietnamese language were introduced in Vietnam. Prior to this, Vietnamese
had used Chinese script (Chữ Hán) and a Vietnamese script (Chữ Nôm) that
was based on Chinese but also included other characters to represent native
Vietnamese words. Besides influences from East Asia, South East Asia, and
English-speaking cultures, Russia has also influenced Vietnamese culture
since the 1980s.

Some elements generally considered to be characteristic of Vietnamese

culture include ancestor veneration, respect for community & family, manual
labour and living in harmony with the natural environment.[6] Some symbols
in Vietnamese culture include bamboo, turtles, dragons and lotuses, which
similar to other neighbouring Southeast Asian and East Asian countries.

c.  Philippines
 The culture of the Philippines is a combination of cultures of the East
and West. Filipino identity was created primarily as a result of pre-
colonial cultures, colonial influences and foreign traders intermixing
and gradually evolving together. In pre-colonial times, the Philippines
was a divided set of nations, islands and tribes being ruled by their
own kings, chieftains, lakans, rajahs, datus and sultans. Every nation
has its own identity and some are even part of a larger empire outside
of what is now the Philippines. Manila, for example, was once part of
the Islamic Sultanate of Brunei, and the Sulu Archipelago was also
part of the Hindu Majapahit. The advent of colonial rule in the islands
marked the beginning of the Philippines as an entity, a collection of
Southeast Asian countries united under Spanish Empire.

Chinese influence has been felt throughout Southeast Asia through

trade, specifically by the Ming dynasty and other earlier dynasties
from as early as the 9th century. The blending of indigenous, colonial
and external influence is very evident in the historic arts and traditions
of the country.

The Philippine archipelago was first settled by Negritos; today,

although few in numbers, they preserve a very traditional way of life
and culture. After them, the Austronesians arrived on the archipelago.
The Austronesian culture is strongly evident in the ethnicities,
languages, cuisine, music, dance and almost every aspect of the
culture. These Austronesians engaged in trading with other
 Austronesians, particularly in the neighbouring nations in Maritime
Southeast Asia. They also traded with the Mainland Southeast Asia, as
well as Japan, China, the Indian subcontinent and Arabia. As a result,
some of these cultures marked their influences on Filipino culture.
This gradually evolved with indigenous belief systems and developed
into Anitism, which became the dominant religion for more than a
millennium.

The Spanish Empire, via the Viceroyalty of New Spain, conquered the
islands between the 16th and 19th centuries (Batanes being one of the
last places to be colonized in the mid-1800s), resulting in Christianity
to spread and dominate throughout the archipelago and influenced the
religion and beliefs of the natives. Then, the Philippines became a U.S.
territory for almost 50 years. Influence from the United States is
manifested in the wide use of the English language, media and in the
modern culture and clothing of present-day Philippines.

d. Thailand
 The culture of Thailand has evolved greatly over time, from its relative
isolation during the Sukhothai era, to its more contemporary
Ayutthaya era, which absorbed influences from all over Asia. Limited
Indian, Chinese, Burmese, Khmer and other Southeast Asian
influences are still evident in traditional Thai culture. Buddhism,
Animism and Westernization also play a significant role in shaping the
modern culture.

  Thai national culture is identified differently throughout regions in Thailand

where it also integrated different regional cultures such as the Lanna, Isan,
including Chinese origin, Portuguese origin [th], Persian origin, and in the
reign of King Chulalongkorn in the late 19th century, the European trend of
nationalism has begun to insert greater influence into Thai culture. However,
the promotion of civic culture reached its peak after the Siamese revolution of
1932 where a series of authoritarian regimes began to insert greater control
over people's culture and lifestyles, especially under the regime of Field
Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram.

Present day Thailand has a culture that is a combination of various local

rituals from different parts of the country, along with Buddhist values and
oriental trends like in many parts of Asia. The monarchy and royal institutions
of Chakri dynasty remain highly revered according to original Siamese
culture, whereas societal values in Thailand tend to be more collectivist and
religiously secular than in other Southeast Asian cultures which have
undergone influences from western colonization.
1. Express your analysis on the impact and local responses to a particular aspect of the
culture and society of a particular country from the encounters within and between traditions.

a. The impact of the animism, and Hinduism to culture of the Islamic society in Central
Jakarta.
Indonesia is officially a republic with a compromise made between the ideas of a secular state
and an Islamic state. Indonesia has the world's largest Muslim population and the first principle
of Indonesia's philosophical foundation, Pancasila requires its citizens to "believe in the one and
only God". Consequently, atheists in Indonesia experience official discrimination in the context
of registration of births and marriages and the issuance of identity cards. In addition, Aceh
officially enforces Sharia law and is notorious for its discriminatory practices towards religious
and sexual minorities. There are also pro-Sharia movements in other parts of the country with
overwhelming Muslim majorities.

Several different religions are practised in the country, and their collective influence on the
country's political, economic and cultural life is significant. Despite constitutionally guaranteeing
freedom of religion, the government recognises only six official religions: Islam, Christianity
(Protestantism, under the label of "Kristen", and Roman Catholicism are treated separately),
Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. According to a 2017 decision of the Constitutional
Court of Indonesia, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (Indonesian: aliran kepercayaan)—ethnic
religions with new religious movements—must be recognized and included in an Indonesian
identity card (KTP). Based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and
Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 unofficial religions in Indonesia.

Indonesian law requires its citizens to have a KTP that identifies them with one of the six
religions, but they are able to leave that section blank. Indonesia does not recognize agnosticism
or atheism, and blasphemy is illegal. In the 2018 Indonesian Governmental statistics, 86.7% of
Indonesians identified themselves as Muslim (with Sunnis about 99%,[16] Shias about 1%[17]
and Ahmadis 0.2%, 7.6% Protestant Christian, 3.12% Catholic Christian, 1.74% Hindu, 0.77%
Buddhist, 0.03% Confucianist, 0.04% others.

b. The impact of the Chinese domination to the socio-political condition of Thailand.

How and to what extent have Vietnam’s governance structures been converged toward or
diverged from the Chinese model of political organization and rule? Similarities of governance
structures in Vietnam and China are primarily the result of analogy or the fact that both regimes
have faced comparable challenges first with regard to their respective national revolutionary
struggles and later the establishment and institutional fostering of communist rule, acted under
similar conditions and pursued similar goals which have resulted in the part convergence of the
two countries’ political institutions, structures, and practices that occurred without the direct
exercise of influence. The most prominent example of chasing analogous objectives certainly
refers to the economic reform processes toward market systems and the integration in global
economic structures without touching the main pillars of the respective political orders. Overall,
the convergence of governance systems in Vietnam and China lies in principles and policy (the
value system of reform) rather than in structures and polity. Vietnam’s learning from China is
more a “path imitation” than “model imitation.”

The culture of Vietnam has undergone changes over the millennia. According to scholarly
sources, the culture of Vietnam originated from Nam Việt, an ancient kingdom of the Baiyue
people in East Asia which shared characteristics of Han Chinese cultures and the ancient Dong
Son Culture, considered one of the most important progenitors of its indigenous culture, during
the Bronze Age. Nam Việt was annexed by China in 111 BC, leading to the first Chinese
domination of Vietnam lasting over a millennium that propelled Chinese influences onto
Vietnamese culture in terms of Confucian ideology, governance, and the arts.

Following independence from China in the 10th century, successive Vietnamese imperial
dynasties flourished as the country embarked on a southward expansion that annexed territories
of the Champa and Khmer civilizations, which resulted in regional variances of modern-day
Vietnamese culture. During the French colonial period in the mid-19th century, Vietnamese
culture absorbed European influences including architecture, Catholicism, and the adoption of
the Latin alphabet, which created the new ChữQuốcngữ writing system that replaced the
previous Chinese characters and ChữNôm scripts.

c. The impact of the Spanish Colonization to the dominant religious and socio-cultural belief of
the Philippines.
During most of the Spanish colonial period, the Philippine economy depended on the
Galleon Trade which was inaugurated in 1565 between Manila and Acapulco, Mexico.
Trade between Spain and the Philippines was via the Pacific Ocean to Mexico (Manila to
Acapulco), and then across the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean to Spain (Veracruz to
Cádiz). Manila became the most important center of trade in Asia between the 17th and
18th centuries. All sorts of products from China, Japan, Brunei, the Moluccas and even
India were sent to Manila to be sold for silver 8-real coins3 which came aboard the
galleons (Spanish ships) from Acapulco (city in Mexico). These goods, including silk,
porcelain, spices, lacquer ware and textile products were then sent to Acapulco and from
there to other parts of New Spain, Peru and Europe. The European population in the
archipelago steadily grew although natives remained the majority. They depended on the
Galleon Trade for a living. In the later years of the 18th century, Governor General Basco
introduced economic reforms that gave the colony its first significant internal source
income from the production of tobacco and other agricultural exports. In this later period,
agriculture was finally opened to the European population, which before was reserved
only forthe natives.

During Spain’s 333 year rule in the Philippines, the colonists had to fight off the Chinese
pirates (who lay siege to Manila, the most famous of which was Limahong in 1574),
Dutch forces, Portuguese forces, and indigenous revolts. Moros from western Mindanao
and the Sulu Archipelago also raided the coastal Christian areas of Luzon and the Visayas
and occasionally captured men and women to be sold as slaves.
The imposition of the Roman Catholic faith upon the Filipino population permanently
influenced the culture and society of the Philippines. This is due to the fact that the
Spanish friars who undertook the immense task of evangelizing the Filipino natives
looked at their missionary work and endeavor as involving more than simple conversion.
By Christianizing the Filipinos, the Spanish Catholic missionaries were in effect
remodelling Filipino culture and society according to the Hispanic standard. They would
be Hispanizing the Filipinos, teaching them the trades, manners, customs, language and
habits of the Spanish people. This influence is evident even in the way we tell time ("alas
singko y media"), in the way we count ("uno, dos, tres"), and in the family names we
carry ( De la Cruz, Reyes, Santos, etcetera).

The Filipino populace embraced Spanish Roman Catholic Christianity almost

unquestioningly. The Spanish authorities congregated the scattered Filipino population
into clustered village settlements, where they could more easily be instructed and
Christianized under a friar’s eye. This policy paved the way for the emergence of the
present system of politico-territorial organization of villages, towns, and provinces. At
the same time, the compact villages which were literally under the bells of the Roman
Catholic Church permitted the regular clergy to wake up the villagers each day summon
them to mass, and subject them to religious indoctrination or cathechismal instruction.
This process enabled the Church to play a central role in the lives of the people because it
touched every aspect of their existence from birth to growth to marriage to adulthood to
death. Whether the natives clearly understood the tenets and dogmas of the Roman
Catholic Church is of course another matter. Some scholars claim that the Spaniards only
superficially Christianized the Filipinos, most of who learned to recite the prayers and
chants by rote, without any idea as to their meaning. Some native inhabitants became
only nominal Christians. At any rate, there is no denying the fact that many Filipinos
defended the Catholic faith devotedly.

Through the Church and its zealous missionaries, the Filipinos learned new techniques
and procedures involving the cultivation of agricultural crops introduced from Mexico,
one of Spain’s colonies in the New World. For example, prior to the imposition of
Castilian rule, the Filipinos practiced swiddening or slash-and-burn agriculture. This
farming technique involved clearing a hillside or a patch of land, cutting down the trees,
burning the trunks, the branches and the leaves, removing the rocks, and then planting
through the use of a pointed stick to create a hole on the ground into which seeds were
thrown. Then the farmer simply waited for harvest time to arrive. This situation changed
when the missionaries taught the Filipino natives horticultural techniques requiring
intensive cultivation of land through better irrigation and water management so as to
lessen their dependency on rainfall. In addition to teaching the Filipinos new farming
methods and introducing to them new crops such as maize, avocado, tomato, and cacao,
from which the nutritious drink of chocolate was derived, the Spanish friars taught the
rudiments of reading and writing to the natives, not to mention useful trades such as
painting, baking and locksmithing.
d. The impact of the several distinct religious traditions to the Buddhist Thai. 
Buddhism in Thailand is largely of the Theravada school, which is followed by 95 percent of the
population. Thailand has the second largest Buddhist population in the world, after China, with
approximately 64 million Buddhists. Buddhism in Thailand has also become integrated with folk
religion as well as Chinese religions from the large Thai Chinese population.  Buddhist temples
in Thailand are characterized by tall golden stupas, and the Buddhist architecture of Thailand is
similar to that in other Southeast Asian countries, particularly Cambodia and Laos, with which
Thailand shares cultural and historical heritage.

Buddhism is believed to have come to what is now Thailand as early as 250 BCE[citation
needed], in the time of Indian Emperor Ashoka. Since then, Buddhism has played a significant
role in Thai culture and society. Buddhism and the Thai monarchy has often been intertwined,
with Thai kings historically seen as the main patrons of Buddhism in Thailand. Although politics
and religion were generally separated for most of Thai history, Buddhism's connection to the
Thai state would increase in the middle of the 19th century following the reforms of King
Mongkut, that would lead to the development of a royally backed sect of Buddhism and
increased centralization of the Thai Sangha under the state, with state control over Buddhism
increasing further after the 2014 coup d'état.

Thai Buddhism is distinguished for its emphasis on short term ordination for every Thai man and
its close interconnection with the Thai state and Thai culture. The two official branches, or
Nikayas, of Thai Buddhism are the royally backed Dhammayuttika Nikaya and the larger Maha
Nikaya.