Culture Influence On Manobo Culture

Several factors like globalization, modernization, and cultural imperialism have created an enormous impact to the local communities around the world. These factors force cultures to change in an abrupt disposition for survival and continuity. Although there are still communities which are resistant to the spectacle of globalization, it can be observed that the compact dynamism of globalization has extensively affects all levels of culture forcing groups within communities to adapt or resist to cultural change and economic development.

It is through these circumstances that globalization is seen as a powerful vigor of the new world system that represents a dominant force that shapes the course of the world. Some scholars, policy makers, and

In structural-functionalist view, dances, which are part of the structure, are functional because they have the following impact: a) psychological because it has a neural processes helping people to cope with their tensions and intense feelings, b) political because it expresses political values, attitudes, and social control, c) religious because this serves as the mode of communication to the supernatural beings, to their gods and goddesses as well, d) social because it creates ad harmonious relationship within the members of the group, e) educational because traditions like songs and dances are transmitted from one generation to the next (Ferraro,

The irresistible external forces allow humans to permeate or subdue the nature of their artistic expressions like dance, for example, in order to adapt or resist to the rapid socio-cultural changes confronting them. But because of the widespread integration of art and religion, the indigenous people may have sustain the very core of their culture. Moreover, indigenous people like the Manobo Pulanguinon of Quezon, Bukidnon, hold a strong belief on the importance of meanings and symbols as integrated in their arts and religion as well as to their cultural identity as a whole.

Symbolic-interactionism emphasizes that every individual perceives things and events differently. Max Weber (1960) used the term verstehen, a German word for understanding or subjective meaning. This elaborates on the idea that meanings and symbols are subjectively interpreted based on cultural activities or practices of the people in their community. Blumer (1965) stressed that human beings act toward things on the basis of the meanings that arises out of their social interaction. He also explained that things are modified through an interpretative process used by the