1. PHILIPPINE SOCIO-
CULTURAL
PRACTICES AND
BELIEFS
AFFECTING WOMEN
IN THE PERINATAL
PERIOD

2. -derived from the latin word “cultura”
which means care for “cultus” or
civilization.
-is a view of the world and a set of
traditions that a specific social group uses
and transmits to the next generation
(Pillitteri)

3. -is all the socially learned
behaviors, values, beliefs and
customs transmitted down to
generation (Videbeck)

4. -the way of life, it is stable
which means that it
endures over time and is
passed on from one
generation to the next
(Maglaya)

5. -can be defined as the non
physical traits, such as
values, beliefs and attitudes
and customs that are shared by
a group of people and passed
from one generation to the
next (Spector,2004)

6. -is also the “thoughts,
communications, actions, custo
ms, beliefs, values and
institutions of
racial, ethnic, religious or social
groups. (Office of the
Minority Health, 2001)

7. -defines how health is per-
ceived, how health
information is received,
how rights and protections
are exercised, what is
considered to be a health problem, how
symptoms and concerns about the health
problem are expressed, who should provide
treatment and how, and what kind of
treatment should be given. (Kozier and Erb’s
Fundamentals of Nursing)

8. In Socio-anthropology…
Edward Tylor
-refers to the complex whole which includes
knowledge, beliefs, arts, morals, laws,
customs and any other capabilities and
habits acquired by man as a member of
society.

9. Robert Redfield
-an organized body of
conventional understanding manifest
in arts and artifacts which, persisting
through tradition, characteristics of a
human group.

10. Kluckhohn and Kelly
-those historical and non rational and
non rational designs of living, explicit
and implicit, rational, irrational and
non rational, which exists at any given
time as potential guides for the
behavior of men.

11. -It is referred to as the general design recipe
for living or the vast social heritage.
-It also includes all the creations (materials
and non-materials) and achievements of
man, the past and present gains as a result of
living together.

12. • -It prescribed what one can do or not
do and how one should do things in
various situations. “It is a way of Life”

13. -It also implies that
each society has its own
way of life shared by
most of its members.
-It has a powerful effect
on a person’s daily life
as it influences his
mode of
thinking, feeling and
acting.

14. Types of Culture
Material culture
-Includes physical objects or artifacts. Things that
human beings created by altering the natural resources
or environment and are often impressive.
-This also refers to concrete or tangible things that man
creates and uses
Example: dwelling units, tools, weapons, clothing

17. Non-material culture
Consists of words people
use. The habits they
follow, the
ideas, customs, behaviors of
any society profess and to
which they strive to
conform.

18. Components of Culture
The various constituent elements of the
culture are:
Norms

19. -They are often described as social
norms. These are guides or models of
behavior which tell us what is proper
and which are not.
-In the forms of rules, standards or
prescription followed by people who
follows certain standard of rules.

20. Forms of Social Norms
Folkways
-Customary patterns of everyday life
that specifies what is socially correct
and proper in everyday life.
-These are great mass of usage of all
degrees of importance, covering all
the interest in life philosophy, forming
a character and containing a life
policy.

21. According to Summer
The folkways are the habits of individual
and customs of the society which arise
from the efforts to satisfy needs. They
become regulative for succeeding
generations and take on the character of a
social force. They arise no one knows
when or how. They grow as if by the play
of internal life energy. They can be
modified, but only limited extent, by the
purposeful efforts of men. In time, they
lose power, decline or die or transformed.

22. -They are accumulated and
repetitive patterns of expected
behavior and tend to be self-
perpetuative. Some evolve into
the present form out of a slow
but continuous process of trial
and experimentation.

23. Mores
-In contrast to folkways, mores are
extremely important and are considered
vital for the groups’ welfare and survival.
-It embodies the codes of ethics and
standards on sex behavior, family
relations, attitude towards
authority, religion, and the unfortunate
sectors in the society.

24. Laws

25. Values
-Are abstract standards that give a
person a sense of right and wrong
and establish a code of conduct for
living. (Videbeck)
-These represent the standards we
use to evaluate the desirability of
things. What is good, right and moral.
Example: Hard
work, Honesty, sincerity and
orderliness.

26. Cultural Values
-Are preferred ways of acting based on
those traditions. It differs from nation
to nation ( Pillitteri)
Taboos
-Actions that are not acceptable to a
culture. (Pillitteri)

27. Fundamental Characteristics of
Culture
-Culture is always a product of
human behavior
-It is always transmitted through
learning
-It always gratifies human needs
-It always tends towards
integrating a society

28. Two Major Functions of Culture
-As a general category for the
classification of phenomena
-As a tool in predicting social
behavior

29. Characteristics of Culture
-Culture is learning and acquired.
-Culture is shared and transmitted
-Culture is social
-Culture gratifies human needs
-Culture is adaptive
-Culture tends toward integration
-Culture is cumulative
-Culture is ideational

30. Specific functions of Culture
-Culture serves as “trademark” or
special features that distinguish one
society from another
-Culture brings together, contains
and interprets the values of society
in a more or less systematic manner.
Culture provides one of the most
important basis for social solidarity

31. -Culture provides a blueprint of as well
as the materials for social structure
-Culture of any society is the dominant
factor in establishing and molding the
social personality
-Culture of a society provides behavioral
patterns
-Culture provides individuals with the
meaning and direction of his existence

32. Three General Modes of Acquiring or
Learning Culture
-Example and imitation
-Indoctrination or formal teaching
-Conditioning

33. Criteria in the Assessment of
socio-cultural influences to a
Family

34. Area of
Assessment
Questions to Ask or Observations to
Make
Ethnicity What country or race is the family
from?
Communication What’s the main language used in
the home?
Touch Does the family typically touch each
other? Do they use intimate or
conversational space?

35. Time Is being on time important? Is the
family planning for the future?
Occupation Is work important to the family?
Do they plan leisure time or leave
it unstructured?
Pain Does the family express pain or
remain stoic in the face of it?
What do they believe relieves pain
best?

36. Family
Structure
Is the family nuclear? Extended?
Single-parent? Are family roles clear?
Can an individual name a family
member he/she would call on for
support in a crisis?
Male and
Female Roles
Is the family male or female
dominant?
Health beliefs What does the family believe about
health? What do they believe causes
illness? Makes illness better? Do they
use alternative therapies or
established practices?

37. Nutrition Does the family eat an ethnic diet? Are
the foods they enjoy available in their
community?
Religion What is the family’s religion? Do they
actively practice their religion?
Community Is the predominant culture in the
community the same as the family’s? Can
they name a neighbor they could call on
in a crisis? Is the community a “young”, a
“settled in”, or a “retired’ one? Is the
culture one of immigration or stability?

38. Philippine Socio-cultural Practices/Beliefs affecting
woman in the Perinatal Period
Maternal Care Practices
Traditional birth attendants (TBA or “hilots”)
-Many Filipino women, both rural and urban, still
prefer to be delivered by the traditional birth
attendants or hilots.
-Provide the basic maternity services and do
household chores like cooking or washing during
the postnatal period
-The main source of advice on almost everything in
maternal care – from the foods pregnant women
should eat or avoid, to what actions and rituals are
appropriate to ensure a safe birth.

39. Home deliveries
-The most comfortable place for a
parturient.
-The hospital is a place regarded
with fear. It is perceived as a place
where women die.

40. Other family and community practices in maternal
care
-Pregnancy is regarded as a critical period in life.
According to Abraham, (2002), in the study done
among pregnant women, most women follow all
these indigenous beliefs and practices because if she
violates them, she would have a difficult delivery, or
her baby is born dead.
-It is believed that evil spirits are lurking
around, waiting to eat the fetus in the
womb, especially during the early weeks of
pregnancy that is the reason why women who just
recently miss their period tried to keep her
pregnancy a secret until it is well established in her
womb

41. -Some hilots also advice pregnant women not too eat
too much during pregnancy to avoid large a baby that
could make delivery difficult
-Uterine massage is also a common practice, usually
done by TBAs at about the second trimester on the
belief that this improves maternal circulation and fetal
development. If massage is light, this may not be
harmful, but some techniques may be too strong for
the developing fetus.
-Among many Filipinos, covering of the navel of the
newborn baby with sand for the purpose of quick
healing
-The burying of the placenta and umbilical cord of a
newborn baby together with a pencil and paper in the
will make the baby intelligent.

42. Filipino Superstitious beliefs and
practices in Perinatal Period
Preconceptual Misconceptions:
-Some family Planning methods cause
abortion. This is not true because
Abortion is the termination of
pregnancy while family planning
prevents pregnancy.

43. -Using contraceptives will render the couples
sterile. Temporary methods such as fertility
awareness methods and contraceptives such as
pills, IUDs, condoms when stopped, a couple
may still have children. Vasectomy and tubal
ligation are permanent methods and will
render couples sterile.
-Using contraceptive methods will result to loss
of sexual desire. Sex drive varies from person
to person. In fact, the use of contraceptives
frees the couple from fear of unwanted
pregnancies. This enhances the couple’s sexual
relationship.

44. Prenatal:
-It is believed that if a pregnant
woman is “blooming” during her
pregnancy, her baby would be a girl.
-Exercise will cause abortion
-Minor falls or bumps can deform the
baby.
-Sexual intercourse can harm the baby
or cause miscarriage or abortion

45. -Pregnant woman eating twin bananas
will give birth to twins
-Food desires or cravings must be
satisfied because such desires are
believed to spring from the child inside
the womb.
-The pregnant woman is advised to look
at beautiful things so that the baby will
look beautiful/ handsome.
-Avoid eating dark colored food because
it will make the baby dark skinned

46. Postnatal
-Putting a piece of paper on the
baby’s forehead relieves hiccups
-Placenta is buried at the lawn or
backyard to ensure good health of the
baby

47. -The head should be wrapped with a
cloth or towel after giving birth to
avoid bad spirits (masamang hangin)
-Putting a red lipstick on the
forehead of the baby wards off bad
spirits or “aswang”
-Taking a bath is prohibited few days
after childbirth