Understanding the Self: The Political Self PDF

Course Packet 0213 LM02-NGEC...

Course Packet 0213 LM02-NGEC 05 0213 Learning Module 2 Understanding the Self Course Packet 05 The Political Self Knowledge Area Code : SSCI Course Code : NGEC0213 Learning Module Code : LM02-NGEC0213 Course Packet Code : LM02-NGEC0213-05 Learning Module: Understanding the Self 39  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 Course Packet 05 The Political Self Course Packet 05 GROUP 2 Introduction Politics is a multifaceted word. It has a set of fairly specific meanings that are descriptive and nonjudgmental such as “the art or science of government” and "political principles", but it can and often does carry a negative meaning closely related to these “political activities characterized by artful and often dishonest practices”. When people engaged themselves to politics in various activity, they are expressing their Political Self. This course packet provides the learners concepts that allow them to fully comprehend what develops the Political Self. They will accomplish activities that will help them critically assess Filipino traits and values contributory to the formation of the Political Self including the importance of establishing a democratic culture as a member of the Filipino society. Objectives 1. Define Political Self. 2. React critically to different political issue. 3. Explain how Filipino traits and values influence the development of the Political Self. Readings Introduction Politics is pertaining to actions or activities concerned with achieving and using power in a country or society. It also refers to one’s beliefs about how a country ought to be governed (Collins Dictionary). When an individual is involved in political activities, the person is expressing the Political Self, thus, political value is formed primarily with the local interactions of the members of the community. These are manifested in the formation of public opinion, political movements, and political revolutions. A Short Review of Politics in the Philippines Politics in the Philippines has traditionally been dominated by clans and political bosses and patronage and is characterized by law makers that make decisions based on fiscal incentives rather that beliefs and voters that make choices based on personality rather than reasoned policies. Under the traditional utang na loob system of patronage, or obligation earned through favors, voters expect money or jobs in return for their political support. In many cases politician’s performance was based on dole-outs not on programs or policies. Learning Module: Understanding the Self 48  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 Personalities are more important than parties in Philippine politics. Movie stars and other celebrities have enjoyed considerable success. In addition1, several prominent families play a disproportionate role in politics. The support of the military and the Catholic church are key to Course Packet 05 political survival and success in the Philippines. Promises are generally not kept. Movie stars and celebrities in politics. The Philippines is known for its rough-and-tumble political scene. Politicians are routinely killed and sometimes they even do the do the killing themselves. Every now and then it seems ssthe entire country is on the verge of collapse because of a coup attempt, People Power protest or impeachment effort. On the day-to-day level, politicians are unable to achieve many of their goals and carry out programs they proposed due to political opposition, mainly from the ruling elite. Carlos H. Conde wrote in the New York Times, “In the Philippines, politics is a blood sport. Here, politicians often behave like gladiators: To survive they hav e to entertain the spectators. Filipinos are no longer surprised by election fraud. Filipinos have come to accept election cheating as normal. [Source: Carlos H. Conde, New York Times, July 2, 2005] Source: http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry-3904.html Developing Filipino Identity: Values, Traits and Communities The Filipino culture is a mix of both eastern and western cultures. The belief and traditions of pre-colonial Philippines were mainly an indigenous Malay (Baringer, 2006). The Malay temperament is a basic factor of Filipino personality. It can best describe as “nice and pleasant to others.” Additionally, the important role of family in Filipino culture stemmed from the strength of the Malay family clan that served as a strong security. When the Spaniards colonized the island, the Hispanic cultures influenced the natives. Christianity became the dominant religion, and a wes tern-bases social and political organization was established in the Philippines. Learning Module: Understanding the Self 49  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 The Americans shaped the modern Filipino culture, and this is primarily manifested by the widespread use of the English language in the Philippines today. It was from these i nfluences that formed the Filipino character. The brief occupation of the British (1762 -1764) and the Course Packet 05 Japanese (1942-1945), however, had no cultural influence in the Philippines at all. DO NOT INCLUDE (HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW) Psychologist, educator, and former chairperson of the Commission on Higher Education, Dr. Patricia Licuanan, wrote that the strength and weaknesses of the Filipino character are rooted in the different factors. Licuanan said that in the home environment, Filipino children are taught to value family and give it a primary importance. The Filipino social environment is characterized by depending on one another to survive. This dependence on relationships and the struggle for survival makes Filipinos group-oriented (1994). Meanwhile, Filipino culture and language depict openness to foreign elements with no basic consciousness of our cultural core (Licuanan, 1994). The Filipino colonial mentality, such as importance of English language in our educational system, shows and music among others is a manifestation of our attachment to foreign elements. Licuanan added that our colonial history is regarded as the culprit behind our colonial mentality. Unfortunately, Filipino elites are of no help because they are even more westernized in their ways. Present-day media, on the other hand, reinforced these colonial influences (1994). The Philippine educational system is also instrumental in molding strength and weaknesses of the Filipino character. Schools are highly authoritarian. They teach passivity and conformity to norms. The Filipinos are also religious. Religion taught us optimism and resilience, it also instilled in us fatalistic attitude. Since religious communities are highly authoritarian, this further reinforced our being passive and conformist (Licuanan, 1994). Several Filipino traits are rooted in our economic environment. The hard life drove the Filipinos to work hard and take risk like working abroad; this further developed our ability to survive. Unfortunately, our political environment and government structures a nd systems are fraught with problems. For instance, political power is mainly in the hands of the elite (Licuanan, 1994). The economic and political environments are among the elements that developed the culture of corruption in the Philippines. Meanwhile, mass media reinforced our colonial mentality. Music, movies, fashion aired on TV are greatly based on American pop culture. The emphasis on the superiority of an imported Learning Module: Understanding the Self 50  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 brand is, in fact, part of a Filipino’s daily life. Since Filipinos highly respect authority, we lean on our leaders and role models. Thus, when Course Packet 05 our leaders violate the law and when there is lack of accountability of leaders who violate the law, the Filipino mindset is highly affected in a negative way (Licuanan, 1994) The Filipino Strengths and Weaknesses A nation empowers itself depending on the beliefs, goals, ideals, aspirations, and values of its citizens. In order to achieve national unity and progress, it needs the full cooperation of its people. Values as a people and as a nation gives the identity that differentiates one race from the others. These values may improve or hinder development and progress but nonetheless, with unity of diversity, development and progress are achievable. Moreover, he states that Filipinos hold strengths and weaknesses which make its characteristics truly Filipino. Strengths 1. Respect for Elders - the use of “po” and “opo” in conversing or addressing older people is a sign of a Filipino’s respect for the elders. Filipinos do not send their elders to nursing homes because they still value the worth and presence of the elders at home 2. Hospitality – the Filipino community are very warm and hospitable. They even give “pasalubong” (welcome gifts) and “pabaon” (farewell gifts) to guests. At times, they sacrifice their own comfort to accommodate their guests very well. 3. Strong Faith in God - their faith in God keeps them united to overcome all the problems and challenges of life. 4. Flexibility / Adaptability / Resiliency - the Filipinos have the trait to laugh at themselves and their misfortunes or failures. This is a coping mechanism to balance emotional stress and to boost the capacity to survive. They can smile in midst of problems and hardships. They can still crack jokes despite the stresses of th eir daily lives and during calamities. They are strong and cheerful people. 5. Readiness to Share and Help - they’re always ready to lend a hand, not only in times of need (calamities or disasters) but also in festive occasions (“fiestas”, baptism s and weddings). The “bayanihan” spirit, or giving help without expecting something in return, of a Filipino is widely admired. Learning Module: Understanding the Self 51  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 Weaknesses 1. “Ningas Kugon” – “kugon” is a kind of grass that burns easily when dry but extinguished easily as well. Like the cogon grass, Filipinos start things with great Course Packet 05 enthusiasm but at the first sign of difficulty, the enthusiasm is consumed as fast as it has ignited. 2. Colonial Mentality – Filipinos prefer foreign-made products instead of patronizing Philippine-made ones. This result to higher gains for foreign businessmen than local businessmen. Thus, it motivates Filipino businessmen to improve the quality of their products to make it more competitive against foreign ones. 3. “Mamaya Na” or “Bukas Na Lang” Habit - a poor habit, a sign of laziness, of leaving for a later time what can be done at the moment or today. Thus resulting to stacked workload to be done and then complain about it. 4. Crab Mentality - a troublesome trait evident in a Filipino where when one sees the progress of a comrade, the other becomes resentful rather than happy for the achievement. Rather than to praise, he would highlight everything negative about that person in an effort to bring him down or destroy his reputation. They would focus on other’s own faults rather their own inadequacies. GROUP 3 Passivity (submission to others or to outside influences) 1. Indebtedness “Utang Na Loob” – Filipinos are fond of asking for personal favors from others. It is ingrained for them to acknowledge the person who had helped them in times of need. This is a good act but if forced to repay with something bad to show gratitude then it becomes a problem. “Utang na loob” must not be paid with unlawful acts. 2. Interpersonal Relationships “Pakikisama” - every person wants to belong to a group where they can share ideas, jokes and feelings but sometimes it becomes a negative thing when the group is the one that influences the person to do unlawful or foolis h things in order to belong or to gain approval. This is usually evident in the Filipino youth where peer pressure challenges someone’s morality. 3. Lack of Self-confidence “Hiya” - the Filipinos are shy to boast their achievements because they might be regarded as show -offs. They prefer to just hide those achievements and call the idea “being humble”. This is actually a sign of lack of self- confidence. Learning Module: Understanding the Self 52  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 These characteristics are a challenge for every Filipino. In order to attain development and progress, they must value and prioritize their strengths rather than hide under the clutches of their weaknesses. Embracing the strengths and conquering their weaknesses will truly help the Course Packet 05 Filipino nation go forward in attaining its plans and aspirations for a richer and more fun Philippines where most foreign countries will be jealous of. Establishing a Democratic Culture Democracy can be defined in a variety of ways, from definitions with varying complexities to a rather simple one. Let us pick a basic and simple definition: a form of political association among the people of a state within a defined geographical area where sovereignty resides in the people who express such sovereignty by voting to select the leaders of the government of the state (Punongbyan, B. 2017). According to Keith Miller, in his article, Advantages and Disadvantages of Democracy, many believe that a democracy is the best form of government that is available today because it gives each person the freedom to have a voice, but there are the adva ntages and disadvantages of such a system to consider. List of some advantages in democracy 1. Democracies give people a chance to become personally involved with their government. Because the government in a democracy is under the control of the people and their voice, people can choose to vote in whatever way their morality dictate. 2. The structure of a democracy works to reduce issues with exploitation. All government formations are sensitive to exploitation because of the people who get elected into powerful positions. The contrast with democracy is that the authorities are distributed more equally within it. 3. People identify with their government to create a stronger level of patriotism. The structures of democracy are unique because they allow everyone to fight for the things that they want in life. Each person can pursue their dreams, working to mold society in a vision that meets their expectations. 4. Countries who use democracy are less likely to enter into armed conflicts. The levels of warfare between nations have decreased significantly. Most nations who focus on a democracy avoid battles instead of chasing after them. Learning Module: Understanding the Self 53  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 5. Democracy does not create a centralized power base for ruling over the people. There are equal powers distributed between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Voters have an opportunity to change their elected officials after their tenure ends. Course Packet 05 List of some disadvantages in democracy 1. Democracy is ineffective unless voters educate themselves on governing decisions. President Teddy Roosevelt reportedly once said this: “A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends upon the character of the user.” 2. The structure of democracy depends upon the will of the majority. History has taught us that the will of the majority is not always the ethical or moral position that one should take. If someone finds themselves outside of the will of the majority more often than not, then it will feel like their vote doesn’t really count for something. 3. Democracy can encourage mob rule. Democracies encourage mob thinking because every election becomes an “us vs. them” edict. Remember,” Will Rogers reportedly warned, “democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democr acy yet that did not commit suicide. 4. The cost of democracy is something that many people don’t realize exists. “Democracy is the worst form of government,” warned Winston Churchill, “except for all of the others. 5. Democracy requires more time to implement changes. Centralized government structures can make declarations on rules, regulations, or responses that are not always possible in a democratic structure. That means processes slow down to the point where it can take several years to create significant changes. Establishing democratic institutions, however, is not enough for democracy to flourish. Democracy cannot be sustained if political attitude and political culture of citizens do not have participative attitude. Attitudes, such as having a sense of responsibility for society and becoming concerned about human rights and human development, are important in establishing democratic culture (Gallinero, W. et.al. 2018). References  Callero, P. (2003). The Political Self: Identity Resources for Radical Democracy link.springer.com › content › pdf Retrieve from https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-1-4419-9188-1_5  Political Self-Organization (2008) Retrieve from Learning Module: Understanding the Self 54  Course LM02-NGEC Packet 06 0213 https://systemsinnovation.io/political-self-organization-articles/  Hays, J. (2015). Politics in the Philippines Retrieve from http://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Philippines/sub5_6f/entry- Course Packet 05 3904.html  Gallinero,W.et.al, (2018). The Political Self. Understanding the Self  Pilosopo , T. (2014). Life Lessons - Love of country The Filipino Strengths and Weaknesses Retrieve from https://www.mombisyosa.com/2014/07/the-filipino- strengths-and-weakness_28.html  Fajardo J., Balagtas M., Belarde R., Flora A., Ubiña M., dela Cruz, S. (2013). Philippines’ Pride 6 (Ed).  Punongbayan, B. (2019). Philippine ‘democracy’. Retrieve from https://www.grantthornton.com.ph/insights/articles- andupdates1/opinion/philippine- democracy/  Miller, K. (2019). 20 Advantages and Disadvantages of Democra cy. Retrieve from https://futureofworking.com/11-advantages-and-disadvantages-of- democracy/  Fund for Democratic Culture, Fund for Democratic Culture (2015) Retrieve fromhttp://fundfordemocraticculture.org/democratic-culture/ Learning Module: Understanding the Self 55