Publications

The article discusses the concepts of kapwa and loob in the context of Philippine politics, particularly, in the relationship between the president and the citizens. The study examined the concepts of kapwa/pakikipagkapwa and how these have figured in the inaugural addresses and state of the nation speeches of the president from 1986 to 2013. As a contribution, the aforementioned concepts which are located within the scope of rhetorical politics are examined through the textual analysis of the speeches. There are different types and levels of relations between the president and the public as reflected in these speech acts. These types range from informing, to expressions of concern, and involvement. Pakikipagkapwa can be sensed in the speeches of the president together with some consistent patterns and tendencies in the interaction between the president and the public-at-large. These patterns are observable across time. On the other hand, it became difficult for the research to establish if indeed the kapwa/pakikipagkapwa of the president sufficiently indicated or reflected his loob/kalooban. Deficits in conceptual and theoretical standards of evaluation, methodology, and research designs that may be useful in investigating loob/kalooban remain to be resolved. This article concludes with an invitation to scholars to further discuss philosophical, methodological, and practical issues in order to widen the prospects of interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research among Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Pilipinolohiya, and other Social Sciences.

How common are problems with condom use during sex? We examined Filipino men’s negative experiences with male condoms using data from a sample of 1,010 sexually active Filipino men ages 15 to 54 who participated in the 2003 National Demographic and Health Survey. Results indicated that majority (80%) of Filipino condom users reported no problems with condoms. Among those who did experience problems, the most frequently cited were: pleasure reduction, inconvenience of use, and spoiled mood. Having problems with condom use was associated with men’s increasing age and with subjective beliefs that condoms would diminish pleasure, but not with men’s socioeconomic status, educational attainment, knowledge of condoms’ disease-protective properties, or sexual- minority status. Subjective beliefs appear to be more important than sheer knowledge about the protection provided by condoms. These beliefs may serve to create negative expectations about condoms and later, to legitimize non-use.

This article puts Marxist and queer theories in conversation with one another to advance thinking about gender and sexuality. I argue that Marxist concepts such as class, mode of production, and struggle need to be “borrowed” to sharpen queer theory. My arguments are situated in the context of the Philippine literature that has examined the local queer experience. Such approach productively re-imagines contemporary discourses and performances of sexuality in Philippine society.

Guest Editor's Note: Filipino LGBT Psychology: Moving Beyond "Homosexual" Street Corners to Advancing Contemporary Visions Eric Julian Manalastas. Towards an LGBT-Inclusive Psychology: Reflecting on a Social Change Agenda for Philippine Psychology Mira Alexis P. Ofreneo. Exploring the Social Cognitive Dimensions of Sexual Prejudice in Filipinos Allan B. I. Bernardo. Further Validation of the Genderism and Transphobia Scale in the Philippines Raymond Aquino Macapagal. Ang Rosas ng Rehab: A Filipino Gay Child in Conflict With the Law Housed in a Youth Center Salvacion L. Villafuerte. Developing and Managing One's Sexual Identity: Coming Out Stories of Waray Gay Adolescents Pierce S. Docena. Exploring Sexual Minority Men and Their Sexual Roles: Understanding Risky Sexual Behaviors through Subjective Norms and Attitudes Moniq M. Muyargas. Comparing Relationship Satisfaction and Conflict Resolution Tactics of Filipino Gay, Lesbian, and Heterosexual Individuals in Romantic Relationships Niel Steve M. Kintanar. Babaeng Bakla: Friendships between Women and Gay Men in the Philippines Beatriz A. Torre & Eric Julian Manalastas. The Role of Broadcast Media in Attitude Change: A Pilot Study on a Campus-Based Radio Program and its LGBT Advocacy Jose Antonio R. Clemente, Cherrie Joy F. Billedo & Clarissa C. David.

This paper explores links between young men’s sexual orientation and suicide risk in the Philippines, to replicate findings in the global lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) psychology literature. I analyzed data from the men’s subsample of the Young Adult Fertility and Sexuality Survey 3, a national population-based study of 8,042 Filipino men ages 15 to 24. Significant disparities in suicide risk along sexual orientation were found among male youth, with Filipino gay and bisexual men reporting higher levels of suicide ideation, but not suicide attempt. The odds for suicide ideation was more than two times greater among young same-sex attracted Filipino men compared to heterosexuals (OR = 2.09; 95% CI 1.50-2.93). These effects were partly accounted for by depression, recent suicide attempt of a friend, and experiences of threat and victimization. Similar to findings in the global LGBT psychology literature, this analysis – the first to do so in the Philippine context – indicates that sexual orientation appears to be significantly associated with suicide risk, with young Filipino gay and bisexual Filipino men at disproportionately higher risk for suicide ideation than heterosexual peers.

Key political events in late 2009 and early 2010 brought to national consciousness the marginalization and ongoing struggle for equality and rights of Filipinos who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. We argue that one pathway to achieve legal empowerment and equal human rights for LGBT Filipinos is collective action that leads to social change and the reduction of inequalities. Using analytic perspectives from critical citizenship studies, social psychology, and LGBT studies, we examined collective action in the form of advocating for LGBT human rights in the Philippines. Using a peer-nomination procedure with participating organizations in the 2009 LGBT Manila Pride March, we identified key actors in the pursuit of social justice and equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Filipinos. In-depth qualitative interviews with nine LGBT human rights defenders delved into their pathways to participation in advocacy work, subjective experiences in and motivations for LGBT activism, and reflections on the meanings of LGBT activism in the Philippines. Our findings highlight key themes in the personal narratives of Filipino LGBT human rights defenders, including actions for LGBT human rights activism, the perceived benefits and costs of being an LGBT activist in the Philippines, the centrality of self-identification as an “activist”, evolving motivations and commitment for engaging in LGBT human rights work, and constructions of future selves in and out of activism. These narratives were lived out in the context of dominant human rights claims pursued by the Filipino LGBT movement in relation to Philippine law and legal policy, particularly freedom from discrimination, political representation and participation in the legislative sphere, and marriage equality.

This essay is a reflexive assessment of the authors’ research experiences crossing from sociology to history and back for her Ph.D. dissertation on criminality using old archival documents. It highlights the differences in the methodological approaches and data collection practices between the two disciplines, from notions of sampling to the regard of what constitutes authoritative sources data. More importantly, it recognizes the common quest of historical sociology and social history to draw intellectual inspiration and fresh research impetus from the orientations and techniques from one another’s discipline. Finally, the piece narrates her post-dissertation work on the history of knowledge production on criminality in the Philippines, a project that necessitated the historical grounding of biographies, social scientific knowledge, and of research itself.

This paper is an attempt to explore the continuing relevance of Nietzsche’s genealogical analysis of Western rationality to the sociology of knowledge. While Nietzsche is often neglected in classical sociological theory textbooks, this paper argues that Nietzsche has a very significant contribution to sociological theory especially in the field of knowledge production. Recent sociologists are now acknowledging this tradition. Hence this paper discusses how the basic tenets of Nietzsche’s critique of Western metaphysics and positivism can be harnessed to create a powerful critique of contemporary sociological understanding of knowledge construction and its legitimation in society. Some of these themes are discussed at the end of the paper especially in relation to Philippine sociology.

Despite attempts to problematize and reconsider the roles of commerce and culture in shaping America’s informal empires in West Pacific, it remains a puzzle why, after World War II, America privileged Japan—“the enemy”—over the Philippines—“the friend” and erstwhile colony. Japan’s economy grew by leaps and bounds, enough to create a dent in global affairs during the latter half of the twentieth century. In sharp contrast, America chose to maintain the Philippine ruling elite, which contributed greatly to political instability, economic collapse and over-all sorry state throughout the archipelago from the late 1960s onwards. Still, Fujiwara and Nagano’s book creates an opening for future scholars to explore many possible paradigms of understanding on the subject. Many other hows and whys of informal empires deserve to be constructed, deconstructed and reconstructed in the context of America’s dangerous precedents.

This essay interrogates the traditionally gendered Filipino female domestic helper vis-à-vis her “constructed” role in transnational relations and the idea of globalization represented in the 2007–2008 musical The Silent Soprano. Through this musical, the essay explores how globalization and transnational relations are experienced and mediated on the stage of the developing city of Manila, which claims to be a cosmopolitan one. It is posited that the representations of transnational relations and globalization are predicated within methodological nationalism, inscribing a fear of participation in a globalized and cosmopolitan living.