Johanes Wayan I. Marianta, SVD, M.A. Sociology, 2010
Lecturer, Widya Sasana College of Philosophy and Theology, Malang, East Java, Indonesia
After completing my M.A. Sociology thesis on the political role of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, I returned to Indonesia to work as a lecturer at my college in Malang, East Java, where I teach sociology, philosophy of culture and anthropology, and offer seminar on contemporary philosophers. I serve Rector’s Assistant for student affairs. Outside campus, I serve as secretary at Aditya Wacana SVD Center for Religious and Cultural Studies.
During my formative years at UP Diliman, reading sociological theories was my main passion. A strong grasp of theories, I believe, sharpens our sociological intuition to observe social phenomena from different angles and uncover multiple layers of meaning. I was also very interested in research methodologies for they instill discipline to systematically and critically examine empirical bases of any conclusion.
I feel privileged to have been trained under inspiring professors in the Department of Sociology given their passion and capability to connect our sociological vocabularies with the “runaway” world outside the academe. The old Marxian specter haunts us: sociologists have interpreted the world in various ways; the challenge is to offer better visions.
Noeville Nacion-Gonzalvo, B.A. Sociology 1997, Magna cum laude
Supervisor, Resource Planning Department, DNATA Emirates Airlines, Dubai, UAE
I served as Instructor in the Department for 4 years before pursuing my passion in social work and joined the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in my home province.
As time passed and priorities have changed, I settled in Dubai, with my husband. In 2007 I joined the travel airline industry and am now employed in one of the busiest airports in the world with Emirates Airlines DNATA. I supervise the Resource Planning Department that manages airport operations in Dubai International Airport attending to hundreds of flights and manpower.
I have used my degree in Sociology throughout my almost 13 years of career life -- from imparting sociological theories as a teacher and to the practical applications in social work and organizational/manpower management. Understanding oneself in the context of a group situation made me become flexible and adapt to different kinds of people and culture and brought me to wherever I am right now.