UCSP PERFORMANCE TASK #2

1. Filipinos, especially those who grew up in well to do families, usually hire

helpers/maids. Based on the articles, how does this culture reflect the power
struggle between Filipinos belonging to different economic status?

Domestic workers are easily among the hardest working and most self-
sacrificing members of our societies. Today’s world, a maid or a helper can be a
good thing or not. Being a helper to those people who have all the wealth and
power can be called lucky or unfortunate. We may think being part of a rich
family is a jackpot but no. There are two sides that we can put up, either you
make connections with your employer or not. Being rich is also hard, multi-
tasking isn’t their type of a thing which is why they hire maids to do the tasks
they cannot manage such as taking care of their children, cooking food for
them and doing all the household chores. This kind of situation often happens
because rich people doesn’t have time-management and are always busy on
working to maintain their economic status high, which is why they doesn’t have
enough time to do their responsibilities. And by this, those who are working with
them are often looked down because of the lowliness of the job they get. Even
though there is a value that bonds with the worker and the family he/she is
working it can easily be abused or broken. They have the mindset that “there
can be no sense of equality between servant and their employer, just as there
can be no sense of equality between slave and their master.” Filipinos are
known to be hospitable and kind people, they make connections with different
people such as foreigners. They don’t care of what your status in life either your
rich or not.
However, some people take this as an advantage to get high place on
the economic status, by doing actions that will only benefit them. As an
employer you have the power in lowering their salaries and increasing their work
time, and worse thing is like not paying them. There are also cases that they end
up beating, abusing and hurting them physically without any hesitations. By this
makes the lower class called as slaves, servant, and maid in the society. Let’s
stop treating our helpers' employment as a favor to them. I understand that in
some countries, there’s a caste system and the lowest classes are often abused
or mistreated by the upper classes, which make excuses for it because the
people they are abusing are considered sub-human. But just because those
behaviors exist in a culture doesn’t make them right.

2. One influence enculturation has over people is identity formation. Based on

the article, how does identity formation shape the lifestyle of the people?

Identity formation also known as individuation, is the development of the

distinct personality of an individual regarded as a persisting entity (known as
personal continuity) in a particular stage of life in which individual characteristics
are possessed and by which a person is recognize or known. This may also
connect in shaping your personality as person because this affects the lifestyle
of the people. For example, a person misjudged you for your actions in your
daily living, because he has the basis of your identity showcasing your
personality and attitude as an individual. Relating on the article, as the upper
class being the superior they can easily evaluate Lola’s personality and identity,
which gives them an advantage of affecting her lifestyle. With that they can
manipulate Lola as their property, because as a lower class you are in need of
something to them. As for Lola, who took the job for living to gain money for
survival in daily basis, she can easily be abused and cannot even do a thing.
That is why; people would definitely have a hard time living in an area they are
not belonged to. This would make them stay on the shadow of fear because
they are afraid of being controlled.

3. What instances in the article reflect ethnocentrism?

Ethnocentrism is seeing one culture as superior than the other. It is also the
practice of judging one culture by the standards of another. In the article, Lola’s
experience throughout her service in the family is considered as one example of
ethnocentrism. As the family being the Upper Class and for the fact that they
have the culture of being superior, the lowest class which is Lola was abused
and mistreated. They knew they have the power to criticize somebody else
culture but Lola can’t do nothing because first things first they have different
culture, they have different standards of being a person and they belong to
different nation. But just because those behaviors exist in a culture doesn’t make
them right. It is wrong hurting someone physically and emotionally, it’s not right
fooling someone by breaking their promises and it’s not good treating someone
just as a slave. We don’t own someone just like a property of ours, we let them
live their lives just what they want to. It is just bias, because they tend to
immediately judge another culture as bad or wrong based upon Lola’ actions,
even though their values are not aligned with their own beliefs. In spite of the
fact that it is anything but difficult to accept that ethnocentrism influences just
the lesser-taught, less mindful individuals in the world, it isn't really true.
Ethnocentrism can be seen on an enormous scale in business, and at the
working environment. For example, a worker may allude to his customer as a
'moron' if the customer required some time to comprehend whatever the
employee was trying to tell him. A business owner may yell at his workers and
call them stupid due to their various races, societies, or qualities that are not
quite the same as the manager.

4. Based on the article, why do Filipinos have high regard to Americans culture?
Some Filipinos think foreigners, especially westerners, are like gods, and without
hesitation assume the position of "servant". They will do all they can, for example,
to make a foreigner feel comfortable during a visit to their house. This is probably
thanks to centuries of western rule in the country, and during these years the
Filipinos were crammed at the bottom of the caste system. It also doesn't help
that for many, many years, western products have been held in higher regard
compared to products locally made. Another fact is the aversion that other
Filipinos seem to have towards their very own identity. They would gladly die and
just live again as a foreigner, typically white, blue-eyed, tall, and
with perfect noses. However, America has also been rather friendly with our
country, helping us during the wars; tighten the bond between our nations.
Basically, America’s influenced created a big impact to us during their stay a
long time ago until this very moment of time. In addition, a lot of Filipinos believe
that going to America would alleviate their suffering from poverty. They would
consider working in an advance, easy access and modern world to get paid
with higher salaries. Filipinos would rather stay in America because the mindset is
“being comfortable” which is having a great life. This is clearly explains on why
Lola decided and accepted the family’s offer of being a maid.
References:

https://opinionfront.com/examples-of-ethnocentrism-to-help-you-understand-it-
better

https://www.slideshare.net/vandanaforgetful/identity-formation-58085630

Reyes T. (2017). For Filipino domestic workers, being “part of the family” can be a
blessing and a curse. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1005108/for-filipino-
domestic-workers-being-part-of-the-family-can-be-a-blessing-and-a-curse/

Mathai, A. (2018). We all need to stop using the terms ‘maid’ and ‘helper’
Opinion. Retrieved from https://coconuts.co/hongkong/features/need-stop-
using-terms-maid-helper-opinion-2/