BOLD TEXTS – important info

HIGHLIGHTED TEXTS – additional info na pwedeng habang pinepresent nalang banggitin

LESSON 6 - INTRODUCTION TO UNPACKING THE SELF: POLITICAL SELF AND DIGITAL SELF

I. Political Self
a. Definitions
- Politics - Derived from the greek work Politká which means "affairs of the city, is a
process of making decisions that applies to all members of a group. It is also defined
as the ability to govern and control over a group of people in a community, state or
nation.
- Self - a person's essential being that distinguishes them from others, especially
considered as the object of introspection or reflexive action.
- Political Self/Identity - is knowing and caring about a set of political issues, having a
set of organized beliefs about the political system, and engaging in political behavior
that support particular beliefs.
- Political Behavior - is the subset of human behavior that involves politics and
power.
b. Filipino Cultures and Colonization
- After over three centuries colonization of the Spaniards, Japanese, and Americans,
their cultures, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent on our own as
we adapt and continue to live by those.
- Rethinking Filipino values by the Father of Sikolohiyang Pilipino, Virgilio Enriquez
Using the Sikolohiyang Pilipino perspective, Enriquez (1992) re-conceptualized the
Filipino behaviour patterns and value structure where he designated:
1. Hiya - ‘‘propriety/ dignity’’ instead of “guilt” and “shame”
2. Utang na loob - ‘‘gratitude/solidarity’’ instead of “debt”
3. Bahala na - ‘‘determination’’ instead of “fatalism”
4. Kapwa (‘‘shared identity’’)
c. What are the Factors that may affect one’s political self?
- As individuals meet new people and join new groups, the political self is
influenced and modified by the opinions, comments and suggestions of other
people.
- SOME ORIGINS OF POLITICAL SELF
1. Values and morals of an individual were firstly shaped by what they
see in their homes. Family’s attitude towards politics influences one’s
views the most.
2. Educational institutions reinforce learning about politics to shape
youth’s nationalism and patriotism.
3. One’s view is also influence by an individual’s selected group of friends
and environment.
 4. Due to the modernization of the whole world, media became a huge
platform for sharing political news. This influence youth by what they
mostly see and hear on televisions and social media accounts, as well
as they are also asked about their views and opinion on a specific
topic.
5. Political leaders or authorities are also part of developing political self
and identity.
6. Religion emphasizes moral behavior that shape the ideals of
citizenship.
- According to Ekstorm and Federico in their published researched tilted The
Political Self: How Identity Aligns Preferences with Epistemic Needs (published
2018), they stated that the need for closure can predict political preference.
They also stated that there is a strong relation between the need for closure,
position over the issue and political identity to predict political preference.
d. Theories of Developing Political Self
- Social Learning Theory

This theory suggest that an individual’s behavior is acquired through observing

and imitating the behavior of people that surrounds them.

According to the article from 2U Inc., an individual observes rewards and

punishments to determine the consequences so that they will know when to
imitate or not the behavior.

- Symbolic Interaction Theory

This theory emphasized that behaviors are products of communication,
meaning, and symbols. This perspective relies on the symbolic meaning that
people develop and build upon in the process of social interaction.

Symbolic interaction theory analyzes society by addressing the subjective

meanings that people impose on objects, events, and behaviors. Subjective
meanings are given primacy because it is believed that people behave based
on what they believe and not just on what is objectively true. Individuals act
according to their interpretation of the meaning of their world.

For example, why would young people smoke cigarettes even when all objective
medical evidence points to the dangers of doing so?
The answer is in the definition of the situation that people create. Studies find
that teenagers are well informed about the risks of tobacco, but they also think
that smoking is cool, that they will be safe from harm, and that smoking projects
a positive image to their peers. So, the symbolic meaning of smoking overrides
the facts regarding smoking and risk.
Gomez, I. (23 March 2019). Political self understanding the self. Retrieved from: doi:political-self-
understanding-the-self.

Lumencandela. (n.d.). Forming political views. Boundless Political Science. Retrieved from:
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/boundless-politicalscience/chapter/forming-public-opinion/

Pe-pua, R. & Marcelino, E.P. (2000). Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology): a legacy of Virgilio G.
Enriquez. Asian Journal of Social Psychology. 3: 49–71.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1467-839X.00054