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GENERAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

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LEARNING MODULE
FOR
GE 112: READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY

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WEEK 15

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 WEEK 15
Doing Life Histories and Biographical Research

Studying history is always focused on history of nations and different collectives. Studying
the life of an individual is often incidental to a greater event that has been significant to the life of
a larger unit that he or she happened to contribute to. Life history is an oft-neglected
subdiscipline of history because it is seen as trivial to larger narratives of nations, societies, and
civilizations. However, students of history should realize that the individual is a significant
contributor to various historical breakthroughs across periods of time. Individuals make up
societies and individual actions can cause large-scale social change.

Individuals’ influence can span centuries and generations. Individuals can also influence
large spaces and many places. For example, Jesus Christ as an individual influenced the whole
world. The faith and the religion that He started also launched wars, created civilizations, lasted
for many centuries, and persist up to the present. Jose Rizal, on the other hand, influenced
many generations of Filipinos. His novels inspired radical Filipinos to fight the colonizers, and
his death was seen as the tipping point of the revolution. However, his influence was limited to
the Philippines.

These examples are cases of exceptional individuals. History has proven that their lives,
their exploits, and their legacies had a huge impact in the society where they belonged.
Nevertheless, the writing of life history should not be limited to great individuals like heroes,
prophets, or world leaders. Ordinary individuals should also be able to locate themselves in the
pages of history. One should see himself as part of a larger history and not as a separate and
remote entity unaffected by what is happening around him. Doing life histories should be
accompanied by locating the life of the individual in the larger social life.

Indeed, people’s interest in history can be perked up once they realize that their lives can
be plotted alongside the trajectory of history of a larger nation, society, or even local community.
There is after all, a mutual constitution between history and biography. However, doing a life
history is not an easy task. The researcher should be able to identify different factors that
affected the life of the person he is trying to study. Some special scientists would lament that
studying individuals tend to be more complicated than studying societies. Individuals are
distinct, unique and dynamic. The life historian or the biographer should identify aspects of the
individual’s life in order to properly historicize his life.

For example, studying the life of Jose Rizal does not only require looking at big events in his
life that affected the nascent nation, like the publication of his novels, his exile to Dapitan, or his
execution in Bagumbayan. A more thorough understanding of Rizal’s life necessitates looking at
different aspects of his life that affected his persona. Examples are his family, his education, his
peers, his travels, and even his affections. In relation to this, one should also look at the context
where Rizal existed. It’s worthwhile to ask, for example, about Rizal’s hometown. What were the
characteristics of Calamba, Laguna in the nineteenth century? What was the most common
livelihood in that town? Was it rich progressive municipality? What was the terrain like? Was it
an agricultural locality? These questions will give context to Rizal’s childhood and family.

Speaking of family, doing a life history of an individual will also lead to questions about his
family and genealogy. Indeed, family is an important aspect of an individual. It determines the
person’s socioeconomic status, religious belief, character, interests, and values. In the same
example, getting to know Rizal’s family and genealogy would tell us about Rizal’s
socioeconomic status. Such will answer other questions about Rizal, like how did he afford to
study in good schools in Manila even though he was an indio? What were his interests in the
Calamba hacienda incident? Who instilled upon him the value of education? Who was his
greatest influence? And so on.

Institutions where the individual belonged should also be looked at in studying his life
history. If the family and the community where he belonged will give us clues about his early life,
the latter stages of his life can be understood with certain activities and learning that he had as

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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he affiliated in different institutions like schools, organizations, fraternity, church, and interest
groups. In the case of Rizal, for example, one can learn a lot about the development of his ideas
by knowing the kind of education taught at the Universidad de Santo Tomas and Ateneo
Municipal. His political opinions and biases shaped his work with the Propagandistas in Europe
and in his stint in La Solidaridad. Institutions, indeed, are not only shaped by individuals.
Institutions also shaped individuals.

Other aspects that may be studied in order to come up with a deeper life history are sector,
ethnic group, and culture. Zooming out to the national history of the country where that
individual identifies with is also helpful.

Understanding these seemingly mundane aspects of an individual’s life would provide

historians insightful information that will allow him, not just to simply state facts about the
individual but also to make sense of these facts and establish connections about different
aspects of the individual’s life in order to understand the person that he has become.

Biographical research in education may be conceived in many different ways; however,

typically the topic constitutes the study of a single life, focusing primarily upon an individual who
in some way is affiliated with the professional field of education, broadly conceived (Garraty,
1957; Oates, 1986). Other research methodologies are often bundled within the descriptor of
biography and include life history writing, oral history, memoir, autobiography, and life narrative
(Roberts, 2002; Josselson & Lieblich, 1993).

Among the numerous forms of biographical research in education, five types are often noted:
scholarly chronicles, intellectual biography, life history writing, memoir biography, and narrative
biography. These orientations may take the form of articles, vignettes, chapters, monographs,
and full-length books. One need not draw fine distinctions among these different approaches,
however, and each orientation offers particular strengths for the presentation of the biographical
subject. Realms are crossed continually as the intent and purpose of the biographer become
more clearly defined during the research process. Ultimately, biographers while engaged in
their research are constantly examining their interpretive voices as much as the lives of their
biographical subjects.

The scholarly chronicle is the most fundamental (and common) type of biographical
research with its focus on the historical portrayal of an individual life. This basic research
orientation constitutes telling the subject’s story in chronological order with emphasis upon the
development of a quest plot (life pattern-stages) and the description of acts of recognition (or
notoriety) as the biographer marches through the life of the biographical subject. The scholarly
chronicle is often viewed as synonymous with biography; however, this research orientation is
markedly different from other forms of biographical inquiry.

Another genre, intellectual biography, forsakes the need for basic chronological structure
and develops a narrative of a life through the conceptual analysis of the subject’s motives and
beliefs within the world of ideas. Those who write intellectual biography have overcome the
interpretive angst of other educational researchers, what Rollyson (2005) has deemed “the
biographical apologia,” who include pages of interviewee narrative and rich description but who
refrain from interpreting motives and feelings. In contrast, the intellectual biographer recognizes
and accepts the invasive yet justifiable analysis and overcomes the intrusive nature of inquiry
with care resulting in self-reflective thoughtfulness and insight.

A third form of biographical research is defined as life history writing (and the narrative
study of lives) with strong allegiance to the social science research traditions of oral history and
narrative discourse and, specifically, great devotion to theoretical constructs from sociology and
psychology. Case study paradigms emerge as life history writers address issues of
generalizability, social interaction-social structure, and reliability and validity as well as the
biographical quest of any study of a life. This research genre has taken many forms in the field
of education, perhaps resonating most in the area of teacher education with the narrative study
of teachers’ lives scholarship and, to a lesser degree, with the first-year teacher research that

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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also remains loyal to aspects of intellectual biography (Goodson, 2008; Bullough, 2008).

In recent years a fourth genre, memoir biography (still distinct from autobiography and
memoir) has begun to appear in the field of curriculum studies. Attention is devoted to the
researcher’s motives in relation to the biographical subject and with emphasis upon the stylistic
presentation of the biographer’s reflections and insights in relation to the factual account of the
life. An interpretive narrative of the writer, alongside the presentation of the biographical subject,
becomes part of the research. A life story is being told, yet in relation to the transactional
experiences of the biographer that in turn influences and foreshadows similar experiences for
the reader.

A fifth type, narrative biography, represents a dynamic portrayal of a life without the need for
absolute facticity or a comprehensive account from birth to grave. Neither is this style burdened
by the ultimate interpretation of the subject that must be accepted by the reader. Facts are
recognized and some interpretations are accepted as being more significant than others;
however, the biographer, though consciously aware of his or her personal emotions and
reactions to the subject, acknowledges that the telling of the story is primarily defined by the
subject in relation to the reader.

No definitive listing of biographical types can ever be constructed since, fortunately, new
forms—content and process oriented—are continually being conceived and explored. Other
more content-related designations include feminist biography (Alpern, et al., 1992; Ascher, et.
al., 1984; Wagner-Martin, 1994) and black biography (Backscheider, 1997), all with emphasis
upon identity and the restoration of the “invisible” subject.

Biography’s relationship to autobiography, memoir, and narrative research in education is

well developed and will continually be redefined (Denzin, 1989; Epstein, 1991; Rollyson,
2008) Yet, with the emerging interest in biographical inquiry and with some growing interest in
prosopography (group biography), little consensus of terminology exists; for example, it should
be noted that while some qualitative researchers view the term auto/biography as accurate,
there are dramatic differences between biography and autobiography—much more than any
slash or solidus can convey.

GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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 ACTIVITY #15

Discussion Points and Exercise Questions

Direction: Read and understand this module. Provide what is being asked. Use the Rubric
below as your guide. Write your answer in a long bond paper (hand written) and attach it to the
last page of this module.

TASK:
1. Provide a life History of your Family from your great grandfather unto the last
generation that includes the origination, culture, tribe, and beliefs. 50 points
2. Create a reflection which center your research on the history of your family. 50
points

50 points rubric

Level Description
Outstanding Well written and very organized. Excellent grammar mechanics. Clear and
concise statements. Excellent effort and presentation with detail. Demonstrates a
thorough understanding of the topics.
Value: 45-50
Level Description
Good Writes fairly clear. Good grammar mechanics. Good presentation and
organization.
Sufficient effort and detail.
Value: 35-44
Level Description
Fair Minimal effort. Good grammar mechanics. Fair presentation. Few supporting
details.
Value: 25-34
Level: Description
Poor Somewhat unclear. Shows little effort. Poor grammar mechanics. Confusing and
incomplete sentences. No organization of thoughts.
Value: 15-24
Level: Description
Very Poor Lacking effort. Very poor grammar mechanic. Very unclear. Doesn’t address
topic. Limited attempt.
Value: 1-14

End of Fifteenth Week

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GE 112: Readings in Philippine History

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GE 112: Readings in Philippine History
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