Q1 From last week’s discussion about the “Agent-Structure” debate how do you

see your own Filipino values affect and be affected by globalization?

I see some of my own Filipino values affect and be affected by globalization in a

positive way. This is due to the easy flow of information brought about by
globalization which allowed me to learn various perspectives and opinions about life.
In fact, it has already changed some of my values. First, I learned to never practice
Filipino time because of how rude it is and how detrimental it is to productivity. Next,
I learned the importance of having a good work-life balance. Being a workaholic is
never a good thing, so I did small efforts to slowly transition to having a good work-
life balance. Next is the idea of just because someone is family, does not mean they
should get special treatment. Lastly, I abandoned my adherence to Catholicism.
Through the internet, I learned of the annoying things “religious” people do. I then
began to notice that “religious” Filipinos do the same things, which annoyed me a lot
and made me not want to be associated with these people. I then proceeded to
abandon the religion. Though, to its credit, it did teach me a lot of good morals.

As for the direct effect of my globalization-affected values on globalization itself, it

has none. Rather, these values indirectly affected globalization by making me see it
in such a positive way that I became very accepting of globalization (in the context of
information sharing). This is simply because it changed me for the better, and if it can
do that to me, it will most likely do the same for others.

Q2 Why do you think people ascribe symbolic and social significance of certain
objects of value (e.g., commodity fetishism)?

I believe it is because people think that these commodities, that are usually from big
name brands, grant them a certain reputation that screams to others they have
power, wealth, and a high societal standing. This is because certain objects that have
a name on them, such as Nike, Adidas, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, etc., carry a certain
luxury that people want to acquire and show off to others, which could be due to a
deep psychological desire to feel good and better than everyone else. However, the
attribution of significance to these objects may also be due to other reasons such as
effective marketing and advertising, consumer bias, or excellent quality that other
commodities cannot provide.