Before you start with your Dialectical Journal, kindly read the following for better

understanding of what you’re going to do.

Dialectical Journals
The term “Dialectic” means “the art or practice of arriving at the truth by using conversation
involving question and answer.” Think of your dialectical journal as a series of conversations
with the texts we read during this course. The process is meant to help you develop a better
understanding of the texts we read. Use your journal to incorporate your personal responses to
the texts, your ideas about the themes we cover and our class discussions. You will find that it
is a useful way to process what you’re reading, prepare yourself for group discussion, and
gather textual evidence for your Literary Analysis assignments.

Procedure:
o As you read, choose passages that stand out to you and record them in the left-hand
column of a T-chart (ALWAYS include page numbers).
o In the right column, write your response to the text (ideas/insights, questions, reflections,
and comments on each passage)
o If you choose, you can label your responses using the following codes:
o (Q) Question – ask about something in the passage that is unclear
o (C) Connect – make a connection to your life, the world, or another text
o (P) Predict – anticipate what will occur based on what’s in the passage
o (CL) Clarify – answer earlier questions or confirm/disaffirm a prediction
o (R) Reflect – think deeply about what the passage means in a broad sense – not
just to the characters in the story. What conclusions can you draw about the
world, about human nature, or just the way things work?
o (E) Evaluate - make a judgment about the character(s), their actions, or what the
author is trying to say
o It is expected that you’ve finished your Dialectical Journal before discussing/sharing to
the class during synchronous sessions.

Sample Dialectical Journal entry: THE THINGS THEY CARRIED by Tim O’Brien

Passages from the text Pg#s Comments & Questions (Responses)

“-they carried like freight trains; they
carried it on their backs and shoulders-and Pg 2
for all the ambiguities of Vietnam, all the
mysteries and unknowns, there was at
least the single abiding certainty that they
would never be at a loss for things to
carry”.
(R) O’brien chooses to end the first section of the novel with
this sentence. He provides excellent visual details of what
each solider in Vietnam would carry for day-to-day fighting.
He makes you feel the physical weight of what soldiers have
to carry for simple survival. When you combine the emotional
weight of loved ones at home, the fear of death, and the
responsibility for the men you fight with, with this physical
weight, you start to understand what soldiers in Vietnam dealt
with every day. This quote sums up the confusion that the
men felt about the reasons they were fighting the war, and
how they clung to the only certainty - things they had to
carry - in a confusing world where normal rules were
suspended.
Choosing Passages from the Text:
Look for quotes that seem significant, powerful, thought provoking or puzzling. For example,
you might record:

o Effective &/or creative use of stylistic or literary devices

o Passages that remind you of your own life or something you’ve seen before
o Structural shifts or turns in the plot
o A passage that makes you realize something you hadn’t seen before
o Examples of patterns: recurring images, ideas, colors, symbols or motifs.
o Passages with confusing language or unfamiliar vocabulary
o Events you find surprising or confusing
o Passages that illustrate a particular character or setting

Responding To the Text:

You can respond to the text in a variety of ways. The most important thing to remember is that
your observations should be specific and detailed. You can write as much as you want for
each entry.
Basic Responses
o Raise questions about the beliefs and values implied in the text
o Give your personal reactions to the passage
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Tell what it reminds you of from your own experiences
o Write about what it makes you think or feel
o Agree or disagree with a character or the author

Sample Sentence Starters:

I really don’t understand this because…
I really dislike/like this idea because…
I think the author is trying to say that…
This passage reminds me of a time in my life when…
If I were (name of character) at this point I would…
This part doesn’t make sense because…
This character reminds me of (name of person) because…

Higher Level Responses

o Analyze the text for use of literary devices (tone, structure, style, imagery)
o Make connections between different characters or events in the text
o Make connections to a different text (or film, song, etc…)
o Discuss the words, ideas, or actions of the author or character(s)
o Consider an event or description from the perspective of a different character
o Analyze a passage and its relationship to the story as a whole
Variations on the Dialectical Journal Format
o Metacognitive Journal – what I learned/how I figured it out (incl. pg. #s)
o Synthesis Journal – at the end of a weekly cycle, consider your Dialectical
Journal entries, group work & participation in class discussion. Analyze your
overall progress as a reader & writer.
NOTE: Your dialectical journal is for the assigned reading (1 article) you shared with the
class. Submission is after 1 week after your scheduled sharing.
 Dialectical Journal for The Contemporary World
Term 1, AY 2023-2024

Name: Palomar, Pixie B.

Section OBTEC 1-22
:

Scott Class Structure (Class Structure in the

Dialectical Journal for:
Unhispanized Philippines. William Henry Scott. Philippine Studies vol. 27, no.
2 (1979) 137–159.)
Passages from the text Pg#s Your Response/s
This is one of the proof that our
society at this time survives and still
Societies in the first category are characterized
manages to build their own identity
as "classless" because they distinguish no class
without the presence of any leader.
or group which exerts authority or advantage p. 139 This somehow indicates that
over other classes or groups by virtue of ascribed
Filipinos in unhispanized era are
or acclaimed status.
unique and have their own
community dynamic.

None of these societies have any concept of the

ownership of real estate. The land itself is the
This shows how devoted our
property of supernatural personalities whose
ancestral are in our nature. This
permission must be ritually secured for safe and
depicts how they respect and give
fruitful use, and, similarly, wild forest products p. 142 thanks to the blessings that they get
or game are either the possessions of, or under
in our nature such as their food in
the protection of, spirits whose prerogatives must
order for them to survive.
be recognized by ritual or even token payments
in kind.

These "braves" are men who have won a

Why does this type of class structure
reputation for ferocity in battle- or, more accu-
formed? And why do "braves" need
rately, for the number of lives they have taken in p. 143 to kill others or their opponents in
battle or else- where and are recognizable by
order for them to gain reputation?
distinctive costume or tattoos

The kadangyan is entitled to distinctive patterns p. 146 Why do the kadangyans or wealthy
in dress and required to marry and bury in class only pass down their wealth in
prescribed extravagant fashion, and marries their own kind? If they marry the
within his class. poor people in their society, would
 they be criticized?

What will happen if he/she fails to

Moreover, inherited property is not enough: to be
really respected, a Kalinga must add to his
inheritance by his own efforts.
enhance the land that he/she
acquired from his/her parents?
p. 147 Would the land be taken away and
inherit to someone else in their
lineage?

In connection to the classless

In Ifugao they are made in debates which pit
individual personalities against one another, but
in Bontoc and Benguet in councils of old men
called amam-a or dallakay
society, the disputes are being
handled by the old men. We can see
p. 149 how our ancestors give importance
in giving punishment to those who
have sinned for the sake of peace
and order in their society.

Followers give their support in response to his
ability and willingness to use his power on their
behalf, to make material gifts or loans in time of
crisis, and to provide legal or police protection
and support against opponents
This shows the "datu-sakop" system
wherein, the followers of the datu
p. 151 would give their service to him in
return of protecting and giving them
land to live.

The aristocracy is called the datu class, and its

members are presumably the descendants of the Why does datus at this time have so
first settlers on the land or, in the case of later p. 151 much money unlike those ordinary
arrivals, of those who were datus at the time of people in their community?
migration or conquest

A. What information or ideas does the text/article present? These may refer to the
highlights of the text.

- The article by William Scott highlights the different types of class structure during the
"unhispanized" era aside from the prehistory class structure that we've always known.

B. What do I learn about the topic as I read?

- I've learned that this topic is that there is really a difference between the prehistory, prehispanic,
and precolonial period. My knowldege about the classic class structure such as the datu, timawa,
and slaves deepen as I read this article. I've learned that there are lots of studies in our country
that will help us to understand the society that we have in our current era.

C. How do the ideas relate to what I already know or what the society is already
experiencing?

-As our professor in this subject says, the roots of the idea of "barangay" from our ancestor is
really beautiful if this was implemented accurately today. But unfortunately, the societies that
were formed back then did not reflect on the societies that we have. For instance, since the
election of the Sangguniang Kabataan is approaching, it is sad to know that some of them forget
what "leadership" is. Some of them run for that position for the sake of "clout", they have been
appointed by their relatives, or worst, for fun. And so, may the future SK leaders be the light of
our dimming meaning of leadership and how a community should work just like the "datu-
sakop" ideology.