Module 8

THE POLITICAL SELF

Introduction

As members of the society, people are naturally obligated to participate in a political

system as social citizens. Politics is the way that people living in groups make
decisions. It is about making agreements between people so that they can live together
in groups such as tribes, cities, or countries. As Aristotle stated, “man is, by nature, a
political man.” This is because man is a social being and that people naturally drawn to
various political involvement in order to satisfy their social needs. The political self-
explores how our social and economic contexts profoundly affect our overall well-being.
It is the aspect of our identity that is political, such as beliefs about what a “good
society” means or how much government regulation is appropriate.
This section allows students to have an understanding of their self – concept in
political perspective and improve one’s political identity as a Filipino.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson students should be able to:

1. identify values, traits, political community and institutions as aspects
of political self.
2. describe what a democratic culture is.
3. understand the concept of self in political thought; and
4. examine one’s political identity.

Learning Content

Who is a Filipino?

According the 1987 Phil. Constitution, Filipino citizen are "those who father or mother
are citizens of the Philippines those born before Jan.17, 1973 of Filipino, mother who
elect Philippine citizenship upon reaching the age of majority and those who are
naturalized in accordance with law".

What is Political?

It is primarily concerned with the making as distinguished from the administration of

governmental policy. A republic is a political system in which the government remains
mostly subject to those governed. Some scholars define any political system in which the
citizens legitimize the government.
The Philippines today has only emerged in the 1980s after over three centuries
colonization of the Spaniards. Meanwhile, the Japanese only occured in 1946. Foreign
culture, beliefs, language, and religion have made a huge dent on our own by setting a
foundation to the contemporary Filipino identity and culture. Filipino have truly
developed an identity of their own? or we still living in the shadow of our colonial
friends.
The individual's race, ethnicity, and physical characteristics are not the only factors that
make a person's national identity. The important of values and traits are set apart ne
nationality from the other. This values and traits may not always be a positive thing, but
being able to identity one's self apart from other nationalities and point out weakness
and mistakes, paired with unity and progress a possibility.

What is Political Self?

It captures the extent to which a person thinks of themselves as a “political person”.

These are beliefs about what a “good society” means or how much government
regulation is appropriate. Political self-organization then refers to the formation
of political patterns through the local interactions of the members only; this can be seen
in the formation of public opinion, political movements, and political revolutions. In a
cultural context, self-organizing processes can be seen in the formation of customs and
the development of beliefs. In a socioeconomic context self-organization can be seen in
the growth, competition, and extinction of companies, national economies and the stock
market.

Filipino Traits and Values

What do Filipinos value?

The term kapwa or a shared inner self lies at the core of Filipino values and psychology.
A person who treats another as a kapwa has a shared a sense of identity and
consciousness with that ‘other’ person. Both in the individual and community level,
strong emphasis is placed on social acceptance and maintaining social harmony. As
such, social approval and caring about what others will think, say, or do strongly
influence social behavior.

FILIPINO TRAITS
Hospitality - Offer the warmth and comfort of your place to a friend
or relative who needs a place to stay.
- Give more than of your best to make your guests feel at
home.
Cheerful & Optimistic - Problems are inevitable but Filipinos are known to be
positive and joyful – plaster a sweet smile on your face.
Respect - Pagmamano, beso, and paghalik sa kamay should be
manifested.
- Use po and opo and/or polite expressions when talking
to someone older than you.
Close family Ties - Maintain a harmonious relationship with your family
members.
- Avoid conflicts and if possible settle disputes and
misunderstandings.
- Support and help your family and relatives up to any
extent.
Bayanihan/Unity and - Sincerely extend help to your fellowmen.
Helpfulness - Do not choose whom to help.
- Offer help when someone needs assistance.
Filipino Time - Show respect, sincerity and sensitivity by arriving at a
meeting or event on time.
Mañana Habit - Procrastination leads to a bulkier and heavier
workload.
- Do not delay tasks.
Colonial Mentality - Support locals.
Ningas Kugon - Be consistent of the ventures and things you have
started.
Crab Mentality - Be happy of other’s achievements and success.
- Put off jealousy / enviousness.
Pride - Learn to ask for an apology without waiting for the
other party to do it.

FILIPINO MARKERS

Proverbs or Salawikain - Filipino proverbs or Philippine proverbs are traditional

sayings or maxims used by Filipinos based on local culture, wisdom, and philosophies
from Filipino life. If used in everyday conversations, proverbs are utilized to emphasize
a point or a thought of reasoning: the Filipino philosophy.

Examples:
1. Habang may buhay, may pag-asa. (Meaning: Never lose hope in life.)
2. Kapag binato ka ng bato, batuhin mo ng tinapay. (Meaning: Repay evil with kindness
and blessing.)
3. Ang buhay ay parang gulong. (Meaning: There is no permanent situation in this
world.)

Superstitions - beliefs or practice based upon one's trust in luck or other irrational,
unscientific, or supernatural forces. Often, it arises from ignorance, a misunderstanding
of science or causality, a belief in fate or magic, or fear of that which is unknown.

Examples:
1. The number of steps of staircases at home should not be divisible by three.
2. Don’t go straight home after attending a wake.
3. Siblings should not marry within the same year (sukob).

Myths and Legends - historical fact morphs into a legend when the truth has been
exaggerated to the point that real people or events have taken on a romanticized, "larger
than life" quality. In contrast, a myth is a type of symbolic storytelling that was never
based on fact.
Examples:
1. Mythical creatures such as duwende, diwata, engkanto, kapre, aswang, etc.
2. The Legend of Makahiya
3. The Heartbreaking Story of Alitaptap (Bataan Legend)

Heroes and Icons - heroes serve as reminder of true patriotism and nationalism as
they have sacrificed their lives for the sake of their country`s freedom and progress.
Examples: Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Lea Salonga

Political Community and Institutions

According to Aristotle, every community “is established for the sake of some
good.” This is because “everyone does everything for the sake of what they believe to be
good,” though they of course can be wrong about what “the good” is. It follows that a
political community must also be established for the sake of some good. Like Plato,
Aristotle believed that such a community must be large enough to be self-sufficient, but
must nevertheless remain relatively small. It is a group of like-minded people who share
common political goals and values such as social justice, lowering taxes, improving
educational policy, etc.
Political institutions definitely impact our economy, education, culture and
society. For example, political parties, trade unions, legislature and judiciary are
needed in order to safeguard the interests of citizens of the country and to ensure the
unity and integrity of the nation. It further results in the overall development of the
country. they ensure that the laws are being followed by the citizens of the country.

Establishing a Democratic Culture

The word democracy describes a political system. In a democratic country, all

eligible citizens have the right to participate, either directly or indirectly, in making the
decisions that affect them.
Democratic culture is defined as the desire and ability of individuals in a
population to participate actively, individually and together, to the government of public
affairs affecting them. The existence of a democratic culture within a population is
characterized by the active contribution, effective and in duration, of members of civil
society to development of: the common good, the terms of “living together” and the
construction of collective decisions. An example of democracy at work is in the
Philippines, where people have political freedom and equality. In our country, supreme
powers lies with the people, the power of the elected representatives would be supreme,
democracy requires free and fair election and requires respect for law and minority
opinion.

Strengthening your Political Skills

Political skill is the ability to effectively understand others at work, and to use
such knowledge to influence others to act in ways that enhance one's personal and/or
organizational objectives. Dimensions include social astuteness (how well you
understand other), interpersonal influence (how you make others feel at ease),
networking ability (using your formal and informal network to advance your goals) and
apparent sincerity (how genuine and sincere you appear to others).

How to Improve your Political Skills

1. Make a political "book." With any organization or group you're involved with, it's
a good idea to gather some insights on the people you work with most often.
Record notes regarding how they each tend to approach problems.

2. Draw a "power web." Create a chart showing the power relationships among all
the people in your organization or workgroup. Power relationships are those
connections in which the parties help one another move projects forward and
obtain needed support and resources.

3. Strengthen and forge relationships. Review your power web to spot opportunities

to strengthen existing relationships, as well as forge new ones. For example, ask
yourself which individuals on your web might make valuable power-relationship
partners — but you haven't yet cultivated mutually beneficial connections with
them. 

4. A key part of developing and wielding political skill is simply knowing other
people — their major concerns and their priorities. By figuring out what you can
do for them and what they can do for you, you nurture relationships of mutual
influence and benefit.