Download filipino psychology reviewer and more Study notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! FILIPINO PSYCHOLOGY Nino-Mhar Malana, RPm Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) refers to the psychology born out of the experience, thought and orientation of the Filipinos, based on the full use of Filipino culture and language. The approach is one of ‘‘ indigenization from within’’ whereby the theoretical framework and methodology emerge from the experiences of the people from the indigenous culture. It is based on assessing historical and socio-cultural realities, understanding the local language, unraveling Filipino characteristics, and explaining them through the eyes of the native Filipino. Among the outcomes are: a body of knowledge including indigenous concepts, development of indigenous research methods and indigenous personality testing, new directions in teaching psychology, and an active participation in organizations among Filipino psychologists and social scientists, both in the Philippines and overseas. The beginnings of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino psychology) From the beginning of the periods when the Philippines was colonized by Spain, and then the USA, academic psychology, or the psychology taught in schools, was predominantly Western in theory and in methodology. Many Filipino intellectuals, notably the two Philippine heroes Jose Rizal and Apolinario Mabini, expressed dissatisfaction at the pejorative interpretations of Filipino behavior by Western observers. This disenchantment continued as Filipinos struggled to assert their national and cultural identity. In the 1960s, many Filipino intellectuals and scholars were already sensitive both to the inadequacy as well as the unfairness of the Western-oriented approaches to psychology. For instance, in the area of personality, the Western approach in research of not being enmeshed and bound by the culture being studied has resulted in a characterization of the Filipino from the ‘‘ judgmental and impressionistic point of view of the colonizers’’ (Enriquez, 1992, p. 57). For example, the predisposition to indirectness of Filipino communication was regarded as being dishonest and socially ingratiating and reflecting a deceptive verbal description of reality (Lawless, 1969, cited in Enriquez, 1992) rather than a concern for the feelings of others. It was in the early 1970s that this was initiated when Virgilio Gaspar Enriquez returned to the Philippines from Northwestern University, USA with a Ph.D. in Social Psychology and lost no time in introducing the concept of Sikolohiyang Pilipino (Filipino Psychology). Together with then- chairman of the Department of Psychology at the University of the Philippines (U.P.), Dr. Alfredo V. Lagmay, Enriquez embarked on a research into the historical and cultural roots of Philippine Psychology. From these researches, a two-volume bibliography on Filipino psychology and a locally developed personality test, Panukat ng Ugali at Pagkatao (Measure of Character and Personality), were produced. In 1975, Enriquez chaired the Unang Pambansang Kumperensya sa Sikolohiyang Pilipino (First National Conference on Filipino Psychology) which was held at the Abelardo Auditorium at U.P. In this conference, the ideas, concepts, and formulations of Sikolohiyang Pilipino were formally articulated. What is Sikolohiyang Pilipino Sikolohiyang Pilipino is anchored on Filipino thought and experience as understood from a Filipino perspective (Enriquez, 1975). The most important aspect of this definition is the Filipino orientation. For centuries, Filipino behavior has been analyzed and interpreted in the light of Western theories. Since these theories are inevitably culture-bound, the picture of the Filipino has been inaccurate, if not distorted. Enriquez (1985) later defined Sikolohiyang Pilipino as ‘‘the study of diwa (‘psyche’), which in Filipino directly refers to the wealth of ideas referred to by the philosophical concept of ‘essence’ and an entire range of psychological concepts from awareness to motives to behavior’’. It must be stressed at the outset though that developing a particularistic psychology such as Filipino psychology is not anti-universal inasmuch as the ultimate aim of Sikolohiyang Pilipino is to contribute to universal psychology, which can be realized only if each group of people is adequately understood by themselves and from their own perspective. Sikolohiyang Pilipino is a step towards contributing to universal psychology. THE CORE VALUES 1. CORE VALUE/KAPWA (Shared Identity) 2. PIVOTAL INTERPERSONAL VALUE/PAKIRAMDAM (Shared Inner Perception) 3. LINKING SOCIO-PERSONAL VALUE/KAGANDAHANG LOOB (Shared Humanity) 4. ACCOMODATIVE SURFACE VALUES HIYA/ SHAME UTANG NA LOOB/NORM OF RECIPROCITY PAKIKISAMA AND PAKIKIPAGKAPWA/SMOOTH INTERNAL RELATIONSHIP(SIR) 5.CONFRONTATIVE SURFACE VALUES BAHALA NA/FATALISTIC PASSIVENESS 6. SOCIETAL VALUES KARANGALAN/DIGNITY KATARUNGAN/JUSTICE KALAYAAN/FREEDOM KAPWA (SHARED IDENTITY) (Shared Inner Self,“The other person is also yourself”) the core of Filipino psychology, it is humaneness at the highest level implies unique moral obligation to treat one another as equal fellow human beings TWO CATEGORIES • IBANG TAO/OUTSIDER • HINDI IBANG TAO/ONE-OF-US AMONG OUTSIDERS: MakiTUNGO (courtesy/civility) MakiSALAMUHA (mixing) MakiLAHOK (joining) MakiBAGAY (adapting) MakiSAMA (getting along with/united) AMONG INSIDERS: Maki PAGPALAGAYANG-LOOB (rapport/mutual trust) Maki SANGKOT (involvement/joining others) Maki ISA (oneness, unity with) PAKIRAMDAM (Knowing Through Feeling or Tacit Knowing; Participatory Sensitivity) A unique social skill inherent in Filipino personhood. A request to feel or to be sensitive to There is‘‘hesitation to react, attention to subtle cues and non-verbal behavior in mental role-playing KAGANDAHANG LOOB SHARED HUMANITY (Pagkamakatao) genuine acts of generosity, kindness and caring Accomodative Surface Value: HIYA Hiya - Sibley (1965), an American scholar, translated hiya as‘‘shame’’. Lynch (1961) saw hiya as‘‘the uncomfortable feeling that accompanies awareness of being in a socially unacceptable position, or performing a socially unacceptable action.’’ Andres (1994) described hiya as‘‘an ingredient in why Filipinos overspend during fiestas in order to please their visitors, even to the extent of going into debt’’ Bonifacio (1976) alerted us to the different meanings of the word hiya depending on its form– nakakahiya (embarrassing), napahiya (placed in an awkward position), ikinahiya (be embarrassed with someone), etc. With some affixes, it becomes negative, e.g., napahiya; with others, positive, e.g., mahiyain (shy); and in still other forms, it can either be positive or negative depending on the context, e.g., kahihiyan (sense of propriety, or embarrassment). UTANG NA LOOB Utang na loob was translated by Kaut (1961) as‘‘debt of gratitude’’. Andres (1994, pp. 190–191) defined it, following Kaut’s logic, as‘‘the principle of reciprocity incurred when an individual helps another. Hollnsteiner (1961) took this interpretation further by claiming that the recipient of the favor is forced‘‘to show his (sic) gratitude properly by returning the favor with interest. Looking at utang na loob more closely in the context of Filipino culture, it actually means‘‘gratitude/solidarity’’. It is not necessarily a burden as the word ‘‘debt’’ connotes, because in the Filipino pattern of interpersonal relations. It is a beautiful element of Filipino interpersonal relationships that binds a person to his or her home community or home country. PAKIKISAMA Pakikisama was identified by Lynch (1961, 1973) as a Filipino value, giving it the English translation ofmaintaining ‘‘smooth interpersonal relations’’ by going along with the group or the majority decision, i.e., conformity. Bahala na (Confrontative Surface Value) Has no exact English translation Bostrom (1968) was the first psychologist to analyze this value by comparing it with American fatalism Thomas Andres defines bahala na as ‘‘the Filipino attitude that makes him accept sufferings and problems, leaving everything to God.‘Bahala na ang Diyos (God will take care of us)’ . . . Lagmay (1977) explained that bahala na is not‘‘fatalism’’ but ‘‘determination and risk-taking’’. Rather, they are telling themselves that they are ready to face the difficult situation before them, and will do their best to achieve their objectives In searching for appropriate research methods that are indigenous to Filipino experience, Filipino scholars have learned to assume the pakapa-kapa perspective, ‘‘ a suppositionless approach to social scientific investigations. As implied by the term itself, pakapa-kapa is an approach characterized by groping, searching and probing into an unsystematized mass of social and cultural data to obtain order, meaning and directions for research’’ (Torres, 1982, p. 171). There are at least five basic guiding principles relevant to the use of indigenous perspective in general, and indigenous research methods in particular. 1. The level of interaction or relationship that exists between the researcher and the researched significantly determines the quality of the data obtained in the research process The levels of interaction are the same ones as the kapwa classifications – Ibang-Tao ( ‘ ‘ Outsider ’ ’ ) and Hindi-Ibang- Tao (‘‘One-of-us’’). It is recommended that the first level under Hindi-Ibang-Tao, which is pakikipagpalagayang-loob (level of mutual trust, understanding, rapport) should be reached, at the minimum, in order to be assured of good quality data. 2. Research participants should always be treated by researchers as equal, if not superior – a fellow human being and not like a‘‘guinea pig’’ 3. The welfare of the research participants take precedence over the data obtained from them. 4. The method to be used in a research should be chosen on the basis of appropriateness to the population (and not sophistication of the method) and it should be made to adapt to existing cultural norms. 5. The language of the people should be the language of research at all times. Areas of Applications of Sikolohiyang Pilipino 1. Early work was focused on the use of the local language in teaching, research and in the conduct of various conferences and symposia in Psychology 2. The work of Bulatao in appropriate techniques in therapy suited to the Filipino personality 3. Providing psychological help to children in especially difficult circumstance 4. Feminist psychology social and clinical psychologists have helped battered women understand their problems in the light of the different socio-cultural conditions affecting women in Philippine society. 5. In industry particularly in the marketing of specific products and understanding consumer behavior. Towards Universal Psychology Through Indigenization We put forward now that what is generally considered as ‘‘ universal’’ psychology is based on the psychology of industrialized and developed countries of the West. This psychology aims to be a science comparable to that of the natural sciences, thus approximating the laws of universality. Two Types of Indigenization 1. Indigenization from Without – transporting psychological theories, concepts, and methods, and modifying them to fit to local cultural context. 2. Indigenization from Within – culture as source of knowledge to come up with cross-cultural knowledge. Katutubong Pamamaraan ng Pananaliksik (KPP) Bunga ng karanasan sa loob ng SP, ang katutubong pamamaraang pananaliksik (KPP) ay mga pamamaraan sa pananaliksik na may pagkiling sa pangangailangang sensitibo sa mga Pilipino. Ito ay naglalayong pangalagaan ang tunguhan ng mananaliksik at kalahok na hindi isinasaalang-alang ang kapakanan ng kalahok at ang datos sa ngalan ng agham . Mga Pinapalagay ng KPP 1. Itinatakda ng antas ng interaksyon o ugnayan sa pagitan ng mananaliksik at kalahok ang bisa at husay ng mga datos na makukuha sa pananaliksik 2. Mahalagang pantay ang paturing ng mananaliksik sa kalahok—isang kapwa tao at hindi“guinea pig” na ang tanging papel ay ang pagbibigay ng datos. 3. Inuuna ang kapakanan ng mga kalahok kaysa sa datos na makukuha mula sa kanila. 4. Kailangang piliin ang metodo ng pananaliksik batay sa kaangkupan nito sa mga tao at konteksto, at kailangang iangkop ito sa kultura at kaugalian. 5. Kailangang ang wika ng taumbayan ang maging wika ng pananaliksik.