Psych 100

The Political Self

“Man is a political animal” - Aristotle

Man is an animal intended to by nature to live in a specific social form, wherein a

number of citizens is large enough to be self-sufficient.

Politics centers on actions among a number of people involving influence. It is the

process of who gets what, when, and how (Lasswell, 1936). The concept of power, elites,
legitimacy, and authority are related to politics. It is an important part of human
development because it promotes ideologies about democracy, citizenship, human rights,
freedom, family, health, and other issues.
The Political Self then organizes self-relevant information about politics, including
one’s beliefs, attitudes, and affiliations. How people socialize and function as members
of the society also characterizes the political self. Views and beliefs about leadership,
one’s leadership style, and how one submits to leadership are few examples of the
political self.
Political Socialization describes the process by which citizens crystallize political
identities, values, and behavior that remain relatively permanent throughout later life
(Neundorf & Smets, 2017). It refers to a learning process by which political norms and
behavior are transmitted from one generation to another.
I. The Development of Political Self

1. Family - The family’s central role in developing one’s political personality

derives from its role as primary source of all the basic and innate needs of
a person. There is a high tendency that a child identifies with his parents
and then adopts their outlook in politics. Easton and Hess mentioned that
politicizing process starts at the age of three and is completed by the age
of 13 (Davies, 1965). Furthermore, parents seldom talk about politics with
their young children directly, but occasional remarks made around the
dinner table or while watching news can have an impact.

2. School/Education - Education has been regarded as the main agent for

the political socialization of the young into the national political culture. It
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also helps children to be morally upright citizens and emphasizes one’s

respective roles in the society. The school expands and enhances career
and life choices and chances of individuals. Children are also introduced to
elections and voting when they choose classroom officers. Political facts
are learned through various classroom discussions and courses. Lastly,
school themselves are involved in politics; such as issues in curriculum
reform, tuition fee increase, and government funding can spark a debate
involving students, teachers, parents, and the society.

3. Church - The teachings, services, and activities of the church can contribute
in the ideals of politics.

4. Mass Media - Old researches argue that while the media is often listed as
socialization agents apace with family, school, and peers, there has been
insufficient indication for mass media as a casual element in a child’s
development of political cognition and behavior (Chaffee, Ward, Tipton,
1970). Recent studies, however, argue that the political influence extends
far beyond newspaper reports or television programs connected with
current affairs. In a much more subtle way, they can change people’s
thought patterns through exhilarating stories, entertainment with popular
culture, and the like. Most of the political information comes from the mass
media. The average time spent on watching TV makes it the most dominant
information source (Nguyen, 2013). The growth of internet is also a
significant source of the development of political self. People are
developing their political self online as they learn about the distinctions
between candidates and political parties and gain knowledge about
concerns and political events.

5. Other people - The traits and values of the individuals in the society greatly
affect the attitudes and beliefs of an individual.

II. The Political Self and Being a Filipino

The Philippines today has only appeared in the 1980s after over three centuries of
colonization. Foreign culture beliefs, language, and religion have made a enormous
indentation on our own by setting a groundwork to the contemporary Filipino identity and
culture. The individual’s race, ethnicity, and physical characteristics are not the sole
factors that make one’s national identity. The important values and traits can also
contribute to one’s national identity.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Filipino Character

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An excerpt from “A Moral Recovery Program: Building a People--Building a Nation” by

Patricia Licuanan (2016)
A. Strengths of the Filipino Character

1. Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (Regard for Others)

 Pakikipagkapwa-tao is manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, and in
concern for others
 Demonstrated in the Filipinos’ ability to empathize with others, in helpfulness and
generosity in times of need (pakikiramay), in the practice of mutual assistance
(bayanihan), and in the famous Filipino hospitality
 Filipinos also possess a sensitivity to people’s feelings (pakikiramdam), trust
(pagtitiwala), and a sense of gratitude (utang-na-loob)
 Pakikipagkapwa-tao makes Filipinos very sensitive to the quality of interpersonal
relationships and are very dependent on them

2. Family Orientation
 Filipinos possess a genuine and deep love for the family, not only to parents but
also to the “extended family”
 One’s family is the source of personal identity, the source of emotional and material
supports, and the person’s main commitment and responsibility
 Manifestations: the honor and respect given to parents and elders; the care given
to children; the generosity towards kin in need; and in the great sacrifices one
endures for the welfare of the family
 Results: feeling of belonging or rootedness in a basic sense of security

3. Joy and Humor

 Filipinos have a cheerful and fun-loving approach to life and its ups and downs
 There is a pleasant disposotion, a sense of humor, and a propensity for happiness
that contribute not only to the Filipino charm, but to the indomitability of the Filipino
spirit
 Manifestation: Filipino love for socials and celebrations, in our capacity to laugh
even in the most trying of times, and in the appeal of political satire
 Results: a certain emotional balance and optimism, a healthy disrespect for power
and office, and a capacity to survive

4. Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity

 Filipinos have a great capacity to adjust, and to adapt to circumstances and to the
surrounding environment, both physical and social
 Unplanned or unanticipated events are never overly disturbing or disorienting as the
flexible Filipino adjusts to whatever happens
 Filipinos possess a tolerance for ambiguity that enables us to remain unfaxed by
uncertainty or lack of information
 Manifestation: ability to adapt life in any part of the world; in the ability to make new
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things out of scrap and to keep old machines running; and in the creative talent
manifested in the cultural sphere
 Results: productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival

5. Hard work and Industry

 Given proper conditions, Filipinos have the capacity for hard work
 The desire to raise one’s standard of living and to possess the essentials of a
decent life for one’s family combined with the right opportunities and incentives,
stimulate the Filipino to work very hard
 Manifestation: willingness to take risks with jobs abroad, and the work there at two
or three jobs
 Results: productivity and entrepreneurship for some, and survival despite poverty
for others

6. Faith and Religiosity

 Filipinos have a deep faith in God
 Innate religiosity enables us to comprehend and genuinely accept reality in the
context of God’s will and plan
 Filipinos live very intimately with religion
 We ascribe human traits to a supernatural God whom we alternately threaten and
thank, call upon for mercy or forgiveness, and appease by pledges

7. Ability to Survive
 Filipinos’ ability to survive is manifested in our capacity for endurance despite
difficult times, and in our ability to get by on so little
 This survival instinct is related to the Filipinos who bravely carry on through the
harshest economic and social circumstances
 Summing up all the other Filipino strengths results to the ability to survive

B. Weaknesses of the Filipino Character

1. Extreme Personalism
 Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationships and the extent to which
one is able personally to relate to things and people determines our recognition of
their existence and the value
 Oftentimes, there is no distinction between an objective task and emotional
involvement
 Manifestation: the tendency to give personal interpretations to actions and in the
need to establish personal relationships before any business or work relationship
can be successful

2. Extreme Family-Centeredness
 While concern for the family is one of the greatest strengths of the Filipinos, in the
extreme, it becomes a serious flaw
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 Excessive concern for the family creates an in-group to which the Filipino is fiercely
loyal, to the detriment of concern for the larger community of the common good
 Manifestations: use of one’s office and power as a mean of promoting the interests
of the family, patronage, and political dynasties and in the protection of erring family
members
 Results: lack of concern for the common good and acts as a block to national
consciousness

3. Lack of Discipline
 Filipinos have a causal and relaxed attitude towards time and space
 We have an aversion to following strictly a set of procedures
 We are impatient and unable to delay gratification or reward
 We are guilty of ningas cogon, starting out projects with full vigor and interest which
abruptly die down, leaving things unfinished
 Manifestations: lack of self precision and impulsiveness; poor time management;
and procastination
 Results: lack of standardization and quality control; use of short cuts; palusot
syndrome; foolhardiness; inefficient and wasteful work systems; the violation of
rules leading to more serious transgressions; and a casual work ethic leading to
carelessness and lack of follow-through

4. Passivity and Lack of Initiative

 Filipinos tend to wait to be told what has to be done and there is a strong reliance
on others
 Filipinos also have a need for a string authority figure and feel safer and more
secure in the presence of such an authority
 There is a rare sense of urgency about any problem
 There is also a high tolerance for inefficiency, poor service, and even violations of
one’s basic rights
 In many ways, Filipinos are too patient and long-suffering (matiisin)

5. Colonial Mentality
 Two dimensions of a Filipino colonial mentality are the lack of patriotism (active
awareness, appreciation, and love for the country) and an actual preference for
foreign things
 Filipino culture is characterized by an openness to the outside -- adapting and
incorporating the foreign elements into our image of ourselves
 Manifestations: alienation of the elite from their roots and from the masses; and
basic feeling of national inferiority that makes it difficult for Filipinos to relate as
equals to Westerners
 Results: cultural vagueness or weakness that makes Filipinos extraordinarily
susceptible to the wholesome acceptance of modern mass culture

6. Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
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 Filipinos have a selfish, self-serving attitude that generates a feeling of envy and
competitiveness towards others who seem to have gained some status or prestige
 Manifestations: crab mentality using the levelling instruments of tsismis, intriga,
and unconstrictive criticism to bring others down; personal ambition and drive for
power and status that is completely insensitive to the common good; and lack of a
sense of service among people in the government bureaucracy

7. Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection

 There is a tendency in the Filipino to be superficial and even somewhat war freak
 There is no felt need to validate our hypotheses or explanations of things
 We are satisfied with superficial explanations for, and superficial solutions to,
problems
 Manifestations: emphasis on form (maporma) rather than substance; and
satisfaction with rhetoric

References:

Chaffee, S.H., Ward, L.S., & Tipton, L.P. (1970). Mass communication and political
socialization. Journalism Quarterly, 647-666.

Davies, J. (1965). The family’s role in political socialization.American Academy of

Political and Social Science, 361, 10-19. Retrieved from
https://www.jstor.org/stable/1035983.

Gregersen, E. (n.d.). Harold Lasswell. Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Harold-Lasswell

Nguyen, N. (2013). How Mass Media Affects Political Behavior. Retrieved from
https://prezi.com/vx2apda0zvjv/how-mass-media-affects-political-behavior/

Neudorf, A. & Smets, K. (2017). Political Socialization and the Making of Citizens.
Retrieved from https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com.