POLITICAL SELF

• Political self


  Organizes self-relevant information about politics, including one's beliefs, attitudes, and affiliations
• Political Socialization


  The process by which citizens crystallize political identities, values, and behavior that remain relatively permanent throughout later life
• Factors influencing the development of the political self

  • Family
  • School/Education
  • Church
  • Mass Media
  • Other people
• Family


  • Central role in developing one's political personality
  • High tendency that a child identifies with and adopts their parents' political outlook
  • Politicizing process starts at age 3 and is completed by age 13
  • Occasional remarks made around the dinner table or while watching news can have an impact
• School/Education


  • Main agent for the political socialization of the young into the national political culture
  • Helps children be morally upright citizens and emphasizes one's respective roles in society
  • Expands and enhances career and life choices
  • Children are introduced to elections and voting
  • Political facts are learned through classroom discussions and courses
  • School issues can spark political debates
• Church


  • Teachings, services, and activities can contribute to the ideals of politics
• Mass Media


  • Old research shows insufficient indication as a causal element in a child's political development
  • Recent studies argue political influence extends beyond news, can change thought patterns through stories, entertainment, and popular culture
  • Most political information comes from mass media
  • Growth of internet is a significant source for developing political self
• Other people

  • Traits and values of individuals in society affect one's attitudes and beliefs
• The Philippines has only appeared in the 1980s after over three centuries of colonization
• Strengths of the Filipino character

  • Pakikipagkapwa-Tao (Regard for Others)
  • Family Orientation
  • Joy and Humor
  • Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity
  • Hard work and Industry
  • Faith and Religiosity
  • Ability to Survive
• Pakikipagkapwa-Tao


  Manifested in a basic sense of justice and fairness, and in concern for others. Demonstrated in empathy, helpfulness, generosity, mutual assistance, hospitality, sensitivity to feelings, trust, and gratitude. Makes Filipinos very dependent on interpersonal relationships.
• Family Orientation


  Genuine and deep love for the family, not only parents but extended family. Family is source of identity, emotional/material support, and main commitment and responsibility. Manifested in honoring/respecting parents and elders, caring for children, generosity to kin, and great sacrifices for family welfare.
• Joy and Humor


  Cheerful and fun-loving approach to life, pleasant disposition, sense of humor, propensity for happiness. Manifested in love for socials/celebrations, ability to laugh in trying times, and appeal of political satire. Results in emotional balance, optimism, disrespect for power, and capacity to survive.
• Flexibility, Adaptability, and Creativity


  Great capacity to adjust and adapt to circumstances and environment. Tolerance for ambiguity enables remaining unfazed by uncertainty or lack of information. Manifested in ability to adapt life anywhere, make new things from scrap, and creative talent. Results in productivity, innovation, entrepreneurship, equanimity, and survival.
• Hard work and Industry

  Capacity for hard work when given proper conditions. Desire to raise standard of living and possess essentials for family stimulates hard work. Manifested in willingness to take risks with jobs abroad and working multiple jobs. Results in productivity and entrepreneurship for some, and survival despite poverty for others.
• Faith and Religiosity


  Deep faith in God. Innate religiosity enables comprehending reality in context of God's will. Filipinos live very intimately with religion, ascribing human traits to a supernatural God.
• Ability to Survive


  Manifested in capacity for endurance despite difficult times, and ability to get by on little. Summing up of other Filipino strengths.
• Weaknesses of the Filipino character

  • Extreme Personalism
  • Extreme Family-Centeredness
  • Lack of Discipline
  • Passivity and Lack of Initiative
  • Colonial Mentality
  • Kanya-Kanya Syndrome
  • Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection
• Extreme Personalism


  Filipinos view the world in terms of personal relationships, no distinction between objective task and emotional involvement. Manifested in tendency to give personal interpretations and need to establish personal relationships before any business/work relationship.
• Extreme Family-Centeredness


  Excessive concern for family creates an in-group that the Filipino is fiercely loyal to, to the detriment of concern for the larger community or common good. Manifested in using office/power to promote family interests, patronage, political dynasties, and protecting erring family members.
• Lack of Discipline


  Casual and relaxed attitude towards time and space, aversion to strictly following procedures, impatience, inability to delay gratification. Manifested in lack of self-precision, impulsiveness, poor time management, procrastination. Results in lack of standardization, quality control, use of shortcuts, inefficient work systems, violation of rules, and casual work ethic.
• Passivity and Lack of Initiative


  Tendency to wait to be told what to do, strong reliance on others, need for strong authority figure, high tolerance for inefficiency and poor service. Filipinos are too patient and long-suffering.
• Colonial Mentality


  Lack of patriotism and preference for foreign things. Alienation of elite from roots and masses, basic feeling of national inferiority that makes it difficult to relate as equals to Westerners. Results in cultural vagueness/weakness and susceptibility to modern mass culture.
• Kanya-Kanya Syndrome


  Selfish, self-serving attitude that generates envy and competitiveness towards others who have gained status or prestige. Manifested in crab mentality, personal ambition and drive for power/status insensitive to common good, and lack of sense of service in government bureaucracy.
• Lack of Self-Analysis and Self-Reflection

  Tendency to be superficial, satisfied with superficial explanations and solutions. Manifested in emphasis on form over substance, and satisfaction with rhetoric.