noahregino-blog

[noahregino-blog]

Antigone showed the story of a girl from a high class society going against a dictator. It showed how one individual can take action against injustice in her own way.

As a student of Ateneo, the best thing I can do to fight injustice in my own way is to train myself to be a future leader of the country. Although I cannot rebel against dictators like Antigone, I can try my best to shape our country as a leader, not making the same mistakes previous leaders did.

I can apply topics like habitus, socialization, and globalization in order to understand the context of our people and do what is best for them. I need to prioritize on doing the most good I can do.

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Integration Post

Before taking up SocSc 11, I was not really familiar with what Social Sciences was. Coming from the STEM strand in high school, social sciences was barely taken up. Through SocSc 11, I was given a sneak peek of what it really is. It showed me the importance of understanding once’s self in order to understand society. It started with topics which focus on us as individuals, such as our emotions and identities, before moving on to topics about how we interact with others, such as family and peer relationships.

SocSc 11 showed me how we are as individuals affects how we are as a society. It taught me how globalization, socialization and digital spaces affect our interactions with one another constantly evolve. It also showed me how our autonomy as individuals has its advantages and precautions. The course emphasized on the value of individuality and interconnectedness of humans.

Lastly, I was also able to know more about myself. Through the course, I was able to evaluate my own emotions and connections, and see how I can improve on my current state in order to be a better person. It showed me what I need to value more as an individual and how I can improve on my interactions with society.

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BINHI Paper

For my Binhi experience, I was assigned to the Buklod ng Kababaihan, a women sector based in Olongapo comprised of former and current victims/survivors of trafficking and prostitution. I honestly didn’t know what to feel about Binhi since this is a sector in society I am very unfamiliar with. I guess I was slightly curious due to the unfamiliarity, but I didn’t know what to expect. During Binhi, Buklod basically educated us on their organization and the matters they deal with. They also openly shared their own personal experience and insights. After the experience, I became more familiar and educated about Buklod and their advocacies.

The members of Buklod were very open, personal and emotional when it came to sharing their experiences. They had a sense of unity an togetherness among themselves. They even run the organization with their own money and with donations since they are no longer supported by the government. They value action and education as they actively educate others, like students from Ateneo, in order to spread their advocacy. This habitus stems from them being survivors/victims of the crimes they are against. They don’t want this to happen to anyone else, thus taking action. Most members are also part of the lower class. Thus, they have to depend on each other in order to keep the organization running. Their value for educations comes from the lack of familiarity many people have with the issues they handle.

Being from the upper middle class, I was not that familiar with the struggles they encountered. Most of the things I think about stem from my education in Ateneo. Despite coming from very different backgrounds, I do not have any prejudice against people like the members of Buklod. My mindset was what I do everyday should lead towards making the world better for people like them.

My habitus and the habitus of the members of Buklod are very different. We have different backgrounds, preferences, mindsets, etc. This stems from having different contexts and opportunities. Despite having less, Buklod was still able to do more for the good of the country. They priorities focus more on others while I focus more on myself.

Lastly, the issue of injustice is also present in the experiences of Buklod. People who contribute to the injustices they suffer from are rarely brought to justice. This shows how flawed our justice system is. The victims themselves have to take action just to prevent the injustice from happening or getting worse. This is something the future leaders of our country need to reflect on in order to make world a better place, especially for the marginalized.

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Offline and Online Identities

While offline, I try to preserve a good image of myself. This is because I carry my family’s name and my school’s name. Tarnishing my image would also tarnish the image of these institutions. However, while online, I am more free to express myself due to anonymity. I don’t have to worry too much about the image of myself I create since I not everyone necessarily knows or judges me online.

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Reflection # 5: Socialization and the Self

Looking at the two descriptions of myself, there are a lot of similarities between them. These similarities include my annoyingness, assertiveness, and dependableness. The only difference is how we view my seriousness. I don’t think I’m a serious person but my friend said there are times when I’m demanding and conscious.

Based on the two descriptions, his perception of me is not far from how I perceive myself. Despite this only being the looking glass self, I still strive to be like this since it is something that is very positive not just for me but for my friends. I am not like this because they want or perceive me to be like this, but because I think it’s the best I can be to do the most good.

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Reflection # 4: Caring for the Self Project

Through this simple project, I was able to put a smile in my classmates’ faces and hopefully inspire them to continue doing their best in college. This also put a smile in my own face. Caring for others has always been something that brings joy to my life. The simple act of giving sweets to my classmates with an inspirational message not only brought me joy but also inspired me to continue caring for others.

This activity made me realize that in order to increase your positive affect, you don’t necessarily need to only think about yourself. Often times, trying to increase the positive affect of others can also increase your own. This shows how we are all interconnected as humans.

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Reflection #3: Gratitude Journal

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Reflection #2: Infographic of my basic emotions

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Reflection #1: Hybrid Identity

As a person who has experienced both cultures for a significant amount of time, my hybrid identity consists of elements from Western culture, such as independence and patriotism, and Filipino culture, such as respect for elders and taking care of parents. Not all elements in these cultures have positive effects. Some even conflict with each other. In order to resolve this, I try to apply the best and more positive elements from each culture and apply them in my life.