Saturday, November 3, 2018

KULTURA


A. KOLEKTIBONG KULTURA

Lupang Hinirang” ang ngalan ng ating pambansang awit, awit na napagiisa ang mga mamamayan ng Pilipinas – kung saan ang pagbigkas ng “handa, awit” ay nagsisilbing palatandaang tigilan ang ginagawa at kumanta ng pambansang awit, habang inaalala ang kagitingan ng mga Pilipino para ipaglaban ang ating bansang Pilipinas. Ito ay kulturang masasabi nating sariling atin, isang uri ng sining na mananatili sa ating puso, tulad ng pagmamahal ng mga sinaunang Pilipino sa bansang ating sinilangan. Ang Lupang Hinirang ay produkto ng rebolusyon, isang matagumpay na rebolusyon. Ito’y unang narinig noong Hunyo 12, 1898 kung saan si Emilio Aguinaldo ay pinroklama ang Pilipinas bilang kauna-unahang republika sa Asya na malaya sa kanyang mansyon sa Kawit Cavite. Sa araw ring ito unang winagayway ang ating pambansang bandila. Noon namang 1956, ang opisyal na lyrics neto ay ginawa ng Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (Institute of National Language), na siya na ring ginagamit natin hanggang sa kasalukuyan.


Ang “Crab Mentality” o utak-talangka ay kaugalian kung saan ang isang taong nakakaangat ay hihilahin ng isa pang taong nasa ilalim. Ito ay pinaniniwalaang isa sa rason kung bakit mahirap umangat sa Pilipinas, tulad ng ekonomiyang naghihikapos, ang kaugalian rin ng ilang Pilipinong utak-talangka’y nagrarasong maging kapos ang taong umaangat, at ang walang ginagawa para umangat ay mananatili lamang nakatunganga’t nahila.

             Ang “Head Hunting” o pagpopotog ay isang tradisyon kung saan ang pagpatay, pagkuha ng ulo at pagpapangalaga  nito ay simbolismo ng katatagan. Ito rin ay kadalasang inaalay ng lalake sa mga kamag-anak ng babae para ipakitang ang lalake’y may kakayahang proteksyonan ang pamilya. Ang tradisyong ito ay naipatigil na alang-alang sa batas, kahit pinapahalagahan ang ating tradisyon.

Reflection Paper on “Life before Birth – In the Womb”


I. DESCRIBE (What was the video about?)
            The video entitled “Life before Birth – In the Womb” showcases different factors about what we’ve experienced, starting from when we were the smallest cell in the human body (sperm), and as we dived towards the largest cell in the body (human egg or ovum), up until we left the womb of our mothers. The foci of this audio-video presentation are not only on the stages, but what we mostly do in that stage – like pregnancy test/s or a simple yet  always considered ultrasound. Who would not love to witness how their child looks like in an early phase, right? It was entertaining, and made me as an audience understand the message clearly.
II. FEELINGS (How did it make you feel?)
I felt astonished about what “Life before Birth – In the Womb” has offered, considering the fact that there are a lot of processes involved in pregnancy which I surely am unaware – and never thought I will be interested on. I am aware of the span of normal pregnancy that regularly takes around nine months, but never have I been aware that there are a lot more factors to consider behind those nine months – like when did the heart grew and how it continuously pumped and enlarged other organs which is important for the physical growth. The audio-video presentation served as an eye opener for me to value both of my parents even more, as well as other parents for such a job well done. With pregnancy being a “life or death” situation for the mother, both of the couples fought determined for a new-born to be loved their whole life. I felt even more loved by my parents even though that is what they make me feel each and every day. Lastly, but surely not the least, I felt more blessed and thankful of what I am right now, and who I am, were and will be with – especially those who are present ever since I started my journey, my family.
III. ANALYZE (What is the sense of watching the video? What have you learned? What are your realizations?)
Everything has its sense, and for this case, it is awareness. We should be aware of pregnancy’s processes and pregnancy itself, so we are also able to acknowledge our strength and weaknesses and to be able make decisions that are purposeful for the sake of both the parents and the baby. In life, we should recognize our weaknesses, not just our strengths. Our weaknesses may hinder us in achieving a better “us” or in this case? – a better pregnancy. With literacy, we are able to keep the child in the womb healthy, protected and safe. We should develop our awareness at all times, with every chance given. I have learnt that there are different stages that correspond along with the weeks, and at first it just seemed simple but not anymore as the video presentation passed by.  I came to the realization that I am not appreciating people well enough, and it is something I should not only do, but WE should do. I believe parents did not gave birth for the sole purpose of being praised after giving birth, but gave birth because it was a choice, and an offspring of love.       
IV. CONCLUDE (What general and specific conclusions can you draw?)
With general and specific conclusions, I can draw that “Life before Birth – In the Womb” showcased our life inside the womb, and what our parents did while we are at our mother’s womb. I can also add to conclusion that with literacy and awareness, we can strive for the better and acknowledge the potentials of not just the people around us, but also ourselves.
V. ACTION (What action do you plan to do next time? Or so what? What’s next? or What will you do next time?)
After watching the audio-video presentation and constructing this paper, I plan to appreciate everyone even more, it might sound simple but it’s not. At first, I only managed to think about recognizing parents since it is about pregnancy, but now that I am in the last part of the paper, I want to highlight the fact that we should also recognize ourselves. Pregnancy without a surviving newborn would only cause angst on people involved, and here we are! We survived. Our responsibility should not end on leaving the womb safely, even though giving back all the blessings we attained is not considered a must, it’s never been wrong to love – so let’s love. I plan to raise awareness about the things we take for granted, and let joy prosper.

History

1. THE ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD HISTORY
1.1 What is the Etymology of the word History?
According to Steinmetz (2017), “History has evolved from an ancient Greek verb which means “to know,” says the Oxford English Dictionary’s Philip Durkin. The Greek word “historia” originally meant inquiry, the act of seeking knowledge, as well as the knowledge that results from inquiry. And from there it’s a short jump to the accounts of events that a person might put together from making inquiries — what we might call stories.”
1.2 What are the misconceptions of the Etymology of the word History?
History is linked most of the time with the word story, yet the original version of this word incorrectly describes the origins of the words “history” and “inquiry.” They do not share the same root word. Stories may be tales read in bedtime, plots of melodramatic soap operas or movies, and set of lies – even white lies. Histories, on the other hand, are records of remarkable events. As the linguistic divide has evolved since the Middle Ages, we have come to expect more from history — that it be free from the flaws of viewpoint and selective memory that stories so often contain.
1.3 How did people react regarding the Etymology of the word History?
Feminists declined the word history and raised awareness regarding the recognition of “herstory” during the 1970s, says Dictionary.com’s Jane Solomon “to point out the fact that history has mostly come from a male perspective.” The “his” in history has nothing, linguistically, to do with the pronoun referring to a male person.
1.4 How did History as a word evolve?

2. THE SOURCES OF HISTORY-
in history, there are two kinds of sources: primary sources and secondary sources. Both primary and secondary source data are used in research. new knowledge emerges from analysis of primary source data.
2.1 Primary sources
Primary sources are firsthand accounts or records of events in history, a direct data from an event or original source. These sources reflect the point of view of a participant or observer at a particular point of time, or a statement held officially. Data from a primary source is the ideal type of data to collect; the closer we can get to an original account of the target information or event the more accurate the information will be; It contains the original or raw evidence. The examples of these are personal records (letters, emails, diaries & daily planners), vital records (birth and death certificates & marriage licenses), literary manuscripts (novels, stories, poems, scripts, articles and books), institutional records (financial records, reports, meeting minutes, emails, memos, publicity materials, and newsletters), mass media (newspaper and magazine articles, published photographs, recordings of television and radio broadcasts, sheet music and music recorded for mass distribution, advertisements, books, and magazines), ephemera (theatre programs, posters for events, ticket stubs, political leaflets, and bumper stickers), artifacts (human-made or human-designed objects), oral histories(audio clips), photographs, and maps.
2.2 Secondary sources
Secondary sources typically include information where people begin developing initial understandings of a topic and literature reviews; it is based on primary sources. It was created later by someone who did not experience first-hand or participate in the events or conditions you’re researching. If you use a secondary source that was published decades ago, it is important to know what subsequent scholars have written on the topic and what criticism they have made about the earlier work or its approach to the topic. The examples of these are textbooks, essays, reviews, articles, criticisms and commentaries.
 3. THE STAGES OF HISTORY
3.1 Palaeolithic Stage(or Old Stone Age) - peoplestarted to use wood and stones at this stage.
3.2 Mesolithic Stage(or Middle Stone Age) - stones are more refined in this stage and the variety of stone equipments widen.
3.3 Neolithic Stage(or New Stone Age) - a stage wherein metals are used along with polished stones

4. THE PERIODS OF HISTORY
4.1 Ancient Period –8th century A.D; the Dark Ages, the birth and spread of Christianity and decline of Pagan empires; aggregate of past events from the beginning of recorded human history.
4.2 Medieval Period -8–18th centuries; start of crusades, renaissance, discovery of new world and the start of colonialism.
4.3 Modern Period –18th century up until today; comprised of colonial exploitation, industrial revolution, and many technological discoveries like steel and steam turbine.

5. THEORIES OF HISTORY
5.1 Marxist Theory - Socialism serves as the preparatory stage for Communism that aims for Utopia (perfect and classless society.
5.2 Feminist Theory - Men and women should be equal politically, economically and socially. “History” was scandalous and “herstory” as a word was fought for, for it shouldn’t only be about his story, but also hers.
5.3 Challenge and Response Theory - Albert Toynbee explained how civilizations rise and fall. He felt that traditional explanations – environment, race, leadership, possession of land, access to natural resources – were wrong or too narrow.
5.4 Cyclical Theory -History repeats itself; there is no real “progress.” This theory holds that history is a series of patterns that recur in different forms around the world.  Civilizations rise and fall, often for similar reasons.  Understanding history is about understanding patterns.
5.5Linear Theory - History is about progress. The world is constantly improving and heading in an ultimate direction.  There are no real repetitions in history, although they may appear to exist every once in a while.  This theory is heavily based on the idea of cause and effect: "this happened, and then that happened; that happened because this happened first.
5.6 Great Man Theory - Individual people and/or small groups of people, through the power of their character or intellect, determine the course of history.  This view of history was popular in the 19th century.  It is summarized by Thomas Carlyle’s quote, “The history of the world is but the biography of great men.
5.7 Everyman Theory - The world is shaped by the efforts of ordinary people, not small elite groups or individuals.  This theory holds that social groups and everyday people (e.g. farmers, merchants, religious figures) shape history.  To fully understand history, you must also understand the everyday lives of these groups.  One of the most well-known books that presents this viewpoint is Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States.
5.8 Geographic Theory – “Geography is destiny”.  The natural environment is a major determinant of history, determining the potential and needs of groups of people.  This theory is often associated with Jared Diamond’s Guns, Germs, and Steel, which argues that certain peoples are destined for greater success based on their geographic location and access to resources.
5.9 Ethno-history Theory - reflects the wide range of current scholarship inspired by anthropological and historical approaches to the human condition around the world, but with a particular emphasis on the Americas.
5.10 Economic Determinism Theory – suggests that economic forces determine, shape, and define all political, social, cultural, intellectual, and technological aspects of a civilization.

6. 2018 HISTORY MONTH'S THEME: "KASAYSAYAN: TUKLASIN, MAHALIN, PALAGANAPIN
History is a treasure we should keep and make use of; this is where we meet our origin and acknowledge people that sacrificed for the fatherland. Expedition and raised awareness is a must when it comes to history; it should never be something to be embarrassed of but should be something to be proud of – so we should express how we love it by letting other people aware, may it be Filipinos or not. I look forward to what history has in store for us, and eagerness should dwell. History is an adventure, we could dive inside of it, hike above it and enjoy whatever view it offers for it is surely something to gain a lot from; it is beautiful. It allows us to broaden our horizons and explore different cultures and ideologies. It feels great to learn how so many things are connected through history and that all of it affects the world.

7. IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING HISTORY AND RELEVANCE TO BEC
7.1Importance of studying History - History helps us understand change and how the society we live in came to be. By being aware about how rapid and constant change is, we could be a lot more open about how passive our environment looks but how active it could effect.  History is inescapable as a subject of serious study; the past causes the present and the future, and dreaming about the future requires recognition of the past.
7.2 Relevance of History in Bachelor of Early Childhood Education – As an early childhood educator in the near future, studying history could influence my teachings with my students. The data gathered from acknowledging lessons from the past could help me solve the problems I and the children would encounter may it be an academic one or not.

References:
http://time.com/4824551/history-word-origins/
https://libguides.madisoncollege.edu/primary
https://www.library.illinois.edu/village/primarysource/mod1/pg2.htm
http://nshslibrary.newton.k12.ma.us/CassellTheories
https://read.dukeupress.edu/ethnohistory
https://study.com/academy/lesson/economic-determinism-and-karl-marx-definition-                                   history.html
assets.cambridge.org/97805216/53053/excerpt/9780521653053_excerpt.pdf
https://www.quora.com/On-what-basis-is-ancient-medieval-and-modern-history-                                        classified-How-do-they-segregate-these-time-periods
https://www.thecompleteuniversityguide.co.uk/courses/history/7-reasons-to-study-                                    history/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_De_La_Salle_University#Early_history
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_early_childhood_care_and_education

Bago ko simulan ang sulating ito, nais kong balikan ang sinabi ni Julien S. Bourrelle sa dulong parte na “Challenge yourself to see the world in the perspective of others, challenge yourselves to be aware of your own biases, of your own expectations and in the way you perceive other people’s behaviour. If we all do these, we are going to solve some of the biggest challenges our societies and generations are facing.” Kadalasan nating nakakalimutang umintindi base sa sitwasyon ng ibang tao, at madalas lamang tayong nakabase sa iba’t ibang kadahilanan na nakakaapekto sa atin; tulad ng pagpapalaki, mga nakakasalamuha, relihiyon at kultura. Ikinamangha ko ang kaniyang pagsaad ng mga pagkukulang natin bilang isang indibidwal sa mga tao sa paligid natin, na kung iisipin ay isang kaisipang alam naman natin, ngunit hindi natin nagagawang madalas. Ngayon, tayo naman ay magpatuloy sa mga pakinabang at epekto ng pagiging positibo sa sitwasyon na siya ring ginawa ni Bourrelle.  Sa pananaw ko’y mayroong tatlong pakinabang ang pagiging bukas at positibo ukol sa kultura ng ibang tao, at ito ay ang paghahanda sa ating makinig, magsalita at matuto ukol na rin sa tao at kultura ng tao. Bago tayo maging positibo sa kultura, kailangan muna nating maging handa at tanggapin ang katotohanang may iba’t iba pang kultura, at hindi lang tayo ang mayroon nito. Pagkatapos nating maging maging handa ay makakayanan na nating makinig, magsalita at matuto hinggil sa aspetong ito. Ang epekto naman nito ay marami tayong matututunan sa iba’t ibang kultura at ating malalaman paano tayo mapapabuti kung tayo’y makikipaghalubilo, kasabay  ang katotohanang lahat ng kultura’y may ugat at pundasyong siguradong mayroon tayong mapupulot na mga aral. Kailangan nating isa-isip na walang saradong tao ang natututo. Ang kultura ay malaking impluwensiya sa buhay ng tao. Nakakaimpluwensiya ito sa pananaw, pinpahalagahan, pinaniniwalaan, inaasahan, kinasasayahan at kinatatakutan. Sa madaling salita, ang pagtanggap sa kultura ng isang tao ay pagtanggap na rin sa isang tao. Makakapagsimula ito ng pundasyon at makakapagpatibay ng relasyon. Sa pananaw ko’y dapat ikagalak natin ang pagaaral ng kultural na dibersidad, sa kagahilanang ang mga taong nagsasama-sama’t  nagkakaisa’y mga taong nakakatapos kaagad.