WESTERNIZATION AND IDENTITYCHARRIE MAY CASTROCEDRICK ABADINESDYLAN DIAZANDRE SANTOS

• CAUSE (A COUNTRY, PERSON, OR SYSTEM) TO ADOPT OR BE INFLUENCED BY THE CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, OR POLITICAL SYSTEMS OF EUROPE (SPAIN) AND AMERICA

WESTERNIZE

Spanish colonization was frank, if brutal.American colonization was more skillful, more subtle.

We Filipinos became in our own eyes not colonials but wards, not rebellious subjects but loving children. The colonizer was transformed by the alchemy of miseducation into a generous parent. Our anti-colonial struggle was interrupted and postponed. We must take it up once again. And one of the first battlefields must be our minds.

LACK OF CONSCIOUSNESSThe Westernization of the Filipino mind has dulled its perception of even worst aspects of Western exploitation and influence and has resulted in a crisis of identity.

The crisis of identity is so serious and difficult to resolve precisely because westernization is all over the place that time and so large that the Filipinos are unaware of their own lack of a national consciousness.

While other colonized countries in Asia previously developed there own civilizations or had been exposed to the great civilizations of the region, The Philippines did not enjoy a sufficiently developed pre-colonial society. Therefore it did not have the cultural defenses that other colonized people had.

The Spanish colonizers encountered scattered and fragmented communities based more or less on subsistence agriculture.

But on the whole, the scattered and primitive communities were easy prey to the invading Spaniards.

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STATIC VIEW OF CULTURE

STATIC VIEW OF CULTURERecent anthropological studies of certain Philippine ethnic minorities have given us additional insight into the general patterns of economic life and social organization Many presentations highlight the songs and dances of these tribes as representative of our rediscovered civilization. And also Do not Reflect a National Culture.

This effort appears to the premised on a static view of culture. It assumes that national culture merely awaits rediscovery and that the principal source of the people’s self-pride must be sough in the achievements of there their pre- colonial ancestors.

SOCIETY AND CULTURE

Over-stressing of this aspect of our cultural heritage may not only result in an exaggeration of its accomplishment but worse, could actually be considered a regressive move as it distracts our attention from a study of the struggles of our people against oppression and colonialism.The real base of Filipino culture must be sought in the continuing struggle of the people against colonial oppression.

The other colonizers largely confined themselves to trade; they did not have the same missionary zeal of the Spaniards who tried to conquer not only hands but also minds.

The theocratic nature of Spanish colonial administration greatly shaped the early course of the Philippine economic and cultural development.

ROLE OF THE FRIARS

THE SPANISH FRIARS WERE THE CRUCIAL ELEMENTS IN THE WESTERNIZING THE PHILIPPINE ARCHIPELAGO, AND IN SPREADING THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IN THIS PART OF THE WORLD. JOURNEYING WITH THE FIRST EUROPEAN EXPLORERS IN THESE ISLANDS IN THE FAR EAST, THEY CAME WITH THE INTENTION OF ESTABLISHING THE CATHOLIC RELIGION UNDER THE PATRONATO REAL OF THE KINGS OF SPAIN.

FRIARS• HE WAS INSPECTOR OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS AND OF TAXATION,

• PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF HEALTH

1) CHARITIES, OF URBAN TAXATION

2) STATISTICS

3) PRISONS FORMERLY

4) BUT LATELY HONORARY PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS

• HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE PROVINCIAL BOARD AND THE BOARD FOR PARTITIONING CROWN LANDS.

• HE WAS CENSOR OF THE MUNICIPAL BUDGET OF PLAYSCOMEDIES, AND DRAMAS IN THE NATIVE LANGUAGE GIVEN AT THE FIESTAS

• HE HAD DUTIES AS CERTIFIER, SUPERVISOR, EXAMINER, OR COUNSELOR OF MATTERS IN REGARD TO THE CORRECTNESS OF CEDULAS, MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS PRISON FOOD AUDITING OF ACCOUNTS, MUNICIPAL COUNCIL THE POLICE FORCE, THE SCHOOLS, AND THE DRAWING OF LOTS FOR ARMY SERVICE.

THEY DEMANDED STRICT RELIGIOUS CONFORMITY AND PROSCRIBED MANY ASPECTS OF NATIVE CULTURE AS PAGANISTIC AND CONTRARY TO CHRISTIANS TENETS, BUT BEYOND THIS THEY USED THEIR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC POWER IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SPIRITUAL CONTROL OVER THE MINDS OF THE PEOPLE TO DEVELOP COLONIALS WHO WERE BOTH SERVILE AND IGNORANT.

CULT OF CONFORMISMConformist - A person who conforms to accepted behavior or established practices

Instead of developing their initiative to improve their condition, the people were taught to regards suffering as a sign of god’s love and to rely on saying a prayer on behalf of another person rather than on their own efforts.

The people lived in fear of excommunication and it was not unusual for mothers to counsel their sons to leave the thinking to the priests lest they be branded troublemaker and worse, lose their souls.

INTELLECTUAL ISOLATIONFILIPINOS WERE HARDLY INTRODUCED TO THE WORLD OF IDEASONLY CHILDREN OF SPANIARDS WERE ALLOWED TO ACQUIRE A HIGHER EDUCATION. THOSE WHO WERE ABLE TO READ HAD ACCESS ONLY TO RELIGIOUS OR ESCAPIST LITERATURE INTENDED TO PROVIDE MORAL LESSONS.

THE ILUSTRADOS WERE ABLE TO GET A UNIVERSITY EDUCATION AND SOME WERE EVEN ABLE TO PURSUE FURTHER STUDIES IN SPAIN.FROM THEIR RANKS CAME THE WRITERS OF THE PROPAGANDA MOVEMENT, THE PURVEYORS OF THE IDEAS OF THE ENLIGHTENMENT.BUT THESE ILUSTRADOS WERE FOR ASSIMILATION WITH SPAIN AND REGARDED THEIR OWN HISPANIZATION AS EVIDENCE THAT THE FILIPINO DESERVE TO BE THE EQUAL OF THE SPANIARD.

MASS PERCEPTIONSFOR WHILE THE FRIARS WERE SHAPING THEIR MINDS’ THE PEOPLE WERE ALSO RECEIVING COUNTERING IT WITH SOMETHING OF EQUAL INFLUENCES FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH SPANISH OPPRESSION WHICH ERUPTED FROM THEIR OWN EXPERIENCES WITH SPANISH OPPRESSION WHICH ERUPTED FROM TIME TO TIME IN VIOLENT REVOLTS.MANY EARLY IMPULSES OF PROTEST CONTRA POSED THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE’S OLD GODS TO THOSE OF THE SPANISH DEITY. THUS THE MATERIAL CAUSES OF SUCH REVOLTS-TRIBUTE EXACTIONS, FORCED LABOR, ETC. WERE SHROUDED IN THE MYSTICAL GARB OF RELIGIOUS NATIVISM AND ANTI-CHURCH VIOLENCE.

THE INROADS THAT CATHOLICISM HAD MADE IN THE NATIVE CONSCIOUSNESS BECAME MORE AN MORE EVIDENT IN THE ADOPTION OF DEMAND FOR EQUALITY

THE ILUSTRADOS

-(Spanish for "erudite," "learned," or "enlightened ones"). constituted the Filipino educated class during the Spanish colonial period in the late 19th century. They were the middle class who were educated in Spanish and exposed to Spanish liberal and European nationalist ideals.

-Thought the Filipino masses would eventually be more militant and decisive than the ilustrados to join the revolution of the awakened masses, eventually take over its leadership and compromise it again and again.

EDUCATION AND PACIFICATION

PACIFY - BRING PEACE TO (A COUNTRY OR WARRING FACTIONS), ESPECIALLY BY THE USE OR THREATENED USE OF MILITARY FORCE

SPANISH COLONIALISM WESTERNIZED THE FILIPINO PRINCIPALLY THROUGH RELIGION.EDUCATION WAS UTILIZED AS A WEAPON OF PACIFICATION AND A VEHICLE FOR THE TRANSMISSION OF COLONIAL IDEALS THAT TRANSFORMED THE PEOPLE INTO NAIVELY WILLING VICTIMS OF AMERICAN CONTROL

DISTORIONS OF HISTORYONE PARTICULAR EXAMPLE OF MANIPULATION OF CONSCIOUSNESS THAT SHOULD BE MENTIONED IS THE DISTORTION OF THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY PERIOD OF AMERICAN OCCUPATION. ACCOUNTS OF THE YEARS OF FIERCE PEOPLE’S RESISTANCE, ACCOUNTS OF THE ATROCITIES PERPETRATED BY THE AMERICANS IN QUELLING THIS RESISTANCE WERE SUPPRESSED.

SOCIETY AND CULTURETHE AMERICANS WERE PORTRAYED IN THE SCHOOLS AND IN MEDIA AS ALTRUISTIC BENEFACTORS WHOM THE FILIPINOS HAD WELCOMED WITH OPEN ARMS. THE REVOLUTIONARY VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE OVER SPANISH COLONIALISM MARKED THE BEGINNING OF A NEW CULTURE – A CULTURE OF LIBERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS WAS A SHORT-LIVED GAIN.THE SUCCESS OF AMERICANIZATION GAVE THE FILIPINOS A STRONGER FEELING OF SUPERIORITY OVER THEIR ASIAN NEIGHBORS. AS CHRISTIANS, THEY HAD LOOKED DOWN UPON THE RELIGIOUS OF OTHER ASIAN PEOPLES AND REGARDED THEIR CUSTOMS AND CULTURE AS INFERIOR

COLONIALISM SPAWNED A LARGE PETTY BOURGEOIS SECTOR. SHOPKEEPERS, SALESMAN, PROFESSIONALS, GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, ETC. WERE THE PRODUCTS OF COLONIAL RELATIONS AND EDUCATION. THEY BECAME THE MOST AVID CONSUMERS OF AMERICAN GOODS; THEY WERE THE MOST WESTERNIZED IN ORIENTATION.UNDER SUCH CONDITIONS, IT IS NOT SURPRISING THAT THOUGHT WAS MINIMAL. THE DANGERS OF FOREIGN CONTROL WERE NOT DETECTED BECAUSE OF COLONIAL CONDITIONING.

GLOBAL CORPORATIONS AND CULTUREGLOBAL CORPORATIONS ARE ECONOMIC BODIES BUT THEIR OPERATIONS HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON THE CULTURE OF THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.THE DRIVE OF SUCH GLOBAL GIANTS IS TO CREATE NEW NEED, TO REDIRECT ATTITUDES, TO CHANGE VALUES SO THAT CONSUMPTION PATTERNS ARE EVOLVED WHICH WILL INCREASE THEIR SALES. NEEDLES TO SAY, THESE INFLUENCES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE INIMICAL TO THE NATIONAL WELFARE THAN OTHERWISE.

WE USED TO HAVE VERY LITTLE EMPATHY WITH LIBERATION MOVEMENTS.VICTIMS OF CULTURAL WESTERNIZATION, WE SUFFER A CRISIS OF IDENTITY AS WELL. THE RESOLUTION OF THIS CRISIS CAN BE AIDED BY A STRONGER IDENTIFICATION WITH THE THIRD WORLD FROM WHICH WE CAN LEARN VALUABLE LESSONS IN DEVELOPING A CULTURE OF OUR OWN AND IN BUILDING AN ECONOMY WHICH WE OURSELVES CONTROL.

POVERTY AND CULTUREWhat then is the concept of a national culture? It is not the glory of the past of which there was little. It is not only folklore; it is not only a revival of tradition.

True national culture is inextricably linked to the people’s needs, ideas, emotions and practices.

National literature, art, music, and all other forms of culture must therefore find their source and inspiration in the people’s activities and dedicate their achievements to the people.It is true that the poverty of the masses is a major cause of the poverty of their culture.

But a real people’s culture will constitute the negation of a culture that is merely an appendage of or an emanation from foreign cultures which obliterated our own pre-colonial and revolutionary traditions.

WESTERNIZATION AND IDENTITYEND OF THE SLIDETHANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION