INTRODUCTION

This lesson provides an understanding of the

construction of the political self. It will explore different
levels of analysis of the different factors influencing MODULE 2.3
the development of the political self. Lessons will be
discussed using different social sciences perspectives
LESSON on the
and within the context of the Filipinos. Unpacking the Political Self
political self will help you examine and define your by: Rowena Gaspay-Fernandez
political identity.
Introduction
The goal of this lesson is to achieve the following: Intended Learning Outcomes

Motivation: You Lead Me This

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES Way
1. Describe the political self's nature, function, Lesson Proper
and origin.
What is Politics
2. Discuss the role of family, school, church,
media, government, non-government, and Development of Political
people's organizations in developing political Self and Political Identity
self and active citizenship. Factors that Shape the
3. Examine your self by creating self-portraits Political Self
made up of objects, symbols, or imagery The Political Self and
representing key elements of your political Active Citizenship
identity.
Application

So start learning more by doing the subsequent Bullet it

motivational activity. A Portrait of My Political
Identity

Rubrics

MOTIVATION References

YOU LEAD ME THIS WAY

Instructions:
1. In the boxes below, name at least four (4) persons whom you consider leaders.
2. Write at least two (2) characteristics that made you consider them as a leader.

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 LEADERS CHARACTERISTICS

He was well trained in

military affairs and
Napoleon Bonapartre
developed brilliant skills as
a strategist and leader of
men into battle

DO THESE LEADERS HAVE COMMON CHARACTERISTICS? HOW ABOUT

THEIR DIFFERENCES? KNOWING ABOUT GOOD LEADERSHIP
CHARACTERISTICS WILL HELP YOU CHOOSE A LEADER PROPERLY.
FURTHER, LEADERSHIP IS RELATED TO POLITICS. GAINING KNOWLEDGE
ABOUT THIS TOPIC WILL EQUIP YOU WITH MORE CRITERIA IN CHOOSING
YOUR FUTURE LEADERS.

LESSON PROPER
What is politics?

The English word "politics" derives from the Greek word and the title of Aristotle's classic work
politiká (Πολιτικά; affairs of the cities). It is defined as (1) the science of government and (2)
the activities of a political party. The word politics is a noun, while political is an adjective about
governmental affairs orpolitics.

Let us look at the varied definitions of politics. According to David Easton, politics studies
authoritative allocations of public values or society's resources. Another defined politics as a
social institution through which power is acquired and exercised by people and groups. While
Harold Laswell simply defines it as a study of who gets what, when, and how. Another
interesting definition by Robert Dahl states that politics are any persistent patterns of human
relationships that involve a significant extent of control, power, influence, and authority.
In general, politics is a set of activities associated with making decisions in groups or other
power relations between individuals. Politics work within a particular social, economic,
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historical, and cultural milieu.

How then our Political self developed?

Development of Political Self and Political Identity

Personal and social environmental factors affect the development of one’s political self. This is
best explained by the theory of social learning stating that an individual learns through
observation and imitation. In this case, personal experiences relevant to the exercises of
power, authority, inequality, and leadership within the person’s social environment affect the
development of the political self. Since the structure of society permeates politics, it influences
its people’s beliefs, ethics, and behavior. Observing societal events and power inequalities
greatly affects the construction of self-identity, which is the essential component of the political
self. Self-identity guides how the individual process and understand the information around the
individual. Consequently, political identity starts developing. The awareness of the politically
relevant events around the person triggers them to choose what to believe, stand with it, and
eventually participate in influencing others’ behaviors as well. In short, political identity is the
inner narrative of every individual’s political self (Walker and Iverson, 2015).

Factors that Shape Political Self

Three levels of analysis of these factors shape the political self: individual, institutional, and
community.

Individual Factors: The First Level

Individuals' attitudes and values shape the political self. These attitudes and values are rooted
in the individual's philosophical standpoint. The existence of dualistic beliefs in a person's
philosophy influences his/her behavior and valuing of self and others. Dualism in a political
context highlights the contradiction between self-interest and the good of the community. The
two, self-interest or community, will significantly nourish depending on which receives more
reinforcement. Hence, positive and negative reinforcement is essential in developing attitudes
and values toward self and others.
Furthermore, political attitudes change due to (1) events that
sweep the nation and (2) involvement in service-oriented
activities. One of the events in Philippine history that
changed many Filipinos' political attitudes was the EDSA
Revolution. During this time, even the ordinary citizen, the
timid and restricted, stood up and learned to fight. Moreover,
a person's involvement in community works and services
becomes an avenue to develop the desire to serve and help

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the people. Consequently, the desire to lead the people motivates them to run for a
government post. Thus, the surrounding events the individual witnessed or participated in
changed his/her political attitudes.
Institutional Factors: The Second Level

Several institutional factors that shape a person's political identity are family, school, church,
media, government, non-government, and people's organizations. Let us discuss how these
factors contribute to the development of the person's political self.
Family

The family is the first institution where individuals learn

political hierarchy. In the traditional family structure, parents
hold power and authority. The father is at the top of the
hierarchy, followed by the mother. Also, the hierarchy of
power and authority is observable among the children.
Although nowadays, this hierarchy of power also changes due
to changes that occur in society. This hierarchy influences
every member of this family.
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political identity. Children are taught the basic human values of

honesty, love, discipline, and respect for others in the family, which is essential in how they
deal with other community members. Although, there are instances where notions of
community are confined to the family and the concept of public good tends to be left out of
family values. It is reflected in filial piety, political dynasties, the "kuyog system," and the
like.

Meanwhile, in some cases, authoritarian practices in the family impede the independent thought
of its members. In the Philippine context, kinship affiliation's primordial nature hampers
developing a sense of community and the public good. Consequently, nepotism is evident in
varying degrees in different institutions in the country.
School

The school has a role in teaching nationhood and its

associated values. It is supported by the study of Idrisa et al.
(2012), which reflects the school's contribution to national
identityformation. When someone's national identity is formed,
the desire to serve the country follows. For example, the
citizen’s army training (CAT) was once included in the
secondary curriculum which contributed to the development
of the national and political identity of the students during
that time.
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From the primary to the collegiate level, simple political exercises in school include selecting
class officers, choosing student representatives, forming student organizations, and the
student government's election. Also, some play of politics in a Parent-Teacher Association
may be observed. Hence, there is no doubt that school is one of the influencers in developing
the individual's political self.
Church

Although the Philippine Constitution states that "the

separation of church and state is inviolable" (Article II, section
6), it cannot be denied that there were times when that
boundary was crossed. It is why the church is considered
one factor that influences the development of the political
self. In the case of some churches, for example, they
periodically issue pastoral letters that deal with social
realities as discerned in the context of the gospel. Also, most
of us know that there are church leaders who openly support
political parties and leaders during the election period wherein members are influenced by their
choices. Some church leaders even lead their people to join rallies and the like. Their
expressions might differ from secular ones but contribute to an individual's political awareness
and political self.
Media

In the Philippine context, the media's power in shaping

citizens' political minds is very evident. Are you not asking
yourself why politicians spend much money on political ads
and media exposure? Can you also observe that keyboard
warriors' presence is rampant on various social media
platforms nowadays?

These days, winnowing legit and fake political news is very challenging. It now requires
extraordinary skills in the validation process before we uncover the truth. This fake news
makes or breaks the political careers of giant political personalities. Why do they do these
things? People behind these activities recognized the influencing power of media. Thus, media
is one of the most valuable tools and easiest ways to shape (or manipulate) citizens' political
minds. Try to recall the most recent presidential election. Through different social media
platforms, the political participation of individuals from different walks of life was elevated. The
people watched television programs advancing intelligent voting, and the debate was carried
out on other media platforms.
On the other hand, the media also has the power to shape one's mind through its positive and
negative portrayals of citizenship. It provides venues for discussing issues and exposing
anomalies in public affairs. The interplays of these political realms influence the development
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of the political self by directly or indirectly encouraging active citizenship.
Government

Another factor that influences the development of one’s political identity is the government.
The government prescribes official programs such as state-run elementary and high school
curricula. The basic education curriculum's approval is an important role of the government
because it lays the foundation of a good citizenry. The sense of patriotism, nationhood, and
citizens' obligations, rights, and duties could be developed and strengthened if they were
reflected in the government-prescribed curriculum.
The government provides frameworks and the social
environment for exercising rights and fulfilling social
obligations. Guidelines are set by the government and lead its
people to follow these guidelines, enjoy their rights, and be
productive citizens. It is an example of following the
guidelines for voter registrations, exercising the voter’s
rights, and the like. Voter registration is a prerequisite for a
Filipino to exercise his/her political right.
Non-Government and People's Organizations

They utilize non-formal expression and decision-making venues that influence government
and private sector policymakers. These organizations engage in value formation in their
leadership training seminars on gender sensitivity and others. Involvement in NGOs and
people's organizations develops one's civic consciousness. These organizations bridge the
lapses that the government overlooks within the community. This is exemplified through the
participation in signature campaigns (i.e., issues on using coal power plants, etc.)

Community Factors: The third level

The degree (or lack) of identification with the nation depends,

among others, on the type of community to which one belongs
and the extent to which it is served by, or benefits from, an
instrument of the state. Take, for example, an individual who
grew up in a community that ignores the laws. He/she will
eventually do the same in his/her adult life. There were
communities whose consciousness was filled with a
heightened desire for inclusivity. In this case, the probability of
molding its people insisting on their political rights will be relatively high. Individuals' political
self also depends on their community and their association and embodiment with their
community.

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Religion

The perspective that the Philippines is the only Christian country in Asia connotes that all
Filipinos are Christians. However, there are other religious organizations in the country. It is
one of the causes of political conflict and a divide between Christians and Muslims. These two
communities (Christians and Moslems) produced two different political identities.
Moreover, religious communities actively exercise their political rights (such as voting) while
others do not. Of course, individuals affiliated with whichever religious group are expected to
embody their religious community's beliefs, thus affecting the construction of their political self.
Language

It is basic knowledge for every Filipino that English is the medium for almost all transactions
(official and private). How can this affect the construction of the political self? Because it is not
the vernacular language for many, those who cannot effectively use or communicate with this
language tend to choose not to speak and fight for their rights. For example, when the
ancestral land of our IPs (indigenous people) is taken away from them because they were
fooled to give their thumb marks on a piece of paper (land title), language hampers them to
fight for their rights. In the first place, the land title uses a language that they cannot
understand. That is why they are taken advantage of by greedy people. Even the common
people who cannot converse in English tend to be restricted from exercising their rights and
settle on the idea that it is the consequence of their limited education. However, in this
context, initiatives promote our vernacular language in public spaces (i.e., court hearings,
education settings, senate hearings) and documents.

After knowing the different factors shaping the political self of every individual, let us now
discuss how it enhances active citizenship.

The Political Self and Active Citizenship

One’s political beliefs develop a sense of accountability as a citizen.

On being an active citizen, accountability is manifested in different
ways such as promoting certain advocacies, exercising political
rights, fulfilling social obligations, etc. This captures the essence of
active citizenship wherein the citizen engages and participates in
political processes in society such as decisions that can affect the
life in the community. Social requisites are the requirements (i.e., guidelines, programs,
activities, and the like) necessary to fulfill social obligations as citizens. The absence or
presence of these social requisites for exercising citizenship and democracy affects the
individual's commitment to abide by the law; thus, it affects a person's political identity. For

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example, clear guidelines for taxation are needed for the citizens to pay taxes. It explains why
people ask for clear guidelines whenever new laws, ordinances, and the like are
implemented. It should be clear to the citizens what, when, and how to abide by these laws or
ordinances. The absence of clear guidelines affects its implementation as well as the
adherence of the citizens.

Active citizenship will benefit you and the society. An active citizen is a
good citizen, which is the foundation of a good society. Do you want to
be a good citizen? Begin by inculcating and applying what you have
learned.

APPLICATION
List at least three of your leadership attributes and consider the factor/s that influence its
development.
(1)

(2)
(3)

BULLET IT!

Summarize your learnings into three points. Give three statements summarizing
everything you have learned from this module.

❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
❖ ____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
__

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 A PORTRAIT OF MY POLITICAL IDENTITY

Create a self-portrait made up of objects, symbols, and/or imagery that represent

key elements of your political identity. Provide a brief explanation of the portrait
highlighting the key elements.

You can create these self-portraits using whatever medium you choose (i.e., graphic
software on the computer, magazine cut-outs, drawing, 3-D sculpture, modeling
clay etc.).

GUESS WHAT
The next topic will be about the self formed due to one’s interactions in the digital world. This
self is called _ _ _ _ _ _ _ self.

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RUBRICS for A Portrait of My Political Identity Activity
CRITERIA Needs Sufficient Excellent
Improvement
86 – 94 pts 95 – 100 pts
76 – 85 pts
Content There are, at most, More than two More than two learned
Comprehensiveness two learned learned concepts concepts are presented
concepts are presented and utilized. The
50%
presented and and utilized. The presentation of content
utilized. presentation of shows critical and
content merely reflective thoughts.
shows logical
organization but
is not reflective.
Presentation of The portrait is The portrait is
Artwork 30% almost meaningful and clearly
meaningless. It and logically reflects the
does not reflect key elements of political
the key elements identity as intended.
of political identity
as intended.
Organization of There are many There are a few There are minor to no
Explanation 20% grammatical grammatical grammatical issues. The
issues. Its issues. The flow flow of thoughts is clear.
readability is of thoughts is at The presentation of
problematic. least easy to ideas is logical.
follow.

REFERENCES
Idrisa, F., Hassana, Z., Ya'acoba, A., Gillb, S.K., & Awalc, N.A.M. (2012). The role of
education in shaping youth's national identity. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences,
59, 443 – 450.

Walker, M. & Iverson, E. (2015). Identity development and political self-regulation in

emerging adult political attitudes and behavior. Emerging Adulthood, 1 - 8.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/2167696815585052

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