“Filling Up the Empty Shell describes how a freak engineering guy was able to acquire a Sociological imagination throughout the GE course, Socio 10.”
From Numbers to Imagination
Carl had been taking EEE subjects for four semesters. Everything he thought about before he goes to bed was all about electricity, integrals, derivatives, current, and voltage. As an internet addict, he read blogs of people who were able to expound their ideas about the societies and their relationships with others. He asked himself, “Is it still possible to write something good if everything that comes out from my mouth is math?”
The first day of Socio 10 marked the advent of the answer to his question.
“Yes.”
The first reading made his head twist so much. “Man’s life is full of traps” was too conclusive to his point of view. He asked himself, “What are the bases of these assertions? How do sociologists conduct their studies?”
As an engineering student, he was trained, together with his colleagues to arrive with answer with a proper way of solving the problem, providing proofs and bases of the solutions. With that, it was so difficult for him to accept the theories of Durkheim, Marx, and Weber.
To solve Carl’s problem, he had to discuss his lessons with his friends, namely, Jill Te and Ruth Henson, BS-Sociology and BS-Political Science majors, respectively. Good thing he had nice friends – they explained little by little the concepts of Sociology. This is the most difficult part of Sociology that he was having difficulty with, grasping the concepts.
Every day, before he gets to the classroom, he always talked to Ruth to have a broad idea of the topic that was about to be discussed. And this is the life changing moment – his new eye was opened, the Sociological Imagination.
Getting Excited: Enlightenment to Feminism to Gender to Patriarchy
It was a simple message that registered to his mind. We have to create a subject from the issues in our society to provide optional solutions.
To be honest, he didn’t get the broad message of the Enlightenment Project. However, he focused on the subject of Feminism that was the topic assigned to him and his group to report in class. His main problem was on how to expand the very specific explicit answer to a question. And that answer was the compassionate part of a woman being removed from her in order to say a woman is a rational being. His group mates didn’t know what to do so he delved into his mind the following: discussions from other GE subjects, issues that are conversed through rallies and media. In the end, it all went fine especially when he opened up the topic about the Patriarchal society, rooting from Feminism.
He bravely told the class during the report the reason why there are practices such as genital mutilations. He thought this statement: these practices that are done by women are just products of the Patriarchal society.
He knows Patriarchal society was influenced by the social institutions, but he believes that it was greatly influenced by religion since most religions’ symbols of their supreme beings are men.
Another view to these practices is Gender Issues. Perhaps Carl was lucky in class to be one of those who have a background on sexuality as a study. He did take Pan Pil 19 and Soc Sci 3 when he was in second year. That gave him an advantage to understand the meaning of gender implicitly presented in Socio 10 class.
Sexuality is the aspect of life that encompasses through time with our social, spiritual, cultural, and biological lives. Sex is either male of female basing on the reproductive organ one has. Gender, on the other hand, is fluid, changing through time (J. Butler), and it is a performance.
Clearly, the practices said above are included in the issues of gender. A city woman may be concerned with an African girl’s mutilation, but it isn’t enough to be concerned and intervene. Both of them may be biologically women but they perform their gender differently.
The class’s discussion on gender extended to the satis that are burned to death for them to follow their late husbands. Question: Are we allowed to intervene? Still now, it’s a big fuss if people who may be considered great thinkers are allowable to intervene.
Are You a Filipino?
Somehow Carl thought the discussions on being a Filipino are overlook, especially Socio 10’s description is focused on that subject matter.
During the discussion on nationhood, he started to feel awkward with his classmates’ answers on what makes a person Filipino. The values that were suggested were too Lola Basyang – meaning, it was a long time ago when those values were evident wherever in our country (i.e. bayanihan, being hospitable, close family ties, being respectful, and the like).
He said, “Kung ganyan lahat ng mga Pilipino, ang saya di ba?” For him, Filipino’s attributes changes with the modern world.
In the very beginning of the history of Filipinos, there existed neo-colonialism that drastically erases our practices and nationhood.
Now, it is very undeniable that we praise foreign goods, products, services, and artists. We have the mentality of admiring foreign luxuries and beauty. I mean, who doesn’t want a Chanel or Louis Vuitton bag?
Frustrated Journalist
For three days, the class watched documentaries from Prentice Hall and GMA’s i-Witness. Carl took the subject matters seriously to the point he had kunot-noo whenever an issue is presented, especially that of Sa Mga Mata ni Ekang.
“This is the real world,” Carl said to himself. “Does the innocent child deserve to have a life like that?”
One point, he imagined himself making documentaries since he is a video blogger in YouTube and Multiply. He wanted to deviate from the usual cool and teenage stuff he had been blogging about. He considered delivering a rich content video that relays the truth usually overlooked by many city people.
“Only Sociology can nudge my mindset and career in blogging. Ha-ha!” He thought.
Globalization equals Singapore
Carl gave his letter of excuse to his teacher on the last Tuesday of the class. It said there that he was scheduled to tour Singapore. He guessed it was so timely because their topic was about globalization. Before anticipating to travel, he read his readings and answered the take-home quiz. It was even his first time to submit homework online.
For him the concept of globalization is the interconnectedness of countries and their mixing of culture and research. There are good and bad sides of globalization, but either way, it is inevitable for globalization to intensify.
On May 14, 2009, he arrived at Singapore and saw the BIG difference from the Philippine environment. The Lion City was so litter-free. Everything was hi-tech. He assumed he travelled through time to year 2050!
It was very had to differentiate Chinese from Singaporeans. Moreover, the country is diversified with different nationalities. There were Malaysians, Indians, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, Americans, British, Japanese, Taiwanese, and everything else. Carl thought, this is one aspect of globalization.
He thought Singapore is the epitome of a globalized world – Different people interacting, acquisition of technology, hiring engineers from different countries, and attracting tourists to visit. The only weird thing was that he cannot see the sense of nationality since no trace of culture (i.e. festival) was seen.
Carl guesses while touring, he had to keep in mind the lessons he was missing that time. He was so lucky because he got to experience the hands on than the theory. By visiting another country, he understood more the different issues in that area on a global scale.
Finale
Now that Sociology 10 has come to its conclusion, He can say that he is able to appreciate non-tangible things that he experiences. Isn’t it cool to be able to understand why his friends fight? Ha ha! Kidding aside, Carl feels the change that happened to him.
He learned a lot from this course. Reciting every now and then in class helped him to be expressive for his thoughts to be understood clearly.
This is Carl’s last GE course. He enjoyed one month full of knowledge experience.
