Finalizing the 'Isms'

As a review, we have already discussed three 'isms.'  

The first was approaches or perspectives to the study of politics:  Institutionalism (Traditionalism), New Institutionalism, Behaviorlaims, Post Behavioralism, Post Modernism (Constructivism), and Rational Choice.

Second, political ideologies: we've covered a general idea on Communism and Socialism in the prelim period, and recently discussed Conservatism and Classical Liberalism.  Mind you, there are many more ideologies such as Fascism, Ecologism, and Libertarianism.  Even Democracy is in itself an ideology.

As an activity on political behavior and ideologies.  Please take the political compass test and know the truth about your Politico-economic colors.  Please answer the test as you do a psych test.  Answer the first tendency of your behavior, no mulling over the topics.  Once you get the results, try to look back on what you answered?

Last for this lecture are the International Relations Theories or Perspectives.  Similar to the approaches, they are ways to look at the international world.  They are ways to approach a situation where international actors are involved, and they are also like ideologies of political actors.  Since they are like ideologies, knowing them can be a tool on how to deal or interact with them.  

An important thing to note.  International Relations is the general area of international politics.  The former simply deals with the relationships and interactions between international actors.  The latter, as supported by Hans Morgenthau (Father of Realism), though focuses on relationships defined by power.  

International Relations from another sub-discipline of political science.  Other sub-disciplines include; comparative politics, political science research, and political theory.  Under International Relations, you will have future courses on international Conflict Resolution, International Political Systems, International Political Economy, and Global Environmental Politics.

The theories below are general theories and there are a number of thinkers and scientists who have written works on these topics.

Realism

The perspective that since the international community is similar to the state of nature, then it's every political actor for himself and the main tool for survival is power.  Hans Morgenthau even went as far as to claim that the ethics of international relations is defined by the state's survival.  That a decision usually thought of as morally wrong, e.g. betraying an ally, would be realistically moral as long as it is done for the survival of one's state.  

Slaughter (2011) classifies realists into two camps.  Aggressive and Defensive.  The goal of both is the survival and welfare of their states.  An Agressive Realist though would strive to achieve to become a hegemon, etymologized from Greek, which means "superpower."  A Defensive Realist though would want to achieve a Balance of Power.  The state of the world when several superpowers cancel each other out and thus cause no threat.

Structuralism

The institutionalism of the international world.  It can also be used interchangeably with the same name.  It also believes in the existence of global anarchy and thus focuses on state survival.  However, as a way to approach this, an Institutionalist or Structuralist would want to create institutions, believing them to be the means to balance the chaos.  Structures take the form of international institutions, such as; EU, ASEAN, MERCOSUR, Pacific Alliance, NATO, and the United Nations.  A founding value to these is the principle of Reciprocity also know as Quid pro Quo (something for something).  Somewhat similar to utang na loob or debt of honor.  This principle is followed by most states in the practice of diplomacy, you scratch my back, I scratch yours.

Liberalism

Liberals have a loose idea on the world being anarchic or orderly.  However, they all believe in the human capacity for rational thought.  And in contrast to the previous two, balances the interests of the individuals to the interests of the state.  Hence, similar to what Kant thought, that a democratic state would not go decide to start a war because it will put the wellbeing of its citizens in danger.  And would only go to war to defend itself.  Liberals also believe in upholding justice, but not through aggression but through peaceful means such as mediation and institutions such as the International Court of Justice (which tries states)  and the International Criminal Court (which tries individuals). 

Constructivism

Constructivism is the approach of approaches.  it is the creation of and understanding of constructs.  Take for example the concept of rights and values.  Rights originated from Rome.  It's a privilege to all citizens.  When the Americans went into Japan at the end of the second World War, they crafted a new constituion for the Land of the Rising Sun.  However, the Japanese did not easily accept the document, in contained Western constructs such as Rights.  In Japan, there were no rights until that time.  Before, what a person enjoys is a privilege granted by the Emperor.  Similarly, the concept of Barbarians originated in Greece.  It is rooted from bar bar their colloquial way of saying gibberish.  Which is how they described anyone who did not speak the Greek language,   Values are also constructed relatively.  East and Southeast Asian leaders have capitalized on the political term 'Asian value.'  Saying that values of the Asian states are different to that of the west.  A counter rhetoric to the west's democratic stance against authoritarian rulers.  These rulers even came to abuse this rhetoric saying that Asians value the community over the individual, and any individual who spoke against authoritarian rulers soon 'disappeared' for threatening the state.

  

Critical Approaches / Theories

This group is a hodge-podge of theories.  It is a stand against the existing institutions, values, systems of the world.  Among them include ecological criticisms to multinational corporations, Marxist criticisms to imperialist states and multinational corporations, and feminist criticisms to patriarchy.   

English School

This particular approach is a perspective that gives values to understanding history.  A very basic teaching that understanding the past can help understand conflicts, and can provide strategies in dealing with present or future problems. 

As an attendance.  I want you to describe a scene in any of the films that we watched through one of the perspectives.

Also, 

Take the Political Compass Test and get your certificate.

https://www.politicalcompass.org/

Reference:

Slaughter, A. (2011). International Relations, Principal Theories. Retrieved from Princeton: https://www.princeton.edu/~slaughtr/Articles/722_IntlRelPrincipalTheories_Slaughter_20110509zG.pdf

Comparative Politics Lecture for POL 3211 November 15, 2019

Before we begin, some important reminders.

For your paper.

A paper is not a series of paraphrases and quotes placed in a sequential order.  Only nonserious students do this. 

A paper instead is a set of sequenced paragraphs that you personally composed.

You write it because there is something that you are trying to say to the reader.

You write it because you have knowledge of the topic.  You are not John Snow who knows nothing.

And since you are trying to say something, it is possible that not everything you know was personally discovered by you.  For example, if you say that Manila is now clean of garbage.  Did you come to know that in person?  Or is it because it's in the news? 

The former, you write it experientially.  Going through Manila, one can observe that it is now clean in comparison to a few months ago.  Notice I didn't use 1st person perspective, thus making it objective.

The latter, you will have to cite. 

De Castro (2019) reported that Manila is now clean of garbage. 

Or - Manila is now clean of garbage (2019). 

Or - Manila Bulletin documented that Manila is now clean of garbage (De Castro, 2019). 

Or - Manila is now clean of garbage (De Castro, 2019). 

Or - Manila Bulletin (De Castro, 2019) stated that Manila is now clean of garbage (De Castro, 2019). 

Or - De Castro (2019) in the Manila Bulletin documented that Manila is now clean of garbage (De Castro, 2019). 

There are many ways to place the citation.  There are many ways to report a statement.  Or to paraphrase or precis. 

Remember to use headings and sub-headings.

Remember to communicate well.  One sentence = one idea.  More ideas, add sentences.  Transition them.

One paragraph - oned idea composed of several sentences.

If your paragraph reaches half the page.  There's probably over one idea there already.

Don't make it difficult for your reader.

Especially when the person reading will be grading.

Especially when you want to be published or recognized for your work.

Writing arguments is in your career track, whether it be for law school or any other profession after you graduate with your degree.

Don't settle for 'pwede na.'  That's mediocre. 

On with the lesson.

Comparative politics is our disciplines' version of experimentation.  It is both a method of analysis and a sub discipline of political science.  As a method, it was originally proposed by John Stuart MIll.  And in his method of analysis, he gave us three modes.  

1. Analyzing similarities
2. Analyzing differences
3. Analyzing similarities and differences

These three can be considered as general principles through which we can compare states and and various political phenomenon to understand or arrive at new political concepts, theories, and laws.

Another important principle to note is that we can only compare "things that are similarly situated."

This does not mean that they shouls be the same things or equally the same.  Bu there should at least one category to which they can be both be classified.

For example, you are trying to study Federalism.  That's actually my M.A. thesis.  There are more than Federal states across the globe that can be counted in two hands.  So, can you just compare any federal state?

For one, my theory is that federations can lead to economic development.  Another is that a federation can lead to better management of national territory.  ANd finally, that a federation can help manage cultural differences within a territory.

Hence I looked for model states.  Federal, and able to accomplish those three.  My own adviser also suggested to select the most senior among them to use experience as a qualification.

With that I ended up with:  U.S., Canada, Germany, Australia.  And I compared them to the Philippines, to which I intended to apply Federalism.  Of course we can't just experiment with the Philippine government, hence the use of the comparative method.

The Philippines may not be federal.  But it has similar situations with those states.  The republic, along with the other four have cultural fractures, and .the territory might not be the same in size, but they all have the same quality of being in need of management.  USA and Canada share the North American continent between them in terms of size.  Australia is one entire continent.  Germany is the smaller, but it has had cultural fractures not to mention that there was no Germany before, only Germanic tribes.  And the Philippines is composed of more than 7,000 islands.  All these require a government that can fit the job of managing these.  All four federal states are economically well off.  The Philippines is not.  And that is one of the benefits that I intended to get for the republic.

As a sub-discipline, there are two questions involved:

1. Why do we compare? and
2. What do we compare?

For the 1st, the answer are the following:

1. To contextually describe.
2. To classify.
3. To test hypotheses.
4. To predict outcomes.

The four answers give us the four approaches of comparative research.  Contextual description describes a political actor or phenomenon.  Imagine yourself a scientist exploring rain forest of the Amazon and finding a new animal or plant.  You observe it and document it and find out the characteristics of what makes itr what it is.  Applied to political science, you have a state, can you describe it a state?  What makes it what it is?  Contextual description does not propose theories.  It just describes something, it is best in creating concepts.

Classification is a bit more advanced.  It still belings to the area of creating concepts, but is already the beginning towards making theories or hypothesizing.  Classification dates back to as Early as Aristotle and Plato.  But ask yourselves, are there better classifications?  Landman, in Issues and Methods in Comparative Politics, features S.E. Finer as having a better classification of governments than Plato's and Aristotles.

From the classification, and the characteristics of states, one can actually come of with testable hypothesis.  A good theory should be testable, and can be repeated at another state.  One of your readings is a great example.  The project done by Wlezein on thermostatic politics.  In fact, it is not just a theory anymore, but already moving towards the area of becoming a predictive tool, and thus a law.

A classic example of comparative politics is Gabriel Almond and Sidney Verba's work on The Civic Culture.  It's not an accurate prdictive work.  But it created a good set of classification of the culture of states.

For the answer to the second question, we can compare:

1. One (single) country
2. Two countries
3. Many countries

Comparing one country, just like contextual description is the foundation of comparative work.  You begin the analysis by looking inside the case of one country before proceeding with the next.

It is important to note that contextual description is not the only comparative process that can be done with single country studies.  In fact many theses are already single country studies which are comparative politics in their own right.  For example, an AB Political Science senior student can be writing a thesis to test Almond and Verba's civic culture in the Philippines, thereby accomplishing two things, describe or classify Philippine political culture and test a hypothesis  related to Almond and Verba's theory.

Increasing the number of countries increases the scientific characteristic of the study.  While decreasing the number increases its abstractness.  Abstraction is the process of conceptualization, a focus on the "thingness" of a thing.  For example, what makes the culture of Russia unique to Russia.  Or what makes the political system of Thailand unique to thailand.  By understanding this, political scientists are able to achieve insight into how the politics of a particular land works.

I've prepared a powerpoint to supplement this lecture.  Downloadable via the link below:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ia86MtfSh-cWR1gNjUA54jT_kqYaVrib

This powerpoint is about components of political behavior.

When we do comparative politics, there are two possible objects of study in a country, institution or behavior.  We've discussed institutions before.  Institutions like Federal and Parliamentary governments and constitutions.  And institutional arrangements such as distribution and separation of powers.  The powerpoint will give you ideas on the various manifestations of political behaviors, such as voting, political communication, and joining political parties.

As a way to apply this lesson, I am also linking to this multimedia review that I wrote on V for Vendetta.

https://onyxtower.blogspot.com/2012/07/vestige-of-vox-populi-multimedia.html

Contemporary World Lecture November 14, 2019

The Global City

The modernization of the term cosmopolitan.  Our textbook was good in pointing out to us the good things on what the Global City is about.  For this lesson, our focus is on the process of becoming a Global City.  And an important theme in this process is the concept of movement.

Historically, cities began beside rivers.  These allowed the flow of many things.  Flow of goods, flow of people, flow of information, and even flow of waste.  As the world grew, centers of power, of trade, and even of knowledge shift.  Cities are eventually built in locations away from rivers.  And roads are created, and even airports to allow the flow to go on.

Dr. Florentino Hornedo once destroyed my thesis in class with his philosophical argument.  My thesis argued that the Philippines is a divided geography being an archipelago, with waters separating the islands.  Good thing that I also argued that mountains and forests also divide what’s within the island.  Not knowing my thesis.  In a class discussion, the great philosopher said that the Philippine islands are not separated as we would usually assume.  You have one island, and another island.  Water separates them.  All that people need are boats.  But if you have one huge landmass, you don’t just need vehicles, you also need to built roads.

Cities thrive because of these linkages.

A different expert, one on sociology and environmental planning, Dr. Lysander Padilla, studied the progress of cities as metropolitanization.  Taking for example the Philippines.  We have Manila as a city.  It is also the capital.  The phenomenon of its expansion is linked to it not just being the capital of the republic, but also to it being “imperial Manila,” viewed as center of power and of progress.  So much so that people flock to Manila city and it’s neighboring local governments.  Around this neighborhood of cities is Metro Manila, or the Metropolis of Manila.

This metro is the local version of being transmobile.  A concept more prominent and used in migration studies.  However, metros are composed of transient humans.  Several of you, being college students are transients, being residents from one city other than Manila, some even come from provinces, and study in Manila.  Some even stay in Manila during the course of the study and go home frequently or infrequently during free days or weekends.  In doing so, you become transmobiles.

The transmobility of of people within the metro grow to extend to neighboring cities outside the Metro.  Even outside NCR.  People as far North as Pampanga and as far south as Batangas go to the Metro to work and go back home to be with their respective families within the week or the month,   From this come the Mega City.  A city composed of local transmobiles.

The mobility of people allows the blessings in the center (Manila) to flow to the places of origin of these people.  A similar phenomenon happens globally when the city gets hooked up with international transmobiles.  These range from tourists, students, educators, businessmen and women, and even public officials and civil servants.  Staying in one city at a particular state for a time, such as during a tour, an exchange program, or a conference.  Then they go back home.  In that interval and after, they create a link between their place of origin and place of destination, their sending state/country and receiving state/country.

A contrary phenomenon to mobility is the bottleneck.  A point of a flow where such flow can be blocked.  Going through EDSA, or any thoroughfare, one can notice particular intersections as chokepoints, places where blockages tend to accumulate.  When I was a student, travel time from Caloocan to Makati was one hour.  Now EDSA become one huge bottleneck at partcular periods of ti

Migration

The phenomenon of human movement across borders.  This movement can be linear or circular.  It is also defined in terms of generation.  There are 1st generation migrants, those who actually migrated.  And 2nd generation, those who are born of migrants in the host/receiving state.  Most 1st generation migrants, specially if they are diasporic migrants, are usually linear in their movement.  They move out of their home state  and eventually stay for good at the host state.  There are a few of course who go back.  These people who go back trace a path that scholars call circular migration since they partake in return or return migration.  A movement back from host to home.  For diasporas, it is usually the 2nd generation who eventually partake in the return.  And usually a temporary return.

Diasporas are a variation of migration.  They are characterized by dispersion and by a mass of people migrating to a new location.  The very first instance of the word word diaspora came from the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible.  The Jews have experienced dispersion in several instances.  But ithe earliest diaspora was experienced in the book by 2 people.  Adam and Eve, who were banished from paradise and thus brought about the eventual dispersion of the human race.

There are many enclaves of diasporas across the world.  So much so that host states have China Town, Filipino Town, Italy Town and other similar areas.  Diasporas are rich in contributions to the creation of the globalized contemporary world.

Migrations scholars Robin Cohen, Gilles Deleuze, Félix Guattari and Édouard Glissant used gardening tropes as phenomenological tools to describe diasporic experience in terms of cross-border movement.  These gardening teopes are: Seeds, Roots, Rhizomes, and Epiphytes.

Seeds

Photo source: https://www.ucg.org/good-news/lessons-from-the-parables-the-parable-of-the-sower-and-seed-part-1

Planting seeds may sound like a good thing.  But the essence of seeds have a sad meaning in terms of migrant experience.  To a diasporic person, being in a diaspora is the experience of sperein, Greek word for “to scatter.”  And like the seeds in Christ’s parable, they may end up in rich soil, on harsh ground, get preyed or pecked by birds, some even end up in excrement. One nice angle though is that some who end up in excrement, like seeds, eventually grow.

Roots

Photo source: http://jeffbormasterconsulting.com/guide-to-strategic-planning/understanding-the-roots-of-challenging-childrens-behavior/

Roots can mean two things.  One is sinking roots, and the other is finding roots.  Cohen argues that the second is the one linked to diasporas.  Emphasizing the imporatnce of tracing one’s origin.  A concept linked directly to return migration and transnationalization.  In this experience, migrants glocalize culture.  They intermingle the cultures of their home and their host state.

I argue that roots represent both perspectives.  I add insights from the writings of Tarrius (2002) and Dahinden (2010) that migrants, particularly diasporas need localization.  The process of being rooted in the home country to become mobile within the borders of that place.  Rootedness is not just residence, it is about socializing and becoming made welcome at the host state.

Rhizomes

Photo source: http://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/about-bamboo/bamboo-growth-habits.html

Looking at a rhizome, it is a part of a root.  Thos most common rhizome you encounter are ginger.  It is a connected to roots, and it is from which new versions of the same plant sprout from.  Another example are bamboo.

Rhizomes represent the sprouting of new versions of the same idea.  The proliferation of migrant towns create fusion cuisine.  And there are variations of the same cuisine around the world.  It also influences other aspects of life other than food, from modes of education, to modes of production.  Rhizomes are the main contribution of migrants to the globalizing contemporary world.

Epiphytes

Photo source: https://international-pest-control.com/tropical-epiphytes-and-collateral-control-with-copper-fungicide/

Epiphytes are comensal plants.  They are not biological parasites.  But they are space parasites.  They compete withe the space that the actual plant is supposed to occupy.  Similar to migrants, and are treated as such.   Most migrants are not welcomed with open arms because they will be just like epiphytes who will not only take up space but will also conpete for livelihood.  

POL 3213 - Analyzing Politics Through Frames

This week's online activity, will be framed by the topic of "frames."  It is based on our course syllabus on Unit 3 -
Analyzing Political Psychology, and the reading on Polleta and Ho Frames and their Consequences (in the Oxford Hanbook of Contextual Political Analysis).

Frames are an element of political psychology.  A tool for understanding the psyche of political actors.  There is no one frame, and there are many forms of frames.  For our activity, I want you to be able to understand frames by doing your own political analysis of human behavior.

First, review Polleta and Ho's article.  and from it I want you to be able to do the following (individually)

1. Pick a current news article, whether it be local or national.
2. In the comments begin by typing the topic of the chosen article.  E.g. Rightist Politics of the Mindanao Quake.
3. Copy past a significant part of the news article in the comments box.  Place the complete bibliographic citation at the bottom of the text.  This should only be one paragraph.
4. Your second paragraph will be a short description of the facts of the issue.  Only one short, direct paragraph.  One thought.
5. Your last paragraph should be able to identify the frame of the situation, and analyze the situation using that frame.  Quote the reading and cite the page.  Give a name for the frame that you use if it is not named.  Use a good, academic, professional term.

Deadline is November 12, 2019.

The Contemporary World (1Phl1): Debate Against the House Adjudicator and Topic Assignments

In the linked excel contains two sheets, 1st sheet is the debate topics and adjudicator assignments, second sheet for the rubric.  All debaters, adjudicators, and topics have been randomized.

Please note your allocated dates (there's also a date for our long test).

Each student should: study, download, print, and cut the rubric form.  Distribute forms on debate day.  One per student adjudicator, the third is mine.  Make sure you write your name.

The rubric tells you of what is expected during the debate.  Please read as you prepare.

Adjudicators, make sure to write your names.  The last two rows are for students who will give POI's.  Write their names and evaluate their points.

Important points to remember.

Each debater has 5 minutes to talk.

Each POI is allowed a maximum of 20 seconds to make his or her point.

The topics are not motions.  They are just guides.  Make a proposal based on the topic assigned to you and based on the lessons from the book and from my class discussion.

Imagine being in a symposium or a conference where you are presenting your idea to the world.  Imagine Charles Darwin or St. Thomas or any philosopher.  None of their ideas immediately get accepted.  Make sure you propose something new, something creative, something that can be a springboard for ideas.

Make sure that you organize your ideas and that you signpost.  (E.g.  I have 3 arguments supporting my proposal.  First...)

You can say that in many ways. 

The link can only be accessed if you use your official UST Gmail account.  I'm doing this so that I can contribute to making you get used to using that email.  Having a professional email is important now that you are here in college.  Imagine giving your email to another student or to a professor, or to a potential employer.  An email like rmcastillo@gmail.com is good.  But an institutional email such as rmcastillo@ust.edu.ph is better.

Good on preparing.   

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1CG1pualeb2u2ug-4G-fNwRaT3lzIWCmg