Mulan on a Cultural Spotlight

Mulan on a Cultural Spotlight

I am an avid Walt Disney fan. And one of my favorite movies is their Mulan.

Mulan is about the Chinese girl living in a world full of restrictions where everything she does reflects the name of her family. Set in an era where dynasties are still the ruling class, and where everyone must serve the emperor, “a man by bearing arms, a girl by bearing sons,” Mulan tries to break the norm by trying to uphold her family honor in a very unconventional way.

In this study, I will try to dissect and look between the lines of this story to uncover the cultural aspects underneath all the adventures and the trials of our heroine, making her seat under the cultural spotlight.

Theories at Work

In this application, three theories will be put into perspective as I delve into the cultural ideas scattered around the movie. These are the following: (1) Standpoint Theory, (2) Face Negotiation Theory, and (3) Feminism or Feminist Scholarship under the Modern Tradition.

Standpoint Theory

This theory is about how social groups within which we are located powerfully shape what we experience and know as well as how we understand and communicate with ourselves, others, and the world. In short, it talks about how society “gets into individuals”, or what they usually say “gets under our skin”, so that members of a culture share common understandings, patterns, and values.

Also, it relates the relationship on how individuals come to understand and participate in that of a common (social) world. (Wood, 1997)

Standpoint Theory will be used to analyze how Mulan tried to fit into the social world that she was born into and how she reacted to the social norms that her family instilled in her. Brief examples are like that of she, as the only child of Fa Zhou and Fa Li, as well as being a daughter, can only uphold her family’s honor by marrying good.

Face Negotiation Theory

A theory by Stella Ting-Toomey and her colleagues, Face Negotiation Theory provides a basis for predicting how people will accomplish facework in different cultures. Facework being the communication behaviors people use to build and protect their own face, build, or threaten the face of another person. (Littlejohn & Foss, 2005)

There are two primary variables that affect facework. The first is the individualism-collectivism culture which may be summarize into a “I-Identity” versus “We-Identity” relationship. Most people have feelings of both but within a given culture; one of these will usually predominate.

This will be applicable in setting up the basis on how Mulan tried to escape the stereotyping of the value of a woman within a cultural community. How she tried to save the face of his family after she failed to impress the matchmaker who was supposed to be their key to a brighter future by joining the imperial army in place of his father after disguising herself as a man under the name “Ping.”

Definition of Terms

Face- one’s self image in the presence of others. Feelings of respect, honor, status, connection, loyalty, and other similar values; Means feeling good about yourself in whatever ways your culture prescribes.

Facework- as described above, this is the communication behaviors people use to build their own, or other person’s face.

Locus of framework- whether it is directed at self of others.

Face valence- whether a person’s actions are positive (defending, maintaining, or honoring one’s face) or negative (attacking).

Temporality- whether the communication is designed to prevent loss of face in the future or restore loss of face that has already happened.

Preventive facework- involves communication designed to protect a person from feelings of threat to personal or group face. (e.g. “I know you are very busy, and I’m sorry to intrude, but…”

Restorative facework- designed to rebuild one’s face after an insulting to a friend in a moment of anger. (e.g. Fa Zhou talking about delayed blooms being more beautiful. “My, my, what beautiful blooms we have this year. But look, this one’s late. I bet when it blooms, it will be the most beautiful of all.”)

Self-construal- one’s sense of independence or interdependence. (This variable is simply how you see yourself in relation to others.)

Feminism (Feminist Scholarship in the Modern Tradition)

This theory centers around two lines of inquiry. First is that feminism that primarily work for the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes—that seek for women to gain equal status with men within existing power structures. Second, feminisms that seek to dismantle restructure the social system to make it more emancipatory for men and women. (Littlejohn & Foss, 2005)

In short, these can be seen as liberal and radical feminism.

But as I analyze Mulan, I will focus more in the first line of inquiry since the story is set in a time where men are valued significantly more than women. And Mulan being our unconventional heroine, her strive for equality is dominant.

Definition of Terms

Liberal feminism- the idea that justice involves the assurance of equal rights for all individuals.
Radical feminism- the oppression of women runs far deeper than political rights; the problem goes to the heart of our social structure, which is patriarchal.

Feminist inquiry- seeks to transform society rather than simply incorporate women’s voices within it.

Mulan on Spotlight

In the first part of the movie, Mulan is seen as a girl who was given man chores but is expected to act modestly to attract a handsome man into marriage with the help of the “scarier than the undertaker” town’s matchmaker. Here, echoes of the Face Negotiation Theory and the Feminism under the Modern tradition are heard.

Fa Zhou: “Honorable Ancestors…please help Mulan impress the Matchmaker today. Please, please help her.”

In this dialogue, it can be seen that Fa Zhou, the father of Mulan and head of the Fa family, expects Mulan to strike a good match since she’s the only child they have, hence, she’s an only daughter, marrying is the only thing she can do for her family. Heard in this context, it can be seen that under the Feminism Theory, girls are regarded as of lower value than of boys shifting the status quo that the feminist scholarship is aiming for. Also, under the ideas of the Face Negotiating Theory, this passage highlights the need to build a collectivist type of face. In a collectivist type, the group face is given more acknowledgements. With respect to the movie, group face pertains to the honor of the Fa family.

Fa Zhou: Mulan. You should already be in town. We’re counting on you to…

Mulan: Uphold the family honor. Don’t worry, Father. I won’t let you down. Wish me luck!

The same can be said of the passage above. But in this one, Standpoint Theory also applies since based on what Mulan said, it can be deduce that she knows what she ought to do. Being raised under the culture where women are only good for marriage, our heroine already has certain knowledge on what she needs to do and tries to fulfill it by going on the usual “ceremonies”. It is the personification of what the phrase “gets into individuals” means.

Woman #2: Wait and see, when we’re through
Woman #3: Boys will gladly go to war for you
Woman #2: With good fortune
Woman #3: And a great hairdo
Both: You’ll bring honor to us all.
A girl can bring her family
Great Honor in one way
By striking a good match
And this might be the day
Woman #4: Men want girls with good taste
Woman #5: Calm
Fa Li: Obedient
Woman #5: Who works fast-paced
Fa Li: With good breeding
Woman #5: And a tiny waist
All: You’ll bring honor to us all.

Again, the voices of unequal regards for men and women. In this part, men are seen as great people who need to be pampered so their wives should be submissive and industrious when it comes to family matters. Plus, with the aid of the Face Negotiating Theory, the need for group face is always there.

But in the part after Mulan was rejected and insulted by the Matchmaker and she was “self-meditating” in the form of the song “Reflection”, it can be said that Mulan is somewhat trying to break free from the holds their culture have in her. Since they are under a collectivist culture, she is trying to redeem her face in an individualistic way of self-construal but is still conscious of the collective implications of her actions. This is what was addressed in the first part where it said that most people may feel both individualism and collectivism. But in the end, one still predominates.

And it is true. Even though Mulan wanted to do things her own way, she still thought of how her family’s honor may be endangered by her not marrying.

But then, when the imperial proclamations about China needing more soldiers with her father willing to sacrifice his life for his country (again a version of collectivist facework, as well as a point in the Standpoint Theory where people act with respect to how their culture cultivated them), Mulan’s collectivist side was forgotten making her go in place of Fa Zhou in disguised of a man. But when she was already in the Moo-Shung Camp and was engaged in havoc with other soldiers-to-be, she was faced with the dilemma that centers on how she will act equally with “disgusting” men. Under the feminist context, this is an idea that needs a lot of effort to be attained. So, started her not-so-good days at the camp where her vulnerability was highlighted until such time that she was able to do what the other men weren’t able to; making her, as Ping, a “star” of the group and thus restoring her individual face as well as her family’s (since she was pretending to be the son of Fa Zhou, whom Chi Fu, the royal “overseer” deemed as a “lunatic”).
Moving on, when they were supposed to be going to the Pass where the General was supposed to be staying guard against the Huns, the song that the soldiers were singing also depicts inequality, and how the culture views a man and wife relationship.

For a long time we've been marching off to battle.In our thundering herd, we feel a lot like cattle.Like the pounding beat, our aching feet aren't easy to ignore.Hey! Think of instead, a girl worth fighting for!Huh?

That's what I said! A girl worth fighting for!
I want her paler than the moon, with eyes that shine like stars.My girl will marvel at my strength, adore my battle scars!I couldn't care less what she'll wear, or what she looks like!It all depends on what she cooks like!

Beef, pork, chicken, mmm ...
Bet the local girls thought you were quite the charmer!And I bet the ladies love a man in armor!You can guess what we have missed the mostSince we went off to war!

What do we want?A girl worth fighting for!
My girl will think I have no flawsThat I'm a major findHow 'bout a girl who's got a brain, who always speaks her mind?Nah!My manly ways and turn of phrase and sure to thrill her!He thinks he's such a lady-killer!

I've a girl back home who's unlike any other!Yeah, the only girl who'd love him is his mother!But when we come home, in victoryThey'll line up at the door!
What do we want?A girl worth fighting for!Wish that I hadA girl worth fighting for!A girl worth fighting--

In the passage above, the ones highlighted in blue are the cultural norms that are being established in the setting of the story that Mulan is trying to shatter. The ones highlighted in pink are actually the lines Mulan contributed to the song, which are, as it is seen, rejected by her comrades because that their way of thinking is boxed into what their culture dictated on them eversince. Feministic views are also touched in these areas.

After the encounter with the Huns, where Mulan, as Ping, saved the day with her suave strategies as well as Shang, but was wounded in the course, and our heroine’s identity is revealed, instantly, the lost of face was obvious as well as the cultural perceptions (that she needs to be killed because of her treachery) and the inequality (women cannot fight). All three theories combined in a way that everything seems to matter in such a way that affects both the Fa family’s honor as well as Mulan.

Left in the mountains, Mulan decided to just go home and restore her face that is damaged by the insults Shang, Chi Fu, and the other soldiers inflicted in her (face valence: attacking) but then she accidentally learned that the Huns are still alive and are headed to the palace. Mulan being Mulan—removed from the context of her collective culture—thought that it would be a better plan to head to the Imperial City first and divulge what she has learned to protect the emperor. But when she was already there, no one wanted to believe her.

Mulan: The Huns are here!
Man: eh!
Mulan: (to Mushu) No one will listen!
Mushu: huh? Oh, I’m sorry, did you say something?
Mulan: Mushu…
Mushu: Hey, you’re a girl again, remember?

The passage above demonstrates how women are regarded in that particular setting. But then again, because of the real friends Mulan has made during the camp training, someone finally believed her and thus they were able to save the emperor. And by doing so, the feminist idealism that Mulan went so hard to achieved is given permission in a way that the emperor bowed to her and asked her to be a part of his council.

In the end, not only was her family’s honor redeemed, she also brought honor in a way that defies the culture in which she was shaped and broke the perceptions about the issue of equality between men and women.

Sto. Domingo, Rosalyn Mae P.

06-11360 2nd year BA CommRes

Comm 140 _ Dr. Paz Diaz

Application 3

REFERENCES:
Littlejohn, Stephen and Karen Foss. Human Communication, 8th ed., 2005.
Wood, Julia. Communication Theories in Action: An Introduction, 1997.
Mulan Script. Retrieved: September 16, 2007.
URL: http://www.fpx.de/fp/Disney/Scripts/Mulan.html

Vampires: Fiends of the Humanity

Vampires: Fiends of the Humanity
An Analysis on How Media Presents Vampires to the World
With Anne Rice’s The Interview with the Vampire and The Vampire Lestat

by Sto. Domingo, Rosalyn Mae P.
06-11360 BA CommRes
Submitted to Comm 140 1st sem 07-08 Dr. Paz Diaz


Vampires are immortal creatures dubbed to be “undead” that sustains their immortality by drinking human blood. This is how the world views these “children of the night.”

But then again, that is only the most general concept often integrated with the word vampire. From Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula to Anne Rice’s The Vampire Chronicles and New Tales of the Vampires, these blood-sucking creatures have been described in a lot of different ways that often creates puzzles for the humanity.

In this simple analysis, I will be delving in the different ways these vampires are embedded to the mind of humans with respect to their culture. And to do this, I’ll be focusing more with Anne Rice’s vampires versus the “common vampires” with the help of Social Action Media Studies.

Social Action Media Studies

A theory by Gerard Schoening and James Anderson, this talks about how media content is interpreted within the community according to meanings that worked out socially within the group, and individuals are influenced more by their peers than media. (Littlejohn, 2005: page 282) A community –based approach, this theory is outlined into six premises: (1) meaning is not the message itself but is produced by an interpretative process in the audience, (2) meaning of media messages and programs is not determined passively, but produced actively by audiences, (3) meanings of media shift constantly as the members approach the media in different ways, (4) meaning of a program or message is never individually established, but communal, (5) actions that determines a group’s meaning’s for media content are done in interaction among members of the group, and lastly, (6) researchers join the communities they study, if only temporarily, and therefore have an ethical obligation to be open about what they are studying and share what they learn with those studied.

Comes with these ideas is the “increasingly popular way of approaching media which is to think of the audience as numerous interpretative communities, each with its own meanings for what is read, viewed, or heard.” (Littlejohn and Foss, 2005: page 282)

An interpretative community when a group of people starts to develop their own meaning of things viewed, seen, or heard. They have common understanding of contents that sets a common outcome of ideas. Thus, if one is to know or understand how a community views things, you have to know their cultural background. Any person may be a member of any interpretative communities

Thomas Lindlof presents three dimensions of an interpretative community. The first is content, which says that a community must share the same meanings of the media messages or programs they consume and also share some common meanings of the content. The second is interpretation, where members of the community must share similar ways of interpreting messages but do not necessarily share the same meaning. And finally, the third, is social action, where members of the community share common sets of behaviors towards the media in question and how the media affects them.

With this theory, I’ll analyze how different people view vampires according to how the media presents them. There will be two media used, one is print (The Vampire Lestat) and the second is from the big-screen, the movie Interview with the Vampire compared with the general perceptions and the ancient presentation of Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula.

The Interviews

Before I set out to collect different sources about how media presents vampires, I conducted some ambush interviews about how my peers view vampires and why. Following are some excerpts.

Q: So what comes to your mind when you hear the word vampire?
A: Hindi ba yung sumisipsip ng dugo? Yung katulad nung Dracula…
(Aren’t those the blood suckers? Like that of Dracula…)
Q: Ahmm... So how do you think they survive? I mean in the sense of population.
A: Kapag kinagat ka nila. ‘Di ba vampire ka na nun.
(When they already bit you. You’re already a vampire then, aren’t you.)
Q: How can you say so?
A: Wala. Sa tv tsaka sa books ‘di ba. Ganun.
(Nothing. In the television, or books. That’s how.)

In this particular interview, the interviewee was not really exposed to vampiric talks or media. Her only basis was the general perception of people to this specific topic and thus she was considered an audience from the community who bears no care for the topic at hand. The meaning then of the word vampire to her, is as simple as the phrase blood-suckers.
In the second one, another one who was not as versed with the topic as the first was interviewed. Same questions were issued and the following were her answers.

(Q1) A: Ahmm… Yung parang kay Mary Tudor ‘yun ‘di ba? Yung tinawag na Bloody Mary kasi nagpapapatay ng mga protestants. If I’m not mistaken, impaler ata tawag dun.. Siyempre pati na rin yung kay Dracula.
(Q2) A: I think pwede naman silang manganak…I mean, sa Dracula, they can have sex, so maybe they can also procreate.
(Q3) A: Wala, yung Dracula nga. Tsaka when I read kasi history books, especially that of Europe, medyo lumalabas yung word na vampire. Yun lang talaga yung alam ko since I don’t read anything about vampires.

Using the first premise, I can then conclude that the audience in the first interview interprets the message in a simple way different from that of the second one who was also lacking in education about the topic of vampires who integrates the word vampire to that of impaler and of course, Dracula. The most striking difference is that the second one seems to have more logical explanation about the word by connecting it to the violence in history.

Count Dracula

Count Dracula, a character given life by Bram Stoker, is supposed to have been from 15th century Transylvania; a tyrant noble with the name of Vlad III Dracula.

He is known to be the Prince of Darkness, the very first vampire. He can transform into a bat or a clouds of bat, a rat or a swarm of rats, a wolf, or mist. He can control the minds of his victims by putting then into a trance so they bide his will. He will either kill you by sucking your blood or make you into a vampire yourself in the same way. He is supposed to be a thousand years old for he is immortal, although there are some ways in which he can be stopped or even killed. These are (1) he cannot cross over running water, (2) he cannot abide the smell of garlic, (3) he cannot touch holy water or bear the sight of the cross, (4) he cannot enter a house unless invited, (5) he cannot leave his lair at daytime because sunlight (or even a big blaze) may burn him, (6) you can find him in his coffin and while he is sleeping, drive a wooden stake through his heart and cut of his head.

These are the characteristics known to people today. The basics about a vampire. And this is generally how interpretative communities view vampires. Under the first dimension of interpretative communities, this is the content—meaning—people share about the concept of vampire.

The Vampire Lestat

The Vampire Lestat, the Brat Prince of the Vampires, a character from the book of Anne Rice, is an 18th century French noble who was turned into a vampire by force. A fledgling (vampire child) of Magnus, a 300 year-old vampire, who after creating him jumped into a big blaze and ended his immortal life, Lestat de Lioncourt described himself as “almost human” in a way that he still looks the same as he did when he died as a mortal and joined the realm of the undead only that, he never changed physically after that, but instead just grew more white in complexion, almost translucent. The only thing that usually signals that he is a vampire is that his fingernails are like carved from glass that they shine inhumanly. And this description works for all of their kinds.

Like Count Dracula though, they are immortals and really feed on human blood and sleep in coffins, if they like. Out of all the descriptions connected with the mythological Count those were their only distinct similarity.

They don’t turn into bats or the likes. They do not have familiars. They can go inside the church, touch the cross, and even pray the prayers of the devotees, and still they wouldn’t burn. They cannot die just because of a stake through the heart and a head cutoff. And Dracula, in this novel, is not their eldest vampire.

Anne Rice, creating her own legendary vampires created a new definition of the occult word vampire in her novel, specifically this. This is how her media described our human fiends. And her readers used these meanings/descriptions when asked about vampires. Under the first premise, they are the interpretative community who has their own shared interest as well as common meanings. In this case, their common meaning is Anne Rice’s novel.

And their social action media studies premise falls under the fourth one since the tradition the group has is that they are all fans of Anne Rice as well as vampire enthusiast, and therefore, they are already removed from the Dracula Days and now under the interpretations of Anne Rice.

Interview With The Vampire

Interview with the vampire is a novel by Anne rice that was adapted into a movie. In this paper, we’ll focus more on the movie, rather than the novel.

The movie talks about vampires the same way The Vampire Lestat did since it was based on another Anne Rice novel, but, in respect to the media message, it was taken in different ways by different people.

The first one I interviewed is a boy of seven who has seen the film. He said that he knows vampires are only shaped from the imagination and thus he doesn’t believe they exist but he believes the ways on how these creatures were presented in the movie. I asked him if he knows how a vampire is made, believing he would explain the “Dracula way,” but then he explained it to me in this way: “Una, sisipsipin muna yung dugo mo tapos pag konti na lang yung dugo mo, kakagatin nila yung kamay nila tapos ipapainom sa’yo yung dugo nila. Tapos nun, vampire ka na.”

That was exactly how it was shown in the film and that was how he presented the information to me. When I asked him how come he knows such things, he said it was because his sister is a vampire. Fancy that.
This particular interview, the premise at work is the fifth one, where a group’s meaning for media content are done in interaction among members of the community. In this particular part, the community is the family.

The second interview was of the sister of the first interviewee, (she’s not a vampire, just a fan) she answered the same way her brother answered the questions I poured at them but in the last part of the interview, she said that actually, she is quite confused in a way that, in Anne Rice’s series’ says that vampires cannot reproduce the way human do because they are already dead. But in other books, general resources, they speak another different thing. And these things confuse her view of the vampires.

After talking to her, I realized that she was already making an active acceptance to the media messages she received. Thus, her reaction proved premise one and two where meaning is not in the message itself but produced through an interpretative process in the audience and that meaning of media messages and programs are not determined passively, but rather, actively by the audience—that audience actually do something with what they view or read.

Vampires Questionable

After conducting these series of analysis, I’ve come to the conclusion that vampires are viewed in different ways by humans. It depends on how they react to the messages being given to them and to how their already composed meanings of these topics affect their interpretation. But even though a lot of factors turns this vampiric topics into a subjective ones, it ends with what the audience choose to do with the facts they are given.












REFERENCES

Littlejohn, Stephen and Karen Foss, Theories on Human Communication, 8th ed. 2005
Rice, Anne. The Vampire Lestat. 1984
(movie) Interview With the Vampire
K-Zone October 2003, Vol. 2 No.2: pp. 38-41

Kilusang Kababaihan

Introduksyon

“Kasumpa-sumpa
ang maging babae sa panahong ito.”
-Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo

Ayon sa tula ni Ruth Mabanglo, kusumpa-sumpa ang maging babae dahil hanggang ngayon, nakukulong pa rin ang mga babae sa nakaraang depenisyon na ito ay mahina. Isang babasaging kristal na sa kakaunting pagpapabaya ay maaaring mabasag o masira. At dahil rito, ayon sa matandang paniniwala, bilang isang dalaga, ang isang babae ay nasa pangangalaga ng kanyang ama at mga kapatid na lalaki hanggang sa ito’y mag-asawa at ang pangangalaga ay malilipat sa esposo.

Ito ang matandang paniniwala patungkol sa babae sa Pilipinas.

Ngunit hindi ganito mula sa simula.

Pahanong Pre-hispaniko

Bago pa dumating ang mga Espanyol sa Pilipinas, may parting ginagampanan ang mga babae sa lipunan. Sa mga panahong ito, ang babae ay kapantay ng lalake. Sa isang pamilya, ang karapatan ng anak na babae ay kapantay ng sa anak na lalake—kasama na rito ang partihan sa mana. Bukod pa riyan, ang babae ay may karapatang magkamit ng karangalan at posisyon sa lipunan. At kung siya ay solong anak, may karapatan siyang magmana at mamuno bilang tagapagmana ng pamilya. (Subido, 1989: pahina 1)

Ang pagmamay-ari ng bahay, karapatang ipasawalang-bisa ang kanyang kasal, at magboses ng opinion ay parte rin ng kakayahan ng isang babae bago pa man dumating ang mga Espanyol sa ating bansa. Maging sa kanyang pananamit, walang limitasyon.

Panahon ng Espanyol

Ngunit nang dumating ang mga mananakop, ang Pilipinas ay napuno ng mga batas ng kodigong Sibil at kodigo ng Komersyo kung saan bumaba ang estado ng babae dahil pinag-ibayo ng mga bagong batas na ito ang pagtingin sa babae. Mas mababa na ang estado nito sa ngayon. Nawala na ang mga dating karapatan na naglalagay sa babae sa parehong pwesto tulad ng kanyang kapatid na lalaki.

Hindi na rin siya pwedeng magsuot ng mga damit na ayon sa mga Espanyol ay “malaswa” at “mula sa demonyo.” Nawala na rin ang kakayahan nitong makapag-aral, makapagbigay ng opinyon sa mga usaping pambayan, maging ang kanyang kakayahang mamuno ay wala na.
Sa isang iglap, ang babae ay naging isang nilalang na hindi nakikita sa lipunan. Isang nilalang na nasa bahay lang mula pagkabata. At kapag nag-asawa, kailangan nitong sundin ang lahat ng luho ng kanyang esposo kung hindi ay isa iyong malaking kasalanan.

Maging ang Katoliko Romano, mas lalong pinagtibay ang kawalang ng bokasyon ng isang babae sa panahon na iyon. Malimit lamang ang mga babaeng talagang lumalaban sa sistema tulad nina Melchora Aquino o Tandang Sora, Gabriella Silang at iba pang mga anak ng katipunan.
Ngunit lahat ng mga kalayaang tinatamasa nila ay naabot lamang nila kapalit ng kanilang pagiging kalaban ng lipunan.

Panahon ng mga Amerikano

Nang dumating ang mga Amerikano sa Pilipinas, muli ay nabigyang laya ang mga kababaihan. Dahil sa libreng edukasyon noon ng mga Amerikano, maging ang mga kababaihan na noong panahon ng mga Espanyol ay mga dasal at kasulatan lamang na pang-simbahan ang alam ay nakapag-aral. Nagkaroon din sila ng karapatan makaboto at ilabas ang kanilang saloobin sa lipunan at mga bulok na sistema. Muli ay nakamit nila ang kalayaan na ipinagkait sa kanila ng lagpas tatlong siglo.

Lahat ng mga kalayaan na ibinigay sa ng mga Amerikano ay kanilang ginamit na lubusan upang mabawi ang kanilang karapatang pampolitikal, pangsibil, pang-ekonomiko, at pang-sosyal na parehong kalagayan nila sa mga kalalakihan.

Ngunit ang kalayaan na ito ay panlabas na anyo lamang ng mga kababaihan dahil kahit na bukas na ulit para sa kanila ang lipunan, ang mga maliliit na institusyon ay hindi pa. Tulad na lang sa loob ng pamilya, maraming babae pa rin ang ikinukulong sa bahay pagkat ang kinikilala nilang depinisyon ng pagiging babae ay ang panganganak, pag-aalaga ng anak at paglilingkod sa asawa. Sa bandang huli, ang karapatan nilang magaral ay napupunta lamang sa pagiging isang may-bahay.

Panahon ng Hapon

Nang salakaying ng mga hapon ang Pilipinas, muli ay nawala ang kalayan ng mga kababaihan at sa halip ay lalo silang natapon sa kamay ng mga kalalakihan. Nagkaroon ng mga comfort women na ang naging papel ay maging taga-aliw ng mga sundalong hapon. Kahit na gipit noong panahon na iyon ang lahat ng mga Pilipino, mas matindi ang sinapit ng mga babae dahil sapilitian silang ginagawang laruan ng mga hapon. Hindi lamang upang tugunan ang kanilang makamundong sidhi ngunit para na rin yurakan ang dignidad ng mga Pilipino.

“Kaya nila ginawa ‘yon dahil alam nila na mas masasaktan ang mga Pilipino dahil hindi lamang ang mga babae ang dinudungisan kundi pati na rin ang buong sambayanang Pilipino dahil ang babae ang nanganganak,” sabi ng isang mag-aaral ng Hum1 nang pinag-uusapan ang dahilan kung bakit nagkaroon ng mga comfort women matapos basahin ang autobiography ni Rosa Henson, dating naging comfort woman noong panahon ng Hapon sa lalawigan ng Pampanga.

Isa lamang ito sa mga naging kasakitan ng mga kababaihan noong panahon na iyon. Marami pang iba.

Babae sa kanyang paglaya sa tanikala

Dahil sa mga sinapit na ito ng mga kababaihan, mas lalong naging masidhi ang pagnanais na makawala sa tanikala na tila nakatali sa kanilang pagkatao. Dito nag-ugat ang Kilusang Kababaihan.

Ngunit kung tutuusin, matagal ng nagsimula ito noon pang panahon ng mga Espanyol, ngunit nabigyan lamang sila ng boses, noong 1905.

Kilusang Kababaihan

Depinisyon at Kasaysayan

Ang kilusang kababaihan ay ang mga political, social, and cultural movements na nababatay sa mga teorya at pilosopiyang moral na may kinalaman sa mga usapin patungkol sa hindi pagkakapantay ng lalaki at babae, at mga diskriminasyon sa babae.

Ayon sa ilang kasulatan, ang pangkalahatang kilusang kababaihan ay may tatlong yugto. Ang una ay noong ikalabing-siyam na siglo hanggang sa mga unang bahagi ng ikadalawampung siglo, ang ikalawa naman ay noong 1960s hanggang 1970s, at ang huli ay mula 1990s magpasahanggang ngayon.

Ang unang yugto ay nag-ugat sa United Kingdom at United States patungkol sa mga isyu ng equal rights sa mga kontrata at mga pag-aari ng isang babae at ang pag-ayaw nito sa isang pilit na kasal, gayun na rin ng pag-aari ng asawang lalaki sa asawang babae. Ngunit sa bangdang katapusan ng ikalabing-siyam na siglo, natuon sa mga karapatang political ang kilusang kababaihan.

Ang ikalawang yugto naman, tulad ng nauna ng nasabi ay nagsimula noong mga unang bahagi ng 1960s at nagtapos mga huling bahagi ng 1980s. Tungkol ito sa mga kultural at political na pag-aalsa ng mga kababaihan. Kung ang unang yugto ay tumutukoy sa mga paghihirap ng mga kababaihan, ang pinatutungkulan naman nito ay ang hindi pagkakapantay-pantay ng babae at lalaki at ang katapusan ng diskrminasyon.

Ang ikatlong yugto naman ay nagsimula mga unang taon ng 1990s bilang isang tugon sa mga hindi nagtagumpay nalayon ng ikalawang yugto ng kilusang kababaihan. Naghahangad ito na talunin ang dating depinisyon ng feminismo o femininity na ayon sa mga advocate ng ikatlong yugto ng kilusan ay sobrang istrikto at ideyal.

Feminismo sa Pilipinas

Ang kilusang kababaihan ay isang kilusang nananawagan hindi lamang sa pagpapalaya ng kasarian mula sa pagsasamantala at pang-aapi sa lipunan kundi pati na rin sa pambansang pagpapalaya. (Kalagin ang ating tanikala: batayan kurso sa kalagayan at pakikibaka ng kababaihang Pilipino: pahina 3)

Sa pamamagitan ng kilusang ito, nasisigurong mayroong behikulo para sa pakikipaglaban para sa mga isyung kinasasangkutan ng mga babae sa lipunan.

Upang maisulong ang paglaya, partikular na ginagawa ng kilusan ang paglaban sa mga institusyon ng lipunan na nagsusulong sa sistema na patriarka—mula sa estado, negosyo, simbahan, paaralan, masmidya hanggang sa pamilya. Ang mga istitusong ito kasi ang higit na nagsasadlak sa mga babae sa mababang posisyon sa lipunan.

Sa ating bansa, mayroong iba’t ibang klasae ng kilusang kababaihan. Ayon sa nabanggit na libro, mayroong tatlong katangian na dapat taglayin ang mga ito upang ganap na makilalang kilusang kababaihan. Ito ay ang mga sumusunod:

Isa dapat itong kilusang nakapaloob sa kabubuang kilusan para sa pagpapalaya ng bayan.

Sabi nga, ang usapin ng paglaya ng mga kababaihan, kailanman ay hindi maaaring ihiwalay sa usapin ng paglaya ng bansa mismo. Kasi naman, hangga’t hindi pa napapalaya ang bayan mula sa kuko ng imperyalismo, pyudalismo, at burukrata kapitalismo, hinding-hindi rin lalaya at magkakaroon ng pantay na katayuan sa mga kalalakihan ang mga kababaihan. Ang mga salot na ito sa lipunan ay pawang mga nagiging daan sa pagpapaigting ng pang-aaping ating nararanasan.

Ikalawa, isa dapat itong kilusang masa.

Kapag sinabing masa, kadalasan sila ang mga nakararaming api sa lipuan. Mainam na sila ang mamuno sa kilusan upang matiyak higit na pagpupursigi upang makamit ang pangunahing layunin ng paglaya. Kumpara kasi sa mga nabibilang sa nakatataas na antas ng kabuhayan, mas nararamdaman ng masa ang pagsasamantala at pang-aalipusta. Kaya naman masasabi na sila ang pinaka-naghahangad ng pagkalag mula sa tanikalang ng pang-aapi at pagsasamantala ng naghaharing uri.

Ikatlo, isa dapat itong militanteng kilusan.

Upang makamit ang inaasam na pagbabago sa lipunan, kinakailangan na isantabi ang pagiging pasibo at kimi; sa halip, dapat ay maging matapang at mapangahas na makibaka para sa mga karaingan at karapatan. Walang mangyayari sa kasalukuyan kalagayan kung hindi magbubuklod ng lakas at sama-samang sa aktibong paglaban.

Nakasaad din sa libro ang mga tungkuling dapat gampanan ng isang kilusang kababaihan.

1. Maramihang palahukin ang mga kababaihan sa mga pakikibaka ng sambayanan at ng iba’t ibang sektoral na kilusan.

Dahil sa mga isinasagawang pagkilos ng mga kababaihan, dalawa sa kanilang mga isinusulong ang kaagad-agad na natatamo: ang pagpapalakas sa kanilang pakikibaka sa bayan, at ang pagsulong ng kanilang kalayaan.

2. Itaguyod ang mga karapatan at kagalingan ng kababaihan, sa larangan ng ekonomiya, pulitika, at kultura.

Sa larangan ng ekonomiya, nararapat lamang na isulong ang mga karapatan ng mga kababaihan tulad ng karapatan para sa mahusay at makataong empleyo, karampatang bayad na pantay sa kalalakihan para sa parehon trabaho., pantay na access sa mga resources, at pantay na oportunidad. Dapat na tutulan ang gender-strereotyping.

Sa pulitika, karapatan ng mga kababaihang magkaroon gn wastong representasyon sa iba’t ibang institusyon sa lipunan. Ang mga ito ang magsisilbing boses ng nakararami.

Sa kultura, kinakailangang suportahan ng estado ang demokratisasyon sa pamilya upang mapagaan na ang pasanin ng mga kababaihan pagdating sa bahay, at nang mabago na rin ang naging tradisyunal na palakad sa pamilyang Pilipino.

3. Pangalagaan ang kagalingan ng mga bata.

Hindi dapat na maging solong responsibilidad ng mga babae ang pagtataguyod sa kanilang mga anak. Tuwing nangyayari kasi ito, patuloy silang natatali sa bahay at nalilimitahan ang kanilang partisipasyon sa lipunan.

4. Makipagkaisa sa mga kababaihan sa iba’t ibang panig ng daigdig para labanan ang pang-aapi sa kababaihan.

Kung mayroong pagkakaisa, mas mapapadali ang pagtamo sa layuning paglaya. Basta ba unahin lamang ang pagkakaisa nila laban sa pangunahing salot—ang imperyalismo. Ito kasi ang pinakanagsasadlak sa mga kababaihan sa ibayong kahirapan at karahasan.

Nabanggit din sa Kalagin ang ating tanikala: batayang kurso sa kalagayan at pakikibaka ng kababaihang Pilipino ang mga pangunahing gawain ng kilusang kababaihan. Napakarami ng mga gampanin ng mga kilusang kababaihan tungo sa pagsusulong ng pakikibaka at paglaya ng kababaihan. Bawat gawain ay mahalaga at nagbubukas ng iba’t ibang mga kasanayan para sa mga kababaihan.

1. Edukasyon

Mahalaga na mamulat ang mga kababaihan sa tunay na kalagayan nila sa buhay. Dapat nilang mabatid ito nang sa gayon ang kaalamang ito na ang magsilbing daan tungo sa kanilang paglaya. Sa oras na malaman na nila ang ganitong katotohanan, mag-uumpisa na ang unti-unting proseso ng pagbabago sa kanilang mga buhay. Magkakaroon na rin sa wakas ng panimulang pagkilos.

2. Pag-oorganisa

Ito ang nagsisilbing sandigang lakas ng kilusang kababaihan. Nakabatay ito sa uri. Mahalaga na tutukan o bigyang-pansin ang ang pag-oorganisa sa kababaihang anakpawis. Bagaman hindi ipinagbabawal na bumuo ng mga organisasyon na kinabibilangan ng mga kababaihan mula sa iba’t ibang uri ng pwersa sa lipunan.

Iba-iba ang anyo ng organisasyon ng mga kababaihan batay sa kani-kanilang mga pangangailangan o kalagayan.

3. Kampanya at Pakikibakang Masa

Makikita ang lakas ng mga kababaihan base sa kanilang mga ginagawang aktibong pagkilos.
Kampanya—serye ng mga pagkilos na isinasagawa ng masa upang ipaglaban ang isyu o kahilingan.

Pakikibakang masa—aktwal na pakikitunggali o paghamon ng masa sa mga kaaway sa uri upang maipagwagi ang ilang mga kahilingan o koneksyon.

4. Propaganda

Ito ay pagsasagawa ng malawakang pagbibigay-edukasyon sa publiko kaugnay ng mga usaping nakakaapekto sa mga kababaihan. Naipapalaganay ang impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng mas midya tulad ng radyo, pahayagan, sine, at telebisyon. Ngunit hindi maaaring lubusang umasa sa midya lalo na’t maraming impormasyon ang pinaghihigpit dito.

Kasabay ng pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon sa ganitong mga paraan, nararapat pa ring i-maintain ng organisasyon ang mga sarili niton daluyan ng impormasyon tulad ng kanilang pahayagan, manipesto, iskit, kulturang pagtatanghal at iba pa.

5. Networking at Pakikipag-alyansa

Networking—pagbubukas ng pagkikipag-ugnayan sa mga organisasyon, institusyon, indibidwal para sa mga kadahilanan tulad na lamang ng pagpapalitan ng impormasyon o kaya naman ay pagpapadalo sa mga kumperensya.

Pakikipag-alyansa—pakikipagkaisa sa mga organisasyon, institusyon, o indibidwal batay sa iisang pagtingin o pagposisyon sa mga isyung kababaihan o pambayan. Ito ay dapat lamang na nakabatay sa prinsipyo at hindi lang sa mga personal na dahilan o kahiyaan.
Ang mga gawaing ito ang magsisilbing daan tungo sa paglawak ng hanay ng kilusang kababaihan.

Ang Pakikibaka ng mga Kababaihan sa Malapyudal at Mala-kolonyal na Sistema
Iba’t ibang kilusan ang naitatag upang matamo ng mga kababaihan ang kalayaan mula sa pang-aaping nararanasan. Nag-umpisang lumahok ang mga kababaihan sa pakikibaka ng masang Pilipino. Ilan lamang ang mga sumusunod sa mga kilusang ito:

Makabayang kilusan ng Bagong Kababaihan o MAKIBAKA

Itinayo ang militante at rebolusyunaryog organisasyn na ito noong 1970. Ito ang kauna-unahang samahan ng mga kababaihan sa Pilipinas na malinaw na nagtataguyod hindi lamang ang pambansang kalayaan at demokrasya kundi pati na rin para sa naaaping uri. Bumuo rin ito ng mga programa para sa paglaya ng mga kababaihan. Ang mga miyembro nito ay pawang mga babaeng aktibista mula sa hanay ng kabataan.

Nililinaw nito ang isyu na bukod sa pagsasamantala ng mga dayuhan at ng naghaharing uri, dumaranas din ang masang kababaihan ng pagsasamantala dahil na rin sa kanilang kasarian.

Kilusan ng Manggagawang Kababaihan o KMK

Binuo ang pambansang organisasyon na ito ng mga kababaihang manggagawa noong 1980. Isinusulong nila ang pagtatanggol sa kinasasadlakang pang-aapi ng mga babae sa larangan ng ekonomiya.

SAMAKANA

Nabuo noong 1983, isa itong mulitsektoral na organisasyon ng mga kababaihan. Kalaunan, ito’y naging organisasyon ng mga kababaihan sa mga maralitang komunidad.

Women for the Ouster of Marcos and Boycott o WOMB

Ito’y bunga ng pag-oorganisa ng mga babae mula sa hanay ng mga petiburgesya. Hayagan nilang ipinapakita ang kanilang oposisyon sa diktadura noong panahon ni Marcos.

General Assembly Binding Women for Reforms, Integrity, Equality, Leadership and Action o mas kilala sa pangalang GABRIELA

Naitatag ito noong 1984. Isa itong pambansang koalisyon ng kababaihan mula sa iba’t ibang uri na lumalaban sa diktadurang Marcos. Noong 1986 naman, ang organisasyong ito ay naging sentrong pampulitika ng militanteng pagkilos ng kababaihang Pilipino para sa pambansang kalayaan, demokrasya at pagkakapantay-pantay ng babae at lalake.

AMIHAN
Ito’y isang pambansang pederasyon ng kababaihang magbubukid sa Pilipinas. Naitayo ito sa tulong na rin ng GABRIELA.

Konklusyon

Lipunan talaga ang nagtatakda ng magiging papel ng babae o lalaki. Ito ang pangunahing nagtatakda ng mga ikikilos nila.

Noong simula, bago pa man tayo sakupin ng mga Kastila, ay mataas pa ang katayuan ng mga kababaihan sa lipunan. Kapantay pa sila ng mga kalalakihan. Ito ay dahil wala pang masyadong paghahati sa mga komunidad o basehan ng mga teritoryo sa kalakhan sa bansa. Nang dumating ang mga Espanyol ay naitatag ang lipunang kolonyal at piyudal na siyang nagpabago ng mga kasanayan o sistema sa ating bansa. Ito ay isa sa mga naging dahilan ng pagkakaroon ng pag-uuri –uri. Bunga nito, ang pagpapalaganap nila ng pagkakaroon ng mababa at sekundaryang posisyon ng mga kababaihan sa lipunan. Nabuo ang konsepto ng sistemang patriarka sa ating bansa. Patriarka ang sistemang hanggang sa ngayon ay nagbibigay pa rin ng lamat sa kakayahan o pagkakakilanlan ng mga kababaihiang Pilipino. Sa pagsakop naman sa atin ng mga Amerikano, higit nila tayong nakontrol dahil sa paghahari ng imperyalismo. Ito ang higit na nagpasidhi sa pang-aapi sa mga kababaihang Pilipino kahit na nabigyan tayo ng laya na makapag-aral at magpartisipa sa mga gawaing panlipunan. Nagbigay ang kanilang mga direksyon ng huwad na kalayaan na hindi matutumbasan. Nang dahil sa sistemang kolonyal at malapyudal na kanilang ipinalaganap, lalong nagkaroon ng klarong hatian sa mga uri sa Pilipinas. Ang mahirap ay sadlak lalo sa kahirapan; ang mayaman ay ubod ng yaman; ang babae ay naging isang edukadang alipin ng kanyang asawa. Isang matinding pinsala naman ang idinulot ng pagsakop sa atin ng mga Hapones. Naging laganap ang panggagahasa at sekswal na pang-aabuso sa kababaihang Pilipino na hindi lamang sumira sa kanilang pagtingin sa sarili, kundi pati na sa harap ng ibang tao ay naging madungis ang anyo ng mga kababaihan. At hanggang sa kasalukuyan, patuloy pa rin ang paghahari ng sistemang patriarkal sa bansa na kahalo na ang iba pang pang-aapi ng iba pang mga nagdaang panahon.

At upang ibawi ang dangal ng kababaihan, maraming mga kilusan ang umusbong upang tugunan ang mga hinaing na hindi napapansin at hindi pinapansin ng lipunan. Ito ang mga kilusang kababaihan na siyang nagbibigay ng suporta at naglulunsad ng mga gawain upang matulungan ang mga Filipina na magpahanggang sa ngayon ay alipin pa rin ng huwad na kalayaan, pang-aapi, at diskriminasyon.

“Kahit masugat –sugatan ang sarili,
Upag ang dugong
Sa kabahagi lamang dumadaloy,
Maglandas din sa isip at guni-guni.”
Ang Maging Babae
Ruth Elynia S. Mabanglo

Kilusang Kababaihan
A Term Paper for Fil 40



Dizon, Lea Mae Patricia L.
2006-13839
Sto. Domingo, Rosalyn Mae P.
2006- 11360


Professor Melania Abad
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City




BIBLIYOGRAPIYA

______________ ., Kalagin ang ating tanikala: batayang kurso sa kalagayan at pakikibaka ng kababaihang Pilipino Quezon City : Center for Women's Resources, 1994

Azarcon, Pennie S., ed. Kamalayan: Feminist Writings in the Philippines. Quezon City : Pilipina, 1987.

Camacho, Leonarda. 100 Centennial Celebration: Feminist Movement in the Philippines. [S.l.] : Printed by Vibal Pub. House, c2005.

Fernandez, Albina Peczon at Rosalinda Ofreneo. Kababaihan. Kalinangan. Kaunlaran: essays on women and culture. Quezon City : Forward Looking Women, 1990.

Tarrosa-Subido, Trinidad. The Feminist Movement in the Philippines. [Manila] : National Federation of Women's Clubs, [c1955]



ANG MAGING BABAE
Ruth E. S. Mabanglo

Kasumpa-sumpa
Ang maging babae sa panahong ito:

Depinisyong pamana
Ng nakaraa’t kasalukuyan

Anong hinulma
Ng pag-asam at pangangailangan

Ibukod pa ang basal na kalikasan
Ang tungkulin at kapaligiran

Isaalang-alang bilang halimbawa,
Ang maiambil sa babasaging kristals

Mulang pagsilang,
Nagumon ang isip sa karupukan
Guwardiya ang bawat ama
Ng pagkabirhe’t kahihiyan

Bawat kapatid na lalaki’y espiya,
Asawa naman ang kandadong ikinakawit sa pinto.

Tunguhin ka’t dahilan
Ng di mabilang na bagay.

Kanin at pamulat
Ng hangari’t paglingap.

Anong pag-ibig o pagpapakasakit?
Anong paglilingkod o pagtitiis?

Ikaw ang pundiya ng karsonsilyo,
Ang kurbata, maging ang burda sa panyo’t kamiseta.

Susukatin ang ganda mo sa kama,
Ang talino’y sa pagkita ng pera.

Kumikita ang beer at sine,
Nagdidildil ka ng pills.

Tunay, ang maging babae sa panahong ito’y
Magiging kasumpa-sumpa lalo

Kung di babalikwas ang lahat,
Matiim na magmumuni’t magsusuri

Kahit masugat-sugatan ang sarili,
Upang ang dugong
Sa kabahagi lamang dumadaloy,
Maglandas din sa isip at guni-guni.