Deviance refers to the act of going against norms. It is also a form unacceptable form of behavior, an opposition of what we are used to. It is also connoted as someone who has escaped his prison cell, for him to explore and to become deviant. It is usually an act of doing something wrong as well.

  Photo source: owner

Growing up in a very prim and polished family, I was raised to follow good morals and right conduct. I was always being taken care of by my parents, up to the point that I feel like I am treated as a princess. My parents always wished the best for me and always wanted to give me a life I deserved. With that, I took this as my comfort zone and I never thought of being rebellious.

  Photo source: owner

But in college, there came a time that I went out of my comfort zone and entered into the world of dance. I joined a dance group since I always admired my friends who danced and inspired me. Entering into a dance group, I never knew that there would be certain consequences to it. It meant having late night practices that would go on from 9 pm to 12 am every day. Due to this, I would always go home late, ranging from 1 to 3 in the morning. This really disappointed my family, because they would always worry since I would go home really late and not to mention that I am a girl, who was disciplined very well. Girls in the society are supposed to act prim and proper, and are expected to be home before 12 midnight.

  Photo source: owner

Going home late meant that I was putting my safety at stake. But I was relying on the fact that my city, Davao City, is a safe one. So I was not really that scared of going home so late because I know I am safe in my city. But still, I was still making my parents worry and so I felt really guilty. With this, I learned that I should still follow the norms of the society because it would honor my family and myself as well.

References:

http://www.sparknotes.com/sociology/deviance/section1.rhtml

(Photo source: leftfootforward.org/)

The elderly in our community, otherwise known as the "Senior Citizens", are the ones who are not really given much attention in the society. In Davao, I can see that there are some Seniors who just roam around, and it is usually sad to see that some of them resort to begging as their lifestyle. It is understandable that there are really less fortunate ones out there, but it is heartbreaking to see that there are some elders in the streets who beg from other people, even if they could do other things that could be more beneficial to their welfare. 

(Photo source: mgalakwacherangdoktora.blogspot.com)

Here in Davao City, there is a park known as Osmeña Park. There was a time wherein I visited the Park and found a lot of Senior Citizens. According to my research, this Park actually served as a venue and a representation of appreciation towards the senior citizens of Davao City. In its commitment of giving importance to the elderly, the Park is home to several Senior Citizens, giving them a place to call their own in the city.

(Photo source: google.com.ph)

During my visit, I was surprised to see that there were some elders who engaged in exercise. There was an area dedicated for them where they could have their fitness, and it was really touching to see that such a little thing could actually mean a lot and become a big thing. The elderly in our community tend to be ignored and not always attended to, so seeing such a thing really struck me in the heart. 

(Photo source: silverevolution.files.wordpress.com)

There were also some Seniors who played chess and indoor sports of the like. It was fascinating to observe that they were spending their leisure time by playing brain games instead of just lounging around and doing nothing. Aside from that, there were others who engaged in social conversations with others, even if they were just mere acquaintances.

(Photo source: gazettenet.com)

It was really nice to see that these Seniors spent time in the Park instead of just lounging around in their homes, because Parks are also very important in one's welfare. Parks like Osmeña Park help these Seniors enhance their social, mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. 

(Photo source: taipeitimes.com)

The society needs to realize that Senior Citizens are just as important as the youth is. They were also young once, and it's inspiring to see that despite their old age they still manage to look forward every day of their lives and still cooperate in the adventures of daily living. We must respect these Seniors because they have also been a huge part of our society and without them, the society today wouldn't be the same as it is now. 

(Photo source: sunstar.com.ph)

(Photo source: cebu-philippines.net)

          Growing up in Davao, I have learned that it is an environment full of hope. Davao has held so many opportunities, with a government that safeguards and holds a belief in a brighter future for the citizens. The people who live here are so full of warmth and are trustworthy, and you rarely find any reports of crime in the city. Probably it’s in the mentality of the people on how they are able to be so disciplined and not fool around. It is also one of the cities in the Philippines that make you feel safe, comfortable, and generally happy.

But there are still some who tend to be realistic and question, “Is Davao really safe?” According to Statistics, after ranking ninth safest in the world in the user-contributed survey site Numbeo.com, Davao City is now at fourth place. Aside from that, the following are several reasons that prove that Davao really is a safe city:

(Photo source: bp.blogspot.com)

1. Davao’s emergency 911 hotline. It is the first in the country, providing 24/7 emergency response and police assistance  in minutes within the city’s urban area.

(Photo source: numbeo.com/)

2. Davao's safety of walking. Studies show that the safety of walking around alone during daytime or nighttime still has a high rate.

(Photo source:davaocity.gov.ph)

      3. Davao has a Non-Smoking Ordinance. Smoking in populated areas is restricted in many cities in the Philippines, but Davao City was one of the first localities to strictly implement a citywide smoking ban on public places, complete with skyrocketing fines.

(Photo source: davaobase.com)

4. Davao has a Firecracker ban. Thanks to the effective local governance and the unwavering discipline of Dabawenyos, there have been minimal to zero injuries due to firecrackers.

(Photo source: davaobase.com)

5. Davao has a speed limit. Driving around the city has become a lot slower because of the speed limit ordinance. You can only go as fast as 30 kph downtown, and a maximum of 60 kph in the city borders.

(Photo source: untvweb.com)

6. Davao has a liquor ban.  The ordinance was designed to reduce accidents and crimes caused by alcohol intoxication, and it seems to be working. Walking in Davao City streets has become significantly safer with less drunkards roaming the city.

            With all of these data mentioned above, it is safe to conclude that Davao really is a safe city, and it is not just an illusion. If society will adapt to the safety culture that Davao City has, then people will learn to establish this and furthermore promote safety within the rest of society.  As they believe just how safety truly is evident in Davao, then they can finally set that into a genuine reality.

References:

- http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2015/06/23/davao-now-4th-safest-city-414856

- http://www.davaobase.com/2015/03/7-reasons-to-hate-or-love-davao-city/

The agents of socialization has four main agents: the family, the school, peer groups, and mass media. All of these four agents has helped strengthen and build my character. Yet in this entry, I will focus on one agent which is peer groups.

                The peer group that has truly helped me in becoming who I am today is no doubt my college classmates, otherwise known as X2. I have been together with these people for 5 years already, and I know fully well that they are my favorite bunch so far in my entire existence. Being together with them for the longest time has brought attachments, and they have taught me quite a lot which has proved to be beneficial to my welfare. We all may have had our ups and downs, but no matter what, I still hold them dear in my heart.

                As Architecture students, we all struggled to make it this far. The first year was the year wherein everything was still fresh and innocent, and we were still getting to know each other. As the years passed by, I can say that it was never an easy ride for every single one of us. In our second year, third year, and fourth year, we made sure our bond would be strong as ever by going out on adventures, having fun, and just simply bonding with each other. Little did we know how our course would actually test our friendships, and so it proved that every friendship has its ups and downs. You see, in our course, we experience immense pressure due to several deadlines, and overlapping requirements from our other subjects.  It is in these times that we have to think ahead and learn to balance our time wisely. Before our thesis year, there have already been issues present in our class. Even if we ignored them, they would eventually arise whenever we had our retreats and recollections. There were several friendships that were tested due to several factors. One factor is that being an Architecture student tends to influence you to be in competition with your other classmates. There would always be that feeling of being compared to others even if you try your best.  Another is that being in groups would also tend to challenge you and your groupmates. The ones who are not that cooperative or the ones who don’t comply the requirements in time are the ones who will become left out. Since we are very constrained with our time, we need to budget our time wisely and that we think that there’s no room for those who don’t comply. These are just some of the many issues that we have faced over the years. With all the stress that has been going on, it was difficult to see what is really important.  

But aside from these cons, there are still pros which prove to be much more significant and will defeat the purpose of the cons. In our thesis year, we learned to settle aside our differences and help each other out. There are still issues, but we learned to look at the bigger picture and just try our best to help others so that they could pass and graduate on time. For all the 5 years of being with them, I have never expected that everything would happen the way they did. These are just some of the many things I have learned along the way:

1. No matter how difficult things may get, friendship would always prevail.

2. True friends would always be there for you no matter what.

3. Never let the small things get in the way of the things that matter most.

On my part, I wouldn’t be who I am today if not for these people. These friends of mine are what have inspired me to become better, because they have supported me throughout my college journey. They guided me whenever I had difficulty in our design subjects, or other aspects. We would also share creative ideas and collaborate, helping each other out. That is also one of the beauties of being an Architecture student – being able to learn and grow with the people you share the same passion with.

Aside from that, they are the ones who taught me just how imperfect life is, and that it takes a lot of strength, forgiveness, and patience to recover from all the problems that have been going on. They have opened my eyes to what I clearly couldn’t see before – that even friendship could still be ruined if you guys don’t take care of it. Most importantly, life is a journey that you can walk alone, but it would be much more beautiful if it was walked with your friends. 

(Photo source: Owner)

                During the year 2060 in the region of Davao City, I went on an investigation with my crew: a well-renowned team of interpretative sociologists. We were in search for an artifact that we hoped we could gain a new body of knowledge from, and we overheard that what we were looking for could be found in an Antique shop somewhere downtown. Thus we spent a good amount of time in search of the artifact, until a particular one caught our attention – the infamous “One Piece” Chain Necklace.

              My crew and I conducted a descriptive type of research for our investigation. We identified that the appearance of the necklace was a logo from the Japanese Anime/Manga “One Piece”. Anime/Manga is a genre that is part of Japan’s culture, and is very popular among all ages. One Piece is series that is well-known and something that fans always look forward to. The series was a big hit for about 6 decades ago, and is always remembered by fans all over the world.

              We asked the shop-owner for further details about the necklace, but all he could give was that it belonged to a male student from a prestigious school who is currently, aged 66, a retired celebrity somewhere out there in the world who was able to pursue his lifelong dream. He gave his necklace to the shop owner with the hope that the one who could discover his treasure would always keep it and be inspired to follow his/her dreams just like how he did. 

(Photo Source: pinterest.com/pin/549439223263445528/, 2015)

        As we discussed about the history behind this necklace, we decided to a further investigation upon One Piece. The logo of the necklace represents the flag called “Jolly Roger” – a traditional flag of European and Caribbean pirates, envisioned today as a skull over crossed thigh bones on a black field. The flag belonged to a crew of Pirates called the “Straw Hat Pirates”, who are the main focus and protagonists of the series. The crew’s Jolly Roger is a cartoon-like depiction of a traditional skull and cross-bone with the skull wearing Monkey D. Luffy’s trademark straw hat.  Monkey D. Luffy is the main protagonist of the story, who is renowned for his trademark straw hat (from which he gets his nickname “Straw Hat Luffy”), which was lent to him when he was young by the legendary pirate captain, “Red-haired” Shanks, who in turn, received it from Gol D. Roger. Luffy’s lifelong dream is to become the Pirate King by finding the legendary treasure called left behind by the late Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, and so Luffy seeks to become the new Pirate King 22 years later. He believes that being Pirate King means having the most freedom in the world and thus the story revolves around Luffy and his adventures together with his crew. (onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Monkey_D._Luffy, 2006)

(Photo source: s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com, 2015)

             The Straw Hat Pirates consist of 9 members whose bounty altogether is very high, and they have always been an unstoppable crew. As Luffy became captain of the crew, the Straw Hats are notable for being one of the most powerful pirate crews in the One Piece world. Even though there was a time wherein they were all separated from one another, they still trained in relatively isolated locations and became stronger with the intent and for the sake of helping each other. 

“

The Straw Hat crew has left nothing but sheer miracles in its wake.

”

—     Trafalgar Law, remarking on the crew’s aptitude to overcome any challenge.

Two of the Straw Hats greatest attributes are their charisma and unpredictability. With their extremely friendly personalities, they manage to make all the right friends in the right places, which eventually accomplishes their goals. These friends and allies have proven to be useful depending on the location or objective, and thus the Straw Hats seem to have no regrets fighting for their own sakes given the circumstances, and vice versa. They also tend to act upon their emotions, throwing normal logic out of order. Overall, their most unique strength is the fact that the Straw Hat crew, on many occasion, are extremely lucky, being able to achieve many things that would be considered impossible feats. (onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Straw_Hat_Pirates, 2006)

(Photo source: pinterest.com/pin/241083386279592442, 2015)

Based upon the analysis from the results that my crew and I gathered, we can claim that the necklace serves as a social object. If the society could learn more about One Piece and the lessons that the anime brings, then it could serve as a huge inspiration. Some of the lessons that society can learn from watching or reading this series are:

1. No one should be discriminated against – Equality is something that should be absolute, and if there is still inequality of race in the world, then it should be looked down upon.

2. Freedom to live your life – Everyone should be free to live life and not try to harm other right to the same thing.

3. Love those you view as family – Those who are looking of family might look more deeply at the ties they have around them and learn to cherish them as their family.

4. Hold on to your friends – Your bonds of friendship help mold who you become, so it’s best in life to cherish them.

5. Never give up – When you set your mind to something, you shouldn’t be afraid to follow through with it.

6. Follow your Dreams – To not throw away your dreams because someone else says so and push forward towards that dream. (Wilson, 2012)

          If only society would be able to follow these lessons, then truly there would be a change in culture for the good. People would become equal, and learn to embrace and respect each other despite their differences. All of Luffy’s crewmates constantly acknowledge that they can’t do everything on their own. The greatest thing that One Piece encourages everyone is to follow your dreams and be free as possible. Just like the Straw Hat Pirates, we could follow their footsteps and bring about the same things that they eventually will bring to their world. That hopefully in time, we could also bring peace and freedom to our world. 

(Photo source: aminoapps.com, 2015)

Bibliography

(2006). Retrieved from onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Straw_Hat_Pirates: http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Straw_Hat_Pirates

(2006). Retrieved from onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Monkey_D._Luffy: http://onepiece.wikia.com/wiki/Monkey_D._Luffy

Wilson, D. (2012). Retrieved from http://onepiecelessons.blogspot.com/

(Photo source: blasoplecenter.com, 2015)

                Mindanao is a region in the Philippines that has always experienced a great conflict due to problems attributed to religious differences. There has been a long-ignored history of injustice that Filipinos in Mindanao have had to endure – almost in silence. Years of neglect and the lack of effective reconciliatory processes have allowed histories of massacre and broken promises to fester into growing suspicion—among the Mindanao tri-peoples (Christians, Muslims and lumad), and between rebel groups and the state.  (Shahani, 2015)

(Photo source: sunstar.com.ph, 2015)

Along my research, I came across a headline that struck me the most. It was entitled “Philippines: Will Peace in Mindanao ever be achieved?” This made me realize just how much peace is being hoped for in the region, due to all the conflicts and unresolved issues that have been going on for several years. But despite this, there have been several groups that have paid efforts in order to achieve this peace that Mindanao has always longed for. One of the events that are held annually for this purpose is the “Mindanao Week of Peace”. 

(Photo source: arrupe.addu.edu.ph, 2014)

The Mindanao Week of Peace (MWOP) is an annual celebration that has the intent of advocating peace in the island of Mindanao. In this annual event, it promotes the culture of peace as an “authentic lived experience, a way of life, and a spirituality that traverses religious and cultural boundaries.” With this, the annual MWOP celebration brings forth the hopes and aspirations of the Mindanao people, with the belief that peace is possible to achieve, along with achieving progress and development in this region of the Philippines as well. (Alcantara, 2013)

The Mindanao Week of Peace is a venue wherein the people of Mindanao come together and become united regardless of their culture or their religion. In that way, they can show the nation, and even the world, that they can still be united despite of their many differences. Different schools participated in this event, and Ateneo de Davao University is one of them.

For the past years, several activities were held in the university in observance of the Mindanao Week of Peace, usually around the last week of November until the first week of December. Different ministries, departments, and formation groups took part and collaborated together in order to make the big event a success and a celebration to be remembered.  (cweb2.addu.edu.ph/, 2013)

(Photo source: facebook.com/atenews/, 2015)

During the MWOP 2015, there was an activity called “Mu-Sayaw Para sa Kapayapaan” held at the Roxas Grounds near the university. It was an opportunity for the people to express their aspirations for peace through dance and music. 

(Photo source: addu.edu.ph/, 2014)

            There were also other activities held in the university for the past years, which were not just limited to dancing and singing and other forms of arts. Other activities also includes a forum, a candle lighting prayer, a Peace Summit, Salidahan, a Walk for Peace and a Peace Camp, and so on (Atenews, 2013).

How did these activities promote/change our culture of peace?

                Having these activities in the university is more than just a good thing because not only does it promote awareness for the students, but it also helps them realize just how much the region is in need of peace and in this way, even at a young age, they can already do something about it. They can take part in the different activities, or contribute in their own little ways. As one of the best universities in the region, Ateneo must set an example for other people as well and surely, others will follow.

             With great efforts, it’s not difficult for peace to be achieved. The world was meant to be united and not divided. We need to break these barriers that are breaking all of us apart. These activities dedicated for peace can inspire the society today especially the youth, and it could also be beneficial for the future.  Once peace is implemented in our culture, it would be more convenient and easier for the future generation to continue this kind of culture. 

 “A Culture of Peace needs to continue to be created and we can do this best by teaching the values of DIALOGUE to the students - a dialogue which upholds and respects our basic human rights, our diverse culture, aims for a peaceful resolution to our conflicts and cares for our environment. Doing this will ensure the support and sustainability of the on-going Peace Process.” 

                                                                                                                                            

                                                                                                                                         - Dra. Anayatin

Bibliography

Alcantara, J. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.dabawenya.net/2013/12/walk-for-peace-a-mindanao-week-of-peace-activity/#

cweb2.addu.edu.ph/. (2013). Retrieved from http://cweb2.addu.edu.ph/news-articles/mindanao-week-peace-2013

Shahani, L. R. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.philstar.com/opinion/2015/10/19/1512133/understanding-conflict-education-peace-mindanao

 (Photo source: apec2015ceosummit.ph, 2015)

(Photo Source: thesummitexpress.com, 2015)

                   The APEC Summit 2015 was hosted by the Philippines and chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III in Pasay, Manila last November 18-19, 2015. It was the second time the Philippines hosted the summit, the first being the 1996 APEC Summit. Under the theme, “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World”, Leaders, Ministers and Senior Officials from APEC’s 21 member economies, the world’s largest regional economic group, will take new joint actions to boost trade and growth in the Pacific Rim while ensuring benefits for the countries as well. (apec.org, 2015)

               APEC, otherwise known as the “Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation” is an annual trade, financial, investment, economic, developmental, and political networking event wherein the leaders of Asia-Pacific economies or countries meet to forge trade agreements, talk about financial matters, discuss foreign investments, and pledge economic promises.

(Photo source: rappler.com, 2015)

            During the summit, the leaders also endorsed the priorities of the Philippines, the host country, in the following areas:

• Building inclusive economies
• Fostering participation of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in regional and global markets
• Building sustainable and resilient communities
• Investing in human capital development
• Enhancing the regional economic integration agenda
• Strengthening collaboration

        The declaration summed up agreements made in the entire year the Philippines hosted APEC. (Macaraig, 2015)

(Photo source: apec.org, 2015)

“Building on APEC’s achievements over the past generation, the Philippines hosts APEC with a people-centered agenda that embraces all segments of society as invaluable participants in a growth that is holistic,” said Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, in remarks to APEC Economic Leaders. President Aquino, chair of the proceedings, called for the Leaders of the 21 APEC members to advance an agenda for joint action that lifts their economies and improves the Asia-Pacific region’s prospects for the future.

 “Together, we can write a growth story with a vision of economic prosperity and interconnectedness felt at all levels,” President Aquino concluded. “As regional economic integration continues to take form, APEC’s role – when viewed through the prism of inclusive growth – will be defined not only according to the future of economies but also of the people that drive economic growth.” (apec.org, 2015)

 (Photo source: apec.org, 2015)

                The APEC can be related to Structural Functionalism, which is one of the three paradigms of Sociology. Structural Functionalism, according to its definition by Macionis (2010), sees society as complex system where parts work together to promote stability and solidarity Its key characteristic is that it views society as constantly striving to be at a state of equilibrium, which suggests there is an inherent drive within human societies to cohere or stick together. (Hak, 2007)

               Together, the leaders which represent the different countries all strive together to reach equilibrium. The platforms that were discussed in the summit were trying to attain stability and solidarity within the society. These platforms could strengthen collaboration most of all, since it could pave way for the different countries to work hand-in-hand with one another. Just like what President Aquino said, the APEC embraces all segments of society as invaluable participants, wherein they all work together towards a holistic growth – an important factor for the society. 

Bibliography

apec.org. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.apec.org/Press/News-Releases/2015/1113_CSOM.aspx

Hak, D. (2007). Retrieved from https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Sociological_Theory/Structural_Functionalism

Macaraig, A. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.rappler.com/world/global-affairs/113386-apec-leaders-declaration-terrorism