Amina Aisa H.

Boncales PUPGS - Master in Psychology

Research/Thesis Topic

The main interest of my study in the field of Psychology lies in the fact that at the core of
my being, my individuality, I have always believed that if there is one thing common to all humans
that is our capacity to enact willful changes for our greater being. And for me, Psychology as a
science (as people in the field, we know its struggle to be a “science”, to be “scientific”) is not
just, and should not be, focusing its concerns to merely explaining or describing (or even
measuring) human mental states/processes or behavior in different contexts or environments as
much as it can - generalizability, but is a field capable of being a force that could drive or motivate
that human capacity of change for greater being. In relation to this, my interest is not just limited
to humans as ‘individuals’ per se but humans as ‘beings’ – always in relation to something else,
to all matters outside it which gives it essence and its purpose for existing, and ultimately
developing. The focus is not just the ‘individual’ but the material environment as well as the social
realities that produced the individual and motivated its being, and the changes we are capable
of.

In line with these, I do not think it is still debatable that there is a much needed change in
how things currently are in the Philippine context – be it in how the country is being governed as
a whole or in how Filipinos are individually, and that the role of Psychology is as significant as
ever in all of this. Naturally then, I would want to focus on the Philippine context, Filipino
Psychology, and the Psychology of the Filipino people in the Philippines. I intend to do research
that could contribute not just to the understanding of a Filipino of his/her ‘individuality’ or “identity
as a Filipino” but also to the consciousness of his/her place in such context – the individual in
the social and material reality that historically produced his/her psychological being, always
leading to its continuous realization. Ambitiously, in this sense, the purpose of Psychology is not
just to adapt the individual to any given context or demonstrate the process but to emphasize
consciousness as human activity that promotes potential development and change. In the
research (or would-be series of studies) I am planning to pursue, I want to delve in the fields of
Critical, Social, Political, Filipino, and Clinical Psychology. I plan to initially explore and learn
more about Filipino Psychology from a critical perspective greatly considering the socioeconomic
and political context that produced it historically; its impacts in our thoughts, feelings, behavior,
and supposed being. This is in relation to class theories which are rarely considered in
understanding human psychology despite the fact that it is one of the most influential
identification to one’s being. Furthermore, I want to explore the values formed and establish
because of the rise of Liberalism/Neoliberalism in the Philippines especially in the urban area,
and the idea that it is making depression and anxiety (or other forms of psychological disorders)
worse or it is actually ‘creating’ depression and anxiety among people due to increased
alienation; provided that the Filipino people have always been a close-knitted group, highly
valuing social relations and the collective. At this point it is important to note that mainstream
Psychology could be contributing to this concern by being in support of capitalist aspirations by
promoting highly individualized and positivist approaches neglecting the significance of the
economic and sociopolitical realities that produced, and is continuously creating and changing
the Filipino Psychology (for worse). Aside from this, and in contrast to Liberal/Neoliberal values
promoted and being established, it is also necessary to explore Indigenous Psychology and how
it could be a source of knowledge, awareness, and consciousness emphasizing the native
psychology of the Filipinos and how it has always been and will always be in line with collectivity;
a critique to the predominantly American/European psychologization of the Filipino. All of the
intended analysis of the Filipino Psychology/psyche in this research then will be greatly in
relation and with regards to the Philippines’ history of colonialism and its struggle for self-
determination as well as economic freedom, individually or collectively. Methods of research
would not be limited to the quantitative and/or descriptive method (the mainstream Psychology
method) as I aim to learn to utilize qualitative method accordingly or methods inclined to action
or activity research/theory. Also, theories and approaches will be multidisciplinary; I intend to
borrow from other fields of the Social Sciences and Humanities. Most importantly, dialectical
method (i.e. dialectical historical materialist perspective) will be the framework for studying,
analyzing the relations and interconnectedness of all variables involved since it is the only
method capable of serving the purpose of this psychological research – comprehending an
individual in its environment (social, historical, cultural), explaining the conflicts out of which the
individual must evolve or is evolving, and promoting the development of conscious functioning
aimed towards transformation and social change.

Most that has been mentioned and discussed is for the purpose of research and study in
pushing the field of Psychology as a science in the Philippine context for the Filipino people.
However, a greater task is at the core of such study – the role and function of professionals, be
it as an academician or as a psychologist. Researching is nothing but a small part of the goal
towards social transformation and change which should ultimately benefit the marginalized,
oppressed or underrepresented considering the current sociopolitical and economic system we
are in. As an academician, true to its profession and philosophy, the goal is to promote and
provide scientific and emancipatory learning – education that should just not enable an individual
to ‘know things’ but ultimately use it accordingly. As a psychologist, one should just not be
inclined to describing/explaining, or pathologizing/psychologization of human behavior
according to some universal/general/common standard, but one should always be in the service
of pushing for the promotion of the potentialities of an individual’s being in relation to its social
and economic origin; the goal is not simply classifying, diagnosing and treating without
discrimination, but a great part of it is in being able to critically identify problems that contribute
to psychological concerns of being, and to be one of the agents in transforming an environment
where different kinds of ‘psychological disorders/concerns’ is not one of the continuous products.
Finally, an individual is and can be provided a chance to produce the conditions in which they
live in with the possibility of developing his/her nature accordingly while being conscious of
his/her social/economic relations and place historically.