Journal#1"Politics is power" and that is one of the many definitions that can define politics. Basically these two are always associated with each other. If we were to define power, it is basically the ability or capacity to act in a particular way or the ability to direct or influence the behaviour of others. With that we can see that the scope of politics and power goes beyond the government officials, the theories of political scientists and the university professors and students discussing it. If we were to look closely, we will see that everything is political and even in the safest and the most comfortable surrounding and people there is a power play going on.
Before everything else, I would just like to introduce a brief background regarding my household. My father and eldest brother are businessmen while my mother is a housewife/businesswoman, she was a housewife before but since me and my other sibling "shoti" in Chinese (younger brother) are grown up already, she set up a business. Me and my younger brother are the only remaining member of the family who still don't have work.
Resources Profile of Household
Resources
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Households
Members / Community Stakeholders
|
||||
I (Father)
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II (Mother)
|
III (Me)
|
IV (Brother 1)
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V (Brother 2)
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|
Productive
|
|||||
1. Foundry
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
2. Restaurant
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
3. Bakeshop
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
Reproductive
|
|||||
1. Car
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
2. Computer
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
3. Television
Set
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
4. Cellphone
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
5. Refrigerator
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
6. House
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
7. Kitchen
Appliances and Materials
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
8. Air Condition
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
9. Food and Grocery
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
10. Furniture
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
11. Laptop
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
12. Bedroom
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
13. Camera
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
14. Game Console
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
15. Landline
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
Basically since my father, mother, and elder brother are the ones who actually earn money they are the ones who are basically in control of certain materials in our household. Although in the end my dad is still the person who has the most control out of all the materials but since in the case of computers, he doesn't really use the computer, my elder brother became the controlling figure in that aspect.
Decision Making Issue
|
Households Members /
Community Stakeholders
|
||||
I (Father)
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II (Mother)
|
III (Me)
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IV (Brother 1)
|
V (Brother 2)
|
|
Related to Productive Activity
|
|||||
1. Where
to invest money?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
2. How to
increase revenue?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
3. Which
properties to buy?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
Related to Reproductive Activity
|
|||||
1. Which
school should the children enroll in?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
2. Which
car to buy?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
3. What
movies to watch?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
4. Where
to eat for dinner?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
5. Which
course to choose?
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
6. What
school to enroll in?
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
7. Which
hospital to go for medical purposes?
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
Related to Community Management
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
1.
Who to vote?
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
|
2. What activities to participate into?
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
3. Position on various issues
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
4. Religion
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
In the aspect of decision making once again those who are earning money are the ones who are in control of the decisions that our household faces. While in the process of choosing school and the hospital the decision despite my elder brother's independence due to the fact that he has his own salary has no control in that part. The family on the other hand does not really impose their own will regarding who to vote, who to support or what activities to participate in, my parents gives me and my brothers the freedom to make our own decisions as they've said "malalaki na kayo alam niyo na kung ano ang ginagawa niyo" but when it comes to religion they believe that the family should only have one religion and for us that is Roman Catholicism.
Benefits and Burdens
|
Households Members /
Community Stakeholders
|
||||
I (Father)
|
II (Mother)
|
III (Me)
|
IV (Brother 1)
|
V (Brother 2)
|
|
Benefits
|
|||||
1. Income
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
2. Internet
Access
|
A
|
A
|
C
|
C
|
C
|
3. Credit
Card Access
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
|
4. Cable
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
Burdens
|
|||||
1. Electricity
and water bills
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
2. Tuition
fee
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
3. Credit
card bills
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
4. Insurance
fee
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
5. Paying loans
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
A
|
6. Paying
business debts and expense
|
C
|
C
|
A
|
A
|
A
|
In the benefits portion I can say that the person who is the most privileged is me and my younger brother due to the fact that we enjoy the fruits of my parents labor. The fact that we do not have to work and still have these benefits makes me so thankful that I have parents who are so loving and kind. And in a few months I would (hopefully) be able to help them in the shouldering of the burdens by working.
Positionality Assessment Profile
Aspect of
Identity
|
Are you in
control?
|
|
Course
|
Yes
|
|
Lifestyle
|
Yes
|
|
Political
Ideology
|
Yes
|
|
School
|
Yes
|
|
Religion
|
No
|
|
Sexual
Orientation
|
Yes
|
|
Career Preference
|
Yes
|
|
Study Habits
|
Yes
|
|
Sports
|
Yes
|
|
Fashion
|
Yes
|
|
Hobbies
|
Yes
|
|
Friends
|
Yes
|
|
Relationships
|
Yes
|
|
In the end, after taking this test of power I can say that I am still a powerless person and if I were to describe myself I would say that I am still nothing in this society until I can start to give back to the things that my family have done for me for without them I would never be able to survive and be here. As of now, I know that I do not have the total freedom wherein I can do whatever I wanted to do but still my identity as an individual is in my control.
