Abellanosa, John Francis Louie D.

BS Psych 1

“Anthropological Self”

The Philippines is a melting pot of different cultures, traditions, beliefs and customs, but out
of the many beautiful cultures we have in the Philippines, specifically Cebu, one culture has had a
significant influence over my self identity, and that is the Music Culture here in Cebu. I have always
loved music since I was a child, and when I found the opportunity to learn to play Instruments, I took
it, and it has really changed the way I viewed everything, from art itself, to the way I want to live my
life.
I.
a. What makes your chosen element an essential part of your culture?
- Music is, and has always been, an essential part of Cebuano culture. The
emotion and poetry in music has always allowed Cebuanos to celebrate each
other's feelings, passions, and emotions. Cebuanos always go to each other's
houses and sing karaoke, and Cebuano children have always sang in front of
their families to make an easy 100 pesos. We have always connected and
bonded over music, and we always will.
b. What quality of your culture reflects the element? Provide your reasons.
- The quality of Cebuano culture that reflects music is our openness to express
our emotions as Cebuanos. We as a society have always engaged in each
other's stories, chika-ing about the happenings of each other’s lives. This
openness in expressing our feelings extends to the form of self expression in
music. So many aspects of Filipino and Cebuano culture is seen in the songs
of Missing Filemon, Eraserheads, Rivermaya, Cueshe and many more local
artists.
c. How does that element influence your self identity?
- Music has influenced my self identity in many ways. I am now a lover of
poetry, I appreciate theatrical arts more, and I am obsessed with film, The
influence of music has bled over to many different aspects of my life, from
the way I talk to people, the lenses with which I view the world, the way I
feel when I am in certain places, the way I even write, the way I feel my
emotions, this has all been influenced by music.
II.

The two interviewees I have chosen are my mother and father. The two of them see me as a “young
man who thinks about life with a deeper sense of purpose and meaning. You are not swayed by what
the present-day culture presents and teaches, because you know how to look back into the past, delve
into and try to understand the great minds that inspired and even shaped the world across time and
history.”

1. Do the ideas of the interviewees about you reflect how you see yourself?
- In a way, they do, since it’s true that I look back into the great minds of the
past that shaped the modern world, since it’s things like these that pique my
interest. I however do not think that I am not swayed by modern ideas and
 teachings, because I know very well that I am influenced by modern-day
culture.
2. How do your past and present interactions with the interviewees influence your
self-identity?
- They influence my self-identity very much, since they have been providing
me with guidance and supervision ever since I was an Infant. So much of
what I am is affected by what they have passed on to me, such as their
principles and doctrines. The way they have treated me and the things they
have taught me are the bricks that make up so much of my identity.
3. Are the interviewees, with their roles in your life, important influences on how you
see yourself?
- Yes, since they are my parents, I always look to them for approval, and I am
always seeking their guidance. Their roles are significant factors of how I see
myself.
III.
a. What is the name of your own self theory?
- The name of my own self theory is “The Contradictory John”. My name is
John Francis Louie Dalanon Abellanosa. The name is derived from the
Hebrew name “Yohanan”, which means “graced by god”. When written in
Greek, it turns into Ioannes. It later became Johannes in Late Latin, which
later became John in English. My name was taken from my older sisters,
Johnnette, Francine, and Louise. Their names transformed into John, Francis,
and Louie.
b. How do you see yourself in the perspective of anthropology?
- I honestly don’t see myself very clearly. I tend to be very contradictory, in the
things I like and the things I feel about certain things. For example, I am very
deeply disturbed by the economic and political state of the Philippines right
now, but I am also very doubtful and cynical, and believe that it’s gonna be
really hard to reform the country, and that there's probably nothing we can do
anymore. There are countless more examples that are very visible in me, and
I find that exploring and getting to know myself is a constant cycle of solving
puzzles and riddles, and having to swallow the hard and ugly truth a lot.
Although my journey of self knowledge and self actualization is really hard, I
still think that it’s worth all the trouble, and I am very glad I’ve come as far as
I have.
c. How do you see yourself in the perspective of sociology?
- I am still very contradictory in the perspective of sociology, since I am in
some ways Introverted and Extroverted at the same time, and I am also very
private and public at the same time. I have many friends, and I can get along
with anyone, but I still find it hard to share very private personal information
about myself to them. Despite this, I still appreciate myself from the
perspective of sociology.