Ateneo Sociology and Anthropology

08/09/2026

📣 New Publication from the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology 📣

We are pleased to share the publication of a new article by Angela Rosario P. Piczon, a Master's student of the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology, co-authored with Pia Patricia P. Tenedero, PhD, titled “Social media and the Catholic Church: A scoping review.”

ABSTRACT:
The growing presence of Catholic priests and nuns on social media reflects the increasing importance of this social practice, which has interdisciplinary implications in religion, media communication, and education. To help determine new research directions to aid in deepening the understanding of this phenomenon, this scoping review explores what is known so far about the intersections of social media and the Catholic Church’s evangelical mission. Adopting the PRISMA-ScR reporting framework, 43 English-language journal articles published in selected research databases from 2014 to 2024 were systematically selected and reviewed. The research questions, contexts, frameworks, methods, data and social media platform sources, and key findings were extracted in an Excel matrix to map patterns in the literature, major evidence gaps, and future research directions. Findings show that studies are predominantly situated in European contexts, focus on Facebook and Twitter, use qualitative modes of analysis, and examine practices, purposes, products, and prescriptions of the Catholic Church in relation to social media. To broaden scholarship, future research can explore contexts outside Europe and emerging social media platforms like TikTok, employ mixed method approaches, and probe various critical issues arising from prevailing social media practices. Extending research in these directions is essential to deepen understanding of the complex discourse on religion within the digital sphere.

Citation: Piczon, A. R. P., & Tenedero, P. P. P. (2026). Social media and the Catholic Church: A scoping review. Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Studies, 26(2), 575–601. https://doi.org/10.69598/hasss.26.2.277661

31/07/2026

📣 New Publication from Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology Faculty 📣

We are pleased to share the ethnographic publication titled "Bakwit at Digma: Pira-pirasong Alaala sa Cotabato, Iligan, at Saguiaran" by Jehu Emmanuel Laniog, MS in Banwa: Journal of Mindanao Studies (Special Issue: Notes from the Field to the Text, and Back to the Real: Evocations of Possibilities).

Mr. Laniog's research focuses on agricultural development, decoloniality, ethnographic methodologies, and post-development. All photographs featured were taken by the author.

Access the article: Laniog, Jehu Emmanuel. 2023. "Bakwit at Digma: Pira-pirasong Alaala sa Cotabato, Iligan, at Saguiaran." Banwa: Journal of Mindanao Studies. Retrieved July 31, 2026 (https://ojs.upmin.edu.ph/index.php/banwaseriesa/article/view/225)

Browse the Special Issue: https://ojs.upmin.edu.ph/index.php/banwaseriesa/issue/view/28

08/07/2026

PROMOTE HERITAGE, SUPPORT COMMUNITIES
Introduction to Cultural Heritage (SOAN 148-C)
in partnership with award-winning fashion designer, Ditta Sandico

Teacher: Dr. Fernando N. Zialcita
Schedule: Mondays and Thursdays, 11am - 12:30 pm

Ditta Sandico is a visionary fashion designer who embraces an ecological-friendly style and production process. She has uplifted a community of Bicol abaca weavers by buying their Banaca cloth for her famous wraps.

Support communities and promote artisanal weaves when you enroll in Introduction to Cultural Heritage this coming semester. Explore our cacao tableya tradition, gold filigree jewelry, and local aromatics in projects with experts.

For more details contact us at [email protected] or [email protected]

07/07/2026

📢DSA COURSE OFFERINGS FOR THE FIRST SEMESTER, A.Y. 26-27

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology invites students to explore its lineup of select course offerings for the First Semester, A.Y. 2026–2027.

Note: Course schedule and details are subject to changes and adjustments.

📌For the latest details on course offerings, please check the class schedules on AISIS or contact us at [email protected].

03/07/2026

25/06/2026

📣 Announcement of Final Oral Defense 📣

The Dr. Rosita G. Leong School of Social Sciences, Department of Sociology and Anthropology invites you to the Public Final Oral Defense of the Master’s thesis entitled:

Exploring Medical Pluralism: Influences, Perceived Risks and Benefits, & Impact on the Quality of Life Among Filipinos with Life-Limiting Conditions

By: Ms. Maria Noelle C. Maulit
Master of Arts in Sociology Candidate

📍 Venue, Date, and Time
Online,
June 30, 2026, Tuesday,
9:30 AM to 11:00 AM

Adviser:
Dr. Ma. Glenda L. Wui

Panelists:
Dr. Melissa Q. Navarra
Ateneo de Manila University

Dr. John Martin Bernard Gappy
Ateneo de Manila University

Abstract:
This study examined the health-seeking behavior (HSB) of Filipinos with life-limitingconditions by exploring the factors that shape their engagement with medical pluralism and theways these choices affect their quality of life. Grounded in Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus andthe Health Belief Model and, the study sought to understand how familial upbringing, sociocultural influences, socio-economic realities, and experiences with conventional care contribute to thedecision to pursue both conventional and non-conventional forms of treatment.

Guided by the following research questions—what factors shape the habitus of Filipinos intheir health-seeking behavior, how this habitus influences their perceptions of the risks and benefits of medical pluralism, and how it shapes their views on the impact of medical pluralism on quality of life—the study used a qualitative life histories approach. Data were gathered through online semi-structured interviews with eight Filipinos diagnosed with cancer and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

The findings show that medical pluralism is often a pragmatic response to illness, shaped byearly family practices, cultural beliefs, financial limitations, and dissatisfaction with conventional treatment. Participants commonly turned to home remedies, herbal supplements, prayer, hilot, and other non-conventional interventions alongside biomedical care in order to manage symptoms, preserve functioning, and maintain a sense of control. Rather than rejecting conventional medicine,many participants combined different approaches to support their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Overall, the study concludes that medical pluralism among Filipinos with life-limitingconditions is best understood as a negotiated coping strategy rooted in habitus, social relations, and the desire to preserve quality of life. The findings contribute to theory by linking habitus and the Health Belief Model in explaining health-seeking behavior, and they offer practical implications for healthcare providers and policymakers seeking to promote more patient-centered, culturallyresponsive, and accessible cancer care. Through this link, the study develops new insights by showing that health decisions are shaped not only by perceived risks, benefits, and barriers, but alsoby deeply embedded family, cultural, and experiential dispositions that influence how patients interpret illness and choose care.

24/06/2026

📣 New Publication from the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology 📣

We are proud to share a new book chapter contribution from Dr. Andrea Soco-Roda!

Dr. Soco-Roda collaborated with Dr. Maruja M.B. Asis of the Scalabrini Migration Center, and main author Dr. Geoffrey Ducanes from the Ateneo Department of Economics, on the chapter titled “Bilateral labour agreements and migrant worker protection: The Philippine experience.”

Their work is featured in the open-access book, Fair Skilled Mobility: A Manifesto, published by Routledge (London).

🌐 About the Project
This publication is part of a larger, transnational project called Link4Skills (Linking for Fair Skill Utilization and Exchanges between Origins and Destinations), implemented in the Philippines by the Scalabrini Migration Center.

"Link4Skills intends to foster a balance between the supply of skills and the demands of domestic and global labor markets through support for re/up-skilling, automation, and migration."

📖 Citation & Access
Citation: Ducanes, Geoffrey, Maruja M. B. Asis, and M. Andrea Soco-Roda. 2026. "Bilateral Labour Agreements and Migrant Worker Protection: The Philippine Experience." Pp. 95–110 in Fair Skilled Mobility: A Manifesto, edited by I. Grabowska and M. B. Setrana. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003649755

🔗 Access the book here: https://smc.org.ph/index.php/other_resource/fair-skilled-mobility-a-manifesto/

09/06/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our Sociology students for their recognition at the 2026 ASCEND Awards!

The 2026 ASCEND Awards recognise outstanding students whose projects and research demonstrate academic excellence and critical thinking while actively engaging communities beyond Ateneo to contribute to national development.

🏆 Excellence Awardee – Senior College Coursework (Research Category)

Recipients: Angel Lammatao Estorpe, Angela Faye Aringino Asuncion, Olivia Gabrielle Martinne Dacquel Torres, Shanley Nicole Abella Cabaguio, and Yshi Tabat Castillo

Project title: Fishing in Contested Waters: Value Chain Analysis of Tuna and the Narratives of Fisherfolk in Infanta, Quezon

Faculty advisers: Jehu Emmanuel G. Laniog, M.S., and Liza L. Lim, Ph.D.

Partner community: Institute of Social Order, Inc. and Maralitang Mangingisda ng Munting Sabang Association

🌟 Finalist – College Thesis (Group Research Category)

Recipients: Angela Faye A. Asuncion and Shanley Nicole A. Cabaguio

Thesis title: May Pag-asa sa Paglaya: Narratives of Reintegration of Women Restored of Liberty in Metro Manila

Faculty adviser: Jehu Emmanuel G. Laniog, M.S.

Partner community: Humanitarian Legal Assistance Foundation, Inc

We are proud of your achievement!

09/06/2026

📣 New Publication from the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology 📣

We are pleased to share the publication of a new article by Nadine Rellamas, a PhD student of the Ateneo Department of Sociology and Anthropology, together with Danika M. Geronimo and Hazel A. Lao, titled “Kalayaan (Freedom), Hanapbuhay (Livelihood), and Pagsisibat (Persisting): A Conceptual Unpacking of Freelance Work in the Philippines.”

ABSTRACT:
This article is a conceptual but empirically grounded exploration of how Filipino freelance creatives construct and navigate freelance work. Using the sibat (spear) as a metaphor for movement and survival, the paper unpacks freelance work as hanapbuhay (livelihood) pursued in the quest for kalayaan (freedom). Building from emic narratives of sixteen (16) freelance creatives, the paper develops a conceptual model of freedom through three movements: Kalayaang Magsibat (freedom to enter), Kalayaan sa Pagsisibat (freedom to persist), and Kalayaang Sumibat (freedom to exit). These narratives of freelance work reveal a continual negotiation of autonomy under precarious conditions. Anchored and interpreted through Bourdieu’s theory of field, habitus, and capital, the study reframes freelance work not simply as an alternative working arrangement, but as a socially constructed identity shaped, performed, and legitimized through everyday discourse, symbolic meanings, and survival strategies under capitalist structures. Ultimately, freelance work is a state of continuous motion: a lifelong flight toward survival and enduring hope.

📖 Citation: Rellamas, Theresa Anne Nadine L.; Geronimo, Danika M.; and Lao, Hazel A. (2025) "Kalayaan (Freedom), Hanapbuhay (Livelihood), and Pagsisibat (Persisting): A Conceptual Unpacking of Freelance Work in the Philippines," Social Transformations Journal of the Global South: Vol. 13: Iss. 2, Article 5.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13185/2799-015X.1237
Available at: https://archium.ateneo.edu/socialtransformations/vol13/iss2/5