Dr. Vivencio (Ven) Ballano | Polytechnic University of the Philippines (original) (raw)
Papers by Dr. Vivencio (Ven) Ballano
Routledge eBooks, Mar 11, 2024
This chapter explores the sociological consequences of the shift in the style of clerical trainin... more This chapter explores the sociological consequences of the shift in the style of clerical training in the Roman Catholic Church from the traditional apprenticeship to the current exclusive celibate seminary formation to the human formation and social control of Catholic diocesan priests against sexual abuse. Applying sociological analysis and secondary textual data, together with church documents, it argues that the structural change of clerical formation in the 16 th century with the institutionalization of the celibate seminary training as the only method for clerical training has resulted in the unintended negative effects of rejecting the option for married priesthood, interruption of normal human socialization, psychosexual immaturity, covert resistance to celibacy during formation, and weakening of social control of diocesan priests against clerical sexual abuse. It recommends the reestablishment of the apprenticeship style of clerical training that is open to married priesthood as suitable for diocesan priests to resist clergy sexual misconduct.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter aims to sociologically unpack and clarify the Catholic Church's concept of "gender i... more This chapter aims to sociologically unpack and clarify the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and analyze the morality of gender-enhancing treatment and surgical procedures to align transgenders' gender or experience of masculinity and femininity in society with their biological sex assigned during birth to address gender dysphoria and other psychological problems in light of Pope Francis's synodal inductive approach. It argues that the traditional philosophical moral approach grounded in natural law theory is inadequate to morally analyze these contemporary sexual issues. It recommends the sociological approach of inquiring motives and not just the meaning of these "unnatural" external acts before moral judgment as well as the application of the principle of double effect to understand the morality of transgenderism, gender-enhancing treatment, and transgender sexuality to resolve the moral panic of gender ideology" in the Catholic Church.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter sociologically investigates the Roman Catholic Church's moral panic on the alleged t... more This chapter sociologically investigates the Roman Catholic Church's moral panic on the alleged threats of the so-called "gender ideology" to the welfare of children in same-sex families, using Pope Francis's synodal approach and drawing on secondary literature, media reports, and church documents. It argues that the alleged threats of same-sex couples in same-sex families to the children's welfare are exaggeration and moral panic in the sociological sense. It contends that negative perception of same-sex parenthood on the children's welfare is largely a structural influence of societal homophobia and social discrimination of same-sex parents under a rigid gender complementary and heterosexual standards of the Catholic Church's moral magisterium founded on the philosophical approach of natural law theory. It recommends a synodal openness to diverse family structures and definitions of children's welfare in world and a reappraisal of the empirical foundations of gender complementarity interpretation of Genesis.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod’s Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter discusses the sociological significance of providing clear conceptualization and ope... more This chapter discusses the sociological significance of providing clear conceptualization and operationalization of the major terms, which are broadly and theologically defined, in Pope Francis’s ecclesial project called the Synod on Synodality (SoS). It argues that Francis’s SoS has behavioral and research aspects despite primarily being an ecclesial and theological project in the Catholic Church. This synod is primarily social rather than doctrinal in nature, aiming to fundamentally realize Vatican II’s concept of the Church as an intimate community of the People of God and adapt the church mission in contemporary society. This chapter attempts to conceptualize and provide research indicators for the synod’s two major theological concepts, namely, synodality and synodal church, as well as to provide a sociological methodology for Francis’s SoS.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues, 2024
Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aim... more Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aims is to analyze the Roman Catholic Church's understanding of gender and the complex concept of "gender ideology" as well as the role of gender, ideology, gender theory, and feminist gender theory in sociology and the social sciences. It argues that the adoption of a strictly metaphysical approach to morality based on natural law theory in the Church is a primary factor in marginalization of the LGBTQI community in the Church. It clarifies why the current church moral teachings sideline the positive aspects of gender theories in sociology and feminism. It recommends an interdisciplinary synodal dialogue between Catholic moral theologians and sociologists to reconcile conflicting views on gender and gender theory.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter critically examines the Roman Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" as a mo... more This chapter critically examines the Roman Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" as a moral panic and its alleged threat to the foundation of the family as the basic social unit of society, using sociological perspectives and Pope Francis's inductive synodal approach. It sociologically argues that the Catholic Church's understanding of gender and its alleged threat to the family only constitutes a moral panic or exaggeration rather than a real danger. It contends that the Catholic hierarchy's panic on "gender ideology's" threat to the family is more conceptual rather than actual. The real threat or "folk devil" is not gender but the epistemological threat posed by the sociological and feminist concept of gender and gender diversity to the natural law moral framework of the Catholic Church. It recommends inculturation and adoption of a sociological moral framework to dissolve the alleged threat of "gender ideology" to the foundation of the family in society.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2024
This chapter sociologically unpacks the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and its al... more This chapter sociologically unpacks the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and its alleged imminent threat to humanity's survival in light of Pope Francis's latest ecclesial reform project called the Synod on Synodality and inductive synodal theology. It argues that the concept of gender, as espoused by sociologists, feminists, LGBTQI leaders, and gender activists, does not inflict actual and imminent harm to humanity, but only constitute a serious challenge to the Church's traditional, metaphysical, and philosophical view of sex, gender, and gender complementarity based on the Thomistic natural law theory. Gender ideology is a strong moral panic among members of the Catholic hierarchy against sociological and feminist gender perspectives and only a labeling of gender theory as an ideology.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aim... more Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aims to unpack the fact from fiction in the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology." It specifically clarifies the nature of gender, ideology, gender theory, and feminist gender theory in sociology. It argues that the Catholic Church's adoption of a strictly philosophical approach to morality is a primary factor in the misconception of the true nature of the sociological and feminist views on gender and gender theory in gender ideology. It recommends a synodal dialogue between Catholic moral theologians and gender sociologists as well as feminists to reconcile conflicting views and achieve inculturated synodal moral teachings today.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues. , 2024
This chapter reappraises the Catholic Church’s traditional moral teaching on gender complementari... more This chapter reappraises the Catholic Church’s traditional moral teaching on gender complementarity and heterosexual marriage in light of Pope Francis’s inductive synodal theology and modern sociology in order to explore the moral acceptability of same-sex union in the Church. Specifically, it investigates the empirical foundation of gender complementarity in the book of Genesis, which has become an essential condition for Christian marriage. It argues that the human authors of Genesis only understood gender as a biological reality rather than seeing it as a social and cultural experience in their biblical message. This chapter recommends a sociological reevaluation of the empirical basis of gender complementarity and heterosexual marriage in the Catholic Church to allow the full acceptance of same-sex couples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual Catholics in the Christian community.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation , 2025
Applying the inductive synodal approach and sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to socio... more Applying the inductive synodal approach and sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to sociologically unpack the so-called "gender ideology" in the Catholic Church by distinguishing the fundamental differences between the Church's philosophical-theological understanding of gender, sexuality, and gender theory and those of sociology and the social sciences. It aims to find a common ground in understanding gender between the Church's moral magisterium and the social sciences and attempt to update the traditional moral approach in the spirit of Pope Francis's synodality and inductive theology. It argues that the synodal-sociological approach offers a new hope for the Church to achieve a more empirical, inculturated, and nuanced view of gender and sexuality in the contemporary world despite Francis's strong opposition to "gender ideology."
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2024
This chapter explores the structural limitations of the current seminary system that contributes ... more This chapter explores the structural limitations of the current seminary system that contributes to the stunted human and psychosexual immaturity of heterosexual diocesan priests who would become personally weak to resist clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It proposes the reestablishment of historically tested apprenticeship clerical training that allows normal socialization in society, married priesthood, and lay participation in priestly formation as well as regulation of clerical behavior in the ministry to inhibit sexual abuse in the Church. Specifically, it suggests an alternative clerical training that is inculturated in contemporary times and based on apprenticeship clerical formation that include a (1) scientific understanding of the current age, (2) realistic priestly training that allows normal human development in society, (3) enhanced academic formation in sociology and the social sciences (4) utilization of telepresence and digital networks (5) new canonical provision on clerical marriage and confluent relationship (6) lay empowerment in formation and clerical behavior, as well as (7) open and married priesthood for diocesan clergy to proactively prevent clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues, 2024
Applying an experimental approach that combines Pope Francis's inductive synod theological method... more Applying an experimental approach that combines Pope Francis's inductive synod theological method and sociology, this chapter analyzes the empirical foundations of homosexuality, homosexual union, and gender in the contemporary world as well as suggests a revision to the Catholic Church's traditional philosophical approach based on natural law theory to resolve moral issues. It argues that resolving the hot moral issues of homosexuality, homosexual union, and the inclusivity of the LGBTQI group in the Church in light of Pope Francis's inductive synodal theology, which requires listening to people's lived experiences and accurately learning from them through scientific sociological research before passing moral judgment and ecclesial action to resolve them. It recommends that the Catholic Church should revisit and update the conceptual ethical framework of its moral teachings on homosexuality, same-sex union, and LGBTQI inclusivity to achieve Francis's synodal church.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church, 2024
This chapter provides the book's overall social background, research gap, objectives, sociologica... more This chapter provides the book's overall social background, research gap, objectives, sociological approach, methodology, theoretical foundation, and general arguments. Applying sociologicaltheological perspectives and utilizing the qualitative secondary research method, it contends that resolving the hot-button moral issues such as homosexuality, same-sex union, and the inclusivity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual (LGBTQI) community in the Catholic Church, which frequently mentioned in Pope Francis's new ecclesial project called Synod on Synodality, requires an inductive theological approach and in-depth sociological study of the moral situation before moral judgment and social action to resolve them.
This chapter analyzed closely the suitability and accessibility of the Southville Rodriguez Housi... more This chapter analyzed closely the suitability and accessibility of the Southville Rodriguez Housing Project (SRHP), a government relocation site for Typhoon Ketsana victims in the Philippines, vis-a-vis the legal provisions of international conventions on post-disaster recovery of displaced persons and the country’s Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Act of 2010 (PDRRMA) on post-disaster management of disaster victims. It examined the official laws and standards regarding the selection and accessibility of relocation sites for disaster victims under the “build back better” (BBB) principle and described the extent of conformity of the current resettlement of the Typhoon Ketsana victims to these standards. Owing to corruption and undue benefits given by the government to its accredited private developers of resettlements, the conditions of the relocation site of Typhoon Ketsana victims in SRHP largely deviated from the international standards and provisions of PDRRMA regarding the sui...
Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod's Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter sociologically argues that Pope Francis's ecclesial reform project called the Synod ... more This chapter sociologically argues that Pope Francis's ecclesial reform project called the Synod on Synodality does not constitute a revolution in the Roman Catholic Church but only an organizational innovation to implement the Second Vatican Council's (Vatican II) teachings on the Church as the People of God and bring the Church up to date with the changing contemporary society to preach the Christian faith. Applying sociological and theological perspectives on innovation as the primary theoretical framework, and utilizing the secondary literature, media reports, and church documents, it argues that Francis's approach to realizing Vatican II's reforms in synodality and ecclesial change is innovative and focuses only on the social rather than doctrinal aspects of the faith in order to implement Vatican II's teaching on the Church in an inductive way. Specifically, it compares the traditional and innovative approaches of Pope Francis to synodal consultation, ecclesiology, ecclesial change, and church governance.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod's Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter orients the reader to the book’s research objectives, sociological approach, methodo... more This chapter orients the reader to the book’s research objectives, sociological approach, methodology, theoretical framework, and general arguments. It provides important justifications of why sociological perspectives and research methods are necessary to translate the theological concepts of Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality into behavioral terms. It argues that Francis’s synodal process contains not only theological and ecclesial dimensions but also social and empirical innovations, specifically in its complex consultation process, thus needing modern sociology’s methodology to fully realize its social and spiritual goals.
![Research paper thumbnail of Chapter 3: The Sociological Innovations of Pope Francis's Synodality (In Book: Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality and Modern sociology: Exploring Behavioral and Research Aspects. London: Routledge [September 11, 2024])](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/115861317/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter attempts to characterize the sociological innovations of Pope Francis in his Synod o... more This chapter attempts to characterize the sociological innovations of Pope Francis in his Synod on Synodality. Following the sociological theory on innovation as the primary theoretical framework, and utilizing published literature, it aims to examine the significant changes introduced by Francis to the traditional teaching of Pope Paul VI on the synods of bishops. It compares the primary similarities and differences between the traditional synod and Francis's innovative synod. It argues that, despite the new elements introduced by Francis in the Synod on Synodality, he remains faithful to church teaching and tradition. Pope Francis's synodal process in his synod is not revolutionary but innovative, only initiating social and organizational processes within the bounds of the Catholic Church's ecclesial teaching to make the institutional Church synodal and more responsive to the spiritual needs of contemporary society.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter argues that the urgent moral issues in the Roman Catholic Church during the Synod on... more This chapter argues that the urgent moral issues in the Roman Catholic Church during the Synod on Synodality (SoS)can best be resolved if the churchwide consultation and roundtable discussions can be improved with the use of sociological research methods such as surveys, polls, focus group discussion, and other qualitative research approach. It also contends that the social and structural aspects of synodality can also be enhanced if an online global research network for the SoS consultation process can be established with the Pontifical Academy for the Social Sciences in the Vatican staffed with more sociologists and experts as the main hub, which is in network with the various research institutes and centers affiliated with Catholic universities all over the world. This global network can greatly assist the SoS secretariat to achieve the synod's social goals, specifically in providing research expertise online to the various dioceses and parishes pursuing churchwide consultations to know the general sentiment of the entire Church and proposed solutions of all Catholics on certain contemporary issues affecting the synodal church as envisioned by Pope Francis.
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2024
This chapter specifically examines the gender and sexuality formation inside the Catholic seminar... more This chapter specifically examines the gender and sexuality formation inside the Catholic seminary as a total institution and its consequences to the social control of priests against clerical sexual abuse. As a total institution that pursues the mandatory clerical celibacy and patterned most of its aspects after monastic and religious life, the current seminary organization is primarily designed to cultivate the academic, spiritual, and pastoral formation of seminarians but unintendedly neglects realistic training in sexuality development in society. It trains seminarians in a highly regulated environment where open discussion on sexuality is prohibited and its gender socialization follows the Catholic Church's official traditional teachings that view gender as immutable, ahistorical, and ontological. The perfect celibate masculinity that teaches seminarians to be spiritual priests and sexless human beings can result in the formation of sexually immature diocesan priests who will be vulnerable to clerical sexual abuse once ordained and assigned in the parish.
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2014
This chapter explores the sociological connections between the persistence of child clerical sexu... more This chapter explores the sociological connections between the persistence of child clerical sexual abuse (cCSA) by Catholic clergy and celibate seminary training as a total institution in the Catholic Church. It argues that child sexual abuse constitutes only the smallest percentage of all clergy sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church, and yet provides the greatest negative impact on the Church and hierarchy's moral credibility. The seminary formation, which is an appropriate time to weed out and prevent predator priests in the RCC, has apparent structural flaws such as inadequate screening methods, lack of in-house experts, and absence of effective interventions to detect, treat, or remove undesirables, thus making it a sort of incubation period that prepares repressed pedophiles to commit child abuse if given the right deviant opportunity in the ministry. It recommends the strengthening of the screening and monitoring systems in seminary formation to eliminate pedophiles before they commit cCSA in the Church after ordination.
Routledge eBooks, Mar 11, 2024
This chapter explores the sociological consequences of the shift in the style of clerical trainin... more This chapter explores the sociological consequences of the shift in the style of clerical training in the Roman Catholic Church from the traditional apprenticeship to the current exclusive celibate seminary formation to the human formation and social control of Catholic diocesan priests against sexual abuse. Applying sociological analysis and secondary textual data, together with church documents, it argues that the structural change of clerical formation in the 16 th century with the institutionalization of the celibate seminary training as the only method for clerical training has resulted in the unintended negative effects of rejecting the option for married priesthood, interruption of normal human socialization, psychosexual immaturity, covert resistance to celibacy during formation, and weakening of social control of diocesan priests against clerical sexual abuse. It recommends the reestablishment of the apprenticeship style of clerical training that is open to married priesthood as suitable for diocesan priests to resist clergy sexual misconduct.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter aims to sociologically unpack and clarify the Catholic Church's concept of "gender i... more This chapter aims to sociologically unpack and clarify the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and analyze the morality of gender-enhancing treatment and surgical procedures to align transgenders' gender or experience of masculinity and femininity in society with their biological sex assigned during birth to address gender dysphoria and other psychological problems in light of Pope Francis's synodal inductive approach. It argues that the traditional philosophical moral approach grounded in natural law theory is inadequate to morally analyze these contemporary sexual issues. It recommends the sociological approach of inquiring motives and not just the meaning of these "unnatural" external acts before moral judgment as well as the application of the principle of double effect to understand the morality of transgenderism, gender-enhancing treatment, and transgender sexuality to resolve the moral panic of gender ideology" in the Catholic Church.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter sociologically investigates the Roman Catholic Church's moral panic on the alleged t... more This chapter sociologically investigates the Roman Catholic Church's moral panic on the alleged threats of the so-called "gender ideology" to the welfare of children in same-sex families, using Pope Francis's synodal approach and drawing on secondary literature, media reports, and church documents. It argues that the alleged threats of same-sex couples in same-sex families to the children's welfare are exaggeration and moral panic in the sociological sense. It contends that negative perception of same-sex parenthood on the children's welfare is largely a structural influence of societal homophobia and social discrimination of same-sex parents under a rigid gender complementary and heterosexual standards of the Catholic Church's moral magisterium founded on the philosophical approach of natural law theory. It recommends a synodal openness to diverse family structures and definitions of children's welfare in world and a reappraisal of the empirical foundations of gender complementarity interpretation of Genesis.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod’s Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter discusses the sociological significance of providing clear conceptualization and ope... more This chapter discusses the sociological significance of providing clear conceptualization and operationalization of the major terms, which are broadly and theologically defined, in Pope Francis’s ecclesial project called the Synod on Synodality (SoS). It argues that Francis’s SoS has behavioral and research aspects despite primarily being an ecclesial and theological project in the Catholic Church. This synod is primarily social rather than doctrinal in nature, aiming to fundamentally realize Vatican II’s concept of the Church as an intimate community of the People of God and adapt the church mission in contemporary society. This chapter attempts to conceptualize and provide research indicators for the synod’s two major theological concepts, namely, synodality and synodal church, as well as to provide a sociological methodology for Francis’s SoS.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues, 2024
Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aim... more Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aims is to analyze the Roman Catholic Church's understanding of gender and the complex concept of "gender ideology" as well as the role of gender, ideology, gender theory, and feminist gender theory in sociology and the social sciences. It argues that the adoption of a strictly metaphysical approach to morality based on natural law theory in the Church is a primary factor in marginalization of the LGBTQI community in the Church. It clarifies why the current church moral teachings sideline the positive aspects of gender theories in sociology and feminism. It recommends an interdisciplinary synodal dialogue between Catholic moral theologians and sociologists to reconcile conflicting views on gender and gender theory.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
This chapter critically examines the Roman Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" as a mo... more This chapter critically examines the Roman Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" as a moral panic and its alleged threat to the foundation of the family as the basic social unit of society, using sociological perspectives and Pope Francis's inductive synodal approach. It sociologically argues that the Catholic Church's understanding of gender and its alleged threat to the family only constitutes a moral panic or exaggeration rather than a real danger. It contends that the Catholic hierarchy's panic on "gender ideology's" threat to the family is more conceptual rather than actual. The real threat or "folk devil" is not gender but the epistemological threat posed by the sociological and feminist concept of gender and gender diversity to the natural law moral framework of the Catholic Church. It recommends inculturation and adoption of a sociological moral framework to dissolve the alleged threat of "gender ideology" to the foundation of the family in society.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation. Singapore: Springer Nature, 2024
This chapter sociologically unpacks the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and its al... more This chapter sociologically unpacks the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology" and its alleged imminent threat to humanity's survival in light of Pope Francis's latest ecclesial reform project called the Synod on Synodality and inductive synodal theology. It argues that the concept of gender, as espoused by sociologists, feminists, LGBTQI leaders, and gender activists, does not inflict actual and imminent harm to humanity, but only constitute a serious challenge to the Church's traditional, metaphysical, and philosophical view of sex, gender, and gender complementarity based on the Thomistic natural law theory. Gender ideology is a strong moral panic among members of the Catholic hierarchy against sociological and feminist gender perspectives and only a labeling of gender theory as an ideology.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church: A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation, 2025
Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aim... more Applying Pope Francis's synodal theological approach and sociological arguments, this chapter aims to unpack the fact from fiction in the Catholic Church's concept of "gender ideology." It specifically clarifies the nature of gender, ideology, gender theory, and feminist gender theory in sociology. It argues that the Catholic Church's adoption of a strictly philosophical approach to morality is a primary factor in the misconception of the true nature of the sociological and feminist views on gender and gender theory in gender ideology. It recommends a synodal dialogue between Catholic moral theologians and gender sociologists as well as feminists to reconcile conflicting views and achieve inculturated synodal moral teachings today.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues. , 2024
This chapter reappraises the Catholic Church’s traditional moral teaching on gender complementari... more This chapter reappraises the Catholic Church’s traditional moral teaching on gender complementarity and heterosexual marriage in light of Pope Francis’s inductive synodal theology and modern sociology in order to explore the moral acceptability of same-sex union in the Church. Specifically, it investigates the empirical foundation of gender complementarity in the book of Genesis, which has become an essential condition for Christian marriage. It argues that the human authors of Genesis only understood gender as a biological reality rather than seeing it as a social and cultural experience in their biblical message. This chapter recommends a sociological reevaluation of the empirical basis of gender complementarity and heterosexual marriage in the Catholic Church to allow the full acceptance of same-sex couples and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual Catholics in the Christian community.
Gender Ideology and The Contemporary Catholic Church A Sociological-Synodal Exploration and Inculturation , 2025
Applying the inductive synodal approach and sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to socio... more Applying the inductive synodal approach and sociological perspectives, this chapter aims to sociologically unpack the so-called "gender ideology" in the Catholic Church by distinguishing the fundamental differences between the Church's philosophical-theological understanding of gender, sexuality, and gender theory and those of sociology and the social sciences. It aims to find a common ground in understanding gender between the Church's moral magisterium and the social sciences and attempt to update the traditional moral approach in the spirit of Pope Francis's synodality and inductive theology. It argues that the synodal-sociological approach offers a new hope for the Church to achieve a more empirical, inculturated, and nuanced view of gender and sexuality in the contemporary world despite Francis's strong opposition to "gender ideology."
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2024
This chapter explores the structural limitations of the current seminary system that contributes ... more This chapter explores the structural limitations of the current seminary system that contributes to the stunted human and psychosexual immaturity of heterosexual diocesan priests who would become personally weak to resist clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. It proposes the reestablishment of historically tested apprenticeship clerical training that allows normal socialization in society, married priesthood, and lay participation in priestly formation as well as regulation of clerical behavior in the ministry to inhibit sexual abuse in the Church. Specifically, it suggests an alternative clerical training that is inculturated in contemporary times and based on apprenticeship clerical formation that include a (1) scientific understanding of the current age, (2) realistic priestly training that allows normal human development in society, (3) enhanced academic formation in sociology and the social sciences (4) utilization of telepresence and digital networks (5) new canonical provision on clerical marriage and confluent relationship (6) lay empowerment in formation and clerical behavior, as well as (7) open and married priesthood for diocesan clergy to proactively prevent clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church: Pope Francis’s Synodal Theology, Sociology, and Moral Issues, 2024
Applying an experimental approach that combines Pope Francis's inductive synod theological method... more Applying an experimental approach that combines Pope Francis's inductive synod theological method and sociology, this chapter analyzes the empirical foundations of homosexuality, homosexual union, and gender in the contemporary world as well as suggests a revision to the Catholic Church's traditional philosophical approach based on natural law theory to resolve moral issues. It argues that resolving the hot moral issues of homosexuality, homosexual union, and the inclusivity of the LGBTQI group in the Church in light of Pope Francis's inductive synodal theology, which requires listening to people's lived experiences and accurately learning from them through scientific sociological research before passing moral judgment and ecclesial action to resolve them. It recommends that the Catholic Church should revisit and update the conceptual ethical framework of its moral teachings on homosexuality, same-sex union, and LGBTQI inclusivity to achieve Francis's synodal church.
LGBTQI Inclusivity, Homosexuality, and Same-Sex Marriage in the Catholic Church, 2024
This chapter provides the book's overall social background, research gap, objectives, sociologica... more This chapter provides the book's overall social background, research gap, objectives, sociological approach, methodology, theoretical foundation, and general arguments. Applying sociologicaltheological perspectives and utilizing the qualitative secondary research method, it contends that resolving the hot-button moral issues such as homosexuality, same-sex union, and the inclusivity of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersexual (LGBTQI) community in the Catholic Church, which frequently mentioned in Pope Francis's new ecclesial project called Synod on Synodality, requires an inductive theological approach and in-depth sociological study of the moral situation before moral judgment and social action to resolve them.
This chapter analyzed closely the suitability and accessibility of the Southville Rodriguez Housi... more This chapter analyzed closely the suitability and accessibility of the Southville Rodriguez Housing Project (SRHP), a government relocation site for Typhoon Ketsana victims in the Philippines, vis-a-vis the legal provisions of international conventions on post-disaster recovery of displaced persons and the country’s Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Act of 2010 (PDRRMA) on post-disaster management of disaster victims. It examined the official laws and standards regarding the selection and accessibility of relocation sites for disaster victims under the “build back better” (BBB) principle and described the extent of conformity of the current resettlement of the Typhoon Ketsana victims to these standards. Owing to corruption and undue benefits given by the government to its accredited private developers of resettlements, the conditions of the relocation site of Typhoon Ketsana victims in SRHP largely deviated from the international standards and provisions of PDRRMA regarding the sui...
Pope Francis's Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod's Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter sociologically argues that Pope Francis's ecclesial reform project called the Synod ... more This chapter sociologically argues that Pope Francis's ecclesial reform project called the Synod on Synodality does not constitute a revolution in the Roman Catholic Church but only an organizational innovation to implement the Second Vatican Council's (Vatican II) teachings on the Church as the People of God and bring the Church up to date with the changing contemporary society to preach the Christian faith. Applying sociological and theological perspectives on innovation as the primary theoretical framework, and utilizing the secondary literature, media reports, and church documents, it argues that Francis's approach to realizing Vatican II's reforms in synodality and ecclesial change is innovative and focuses only on the social rather than doctrinal aspects of the faith in order to implement Vatican II's teaching on the Church in an inductive way. Specifically, it compares the traditional and innovative approaches of Pope Francis to synodal consultation, ecclesiology, ecclesial change, and church governance.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring the Synod's Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter orients the reader to the book’s research objectives, sociological approach, methodo... more This chapter orients the reader to the book’s research objectives, sociological approach, methodology, theoretical framework, and general arguments. It provides important justifications of why sociological perspectives and research methods are necessary to translate the theological concepts of Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality into behavioral terms. It argues that Francis’s synodal process contains not only theological and ecclesial dimensions but also social and empirical innovations, specifically in its complex consultation process, thus needing modern sociology’s methodology to fully realize its social and spiritual goals.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter attempts to characterize the sociological innovations of Pope Francis in his Synod o... more This chapter attempts to characterize the sociological innovations of Pope Francis in his Synod on Synodality. Following the sociological theory on innovation as the primary theoretical framework, and utilizing published literature, it aims to examine the significant changes introduced by Francis to the traditional teaching of Pope Paul VI on the synods of bishops. It compares the primary similarities and differences between the traditional synod and Francis's innovative synod. It argues that, despite the new elements introduced by Francis in the Synod on Synodality, he remains faithful to church teaching and tradition. Pope Francis's synodal process in his synod is not revolutionary but innovative, only initiating social and organizational processes within the bounds of the Catholic Church's ecclesial teaching to make the institutional Church synodal and more responsive to the spiritual needs of contemporary society.
Pope Francis’s Synod on Synodality and Modern Sociology: Exploring Behavioral and Research Aspects, 2024
This chapter argues that the urgent moral issues in the Roman Catholic Church during the Synod on... more This chapter argues that the urgent moral issues in the Roman Catholic Church during the Synod on Synodality (SoS)can best be resolved if the churchwide consultation and roundtable discussions can be improved with the use of sociological research methods such as surveys, polls, focus group discussion, and other qualitative research approach. It also contends that the social and structural aspects of synodality can also be enhanced if an online global research network for the SoS consultation process can be established with the Pontifical Academy for the Social Sciences in the Vatican staffed with more sociologists and experts as the main hub, which is in network with the various research institutes and centers affiliated with Catholic universities all over the world. This global network can greatly assist the SoS secretariat to achieve the synod's social goals, specifically in providing research expertise online to the various dioceses and parishes pursuing churchwide consultations to know the general sentiment of the entire Church and proposed solutions of all Catholics on certain contemporary issues affecting the synodal church as envisioned by Pope Francis.
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2024
This chapter specifically examines the gender and sexuality formation inside the Catholic seminar... more This chapter specifically examines the gender and sexuality formation inside the Catholic seminary as a total institution and its consequences to the social control of priests against clerical sexual abuse. As a total institution that pursues the mandatory clerical celibacy and patterned most of its aspects after monastic and religious life, the current seminary organization is primarily designed to cultivate the academic, spiritual, and pastoral formation of seminarians but unintendedly neglects realistic training in sexuality development in society. It trains seminarians in a highly regulated environment where open discussion on sexuality is prohibited and its gender socialization follows the Catholic Church's official traditional teachings that view gender as immutable, ahistorical, and ontological. The perfect celibate masculinity that teaches seminarians to be spiritual priests and sexless human beings can result in the formation of sexually immature diocesan priests who will be vulnerable to clerical sexual abuse once ordained and assigned in the parish.
Celibacy, Seminary Formation, and Catholic Clerical Sexual Abuse: Exploring Sociological Connections and Alternative Clerical Training, 2014
This chapter explores the sociological connections between the persistence of child clerical sexu... more This chapter explores the sociological connections between the persistence of child clerical sexual abuse (cCSA) by Catholic clergy and celibate seminary training as a total institution in the Catholic Church. It argues that child sexual abuse constitutes only the smallest percentage of all clergy sexual misconduct in the Catholic Church, and yet provides the greatest negative impact on the Church and hierarchy's moral credibility. The seminary formation, which is an appropriate time to weed out and prevent predator priests in the RCC, has apparent structural flaws such as inadequate screening methods, lack of in-house experts, and absence of effective interventions to detect, treat, or remove undesirables, thus making it a sort of incubation period that prepares repressed pedophiles to commit child abuse if given the right deviant opportunity in the ministry. It recommends the strengthening of the screening and monitoring systems in seminary formation to eliminate pedophiles before they commit cCSA in the Church after ordination.
April 30,, 2024
This chapter presents the book’s background, objective, overview of the major parts and chapters,... more This chapter presents the book’s background, objective, overview of the major parts and chapters, methodology, sociological approach, and overall theoretical framework and argument. It explores the sociological connections between clerical celibacy, seminary formation, and the persistence of clerical sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church. Applying sociological theories on socialization, total institutions, and social resistance, and drawing on qualitative secondary data, media reports, and church documents, it investigates the negative unintended consequences of the exclusive celibate seminary formation to the seminarians’ psychosexual life and their capacity to resist clergy sexual abuse after ordination. It argues that with the celibate clerical formation as the only model for priestly training, heterosexual diocesan seminarians with a vocation to married priesthood will be forced to undergo the celibate seminary formation that can result in psychosexual immaturity and vulnerability to clerical sexual abuse when ordained and assigned in the parish.
Routledge (Taylor & Francis), 2023
This book offers an analysis of the sociological, historical, and cultural factors that lie behin... more This book offers an analysis of the sociological, historical, and cultural factors that lie behind mandatory clerical celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church and examines the negative impact of celibacy on the Catholic priesthood in our contemporary age. Drawing on sociological theory and secondary qualitative data, together with Church documents, it contends that married priesthood has always existed in some form in the Catholic Church and that mandatory universal celibacy is the product of cultural and sociological contingencies, rather than sound doctrine. With attention to a range of problems associated with priestly celibacy, including sexual abuse, clerical shortages, loneliness, and spiritual sloth, In Defense of Married Priesthood argues that the Roman Catholic Church should permit marriage to the priesthood in order to respond to the challenges of our age. Presenting a sociologically informed alternative to the popular theological perspectives on clerical celibacy, this book defends the notion of the married priesthood as legitimate means of living the vocation of Catholic priesthood—one which is eminently fitting for the contemporary world. It will therefore appeal to scholars and students of religion, theology, and sociology.
Ven Ballano Books, 2016
This book provides a sociological guide on how to deal with rumors and gossip in business and pub... more This book provides a sociological guide on how to deal with rumors and gossip in business and public life. It explains the nature and social functions of rumors and gossip in various social settings, particularly in business organizations, and provides some critical advice on how to deal with unverified information in face-to-face and digital social interactions. Rumors and gossip not only destroy people's reputations and honor but also kill people literally through depression and suicide. Thus, rumors and gossip, especially persistent ones, when not properly handled and avoided by people, can become “weapons of mass destruction” that destroy relationships, communities, and empires. This book is, therefore, a must-read for students, teachers, parents, managers, and all people who are affected in one way or another by rumors and gossip in corporate and everyday life.
Law, Normative Pluralism, and Post-Disaster Recovery: Evaluating the Post-Disaster Relocation and Housing Project of Typhoon Ketsana Victims in the Philippines, 2017
This book looks at how the multiplicity of formal and informal normative systems that actualize t... more This book looks at how the multiplicity of formal and informal normative systems that actualize the post-disaster recovery goals of the country’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 has resulted in the inadequate housing and relocation of Typhoon Ketsana victims in the Philippines. Using the sociological and normative pluralist perspectives and the case study method, it evaluates the level of conformity of the components of the housing project according to international conventions and legal standards. It highlights the negative unintended consequences caused by the complex normative regimes of various competing stakeholders, rigid real estate regulation, and the unscrupulous involvement of powerful and ‘corrupt’ real estate developers and housing groups as largely contributing to the project’s deviation from the law’s proactive objectives. This book attempts to promote the socio-legal perspectives which have long been overlooked in disaster research. Finally, it invites policymakers to enact a comprehensive disaster law and create a one-stop disaster management agency to improve the long-term rehabilitation of disaster victims in developing countries such as the Philippines.
Sociological Perspectives on Media Piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam, 2016
This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which susta... more This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which sustain the illegal optical disc piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Owing to the limitation of data on Vietnam, the chapter’s analyses focus on the forces which sustain the Philippine piracy trade, particularly on the Quiapo Barter Trade Center Complex (QBTCC) piracy network, the main optical media piracy hub in the country, although it also identifies and analyzes some social and technological forces which sustain piracy in Vietnam. This chapter also provides a social background and profile of the optical disc traders in both countries and the reasons why they persist in this type of trade. It argues that Filipino and Vietnamese traders participate in the piracy business because of some major social, economic, social, and technological factors, in addition to the weak legal, judicial, and law enforcement systems that encourage them to participate in counterfeit media piracy. This includes the “push” factors such as the adverse socioeconomic situations and unstable peace and order situation of some impoverished regions in the Philippines and Vietnam where most of the piracy traders and workers come from. In the Philippines, the war in Mindanao, poverty, and social discrimination against Muslims drive the displaced Maranao and Maguindanao Muslims to migrate to urban centers and engage in optical disc retail piracy as an alternative livelihood. It also includes “pull” factors such as the opening of more trading opportunities facilitated by the Doi Moi (renovation) economic policy of the Vietnamese government, the lure of higher profits in optical disc piracy trade, and the ease of registering and maintaining CD–DVD shops that sell counterfeit discs. The chapter ends with other important factors such as material and social networks that support the persistence of piracy: (1) the technological network (the use of allied digital technologies that facilitate the piracy business operations for traders, particularly the Internet, the cell phone, and other hardware and software digital technologies); (2) the kinship network (the employment of social and kinship ties to manage the illegal trade and protect its secrecy); (3) the ethnic network (the use of common cultural heritage for recruitment of informal workers and protection of trade secret and use of language as deterrence to law enforcement); and (4) the religious affiliation (the unintended effect of common religious affiliation which creates a sense of community among traders in the Philippines, hindering law enforcement to penetrate the illegal trade and leakage of the piracy trade secrets to authorities).
Sociological Perspectives on Media Piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam, 2016
This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which susta... more This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which sustain the illegal optical disc piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Owing to the limitation of data on Vietnam, the chapter’s analyses focus on the forces which sustain the Philippine piracy trade, particularly on the Quiapo Barter Trade Center Complex (QBTCC) piracy network, the main optical media piracy hub in the country, although it also identifies and analyzes some social and technological forces which sustain piracy in Vietnam. This chapter also provides a social background and profile of the optical disc traders in both countries and the reasons why they persist in this type of trade. It argues that Filipino and Vietnamese traders participate in the piracy business because of some major social, economic, social, and technological factors, in addition to the weak legal, judicial, and law enforcement systems that encourage them to participate in counterfeit media piracy. This includes the “push” factors such as the adverse socioeconomic situations and unstable peace and order situation of some impoverished regions in the Philippines and Vietnam where most of the piracy traders and workers come from. In the Philippines, the war in Mindanao, poverty, and social discrimination against Muslims drive the displaced Maranao and Maguindanao Muslims to migrate to urban centers and engage in optical disc retail piracy as an alternative livelihood. It also includes “pull” factors such as the opening of more trading opportunities facilitated by the Doi Moi (renovation) economic policy of the Vietnamese government, the lure of higher profits in optical disc piracy trade, and the ease of registering and maintaining CD–DVD shops that sell counterfeit discs. The chapter ends with other important factors such as material and social networks that support the persistence of piracy: (1) the technological network (the use of allied digital technologies that facilitate the piracy business operations for traders, particularly the Internet, the cell phone, and other hardware and software digital technologies); (2) the kinship network (the employment of social and kinship ties to manage the illegal trade and protect its secrecy); (3) the ethnic network (the use of common cultural heritage for recruitment of informal workers and protection of trade secret and use of language as deterrence to law enforcement); and (4) the religious affiliation (the uninteneded effect of common religious affiliation which creates a sense of community among traders in the Philippines, hindering law enforcement to penetrate the illegal trade and leakage of the piracy trade secrets to authorities).
Sociological Perspectives on Media Piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam, 2016
This chapter provides an overview of the content of this book. It traces briefly the background o... more This chapter provides an overview of the content of this book. It traces briefly the background on how the media piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam has grown through the years despite the hegemonic pressure of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the government efforts of the Philippines and Vietnam to reform their respective Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws and local copyright protection system. It reviews some popular and prescriptive theories on why media piracy persists in developing countries and explains why the sociological perspective, particularly the relational and network approach of the actor–network theory (ANT), can be an appropriate theoretical framework to understand comprehensively the persistence of media piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Furthermore, it describes the book’s main objectives as well as the data source and research method which are used in the two subsequent sociological studies that became the basis of this book. Finally, it defines some major terms on media piracy which are often cited in the text and provides a roadmap for the book, describing briefly the content of each chapter and how the chapters are interconnected with one another to achieve the book’s overall purpose.
This e-book is a college textbook for the course, Philippine History with Politics, Government, a... more This e-book is a college textbook for the course, Philippine History with Politics, Government, and the Philippines Constitution. It provides a brief discussion on the nature of history in general and Philippine history during the Spanish period. Applying the sociological and juridical perspectives, it also explains the nature and structure of Philippine politics, government system and the Philippine constitution. Finally, it provides an overview of the three branches of the Philippine government under the 1987 Constitution. This textbook is ideal for students who study history, politics, and political law of the Philippines.
This is an instructional material for my course in Introduction to Sociology.
This chapter provides an overview of the content of this book. It traces briefly the background o... more This chapter provides an overview of the content of this book. It traces briefly the background on how the media piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam has grown through the years despite the hegemonic pressure of the United States Trade Representative and the government efforts of the Philippines and Vietnam to reform their respective Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) laws and local copyright protection system. It reviews some popular and prescriptive theories on why media piracy persists in developing countries and explains why the sociological perspective, particularly the relational and network approach of the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) can be an appropriate theoretical framework to understand comprehensively the persistence of media piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Furthermore, it describes the book's main objectives as well as the data source and research method which are used in the two subsequent sociological studies that became the basis of this book. Finally, it defines some major terms on media piracy which are often cited in the text and provides a roadmap for the book, describing briefly the content of each chapter and how the chapters are interconnected with one another to achieve the book's overall purpose.
This chapter assesses the future trends and trajectory of the optical media piracy. It traces bri... more This chapter assesses the future trends and trajectory of the optical media piracy. It traces briefly the development of media piracy from the VCR technology using the cassette format to the current digital and nanotechnology using the Internet and file sharing protocols. Optical disc piracy will be a transitory phenomenon in developing countries with underdeveloped IP and Internet culture. As the country increases in Internet penetration, the locus of media piracy shifts from the temporal space of the sidewalk stalls selling pirated DVDs or illegal CD-DVD shops to the cyber space of the Internet. The use of discs becomes less popular as media piracy becomes more convenient, easier and cheaper with direct illegal downloading, peer-to-peer sharing, and other evasive techniques using the latest sophisticated hardware and software technologies. This chapter then examines some popular and current online digital piracy such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing, cyberlocker, media box, anti-circumvention technology, digital spying and hacking, and other Internet piracy supported by digital, cloud and nanotechnology. This chapter also makes projections on media piracy would look like with the advent of quantum computing and technology. Media piracy follows technological advancement and innovation, thus difficult for authorities to curb as it uses the same technology used by copyright holders which provides infringers with a variety of options to respond regulation. Finally, this chapter examines the difficulty of regulating the Internet and the role and future involvement of China in counterfeiting and media piracy. With the rise of online media piracy, regulating the Internet would then be the main challenge of law enforcement and copyright owners as regulating the Internet to curb piracy would not be easy with legality and illegality becoming more intimately connected with the growing sophistication of technology and conflicting business interests between service providers and content providers, and between copyright industries and top IT and ICT.
The persistence of the optical disc piracy trade in the Philippines and Vietnam, two Southeast As... more The persistence of the optical disc piracy trade in the Philippines and Vietnam, two Southeast Asian countries consistently listed in the United States Trade Representative’s (USTR) Special 301 watch lists as piracy hotspots in Southeast Asia, is sustained not just by the lack of law enforcement but by the inaction of some law enforcers and government officials who are in alliance with illegal piracy traders and other illegal protection groups. Piracy reports often view the persistence of optical disc piracy as caused by nonenforcement of law. But nonenforcement is not always fueled by lack of regulation. Ironically, in some situations where corruption is involved, the presence of law enforcement, often results in nonenforcement. By strategically taking no enforcement action, “corrupt” enforcers intentionally permit illegality and piracy. In this case, the enforcement system is colonized—borrowing Habermas’ term—by illegal networks, leading to collusion between law enforcers and illegal traders. Thus, the replication and sale of counterfeit discs in these two countries could not be attributed only to the lack of law enforcement but, above all, to corruption and conspiracy by those who are enrolled in the illegal trade. Using documentary and ethnographic data, giving more emphasis on the Philippine situation owing to some limitations of data on some aspects of the trade in Vietnam, this chapter analyzes sociologically some social patterns and cases of corruption, particularly bribery, and how they result in some forms of nonenforcement of the Optical Media Law in the Philippines and Vietnam. Ultimately, this chapter argues that what the Optical Media Law says “it is” may not be what “corrupt” law enforcers and other illegal groups say “it is” in actual social practice.
This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which susta... more This chapter describes the various intertwining social and technological macro forces which sustain the illegal optical disc piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam. Owing to limitation of data on Vietnam, the chapter focuses more on the Philippines particularly on Quiapo Barter Trade Center Complex (QBTCC) piracy network, the main optical media piracy hub in the Philippines, although there are some patterns which can be found in both countries. It opens with a general profile of traders of optical disc piracy trade in the Philippines and Vietnam. Then it argues that these Filipino and Vietnamese traders participate in the piracy business because of some major social, economic, and technological factors other than weak legal, judicial system and law enforcement systems that encourage them to participate in counterfeit media business piracy. This includes “push” factors such as the adverse socio-economic situations in the rural areas in Philippines and Vietnam. In the Philippines, the war in Mindanao, poverty and social discrimination drive the displaced Maranao and Maguindanao Muslims to migrate to urban centers and engage in optical disc retail piracy as an alternative livelihood, and “pull” factors such as the opening of more trading opportunities facilitated by the Doi Moi (renovation) economic policy of the Vietnamese government, the lure of higher profits in optical disc piracy trade, and the ease of registering and maintaining a CD-DVD shops that sell counterfeit discs. The chapter ends with other important factors such as material and social networks that support the persistence of piracy: the (1) technological network: the use of allied digital technologies that facilitate the piracy business operations for traders, particularly the Internet, the cellphone and other hardware and software digital technologies, (2) kinship network: the employment of social and kinship ties to manage the illegal trade and protect its secrecy, (3) ethnic network: the use common cultural heritage for recruitment of informal workers and protection of trade secret and use of language as deterrence to law enforcement, and (4) religious affiliation: the common religious identity as Muslims creates a sense of community among traders in the Philippines which obstructs law enforcement and minimizes leakage of the piracy trade secrets.
The legal and bureaucratic obstacles constitute another force why informal media traders and firm... more The legal and bureaucratic obstacles constitute another force why informal media traders and firms prefer to operate informally and illegally in the optical media business in the Philippines and Vietnam. This chapter examines the regulatory burdens in formalizing optical media business, the weak state mechanism in enforcing these burdens as well the difficulty of regulating existing technologies used in media piracy in the Philippines and Vietnam as some of the major obstacles in fully legalizing this type of trade. It also examines how these obstacles drive people into the informal and illegal sector of optical disc piracy. Using documentary and ethnographic data, it argues that optical disc traders prefer to go informal as it is easier, more convenient, and cheaper to maintain their business enterprise than going legal in the Philippines and Vietnam. It starts by describing the general cultural and business regulatory environment of these two countries and proceeds to point out some of the more serious legal and bureaucratic burdens and obstacles in formalizing the trade as well as regulating the technologies used for the piracy trade.
To provide a global context in understanding the persistence of media piracy in emerging economie... more To provide a global context in understanding the persistence of media piracy in emerging economies such as the Philippines and Vietnam, this chapter broadly describes the ongoing politics of hegemony and resistance in the global intellectual property (IP) trade between the United States (U.S.) and China and economies of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Primarily relying on documentary evidence and applying the hegemony, relational, and social resistance theories, it investigates briefly how the U.S gains hegemonic power in the field of IP through the cultural mechanism of law in multilateral, regional and bilateral Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) with the aid of U.S.-dominated multilateral institutions. It paints a global economic order with the U.S. occupying a privileged position at one end as the leading producer and exporter of IP goods and services in the emerging global creative economy, particularly in the fastest-growing Asia-Pacific region, and China and some members of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) emerging economies with trading ties with China such as the Philippines and Vietnam opposing this hegemony through piracy and resistance strategies on the other end. Contrary to the popular assessment of Jurisprudence and industry-led enforcement debates which paint the piracy problem as simply a case of theft and criminality or " cracks in law enforcement system " , this chapter argues otherwise and views piracy, particularly media piracy as a form of social resistance or the " Weapons of the Weak " (Scott, 1985) of IP-consuming countries against the U.S. control of the global IP trade. For resisting countries, stricter IPR regime stifles technology transfer and harms their informal economy which generates national income and employment for the poor, unemployed, and migrants. Seen from this perspective, media piracy in the Asia-Pacific region and the ASEAN, particularly in the Philippines and Vietnam, is more than just a theft of intellectual creation but a manifestation of an ongoing resistance against the U.S. hegemony in the global copyright trade in the world.
The government attitude towards the informal sector in piracy-laden countries in Southeast Asian ... more The government attitude towards the informal sector in piracy-laden countries in Southeast Asian countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam has been ignored in media piracy studies. Investigations often focus on the deficient copyright laws and law enforcement. This chapter explores the relationship between the supportive and non-hostile government policy towards the informal sector and the difficulty of fully formalizing the optical media business, specifically the optical media retail piracy trade, as demanded by the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and corporate lobbying groups such as the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA). To provide a context to this connection, this chapter first provides an overview and clarification on the definition and measurement of the informal sector, citing some current issues and problems encountered by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and researchers in dealing with this term. Then using some secondary data, it proceeds to illustrate some important contributions of this sector-that includes the informal of optical media retail piracy trade-to the overall economy of Southeast Asian countries, particularly to those of piracy-laden ASEAN countries. Generally, it argues that the supportive or tolerant attitude of the Philippine and Vietnamese governments as reflected in their legislation and programs toward the informal sector, supports informality in business and thus provides a friendly environment for informal employment and trade such as the optical media retail trade to flourish in the informal sector. Emerging economies such as the Philippines and Vietnam see the important role of the informal sector in employment generation and economic growth. Thus, they see no urgency to expedite the full formalization of businesses of the informal optical media trade and comply with the IPR demands of the U.S. and the USTR.
International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Societyy, 2021
This article critically explains why the Catholic moral principles of the Catholic Church's socia... more This article critically explains why the Catholic moral principles of the Catholic Church's social doctrines, called Catholic Social Teaching (CST) on the Christian faith and the social order, are difficult to teach and implement by Catholics and Christians in society, despite their being in existence for more than a hundred years. Applying sociological and theological perspectives and drawing on secondary literature, it argues that the difficulty of applying CST to local contexts goes beyond lack of dissemination of CST principles, instructional materials, and competent teachers, but is rooted in the very nature of CST principles as moral prescriptions, lacking in empirical illustrations from social science research and largely adopted from European social contexts. It also attributes the lack of CST's implementation to the problematic normative enforcement of moral prescriptions in society with the growing normative pluralism and secularism of the contemporary world that tend to sideline moral and religious teachings.
Using sociological and social science perspectives, this chapter discusses the significance of cu... more Using sociological and social science perspectives, this chapter discusses the significance of cultural and religious aspects of disaster resilience and argues that strong religious beliefs in God can be an important component of resilience for victims to survive and bounce back after natural calamities. It examines the various meanings, problems, and major perspectives of the concept of resilience in disaster research. It also explains the role of culture and religion in people’s capacity to deal and cope with natural disasters as well as presents a case study to illustrate the crucial role of strong religious beliefs as a coping mechanism of disaster survivors to overcome the challenges of natural calamities. The study showed how a group of Christian Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy) victims in 2009 creatively used their strong religious faith and belief in God as coping strategies to overcome the deadly flood and inhuman relocation and return to normal life. It argues that disaster resilience can be best measured at the individual level and that religious faith can be a potent resilience tool for deeply religious but disaster-prone countries such as the Philippines.
(This draft is submitted to Professor Eslamian last Sept. 2019, Chief Editor of 2010 of UN Handbook for Disaster Resilience)
Springer Nature Springer Briefs in Religious Studies, 2019
This Springer Brief, as an exploratory sociological analysis, broadly examines the major structur... more This Springer Brief, as an exploratory sociological analysis, broadly examines the major structural factors which contribute to the social disorganization of the Catholic hierarchy as a clerical community, facilitating the persistence of clerical sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. Using some tenets of the social disorganization theory on crime and deviance as the overall theoretical framework with some perspectives from social organization, social network, and social capital, and secondary literature and qualitative data to support the arguments, it examines the (1) diocesan clergy’s social interaction, mutual support, and social control system in the hierarchical community, (2) connection between mandated clerical celibacy and clerical sexual abuse, and (3) the implication of the laity’s lack of empowerment and ecclesiastical authority to monitor and sanction clerical behavior. The Catholic hierarchy prides itself as a unified community of clerics under the Pope who shares the one priesthood of Christ. But the current clerical sexual scandals and the inability of bishops to adequately manage clerical sexual abuse cases make one wonders whether the Catholic clergy is indeed a cohesive and socially organized community which inhibits clerical sexual abuse. This book invites Church authorities, theologians, scholars, and lay leaders to understand the persistent clerical sexual abuse empirically and to come up with structural reforms which enhance the social network and social control systems of the Catholic hierarchy against clerical sexual misconduct and support victims.
Sociological Perspectives on Clerical Sexual Abuse, Social Disorganization, and the Catholic Hierarchy
This chapter presents a sociological analysis using the social disorganization theory on the cruc... more This chapter presents a sociological analysis using the social disorganization theory on the crucial role of the family and married priesthood in the social control of clerical behavior and prevention of clerical deviance. It draws on a wide range of researches to stress the social disorganizing factor of mandatory celibacy to the communal life of the Catholic hierarchy against sexual abuse. It argues that obligatory celibacy with its culture of clericalism deprives secular clergy of direct guardianship against clerical sexual abuse, given the lack of intimacy and social bonding among priests and between priests and their bishops in dioceses and parishes. Living a relatively autonomous life, diocesan clergy finds themselves without direct and indirect social controls offered by marital and family relations and obligation. Social disorganization theory recognizes the crucial role of social bonding and intimate groups in the monitoring and prevention of deviant behavior in loosely-knit communities such as the Catholic hierarchy.
This is my PUP OBE Syllabus for Cultural Anthropology.