Reflections on Methodology for PhD Research in the Social Sciences

Yesterday, it was time for me to share my thoughts and experience about methodology in my PhD research with mostly junior international PhD students from different departments. Here are the notes of my presentation:

Bonn Juego (2013) Reflections on Methodology for PhD Research in the Social Sciences from Bonn Juego

The starting point of my presentation was a quote from Karl Marx's Preface to the French Edition of Capital Volume One (1872) which captures what I believe to be an essential reminder for a purpose-driven PhD research process in the social sciences:

There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits.

At the end of the seminar when participants (lecturers, students, and visitors) had to recite poems or sing songs, I chose to share with them — especially for the new PhD students — a prayer, mantra, and affirmation which I remember from one inspirational book given to me by a friend:

May your heart be filled with loving-kindness

May you be well

May you be peaceful and at ease 

May you be happy

I believe that PhD students need a lot of affirmations like this at the duration of the PhD study experience — an experience that can be lonely, solitary, and alienating. Hence, I shared the foregoing affirmation for unity of mind, heart, soul, and body as they venture into the 'fatiguing climb' of uncovering social phenomena and understanding social realities. Godspeed. 

The Gloria-PNoy Economic Growth Strategy

Comment on Rappler's report:

"Arroyo commends Aquino for GDP growth"

Well, this validates my thesis that PNoy's economic growth strategy is basically "neoliberalization a la Gloria with good governance".... 

Our nation's economic activities are still very much Gloria! Part of this strategy is the PNoy's economic team's discursive utilization of "poverty", "the poor", "traffic", "anti-corruption", "Filipinos", "OFWs", etc. as "investment opportunities" for businesses. See, for example, this PNoy government's video to encourage foreign investments through media advertising spin and realize how depressed investment opportunities are in the country with the absence of a vibrant industrial sector with local technological capabilities:

Expect growth rate to be high again for 2013 as government spending increases due to the elections. But the productive sector of the economy will remain stagnant — amid the continuing Atlantic economic crisis, conflict with China, appreciation of the peso, etc. —and this includes not only the usual stunted manufacturing industries, but also in agriculture underdevelopment. We have yet to see the political will and resolve of landowning Aquino-Cojuangco families in enforcing genuine land reform as well as the decades-long struggle of coconut farmers for their rightful claims over the coco levy funds before any promises and plans on agricultural modernization can proceed.