HomePsychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journalvol. 4 no. 5 (2022)

A Positioning Theory Inquiry: A Fight Against Demonization of Community Pantries

Bernadeth Ballesteros | Darwin Diola | Leo Eusantos | Ann Maribel Hapin | Billy Joel Ramos | Christoper F Sasot

Discipline: Education

 

Abstract:

The necessity of having community pantries in the Philippines during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a cause of political, social, and public health controversy with issues ranging from the government inaction and inadequacy of governmental response in the pandemic. Utilizing the theoretical lens of positioning theory qualitative design, specifically content analysis, aimed to investigate how the public online community builds meaning of the community pantry through SocMed posts, online news comments, editorial/opinion articles from a 20000-word corpus, and 321 words analyzed. Results revealed that the most prevalent discourse on SocMed users positioned the community pantries as a positive response to mitigate the COVID-19 Pandemic, especially among the most vulnerable communities. Most of the corpus from online and editorial/opinion articles shed light that the community pantry sees as social responsibilities parley than vested propaganda. However, discourses from the digital space on pantry organizers underwent red-tagging by government forces and were bombarded with death threats. Propositioned that the netizens from the digital platforms, the government is incapable of addressing the needs of the impoverished sector during the pandemic in which community pantries continue to emerge. To this effect, the community pantries draw a complementary opposite force on cyberspace, some negative comments were directly associated with the community pantries to rebellion and anti-government propaganda. However, the community pantries are not meant to take the place of the government role or to meet citizens' long-term needs.



References:

  1. Burkitt, I. (1999). Between the dark and the light: Power and the material contexts of social relations. In: D. J. Nightingale & J.
  2. Cromby, eds. Social Constructionist Psychology: A Critical Analysis of Theory and Practice, pp. 69–82. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  3. Cardenas N. C. (2021). Strengthening ASEAN centrality onCOVID19 relief: a joint multilateral strategic policy. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab183. Advance online publication.
  4. Capulong, H., Gopez, J., & Galang, J. Gozum, I., (2021). Philippine community pantries as a way of helping the marginalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab151. Congress of the Philippines . Republic Act 11469.
  5. Cromby, J. & Standen, P. (1999). Taking our selves seriously. In: D. J. Nightingale & J. Cromby, eds. Social Constructionist Psychology: A Critical Analysis of Theory and Practice, pp. 141–156. Buckingham, UK: Open University Press.
  6. Del Castillo, F. A., & Maravilla, M. I. (2021). Community pantries: their role in public health during the Covid-19 pandemic. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab154.
  7. Del Castillo, F. (2021). Community Pantries: Responding to COVID-19 Food Insecurity. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 1-3. doi:10.1017/dmp.2021.186
  8. Del Castillo, Fides A. (2021). “Community Pantries: Responding to COVID-19 Food Insecurity.” Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 2021, pp. 1–1., doi:10.1017/dmp.2021.186.
  9. Del Castillo F. Leadership: towards equitable COVID-19 Vaccination. J Public Health 2021;00(00):1–2. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab154.
  10. Department of Budget and Management . DBM Releases P100B for Social Amelioration Programs of DSWD in Response to COVID-19. 2 April 2020.
  11. Gozum, I., Capulong, H., Gopez, J., & Galang, J. (2021). Philippine community pantries as a way of helping the marginalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab151.
  12. Gozum IEA, Capulong HGM, Galang JRF, Gopez JMW. An ayuda to the least advantaged: providing a program for those who were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Public Health 2021. doi: 10.1093/pubmed/fdab014.
  13. Galang, J. Gozum, I. Capulong, H., & Gopez, J., (2021). Philippine community pantries as a way of helping the marginalized during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab151.
  14.  
  15. Harré, R., and Moghaddam, F., (2014). The Discursive Turn In Social Psychology. Chapter 8 Positioning Theory pp. 129-138.
  16. Harré, R. & van Langenhove, L. (1999). The dynamics of social episodes. In: R. Harré & L. van Langenhove, eds. Positioning Theory: Moral Contexts of Intentional Action, pp. 1–13. Oxford: Blackwell.
  17. Harré, R. & Moghaddam, F. (2003). Introduction: The self and others in traditional psychology and in positioning theory. In: R. Harré & F. Moghaddam, eds. The Self and Others: Positioning Individuals and Groups in Personal, Political, and Cultural Contexts, pp. 1–11. Westport, CT: Praeger.
  18. Haynes, O. (2021). Deadly 'Red-Tagging' Campaign Ramps Up in Philippines
  19. Ivan Efreaim A Gozum, Harvey Gain M Capulong, Joseph Renus F Galang, Jose Ma W Gopez, An ayuda to the least advantaged: providing a program for those who were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic, Journal of Public Health, 2021; fdab014,
  20. La Vina, T., (2021). OPINION] Is the NTF-ELCAC the enemy of the people?
  21. Leonard, Y., and Pua J., (2020). Retrenchment due to COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
  22. Ofreneo, M. & Montiel, C., (2010). Asian Journal of Social Psychology (2010), 13, 247–259. Positioning theory as a discursive approach to understanding same-sex intimate violence. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-839X.2010.01317.x
  23. Rivera, K. (2021). On community pantries.
  24. Royandoya, R. (2021). Communist, terrorist, satanic: how Duterte’s trolls targeted a mutual aid movement.
  25. Steyaert, J., (2003). 1967 John van Hengel & food banks philanthrophy for the hungry
  26. Suazo J. What the Community Pantry Movement Means for Filipinos. CNN Philippines.
  27. Tus, J. (2020). The Demographic Profile of the Residents of the Partner Community of St. Paul College of Bocaue: A Basis for Community Action Program. Asian Journal of Arts, Humanities and S o c i a l S t u d i e s , 3 5 - 4 4 . h ttp s://do i.o rg/1 0.6084 /m9.fig sh are. 13377434.v1
  28. UP Media and Public Relations Office, 2021. Ana Patricia Non to talk about community pantries in upcoming UPAA e-Kapihan.
  29. Valsiner, J. (2014). Psychology, Social Psychology. Positioning Theory: Moral Dimensions of Social-Cultural Psychology. DOI:10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195396430.013.0010
  30. Villavecer, N. (2021). Ana Patricia Non and a street that turned into a movement.
  31. Wilkinson, S. & Kitzinger, C. (2003). Constructing identities: A feminist conversation analytic approach to positioning in action. In: R. Harré & F. Moghaddam, eds. The Self and Others: Positioning Individuals and Groups in Personal, Political, and Cultural Contexts, pp. 157–180. Westport, CT: Praeger.