Projects

The formation and development of intimate relationships is a core component of adolescence and young adulthood, particularly as these provide both valuable socialization experiences and often lead to lasting relationships. This study seeks to examine the behaviors and aspirations of young women and men in regard to dating, romantic relationships, and their aspirations for marriage and parenthood.

This study is intended to provide a better understanding of the mate selection preferences and aspirations of young Filipinos, with a specific focus upon their marriage and childbearing goals. It is intended that the survey be conducted on an annual basis, thus providing a clear picture of how these marriage and childbearing goals are changing, over time.

International students in the Philippines face similar challenges as those studying abroad elsewhere. However, their reasons for coming to the Philippines often lead them to build connections beyond just making friends. They try to adapt quickly and make use of all kinds of social connections, including with local students.

This study looks at how these connections affect the experiences of international students in the Philippines. It explores how students' motivations and their relationships with local people can shape their time studying here. Building trust with locals is important for making the most of these connections.

Young Catholics in Bukidnon, locally identified as Batan-ong Katoliko, grow up negotiating personal, communal, and spiritual expectations within a landscape shaped by economic precarity, cultural rootedness, and institutional change. Their lives are marked by participation in parish ministries and faith communities, yet they also carry aspirations for better livelihoods, meaningful leadership, and futures beyond constraint. Their lived hopes whether to continue serving, pursue education, or lead remain understudies in sociological research. This study seeks to explore how Batan-ong Katoliko imagine and pursue their aspirations while navigating material hardship, institutional disconnection, and moral expectations.

This research project concerns the university's and stakeholders' critical engagement in Community Development, Advocacy, and Service-Learning programs.Through a sociological lens, the studies can consider the phases/stages of program development, such as planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of various community engagements and programs. The studies can be descriptive, explorative, evaluative, and eclectic. It highly regards the stakeholders' engagement and the results and outcomes of the programs and projects that have been implemented. The studies are significant for better understanding social interactions and processes, power structures, and cultural phenomena in a given spatial proximity of people and communities. Also, the studies will facilitate the drawing of lessons and inspirations and can develop sustainability mechanisms and creative engagement methods and strategies in developing and empowering communities, sectors, institutions, and organizations.

The research project focuses on the eLearning journey of the University of Santo Tomas, investigating its e-learning management and strategies towards establishing its open university. Specifically, the study intends to investigate and analyze four major components of the e-learning management system in the university, namely: students, teachers, resources, and administrative support. Several concepts and theories will be utilized to arrive at policies for recommendations for establishing an open university that would fully employ a distance education approach for learners to access quality education.

This research explores malayang hanapbuhay as a Filipino concept of freelance work as a lived negotiation of freedom and survival within shifting economic and social conditions. Using Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and capital alongside a Marxist critique of precarity, the study examines how Filipino freelancers make sense of kalayaan (freedom) and hanapbuhay (livelihood) through everyday labor practices. Drawing from interviews, coded narratives, and cultural framings, the project aims to show how Filipino freelancers make sense of their work, sustain life through hanapbuhay, and imagine ginhawa within the everyday realities of modern capitalism.

The Philippine healthcare system is currently, at best, a limited investment. Our healthcare facilities have witnessed periods, such as endemics and pandemics, where human resources have been lacking and incapacitated, especially those admitted within formal institutions. While healthcare practitioners are tasked to provide round-the-clock medical guidance and resolve present medical issues, their capacity falls short. Due to this, care experienced in ill-equipped healthcare environments, especially in the hospital setting, relies on bantays as health-based caregivers. Even with little to no healthcare experience, the bantay supplements itself as, among others, the patient’s extension; the healthcare staff’s guide; and lifeline to the outside world. This phenomenon of care in Filipino sociology seeks to problematize the concept of bantay within medical sociology and the sociology of care.

This project aims to create learning material that would allow students to acquire the necessary competencies to understand the relations and dynamics of societies with/and cultures, focusing on Philippine society and culture. It will help students in having an in-depth understanding of the complex structure of human societies and cultures. This comprehensive material proficiently merges various aspects of social organization, cultural practices, and sociological theories, providing a holistic understanding of how different groups interact and evolve over time. Through engaging modules, thought-provoking discussions and diverse lesson presentations, this educational material invites learners to explore the fascinating world of human behavior and social structures, ultimately fostering a deeper appreciation for cultural differences and shared human experiences. Thus, this project ultimately aims to mold students to become socially aware, community-engaged, and culturally competent in navigating the social world.

UST Sociology Alumni Studies (UST SAS) examines the career paths and experiences of graduates from the University of Santo Tomas Sociology program. Through mixed research methods, the project seeks insights into the challenges and successes of sociology alumni in their professional lives, providing valuable information for students, educators, and UST.

Politics and Public Policy studies in the Philippines dissect the multiple dimensions of political culture, focusing on political socialization, recruitment, participation, and communication. This research project specifically focuses on political participation, delving into the interaction between democratic principles and the patronage system. The research aims to gain a deeper understanding of the widespread influence of dynastic politics and the dynamics of governance and democracy in the country.

This project examines the pertinent issue of human rights in the Philippines. With a history marked by human rights violations and ongoing challenges such as the suppression of dissent, there is a critical need to enhance understanding and advocacy for these fundamental rights. Through a service-learning approach, it aims to delve into the complexities of human rights, examining their formation within societal structures and cultural contexts. By fostering active engagement and critical reflection, this project empowers individuals to shape and adapt these structures, ultimately striving towards a society where fundamental human rights are protected and upheld for all.

This Project explores how Filipino youth navigate and reshape the digital world as a space for identity, connection, and action. It examines the everyday ways young people use social media and other digital platforms to form relationships, express cultural values, and engage with social issues that reflect broader questions of inequality and belonging. It integrates perspectives from the sociology of youth, culture, and technology, and this project seeks to understand how digital participation becomes both a personal and political act. One that reveals how today’s kabataan create meaning, community, and change in an increasingly networked society.

Research on the environment and disaster focuses on the study and analysis of the relationship between communities and societies and the environment they inhabit, and also captures the relationship between social structures, poverty, inequality, and the behaviors, actions, and movements of people and groups, which affect destruction, weakening of capacity, response, and recovery. Research shows that disasters occurring in communities are not natural but socially constructed, affecting poor and marginalized communities and exacerbating already inequitable conditions to recover from disasters. This research will emphasize climate justice and the integrity of creation.