Political socialization in a UP Basic Education Unit (BEU) : a collaborative critical autoethnography of activist culture

Date

5-2026

Adviser

John Carlo B. Cabilao

Principal

Buela, Mabel S.

Abstract

As senior high school students at the University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS), we used collaborative critical autoethnography (CCAE) to examine how activist culture shapes political socialization within a basic education unit. Drawing from our own field notes and critical reflections from September 2025 to March 2026, we explored what activism meant to us as UPRHS students through personal narrative, critical reflection, and collaborative analysis.We also examined what institutional and personal factors shaped our participation or hesitation, and how studying in an institution historically associated with activist culture formed our sense of social awareness and responsibility. Our findings revealed that political socialization at UPRHS was largely environmental, absorbed through institutional traditions, politically engaged faculty, and student-organized events, rather than through formal curricular instruction. It highlights the informal, experiential, and largely implicit nature of political learning within the school environment. We also documented experiences of empowerment, hesitation, family conflict, and gradual political self-formation, demonstrating that the political agency of students in a politically conscious community develops through a series of small steps, not through any one single defining act, but in collaboration with peers, school institutions, and personal limitations. The study further identified gaps between what UPRHS provides and what students genuinely need, such as inclusive and comprehensive political education. This study contributes to the body of knowledge on youth political socialization, critical pedagogy, and democratic education in the Philippine context, while also calling for more intentional, inclusive, and student-centered approaches to political education in basic education units, particularly those embedded within progressive university systems.

Language

English

Location

UP Rural High School

Document Type

Capstone

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