Analytical Framework

Culture is the way of life of the people in a particular society. It includes peoples’ beliefs,

customs, language, art, music, literature, and traditions. According to Panopio and Rolda

(2000), society and culture are so interrelated that one does not exist without the other.

Similarly, Goldstein (1964) also emphasized that each society has its own culture – its

members' distinctive way of life. It is through a culture that the characteristics of a society are

manifested.

According to Eugenio (1985), there is still no universally accepted definition of the word

folklore. But any knowledge handed down from generation to generation, which describes the

beliefs and lifestyle of the ancestors of a chosen ethnic group, is rendered unique to that group,

is considered folklore.

Brunvard (1996) stated that folklore is the traditional, unofficial, non-institutional part of

the culture. It encompasses all knowledge, understanding, values, attitudes, assumptions,

feelings, and beliefs transmitted in traditional forms by word of mouth or by customary

examples. The knowledge we have learned, including our beliefs, traditions, customs, and

practices, has been artistically expressed through arts, literature, songs, dances, and customs.

These can be shared with other people through the interactive process of creating,

communicating, and performing.

Folklore is a general term for the verbal, spiritual, and material aspects of any culture

transmitted orally, by observation, or by imitation (Eslit, 2007). People sharing culture may have

an occupation, language, ethnicity, age, or geographical location in common. Culture is the full

range of the learned behavior pattern. In addition, Tylor (1984) also defines culture as a

complex whole that includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, custom, and any other

capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society. Each culture comprises four

cultural domains, including social, economic, ideological, and political aspects. These domains

help understand the nature of men. Jocano (1969) believes that every society produces its
literature because through this medium, its heritage is preserved, and its ideals and aspirations

are given form and meaning. Literature usually reflects the people's way of life, thus creating

awareness and understanding among people in any given society. It enables a society to record

and preserve its precious legacies for future appreciation, study, and development. Literature

includes oral and written forms. Our ancestors have their folklores, usually narrated by word of

mouth.

Bascom (1965) states that folklore has many cultural aspects, such as allowing for

escape from societal consequences. Folklore can also serve to validate a culture and transmit a

culture’s morals and values. He also introduced the four functions of folklore which supports

functionalism. This theory views that folklore- informally teaches cultural attitude, escapes

accepted limitations of culture, maintains cultural identity, and validates existing cultural norms.

According to Sapir -Whorf's hypothesis (Lucy, 2001), known as the linguistic hypothesis,

the proposal that the language one speaks influences how one thinks about reality. Linguistic

relativity stands in close relation to semiotic-level concerns with the general relation of language

and thought and discourse-level concerns with how patterns of language use in cultural context

can affect thought. Linguistic relativity is distinguished both from simple linguistic diversity and

strict linguistic determinism. As defined by Sapir, Language cited by Kiran (2009) is a primary

human and non-instinctive method of communicating ideas, emotions, and desires through a

system of voluntarily produced symbols. Forming a set of words, expressions, and jargon in a

specific speech community would be different in most cases due to the differences in intellectual

and affective structuring. Thus, each locality has its own sets of folk narratives derived from the

residents' daily use of their language.

Folk narratives include all traditional literature that tells a story. It can be in prose or

verse. Each folklore has individual symbols that reveal each culture's distinct features. Symbols

are words, gestures, pictures, or objects that carry a particular meaning only recognized by
those who share a specific culture. New symbols may easily develop, and the old ones tend to

disappear.

Ethnography is a social science research method. It relies heavily on up-close, personal

experience and possible participation, not just observation by researchers. The ethnographic

focal point includes intensive language and culture learning and a blend of historical,

observational, and interview methods (Hammersley,1990).This study will utilize the

ethnographic approach in data gathering procedures, including immersion, participant-

observation, and unstructured interviews with the informants.

The Manuel's Horizontal and Vertical tests will be used to validate the texts. In finding

the remote source of the narratives, three generations of traditional transmission will be used in

the conduct of the study. Suppose this is not within the memory of the key informants. In that

case, the horizontal spread tests will be used wherein the researcher stays longer in the area

and will be recording the different versions of the narratives. These versions are popular in the

locale and will be gathered from the same cultural group. After translating the gathered

narratives from the key informants, they will be analyzed through content analysis using William

Labov’s methodology in analyzing the structure of each narrative. This includes the following

sub-parts: abstract, orientation on time, person, and situation; complicating action; evaluation;

and resolution or result.

The different types of narratives on "bansag" in Maslog, Legazpi City will be classified.

Likewise, the effects of the monikers on the person’s identity and reputation in the community

will be analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s Phases of Thematic Analysis.

After the content analysis, contextualized and localized literature lessons will be

developed employing the narratives focusing on a specific learning competency from the

English subjects the K to 12 Curriculum of the Enhanced Basic Education of the Philippines.

The contextualization of the lesson is pursuant to Section 5 of RA 10533 or the Enhanced Basic
Education Act of 2013 states that the K to 12 Curriculum shall be student-centered, inclusive,

appropriate, relevant, research-based, culture-sensitive, contextualized, and flexible enough to

allow schools to localize and indigenize based on their respective educational and social

contexts. The use contextualization strategies in the lessons provides wider opportunities for the

teachers in crafting their lessons based on the learners needs, capabilities and availability of

materials.

Employing the folk narratives on “bansag” or moniker in the English and Literature

lessons will connect the curriculum contents as well as the procedure of teaching and learning

to the local situation, setting, and resources and will present the lessons in meaningful and

relevant context in relation to the experiences and real-life situations applicable to the learners.

With the development of English lessons out of the narrative on monikers or “bansag”,

the students will learn better because the lessons that will be taught to them will be meaningful

and applicable to their lives thus, it will create awareness and further strengthen their

appreciation of their cultural identity.

Figure 1 on the next page shows the Analytical Paradigm.

 Society

Culture

Folklore

Sapir Whorf’s
Language as
Worldview

Goldstein’s Labovian Method

Folk Narratives
Ethnographic
on Bansag
Approach

Arsenio Manuel’s Descriptive

Vertical and Content Analysis
Bascom’s
Horizontal Test
Functionalism

Braun and Clarke’s

Thematic Analysis

Lessons on English and

Literature