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I finally understood what Nath, Liz and Joyce were talking about when we discussed the different colleges in UP. I suppose it’s only normal to feel that we’re sort of displaced in our own PhD program. When I got into UP Mass Comm, I didn’t expect to be tabulating data, chi-squares, t-tests and all the statistical chorvaness that I tried to avoid so many times — in my pursuit of higher education — but couldn’t get away from. I mean, hello? UP College of Science, isdatchoo? 

I took statistics, hidden in a subject named Behavioral Studies 110, back in college. Managed to graduate on time just when I thought I was going to be slaughtered by it. Ah, skipped it in my second degree as I had it credited. Took it again during my master’s, in a subject aptly named Quantitative Methods. I could not believe that I still couldn’t escape it…in a realm when I should be philosophizing.

Last Friday, at the UP College of Social Work and Community Development (a.k.a. College of Feminism), we took up Michel Foucault and a bit of Judith Butler.  The class is a master’s class, but since it’s taught by a doctor, we were allowed to count the subject as a cognate. I could see the difference in the MA students of UP-CMC and UP-CSWCD.  While the UP-CMC students sound like rocket scientists, especially the PhD candidates, the MA students of UP-CSWCD sound like what we should be: PHILOSOPHERS. 

They went into a discourse like I’ve never seen our PhD students do. And passionately, too!  I couldn’t believe I was hearing such profound analyses from MA students.  I mean, heck. Doesn’t PhD mean “Doctor of Philosophy”? So why are we so engrossed with quantitative methods? We should be involved in discourse, qualitative analyses.

In any case, UP-CMC heads are thinking of coming up with a PhD in Media Studies. I’m hoping that it will be as enlightening as the offerings of UP-CSWCD, since our new Dean, Rolando Tolentino, is from Film. If I manage to muck things up in PhD Comm (which is basically Communication Research Science), I might shift. If I manage to graduate Comm, I could take Media Studies as a second PhD.