• JANUARY.APRIL, 1964 109 References Cited Hoebel, E. Adamson, Man in the Primitive Murdoch, George P., 'Clellan S. Ford, Alfred Warld - An Introduction to Anthropology. E. Hudson, Haymond Kennedy, Leo W. Si­ 2d ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Com­ mons, and John W. M, Whiting, Outline of pany, Inc., 1958. Cultural Materials. 3d ed. revised. New Murdoch, G. P., Social Structure. New York: Haven: Human Relations Area Files, Inc., The MacMillian Company, 1949. 1950. Child-Rearing Practices in the Cehuano • Extended Family LOURDES R. QUISUMBING University of San Carlos Introduction The great interest of psychoanalysis and wider fields of personality research in Filipino society is undergoing a shift this primary social unit is premised on till' from a traditional to a transitional com­ relation between personality formation munity. Although still largely rural in and the child's early: intimate relation­ orientation and in locale, the Filipino fa­ ships in his own particular family. Pa­ .. mily is heading towards urbanization. rental attitudes, authority patterns, child­ But while the effects of change are in­ rearing practices, composition and struc­ evitable and sometimes undesirable, ture of families, number, sex and se­ some traditional patterns and practices quence of children, ethno-regional dif­ have remained. Time-honored observan­ ferences, socio-economic stratification, ces continue to identify and to preserve profession or occupation of parents, ­ Filipino indigenous culture even while new are but few of the manifold variations practices absorbed through education and among families within every particular easier means of communication are find­ society or culture. ing their way into Filipino life, pro­ ducing a distinctive blend which may yet characterize the Filipino of tomor­ Purpose. of the Study row. The enculturation process is going This paper is written with the realiza­ on. tion of the scantiness of material on Fi­ lipino family sociology and on Filipino Of all situational determinants that child psychology. The field is ripe for have momentous effects on personality investigation and promises to be of value formation, none are more clear-cut and to educators and social scientists. Dr. certain than those that derive from par­ Guthrie's monograph, The Filipino Child ticipation in particular family units.' It and Philippine Society, is an effort to view is commonly accepted that family life is the Filipino child in his own setting, but a situational determinant par excellence. it succeeds only partially because of the natural limitations of time and the lack of 1 Franz Alexander, "Educative Influence of • Personality Factors in the Environment," Per­ I sonality in Nature Society, and Culture, eds. 2 George M. Guthrie, The Filipino Child and Kluckhohn, Murray, Schneider (New York: Al­ Philippine Society (Manila: Philippine Normal I fred A. Knopf, 1954), p. 421. College Press, 1961) . no PHILIPPINE SOCIOLOGICAL REVIEW • contact with Philippine society. Guthrie among primitive tribes and the adult per­ frankly admits that his knowledge of sonal characteristics of their community. Philippine conditions was limited and therefore, "certain. misinterpretations may Dr. Frieda Goldman-Eisler's "Brel1s­ have entered.?" He was likewise aware feeding and Character Formation''» up­ of another difficulty, - the heterogeneity holds the genetic view of the etiology of of Philippine society, and of the low re­ human behavior and complements re­ liability of the use of a foreign instrument sults obtained in different fields of beha­ (The Parental Attitude Research Inven­ vior study. Her investigations attempt to tory by Earl S. Schaefer and Richard Q. show the influence of breast feeding on Bell). Moreover, his findings were based character formation. A significant corre­ mainly on data gathered around the Ma­ lation exists between early weaning and • nila area, which can hardly be consi­ oral pessimism (I' = .27), late weaning dered a cross-section of the country. and oral optimism (I' = .31), but the This study does not attempt to arrive size of the correlation shows that other at a more conclusive picture. Rather, it factors which account for these character is a pioneering effort to furnish more traits to a greater extent, await investi­ authoritative data on actual child-rearing gation. Or, she suggests, the effects of practices in Cebu and the neighboring the weaning trauma may be only a symp­ provinces and to stimulate similar re­ tomatic manifestation of more funda­ searches in different sectors of the coun­ mental factors-maternal attitude, consti­ try. tution of the child, mother-child interac­ If an individual's early experiences tion. exert a lasting effect upon his personality, a~d if similar experiences tend to pro­ Similar studies demonstrate the impact duce similar personality configurations, of. the child's early emotional expe­ then the.'following questions may be riences within his own family on his posed: Can Filipino child-rearing prac­ personality. Basic emotional patterns tices explain the Filipino's personality are universal, but there are variations structure and Filipino national character? Do they throw light on'Filipino charac­ from culture to culture, from family to teristic traits of amor proprio, utang-na­ family. Margaret A. Ribble's work with loob, close associational ties, etc.? infants, "Infantile Experience in Rela­ tion to Personality Development,"? shows Related Studies the relationship between nursing expe­ Recent studies of personality in nature, rience and psychological reactions of society, and culture; social psychology, anxiety and depression in the infant. She psychology, and anthropology, have concludes that there is an innate need psythology, . and anthropology, have in the infant for contact with the mo­ drawn the focus of interest on the ther. Hypotheses presented by Ribble, effects and on the relationship of child­ rearing practices to character formation, 4 Frieda Goldman-Eisler, "Breastfeeding and personality development, behavior of Society, and Culture, ed. Kluckhohn, Murray, Character Formation," 'Personality in Nature, children, and the origin of conflicts and Schneider (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1954), abnormality. Anthropologists find a rela­ pp. 147-84. tion between child-rearing methods of 5 Margaret A. Ribble, "Infantile Experience in Relation to Personality Development," Per­ nursing, weaning, and toilet training sonality and Behavior Disorders, ed. J. MeV. " Hunt (New York: Ronald Press, 1944), II, 621­ 3 Ibid., "Preface," p. iv. 25. t It JANUARY.APRIL, 1964 In • Clover," and Abraham,' all point out the ing = Pessimism (endocathexis, passi­ traumatic effect of too early weaning vity, aloofness, autonomy, oral aggression, on character-formation. Abraham holds guilt, dependence, conservatism). that "overlong" weaning produces the same effects as too early weaning. Procedure and Results of Investigation Weaning has been defined by psycho­ analysts as a frustration imposed on the Materials presented herein have been child from the outer world and as­ gathered mainly from personal expe­ sumed to have a traumatic impact. Wean­ rience and direct observation when the ing, which at first glance, seems to be writer traveled around the towns .and • in itself a mere physical habit to en­ barrios of Cebu for her study on mar­ able the infant to shift from sucking riage customs. To corroborate her find­ liquid food to mastication of solids and ings and to cover a wider area, she con­ to develop proper eating habits for nu­ ducted inquiries about prevailing qhild­ tritional needs, really provides ample op­ rearing practices from among 111· sub­ portunity for character-formation, since jects, all graduate school students of it involves effort of the will and great Education in the Universities of San psychological skill on the part of the Carlos and of the Visayas, attending parent. courses in Family Life Situations, Char­ Ribble feels that if sucking has been acter Education, and Philippine Society. satisfactory up to the fourth month of The subjects who answered questions life, weaning does not present problems, and questionnaires were parents. .They • and in fact becomes spontaneous. After were made to give information on their a sucking period of four months, under own child-rearing practices, with special normal conditions, weaning would meet attention given to feeding and weaning, with a more favorable instinctual situa­ bladder control and toilet training, and tion than weaning before that period. sleeping habits of their children who Hence, "too early" weaning is taken were less than three years of age. to mean weaning before the fourth Cebu has been chosen by this writer month, "late" weaning, from five to as her special field of research not only eight months, (general medical opinion for reasons of convenience but also be­ fixes the optimum period of sucking to cause this province occupies a focal not earlier than 9 months) and "over­ point in the Philippine archipelago. Its long" weaning means beyond the 9th strategic location contributes to diffusion month. Character traits seem to group and inter-cultural exchange. Cebuano, themseves into two antithetical clusters: with a few alterations, is spoken all late weaning (5 to 8 months) Opti­ = around the neighboring provinces.c-Bo­ mism (exocathexis, nurturance, sociabi­ hoi, Eastern Negros, Western. Leyte, bility, ambition, change deliberation); Romblon, Masbate, northern MIndanao, too early weaning and overlong wean-