Basagan ng Trip with Leloy Claudio: Spotting biases and history's role in healing society

Summary

In this episode of 'A Second and Trip,' host Tyler Claudio interviews Cheeky Agency Leo, the first female summa laude graduate in history from the University of the Philippines. They discuss her journey into history, inspired by a high school teacher, and the importance of critical thinking and research in the discipline. Leo shares how her history degree has influenced her current role as a policy assistant, emphasizing the relevance of historical knowledge in understanding patterns for future learning and change. The conversation highlights the value of empathy, humility, and honesty in historical study and its application in various fields.

Takeaways

• 🎓 The guest, Cheeky, was inspired to pursue history by her high school teacher who encouraged critical thinking rather than rote memorization.
• 🔍 Cheeky sees history as detective work, requiring investigative skills and a passion for uncovering the past.
• 🏫 The University of the Philippines' history department is renowned and requires students to learn foreign languages to access primary sources.
• 🌏 Cheeky highlights the uniqueness of Philippine history due to its multiple colonizations and the layers of history that result.
• 📚 The study of history teaches valuable skills such as critical thinking, research, and writing, which are applicable across various fields.
• 🏛 Cheeky is not planning to pursue a career in history long-term but acknowledges its influence on her current projects and interests.
• 🔬 As a policy assistant, Cheeky applies her research skills and patience, traits honed during her history studies, to evaluate program impacts.
• 🤔 The script discusses the importance of recognizing bias in historical narratives and the need for context to understand different perspectives.
• 🌱 History can play a role in nation-building and healing societal wounds by acknowledging and learning from the past.
• 📝 Empathy in historical writing helps to identify judgmental perspectives and find common ground among differing viewpoints.
• 🌐 The conversation emphasizes the importance of humility, honesty, and empathy not only in historical research but also in social media and politics.

Q & A

What inspired the guest to choose history as her major?

The guest was inspired to choose history as her major due to an epiphany while climbing a mountain with her father and being influenced by a high school history teacher who taught her to think critically.

Why did the guest initially consider Chemical Engineering or Biology as her field of study?

The guest initially considered Chemical Engineering or Biology because she liked math and chemistry, and had a dream of becoming a marine biologist.

What is the significance of learning a foreign language in the study of history as emphasized by the guest's department?

Learning a foreign language, particularly Spanish, is significant because it allows students to access primary resources that have not been touched before and to understand historical documents without the loss in translation.

How does the guest view the uniqueness of Philippine history?

The guest views Philippine history as unique due to its colonization by multiple groups over hundreds of years, which adds layers to its history.

What role does the guest see historians playing in the healing process of a country?

The guest sees historians playing a role in nation-building and healing wounds of the past by acknowledging historical facts and patterns, which can help in learning and changing for the better.

How does the guest's background in history help her in her current role as a policy assistant?

The guest's background in history helps her in research, writing, and critical thinking, which are valuable skills in her current role evaluating the impact of certain programs.

What are the three key words the guest believes are essential for historians?

The three key words the guest believes are essential for historians are humility, honesty, and empathy.

Why is empathy important in the study of history according to the guest?

Empathy is important in the study of history because it allows historians to understand and convey the experiences and feelings of people from the past, creating a more engaging and relatable historical narrative.

How does the guest define the role of a historian in terms of objectivity and empathy?

The guest defines the role of a historian as someone who can be both rigorous and empathetic, maintaining objectivity in research while also having the capacity to understand and convey the emotional aspects of history.

What does the guest suggest as a way to make teaching history more relevant for students?

The guest suggests focusing on teaching historical methods that help students spot biases, understand context, and piece together a story as close to the truth as possible, making history more engaging and applicable.

How does the guest view the importance of humility in the practice of history?

The guest views humility as crucial in the practice of history because it allows historians to acknowledge their own biases and the ever-changing nature of the human experience, promoting a more honest and open-minded approach to historical study.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Discovering a Passion for History

In this segment, Tyler Claudio introduces the episode and his guest, Cheeky, a history major and the first female summa laude graduate from the Department of History at the University of the Philippines. Cheeky shares her journey into history, initially considering Chemical Engineering and Biology due to her love for math and chemistry. However, an epiphany during a mountain climb with her father led her to pursue history, inspired by her high school history teacher who encouraged critical thinking. Cheeky also expresses her interest in investigative work, likening history to detective work and discussing the unique layers of Philippine history due to colonization.

05:02

🏛️ The Relevance of History in Education and Career

This paragraph delves into the broader implications of studying history, with Cheeky discussing the importance of learning foreign languages to access primary sources and the potential for uncovering untold stories in history. She acknowledges the layers of history that have yet to be explored, particularly in foreign archives. Cheeky also shares her current role as a policy assistant, where her background in history aids her in research and writing. The conversation highlights how the skills acquired from a history degree, such as critical thinking and research, are transferable and valuable in various fields.

10:04

🌐 The Role of History in Healing and Empathy

The final paragraph focuses on the role of historians in nation-building and healing societal wounds. Cheeky emphasizes the importance of acknowledging and learning from history to build a better future. She discusses the necessity of empathy in historical research, allowing historians to understand and convey the experiences of people from the past. The conversation concludes with the three key words: humility, honesty, and empathy, which Cheeky believes are essential for historians and anyone involved in social media or politics, advocating for respectful and honest communication.

Keywords

💡History

History refers to the study of past events, particularly in human affairs. In the video, it is the central theme, with the guest discussing her journey and passion for the subject. It is highlighted as a field that requires critical thinking and investigation, akin to detective work, and is also portrayed as a tool for understanding the present and shaping the future.

💡Summa Laude

Summa Laude is a Latin term used to denote the highest academic honor awarded to a student who has achieved the highest distinction in their studies. The guest is noted as the first female Summa Laude graduate from the Department of History at the University of the Philippines, emphasizing her academic excellence.

💡Colonization

Colonization is the process by which a nation or power takes control of another territory, often involving the establishment of settlements and the exploitation of resources. The script mentions the unique layers of Philippine history due to colonization by multiple groups, which adds depth and complexity to the study of history in the country.

💡Primary Resources

Primary resources are original materials or evidence from the time period involved, often used in historical research. The video discusses the importance of learning foreign languages to access primary resources, such as untranslated documents, to gain a more accurate understanding of history.

💡Empathy

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. The script emphasizes empathy as a key aspect of studying history, suggesting that historians should be able to place themselves in the position of historical figures to better understand their experiences and perspectives.

💡Bias

Bias refers to a preference or inclination, often unconscious, towards a particular perspective or viewpoint. The video discusses the importance of recognizing and understanding bias in historical narratives, as well as the need for historians to strive for objectivity amidst personal and societal biases.

💡Relevance

Relevance pertains to the significance or applicability of something in a particular context. The script discusses making the teaching of history more relevant to students, suggesting that it should go beyond rote memorization and instead focus on developing critical thinking and understanding of historical context.

💡Nation-Building

Nation-building is the process of creating a unified national identity and fostering a sense of belonging among a country's citizens. The video suggests that historians play a role in nation-building, particularly in healing the wounds of the past and fostering a shared understanding of history.

💡Historical Methods

Historical methods refer to the techniques and approaches used by historians to research and interpret the past. The script mentions that learning about historical methods taught the guest how to critically evaluate sources and identify bias, which is a valuable skill in various aspects of life.

💡Policy Assistant

A policy assistant is a professional role that involves supporting the development and implementation of policies, often involving research and evaluation. The guest's current role as a policy assistant utilizes skills acquired from her history degree, such as research and critical analysis, in a practical, real-world context.

💡Randomized Control Trials

Randomized control trials (RCTs) are a type of scientific experiment that involve random assignment of subjects to treatment or control groups to test the efficacy of an intervention. The script mentions the use of RCTs in evaluating the impact of programs, showing the application of rigorous research methods beyond the field of history.

Highlights

Tyler Claudio and Cheeky Agency Leo discuss the importance and relevance of studying history.

Leo shares her journey from considering Chemical Engineering to becoming a history major.

The influence of a high school history teacher on Leo's academic path.

Leo's interest in investigative aspects of history, likening it to detective work.

The uniqueness of Philippine history due to multiple colonizations.

The significance of learning foreign languages to access primary historical resources.

The potential of untapped historical resources in foreign archives.

Leo's current role as a policy assistant and how her history degree aids her work.

The value of research skills in various professional fields.

The role of critical thinking and writing in a history program.

Leo's perspective on the applicability of history skills beyond academia.

The need for teaching history in a way that is relevant to students.

The importance of recognizing and addressing biases in historical narratives.

The role of historians in nation-building and healing societal divisions.

The principle of continuity and its relevance to understanding history.

The importance of empathy in historical research and writing.

The balance between empathy and maintaining objectivity in historical reporting.

The practice of humility, honesty, and empathy as key skills for historians.

The potential for history to foster understanding and common ground among diverse perspectives.

The necessity of humility, honesty, and empathy in effective communication and social media.

Transcripts

okay welcome to another episode of a

second and trip I'm Tyler Claudio I

teach history at De La Salle University

have any questions about this episode

our previous episode gusano a troll

goose new mcdonald please just tweet me

at leather Claudio

I'm with cheeky agency Leo now she's an

interesting person because she's a

history major and some frankenteen and

history major disability knows but more

than that she is also the first female

summa laude graduate of the very

prominent department of history of the

university of the philippines in the

lumen welcome to the second encryption

key thank you for having me oh it's a

pleasure so let's get into it the first

question is why history ok so I also

didn't know in the start it was kind of

coincidence kind of fate when I was

applying for the Bobcat I actually

elected first Chemical Engineering and

then biology I like math and they like

chemistry the same dream code before it

was to be a marine biologist no high

school and then I was climbing a

mountain with my dad one day and I had

this epiphany that I actually wanted

history ok but like looking back I

probably decided history because I was

really inspired by my teacher 3rd year

3rd year high school you head off am I

getting the history teacher

yes philippine history in classic and

she was very different in that so yeah

she didn't spoon-feed us and it really

forced us to think more critically and

challenged me in a way that I liked and

I knew that go was actually a history

and boss I made you ok so anymore

yeah so I grew up enjoying you know the

stories and things like that then I just

played to my strengths I also wanted to

be an archaeologist at work ok so I just

like the idea of something investigative

and history is kind of like detective

work as well ok so now you're in UB and

now you're in one of the most storied

history departments in the country

when some of the top historian working

with the some of the top historians in

the country

when did you realize about Philippine

history or history in general I guess

you can say this about every country's

history but I'll admit my bias because

I'm Filipino but I really think our

history is so unique just because we've

been colonized by how many you know

groups and for hundreds of years and

they're just so many layers to our

history I really like that our

department you know required us to learn

foreign language so at least like twelve

units and Spanish because ideally we

should be able to tap into primary

resources that have never been touched

before and you know there lots of things

that are lost in translation and it's

interesting to note her to think that

much of our history is still you know

never been touched never been touched so

what part of I know I know partner

history on gusto moon explore I think

it's safe to say that say in the

archives in Spain right wherever else I

mean a lot of people don't know that

even the Brits were here the British

were here and even the Dutch at one

point and it's just yeah it makes you

wonder what is there that we don't know

yet about their own history as a country

unfortunately I don't think I will be

continuing like pursuing a career in

history in the long term but it's always

been influencing like the projects I'm

interested in this autumn spring with

natok I say in one episode they said if

you take a liberal arts course in

college like history in the Union a

hooligan nakai Lang and mung muggin

trabajo and so learning history teaches

me many other things apart from history

so Iike what do you do now cheeky and

how does the history degree or the

liberal arts background help you in

general I am a policy assistant at the

research and policy nonprofit where we

conduct randomized control trials to

evaluate the impact of certain programs

and well for me regardless of your

background there will always be tools

that you can bring to whatever field you

to be in and with history like I really

love research I like to write those are

things I find fun I love during like

undergrad for my thesis I always looked

forward to spending the whole afternoon

in the archives and the main library

even if it was super dusty and I was all

alone but you know but then it was like

my safe space I like this and how do

those skills now help you with the kind

of work that you do well I notice it

most when I really have to do research

and because it takes a lot of patience

and a lot of time and I mean it's not

for everyone

some people find research boring but I

enjoy the process so it helps me stay on

track and get what needs to be do it

need to be done well that's great so in

critical mindedness the capacity to

write the capacity to do research these

are things that I don't think are

exclusive to a history program they're

there they're part of kind of liberal

arts in general so hallelujah I mean

that's the point I've been trying to mix

I'll be gonna say in your view were say

you skills the Mohan you're doing a

history degree and lucky

non-applicability and you have proof

here somebody who is very young and yet

still has a very successful career

already as a researcher and part of a

global NGO that can be you to you like

your experience learning history it's

not an experience now and I should share

number time is a most urgent Anatomy

students a traumatized a history cause

adopting a new mozilla for example

unknown Baha'i non mono and Cana any

padre de ma saw the opening scene and

Noli Me Tangere

why do you need to know that what so how

do we make teaching history more

relevant for our students I think people

are starting to realize now rote

memorization and or fact well history

just back to history

don't really do anything so to me what I

value would say you Peter a guy in

history on Griffin mm-hmm

classes on historical methods it taught

me relevant skills in terms of spotting

by us yeah

even my animal pals a social media how

to really spot bias in yeah and not bias

in itself is not necessarily bad in

terms of you cannot remove bias from

anyone at all

oh man at Rowland are in ignorant we all

have our own personal biographies

philosophies at Numa writers authors

news reporters we all have our own

agency right so I mean now the job of

the viewer is simply to identify that

and to take things into context and

hopefully if you use enough sources if

you do your homework you can patch up a

story that is as close as possible to

the truth yes yes and I and that

inspires another question cuz I end up

in cinco bias it's it's something that's

thrown around in social media all the

time

that's a historian have a role in the

healing process of a country like us

because I think we need some healing

because the the cleavages are so deep

history Casa discipline can be a very

polarizing one but I definitely agree no

my rule I'm gonna historians and

nation-building and you know healing

wounds of the past so how about the

person and and the present but then you

know the principle of continuity

necessarily in deep whether you passed

me on let's forget that's impossible and

that's why we have to acknowledge the

rule of history as a tool for building

the future because it's not just about

identifying facts but also patterns and

that awareness is is really necessary

for us to be able to learn and to change

so I think history a said to that but

direct Ron yeah I towards empathy and

towards understanding that but support

the chair by sufficient historical

knowledge

and sound the interpretation checks and

balances men okay so empathy that's a

wonderful word I'm easy President Grant

ow

not pakka robotic manjusri parent

journalism khylin McGraw port culinary

port patina Sabina mana Marat vimana

journalist que la Magra Burtka from the

heart with empathy since I'm an

historian : mag report car from the

heart in the epoch Sabina gallon por su

na wala nang objectivity or allen and

rigor in the research because you can be

both rigorous and empathetic at the same

time yeah you what do you mean when you

say history should be empathetic well at

least from the point of view of those

writing history it helps us to identify

where are we being judgmental and how

can we reduce that I think history can

really help in finding common ground so

it starts with finding common values and

then working from there yeah meaning

sometimes we can agree on certain things

even if we're on the opposite side of

the political fence yeah this course is

definitely important but I think people

forget there's a right way of

communicating your ideas let's keep it

civilized respectful and maybe we'll get

farther than we are right now yeah but

one way is also to say here maybe

tomorrow maybe India hooligan Malay it's

also about the capacity to admit that

you're wrong from time to time that

means at the very core of history I

think history is really a practice of

humility and essentially honesty because

you know the human experience is all

about change and if we're talking about

change with China what kind of change do

you wanna see it's the positive kind

improvement and that will necessity

looking at ourselves and you know where

did I go wrong

and it's ok to admit that maybe there's

a better way of doing things maybe this

is right and this is wrong

humility honesty and empathy these were

three words that she used three words in

the department car-sized

to be humble as a historian because come

Malika Malika at company written and

artist Malika Kayla hiam on a minion

that's a skill for a historian but

that's also a skill for someone on

social media someone who's involved in

politics when the car Malika a mini moon

Alang don't dig your heels in and keep

arguing the next one is honesty well

communication Welling and that's of

course a very crucial thing for a

historian we can't lie because people

rely on us to discover what happened in

the past and in the age of fake news of

course as you all know it's so easy to

lie so historians learn honesty but

everybody has enduring honesty and then

you finally empanada in a Natasha Hovis

when you talked about history as empathy

because the greatest historians are

historians who care so a great historian

can tell you what it feels like to be a

peasant in 19th century Philippines

because the person has the imagination

in the capacity to feel a great

historian has empathy because he or she

can place you in the position of someone

who was being tortured during the time

of martial law that is history that that

is emotional affective but it's also

honest and obviously it's also very very

humble so thank you for those three

words cheeky our humility honesty and

empathy so thank you for guessing an

answer thank you