Book Description

Part 1 describes varied patterns of community cohesiveness and dispute resolution in the Philippines, including the development of a community-based system of informal and out-of-court dispute processing. Chapter 2 introduces the general topic of self-help and peacemaking practices in the Province of Lanao del Norte in Mindanao, and describes a number of peacemaking organizations. Chapter 3 describes one field trip to the southern Philippines, and some of the cultural elements that tend to promote community security, including barangay, or neighborhood organization, the absence of police, idle time, low technology, and the necessity of multiple personal follow-ups to finalize most transactions. Chapter 4 summarizes aspects of the conflict between Muslim and Christian peoples who live side by side in towns and cities of Mindanao. Chapter 4 looks at terrorist activities and how they affect the daily life of Filipinos in the north-western region of Mindanao. Chapter 6 details what is meant by vigilante activity in the Philippines and examines a number of such enterprises in the 1980's, with lingering presence in more recent years. Chapter 7 examines the almost omnipresent issue of bribery and extortion. Chapter 8 looks at youth, juvenile delinquency, street children, and some of the processes for managing Filipino delinquency. Chapter 9 explains aspects of the folkways in the Province of Lanao del Norte, where near-anarchy reigns, as shown by a lack of enthusiasm for the rule of law. Chaotic driving and queuing customs, among others, are discussed in light of their possible links to further styles of social deviance.