By: Clyde Joven Rico

Last 26 February, students and professors of Sociology and related disciplines attended a public lecture co-hosted by the Philippine Sociological Society and the Sociology Department of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

PSS officers Dr. Jayeel Serrano Cornelio, a sociologist of religion and Dr. Nicole Curato, a political sociologist delivered back-to-back presentations followed by an open forum.

In his lecture ‘Is Religion Dying? An Invitation to Sociology of Religion,’ Dr. Cornelio critically unpacked the secularization thesis and its implications in the Philippine society. Dr. Curato, on the other hand, discussed sociological approaches that can help make sense of various qualities needed for elected leaders in ‘the age of misery.’

In the afternoon, both speakers ran a workshop on publishing in academic journals. Graduate students and faculty from various universities including MSU-Marawi and Bukidnon State University attended the workshop.

The public lecture is part of PSS’s ‘Sociology Caravan’ – a project that started in 2015 which aims to facilitate exchange of ideas between PSS members and sociology departments all around the Philippines. The Sociology Caravan is also timed for MSU-IIT’s event ‘Socio Days’– an annual celebration of the Sociology Department’s foundation where sociology students compete in sports, literary, and cultural activities.

‘This fulfills my day of celebration with the department. In fact, this is the best part of all the events during Socio days,’ said a 3rd year Sociology student during a public lecture of the PSS caravan.  The public lectures conducted during the PSS caravan served as the soul of the whole Sociology days, marking the event as the most fulfilling one of all the Sociology days in the past.

For universities interested to co-host the Sociology Caravan with PSS, please email philippinesociology@gmail.com

Clyde Joven Rico is a sociology student at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology