Igorotak (I am an Igorot): Representations of the Igorot in Philippine Broadcast Documentaries

Sokoken, D.N. (2013). Igorotak (I am an Igorot): Representations of the Igorot in Philippine Broadcast Documentaries, Unpublished Undergraduate Thesis, University of the Philippines, College of Mass Communication.

This study examines the politics of representations of the Igorot in documentaries broadcast on Philippine television. This is explored, in particular, by looking into how the Igorot is represented in the documentary programs I-Witness and Probe.

Primarily employing the method of discourse analysis, this study is guided by Stuart Hall’s constructionist theory of representation, by Michel Foucault’s discursive approach, and by the theory of critical discourse analysis. It is also greatly influenced by the status of the researcher as an Igorot. Hence, reflexive ethnographic analysis of the documentaries is also employed, though not extensively.

This study provides a background about the Igorot, and how the discrimination against him/her started. It also explains how the media figures in this discrimination. In its examination, this study identifies the identities of the Igorot thatthe documentaries construct. It then traces if thedocumentaries’ manner of representing the Igorot has shifted through the years. Finally, it creates categories of the documentaries based on how they represent the Igorot.

Key words: Igorot, representation, discourse, identity, documentary