TY  - MANSCPT
AU  - Quicho,Marie Kristel A.
TI  - Beauty pageants in neoliberal Philippines: the lived experiences 
T2  - Beauty pageants in neoliberal Philippines
PY  - 2019///
CY  - Balanga City
PB  - BPSU
KW  - Beauty contestants
KW  - sears
KW  - Beauty contests
KW  - Beauty, personal
KW  - Philippines
N1  - Thesis (MAEd-SOC) BPSU, 2019
N2  - The study aimed to identify the lived experiences of female high school students  enrolled in public and private secondary schools in the Division of the City of Balanga and  Division of Bataan during Academic Year 2018-2019. Using descriptive  phenomenological approach, their experiences in joining beauty pageants were explored to  investigate phenomena such as enhancing self-esteem and sex roles in society. Based on  the pre-survey of female high schools in public and private schools, there were twentythree (23) female students who had experienced joining beauty pageants and only eleven  (11) qualified as participants of the study based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.  Specifically, the study described the profile of the female high school students in terms of  age, year level, number of pageants participated in, family monthly income and number of  major titles won. Likewise, the reasons of these female high school students for joining  beauty pageants were explored as well as how joining beauty pageants empower female  high school students to improve their self-concept. Furthermore, symbolic representations  were derived from the findings. Finally, meanings were drawn from the lived experiences  of these female high school students.  Data triangulation was employed by the researcher to gather substantial and rich  data from the female high school student. The processes included an in-depth interview,  focused group discussion, and participant observation. The analysis of data was done using  the methodological framework of Smith, Flower and Larkin (2009) which included the sixstep analytic process namely: reading and re-reading, initial noting, developing emergent  themes, searching for connections across emergent themes moving to the next case and  looking for patterns across cases.  iv  The study revealed that female high school students who are joining beauty  pageants have different characteristics. Female high school students join beauty pageants  because of the massive supports they received from their family members, friends,  classmates and even peer groups, to sport their advocacies, build up their self-confidence,  prove their self-worth and show the good qualities of women. Beauty pageants empower  female high school students to improve their self-concept through building their selfesteem, helping them understand better their roles as women, helping them understand  gender equality and helping them understand better the rights of women. Female high  school students characterize the qualities of a diamond, pearl, aquamarine, sapphire, and  topaz. The themes drawn from the experiences of the female high school students in joining  beauty pageants were beauty pageants create ideals, beauty pageant empowers self-concept  and beauty pageant teaches discipline. Implications of the findings to women's education  were provided.  It was recommended that a follow-up study should be made to assess the lived  experiences of gay and male high school students. The school must strengthen its close  relationship with the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) to ensure that female high school  students, as much as possible, are allowed to continue joining a beauty pageant. This  alliance will also provide security to both parties. Beauty pageants can be used as a strategy  in teaching improvement of self-concept through building self-esteem, helping to  understand better their roles as women, helping to understand gender equality and helping  to understand better the rights of women. Each one of the female high school students  characterizes the qualities of a precious gem. The role, importance and cultural relevance  of beauty pageant must be taught to the students through Social Studies subjects like   v  Contemporary Issues in the Philippines and Society and Culture so they can be made aware  of the emerging image and roles of women in this contemporary world. Women's education  must be prioritized by the school so that it may boost the efforts of the government to  institute gender equality
ER  -