On 19 July 2025, the Ateneo de Davao University, through its Social Sciences Cluster and Department of Sociology and Development Studies, in partnership with the Graduate School, the Ateneo Internationalization for Mindanao Office, and the Philippine Sociological Society, hosted an International Learning Session on “Faith, Fandom, and Political Culture in the Philippines.” The event featured Dr. Lou Antolihao, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, National University of Singapore.
Held at the Bapa Benny Tudtud Auditorium and streamed via Zoom, the lecture examined the erosion of public trust in traditional institutions such as family, religion, and government, and explored how fandoms, particularly in sports and popular culture, emerge as alternative sources of community and belonging. Dr. Antolihao also discussed the implications of fandom on political behavior, leadership selection, and visions of inclusive national change.
Dr. Antolihao, an alumnus of Ateneo de Davao University, is the author of Playing with the Big Boys: Basketball, American Imperialism, and Subaltern Discourse in the Philippines (University of Nebraska Press, 2015) and Other Societies: Introductory Sociology in Comparative Perspectives (Cengage Asia, 2023). His lecture provided a unique lens on the intersections of culture, identity, and politics in the Philippine context, enriching Ateneo de Davao’s continuing commitment to global academic exchanges and dialogue.
Article by Dr. Jerome A. Serrano
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