Rivera-Beckstrom, Maria Elena Pablo
Maria Elena Pablo Rivera-Beckstrom
Ph.D. candidate, The New School for Social Research
Expected Completion: Spring 2011
Curriculum Vitae (Adobe PDF)
Dissertation Title
The
United States and the Philippines: Colonial and Post-Colonial Philippine
Constitutional Politics
Areas of Expertise
Comparative-historical Sociology; Sociology of Law/Law and Society;
Political Sociology; Social and Political Theories
Dissertation Abstract
My
dissertation provides a lens for understanding constitutional politics in a
post-colonial society. Following
path dependency’s assertion of history’s importance in understanding the
present, my dissertation investigates the role of colonialism in the
development of Philippine constitutional politics covering the period of 1934
to 1947. I argue that the making
of the 1935 Philippine Constitution under colonial conditions was a critical
juncture that set a path-dependent trajectory for Philippine constitutional
politics. The choices made by
Filipinos during this constitution-making episode under American sovereignty
demonstrated their response to colonial politics – pragmatic nationalism. Under colonial condition, it meant
political concessions to the colonial power while asserting their nationalist
agenda. This critical juncture ingrained an appreciation of the constitution as
a tool to respond to power relations, and established a constitutional politics
that is characterized by flexibility and vulnerability to ‘normal politics’
where factions “manipulate the constitutional forms of political life to pursue
their narrow interests” (Ackerman 1988:163). The subsequent constitutional
amendments demonstrated the appreciation of the constitution as a flexible
document that can be changed based on the outcome of power relations. The amendments also reinforced
constitution-making’s vulnerability to normal politics even to the point of
undermining principles such as rule of law and separation of powers. While my dissertation concentrates on the
Philippine case, it has direct relevance for how we understand post-colonial
constitutional politics, particularly in nations whose political landscapes are
usually characterized by instabilities.
Teaching Experience
As a Part-time Lecturer at Rutgers University-Newark
and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Long Island University (LIU), I have taught
both introductory courses and upper level sociology courses. At Rutgers I have taught Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems,
American Society, Social Movements, Social
Change, Classical Sociological Theory,
Contemporary Social Theory, and Law and Society. At LIU, other than the courses that I already taught at
Rutgers, I also taught Social
Inequalities. In all the courses
I have taught I was responsible for developing the syllabi, preparing class
lessons, providing class assignments, advising and evaluating students. I also have taught writing-intensive Classical Sociological Theory classes at
Rutgers.
Writing Samples
Writing sample available on request
Syllabi
Law and Society Sample Syllabus (Adobe PDF)
Selected Publications
§ Book:
1996. [De]Scribing Elections: A Study of Elections in the Lifeworld
of San Isidro. Quezon City:
Institute for Popular Democracy. Co-author with Myrna Alejo and Noel Valencia.
§ Book
Chapter:
2010. “The Colonial
Condition and the Philippine Constitution making of 1934-35.” Edited by Julian
Go. More American Than We Admit. Manila: Vibal Foundation.
Contact
Information
Department
of Sociology
The
New School for Social Research
6
East 16th Street
New
York, NY 10003
Rivem622@newschool.edu
