State and society in the Philippines / Patricio N. Abinales and Donna J. Amoroso.

Originally published: Lanham, MD : Rowman & Littlefield, c2005.

Abinales and Amoroso resist pat generalizations about Philippine state and society. Theirs is a work rich in nuances and gray areas, ideal for those who have given serious thought to the contradictions that define Philippine life. The authors are keen - and sympathetic - analysts chroniclers. They do not flinch at complexity, for it is this complexity that defines the country's patchwork" state and society. The Philippines, they say, is best understood by looking at how the interplay between state and society, national and local, domination and resistance, continuity and change have shaped the country through the centuries. They correctly point out the recurring dilemma of state-society relations: Filipinos recognize that a weak state is largely to blame for many of their ills, ranging from poor social services to runaway crime, yet they are also suspicious of a strong state and its potential for abuse. " -- Sheila S. Coronel, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (Source: https://bookshop.iseas.edu.sg/publication/1309)