Intimate Relationships and the Politics of Personhood in the Philippines

In an increasingly connected world, local discourses of self and sociality are changing. This study seeks to contribute to anthropological debates on the articulations between individualist and relationalist forms of sociality, by exploring intimate relationships from the perspectives of young women on Siquijor Island, Philippines. It focuses on transgressive relationships – such as elopement and same-sex liaisons – as they are situated in the context of broader networks of inter-personal relationships. As instances of rule-breaking, transgressive relationships illuminate implicit social expectations as they relate to inter-personal connections and obligations. As such, they are a lens onto structures of personhood, agency and sociality.