PODKAS

Upon arriving in the islands that would become Filipinas, what did the Spaniards do next? They had to find ways to subjugate the native population, so they studied the early Filipinos, resulting in a fascinating peek into the island peoples' customs and traditions. In this episode, we talk about the Franciscan friar Juan de Plasencia’s Relacion de las Costumbres de los Tagalos, more popularly known as Customs of the Tagalogs to explain how they saw the indigenous political and social organization of the Tagalogs, including some choice descriptions of indigenous spirituality (and oh boy, were they shookedt!).

Want to know more about PODKAS? Visit our website, www.podkas.org, for more info and resources on Philippine history, politics, and society.

This year, we remember the 500th anniversary of the "discovery" of the Philippines... see any problems with that statement? In this episode, we analyze and read excerpts from Antonio Pigafetta's First Voyage Around the World by Magellan and simultaneously critique how we tend to view the "first" contact between Europe and what would become the Philippines half a millennia ago.

Want to know more about PODKAS? Visit our website, www.podkas.org, for more info and resources on Philippine history, politics, and society.

With the new year comes a new season of PODKAS! Starting January 16, our conversations will center on historical periods, personalities, and events through primary sources in Primary Sources & U, PODKAS Season 2!

In the season finale of our #History101 series, we look at the different places, spaces, and scales where history could be perceived to occur: from the national to the local, the political to the social, and the micro to the global.

How do we know when an event is historically important? To unpack this dilemma, Aaron discusses the elements of history, Vec answers the question “what makes history happen,” and Lee explains chronology and periodization. Ultimately, these discussions attempt to clarify how an event comes to be considered as part of history.

I read a history book and watched a historical controversy video on YouTube. Am I a historian now? Not so fast. There are certain ideals and qualities desirable for one to be a historian, and it is not as easy as watching a video or getting a degree in History. In the context of a field that is not professionally regulated, how could we ensure that historians are the real deal?  We tackle these issues, and more, in this episode of PODKAS.

Making history, doing History—in this episode, we talk about the basics of sources and methods in History, focusing on primary and secondary sources, internal and external criticism, and historical interpretation.

This primer (of sorts…) would not be complete without us talking about what is History. But shouldn’t we also ask, what is History not? In this episode, we talk about history as the past and a narrative, History as inquiry, and using h/History as propaganda. 

In this first-ever episode of PODKAS, our hosts Aaron, Lee, and Vec introduce the show and share a bit of their experiences studying and teaching History. They also answer the question, “why do we study History?” in an attempt to identify the relevance, importance, and necessity of History as a field of study.

Our first season is coming to your favorite podcast platforms on December 30! Learn more about PODKAS through our website, www.podkas.org, or follow us on our social media pages for more updates! 

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Twitter: @podkas_