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Upland Women’s Dakop Experiences: A Culture of Community Shaming and Social Pressure

Received: 26 August 2025     Accepted: 15 December 2025     Published: 27 December 2025
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Abstract

This narrative analysis study was conducted to describe the experiences of upland women in the culture of dakop, highlighting the community shaming and social pressure. Dakop is a cultural belief when the young couple intimately together is seen or caught by a witness who will then inform the family of the girl, thereby causing public shame. This study was conducted at Libacao, Aklan, Philippines. There were eight (8) participants purposively selected based on the criteria to share their experiences. The interview guide and observations were utilized for qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Secondary data such as school records supplemented the findings and results of the study. As revealed by the study on the narratives and experiences of the participants, the upland women exposed to dakop culture face unique challenges and adjustments in their married lives, but they continue to persevere and adapt to their circumstances. Despite the challenges and misjudgments, they encountered, these women remain resilient, driven by their commitment to their families and their determination to overcome societal obstacles. In response, the school management offered support through Safe and Confidential Space, Individual/Group Counseling, Connection with Mental Health Professionals, and Workshops or Training for Life Skills Development. Drawing from the narratives and stories of the participants, hence a policy recommendation for young women who experienced dakop culture was developed.

Published in Humanities and Social Sciences (Volume 13, Issue 6)
DOI 10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17
Page(s) 573-580
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Dakop Culture, Community Shaming, Social Pressure, Upland Women, Policy Enhancement

References
[1] Alfian, A. (2022). Arranged marriages among young educated Muslim women in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. DINIKA: Academic Journal of Islamic Studies, 7(1), 55-84.
[2] Anonuevo, C. Q. (2000). An Overview of the Gender Situation in the Philippines,
[3] Boas, F. (2019). The Emergence of the Anthropologist. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
[4] Canayon, T. M., Libunao, J. V., & Macapili, V. S. (1997). Emotion and self-discrepancies behind twenty adolescent suicide attempts (Bachelor’s thesis, De La Salle University).
[5] Domenico, D. & Jones K. (2005) Career aspirations of pregnant and parenting adolescents. University of Georgia
[6] European Commission. (n.d.). ECPAT (End Child Prostitution in Asian Tourism). Knowledge4Policy.
[7] Executive Order No. 77: Approving and adopting the Framework Plan for Women (2001-2004) and intensifying the implementation of the 5% budget provision for Gender and Development programs and projects. Manila. Retrieved from LawPhil:
[8] Executive Order No. 273 – Philippine Commission on Women (PDF)
[9] ILO (2000). Understanding the Indigenous Tribal,
[10] Lebni, Yoosefi J., Solhi, M., Ebadi Fard Azar, F., & Khalajabadi Farahani, F. (2020). Qualitative study of social determinants of child marriage in Kurdish regions of Iran: Evidence for health promotion interventions. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 9, Article 242.
[11] Leitch, R. (1999). The Shaming Game: The Role of Shame and Shaming Rituals in Education and Development. American Educational Research Association meeting.
[12] Losaria, Nerissa L. (2011). “Evaluation of Gender and Development Program: Basis for the Proposed Enhanced Gender and Development Plan of the Department of Education.” An Unpublished Thesis, Polytechnic University of the Philippines
[13] Nussbaum, M. C. (2004). Hiding from humanity: Disgust, shame, and the law. Princeton University Press
[14] MacPhail, A. (2015). Community-Based Sport Research with Indigenous Youth, June 16, 2022.
[15] Mayer, C.-H., & Viviers, R. (2017). Experiences of shame by race and culture: An exploratory study. Journal of Psychology in Africa, 27(4), 362-366.
[16] Philippine Commission on Women. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from
[17] Philippine Plan for Gender-Responsive Development, 1995-2025 as approved by Executive Order No. 273, s. 1995
[18] Philippine Statistics Authority. PSA, n.d.,
[19] Republic Act No. 9710: The Magna Carta of Women
[20] Santos, A. (2020). In the Philippines, Distance Learning Reveals the Digital Divide.
[21] Tahir, N. N. (2021). Understanding arranged marriage: An unbiased analysis of a traditional marital institution. International Journal of Law, Policy and the Family, 35(1), ebab005.
[22] The 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines. Official Gazette, 1987,
[23] Walker, R. (2014). Poverty, shame, and stigma. In The shame of poverty (pp. 49–66). Oxford University Press.
[24] Women’s Empowerment, Development, and Gender Equality Plan, 2013-2016: Women’s EDGE Plan
[25] World Economic Forum. (2023, June). The Global Gender Gap Report 2023.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Ruiz, A. Z., Gepty, V. A. (2025). Upland Women’s Dakop Experiences: A Culture of Community Shaming and Social Pressure. Humanities and Social Sciences, 13(6), 573-580. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17

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    ACS Style

    Ruiz, A. Z.; Gepty, V. A. Upland Women’s Dakop Experiences: A Culture of Community Shaming and Social Pressure. Humanit. Soc. Sci. 2025, 13(6), 573-580. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17

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    AMA Style

    Ruiz AZ, Gepty VA. Upland Women’s Dakop Experiences: A Culture of Community Shaming and Social Pressure. Humanit Soc Sci. 2025;13(6):573-580. doi: 10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17

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  • @article{10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17,
      author = {Aimie Zomil Ruiz and Victoria Aguilar Gepty},
      title = {Upland Women’s Dakop Experiences: A Culture of Community Shaming and Social Pressure},
      journal = {Humanities and Social Sciences},
      volume = {13},
      number = {6},
      pages = {573-580},
      doi = {10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.hss.20251306.17},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.hss.20251306.17},
      abstract = {This narrative analysis study was conducted to describe the experiences of upland women in the culture of dakop, highlighting the community shaming and social pressure. Dakop is a cultural belief when the young couple intimately together is seen or caught by a witness who will then inform the family of the girl, thereby causing public shame. This study was conducted at Libacao, Aklan, Philippines. There were eight (8) participants purposively selected based on the criteria to share their experiences. The interview guide and observations were utilized for qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Secondary data such as school records supplemented the findings and results of the study. As revealed by the study on the narratives and experiences of the participants, the upland women exposed to dakop culture face unique challenges and adjustments in their married lives, but they continue to persevere and adapt to their circumstances. Despite the challenges and misjudgments, they encountered, these women remain resilient, driven by their commitment to their families and their determination to overcome societal obstacles. In response, the school management offered support through Safe and Confidential Space, Individual/Group Counseling, Connection with Mental Health Professionals, and Workshops or Training for Life Skills Development. Drawing from the narratives and stories of the participants, hence a policy recommendation for young women who experienced dakop culture was developed.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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    AU  - Aimie Zomil Ruiz
    AU  - Victoria Aguilar Gepty
    Y1  - 2025/12/27
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    AB  - This narrative analysis study was conducted to describe the experiences of upland women in the culture of dakop, highlighting the community shaming and social pressure. Dakop is a cultural belief when the young couple intimately together is seen or caught by a witness who will then inform the family of the girl, thereby causing public shame. This study was conducted at Libacao, Aklan, Philippines. There were eight (8) participants purposively selected based on the criteria to share their experiences. The interview guide and observations were utilized for qualitative data. Thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Secondary data such as school records supplemented the findings and results of the study. As revealed by the study on the narratives and experiences of the participants, the upland women exposed to dakop culture face unique challenges and adjustments in their married lives, but they continue to persevere and adapt to their circumstances. Despite the challenges and misjudgments, they encountered, these women remain resilient, driven by their commitment to their families and their determination to overcome societal obstacles. In response, the school management offered support through Safe and Confidential Space, Individual/Group Counseling, Connection with Mental Health Professionals, and Workshops or Training for Life Skills Development. Drawing from the narratives and stories of the participants, hence a policy recommendation for young women who experienced dakop culture was developed.
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