Cockfighting in later life: A qualitative inquiry into elderly Filipinos' gambling experiences (Sabong Arena)
Genre
Sabong Arena
Keywords
Sabong Online
Article ID
00000497
The surviving passion for cockfighting or sabong among Filipinos has made it a culturally and legally acceptable form of gambling. As an established cultural phenomenon, sabong has largely influenced the ways its practitioners make a living. It is in this context that this qualitative study explored the experiences of two old Filipinos who had been engaging in the blood sport for a very long time. This study employed an in-depth interview technique and was guided by the principles of an indigenous research method known as pagtatanong-tanong or 'asking questions.' Through a thematic analysis of the responses obtained from the interviews, this study has surfaced six key themes that characterized the informants' experiences: (1) cockfighting as an all-consuming pastime, (2) cockfighting as a thrill-seeking activity (3) family influence on cockfighting, (4) cockpits as venues for socializing, (5) betting as a way of earning money, and (6) gambling as a family issue. Such experiences could be regarded as both positive and negative illustrations and consequences of gambling in later life.
