ATENEO DE DAVAO UNIVERSITY

Interdisciplinary Studies
Summer, AY 2020-2021

Synthesis Paper

Name (Surname, First Name) : Solmeron, Jobella Greziel

Course and Year : Bachelor of Science in Accountancy; 1st year
IDS Code and Schedule : 16-050; 5:15P-7:05P Weekdays
Professor : Ocdenaria, Jose Marie
Synthesis Paper 1 (One page only)
Integration of the Concepts of Home
In its simplest and most basic definition, Home is defined as the place where one lives
permanently. But, truthfully, most people do not rely on this definition, for the word “home” could
convey several meanings and significations. To further understand and analyze “home,” three
disciplines, particularly sociology, literature, and theology, will be used. Although these fields may
vary in concepts, integrating them would generate a common ground that would help in clearing the
definition of Home. Also, to support the mentioned disciplines, three literary texts will also be
analyzed, namely and respectively: “Imagined Communities,” “I am one of the Mountain People,”
and “Laudato Si.”
Firstly, in a sociological perspective, the text entitled “Imagined Communities” by Benedict
Anderson best defines Home. In the literary text, the author perceived Home as a nation, where
he claimed “imagined” as limited, sovereign, and community. Limited because even there are no
concrete borders that separate our nation from other nations, we still have created boundaries
that set us apart from others. Nations are imagined sovereign because we consider them as
independent and self-governing territories, claiming a right to protect our own in times of
national conflicts. And lastly, nations are imagined as communities because even if the members
are only bonded by comradeship, the nation to which they belong is considered their community;
hence, an increase of their willingness to protect it. Secondly, “I am One of the Mountain People”
by Macario D. Tiu explains the concept of Home in the literature discipline. In the story, Home is
depicted as a place where someone was born and raised. And it was also emphasized in the story
that protecting our Home is our duty as a member of the community. And lastly, “Laudato Si,” an
encyclical written by Pope Francis, explains Home in a theological sense. His encyclical revolves
around the care of our Common Home, which is the Earth. It discussed various environmental
concepts that evaluate human actions to the planet. This encyclical emphasizes the concept of
Home, which is the Earth as a creation of God, that should be taken care of by the stewards,
which is us, humans.
In conclusion, although the three literary texts presented vary in concepts, it was observed
that their definition of Home is somewhat correlated. All of the literary texts presented define
Home not as a structure or a tangible location but a community, emphasizing the sense of
belongingness. This can be supported by some of the following lines from the texts: “the members
of even the smallest nation will never know most of their fellow-members, meet them, or even
hear of them, yet in the minds of each lives the image of their communion,” from Anderson’s
book; “So I decided to go home, I pierced my earlobes with a needle and forced sharpened
matchsticks into the holes to enlarge them. It hurt, but I cried silently. Now, I was one of them,
and Ita wouldn’t be able to do anything anymore but accept me,” from the story of Tiu; and
“when our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes
nothing and no one,” from Pope Francis’ encyclical. Indeed, Home is not just limited to the four
walls of our houses or the borders of our country, but Home is the sense of communion and
belongingness that we feel with anything or anyone.