The power of social fact

By Artchil B. Fernandez

So engrossed is the country in national voyeurism that it has eclipsed urgent issues affecting the life of the nation.

Google Trends reported that Maris Racal and Anthony Jennings dominated the top search terms on Google, edging out the surprise martial law declaration in South Korea and other hot issues. Racal received a score of 100 in the Philippines, indicating that Filipinos are searching for her the most on Google. Both Jennings and Racal also generated strong interest among social media users in the country.

At this time, every nook and cranny of the country is talking about the controversial pair, the flavor of the month among local and national “marites.” Those who have not heard of or are not aware of the cheating issue involving Racal and Jennings must be hiding under a rock.

The cyber world is inundated with tsunamis of memes, videos, TikToks, and other digital productions focused on the disreputable duo. Vloggers are awash with cash by featuring them. The attention generated by the infamous tandem has saturated both traditional and social media to the point of sickening. Some advertising firms are even exploiting the cheating scandal to push products and services.

As a consequence of the cheating scandal, the showbiz careers of Racal and Jennings are on the ropes. Several endorsements have been put on hold, with some companies distancing themselves or considering, if not already severing, their ties with the scandalous pair.

What is happening to Racal and Jennings demonstrates the power of social fact. Social fact is something external and coercive to people. Public opinion is an example of a social fact. Public opinion is the collective views, sentiments, feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of people toward a topic, issue, person, or thing. Blumer (1948) argued that public opinion is a form of collective behavior.

Public opinion does not only hold sway in politics but in all aspects of social life, especially in areas where collective action, mass mobilization, or public behavior are involved. The backlash Racal and Jennings received over the cheating issue shows how public opinion can make or unmake public figures. As a social fact, public opinion exercises powerful influence on the public standing of these personalities. Their public status, which they use to generate economic, social, cultural, and symbolic capital, depends on public opinion. Positive public opinion enhances their stature, while negative public opinion can topple them from their pedestals.

Why did the behavior of Racal and Jennings rouse such intense public reaction? This is the impact of another social fact – collective conscience or consciousness. For Durkheim ([1893]1960), collective conscience or consciousness is “the totality of beliefs and sentiments common to average citizens of the same society,” which “forms a determinate system which has its own life; one may call it the collective or common conscience. It is thus an entirely different thing from particular consciences, although it can be realized only through them.”

Collective conscience or consciousness, also referred to by Durkheim as collective morality, is the shared understanding, norms, and beliefs of society. The cheating scandal of Racal and Jennings pricked the collective morality of society. Cheating in any form is viewed as reprehensible. It is an act or behavior that is unacceptable to society because it breaks its norms and moral standards. Public reaction to the cheating scandal indicates that society does not tolerate such behavior and warns its members of the consequences of such violations.

The cheating scandal of Racal and Jennings illustrates how social facts like public opinion and collective conscience/consciousness/morality work in society. It serves as a strong reminder to members of society of the price they must pay if they break social norms and puncture moral standards, thus restraining them from breaking these rules.

Durkheim used social facts to establish sociology as a separate discipline from philosophy and psychology. The study of social facts is the domain of sociology. In his research, Durkheim demonstrated that social facts can be studied scientifically.

Aside from revealing social facts in action, the cheating scandal of Racal and Jennings also exposed the collective mind of the Filipino public. It is said that great minds explore ideas; average minds are preoccupied with events, while small minds are engrossed with people. Filipinos’ fixation on the Racal-Jennings affair, bordering on obsession, exposes the kind of mindset most Filipinos have. Peeking into the private lives of people, particularly forbidden areas, is what small minds relish and revel in.

This latest national pastime strongly reminds Filipinos of their state of mind or mindset. Their hostile reaction to the incident should lead to reflection on whether having such a mindset is something to be proud of. Contrast Filipinos’ reaction to their cheating politicians. Most leaders of the country, local and national, have been screwing Filipinos through corruption, yet the nation has yet to see the same level of outrage displayed in the Racal-Jennings scandal. Why the split-level morality?

Several things can be extracted from the Racal and Jennings fiasco. It proves the power of social facts and their hold on social life. Public opinion and collective conscience/consciousness/morality are not to be trifled with. They can make or break public personalities and figures. The cheating scandal confirms the collective mindset of Filipinos and their double standards when treating cheating showbiz celebrities versus politicians. There is also a gender dimension in public reaction to the misdeed.

More sociological kernels can be unearthed from the cheating scandal.