As part of the research mentoring process, Professor Jean A. Saludadez of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) of the University of the Philippines Open University, together with Dr. Christine Faith Avila of the Ateneo de Davao University, a dissertation mentee of Professor Saludadez, participated at the 41st Annual Qualitative Analysis Conference held from 18 to 20 June 2025 at the Delta Hotels Quebec, Old Quebec City, Canada.
With the theme The Temporality of Lived Experience and Everyday Lives, the conference brought together scholars and practitioners from around the world to share insights and innovations in qualitative research across diverse disciplines. Professor Saludadez served as both mentor and co-author to two FICS alumni: Mr. Jory Pineda, a recent graduate of the Master of Development Communication (MDC) program, and Dr. Christine Faith Avila, a graduate of the DComm program.
During the event, Professor Saludadez presented the study Inclusivity for People with Dwarfism: An Analysis of the Lived Experience Through the Digital Platform which she co-authored with Mr. Pineda who was unable to attend the conference. The study analyzed posts from a Facebook page dedicated to people with dwarfism, offering an explanation how the meaning of inclusivity was socially constructed communicationally and thus shared between people with dwarfism and without it.
Meanwhile, Dr. Avila presented her research, co-authored with Professor Saludadez, titled Lived Experience of Motherhood in the Digital Milieu: An Analysis of a Working Mom’s Facebook Posts. The autoethnographic study explored Dr. Avila’s personal experiences navigating the dual roles of motherhood and professional life in the digital age, while critically engaging with the guilt created by the ‘intensive mothering ideology’ to explain how guilt is purged and redeemed through communication.
The conference served as a valuable platform for interdisciplinary exchange and international academic collaboration. The active participation of Professor Saludadez and her mentees not only reflected the robust research culture of FICS but also underscored the global relevance of the UPOU’s contributions to qualitative scholarship.
Written by Joy Abigail C. Rebulanan | Edited by Emely M. Amoloza and Jean A. Saludadez
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