BUSOG Methodology: Becoming Full and Whole as Fuel for the Resistance

• In Event: Inquiries of Liberation: Creativity, Solidarity, and Resistance in Qualitative Research

Abstract

This dissertation introduces BUSOG, a qualitative methodology grounded in Filipino cultural practices of food, storytelling (kuwentuhan), and kitchen table talk. Meaning “full,” BUSOG gathered Filipino American educators to cook, eat, and share stories, fostering connection through food. By centering kuwento around curated menus, BUSOG created space for unforgetting shared histories of Filipino American teachers and their roles within Ethnic Studies and educational justice. The gatherings held space for collective reflection on trauma and grief, while also imagining sustainable futures amid systemic challenges. Guided by community-responsive wellness and a RADical Ethnic Studies framework, BUSOG models a transformative approach to sustaining teachers through cultural affirmation and collective care, offering a new vision for education research rooted in healing and hope.

Author

• Valerie Fernandez, San Francisco State University