Communicating Visions: Exploring the Social Identity Framing Rhetorical Strategies of Outstanding Sangguniang Kabataan Leaders

Abstract

The ability of a leader to communicate compelling visions that can rally the masses is a fundamental aspect of effective leadership, an ability identified among charismatic leaders who skillfully employ rhetoric. In the Philippines, the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) council serves as a platform for youth leadership and representation. However, despite recent reforms, issues persist in their communication and alignment with youth needs, limiting youth engagement in their communities. To provide SK councils insights into how they can communicate effective visions, this study investigates the rhetorical strategies used by recognized SK leaders from the 2018-2023 cohort, who were recognized for their outstanding leadership by credible awarding bodies, utilizing Seyranian and Bligh’s (2008) social identity framing theory as a framework. This interpretive qualitative research employed a textual analysis to classify their social identity framing tactics in speeches, followed by semi-structured in-depth interviews with each leader. Findings reveal insights with cross-cultural implications on charismatic leadership, such as these Filipino youth leaders' collectivistic and charismatic nature, demonstrated in their use of inclusive language and similarity to followers across all framing phases. The study also underscores the effectiveness of SK leaders' vision communication through proficient use of social identity framing, which enhances credibility, engagement, and youth commitment to action. This research contributes to the cross-cultural understanding of charismatic rhetoric in collectivistic societies and underscores the need for further studies to validate these findings.