Bromancing the Stone: Intimacy Levels of Bromances in Philippine Seminaries

Abstract

The study focused on the levels of intimacy displayed by the men with bromances in a single seminary. Centered on how these men showed intimate behavior towards one another, as well as what this intimacy meant for their relationship the study was geared towards understanding how these men from an all male religious background interacted with one another and how these interactions manifested itself into a new form of intimate relationship between men. The researcher opted for a multiphase pseudo-ethnographical method in the study. Preliminary data was acquired through a series of interviews and Focus Group Discussions with self-proclaimed men with bromances done via snowballing. This data was then used in order to create a Bromance Checklist. Choosing a single seminary based on convenience and focusing on the four year levels of the college, the researcher administered this checklist to the seminarians and the results of these were analyzed and discussed via interviews and Focus groups discussions A brief pseudo-ethnography was also conducted in order to see these bromances in action, as well as determine the effects of the environment towards their relationships. Results showed that the intimacy in bromances in seminaries occurred through stages via components of intimacy, starting from Commitment then Interdependence then Trust, followed by Knowledge, then to Care, and finally Mutuality. Furthermore, it was established that skinship or physical affection was one of the primary distinguishing factors of bromances. Also the major factor in bromantic intimacy was exclusivity, the more exclusive an activity (whether physical or emotional) the more bromantic it was. It was also determined that bromances in seminaries were both encouraged and dissuaded by the environment as well as the administration, leading to a completely different set of boundaries from bromances outside the seminary.