A Phenomenological Study of Conflict and Compromise in Shared Housing Among Filipino University Students

Abstract

This study is a phenomenological investigation of how Filipino university students experience conflict and compromise while cohabiting in shared housing. Grounded in Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and enriched by Sikolohiyang Pilipino, the study explored the lived experiences of four female fourth-year students residing in boarding houses near Aklan State University – New Washington Campus. Data were gathered through two phases of semi-structured interviews and a four-week reflexive journaling protocol, then analyzed following IPA's iterative coding procedures. Five superordinate themes emerged: the shock of transitioning into shared living, the embodied, somatic weight of unspoken stress, conflict avoidance shaped by the double-edged logic of pakikisama (getting along with others), the emergence of assertive communication as a form of empowerment, and the gradual transformation of shared space into a meaningful sense of home. Findings show that Filipino cultural values such as pakikisama ((getting along with others), hiya (shame), and utang na loob (debt of gratitude), actively structure how conflict is recognized, suppressed, or eventually voiced, and that direct communication, once attempted, consistently improved roommate relationships despite cultural pressure toward silence. The study concludes that cohabitation among Filipino university students is a psychosocial event that is simultaneously economic, relational, cultural, and developmental, and recommends pre-move-in orientation programs, written roommate agreements, and accessible mediation channels for a better support students navigating shared housing.