volume-17-number-3 - De La Salle University

APSSR Volume 17 Number 3

From the Editor

Author: Romeo B. Lee
Preliminaries

Abstract

Author: Romeo B. Lee

From the Editor

Year: 2017, Volume 17 Number 3

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Understanding Political Party Finance in Thailand: New Regulations but Old Practice

Author: Punchada Sirivunnabood
Research Article

Thailand introduced state subsidies for political parties for the first time in 1997. The Political Parties Development Fund (PPDF) was intended to reinforce the internal coherence of parties and encourage their democratic functions. Designers hoped that this party financing would be an effective means of curbing illicit fundraising, particularly during electoral campaigns. However, the PPDF has not led to strong party organizations. While the state provides a great amount of financial support for political parties every year, many parties receiving funding are still weak and unable to compete effectively in elections. Utilizing data from focus groups and extensive interviews with politicians, election commission officers, and party members, I demonstrate that financial deficiencies and a weak system of public finance allocation encouraged many small political parties—particularly those without parliamentary representation—to access these new state resources. Instead of helping to sustain the development of small and medium-sized-parties, the PPDF became an alternative source of income for those parties. Parties have intensified their efforts to exploit such funding using questionable means. Consequently, public party financing has contributed to an increase in corrupt practices in Thai party politics rather than strengthening party organizations as well as the party system.

Keywords: political parties, political party finance, corruption, party law, Thailand

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Mabini’s “True Decalogue” and the Morality of Nationalism

Author: Napoleon M. Mabaquiao Jr.
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 15-29

For its significant role in legitimizing the Philippine revolution in 1898, the place of Apolinario Mabini’s “True Decalogue” in Philippine history is already well secured. In this essay, I, however, demonstrate the continuing relevance of this work in current discussions on the morality of nationalism. After explicating its arguments for why nationalism should be regarded as a moral imperative, I explore how it handles the issue concerning the moral justifiability of national partiality—referring to the partiality of a person to the interests of his/her own country and co-nationals. Using a combination of content, logical, and comparative types of analysis as a method, I first exhibit the philosophical character of this work in terms of both substance and form, after which I compare and contrast of its insights and views with some other perspectives on the morality of nationalism. In the main, I show that Mabini’s work endorses a universalist type of nationalism, utilizes both instrumentalist and non-instrumentalist modes of reasoning, and anticipates some of the critical considerations in reconciling national partiality with the standard view, called moral universalism, which states that moral principles should apply equally to persons of all kinds.

Keywords: Apolinario Mabini, True Decalogue, nationalism, national partiality, morality of nationalism

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A Cross-National Comparative Analysis of Destination Satisfaction and Loyalty Between Chinese and Australian Independent Tourists: A Study of Phuket

Authors: Pornpisanu Promsivapallop and Tatiyaporn Jarumaneerat
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 30-43

This study primarily aims to offer a comparative analysis of destination satisfaction across two nationalities of international tourists, namely Chinese and Australians, on their holiday experience in Phuket. The results are drawn from 259 Chinese and 277 Australian independent tourists. The findings illustrate more differences than similarities in terms of destination satisfaction between the two nationalities. The Chinese tourists were found to be less satisfied with most aspects of their holiday, as compared to the Australian tourists, although no differences were detected in their destination loyalty. In addition, destination loyalty was found to be inﬂuenced by the satisfaction of accommodation and safety, and the quality of beaches.

Keywords: Destination satisfaction, loyalty, Chinese, Australian, independent tourists, Phuket

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Institutional Ownership Activism, Market Performance, and Financial Crisis: Evidence From an Emerging Market

Authors: B.D. Panda and N.M. Leepsa
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 44-62

This paper investigates the trading and investment behavior of the institutional investors in the Indian capital market post-financial crisis and their effect on the market performance. The study is based on the panel data sets drawn from the NIFTY 500 companies for eight years from FY 2008–09 to FY 2015–16, employing panel data econometric models (fixed effect and random effect) analysis. The results suggest that foreign institutional investors (FII) are having the edge over the domestic institutional investors (DII) in the Indian market. FIIs enhance the market performance, whereas DIIs dampen the market performance. Subsequently, we fnd that equity investment from banks and insurance companies have a detrimental effect, while mutual fund investment has no significant impact on the market performance of the Indian firms. These results imply that FIIs are better-informed players and follow the positive feedback trading behavior. On the other hand, DIIs, banks, and insurance companies are contrary investors and act as negative feedback traders.

Keywords: Institutional ownership, Financial crisis, Market-based performance, Panel data, Asian Market

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Reactions, Challenges, and Coping Resources of College Teachers Who Have Encountered Students With Diagnosed Psychological Disorders

Authors: Mary Irene Clare O. Deleña and Ron R. Resurreccion
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 63-83

This research identified the experiences of college teachers who have encountered students with diagnosed psychological disorders. Respondents are 14 college teachers from various colleges of a private university. All experiences shared through one-on-one interview are with students of the same university. This paper presents their reactions, challenges, coping resources, and recommendations. After conducting a qualitative analysis, it was realized that college teachers share common reactions, challenges, and coping resources in the situations that they experienced dealing with these students. Various means of reaching out were generally given by college teachers depending on their individual strategies. Behavioral reactions of giving considerations, referring to a professional or an authority, and treating the student normally, as well as the affective reaction of being concerned, were expressed. Challenges relating to the lack of professional skills, balancing considerations given and being fair to other students, and knowing the limits of one’s ability to help were typical among participants. Lastly, coping resources relating to seeking knowledge on mental health, seeking assistance from professionals, sharing experiences with other faculty members, and praying were found to be variant. With all these reactions, a typical recommendation for fellow faculty members who might be having similar experiences was to be kind and sensitive to these students. In addition, a typical recommendation for administrators was to provide training on helping skills and early detection of symptoms of psychological disorders.

Keywords: college teachers, experiences, students with psychological disorders, reactions, challenges, coping resources

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Between Representation and Regulation: Union Strategies on Non-Standard Employment in Selected Industries in the Philippines

Author: Melisa R. Serrano
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 84-97

As elsewhere, the incidence of non-standard employment is increasing in the Philippines amidst declining union density rates for the last 15 years. This twin phenomenon has posed challenges to trade unions’ structures and their understanding of representation. Based on the author’s survey of union strategies on non-standard employment adopted by 93 Metro Manila-based enterprise unions and 13 national federations in four industries—manufacturing, banking and finance, hotels and restaurants, and private education—the article identifies and examines the variety of ways trade unions, both at the enterprise and at the national level, attempt to represent non-standard workers and regulate employers’ use of non-standard forms of employment, and the factors that inﬂuence both union actions. The analysis demonstrates the unions’ preference of regulation over representation, and that this can be explained by the higher difficulties and constraints that unions face in pursuing the latter. Nevertheless, this article has established the emergence of a “bricolage of organizational forms” and a plurality of innovative union initiatives aimed at protecting non-standard workers and arresting the spread of precarious non-standard employment.

Keywords: Non-standard employment, non-standard workers, precarious work, trade unions, Philippines

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My Family, My Self: Reﬂections on Family Interactions of Malaysian Gay Men Within the Asian Cultural Context

Author: Mark Stephan Felix
Research Article

Abstract

Pages: 41-49

The social construction of identity in a multi-cultural setting becomes more intricate within the context of marginalized sexual identities and family interactions, dynamics, and roles. The research focused on the construction and reconstruction of identities of self-identified gay men within their families utilizing phenomenology as the theoretical underpinning to describe and analyze lived experiences. Qualitative research was employed utilizing one-on-one semi-structured interview questions. A total of 33 respondents were interviewed and data were recorded and transcribed. Data was analyzed utilizing a content analysis matrix for thematic and experiential construction and reconstruction of identity within family relationships and dynamics. Mixed results were found in terms of family expectations, family structure, family dynamics, family roles, family expectations, and family objections based on the identity of the gay respondents. Flexibility in adjustment to the sexual identity of the respondents was sometimes obstructed by family obligations, but also reﬂected acceptance and family affection. Cultural expectations of maintaining the “face” of the family were also taken into consideration by respondents when constructing their identities. The family is important in the construction of sexual identity in terms of acceptance and integration into familial roles. As roles are played out and expectations are met, a certain ﬂexibility is evident in how families interact with gay male family members. Dynamics become more nuanced and require more intersubjective clarification and creation. While not reﬂective of Malaysian society in its entirety, the data indicates that change is occurring in terms of acceptance and integration of gay men within ethnic familial contexts.

Keywords: Malaysia, gay, family, ethnicity

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