volume-23-number-2

Editor-in-Chief: Ador Revelar Torneo

Preliminaries

Year: 2023, Volume 23 Number 2

Abstract: Ideas and discourses matter in the development of institutions. In the context of the Bangsamoro people’s struggle for self-determination, the myriad of ideas and discourses that were instigated, asserted, and contested by different actors catalyzed sporadic episodes of hostilities, co-optations, and settlements. These events, in turn, shaped their quest for self-determination and explained how, when, and why the Bangsamoro people, from initially clamoring for outright independence, have instead opted for a negotiated political settlement in the form of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). It is, therefore, the objective of this paper to discuss the impacts of ideas and discursive interactions between and among major actors vis-à-vis the development of the BARMM. The paper will trace and discuss Bangsamoro’s history of
statehood, public declarations for secession, the foundation of armed movements, and the acceptance of political settlements. A discursive institutionalist framework, along with archival research and content analysis of government documents, media reports, and scholarly publications, will be employed in discussing the abovementioned matters. Undertaking this study through these approaches will allow us to understand how the discourse on the Bangsamoro struggle for self-determination shifted from being defined as an aspiration for an independent state, to an armed struggle between secessionist movements and the national government of the Philippines, and ultimately into a struggle for genuine autonomy within the framework of Philippine sovereignty. The latter discourse eventually resulted in the formation of BARMM, a secular and democratic institution that recognized not only the Bangsamoro people’s right to self-determination but also the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. Although the BARMM has been officially inaugurated, it is necessary to underscore that its degree of institutionalization will depend upon the realization or non-attainment of its objectives.

Keywords: Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, right to self-determination, discursive constitutionalism, ideas, discourses, local politics

Abstract: The study examined the framing of LGBTQ in four newspapers in Malaysia. The search uncovered 60 articles on LGBTQ published from January 1 to December 31, 2019 in four online newspapers, namely, MalaysiaKini, The Star Online, Free Malaysia Today, and Astro Awani Online. MalaysiaKini attributed the greatest salience to LGBTQ both in
article number and length. LGBTQ was mostly covered using episodic framing (72.73%–91.67%). There were significant differences among the four newspapers on the dominant frames used for representing LGBTQ. The most-used frame was morality in the articles published by the alternative newspapers, but the constitution and jurisprudence frame dominated in the mainstream newspaper, The Star. The four newspapers were similar in their reliance on human rights groups and politicians as information sources. The voices of LGBTQ are muted, implying that they have been sidelined as members of society who cannot assert their rights to speak. Some articles were written in a positive tone in The Star, Free Malaysia Today, and MalaysiaKini, but there were no articles with positive valence in Astro Awani. Negative valence dominated in LGBTQ coverage, reflecting the disapproval of LGBTQ in Malaysia where Islam is the official religion and homosexuality is banned. The findings suggest that dominant frames and valence are constructed through a selective choice of information sources in the context of cultural factors that are at play.

Keywords: LGBTQ, framing, episodic framing, morality, valence, information sources

Abstract: Learned helplessness (LH) is related to adverse psychological and academic consequences such as absenteeism, depression, and academic procrastination. Although researchers have suggested the potential of Langerian mindfulness to reduce LH, the effectiveness of Langerian mindfulness remains open to date. An online experiment was completed to investigate the usefulness of Langerian mindfulness in reducing LH among 165 undergraduates in Malaysia. All participants were administered the unsolvable concept formation tasks to induce LH and the Learned Helplessness Scale for induction checking. Participants were then randomized into either the treatment group or the control group. The treatment group underwent a Langerian mindfulness practice, whereas the control group summarized a news article. Finally, all participants answered the Positive State Mindfulness Scale (PSMS) and 20 anagrams to measure the level of mindfulness and LH, respectively. Independent samples t-test results indicated that LH was induced successfully. Moreover, the treatment group scored significantly lower in the open-ended expectation dimension of the PSMS and scored significantly higher in anagrams (i.e., low LH) than the control group. The findings provided empirical support for the beneficial effect of Langerian mindfulness on decreasing LH and demonstrated the usability of Langerian mindfulness in the Malaysian context. Therefore, educators and practitioners are encouraged to employ Langerian mindfulness practice to help students alleviate their LH.

Keywords: Langerian mindfulness, learned helplessness, depression, undergraduates

Abstract:  Labor migration has always been considered a product of globalization, where people’s mobility can be explained through the push and pull theory. However, there have been limited studies investigating how migration becomes a crucial factor among queer labor migrants in exploring and understanding their sexuality, especially from the Global South-South perspective. This study attempts to delineate queer sexuality in largely heteronormative discourses on Filipino labor migration from the perspectives of two Filipino queer teachers using narrative inquiry as an approach and online, semi-structured individual interviews as tools to gather the qualitative data. Findings revealed that besides the economic motive for their labor migration, the desire to explore and understand themselves as gay men motivated two Filipino teachers to work in Bangkok, Thailand. Having the capital skill allowed them to participate and engage in various queer discourses and practices within Bangkok’s gay community. The findings imply that in the intersection of queer and labor migration, economy and sexuality are essential in understanding queer labor migration, especially within the Global South-South context.

Keywords: Filipino gay men, queer teachers, queer, labor migration, sexuality exploration

Abstract: Disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable development are inextricably intertwined on many levels. In the post-2015 development agenda, Southeast Asia countries identify DRR as the primary key to building regional community resilience to achieve sustainable development goals. However, a knowledge gap was found in the current trend of DRR research in Thailand that impedes inclusive, sustainable development in the region. This paper reviews the literature on DRR in Thailand from the different periods during 2016–2020 with different geographic foci in 46 peer-reviewed journal articles to identify academic disciplinary trends in DRR fields using a thematic analysis (TA) qualitative method. In searching for themes, directed by Eakins and Luer’s (2006) risk approach, relevant codes were sorted, collected, and combined to show the relationship between codes and themes. Findings indicate that hazard assessment for building infrastructure research occupied the most conducted research in Thailand, whereas disaster education was the least pervasive theme explored in academic research post-2015. The knowledge distribution area of DRR research in Thailand has explicitly endorsed the Central part (the urban) of Thailand as the primary research location, whereas the Eastern region (the rural) of Thailand was the least prevalent for DRR study location. The paper concludes that academic research on DRR toward sustainable development in Thailand has been mainstreaming physical concerns, not yet socioeconomic issues. This paper further argues that the future
directions of DRR study in Thailand should ensure inclusiveness and include collaboration among local governments and communities to improve the culture of resilience for sustainable development.

Keywords: DRR, resilience, sustainable development, Thematic Analysis, Thailand

Abstract: The Philippines earned the reputation of experiencing the world’s most prolonged and strictest lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As schoolteachers struggled to learn how to facilitate flexible and remote learning, a segment of the teacher population from the Alternative Learning System (ALS), known as the non-formal and basic education equivalency program, posted suggestions and insights on teaching the “ALS way” on social media. On that cue, the researchers mobilized the notion of teacher agency in conducting qualitative research among 325 ALS teachers, coordinators, and supervisors. Teacher agency was activated strongly by teachers’ emotions, immersion in difficult circumstances experienced by the ALS learners, and the perceived dominance of inflexible formal education practices. Through the agentic practice of educational care, teachers tapped into their emotional resources to persuade learners to complete the ALS program and be hopeful for a better future. Part of educational care included utilizing scaffolding strategies for personalized learning, mobilizing social support, and making do with limited resources. Making do means discovering creative and non-traditional ways of using printed modules along with “low-tech” mobile phones and digital resources.

Keywords: Alternative Learning System, Educational Care, Agency, Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract: This research compares the entrepreneurial intention among school-going children and children at work (child labor) who are optimistic about entrepreneurship. Furthermore, we analyze the relationship between personality factors and three perceptual variables of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) with entrepreneurial intentions. We used hand-collected data techniques from school-going children and children at the workplace to investigate the proposed relationships. The in-house survey was conducted in five towns of Lahore city. The convenience sampling technique was used to collect data from 450 school-going children, and the snowball sampling technique was used to collect data from 450 child laborers. The statistical findings show that both school-going children and children at the workplace hold optimistic attitudes toward starting a new venture. During the comparison of these two datasets, we found more significant differences than similarities. However, the intentions of child laborers were more entrepreneurial than school-age children. Moreover, both school-going children and children at the workplace scored above average in three personality traits (optimism, competitiveness, and risk-taking tendency); they predicted higher entrepreneurial intention (EI). Innovativeness also predicted intention for school-going children but not for children at the workplace sample. The findings of this study were based on only one developing nation. It is not generalized to other countries due to cultural variations. In future research, data would be collected from numerous regions, developed or developing nations, improving generalizability. Furthermore, only four constructs of personality traits were used, ignoring social and contextual factors. This study provides new insights for educational policymakers and practitioners. They should develop a comprehensive policy and incorporate entrepreneurship education in our secondary schools to boost entrepreneurial knowledge. Moreover, practitioners may change effective policy reforms to foster the interest of child laborers in entrepreneurship. This study contributes to the child labor and entrepreneurship literature by comparing the entrepreneurial intention among school-going children and children at the workplace. As far as the researchers’ experience, there is no empirical evidence in the literature on this unique phenomenon.

Keywords: entrepreneurial intention, school-going child, theory of planned behavior, personality traits, child labor, Pakistan