volume-24-number-1

Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Ching Velasco

Preliminaries

Year: 2024, Volume 24 Number 1

Abstract: In a democratic country, it is not easy for a government to adhere to a public policy when public criticism of its effectiveness is mounted. However, the Moon Jae-in government in South Korea formulated a housing policy based on its ideological goal of pursuing “substantive equality” and adhered to such policy despite the ensuing social discontent. Because policy autonomy is a prerequisite for a government to stick to a policy, this paper aims to analyze this case, focusing on the relationship between the policy autonomy that the Moon government possessed and its adherence to said policy. It presents a theoretical framework that shows the political factors that affect policy autonomy, analyses the Moon government’s housing policy based on its ideological goal, and examines relationships related to the government’s adherence to the policy and the factors discussed in the framework. Based on the research findings, the paper concludes with the theoretical and practical implications of the study.

Keywords: government’s ideological goal, policy autonomy, adhering to policy, housing policy, South Korea

Abstract: The study determined the effect of an online educational webinar on young Filipino’s expectations toward aging. Students from social sciences-related programs and engineering/business programs of a state university in the Philippines were recruited to join an intervention group and a passive control group, respectively. Data was obtained in two time points for both groups through the Expectations Toward Aging Questionnaire (ERA-12). Results showed that the intervention group’s baseline scores improved significantly compared to the control group. Consistent with the previous studies, our data suggests that affordable and short online educational interventions may be effective in reducing ageism among young university students. The study highlights the importance of further research on ageism and strategies to promote age-friendly environments in the Philippines.

Keywords: ageism, Philippines, Filipino university students, healthy aging, social inclusion, educational intervention

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to compare the revolving door phenomenon across different types of literature and research. This investigation was conducted through a comprehensive literature review encompassing four categories: legal, academic, governmental, and political-economic research. The review of these various bodies of literature unveiled differing approaches to addressing the revolving door phenomenon. Governmental studies primarily centered on the operational aspects of government and scrutinized whether resources were potentially misused or squandered due to the revolving door. Conversely, legal and academic research placed their emphasis on ethical concerns, conflicts of interest, and the public’s perception of government. They explored the possibility that political appointees might prioritize their own careers over the needs and desires of citizens. The diverse array of issues and concerns examined in the reviewed research offered a comprehensive perspective on the revolving door phenomenon. In the realm of political-economic literature, the revolving door was seen as a means to attract talent and expertise to government roles. However, it also raised apprehensions about conflicts of interest and the potential for regulatory capture.

Keywords: Revolving door, Government, Literature review, Selected comparative review

Abstract: Malaysia has been celebrated as a diverse nation since 1963. However, interethnic relations remain difficult as distrust appears to continue between the majority Malays and minority groups. This is the common narrative in Peninsular Malaysia. In East Malaysia, there is no clear ethnic majority population, which is also the case in Sarawak. Although the government has usually grouped together the Malays and indigenous people for nation-building purposes, it must be noted that the different backgrounds create a heterogeneous “majority” in Malaysia. This diversity may even explain the different views among the Malays in Kuala Lumpur and in Kuching, Sarawak regarding government policies. This study seeks to discover the perception of these two groups on issues including religion, ethnicity, law, politics, and education. Using elite interviews and a pilot survey, this study found that there seems to be a convergence relating to religious issues but divergence on other matters.

Keywords: Perception, interethnic, inclusivity, peace, co-existence, Malays

Abstract: Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurological condition that has physically and psychologically affected individuals afflicted with this condition. Their health situation has an impact on their families’ lives. In this case study, we aimed to examine the various experiences of the family members of the individuals with TS. Informed by the postulations of Ramanathan (2010) and Rivera-Navarro et al. (2014), we interviewed parents and siblings of individuals diagnosed with TS. Through these interviews, our study revealed that family members share the struggles of individuals with TS in dealing with and managing their conditions. They also shared some of their perceptions about having a life of normalcy despite living with family members with TS. Furthermore, dealing with the realities of living with them with this kind of condition has opened up a greater understanding of their physiological makeup. Finally, parents expressed the need for various agencies to extend their support to groups like them in achieving their full potential as individuals.

Keywords: Tourette Syndrome, family experiences, health care, oral communication, caregiver experience

Abstract: Increasing health concerns among the older adult population in Malaysia may be ameliorated by the use of physical activity/exercise. To aid in this endeavor from an academic perspective, a scoping review was undertaken to map out the extant literature, identify research gaps, and provide directions for future research on the subject of older adults, physical activity/exercise, and health. The PRISMA-ScR guidelines were followed, and major academic databases were searched for relevant academic literature. From an initial 42,752 database search results, a total of 15 articles were finalized for data extraction, analysis, and synthesis after four rounds of exclusion. Gaps identified include methodological, geographical, and utilization of information technology deficiencies, as well as a lack of longitudinal studies, focus on one specific disease, limitation of ethnicity, lack of customization of exercise programs, and limited types of physical activity or exercise in the present studies. Suggested directions for future research ideas include qualitative research, longitudinal research, use of media and IT for health information dissemination, the inclusion of population segments older than 60 years of age, research focused on diseases other than diabetes, widening research to include socio-demographics such as ethnicity/gender/education/ employment and physical activity and exercise, customization of physical activity and exercise programs, and expansion of the types of physical activity and exercise used by. Further research in these areas would assist relevant stakeholders to prepare for the growing aging population in Malaysia.

Keywords: Malaysia, older adult, physical activity, exercise, health.

Abstract: Social media, like Twitter, has become a critical component in promoting public health. Due to the similar nature of information and viruses spreading, there is a new trend of using epidemiological models to study how information spreads on social media. In this study, the SEIR model is adapted to model how health information is disseminated over Twitter. Two models are presented: a basic Twitter interaction model and a model wherein the sentiments of tweets are considered. To our knowledge, these models are the first of their kind to study health information dynamics on Twitter and to understand the behavior of users based on the sentiments of tweets. In the basic interaction model (TwitHComm), we compared the dynamics of health information spreading of @WHO and @DOHgovph and found that the tweet data obtained from @DOHgovph do not achieve an epidemic state where @WHO does. In the model where sentiments were considered (TwitHCommS), despite increasing the number of positive sentiment tweets in the simulation, negative sentiments still influenced Twitter users. Overall, these models provide valuable information for using social media for public health communication.

Keywords: health communication, epidemiological modeling, SEIR, Twitter, reproduction number

Abstract: This paper explores the causes of transjudicial conversation phenomenon on human rights norms in the context of the Philippine Supreme Court. Transjudicial conversation refers to a judicial occurrence where a domestic court cross-cites foreign judicial opinions. Analysis of the decisions delivered by the Philippine High Court from 1987 to 2019 on issues involving free speech, religious freedom, and environmental rights revealed that the court is an interlocutor in the transjudicial conversation phenomenon. The examination of these cases alongside relevant literature showed that the motivations behind this engagement might be attributed to the genealogical linkages between the domestic rights guarantees and their foreign counterparts, the historical-political alliances between the interlocutor courts, the constitutional system of the borrowing courts, and the foreign academic trainings of the judge who pens the decision.

Keywords: transjudicial conversation, human rights, judicial globalization, Philippine Supreme Court, migration of human rights norms

Abstract: This paper argues that social networks do not always produce monolithically beneficial impacts on performance (e.g., high productivity). This is to say that their influence is not always predictable and advantageous, as that influence is conditioned by status and context. Even performance in places of science such as research universities is not exempt from this contingent nature of network effects. Inspired by the work of DiMaggio and Garip (2012) and focused on the professional networks of academic scientists, this paper posits that the influence of such networks on performance (i.e., journal productivity, receipt of science awards) can either be attenuated, muted, or strengthened by professional status (e.g., academic rank) and social context. To gauge the tenability of this claim, quality data from a face-to-face quantitative survey of 105 chemical science professors in top research universities in three East Asian countries were analyzed. The analysis focused on two aspects of professional networks (i.e., having international ties and having ties in non-academic sectors), which have gained salience because of the globalization of science, the prevalence of digital technologies, and the advent of Triple Helix science. To explore how status and context condition networks affect performance, generalized linear regression analyses were performed. Results indicate that networks influence performance mainly through their interplay with status and context. Results also suggest that to understand the influence of networks on performance—even within scientific systems—its interplay with status and context is important to consider. Such consideration aids in generating deeper insights about the social conditions underlying creativity, discovery, and productivity in scientific life, which in turn can lead to fine-tuning concepts and relationships and advance understanding of science as a social activity.

Keywords: professional networks, scientific performance, status, social context