Domestic Issues Research Articles

Baltic States’ EU membership: discursive search for (and failure to obtain) farewell from Russia

ABSTRACT The article assesses the EU membership of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with a special focus on their attempts, already as EU members to change their relations with Russia, which remains their ‘significant Other’. We employ the discourse-historical analysis and focus on the evolution of the Baltic strategic discourse towards three themes, particularly contested by Russia, including the domestic interethnic issues, politics of memory and the elements of the constitutional identities of three Baltic States. First, with references to the EU context, we introduce several landmark cases of the Baltic confrontation with Russia which occurred prior to 2014 (‘pre-Crimea’). Then we analyze the corpus of official documents from three Baltic states (2011 - December 2023), including their government programs, national security strategies, Constitutions and programs of their EU Council Presidencies (2013 Lithuania, 2015 Latvia and 2017 Estonia). Discourse analysis reveals how cautionary attitudes from the Baltic States are linked with their historical experiences of the Soviet occupation and with their prudent assessment of the EU as a security guarantee. We conclude that 20 years after the Baltic EU accession, their relations went through the full circle and since ‘post-Crimea’ downgraded from pragmatic partnership to animosity which makes Baltic-Russian reconciliation ontologically impossible.

가정폭력 피해 이주여성 지원 제도 및 서비스에 대한 고찰: 문제점과 개선 방안을 중심으로

While public awareness on domestic violence has increased over the past few decades in Korea, little is known about domestic violence issues pertaining to immigrant women. This study is an attempt to provide an overview of domestic violence issues, legal and policy structures, and current social service system in place for battered immigrant women in Korea. The findings show that various sound legal and policy framework has been established over the past years, resulting in provisions added to the existing laws on domestic violence, policies developed specifying support for battered immigrant women and implementation of social service agencies to assist and protect the battered immigrant women and their families. Using the AAAQ framework by UN, we examined the current service delivery system. The result shows that service availability, accessibility, and acceptability are found to be quite compromised by gaps between the policy and practice. A large number of service providers are located in metropolitan areas, reducing the accessibility of battered women in other regions. A limited budget is also a barrier to provide comprehensive services to all in need. Lastly, a lack of translator and interpreter services limits accessibility and acceptability as both the service providers and the victims are unable to communicate with language barriers. Based on the findings, we suggested implications for policy and practice.

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Editor Words DOI 10.55206/EBMA3053 Prof. Dr Ivanka Mavrodieva, DSc Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski” Email: mavrodieva@phls.uni-sofia.bg Issue 59 (April 2024) of the Rhetoric and Communication Journal includes eight publications, which announce the results of research, among which surveys of parliamentary rhetoric and communication, which has manifestations in media and on the Internet, in politics and in society. The section “Media and Internet Communication” brings together four articles that contribute to the derivation of concepts, the delineation of the boundaries of new fields of academic research and the renewal of the categorical and conceptual apparatus in several scientific fields, for example through the terms “media culture”, “media transformation”, “cultural software” and “infor¬mation aesthetics”, “cancel culture”, “digital oral histories”, “hybrid risks and threats”. Simeon Vassilev outlines various scientific approaches to the definition of the term “media culture”; he presents theories, concepts, approaches and ad¬vo¬cates the need for a coherent theory of media transformation and media culture; the author draws conclusions about the phenomenon of media culture as a social practice. Desislava Dobreva explores a topic that is characterized by topicality and social sensitivity and examines the notion of “cancel culture”; she studies the phenomenon theoretically and historically; the author analyses current events and identifies rhetorical aspects in this specific virtual communication. Nikolina Ivanova-Bell examines the development of digital oral histories, as well as the opportunities they offer in the field of university education and academic libraries; on the basis of analyses she establishes the potential for enriching research and teaching experience in an academic environment. Andrey Velchev examines hybrid warfare from an interdisciplinary perspective; he analyses the role of the media and the Internet; the author presents the activities of institutions in identifying and neutralising hybrid threats, and in formulating and implementing strategic tasks regarding hybrid warfare. In the section “Political Communication and Parliamentary Rhetoric” two articles are included; they are written on the basis of a theoretical observation and include results of research into concepts in the fields of political science, political communication and parliamentary rhetoric in contemporary Bulgaria. Atanas Zhdrebev’s publication is devoted to populism; he discusses Takis Papas’s concept of populism as democratic illiberalism; the author gives examples of contemporary political phenomena and processes from different countries. Sofia-Nikol Nikolova examines the argumentation and rhetorical figures used by MPs during debates on significant domestic political issues and votes of no confidence and presents the results of an analysis of parliamentarian rhetoric in the 49th National Assembly in Bulgaria. The issue has a section “Contemporary Studies” in which there are options for presenting not only books, but also their contributions at the theoretical, methodological and research levels. The review of Professor Danail Danov’s book “Foundations of Media Pedagogy. A guide to the world of digital culture and its tools” is metaphorically entitled “a guide to the digital modus vivendi” by Simeon Vassilev. Professor Angel Angelov introduces Radeya Gesheva’s book “Enigmas and Paradigms in Some Twentieth-Century Italian Women Writers”. Prof. Dr. Ivanka Mavrodieva is a lecturer in rhetoric, argumentation, PR and virtual communication at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”. She is the author of 15 books (including “Virtual rhetoric: from diaries to social networks”, “Political rhetoric in Bulgaria: from rallies to Web 2.0 (1989 - 2012)”, “Rhetoric and Public Re¬lations”, “Online Course on Rhetoric”) and 120 articles. Her research interests are in the fields of contemporary rhetoric, virtual communication, argumentation, PR and business communication. Rhetoric and Communications Journal, issue 59, April 2024 Read the Original in Bulgarian and English

Status of MyHealthWay and Suggestions for Widespread Implementation, Emphasizing the Utilization and Practical Use of Personal Medical Data.

In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, there is a focus on managing diverse medical data to improve healthcare and prevent disease. The challenges include tracking detailed medical records across multiple institutions and the necessity of linking domestic public medical entities for efficient data sharing. This study explores MyHealthWay, a Korean healthcare platform designed to facilitate the integration and transfer of medical data from various sources, examining its development, importance, and legal implications. To evaluate the management status and utilization of MyHealthWay, we analyzed data types, security, legal issues, domestic versus international issues, and infrastructure. Additionally, we discussed challenges such as resource and infrastructure constraints, regulatory hurdles, and future considerations for data management. The secure sharing of medical information via MyHealthWay can reduce the distance between patients and healthcare facilities, fostering personalized care and self-management of health. However, this approach faces legal challenges, particularly relating to data standardization and access to personal health information. Legal challenges in data standardization and access, particularly for secondary uses such as research, necessitate improved regulations. There is a crucial need for detailed governmental guidelines and clear data ownership standards at institutional levels. This report highlights the role of Korea's MyHealthWay, which was launched in 2023, in transforming healthcare through systematic data integration. Challenges include data privacy and legal complexities, and there is a need for data standardization and individual empowerment in health data management within a systematic medical big data framework.

Mnemonic security and post-Soviet aphasia: Soviet monuments in Estonian media after Russian invasion of Ukraine

ABSTRACT The present paper analyses the public debates in Estonia related to the Soviet-era monuments in the aftermath of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of the ‘mnemonic security’. The latter concept implies a policy that makes certain historical memories ‘secure by delegitimizing or outright criminalizing others’ (Mälksoo 2015:221). In this context, the analytical focus is on such research questions as how a common past is remembered in a democratic society, and which groups adopt contrarian collective memories, including one that potentially endangers the identity of the titular nation. What makes it possible is a strategy that Mälksoo attributes to the Ukrainian society that is seeking self-emancipation. If applied to Estonia, this self-emancipation refers primarily to the domestic issues, aiming to erase the references to the Soviet (Russia-style) meanings in the collective identity of Russian-speakers in Estonia and to re-invent the new ones, grounded in pre-Soviet times.

Capital Level and Financial Stability of Commercial Banks in Kenya

The soundness of banks' finances serves as the foundation for the entire financial sector because they are essential to promoting economic growth. A commercial bank's financial stability should be assessed with specific emphasis given to domestic and foreign issues that affect how the bank operates and figuring out the amount of their influence on the status and operations of the commercial bank. Nevertheless, the impact of the company's capital, liquidity, and asset quality on the financial stability of commercial banks has not been studied. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of capital level on licensed commercial banks’ financial stability in Kenya. The research was anchored by capital buffer theory. The explanatory research design was adopted to analyze thirty-nine banks for the period 2016 to 2022 based on the census approach. The study outcomes were arrived at using secondary data obtained under the guidance of the secondary data collection schedule. The assessment of the investigation was evaluated premised on descriptive and panel approaches. The findings indicated that capital level had a positive and significant effect on the financial stability of commercial banks. The study recommended that commercial banks should adopt strategies and measures that will enable them to increase the capital level leading to an increase in financial health.

Accepting Timor Leste as an ASEAN member: an act of compassion or a geopolitical necessity?

Timor Leste has been accepted “in principle” as the 11th ASEAN country in 2022, after 11 years of waiting. The 11-year delay is said to be due to skepticism from some Southeast Asian countries, which consider Timor-Leste an “uncertain situation”. Many domestic issues, influenced by the international context, have added to this situation. These include concerns about the consolidation of democratic state institutions in Timor-Leste, as well as the prospects for its short-term economy and internal security. Existing solely on the decline of the Petroleum Fund, which is expected to disappear within a decade, the country risks falling into a budget abyss. As the smallest economy in the entire Southeast Asia region, with the second lowest GDP per capita and high poverty and unemployment rates, Timor Leste has a long way to go to catch up with the remaining members of ASEAN. Despite these economic shortcomings, ASEAN still decided to accept Timor Leste as a new member. This article aims to explain Timor-Leste's credibility in meeting the political, economic and socio-cultural security criteria of the ASEAN pillars. It tries to explain why ASEAN accepted Timor-Leste. Using qualitative methods, the article shows that ASEAN member states have a real incentive to help Timor catch up with other members to avoid its economic collapse. However, the growing geopolitical rivalry between China and the US in the region is perhaps the best explanation for ASEAN's eventual desire to accept Timor Leste's membership application.

Who Drives Policy Discourse of China’s Energy Transition: Considering Time Series Perspective, Network and Core-Peripheral Analysis

China’s energy transition (CET) is a vital foundation and long-term goal for improving sustainable development potential. Exploring development patterns and core driving actors involved in policy discourse (PD) is effective in suggesting future policy directions by finding the universality and specificity of China in the energy transition process. In this study, we examined the change pattern of CET and the change of keywords for actors involved in policy promotion at a macro level. Text data of over 22 years were collected from Chinese online channels with CET as the subject word. A text mining-based network analysis and core-peripheral analysis were performed by building datasets in units of the five-year plan (FYP). Following network analysis, the pattern of PD in CET process indicated a tendency to gradually converge toward diversified participants and global environmental issues. Core-peripheral analysis results revealed that the actors leading the PD changed from the government to the private sector, and the core issue indicated a shift from a domestic energy issue to an international environmental issue. Based on our analysis results, we suggested three dimensions of direction in CET: integration with digital transformation, expansion of the employment ecosystem, and inducement of balanced regional development.

Nutrient trade in Oceania

Human nutrition is a key component of the definitions of both sustainable food systems and sustainable healthy diets, and features prominently in the Sustainable Development Goals. However, progress towards complete nutrition and food security for the entire global population is poor, and the burden of malnutrition and food insecurity is felt in countries of all income levels, including in Oceania. While countries like Australia and New Zealand (NZ) are widely perceived as sources of high-quality food exported overseas due to great surpluses above national requirement, this hides domestic issues. The international nutrition community recognises and are demanding that our food systems must be sustainable, which is not yet the case anywhere in Oceania. Food insecurity at the household level is not uncommon, nor are nutrient deficiencies. It is often presumed that, should the inequitable distribution of food be balanced, these challenges would disappear. However, food supply and trade data show that even at the national and regional levels, insufficient food and nutrient supplies to meet population requirements are the established norm. For example, it has been demonstrated that domestic vegetable production falls short of NZ dietary recommendations, with imports making a negligible difference other than via energy dense crops(1). Likewise, after consideration of trade, NZ has undersupplies of calcium, potassium, vitamins C and E, and dietary fibre compared to population requirements(2). A wealth of data exists quantifying food production, trade, and availability and various scales. Increasingly, researchers are matching these to human requirements, whether at the food or nutrient level, to identify gaps(3). Insights generated from these data-driven approaches are being directed at trade policy, enabling decisions that can realise aspirational goals to reduce food insecurity through international trade. Making this data accessible to all via interactive user interfaces promotes wider engagement, understanding, and dissemination of findings. It also allows stakeholders in various countries to identify their own vulnerabilities, both as a result of current undersupplies, and due to high reliance on trading partners for food and nutrition security. Trade data can also be connected to environmental measures to identify scenarios where trade can be leveraged to the benefit of both nutrition and broader sustainability goals(4). High level, data driven approaches are not a substitute for individual-based studies on nutrition, but are a useful complement to them. With regionally or nationally deficient food and nutrient supplies, complete nutrition for individuals cannot be attained. A holistic, system-wide understanding is necessary for any policy decisions to advance nutrition.

Japan: The Super Nation Brand

This study explores Japan’s national brand evolution, analyzing the shift from its historical isolation to its current global recognition, particularly under the influence of Shinzo Abe’s policies. It examines the impact of the 2011 disasters on Japan's international image and the strategic measures taken to address internal challenges such as gender inequality and educational reform. Through a critical lens, this study delves into the juxtaposition of Japan's soft power success against its domestic issues. Furthermore, it contributes to the understanding of nation branding in the context of global dynamics and internal policy shifts, offering a comprehensive view of Japan's strategy in maintaining its cultural identity while navigating global perceptions.

Political transformations in Poland: will a change of government lead to a change of course?

The article examines the consequences of the change of the Polish government, headed by the right-wing Euro-skeptical Law and Justice party, which has led this country since October 2015. The article presents an analysis of the results of the parliamentary elections in Poland, held on October 15, 2023, in which the PiS won a formal victory, which, however failed to form a majority coalition. As a result, the ruling alliance, which received the right to form a government, was made up of the pre-election association of the parties Civic Coalition, which included the Civic Platform parties led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Modern, the Greens and the Polish Initiative, the Third Way association, which included the parties Poland 2050, the Polish People's Party, the Center for Poland, and the Union the European Democrats, as well as the union of the Left, consisting of the parties New Left and Left together. The assessment of the activities of the leading Polish political parties over the previous four years is given, the main provisions of the election platforms of the main parties and coalitions that were elected to parliament following these elections are analyzed. To identify the dynamics of changes in the political situation in Poland, a comparative analysis of the results of the leading political parties of this country in the elections of 2019 and 2023 was carried out, as well as their main characteristics. The key differences in the approaches of the country's leading parties to the IpR and the Civic Platform on domestic and foreign policy issues, including their attitude to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, are analyzed. The process of forming a new Polish government and the influence of the country's President Andrzej Duda on it is considered.

The 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election on social media: Identity, policy, and affective virality.

The 2024 Taiwanese Presidential Election is not just a critical geopolitical event, it also engages with themes of alternative candidacy, foreign policy, and affective polarization. At one point, a four-candidate race had emerged in a traditionally bipartisan election, with alternative candidates disrupting the dichotomy of Chinese vs. Taiwanese identity. Leveraging 911,510 posts and 101,600,047 engagements on social media, we analyze user discourse and engagement. First, we find traditional candidates derive more engagement on foreign policy and geopolitical issues, alternative candidates on domestic issues. Additionally, virality is generated by affective reasons, although in-group references generate more engagement than out-group references. Lastly, a puzzle is revealed where alternative candidates draw more homogeneous attention from national identity groups. Results suggest alternative candidacy can be generated by both positive and negative comparisons rooted in national identity.

Social acceptance and adjustment of spouses in multicultural families to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in the Mueang district, Yala province

Currently, there is an increasing number of intercultural marriages in Thailand. Many Thai citizens, especially in various regions, tend to marry foreigners. In the southern region, particularly in the three southern border provinces, intercultural marriages mostly occur between Thai Muslim women and Thai Buddhist men. In these cases, the men usually convert to their wives' religion, Islam, which can lead to significant differences in beliefs and practices between the spouses. These differences often result in conflicts within the family and ultimately contribute to domestic violence issues. This situation has serious repercussions for both adults and children involved. This qualitative research examined the acceptance and adjustment of spouses in multicultural families to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in Muang District, Yala Province, Thailand. This study was the first research conducted in the region. To this end, data were collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and both participant and non-participant observations. Interview questions and group discussion topics were determined according to research objectives. Further, study samples were collected from multicultural Buddhist-Islamic families using the purposive sampling method. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze data. Results revealed that individuals' intolerance of each other's beliefs and attitudes was the major cause of violence in multicultural families. The values, beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of married couples are shaped by their primary and secondary socialization based on their cultural foundations. Therefore, spouses in multicultural families accept and adjust themselves holistically to reduce violent behavioral conflicts in their family life. Their acceptance includes: (1) physical acceptance and adjustment; (2) mental acceptance and adjustment; (3) social acceptance and adjustment; and (4) spiritual acceptance and adjustment. The findings have implications for intercultural marriages.

State survival vs leaders’ survival: how ethnic conflicts affect a state’s international alignment behavior?

ABSTRACT This article examines the underlying factors contributing to a more strategic and rational alignment behaviour exhibited by certain post-Soviet states compared to others in the region and beyond, despite the high stakes of domestic politics. Specifically, it focuses on Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova, suggesting their consistent, state-centric foreign policies arise from facing protracted ethnic conflicts threatening their territorial integrity. The notion of differential survival risks is proposed to explain this phenomenon. Consequently, resolving these conflicts becomes the paramount concern for these states’ leadership to avoid substantial territorial losses or even loss of sovereignty, relegating domestic issues to a secondary status.

The education of human rights in Japan: a comparative analysis of civics textbooks in senior high school between the 1970s and 2010s

ABSTRACT The education of human rights, or Human Rights Education (HRE), has been increasingly vital for the preservation and dissemination of human rights values in contemporary time. Japan, as an East Asian democracy, is not an exception. Yet there has been limited scholarship in English on the efforts that the Japanese government has invested in educating human rights through formal citizenship education. To what extent did (does) Japanese formal citizenship education value human rights concepts and address domestic human rights issues? This study approaches the civics textbooks of Japanese senior high schools published in the 1970s-2010s by adopting comparative content analyses. It suggests that, first, there is an increasing usage of human rights conceptual terms with Liberty as the most frequently found word in the textbooks. Second, however, limited knowledge and empowerment are provided when the human rights issues of three underprivileged groups in Japan – the Burakumin, the Ainu, and foreign residents – are taught. This study suggests the government to put greater efforts into educating students about domestic human rights issues. Future studies are also suggested to continue investigating the development of HRE in Japan and to locate the reasons behind the reluctance in teaching domestic human rights issues there.

DAVSS: Development of Mobile Application for Documenting and Assessing Domestic Violence

This paper presents the development and evaluation of the Domestic Abuse and Violence Support System (DAVSS), a mobile application designed to address domestic violence issues in Malaysia. DAVSS integrates the essential 27-DASH (Danger Assessment for Separation and Harassment) questionnaire to assess the severity of domestic violence situations. The project follows the phased approach of the Waterfall Model, encompassing requirements, analysis, design, development, and testing stages.Usability testing was conducted to evaluate the DAVSS application, revealing overall user satisfaction. However, this assessment relied primarily on frequency analysis, prompting consideration for enhanced reliability through alternative measurement methods such as median and standard deviation approaches.The DAVSS application's Danger Assessment Test (DAT) algorithm, built upon the 27-DASH questions, represents a significant aspect of the system. Future work includes the validation of this rule-based algorithm using expert evaluation, potentially through Delphi techniques.Given the absence of dedicated domestic abuse mobile applications in Malaysia, DAVSS promises several advantages. It empowers victims to report incidents, locate shelters for protection, and facilitates shelter access through QR code integration. In conclusion, as domestic violence remains a pressing concern requiring increased support, the DAVSS mobile application emerges as a vital system that offers assistance to victims while breaking down barriers that may silence their voices.

Cold War Elements: a Discussion on the Influence of the Cold War on the Communist Party of Malaya from 1948 to 1989

Abstract The Communist Party of Malaya (cpm) evolved under the impact of the Cold War. Considering that the cpm was a left-wing political party that had a significant impact on many areas of Malaysia, this study tries to identify and investigate the causes of the cpm’s inability to win the political fight from 1948 to 1989. Both domestic and internal party issues, along with the Cold War scenario, were a significant component that could not be neglected by the researchers.

Dissemination of RT and Sputnik Content in European Digital Alternative News Environments: Mapping the Influence of Russian State-Backed Media Across Platforms, Topics, and Ideology

The study investigates the dissemination of news content from two Russian state-backed media outlets, RT and Sputnik, within digital alternative news environments in Austria, Denmark, Germany, and Sweden. We investigate these media outlets as parts of a Russian “sharp power” strategy, aimed at establishing informational influence within Western news environments. The analysis includes over 3.4 million social media posts containing URLs to RT and Sputnik content, published between January 2019 and March 2022. Drawing on a combined network analytical and computational text analysis approach, we examine the dissemination of RT and Sputnik content across a range of social media platforms (Twitter/X, Facebook, Telegram, VKontakte, Gab, Instagram, Reddit, 4chan, and YouTube). In the Danish and Swedish environments, the dissemination of content into core domestic alternative news communities is limited, primarily taking place on Facebook and, to a lesser extent, on Twitter/X. Fringe platforms such as Telegram, Gab and VKontakte facilitate a wider spread of content within domestic alternative news environments in German-speaking environments, predominantly among right-wing digital clusters. Within German-speaking alternative news environments, the shared content from RT and Sputnik primarily addresses domestic issues, such as COVID-19 policies and vaccines. In contrast, Danish- and Swedish-speaking alternative news environments emphasize foreign policy matters, including the Russian–Ukraine War, WikiLeaks, and Western military actions. These findings contribute to research on foreign state-media operations in digital information environments by focusing on both content and sharing patterns.

The devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of women and children in 2023

Purpose Current issues (such as health and economy-related) emerged due to the impact of COVID-19 on women’s and children’s health. The purpose of this opinion paper is to understand the world’s health issues after COVID-19. Design/methodology/approach The authors study the devastating effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the lives of women and children in 2023. The authors have applied the content analysis method and reviewed the post-COVID-19 impacts on women’s and children’s health. As a result of unemployment or financial instability, the fear of economic insecurity increases cases of women and child violence, child labour and other health issues. According to the study, the authors find that post-COVID-19-related health issues increase at a high level. Findings After COVID-19, across the world, children and women have gone through domestic violence and health issues (i.e. stress, anxiety and so on) and the vulnerable situation of children and women has badly impacted their mental and physical health. Originality/value Many children were orphaned, and the poor died due to poverty. COVID-19 has had a direct or indirect effect on children and women all over the world till today. This opinion paper focuses on post-COVID-19 issues that we all have forgotten to include in our current discourse.

Instrumentalizing Arabism: Morocco and the Inter-Arab System

ABSTRACT The changing contours of Morocco’s involvement in the inter-Arab system over nearly a century was largely instrumental. It was driven by both “realist” concerns and domestic political issues related to fundamental matters of regime legitimacy and societal cohesion, i.e. the very nature of Moroccan national identity. With the decline of Arabism’s political salience, and a monarch who preferred to keep a low profile in Arab affairs, Morocco’s relations with Arab Mashriq countries became increasingly devoid of traditional markers of Arab solidarity and brotherhood. Domestically, the emergence of the Amazigh factor led to Morocco’s collective identity becoming a renewed subject of contention.