non-Western Perspectives Research Articles

Product Review: Non-Western Perspectives on Learning and Knowing

Product Review: Non-Western Perspectives on Learning and Knowing

Islamic and Christian Axiology (A Comparative Study)

The purpose of this article is to describe and compare from a non-Western perspective some Islamic and Christian viewpoints regarding axiology, and the effect of axiology on education. The subjects which are considered in this article are: what is value; what is valuable and good; whether we have some absolute and constant, and even objective and intrinsic, values that are valuable for all humans in all places and times; what is the responsibility of people, and particularly teachers and students, regarding these values; what teachers should do and how they should instruct and teach so that their students commit themselves to these values, and may become good, spiritual, moral, and religious persons. In this research, more emphasis has been placed on the description of the similarities - not differences - between these two religions. To accomplish the goal of the research, the viewpoints of the Qur'an and the Bible and a number of Islamic and Christian scholars have been described and compared.

Global media ethics revisited

Little theoretical work from non-Western perspectives has entered the epistemological discussion of universal ethical principles for media and journalism. The increased analysis of media globalization requires a closer examination of the ethical principles being advocated by media theorists. We use postcolonial theory to argue that advocates of universal media ethics need to take into account the history of colonialism, differences of powers between nations and peoples, and the importance of indigenous theory. We contend that in the non-Western world underlying conditions of postcoloniality and indigenous values influence how media professionals and journalists make ethical decisions. These interpretations present an epistemic challenge to dominant ethical concepts based primarily on Western Enlightenment philosophies. The article concludes with a discussion of two specific ethical theories, ubuntu from South Africa and ahimsa from India, which illustrate the importance of indigenous knowledge in the search for global media ethics.

Be Masters in That You Teach and Continue to Learn: Medieval Muslim Thinkers on Educational Theory

Be Masters in That You Teach and Continue to Learn: Medieval Muslim Thinkers on Educational Theory

Mother Tongues and Language Planning in Africa

proposed earlier. The informal sites of production that youths explore and exploit in the making of fusion music provide alternatives to the conventional classroom. These alternative sites potentially have implications for issues such as social exclusion and participation because of their open and inclusive nature. In addition, the code of practice in such alternative sites of knowledge production and language teaching and learning is likely to be more accommodating, less restrictive, and a direct challenge to the hegemony that derives from the existing hierarchy of languages in education. My final word is that the legitimacy of AL as a discipline is tied to our ability as practitioners to think liberally beyond simple binary oppositions of ideological camps like north/south, native/nonnative speakers, even Western/non-Western. I do not mean to say that no concrete evidence of such oppositions appears from time to time, but to operate within such a framework, the discipline runs the risk of being locked in a grid that permanently disadvantages the weaker group of the pair in opposition. Besides, oppositions erroneously project a semblance of equality between the constitutive elements of a group whereas, in reality, they may be as diverse as can possibly be imagined. Thus, although identifying and describing non-Western perspectives in AL remains a legitimate pursuit, applied linguists must proceed with caution to maintain sight of differences within the category itself. We must acknowledge and respond specifically to the complex and diverse contexts from which the discipline's issues arise and, when necessary, redefine its hitherto Western-serving tools as I have attempted with CS.

Book Review: Non-Western Perspectives on Human Communication: Implications for Theory and Practice

Book Review: Non-Western Perspectives on Human Communication: Implications for Theory and Practice

‘Sex Slaves’ Or ‘sex Workers’? Cross-cultural and Comparative Religious Perspectives on Sexuality, Subjectivity, and Moral Identity in Anti-sex Trafficking Discourse

The global trafficking in women and children (primarily girls) for prostitution and sex work has become a multi-billion dollar industry in recent decades, especially in parts of South and Southeast Asia. Despite their common goal to eliminate or diminish the sex trafficking industry and assist the victims, the various entities engaged in anti-sex trafficking efforts have sharply disagreed about a variety of issues, including a basic definition of sex trafficking and the appropriate strategies for combating it. In this article, I examine one central area of disagreement, which revolves around the issue of the morality of prostitution and other forms of commercial sex work. This issue brings with it divergent, even antithetical, views regarding women's gender roles, self-identity and moral agency in relation to sex work. I show how the religious dimensions of this issue have been inadequately attended to by demonstrating how anti-trafficking discourse is devoid of non-Western religious perspectives. Since Thailand has been the centre for sex trafficking and the commercial sex industry in the Asia-Pacific region, where the greatest percentage of sex trafficking takes place, this article will discuss Thai Buddhist perspectives to illustrate how the anti-sex trafficking discourse has ignored cultural differences in its analysis.

Effects of Acculturation and Worldview for White American, South American, South Asian, and Southeast Asian Students

Perceptions of normal dissociation, including Western (e.g., daydreaming) and non-Western (e.g., trance behaviors) perspectives, were examined. Acculturation and frequency of abuse experiences in White American students predicted Western dissociation descriptions. For South American and South Asian students, acculturation predicted non-Western dissociation descriptions. Also, Acculturation and the normative worldview made significant contributions to both non-Western and Western descriptions of dissociation, but with different interaction patterns for the South American and South Asian groups. The between group differences (White American versus international students) and within group differences (among international groups) support the assumption that views of dissociation may be culturally based. Implications include the importance of counseling approaches that respond to such cultural variations, thus avoiding misattribution of behavior and ensuring culturally competent counseling assessment and intervention.

Born in China

International adoption has been presented in the literature almost exclusively from a dominant western perspective with little consideration for that of the sending countries. This study seeks to capture Chinese perceptions of international adoption. The inextricable relationship between China's family planning policies and the placing of orphans in the diaspora for adoption led to a sample which included government officials (N = 12), welfare institution administrators (currently in China, the official term for an orphanage is “welfare institution”) (N = 15), and a non-specific adult population (N = 180). Findings indicated that overall participants viewed international adoption as providing positive opportunities for abandoned children, with government and welfare institution personnel viewing it as an appropriate response to an overburdened system. They also pointed to the government's active role in post-placement monitoring to be integral to the success of China's international adoptions. Concerns for the children's loss of culture and international adoption as being a source of national embarrassment were expressed within the general population, however, it is suggested that this perception may be mediated by personal exposure to adoption. This study is significant in its unique attempt to capture a non-western perspective of a phenomenon which profoundly impacts Chinese families and children. It also brings to light the need for further inquiry which can capture the impact and implications of this borderless child welfare practice for Chinese.

Cultural considerations for Canadians in the diagnosis of brain death.

This articles explores cultural perceptions and values related to brain death and organ donation from both a Western and non-Western perspective. Anthropological literature review of the historical concept of brain death in Canada using Eastern culture as a comparison. Although the concept of brain death and concomitant organ donation have become widely practiced in Western nations such as Canada, from a cross-cultural point of view these concepts and practices can be deeply troubling and may hold profoundly different meaning to people new to Canada. Canada has a deep commitment and obligation to respect diversity as reflected in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Therefore, healthcare workers have an obligation to respect cultural differences. To truly respect cultural differences we must first explore our own culturally formulated belief systems and then consider how our views may interface with other cultures. Our findings call for a greater analysis of the cultural influences on the concept of brain death and organ donation as a means of building a better understanding and respect for cultural diversity.

Seeing IR Differently: Notes from the Third World

This article explores the importance of distinct non-core and non-Western perspectives for critical interpretations of international relations. A series of arguments are offered as to why third world scholarship is invisible within the field, and why features such as culture, everyday life and hydridity make looking at IR from third world loci of enunciation fundamentally different. In order to observe the ways in which such readings complement and refine prevailing understandings of global politics, the article reexamines several key categories, including war and conflict, the state, sovereignty and autonomy, and nationalism, making use of distinct third world perspectives.

Origins and Historical Influences on Human Resource Development: A Global Perspective

A comprehensive review of literature on the origins and historical influences on human resource development reveals that much of its development is attributed to Western (predominantly U.S.) thought and perspectives. This study is an effort to begin exploring significant contributions from a global perspective—including those that are primarily non-Western. To do so, this article identifies and examines key non-Western contributions to the field of human resource development. There is an ever-growing pool of foundational knowledge in the human resource development field. However, it appears only a modest body of literature has been written on historical influences from non-Western perspectives to the field. It is the premise of this article that inclusiveness of other cultural contributions will facilitate a greater understanding of human resource development’s development as a relatively new body of knowledge. This article is a reflective study outlining the history of human development of both Western and non-Western perspectives.

Access in Theory and Practice: American Indians in Philosophy History

The American Indian Philosophical Association (AIPA) was created in May of 1998 by a group of American Indian philosophers; it grew out of the American Philosophical Association's (APA) Committee to Advance the Status of American Indians in Philosophy. It is associated with the apa but remains an autonomous organization dedicated to the advancement of American Indian philosophy and the participation of American Indians within the academic field of philosophy. The AIPA's overriding concern is to "engage in the praxis necessary to maintain an American indigenous voice of philosophy,"1 and the working assumption is that a community problem must be solved as a community. Given our small numbers among those who hold PhDs in philosophy, these goals imply a number of different roles for such an organization, including the creation of a network of support to aid in job searches and publication and efforts to bring more American Indian students into the profession. Further, the AIPA is charged with fighting discriminatory practices and providing a positive forum for an American Indian voice that previously has found little place in academic institutions and associations. Cultural practices, oral traditions, the importance of community leaders and public policy—all these are upheld in the drafting documents of the AIPA as critical components for American Indian philosophy. This article directly addresses the structural environment in which American Indian philosophers (bona fide and hopefuls) must function in order to gain any recognition in the field of philosophy. It arose out of our experience of being Native graduate students (the only ones in our program), facing all the normal trials of earning a doctorate along with the added challenges of cultural isolation and the constant need to justify [End Page 113] Indigenous approaches and bodies of thought that have been consistently marginalized within our discipline. Coming from this context, the contrasting experience of our first meeting with the AIPA in Albuquerque (in April 1999) had quite an impact on us, and this article is in part a response to discussions that took place there, along with ways we have been working at our university to claim more of a space for Native students. Teaching Native American Philosophy, Doing Native American Philosophy One of the recurring issues at the Albuquerque gathering concerned the tension between teaching Native American philosophy and "doing" Native American philosophy. In efforts to diversify course content, many philosophers (Native and non-Native) wish to include works by Native theorists in their classes. Several sessions at the conference allowed us to share our syllabi and discuss the ways we bring Native works into conversation with the conventional canon. Some teachers arrange works around a theme; for example, a unit on humans in relation to the nonhuman world might use Native perspectives to contrast with the writings of philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Camus. Other teachers used Native pieces as part of an historical survey, examining the influence the "New World" has had upon European and Euroamerican works. We agreed that teaching Native American philosophy takes time. Generally, we have no professional training in Native American philosophy—our graduate programs have not introduced us to this material. We need time to review texts and develop courses. We need time to integrate Native American works into our syllabi in respectful, meaningful ways rather than simply adding on a unit that offers a non-Western perspective. Similarly, doing Native American philosophy takes time. We may require time and resources to pursue activities that are not typically considered requisite for academic work. Community participation, consultation with elders, immersion periods to learn a Native language or live in a reservation community—all of these might be integral to our work as Native philosophers. Of course, for Native and non-Native philosophers alike, time and resources are scarce. Inevitably, perhaps because of the nature of this group, these discussions culminated in questions...

Women, Philanthropy, and Civil Society

Table of Contents - Introduction - Kathleen D. McCarthy 1. Women and Philanthropy in Nineteenth-Century Ireland - Maria Luddy 2. Women and Philanthropy in France - From the Sixteenth to the Twentieth Centuries - Evelyne Diebolt 3. Women and Philanthropy in Brazil - An Overview - Leilah Landim 4. The Norwegian Voluntary Sector and Civil Society in Transition - Women as a Catalyst of Deep-Seated Change - Per Selle 5. Women and Philanthropy in Colonial and Post-Colonial Australia - Shurlee Swain 6. Parallel Power Structures, Invisible Careers, and the Changing Nature of American Jewish Women's Philanthropy - Susan M. Chambre [accent grave] 7. Women and Philanthropy in Egypt - Amani Kandil 8. An Islamic Activist in Interwar Egypt - Beth Baron 9. Women and Philanthropy in Palestinian and Egyptian Societies - The Contributions of Islamic Thought and the Strategy of National Survival - Ghada Hashem Talhami 10. Women and Philanthropy in India - Pushpa Sundar 11. Women and Philanthropy in South Korea from a Non-Western Perspective - Hye Kyung Lee Notes on Contributors

Christian Scholarship in the Twenty-first Century: A non-western perspective

Christian Scholarship in the Twenty-first Century: A non-western perspective

‘New’ Ways of Seeing and Doing: A Critical Reflection on Changes to Educational Theory and Practice

AbstractThis paper documents a research journey that was initially undertaken to escape the feelings of tension and dissatisfaction that I had experienced as a secondary school teacher. The paper identifies the many influences that have guided the course of my continuing research journey. Philosophically, my research has taken me from viewing the world and my place in it from a narrow and authoritarian Western perspective through to a more inclusive and more democratic non-Western perspective. This shift in perspective initially resulted in changes to my educational theory and practice as manifested in the evolution of an environmental education program in a Melbourne secondary school. More recently my research perspective has again shifted, enabling me to pursue an opportunity to not only teach in, but more importantly also to learn in, a different cultural context. In both Melbourne and Manila, the transformations have come about by sharing ‘new’ ways of seeing and doing.

Family lineage organization and social change in Ming and Qing Fujian

This work is the result of more than a decade of research on the Chinese household and lineage in the southeastern province of Fujian during the Ming and Qing period (1368-1911). It offers interpretations of the Chinese domestic cycle, the relationship between household and larger kinship groups, and the development of lineage society in south China. Using hundreds of previously unknown lineage genealogies, stone inscriptions, and land deeds, Zheng Zhenman provides a candid view of how individuals and families confronted the crucial issues of daily life: how to minimize taxes or military conscription; how to balance the ideological imperatives of ancestor worship with practical concerns; how to deal with the problems of dividing the household estate. His research leads to an exploration of issues such as the relation of state to society and the compatibility of Chinese culture and capitalism. This complete translation allows access to new research being done in Chinese social history. Zheng's book draws on important materials largely unknown to Western scholars, comes to novel conclusions about society in late imperial China, and illustrates the importance of the non-Western perspective in studying the history of the world outside the West.

"We Don't Sleep around like White Girls Do": Family, Culture, and Gender in Filipina American Lives

Au Etats-Unis, les immigres Philippins resistent a differentes formes de discrimination a travers l'affirmation de certaines specificites culturelles. Par exemple, la chastete des femmes avant le mariage est presentee comme une resistance au modele de la societe dominante blanche americaine, mais ceci se fait au prix de l'autonomie des femmes et renforce le pouvoir patriarcal dans ces communautes

Vernacular Literacy: A Re-Evaluation

Illiteracy problems are worldwide, and growing. Political and economic factors are often in conflict over which language to use for basic education and how it should be taught. There is increasing pressure on the resources available for using literacy in coping with the rapid population increase, the spread of disease, and poor development. The editors and contributors to this volume are members of The International Group for the Study of Language Standardization and the Vernacularization of Literacy (IGLSVL), with unrivalled direct personal experience of literacy and language problems in the second half of the twentieth century. The contributors take the UNESCO publication, The Use of Vernacular Languages in Education, as their starting point. Published in 1953, this work was optimistic about the future of literacy. The contributors assess the nature and significance of the events that have taken place since then, providing a global overview. The discussions are supported by case-studies of campaigns to promote vernacular languages and examples of how people relate to their languages in different cultures. Most importantly, they question traditional notions of, and provide a non-Western perspective on, the uses and value of literacy.

The University in transformation: global perspectives on the futures of the university

Introduction The University in Transformation: Globalization, Multiculturalism, Virtualization and Politicization by Sohail Inayatullah and Jennifer Gidley Western Perspectives on the Futures of the University University Traditions and the Challenge of Global Transformation by Philip Spies Higher Education at the Brink by Peter Manicas Will the Future Include Us? Reflections of a Practitioner of Higher Education by Deane Neubauer The Virtual University and the Professoriate by Michael Skolnik The Futures for Higher Education: From Bricks to Bytes to Fare Thee Well by Jim Dator Why Pay for a College Education? by Tom Abeles Of Minds, Markets and Machines: How Universities might transcend the Ideology of Commodification by David Rooney and Greg Hearn At the Edge of Knowledge-Towards Polyphonic Multiversities by Paul Wildman Non-Western Perspectives on the Futures of the University Recovery of Indigenous Knowledge and Dissenting Futures of the University by Ashis Nandy Pakistani Universities: Past, Present, and Future by Tariq Rahman Civilizing the State: the University in the Middle East by Shahrzad Mojab Scholar Activism for a New World: The Future of the Caribbean University by Anne Hickling-Hudson Internationalizing the Curriculum-for Profit or the Planet? by Patricia Kelly Alternative Universities The Crisis of the University: Feminist Alternatives for the 21st Century and Beyond by Ivana Milojevic Homo Tantricus: Tantra as an Episteme for Future Generations by Marcus Bussey Universities Evolving: Advanced Learning Networks and Experience Camps by Patricia Nicholson Consciousness-Based Education: A Future of Higher Education in the New Millennium by James Grant Transformations of the University Corporate Networks or Bliss for All: The Politics of the Futures of the University by Sohail Inayatullah Unveiling the Human Face of University Futures by Jennifer Gidley Selected Bibliography