Southeast Asian Societies Research Articles

21st Century Influence of Southeast Asian Chinese on Regional Politics

Amid the increasingly prominent issues surrounding global migration, the successful integration of Chinese diaspora communities within Southeast Asian countries and their impact on the domestic and foreign policies of these nations have emerged as critical topics of academic inquiry. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the political and economic engagement of the Chinese diaspora in their host countries, exploring how they navigate and adapt to the evolving policy landscape and socio-political dynamics of Southeast Asia in the 21st century. Through active participation in political processes, these communities have adopted various strategies to legally and effectively safeguard their interests within the complex political frameworks of their host countries. Utilizing a historical analytical approach, this study examines the long-term transformation of Chinese diaspora communities, offering insights into their present roles and functions in relation to political strategy and projecting potential future trends. The findings suggest that the political involvement of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia is on the rise, marked by a significant shift from a focus as primarily an “economic group” to an influential “political group.” This transformation underscores the expanding role of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asian societies, with potentially profound and enduring implications for the region’s political landscape and inter-regional relations.

The diffusion of data privacy laws in Southeast Asia: learning and the extraterritorial reach of the EU’s GDPR

ABSTRACT The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2016 is widely recognised as the benchmark global standard for data-privacy law. In recent years, countries across Southeast Asia have enacted or updated data-privacy laws with provisions that align with the GDPR. This paper explores the balance of internal and external forces driving these regulatory changes. It argues that a nuanced understanding of diffusion in the policymaking process allows us to see beyond the ‘Brussels Effect’ and how the increasing digitalistion of Southeast Asian societies has created increasing local demand for regulatory change. While an analytical focus on scripting in the drafting of GDPR-like laws focuses attention on the extraterritorial reach of the EU’s regulatory power, an analytical focus on problematisation points to different pathways of domestic learning regarding data privacy, especially in response to rising data-security threats.

Does a brief contact-based video intervention reduce public mental health stigma associated with psychosis in a collectivistic society? A randomised control study

PurposeInternationally, among mental health difficulties, psychosis appears most stigmatised. Yet, research on mental health education specific to psychosis, including stigma reduction strategies, is limited. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a brief empirically informed indirect contact-based intervention (CBI) on reducing stigma associated with psychosis in the context of a Southeast Asian society.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 168 young adults were randomised into three groups, two intervention conditions and one active control. Stigmatisation levels were measured at pre-intervention, post-intervention and at a 30-day follow-up. Group differences in attitudes were analysed using a 3 × 3 two-way mixed-subjects ANOVA.FindingsResults revealed that there were no significant differences in declared stigma between the three conditions. However, a significant effect of time on the improvement of attitudes was observed at post-intervention. This effect was not sustained at follow-up.Social implicationsIndividual psychoeducational CBIs implemented in the context of collectivistic societies do not produce sustainable effects in the reduction of stigma. Although a transient desirable improvement in the attitudes occurs among individuals, this is subsequently counteracted by the influence of stigma existing on a systemic level. Therefore, public mental health education in collectivistic cultures should address societal mechanisms maintaining unhelpful perceptions of those with psychosis.Originality/valueThe study examined the effect of brief CBIs on the reduction of stigma associated with psychosis in a collectivistic society and demonstrated systemic limitations of individually delivered psychoeducational interventions.

The ideological tug-of-war of language policies in the Philippines: perspectives and proposal

ABSTRACT Implementing mother tongue-based multilingual education (MTB-MLE) in the Philippines opens opportunities for learner inclusion and access, which is also in harmony with UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goal 4 aimed at achieving quality and inclusive education for all. However, recent attempts to revert to Filipino–English bilingual education foreground the ideological tug-of-war that continues to impact policymakers, researchers, educators, and, most importantly, Filipino learners. As the bilingual model is believed to be valuable to economic and technological growth, the role and relevance of MTB-MLE in a globalized world are challenged. We argue that language views espousing covert dominance continue to permeate language policy discourses in the Philippines, which can impact classroom learning and instruction. Hence, this article analyzes the historical milestones of languages in education and looks at how linguistic imperialism is entrenched in language policies. It also situates language use in the Philippines within a broader sociolinguistic context in which it operates. The article concludes with an inclusive framework on language policy implementation, the Naverin (national, vernacular, and international) model, proposing a balanced view of using various linguistic resources, which might be relevant to other multilingual societies in Southeast Asia.

The State, Local Sociocultural Landscape, and Global Neoliberal Ideology in Vietnam

In the context of accelerating globalization as well as a shifting theoretical landscape in the social sciences and the humanities, this article examines the recent greater attention to the state and global forces, including the global neoliberal ideology, in Asian studies. Empirically, the article examines the resilient roles of family members and relatives in childcare and elderly care in Vietnam and many other parts of East and Southeast Asia, as well as the related trend of relatively low public social expenditures in most East and Southeast Asian societies. The long-standing ideology of familialism, which underlies the pattern of care for the young and elderly in Vietnam and many Asian societies, shapes state policies and exerts an impact on global capitalist operations in Vietnam, notwithstanding the acceleration of globalization, the global neoliberal ideology, and the strong power of the Vietnamese communist party-state. This article suggests that the relation between the local sociocultural landscape, state policies, and global forces involves a dialogic process.

Political & Cultural Synthesis: A New Paradigm of Southeast Asia

According to Croissant & Lorenz, Southeast Asia as a region is an extraordinarily diverse collection of states, which vary widely in history, demographics, culture, economy, political systems, and the political challenges they face. Geographically, Southeast Asia is divided into an insular or maritime region, comprising Brunei, Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste, and a mainland or continental part, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Malay Peninsula, and Vietnam (Croissant & Lorenz, 2018). Political and cultural synthesis can be seen in the way that Southeast Asian states have adapted to various external influences and internal challenges over time. Political and cultural synthesis can also be seen in the way that Southeast Asian societies have developed their forms of nationalism, identity, and civil society that reflect their diverse ethnic, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. The paper argues that political and cultural synthesis is a key feature and process of Southeast Asia, which is the result of the historical interactions and influences among different religions, cultures, and regions within and outside Asia. The paper analyzes various examples of cultural synthesis in Southeast Asian literature and cinema, and how they reflect and contribute to the diversity and complexity of the region. The text argues that this is a key feature and process of Southeast Asia, which is the result of the historical interactions and influences among different religions, cultures, and regions within and outside Asia. The text analyzes various examples of cultural synthesis in Southeast Asian literature and cinema, and how they reflect and contribute to the diversity and complexity of the region. Southeast Asia is divided into an insular or maritime region, comprising Brunei, Indonesia, parts of Malaysia, the Philippines, and Timor-Leste, and a mainland or continental part, including Burma, Cambodia, Laos, the Malay Peninsula, and Vietnam.

“Family” as a Site of Gender and Class Struggles in Catherine Lim’s The Song of Silver Frond

“Family” in The Song of Silver Frond (TSOSF) functions as a site of gender and class struggles to challenge the Chinese yin-yang and nei-wai tradition. Continuities and transformations in Chinese familial practices result from complex socio-cultural-generational dynamics. "Family" becomes a battleground of gender and class struggles for the preservation and transformation of those familial traditions. Moreover, the dynamic of ethnicity also intersects with gender and class relations. The traditional Chinese familial practices follow two fundamental Confucian gender foundations: yin-yang and nei-wai. The yin-yang delineation privileges man versus woman. Meanwhile, the private/public distinction of nei-wai relegates the woman's place to the domestic sphere. By employing Post-Structural feminist perspectives focusing on gender intersectionality, this article examines how "family" becomes the site of ethnic-gender-class struggles in TSOSF. The articles revealed that some family members, both men, and women, continue to apply the traditional Confucian rules from generation to generation. However, other members challenge those traditional practices to contest gender and class inequalities to adapt to different sociocultural dynamics in Southeast Asian Society. Thus, this article has articulated the way TSOSF displays "family" as a site of gender and class struggle in Chinese familial practices.

« Les mères peuvent essayer de nouvelles recettes pour leurs familles ». COVID-19 en Malaisie, une fenêtre sur la négociation de la division prescrite du travail domestique lié à l'alimentation

A lockdown was declared in mid-March 2020 to curb the Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia, a Southeast Asian society undergoing rapid modernization. Based on netnography, this study explores selected daily experiences of five professional women belonging to upper middle classes in Kuala Lumpur metropolitan area, through digital discourses on foodways during the lockdown. It unveils the reconfiguration of the public and private spaces, leading to re-negotiations of the prescribed division of domestic food-related labour in conjunction with the support from family members and community. Testimonies of conflicted experiences are reported by women dealing with ambivalent injunctions and simultaneous implications for the social organisation of meals, specifically commodification and aesthetisation of the food preparation. All in all, the March 2020 Covid-19 lockdown provides a unique lens on the negotiations of prescribed division of domestic food- related work for the professional women in modernizing Malaysia.

Challenges and Implications of Indonesia's Strategic Position in Maritime Security

The primary goal is to evaluate the regional maritime security problems that Indonesia is now confronting. As is well known, with the beginning of the twenty-first century came the introduction of a new word in regional maritime architecture. The significance of the sea in the current era of globalization has prompted all countries to manage their maritime interests and share concerns in a collaborative, cooperative, and inclusive manner, according to the United Nations. Throughout the period, Indonesia grew more connected than it had been previously. Indonesia, located in Southeast Asia, rose to prominence as a worldwide power in this century. Of course, as a result of its actions, new issues in maritime security have arisen. International relations, maritime cooperation, port and shipping sectors, as well as comparative politics and international relations, as well as Southeast Asian politics and society, will find this article of interest on the topic of maritime security.

Motivating First-Generation Factory Employees: A Case Study of the Garment Industry in Myanmar

Research Aims: This study investigates how to foster and motivate factory employees at the onset of industrialisation. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 728 employees of the garment sector in Myanmar were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. Research Findings: The results of this study indicate 1) that employees’ maladaptation to factory discipline leads to workplace stress and fuels employees’ counter-productive behaviour and 2) that employees who perceive benevolence from the factory manager take on pro-organizational (vs counter-productive) behaviour based on social exchange rooted in indigenous patron-client ties. Theoretical Contribution/Originality: This study discusses the singular aspects of human resource management (HRM) at the onset of industrialisation. The cause of workplace stress differs from what is widely claimed in industrialised societies. Organisational commitment is deeply affected by cultural settings. Managerial Implications in the South East Asian Context: This study offers insights for cultivating and motivating factory employees hailing from indigenous societies. Moreover, HRM practices based on patron-client ties that persist in southeast Asian societies can be effective measures to enhance organisational commitment. Research Limitations & Implications: The current study does not cover either white-collar or skilled employees in the capital-intensive industry. Keywords: organisational maladaptation, motivation, factory discipline, workplace stress, social exchange, Myanmar

Artificial Intelligence Policies to Enhance Urban Mobility in Southeast Asia

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool for technological progress with profound impacts on governments, industries, universities, and societies. In Southeast Asia, AI has presented both opportunities and challenges. Local governments are increasingly experimenting and piloting AI technology to create smart, sustainable, and inclusive cities. Nevertheless, the adoption of artificial intelligence in cities requires proper planning, management, and implementation. Consequently, there is a need for a concerted effort to establish collaboration between industries, governments, academics, and societies in Southeast Asia. This policy brief aims to provide an overview of how artificial intelligence can be implemented to enhance urban mobility in Southeast Asia. To maximize the relevance of the policy brief, experts from various fields have been consulted in its preparation.

This is our voice: revitalizing ren as a homiletical concept for resistance to anti-Asian hate crimes

ABSTRACT In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Asians have been othered in American society due to racism and xenophobia because some view them as responsible (as individuals or as a community) for causing and spreading the virus. In response to the nationwide surge of anti-Asian hate crimes, the author, an Asian American preacher, suggests a revitalization of ren (仁), the foundational concept of the collectivist culture of East (Southeast) Asian society and also the essence of Confucianism, as an indigenous homiletical voice. The paper explores the distinctive conception of otherness—in particular, the heart of compassion (惻隱之心, ceyin zhi xin) and righteousness (義, yi)—in ren as an alternative concept for mitigating controversial features of Levinas's ethical project. Further, the author proposes revitalizing ren in preaching so that the praxis of compassion and resistance combines with the dynamic of biblical lament as a homiletical strategy.

Losing the Remote: Exploring the Thai Social Order with the Early and Late Hanks

ABSTRACT This article challenges the common understanding of Thailand’s ethnic divide as marked by unfamiliarity and an absolute difference between Thai society and the hill tribes in the country’s north. Much scholarship has overlooked how the negotiation of diversity and complexity has been foundational to Thai and other Southeast Asian societies and cultures for millennia. An ideology of ethnically singular and exclusive Thai identity framed the historical context in which Lucien Hanks initially wrote about Thai social life and its logics. I draw on his later work, particularly the research he conducted with Jane R. Hanks in the northern hills, to revisit diversity in Thai society and history. Hanks identified merit and power as the key principles of the Thai social order. A third notion, parity, enables inclusive and diverse social networks. It offers an indigenous challenge to any association of Thai identity, worldview, or social organisation with intolerance and ethnic chauvinism.

Islamic Historical Studies: The Beginning of the Emergence of Islam and the Development of Islamic Culture in Southeast Asia

Islamization basically occurs in various regions, one of which is the target of Islamization is a strategic area inhabited by the majority of Islam, namely Southeast Asia. The news can be seen from the process of entering Islam in various ways, for example, one of which is by peaceful means, as stated in proselytizing, music art and various ways so that no violence or coercion is found. Islam entered Southeast Asia through trade channels which were sourced from various countries, one of which was from Arabia and India. The methodology in this article uses a descriptive qualitative approach in using historical methods. The researchers' findings in this research process include; (1) The process of arrival through trade routes that cross southeast Asia so that inter-people-to-people conflicts result in Islamization in this region; (2) The results of the study also reveal the fact that Islamization also occurs in the sectors of marriage, friendship and strong proselytizing. This article reveals that the fact of Islamization is very strong in Southeast Asian society.

Humanitarian diplomacy in ASEAN

Progress on regional cooperation in Southeast Asia is often punctuated by decades rather than years. The exposure of the wider Asia-Pacific to natural hazards renders it the world’s most disaster prone. Since the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004, there have been three significant broad trends that have shaped humanitarian diplomacy, namely ASEAN as a platform for engagement, sectoral approaches and a diversifying multi-stakeholder environment creating a multi-level regionalism in Southeast Asia. States and societies in Southeast Asia have demonstrated a commitment to building humanitarian capacity which is often termed ‘nationally led, regionally supported and international as necessary’ so that they can lead response to natural hazards. The experience of natural hazards offers an important reference for humanitarian work in other areas, notably health emergencies and conflict settings. However, the localization of the global humanitarian system beyond the regional and national levels to local communities remains far from certain, and progress made in this arena may yet come undone without sustained and substantive political commitment from ASEAN member states.

Micro-celebrity practices in Muslim-majority states in Southeast Asia

ABSTRACT We have witnessed the growth and spread of celebrity culture worldwide, from A-list celebrities to ordinary individuals turned micro-celebrities. However, celebrity studies are still lacking in exploring celebrity culture in the global South that has recently seen growth in their micro-celebrities afforded by rising individualism, commodification, and social media penetration. This paper aims to address this gap by examining micro-celebrity practices in three Muslim-majority states in Southeast Asia, namely Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This paper reveals that celebrification and celebritization processes in these societies demonstrate context appropriation, adaptation, localization, and transcultural flow of celebrity culture. Through the examination of contextualized socio-cultural configurations brought by the micro-celebrities – namely rising local consciousness, development of new subjectivities, and young people’s self-mobilities – this paper contributes to the celebritization process, which goes beyond the individual celebrity to consider the nature of celebrity and its social and cultural embedding in the Muslim-majority Southeast Asian societies.

CLT using CEFR and EIL in Southeast Asia and East Asia in the English language classroom

This article discusses language teaching and the move from a predominantly psycholinguistic to a more sociolinguistic approach through Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), the Common European Framework of Reference Languages (CEFR) and English as an International Language (EIL). The context is four plurilingual and pluricultural societies in Southeast Asia and East Asia, (Thailand, Japan, Vietnam and China). These countries were chosen as they had similarities in the development of CEFR and consequently there were common factors that needed to be addressed in implementing CEFR. According to the English Proficiency Index (2020) a number of countries in the region have been described as being in the category of low or very low with regard to proficiency. To help improve such a situation, given the need for economic development, CEFR was introduced by various Ministries of Education in addition to the already existing official CLT syllabuses. English as an international language has also been widely proposed by a number of researchers, in terms of making teachers, students and educators aware of English as a world language as well as developing an attitudinal change with regard to ‘standard’ English. This article suggests that the basic principles of Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) can be best applied through scaffolding using CEFR and EIL given the reality of teaching in relatively low English language proficiency contexts.

ASECS beyond Borders

ASECS beyond Borders Adam Schoene (bio) In contemplating one of the central questions of our "Scholarship across the Aisle" roundtable about what structures prevent us from engaging with those beyond our own national, linguistic, or disciplinary traditions, I began by thinking broadly about the varied composition of different academic divisions. The study of languages, literatures, and cultures is often divided into separate departments based on geographic regions, although they are also now increasingly merging. While cross-cultural collaboration may occur in departments that are home to multiple national or cultural groups—such as Departments of Modern Languages, Romance Studies, or Literatures, Cultures, and Languages, as well as in places where languages and literatures are separate—there is also frequently a desire from these different groups to maintain a degree of distinctiveness and specificity. This creates a challenge as to how best to create multiple spaces for those of different cultural traditions or disciplines to have occasions to express themselves as unique, as well as part of a broader community. Extending this challenge to the American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies (ASECS), I reflected upon the ways by which many are currently working to create such spaces and how we might do even more to overcome the related barriers, both of which I will briefly sketch in what follows. From its inception, ASECS has been characterized by its interdisciplinary spirit, yet it has also encountered moments of tension between languages and disciplines, times that call for patience, diplomacy, and creativity. The [End Page 37] establishment of regional and other affiliate societies is one significant way that ASECS members have responded to this challenge, setting up unique realms of focus and collaboration within the larger society. Important connections around specific areas of interest are often fostered within these smaller or regional subgroups, such as the Aphra Behn Society or the Northeast American Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies, which are conducive to building ties that may be more difficult to construct in a larger or more distant setting. New affiliate societies such as the recently established Southeast Asian Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies might also address underrepresented or less prominent areas of focus within ASECS, helping to further expand the interdisciplinary character of the society and to attract and build greater diversity. In his remarks during the Q&A of the "ASECS Past and Present" 2019 Presidential Session, Logan Connors offered another example of what a space that might nurture cultural diversity as well as cross-disciplinary borders could look like in the setting of an annual meeting: he suggested the idea of organizing linked double sessions around a theme where participants could consider an issue from one cultural perspective on one panel and from another cultural perspective on another panel, which would bring people together around this common theme in both separate and shared spaces. For example, a double session on the theme of "Actresses" or "Cities" might offer one Anglophone panel, while another panel could be focused on Africa, Asia, or continental Europe, but the fact that they are considered a double session and are centered around the same theme could entice scholars to attend both sessions. Constructing such sessions around themes with each part of the double session focusing on one region or linguistic tradition would offer people the space to pursue their own specialized interests and allow them to come together in a broader context. This need not apply to all panels, as some would, of course, still represent a variety of perspectives, as many already do. Extending beyond the context of the annual meeting, another potential method for bridging linguistic, cultural, and disciplinary divides both within and beyond ASECS is by designing conferences or working groups around texts or themes that serve to enact this interconnected form of movement and dialogue. One such point of entry is through travel narratives. The eighteenth century is particularly rich in the genre of travel writing. This area of exploration can open the door to discussion and collaboration across cultures and disciplines, allowing for consideration by specialists from each of the different backgrounds raised in the texts and by those interested in broader global issues. Travel narratives often use what is foreign...

Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), Government Reform, and Their Role in Economic Development and the Rise of the Middle Classes in East and Southeast Asia

Since the 1990s, East and Southeast Asian countries have experienced significant economic growth, leading to the expansion of the middle classes. Some scholars have attributed this economic development to cultural and political factors such as technocrat leaders, ethnic tolerance, or even Confucianism. Other researchers have only mentioned economic variables, such as free market, regional unions, and export-oriented policies. This paper does not rule out the role of these factors in the economic development of those regions, and by using a combined approach based on recent data, the authors argue that attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) and government reforms have been the most important factors influencing economic growth as well as the significant expansion of the middle classes in East and Southeast Asian societies.

Neoliberalism and the punitive turn in Southeast Asia and beyond: implications for gender, sexuality, and graduated pluralism

AbstractAnthropologists and other scholars have explored the elective affinities between neoliberal globalization and punitive turns in both legal and more expansive cultural‐political domains, particularly in Western settings such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and France. This article expands the discussion by engaging these affinities in late modern Southeast Asia, especially the Muslim‐majority nations of Malaysia and Indonesia. One goal of the article is to describe and analyse the constriction of pluralism with respect to gender and sexuality, a key feature of the surge in punitiveness in many societies in Southeast Asia and elsewhere. Others include elucidating similarities and differences between trends in Southeast Asia and the new punitiveness we have seen in the United States in recent decades, and highlighting some of the comparative and theoretical implications of my arguments.