Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik

Gender policy implementation process in higher education institutions in Ghana

Sophia Agyeibea Abnory — 2024-12-20

To achieve gender equality, domestic and international organisations have developed gender policies to integrate gender equality considerations into development processes. However, gender inequality persists in most spheres of society. Some higher education institutions have developed and implemented gender policies to address the gender gap. The scholarly literature available pays scant attention to how gender policies are implemented in higher learning institutions. This study, therefore, aims to understand how gender policies in higher education institutions are implemented to bridge the gender gap in female participation and representation in leadership positions. Using the qualitative approach of in-depth interviews, the analysed data reveal that universities use various strategies such as mentoring female staff, gender awareness and sensitisation, creation of gender centres and institutional support, and continuous gender education as means of implementing gender policies. These strategies lead to resilient and gender-inclusive systems and promote full participation of women in the various sectors and subject areas of higher education in Ghana. It is concluded that effective implementation of gender policies in higher education institutions, through well-articulated strategies, is crucial for promoting female participation, challenging ingrained gender norms, and achieving gender equality and inclusivity.

Historical and cultural similarities to sister city collaboration efforts between Tanjungpinang (Indonesia) and Johor Bahru (Malaysia)

Anastasia Wiwik Swastiwi — 2024-12-20

Sister city cooperation based on common historical and cultural ties between Tanjungpinang, Indonesia and Johor Bahru, Malaysia provides a strategic opportunity to enhance socio-cultural interaction and encourage tourism. This research aims to find opportunities for sister city collaboration and the types of activities that are included in the scope of cooperation between the two cities. The method used in this research is descriptive with a qualitative approach by collecting various data, including official government documents, local demographic statistics, socio cultural characteristics, economic situation, development plans, and public and government views regarding social and development activities. To analyze the phenomena that occur, the theory of liberalism is used which states that a country can achieve political and economic goals through cooperation and promoting individual freedom and social justice. The results of this study indicate that the collaboration can be an effective platform for the exchange of knowledge, practices and resources between the two cities, and can also expand the network of partners involved in inclusive education. The study concluded that there are still several challenges such as limited resources, lack of public awareness and understanding, and structural barriers that can affect the effectiveness of implementing this collaborative effort. Thus, an active and collaborative role is needed from state and non-state actors to achieve sustainable economic and tourism goals.

Namibian-German Diplomacy in colonial reparations (2011 – 2021)

Narashangsa Bimasatria — 2024-12-20

Namibia’s history as a German Empire “mandate” from the 1884-1885 Berlin Conference builds a diplomatic relation characterized by the push for reparations. This research aims to study the Namibian-German diplomacy in colonial reparations as a best practice basis in navigating the complex relationship between an ex-colony and its ex-colonizer to achieve reconciliation, particularly between 2011 – 2021 where reparations between the two countries showed concrete progress. Using qualitative methods, this research is guided by the Van Boven Bassiouni principles, the Abuja Proclamation, and Paulose & Rogo’s idea to dissect colonial reparations and McDonald’s multitrack diplomacy as a conceptual framework. This research found that aspirations and legal pushes from the Herero People’s Reparation Corporation triggered the diplomatic processes. Concrete progress started occurring in 2011 with the repatriation of Herero remains to Namibia, followed by recognition of German colonial practices, compensations, and rehabilitative efforts involving various actors. This showcases diplomacy as a relevant approach to resolving colonial reparations, where in the Namibian-German context, the government track emerges as the main track providing the most comprehensive result. This research also highlighted the importance of diplomatic engagement in addressing colonial reparations and its potential to offer a model for achieving reconciliation through restoring human values.

Social media and collective identity on protest, analysis comparative of Omnibus Law protest and Hongkong 19-20 protest

Arissy Jorgi Sutan — 2024-12-24

The large protests against the New Amendment to the Extradition Bill in Hong Kong and the Omnibus Law 2020 Job Creation Bill in Indonesia are proof of the massive public movement through social media. This study aims to determine how social media is used in social movements in terms of dichotomy content, actor clusters, and collective identity formation in two cases: Indonesia (Rejection of the Omnibus Law Job Creation Bill) and Hong Kong (Rejection of the Extradition Bill Amendment). Differences and similarities are listed below. This research uses a Qualitative Method, with the analysis using Qualitative Data Analysis Software (Q-DAS), namely NVIVO 12Plus. This study has the following results: First, the dichotomy content between Indonesia and Hong Kong tends to be evenly distributed. Second, both examples show parallels in the distribution of actor clusters with the dichotomy, demonstrating that both cases have become a significant movement. Third, the collective identity in the Indonesian case refers to the contesting parties in the pros and cons of the Omnibus Law. In contrast, the Hong Kong case relates to protecting the Hong Kong people’s ethnicity, language, politics, economy, and culture. The limitations of this study focus on social media in social movements and collective identities, excluding regulatory analysis and aspects of digital/mass media. This study recommends further research focusing on the legal consequences of the Omnibus Law and including digital and mass media in the framing of social movements.

Digital literacy and its effect on learners’ civic engagement in adult and vocational education in Nigeria

Columbus Deku Bessong — 2024-12-24

Several works on the benefits of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in society’s survival have been recognised by experts. However, in reality, the use of ICT in developing countries like Nigeria is still in its infancy due to their lack of knowledge about it. This study examines the effect of digital literacy on the civic engagement of learners in adult and vocational education in Nigeria. It adopted a non-equivalent control type of quasi-experimental research design involving the experimental and control groups. The sample size was 140 learners drawn from public adult and vocational education centers across Nigeria. The data-collecting instrument was the “Civic Engagement Test” (CET). Data were analysed using mean, standard deviation and analysis of covariance. Findings show that learners exposed to digital literacy had a higher positive effect on civic engagement than basic literacy. Furthermore, cooperative learning style adopted as a moderating variable had a higher civic engagement mean score than solitary. On interaction effect, the study concluded that basic literacy had a more positive effect than digital literacy, hence the need for the provision of necessary facilities to promote digital literacy skills among learners.

Ethical risks of using ChatGPT in higher education institutions in Malaysia

Wan Khairul Aiman Wan Mokhtar — 2024-12-29

Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot ‘ChatGPT’ in the education sector has changed the learning patterns among students, staff, and lecturers. The rise of AI-driven tools is bringing forth significant ethical concerns, which are considered essential to discuss. The present study was conducted in three public sector universities in Malaysia, where we opted for the quantitative research design and approached the research participants through personal invitation and snowball sampling procedures. A total of 406 respondents were involved in this study, and the data was gathered through a survey, using structured questionnaire. The purpose of this method is to collect diverse data from a variety of participants, including students, staff, and lecturers. The findings show that it is imperative to highlight the need for robust ethical guidelines and a higher education institution framework to ensure that implementation is indispensable. Furthermore, addressing these ethical challenges can harness the potential of chatbots in academia along with ensuring ethical concerns being addressed. The study concluded that academicians had clear understanding about the ethical issues of using ChatGPT or AIs. The study also suggests recommendations regarding the ethical usage by the government of Malaysia.

Digital transformation and innovation for enhancing the performance of primary schools in Malaysia

Abdullah Ibrahim — 2024-12-31

The digital transformation presents a unique and powerful avenue for enhancing the leadership role of headmasters in primary schools in Malaysia. The technological transformation at primary schools has encompassed integrating digital tools to streamline administrative processes, faster communication, and foster decision-making. The purpose of the current study is to find out the effect and the role of the headmaster’s innovative leadership style in utilizing digital tools and adopting the technologies for administrative roles. Furthermore, following the Malaysian Education Quality Standard (MEQS), the headmaster acts as a high-impact leader to mobilize and develop the school community in an integrated manner. The method used in this study is a quantitative method, with a data collection process through a survey of school principals, related to national schools in Kuala Nurus, and the surrounding areas. The findings show that adaptation digital tools enabling the data-driven approach, enhancing administrative efficiency, and improving the communication style facilitate more responsive and positive leadership roles. Therefore, this digital transformational approach ultimately pays for a better educational experience for students, and a more robust and adaptive learning school environment. This study also concluded that more digital transformation adaptation in primary schools will lead to improving the key performance indicators of schools in Malaysia.

Forcibly retrieving bodies of deceased persons with confirmed COVID-19: A lesson learned from the COVID-19 pandemic

Doddy S. Singgih — 2024-12-31

During the pandemic in Indonesia, 43 cases of forced retrieval of COVID-19-confirmed bodies and attempts to bury them by their families were recorded in online media. In 2020, 31 cases occurred and in 2021, there were 12 cases until April. This study aims to describe the religious culture on bereavement of the community towards death due to COVID-19 where the community retrieves the bodies by force. This study used qualitative method. Data were collected from randomly selected online media. Interviews with hospital morticians were conducted to complement data on forced body retrieval and similar previous studies. The results show that religious and cultural values are the driving factors for forced body retrieval. On the other hand, factors such as stigma and misinformation are allegedly reinforcing the act of forced body retrieval. The lesson learned from this is to involve cultural and religious systems along with the implementation of health protocols when treating patients with confirmed COVID-19. However, this must be balanced with adequate information for the community.