ASEAN Journal of Research

Migration of Metaphors: Making Sense of Music in the Lives of the Urban Poor in Dhaka

Aditi Sharif — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Migration of Metaphors: Making Sense of Music in the Lives of the Urban Poor in Dhaka by Sumon Rahman is reviewed by Aditi Sharif.

Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberty

John Walsh — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberty by Sophie Lewis is reviewed by John Walsh.

Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East

John Walsh — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Balc Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East by Kim Ghattas is reviewed by John Walsh.

Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life on the Body in an Unjust Society

John Walsh — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Weathering: The Extraordinary Stress of Ordinary Life on the Body in an Unjust Society by Arline T. Geronimus is reviewed by John Walsh.

Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World

John Walsh — Thu, 17 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Naomi Klein's book Doppelganged: A Trip into the Mirror World is reviewed by John Walsh of Krirk University.

An Exploration of UNILAG Students' Perceptions of Church Fellowships in Mental Health Support

SEGUN OLULOWO, Mary Tofunmi, MR ADESOLA — Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study explores the impact of church fellowships on mental health support for students at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), utilizing a mixed-methods approach combining surveys and interviews. Grounded in Social Support Theory, the research emphasizes the role of social networks in providing emotional, informational, and practical support. The findings reveal that 87% of respondents find religious activities effective in managing stress and anxiety, while 89.5% believe religious support positively influences mental health. Additionally, 96.5% of respondents value the sense of community offered by church fellowships. Interviews with church leaders indicate that while direct suicide cases are rare, depression, academic pressure, and family issues contribute to suicidal thoughts among students. Although churches provide emotional and financial support, the lack of formal mental health training limits their effectiveness. The study confirms the relevance of Social Support Theory by demonstrating how church fellowships reduce mental stress through fostering strong social connections. However, it also highlights the need for structured mental health training for church leaders and recommends partnerships with mental health professionals to improve intervention strategies. Suggestions for enhancing support systems include expanding community-building activities and support groups. A noted limitation of the research is its relatively small sample size focused on UNILAG students, potentially affecting the generalizability of results. Future research should involve larger, more diverse populations to better understand the role of church fellowships in supporting student mental health across various contexts. The church program significantly improves students' mental health, with both church role and program jointly influencing religious support (R² = 0.423, p<0.005).

Disruption and Adaptation: Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change and Adaptation in ArKandi Village of Bangladesh

Shanta Islam, Aditi Sharif — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Though climate change is a global crisis, it has harmful effects on the lives and livelihoods at the local level and agriculture is one of the most vulnerable sectors exposed to this issue. The present study aims to explore the impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector and adaptation in a riverine village in Bangladesh. Utilizing mixed methods, this study attempts to unravel the disastrous impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector including reduced quality of agro-ingredients and lower rates of crop production that eventually disrupt the lives and livelihoods of the peasants. However, people in that village tend to adopt different adaptation strategies to combat such effects. In this regard, they make their decisions based on the types of calamities by utilizing local knowledge and perceptions, intuitions and experiments, and institutional guidance.

Leadership and Developmental Models: The Case of China and Nigeria

Adetoro Banwo, Yusuf Fadairo , Mercy Agiode — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study looks at two powerful countries' political leadership and their capacity to formulate ideas that might influence the modernization of their countries. The study shows that to propel their country towards economic progress and prosperity, political leaders must design, formulate, and carry out realistic short- and long-term goals. The study employed content analysis and collected data through homogenous purpose sampling. This investigation selected several criteria for analysis, including political leadership, economic policies, ideological beliefs, and Chinese and Nigerian visions. The framework for understanding this study is based on developmental state theory. It emphasizes the political leader’s proactive and strategic intervention in driving a state’s economic development and transformation. The paper posits that the trajectory of any civilization is contingent upon the nation's stable and ideological political leadership, which endeavors to alter the economic, political and cultural foundations of society. Therefore, the political leadership of the nation must be at the centre of any effective modernization vision. The path to economic development, according to this work's conclusion, is predicated on stable political leadership, a vision, a purpose, and an objective that may spur both short- and long-term, realistic policy action that satisfies the needs and desires of the populace.

Maternal Health-Seeking Process of Dalit Women in Dhaka

Afrin Mehtaj — Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This research explores the maternal health-seeking processes of Dalit women in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It has been conducted with intensive fieldwork at the households of Jagannath Hall 4^th class staff. The Dalit women of this area like to seek treatment from their nearest hospitals. This study analyses maternal health-seeking processes of Dalit women through the theories of authoritative knowledge, biopower and therapy management groups. Their households are located inside Jagannath Hall, Dhaka University and in a restricted area. They are living here because of their ancestral job positions. It is easier for women to go to the nearest hospitals in their pregnancy period. In this locality, hospital is the central place for child delivery. Doctors keep control of women’s bodies through medical knowledge. The role of kin members and generational influence matter a lot for pregnant Dalit mothers. This research investigates how the hospital has become a key arena in the locality and the influence of family members on Dalit women during their maternal phase. During pregnancy, Dalit women follow the rules and advice learnt from their female kin members. In Dhaka, they do not face discrimination as Dalits.

Comparative Studies of Gender Discrimination in Ancient Israel (Numbers Chapters 1-11) and Contemporary Nigeria

Segun Olulowo, Solomon Taiwo Babawale, Emilius Olabode Aina — Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

A study of the book of Numbers (chapters one to eleven) revealed that only males who are twenty years and above are reckoned with in Ancient Israel. The demographic population of Israel in 2020 reveals that the male to female ratio in Israel was 99.1 males per 100 females. Not making the voice of majority of any economy count is a colossal waste that needs immediate intervention. The study thus is a comparative study of gender discrimination of women in ancient Israel and contemporary Nigeria respectively. The research design was descriptive. 120 questionnaires were administered to the leaders, workers and worshippers of the Redeemed Christian Church of God Ebute-Meta and Christ Redeemer Fellowship University of Lagos, Nigeria. 84 copies were retrieved back and subjected to analysis, representing a return rate of 70%. The research engages production/property relations theories. The study revealed that Ancient Israel and Nigeria have similar cultural attitudes to women. Both are patriarchal societies where women are denied access to decision-making and agenda-setting processes and, beyond that, opportunities for leading these processes. This results in the invisibility of women as public actors and violates their rights to equal participation. The church must be dedicated to unapologetic interpretation of the several ambiguities surrounding previous interpretations made on gender issues and be bold to declare the correct and culturally unbiased Biblical ethical stance on gender issues. Likewise, governments must properly and productively engage their constitutionally endowed legislative power to remedy any form of gender discrimination enshrined in laws. Government must put in place policy and laws that will stop child marriage and forbid sexual harassment. All genders should be given a level playing field for equal protection under the law.

Secondary School Teachers’ Awareness of, Access to and Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Teaching in Ilorin-West, Nigeria

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Artificial intelligence (AI) in education refers to the ability of a computer system to perform human tasks, such as thinking and learning. Benefits of AI for teaching are yet to be explored in the Nigerian educational system because there are substantial socio-cultural and organizational challenges. The study hence investigated secondary school teachers’ awareness of, access to and adoption of AI for teaching. Specifically, the study: (i) assessed teachers’ awareness of AI for teaching; (ii) determined teachers’ access to AI tools for teaching; (iii) examined factors that affected teachers’ adoption of AI for teaching and (iv) assessed public and private school teachers’ access to AI for teaching at secondary schools in Ilorin-West, Kwara State, Nigeria. A descriptive research design of the survey type was adopted. A total number of 200 computer studies teachers participated from fourteen secondary schools where information and communication technology facilities are available. Descriptive statistics of frequency count, percentages and means were used to answer the research questions. T-test was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. Findings established that secondary school teachers:

are not aware of AI for teaching;
did not have access to AI tools for teaching;
lack of funds and infrastructural facilities are some of the factors that affect teachers’ adoption of AI for teaching and
there was no significant difference between public and private secondary school teachers’ access to AI for teaching.

The study concluded that 59.8% of teachers in secondary schools are not aware of AI and do not adopt it for teaching. This has great implications for raising the awareness of the benefits of implementing AI in the teaching process. Hence, the study recommended, among others, that teachers should be enlightened about the benefits of new technologies for smart teaching.

Influence of Virtual Learning on Secondary School Students’ Academic Performance during the Pandemic in Nigeria

Mohammed Rabiu Abdulrahman, Alimi A. E. — Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

bridging the barriers of distance and time. Learners in this case have the opportunity to learn curriculum-based contents remotely, which made teaching and learning activities possible during the pandemic era. However, learners in the developing world are still facing certain challenges around the implementation of such methods. Hence, this study investigated the influence of virtual learning on secondary school students’ academic performance during the pandemic era in Ilorin south by examining the virtual learning tool(s) that was utilized for learning during the pandemic; learners’ attitude and academic performance. 419 respondents participated in the descriptive study design while the data was being gathered. The results showed that Moodle and other virtual learning technologies were utilized for instruction. The academic performance of secondary school students was positively impacted by virtual learning environments. The study came to the conclusion that virtual learning could encourage educational institutions to adopt a 21st-century curriculum. When virtual learning is incorporated into the classroom, gender has no discernible impact on students' academic achievement. Given that virtual learning platforms help students overcome time and distance limitations, it was suggested that school pupils receive training in their use.

Readership and Perception of Newspaper Editorials for Social Mobilization and Transformation among Selected Netizens in Nigeria

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study, which was anchored in the ‘technology determinism’ and the ‘uses and gratification’ theories, interrogated five research questions and three hypotheses to determine readership and perceptions of newspaper editorials for social transformation among Netizens in Nigeria through a survey of 1,250 respondents found by random sampling. Findings showed a significant difference between readership of hardcopy and softcopy newspapers among the respondents. A majority of the respondents did not read editorials in softcopy newspapers regularly. Most of them also perceived editorials as efficient, convenient, and cost-effective for social mobilization and transformation. However, the study found that gender did not determine respondents’ perception of editorials but found a significant relationship between respondents’ age brackets and their perception of editorials. The study concludes that low readership renders editorials inefficient as a force for social mobilization and transformation in present-day society. It recommends that planners of social mobilization and transformation campaigns should focus more on online newspapers than hardcopy versions.

Effects of Body Shaming on the Behaviour of University Students in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Nabila Sultana — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Body shaming is a shame feeling occurs when individual is judged by people to not fulfill their expectation in terms of physical appearance. Weight shaming, skinny shaming, skin tone shaming, hair shaming and shaming for other parts of body are found in this study. This study has tried to find out the effects of body shaming on the behavior of university students in Dhaka city according to three objectives- how body shaming effects individual’s self-image; how body shaming effects individual’s interpersonal and social behavior and the last one is how the victims of body shaming cope up with body shaming experience. This study is based on qualitative research method. Data was collected through in-depth interviews of 40 (20 males.20 females) students from different public and private universities in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Purposive sampling technique has been selected to choose respondents. At the end of the study, some recommendations have been suggested for the victims how they can overcome from the experience of body shaming and also some suggestions are given for the authority how can the body shaming attitude can be prevented.