The Asian Scholar

Scholars studying the socio-economic phenomenon in South Asia are perplexed by the social indicators and economic growth that seem to have transformed the lives of the poor and lower classes in Bangladesh. Income for the urban rich increased by 13.36%, while that of the urban poor decreased by 5.34% during 2004-05. This income disparity raises question regarding development efforts to alleviate poverty and claims to eliminate poverty by 2015. Urban poverty is interlinked with rural-urban migration although the “incidence, economics, demography and politics of poverty differ between rural and urban areas”. Urban migration results in pressure on the household vital essentials like food, shelter, water, and fuel need to be paid. Urban poverty in Bangladesh has to be viewed within the context of a predominantly agrarian economy, a growing number of small-scale textile industries, a higher rate of unemployment, a widening gap between rich and poor, corruption and an expanding non-governmental sector. Dhaka has around 4000 slums with a population of over 1,100,000 living in bamboo or tin shelters, defined by a structural socio-economic hierarchy, extreme insecurity, lack of access to essential services, violence, drug and arms culture, police corruption and social isolation. Like in other South Asian states, poverty in Bangladesh has many faces, changing from place to place and across time, characterised by diminishing resources, unequal economic opportunities, vulnerability and fear of further poverty.

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Community-Based Communication: A New Approach to Development Communication

Jude William Genilo

The study makes a simple assertion – rural villages that have developed relatively complex communication systems have extensive local knowledge and practice systems. Using the knowledge and community-based perspective, the study departs from past works of development communication scholars, who have focused their attention mainly on the transfer of information (first, through the use of persuasive top-to-bottom communication models and then, through participatory communication models). Past works have basically neglected to investigate how information is transformed into knowledge and practices. In contrast, this study is concerned with how meaning is created and shared in rural communities through the use of communication. The study looks at how a small homogenous farming community in Thailand utilizes communication to improve rice crop production. It asks: What roles do communication play in the formation of collective definitions (perspectives) and the construction/management of local knowledge and practices on rice farming?

The rice farming community studied is Baan Sap Som Boon (new name) or Baan Nongsai (old name). It is located in the Nonglue Sub-district, Muang District of Chainat Province. A total of 20 farmers, 9 leaders (political, opinion, cooperative, irrigation and farmers’ group) and 9 government/media officers (engaged in irrigation, extension, research, community radio, cooperative promotion and technology transfer) were interviewed for the study. Data generation period was from February to April 2005. Research results that indicate the village has both an extensive knowledge of rice farming methods and procedures (whether traditional, modern or organic) and an elaborate community-based communication system (whether formal, informal or mediated). Communication plays a central role in improving crop production via facilitating the formation of collective definitions on rice farming, labor, economics and agriculture-related institutions. These collective definitions serve as the basis for incorporating or rejecting technical innovations.

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Corporate Governance in Family-Run Businesses in Thailand

Wali-ul-Maroof Matin

Accused of starting the great Asian financial crisis of the late 90s by its so-called crony economics, Thailand put the issue of good corporate governance in its national agenda. The economy has bounced back spectacularly. The practice of the good governance code has been demonstrated well by the corporations in the list of the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Nevertheless, good governance is not the only reason for better performance of the companies, nor are strong family ties the cause of bad performance. Family ties are close in Thailand; and it is neither required nor possible to loosen them in the process of corporate growth, particularly in the SMEs which are promoted and run by family resources. Thailand cannot effectively impose the western code of good governance on a family dominated business. Rather, a home grown, asianized code of business ethics may be promoted for more efficiency and effectiveness.

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Whither China’s New Rich?

Natalia Soebagjo

Since China embarked on its economic reform program in 1978 and especially after Deng Xiaoping’s tour to the south (nanxun) in 1992, China’s economy has grown from strength to strength at an annual average of 9.4%. In 2004, China’s GDP rose 9.5% compared to 9.3% the previous year and the macro-economic outlook for 2005 remains positive. Much of this growth has been driven by the private sector. When previously the state sector dominated China’s economy, the situation now has changed markedly. The role of the state sector has over the years gradually decreased whilst that of the private sector has grown bigger.

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Ethnic Harmony and Economic Development in Malaysia: Lessons for Pakistan

Mutahir Ahmed

Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious state which presents an excellent example of how ethnic harmony and communal coexistence can bring about rapid economic progress. Its GDP grew by 7.1 per cent in 2004, the fastest since 2000. Private investment also increased and contributed 6.2 per cent of points to over all economic expansion. Net international reserves registered an increase of 21.9 billion US dollars to 66.7 billion US dollars till the end of 2004. On the Human Development Index (HDI), Malaysia’s rank is 57 which includes it in the list of medium scale countries. Deutche Bank in a recent report stated that Malaysia would record the highest rate after India ahead of China over the period 2006-2020.

This project analyzes how Malaysia achieved much despite many challenges. Pakistan, a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state, has been facing ethnic chaos since independence, and this has resulted in economic turmoil and political instability. This puts Pakistan in the low Human Development Index list (on HDI Pakistan is 135). This project studies the politics of ethnicity in Pakistan in an historical and comparative perspective with special reference to the State.

In this context, Malaysia can be a good case study from which Pakistan can learn lessons in ethnic coexistence and economic development. The objectives of the project are: first, to look at Malaysia’s political, economic, social and cultural institutions; second, to examine Malaysia’s resolution of its ethnic problems, how various ethnic groups were integrated and why the State of Pakistan failed to resolve its own ethnic crisis; third, to examine the role of religion in Pakistan and Malaysia and to analyze major areas of differences; fourth, to find out what lessons Pakistan can learn from the processes of building/creating economic stability, religious tolerance, ethnic harmony, cultural diversity and democratization in Malaysia; finally, to develop interest in the dynamics of Malaysian society within Pakistan and create better understanding between the two countries, particularly in the cultural field.

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The Kunming Initiative: Prospects for Sub-regional Cooperation

Laishram Rajen Singh

In contemporary international relations, two of the most important concepts are regionalism and sub-regionalism. Traces of regionalism, though in a different form, have existed since World War II. The enduring pursuit of regionalism and sub-regionalism has an underpinning thrust on peace, security and development through exploration, identification and gradual intensification of trade, economic and cultural ties among the geographically contiguous areas. The Kunming Initiative, or what has come to be known as the BCIM (Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar) Forum, is one such sub-regional venture that explores the prospects of cooperation by clustering parts or the whole of Bangladesh, China, India and Myanmar, specifically the land-locked frontier areas.

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New Religious Movements in India: The Mata Amritanadamayi Math

Qiu Yonghui

When we talk about social movements in India, it’s the religio-sectarian movements that have been predominant. Research on new religious movements, therefore, has a unique significance in a country like India where religious faith remains a decisive factor in the smooth conduct of social life for the vast majority of people. Even the role of a Guru or spiritual teacher creates a tremendous impact on society both at the local and global levels. It is in this context that this paper seeks to analyse the aims, objectives and contributions of a new religious movement in India, which is the Kerala based Mata Amritanadamayi Math founded by Mata Amritanadamayi herself who is popularly known as Amma. By placing the Math within a larger and more integrated paradigm of modernization in India and globalization in the world, the paper examines the growth of this particular religious movement in the Hindu religious and socio-political contexts at the local level, and in the spiritual context at the global level. Significantly, this case study demonstrates that socio-religious organizations contribute to society by paying more attention to religious values rather than religious rituals and symbols.

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Tackling HIV/AIDS Among Injecting Drug Users: Lessons Learned from Thailand

Laila Khondkar

Thailand is one of the very few countries to have reversed a serious HIV/AIDS epidemic. In sharp contrast to other groups at risk, HIV prevalence among injecting drug users (IDUs) in Thailand never dropped. Using the link between health and human rights as a theoretical framework this study examines Thai response to HIV/AIDS among IDUs. Literature review, visits to interventionsites, and in-depth interviews were conducted for the purpose of the study.

In Thailand, there are no conceptual and operational linkages between drug control and HIV prevention and intervention policy. Thailand’s drug policies emphasize criminalization over humane treatment and harm reduction. Challenges faced by drug users include the criminal justice approach taken by government, limited prevention coverage, ineffective treatment interventions, and discriminatory practices in society and health care facilities. The war on drugs drove numerous drug users into hiding from the few existing services that help protect them from HIV. State imposed barriers to harm reduction programs for IDUs violate their human right to health. It is essential to change laws and policies that prevent IDUs from accessing services. Sound public health rationale based on scientific evidence must prevail against moralistic arguments. Protecting human rights should be central while addressing HIV/AIDS among IDUs.

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Environmental Impact of Thailand’s Trade with OECD

Kakali Mukhopadhyay

The impact of trade liberalisation on the environment is an important world issue. Two conflicting theories, namely, the pollution haven and factor endowment theories, have emerged from the debate.

Among all South and Southeast Asian countries Thailand can be regarded as one of the fastest growing economy. The average annual growth rate between 1980 and 2004 is around seven percent. This high economic growth was led by the manufacturing sector. Liberalization of trade has been the main driver and corner stone of this growth of the Thai economy. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is a major trading partner of Thailand. The current study evaluates the impact of Thailand’s trade with the OECD from 1980 to 2000 using the two theories mentioned above. The study also examines the implications of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the environment. The framework of the analysis is based on the Input-Output approach which has been extended and modified for the work. Results reveal that Thailand is a pollution haven in 2000 and is not supportive of the factor endowment hypothesis. The effect of FDI is also not environment friendly.

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Health and Sexuality among the Youth in the Philippines: Some Issues and Concerns

Sanghmitra S. Acharya

Youth is a demographic concept which has biological and social aspects. It is an age group which links childhood with adulthood. Besides spatio-temporal differentials, the youth differ in terms of the socio-cultural, political and economic structures of the countries they reside in. Youth is also the life span when sexuality is discovered, exposing young people to the risk of pregnancy, child bearing and sexually transmitted diseases. Youth is a significant stage in life, an important part of individual growth and a factor in national development. It establishes a continuum between past, present and the future generations. The health of the youth and national development are intricately linked. The absence of disease and the presence of wellbeing are important for the functional man-days in any economy. A large share of the labour force is comprised of the youth. Critical lifecourse events such as completion of education, entry into jobs, marriage, sexual experience, parenthood, occur during this phase. The youth are marrying later and becoming more sexually active before marriage. Communication with adults is an important factor in their preparation for these events. In the Philippines, the youth constitute 20% of the population. The constitution of the Philippines does not make any reference to the youth’s sexual or reproductive rights. However, the Department of Health (DOH) issued the Adolescent and Youth Health Policy (AYHP) in April 2000 to recognize adolescents as a priority group in terms of pressing health needs. It is a positive indicator that the youth today are not seen as a problem group but as a potential resource for the country’s development. Given this background, the present paper endeavours to examine the role of ccommunication between adults and youth regarding health and sexuality in the transition into responsible adulthood. Both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection are used. Major findings suggest that the youth do not have adequate and correct information about health and sexuality, thus communication with adults is important.

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Men Can Be Allies: Men’s Involvement in Ending Domestic Violence in Mumbai

Nur Hasyim

Domestic violence occurs in the family because there is an asymmetrical relation between husband and wife. Views on masculinity found in this study contributed toward the formation of an asymmetrical pattern between men and women or husband and wife at home. This study also revealed that masculinity is a product of socialization. Values on masculinity had been taught in early socialization in the family through the father-son relationship. As a product of socialization, masculinity can be changed. Three levels are addressed in the efforts of transforming masculinity values into a more positive and constructive masculinity: personal, institutional and cultural. A men’s group in Mumbai deals with abusive men (men who abuse their spouse) by building a non-threatening space for men to disclose their abusive behavior. This initiative was developed to support the women’s movement in ending domestic violence against women. The non-threatening principle has become a core principle in this transformative project for men. In this study, a growing recognition of the importance of men’s involvement in ending domestic violence has emerged. Moreover, men’s groups are now expected to play significant roles in eradicating violence against women especially domestic violence.

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Mathematics Teaching in Shanghai, China

Lim Chap Sam

Chinese students, including those from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan are widely acclaimed in a number of international comparisons of mathematics achievement. However, the conditions of mathematics learning in these Chinese schools, which are often crowded and teacher-centered, have been found to be unfavorable in the eyes of Western educators. This contradictory condition was termed ‘a paradox of Chinese learners’. It has since attracted increasing research interest from policy makers and educators from both the East and the West who are searching for the ‘secrets’ of Chinese learners. This paper aims to discuss some characteristics of mathematics teaching observed in five Shanghai schools and what we can learn from the Shanghai experience. These characteristics include a) teacher dominant yet student centered classroom interaction; b) teaching with variation; c) emphasis on precise and elegant mathematical language; d) emphasis on logical reasoning, mathematical thinking and proofing during teaching; e) classroom discipline and f) strong and cohesive teacher-student rapport.

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Private Sector Financing of Higher Education in the Philippines and Its Policy Implications for India

Kishori M. Joshi

The private higher education sector of the Philippines is proportionally one of the largest in the world. It is the only system where proprietary institutions also assume importance along with the sectarian non-profit institutions, and their behaviour appears parallel, which works on the rules of the market. The private sector grew largely in the post independence period in the absence of resources from the state for higher education along with any precise policy. A closer look at the functioning of these institutions reveals that they heavily rely upon tuition revenues, predominantly upon a student client that is by no means healthy. The private higher education institutions have failed to trap other private resources. These institutions also have a wide disparity in terms of quality, and the equity issue still appears to be unattended in true sense, and are affected by quality of institutions, location, tuition fees and economic background. In spite of these demerits the transition rate and the participation ratio are comparable to a developed nation. It is the presence of this private sector that has made the higher education accessible in terms of increased participation, in the absence of state resources. The present study examines the above issue in-depth to derive some policy implications for the emerging private higher education system of India.

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Amir Khusrau and the Indo-Muslim Identity in the Art Music Practices of Pakistan

Yousuf Saeed

This paper outlines the results of a historical and sociological study of art music practices in urban Pakistan, especially focusing on the repertoire of South Asia’s 13th century poet-composer Amir Khusrau. Starting with a historical background of Khusrau, the report provides a brief introduction to the art music practices of South Asia. The study then surveys the cultural impact of the Partition of India and the events in post-1947 Pakistan on the development of art music. It also examines the role that Khusrau’s music played in legitimizing the practice of music in Pakistan, especially in the creation of its national identity.

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Chinese Music in Chinese and Thai Culture

Jintana Thunwaniwat

This research explores the transmission of knowledge to succeeding generations (passing of culture) through the use of music, specifically the music of Southern China and Thailand. The study covers the following topics regarding music: religion (morality), ceremony, opera (story telling), entertainment, and personal expression (learning how to play the music.)

The geography of the culture observed includes most of Southern China and all of Thailand. China has used music as a learning tool even before the time of Confucius and the Chinese immigrants into Thailand brought their music with them.

Western influence, formal education from primary levels to PhD, written music scripts, and the mass media are all changing the role of music in China. This is not happening yet in Thailand.

The challenge to Thailand is to meet this changing culture by formal education at both elementary and university levels to keep the history, rituals, and music alive while understanding the evolution into modern acceptance. Meanwhile, Chinese music remains an important part of both Thai and Chinese cultures.

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A Comparative Study of the Tolpavakoothu and the Wayang Kulit Shadow Puppet Theatre

I Nyoman Sedana

This paper is part of my research findings on the performance of puppet theatre in India. Selected from my survey of 24 genres of traditional and experimental puppetry is the Indian Tolpavakoothu shadow puppet which I have compared with the Balinese Wayang shadow theatre in terms of its metaphysical and psycho-ritual motivation; socio-cultural significance and historical setting; narrative source; the puppets; performance methods, structure, and apparatus; music accompaniment; performers; and the training/education of performers. This comparative assessment is the main thesis of this paper. This paper will focus on the metaphysical and psycho-ritual motivation, the socio-cultural constraints, the use of the clown, and narrative differences in the treatment of the Ramayana. I feel that these evince a linkage as well as show significant differences between the forms. While the historical circumstances of a borrowing cannot be validated, the parallelisms show a deep commonality in the structure of performance: each puppet show is dedicated to the divine, brings beneficence to humans, and is required in a regular ritual cycle. The shared Ramayana epic links the two, while the distinctive local treatment which includes indigenization via use of clown characters shows that this great epic of Hindu thought has been appropriately localized to reflect different interpretations. While both theatres display the importance of puppetry as a ritual and religious practice, they also highlight cultural differences and adaptations.

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