Journal of Research for International Educators

Authoritarian Discipline as a Remedy for Sex Trafficking in Cambodia

Bryon Lippincott — 2025-02-03

This article explores the unlikely convergence of patriarchal beliefs, ideologies, and narratives between traditional Cambodian culture, Christian ideologies, and international political pressures on the Cambodian government. This convergence creates the opportunity for an authoritarian disciplinary approach to social justice and community development interventions to address sex trafficking in Cambodia that denies women the agency to make choices about their bodies and engage in sexual commerce for economic survival or financial gain. It also legitimizes strict control of women during their recovery from sex trafficking, preventing them from contacting their families, denying them freedom of movement, and coercing them to work in social enterprises or state-owned operations as part of their rehabilitation. Government actors and anti-trafficking NGOs use cultural, religious, and political narratives to equate sex work and sex trafficking, resulting in physical violence against women, infringements on their human rights, invasions of their privacy, and their subjection to disciplinary environments in both government and NGO shelters. Narratives identifying women engaging in sexual commerce as trafficking victims without regard for their circumstances and choices is an act of rhetorical violence and social injustice that diminishes their perceived value in society, reduces their access to opportunities and social support systems, and results in increased risks of other forms of violence. This article recommends clarifying anti-trafficking legislation, improving oversight on anti-trafficking responses and interventions, and improving social and cultural narratives related to sex trafficking.

Re-learning Matriarchy: Exploring Women's Influence in Peacebuilding in the Northern Thai Society

Frederic Gloor — 2025-02-03

This research explored the complex cultural dynamics of matriarchy within Northern Thailand, focusing on Lanna traditions, amidst the prevailing patriarchy in broader societal and religious contexts. Employing a comprehensive method involving field visits, literature reviews, and engagements in Lawa, Lua, Karen, and Lahu villages, the study explored three primary objectives: the perceptions shaping women's roles, their contributions to Northern Thai society, and the influence of implicit matriarchy stemming from ancient beliefs. Despite conventional expectations, the findings reveal women's significant impacts on the economy, spiritual practices, maternal duties, conflict management skills, and their distinct connections to land ownership. Historical narratives depicted women assuming roles in political and military leadership, underscoring the interplay between ancient matriarchal systems and dominant patriarchal norms. The study synthesized the coexistence of these influences, providing insights into roles of women in Northern Thai society. Furthermore, it offered recommendations for educators and community leaders to empower and promote the advancement of women in the region, thus fostering a more inclusive, gender-equitable, and culturally sensitive educational framework that contributes to broader societal progress and a peaceful community.

Disability inclusion in for-profit organizations:

Thomas Bredgaard — 2025-02-03

Work organizations recruiting and integrating workers with disabilities share a surprisingly common set of enablers. Across three different countries and five organizations, we find that they are characterised by (1) inclusive core values, (2) senior management commitment, (3) disability inclusive culture and (4) strong community partnerships. The study is based on a strategic selection of companies that employ a much larger proportion of employees with disabilities compared to similar companies in their country: Walgreens and Sephora in the USA, Philips and VodafoneZiggo in the Netherlands and Grundfos in Denmark. They are large, private, and successful companies in very different contexts. Our contribution to the disability literature is to focus on enablers rather than barriers to employment and to identify a specific set of common enablers that promote labour market inclusion of people with disabilities.

Sustainable Panaceas for Street Vending in Ndola Zambia

Kingsley Chisanga — 2025-02-03

Street vending was declared illegal by an Act of parliament in Zambia in 1992 because of the increase in negative outcomes including pickpocketing, worsening public hygiene and order, exacerbating the spread of diseases, tax evasion, and environmental pollution. Despite the numerous negative outcomes of street vending, it is undoubtedly the largest creator of informal jobs, both for skilled and unskilled immigrants and citizens. Despite many suggestions, strategies and efforts of many stakeholders and researchers to find a lasting solution to street vending in Zambia, the vendors are still trading on the undesignated streets. The aim of this research was therefore to explore the views and experiences of the participants on the sustainable panaceas for street vending in Ndola. The failure of the Local Authorities (LAs) in Zambia to permanently evict street vendors from trading in the undesignated places, despite their various interventions and resources committed, necessitated this research. Researchers conducted legal analysis to examine the current laws against street vending and found lacunas that need to be addressed. Qualitative research methodology and phenomenology design employed to explore the lived experiences of the participants. A conceptual framework for negotiated and tailored vendors’ access to rights claims and trading spaces in urban areas was adopted for this research. Key findings of the research reveals the need for the engineers under the planning department to redesign the town and markets to promote not only market access but also to accommodate population growth. There is also inconsistent enforcement of the law by each new political party in power, while vendors see street vending as a source of household (HH) livelihood due to high unemployment levels. Furthermore, it was found that there are allegations of unreasonable use of force by some LA security officers during crackdowns. In addition, a wide range of sustainable panaceas for street vending noted by the respondents, together with some paradoxical tensions be examined by authorities and stakeholders. The exercise to remove street vendors from the streets resulted in increased alleged corrupt practices by some law enforcement officers. The study concludes by clearly stating the pertinent issues that need to be considered including revisiting the current law on street vending with a view to regulating street vending and finding a win-win strategy to amend the law, coming up with measures to allocate a timeframe for street vending and the issuance of trading permits. Furthermore, consideration should be made to formulate tax system (e.g. presumptive tax) for street vending, and reintroduce Hawkers licenses that was abolished. This could be done by the Ndola City Council Councilors in liaison with the Central Government, by coming up with a bye law specially dealing with the above, or, in the alternative and better still, the Local Government Act (2019) itself could be amended, or indeed, a Statutory Instrument (SI) could be issued by the Minister with a view to incorporating into the law the foregoing matters. In addition, markets need to be redesigned to increase both capacity and resolve the unfair trader-buyer market access challenge, address all the paradoxical tensions noted, and improve hygiene and sanitary facilities in market places.

Exploration of factors associated with challenges faced by internationally trained health professionals in Copperbelt Provence, Zambia

Bernard Nkandu — 2025-02-03

Studying in overseas institutions presents students with exciting opportunities, however, with these opportunities comes challenges. Therefore, this research sought to explore the factors associated with challenges faced by internationally - trained health professionals in Copperbelt province, Zambia. The literature used comprised published articles from journals. The study utilized a Phenomenological descriptive qualitative research design and a convenience sampling method was used to select 26 participants from the Copperbelt province. Thematic analysis was used to present the experiences of the professionals while in foreign countries and after completion of the study. The results revealed various experiences relating to studying internationally, factors associated with the challenges faced and methods used to overcome the challenges. The study recommends that; the ministry of education and Zambian scholarship programs should introduce language programs prior to travel and ensure that when students are going abroad they are fully supported with financial assistance, if possible financial assistance be in American dollars to mitigate effects of kwacha depreciation. In addition, the Ministry of Health, Zambia should design a program for foreign trained health personnel to be integrated into the Zambian workforce without difficulties. In conclusion the study identified various experiences that stood out from their time abroad. Many of the subthemes identified overlapped with common challenges that many international students face such as diet, weather, and language barriers. Although each of these subthemes were important experiences, more unique experiences revealed included challenges that stemmed from racial differences and integration into the Zambian workforce. Exploring these challenges and experiences led to the emphasis on the need for further research and exploration into these aspects of international experiences.

An Empirical Research of AI, Culture, and Arts Course

Hanjin Lee — 2025-02-03

This research explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the "AI, Culture, and Arts" course at ‘H‘ University case. It examines how AI can enhance students' creative and technical abilities across various artistic disciplines. Through 62 surveys and 7 in-indepth interviews with students and faculty, the research identifies the strengths and areas for improvement in the current curriculum. In particular, the development of storytelling through Chat GPT and visual communication practice based on Midjourney and Dall-E were found to have significantly improved AI literacy. We found that this not only fostered confidence and competency in utilizing generative AI services within major subjects, but also expanded perspectives on new career development. The findings highlight the need for more practical examples and clearer project guidelines, aiming to refine the course to better prepare students for future careers at the intersection of new tech and the arts.