Journal of Social, Humanity, and Education

Assessing public policy and neutrality of the state civil apparatus in Indonesian elections

Elpisina Elpisina — 2025-08-01

Purpose: State civil servants have the right to vote in elections, but they are required to be neutral and professional in carrying out their duties and repetition, namely implementing public policies and providing public services to the community without being involved in practical political processes on the election agenda.

Research/methodology: : The method used was a normative legal research method. This research method is carried out in several ways, namely, conducting studies, describing, interpreting, systematizing, and assessing and analyzing positive law.

Results: The results of this research are regulations regarding the neutrality of the State Civil Apparatus as regulated by Law Number 7 of 2017 concerning General Elections, PP No. 42/2004 concerning the Development of Corps Spirit and the Code of Ethics for Civil Servants, PP No. 42/2004 concerning the Development of Corps Spirit and the Code of Ethics for Civil Servants, PP No. 53/2010 concerning Civil Servant Discipline, Law No. 5/2014 concerning State Civil Apparatus, and a circular letter from the Minister of State Apparatus Empowerment and Bureaucratic Reform No. 1 of 2023 concerning the Guidance and Supervision of Neutrality of Non-Civil Servants in the Implementation of General Elections and Elections.

Conclusions: This study increases knowledge about the neutrality of state civil apparatuses in general elections based on Laws and Government Regulations. This study also provides information for policymakers to understand the neutrality of the State Civil Service in General Elections, so that democracy in Indonesia will improve.

Limitations: This study only covers the neutrality of State Civil Apparatus in General Elections; Therefore, expanding the research to the Indonesian National Army and the Republic of Indonesia Police could produce comprehensive findings.

Contribution: This study provides legal insights and policy recommendations to strengthen the neutrality of civil servants and support fair and democratic elections in Indonesia.

Economic displacement and livelihood threats: The impact of industrial resource extraction on local economies

Anita Bans-Akutey — 2025-08-01

Purpose: This study seeks to deconstruct the complex factors underlying the conflict between local miners, the Ada East District Assembly, and Electrochem Ghana by applying a Political Ecology framework.

Research methodology: A qualitative analysis and the Political Ecology theoretical lens are used to examine underlying factors of the case. It draws on empirical evidence from similar conflicts in the region; and contextualizes the Ada East situation within broader patterns of industrial resource extraction and their impact on local economies.

Results: Two core theses of Political Ecology emerge as most relevant to the case: (1) Power and Access to Resources, which examines how control over natural resources by corporations can marginalize local people and (2) Environmental Justice, which highlights the disproportionate socio-environmental costs borne by local communities.

Conclusions: This study concludes that the conflict between local miners, the Ada East District Assembly and Electrochem Ghana is deeply rooted in competing interests over resource control, governance dynamics, and socio-environmental inequalities, as illuminated through the lens of Political Ecology.

Limitations: The analysis is limited to secondary data from comparable cases, which vary in contextual specifics.

Contribution: The study contributes to the literature on Political Ecology by demonstrating how this framework can be applied to assess real-world conflicts over resource access and industrial expansion. It also emphasizes the importance of equitable governance and sustainable resource management in mitigating such conflicts.

Post-colonial representation of women's education in African novels

Grace Niwabiine — 2025-08-06

Purpose: This study investigates the representation of women’s education in Africa within the postcolonial context. The research aims to assess the portrayal of women’s education as a tool for empowerment and social change, focusing on the socio-political implications of post-colonialism and its impact on women’s educational experiences, considering the ongoing legacies of colonialism.

Research methodology: In terms of Methodology, a comparative literary analysis was employed, to analyze thematic and narrative elements of women's education. A purposive sampling method was used to select five significant African novels. Data was further scrutinized through secondary literature that relates to themes of post-colonialism and women's education in African contexts. This analysis will deploy close reading and qualitative literary analysis and most of the data obtained were analyzed thematically.

Results: The findings reveal that themes such as the tension between modern education and traditional expectations were recurrent in the five novels.

Conclusions: , this study affirms that African post-colonial novels do not only serve as literary expressions but are critical sites for investigating gender roles, education and colonial legacies reinforcing the idea that education as portrayed in the selected novels is a key avenue for women empowerment and societal transformation

Limitations: The research was limited by focusing on few authors, which may not fully capture the experiences of other authors in another culture or locality.

Contribution: This article illustrates how education empowers women, to challenge oppressive systems and redefine their identities and offers insights into the impact of women’s education, focusing on its portrayal in post-colonial novels.

Acculturation: Its influence on the cultural practices of Manobo learners of Bukidnon

Erl Gerome Pico — 2025-08-07

Purpose: This study aimed to assess the extent of acculturation and its relationship with the cultural practices of Manobo learners in Damulog, Bukidnon, focusing on assimilation, integration, and marginalization.

Research methodology: A descriptive and correlational research design was used. The study utilized a researcher-made survey questionnaire administered to 300 Grade 10 Manobo learners across four secondary schools in the Damulog area of Bukidnon. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: The study revealed that Manobo learners often experience acculturation in terms of assimilation, integration, and marginalization. Their cultural practices in the economic, social, political, and spiritual aspects were also evident. A moderate positive relationship was found between the extent of acculturation and the level of cultural practices among the learners, suggesting that higher levels of acculturation are associated with stronger cultural practices. These findings imply that acculturation influences how Manobo learners maintain their cultural heritage while adapting to new societal influences.

Conclusions: Indonesia’s BRICS membership can bolster national defence and strategic autonomy if managed with diplomatic prudence. A balanced foreign policy is essential to leverage the advantages of BRICS while preserving partnerships with Western powers and the ASEAN allies. Investment in cybersecurity, military modernization, and defence diplomacy is crucial for long-term stability.

Limitations: This study is limited to Grade 10 Manobo learners in Damulog, Bukidnon, and may not represent other Indigenous groups or age levels. Self-reported data may also introduce bias, and external factors, such as socioeconomic background, were not fully examined.

Contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of how acculturation impacts the cultural practices of Indigenous learners, particularly in educational settings.

Digital silence as a pragmatic strategy: An intercultural qualitative study of online group chats in crisis situations

Ahmed Subhi Abdullah — 2025-07-15

Purpose: This study investigates digital silence as a pragmatic strategy in online group chats during crisis situations, focusing on its cross-cultural functions and interpretations.

Research methodology: Using a qualitative discourse-pragmatic framework, data were collected from 30 online group chats across Arabic-speaking, Western, and East Asian groups, and analyzed for patterns of silence.

Results: Findings reveal that digital silence is universally used but culturally interpreted. In Arabic-speaking groups, silence often conveys politeness or emotional overwhelm; in Western contexts, it may suggest avoidance; and in East Asian cultures, it can indicate deference or restraint.

Conclusions: Digital silence operates as a strategic communicative act shaped by cultural expectations.

This study addressed three research questions. First, digital silence is used pragmatically in online group chats during crises to convey politeness, emotional regulation, resistance, and ambiguity. Second, it serves functions such as mourning, face-saving, strategic withdrawal, and deference. Third, these functions vary culturally: in Arabic-speaking contexts, silence often reflects solidarity and emotion; in Western groups, it can imply resistance or discomfort; and in East Asian settings, it demonstrates restraint and hierarchy.

Limitations: The research is limited to group chats during specific types of crises, and findings may not generalize to all online interactions.

Contribution: This study contributes to digital pragmatics and intercultural communication by illuminating the nuanced role of silence in crisis discourse.

Assessing the implementation of the child-friendly school system and its relationship to learner well-being in SOCCSKSARGEN

Luzviminda Bautista — 2025-08-08

Purpose: This study examined the level of implementation of the Child-Friendly School System (CFSS) in the three city divisions of SOCCSKSARGEN and its relationship with learners' well-being. This study aimed to determine whether the CFSS contributes to positive emotional and educational experiences among learners.

Research methodology: Using a descriptive-correlational design, the study gathered data from 237 respondents, including teachers, child protection coordinators, guidance counselors, and SSLG advisers from selected large, medium, and small schools in General Santos City, Koronadal City, and Tacurong City. The data collection instruments were based on DepEd Order No. 44, s. 2015, and a validated learner well-being scale. The statistical tools used included the mean and Pearson's r.

Results: The findings revealed a high level of CFSS implementation across schools, with the highest teacher morale and academic success ratings. Learners’ well-being was also rated moderately across five domains: engagement, perseverance, optimism, connectedness, and happiness. A strong positive correlation (r = 0.6058, p < 0.05) was found between CFSS implementation and learner well-being.

Conclusions: Stronger CFSS implementation is linked to better learner well-being, highlighting the importance of supportive and inclusive school environments.

Limitations: The findings are limited to selected public secondary schools in SOCCSKSARGEN and rely on self-reported data, which may reflect subjective perceptions of the respondents. Broader generalizations beyond this region should be approached with caution.

Contribution: This study provides empirical support for the CFSS as a critical approach to promoting student well-being and positive school outcomes. It also highlights the importance of sustained involvement of stakeholders.

Factors influencing student enrolment in young universities: A case study in Zimbabwe

Vitalis Basera — 2025-08-13

Purpose: This study explored factors affecting students’ enrolment in young universities, focusing particularly on one young university in Zimbabwe. Young universities are experiencing enrolment challenges, which involve investigating the causal factors for sustainable development and operations of the universities.

Research methodology: The study adopted the interpretivist paradigm and used a combination of qualitative approaches for data collection and analysis within a case study design. The study’s sample comprised ten heads of department, one admissions registrar and forty-eight students purposively selected from a young university. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to generate the data. The data were analyzed using a directed content analysis approach.

Results: The study revealed that students’ university enrolment is affected mainly by students’ experiences, career orientations, changes in high school graduate preferences, admissions process, transport, accommodation, programmes offered, competition in university education, social capital variables, government policy, cost of education, and disasters.

Conclusions: The revealed key stakeholders influencing students’ enrolment in young universities reflected strategies that can be used to increase students’ enrolment, chiefly public awareness, academic support, and student support services.

Limitations: While this study adopted a qualitative methodology, which can be a limiting factor in terms of inference, for further research, the study recommends the adoption of a quantitative method.

Contribution: This study recommends that universities strategically plan for student enrolment using a multi-stakeholder approach. The study also recommends that the government adequately fund university development and ensure that university education is affordable to everyone.