Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences (JHASS)

Comparative Analysis of Filial Responsibility, Elder Neglect, and State Intervention in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore

Mohammed Daniel Iskandar — 2025-08-18

This article investigates the emerging phenomenon of elder neglect by adult children in Southeast Asia, with a comparative focus on Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore. Amid rapid urbanization, shifting family structures, and evolving cultural norms, filial responsibility, a once-sacred moral imperative, is increasingly challenged by socio-economic constraints and policy gaps. Drawing on a qualitative comparative case study approach, this research analyzes state regulations, intergenerational narratives, and lived experiences of elderly abandonment. Data were collected through policy analysis and in-depth interviews with 99 participants across the three countries, including elderly individuals, adult children, social workers, and scholars. The findings reveal distinct national responses shaped by dominant moral frameworks, legal instruments, and welfare infrastructure. While Singapore institutionalizes filial piety through legislation such as the Maintenance of Parents Act, Malaysia relies on a hybrid model of religious norms and community support, and Indonesia depends heavily on informal caregiving rooted in traditional solidarity. Despite these differences, a common pattern emerges: the erosion of intergenerational care norms under the pressures of modern life. The study argues that elder neglect is not merely a private moral failure but a reflection of structural dislocation between traditional values and the contemporary welfare state. It concludes by recommending culturally sensitive, legally grounded, and socially inclusive policy interventions to safeguard the dignity and rights of the elderly in an aging Southeast Asia.

A Critical Study of India's Digital India Policy and its Socio-Humanitarian Implications

Ekta Anuradha — 2025-08-20

This research thoroughly analyzes India’s “Digital India” initiative from a justice-focused perspective, emphasizing the normative, structural, and experiential aspects of digital change. Although the initiative has enhanced technological infrastructure and digital governance, it has also exacerbated existing inequalities, especially among marginalized populations like rural women, Dalits, Adivasis, gender minorities, and informal workers. Employing a qualitative-normative approach, the study integrates critical document examination and secondary ethnographic information to uncover how digital policies like Aadhaar; frequently perpetuate exclusion through biometric discrepancies, bureaucratic ambiguity, and insufficient cultural awareness. Utilizing Amartya Sen’s capability approach and concepts of recognition and procedural justice, the research contends that digital inclusion should extend beyond mere access and infrastructure to encompass agency, participation, and dignity. The results reveal a core justice disparity where digital systems emphasize efficiency over fairness and uphold conditional citizenship. To fill this void, the paper suggests a human-focused governance model rooted in pluralism, local supervision, and inclusive design. This study aids in redefining digital citizenship in the Global South and advocates for upcoming policies that integrate ethical standards at the center of technological governance.

Drivers and Patterns of Rural Out-Migration from Tigray, Ethiopia

Tilahun Tareke Weldu — 2025-08-20

Migration is a multifaceted global phenomenon driven by economic, social, and political factors. This study explores the drivers, characteristics, and patterns of out-migrants from Rural Tigray, Ethiopia, using mixed cross-sectional data from 521 households across three districts (Weredas): Tahtai-Maichew, Kola-Tembien, and Kilte-Awlaelo. A mixed-methods approach combines quantitative surveys with qualitative data from focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and in-depth interviews. Findings show that temporary migration is predominant (71.5%), with more females (58.1%) than males (41.9%) migrating, aligning with the New Economics of Labor Migration (NELM) theory, which frames migration as a household strategy to diversify income and reduce economic risks. 50.0% of the temporary migrants have completed primary education (50.0%), indicating limited rural opportunities for lower-skilled individuals. Social networks are critical, with 64.4% of temporary migrants relying on irregular channels facilitated by informal networks. Internal migration (54.5%) exceeds international migration (45.5%), and single migrants (77.1% of temporary migrants) are more likely to migrate due to fewer familial obligations. Key informants highlight that migrant are typically young, from poor households, and often depend on brokers and traffickers, especially for irregular migration to Europe. Key drivers include the search for better jobs and wages (64.8%), lack of land (40.6%), and limited access to credit services (34.2%). Hence, policy recommendations include addressing land scarcity, improving credit access, creating local jobs, strengthening legal migration channels, and combating illegal brokers and human-trafficking. Targeted interventions can reduce rural out-migration pressures and can enhance livelihoods in Tigrai.

Reconciliation without Reform and Its Impact on Post-2017 Aboriginal Policy and Justice

Li-Chyong Wu — 2025-08-22

This article rigorously analyzes the disparity between the rhetoric of reconciliation and the real policy results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Australia post-2017. Even with national pledges towards reconciliation, especially after the Uluru Statement from the Heart was issued, numerous policy efforts are still more symbolic than revolutionary. The 2023 defeat of the Voice to Parliament referendum highlights persistent public and political opposition to constitutional change. Using a qualitative descriptive-critical methodology, this study examines secondary data such as government documents, scholarly articles, and media outlets, concentrating on significant Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Queensland, and New South Wales. Thematic and critical discourse analyses reveal structural obstacles to authentic Indigenous involvement in policymaking, along with discrepancies between public backing and government action. The results show that top-down reconciliation initiatives frequently overlook Indigenous perspectives, leading to minimal policy adoption and restricted socio-economic effects. Insights from Canada and New Zealand reveal that approaches focusing on co-governance, treaty structures, and truth-telling produce better results in Indigenous justice and independence. The research finds that reconciliation in Australia continues to be rhetorical in the absence of structural reform, ongoing political commitment, and policies developed by the community. Suggestions involve enhancing Indigenous autonomy, creating an independent reconciliation body, and performing longitudinal studies on policy results. This study highlights the necessity of moving from symbolic actions to justice-focused reconciliation based on Indigenous sovereignty and leadership.

A Critical Analysis of the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill

Mary Dionisio-Sese — 2025-08-23

Teenage pregnancy remains a major public health and social development concern in the Philippines, with adolescent birth rates among the highest in Southeast Asia. In response, policymakers introduced the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill, which aims to institutionalize Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). However, the bill has sparked polarized responses from various stakeholders, revealing tensions between moral conservatism and rights-based public health advocacy. This study investigates how the bill is discursively framed in media and policy narratives and how such framings influence public perception and policy legitimacy. Adopting a qualitative design, it employs Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to examine 50 news articles and 200 social media posts, complemented by six semi-structured interviews with policymakers, youth advocates, and religious leaders. Findings reveal a clash between moral protectionist and public health frames, each claiming to safeguard youth but operating on distinct emotional and ideological logics. The legitimacy of the bill is further undermined by low institutional trust, especially in local governments and education agencies. Youth are often excluded from formal policy discourse but emerge as both vulnerable and active participants in digital spaces where misinformation also thrives. The study argues that successful sexuality education reform requires reframing efforts that align moral and health narratives, rebuild institutional credibility, and meaningfully integrate youth voices. Future research should explore hybrid communication strategies and youth-led policy design as tools for bridging ideological divides.