Digital Commons Network^™

Between Borders And Wars: A Study Of Survival Livelihoods In A Kachin Refugee Camp, Ja Seng Bawk

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Myanmar (Burma) has experienced prolonged civil conflict, including the Kachin conflict, which reignited in 2011 following the breakdown of a 17-year ceasefire agreement. Rooted in decades of political and ethnic tensions between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burmese military (Tatmadaw). The ongoing conflict has displaced more than 100,000 people in Kachin and Northern Shan States. Many continue to live in overcrowded displacement camps located in both government-controlled and Kachin Independence Organization (KIO)-controlled areas near the China–Myanmar border. For youth growing up in these conflict-affected settings, life in refugee camps poses numerous challenges, including limited economic opportunities, restricted social …

Beyond The 'Grand Line': One Piece’S Radical Reimagining Of Global Politics, Titipong Mahattanasin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis explores how the long-running Japanese manga One Piece functions as a radical political archive that reflects, critiques, and reimagines global politics across three historical eras. Drawing from the fields of International Relations and Development Studies, this research analyzes how the manga stages fictional yet deeply resonant struggles over power, freedom, and justice. Through close readings of key narrative arcs—Alabasta, Skypiea, Enies Lobby, Marineford, Dressrosa, and Wano—this study situates One Piece within real-world political contexts including post–Cold War liberal triumphalism, the global War on Terror, and the protest movements of the 2010s. The thesis draws upon theoretical insights from …

Japanese Public-Private Partnerships For Promoting Sustainable Development: An Analysis Of Jica's Sdgs-Oriented Business Support In Thailand, Kana Tsutsumi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognize the private sector as a crucial driver for global sustainable development. To align with the SDGs, Japan has strengthened public-private partnerships (PPPs) in its ODA. This thesis explores how the Japan International Cooperation Agency’s (JICA) SDGs Business Supporting Survey promotes sustainable development for both Japan and Thailand. This survey scheme aims to encourage Japanese SMEs to test socially impactful business models. This study uses two case studies of Japanese SMEs in Thailand through document analysis and interviews to examine how PPPs facilitate technology transfer, local access, and network building. Even though there are still …

Sino-Thai Economic Cooperation Under Bri In The Eyes Of Taiwanese And Chinese Media: A Comparative Study From 2017 To 2024, Chun-Tsung Yang

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This study investigates how Chinese and Taiwanese media construct narratives around Sino-Thai economic cooperation, focusing on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Through a comparative content analysis of 20 primary articles and 30 supplementary articles from People's Daily Online, The Paper, United Daily News (UDN), and Central News Agency (CNA), the research explores differences in thematic focus, narrative frames, sentiment tone, source attribution, and visual representation. Findings reveal that Chinese state media consistently employ centralized, development-focused frames with minimal dissent. In contrast, Taiwanese media, particularly CNA, offer more pluralistic and skeptical coverage, especially regarding Thai social responses to Sino-Thai economic …

Health System Resilience In Karenni/ Kayah State: Exploring The Role Of Local Interim Health Services, Khin Sabai Aung

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines health system resilience in Karenni (Kayah) State, Myanmar, by analyzing how local interim health services sustain care delivery, adapt to conflict, and ensure continuity within a fragile and liminal governance context. Guided by the Health System Resilience (HSR) framework, the study draws on semi-structured interviews with doctors, midwives, and a representative from the Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC). Findings reveal that Karenni’s health system demonstrates absorptive, adaptive, and emerging transformative capacities. These capacities are primarily driven by morally committed individuals and grassroots collectives operating in the aftermath of state collapse. Rather than functioning in isolation, the health …

Queer Tourism Development In Nepal: Building Inclusive Tourism Through Rights-Based Approach, Kaushal Joshi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Nepal has become a notable leader in South Asia regarding LGBTQIA+ rights, with legal reforms ranging from “third or other” gender citizenship rights to recognition of sexual and gender minority rights enshrined in the constitution, to the 2023 Supreme Court directive urging the legislature to recognize same-sex marriage. However, these advancements have not meaningfully reflected in the country’s tourism development strategies. This research addresses the disconnect between progressive legal recognition and the lack of inclusive LGBTQIA+ practices in Nepal’s tourism sector, proposing queer tourism as a an avenue for inclusion, empowerment, and sustainable development. Drawing from LGBT tourism theory and …

The Struggle For Educationamong Somali Refugees In Bangkok, Kochaporn Tohsa

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The study investigates the multifaceted barriers – legal, institution, social and cultural – hindering Somali refugee children in accessing education in Bangkok, Thailand. Rooted in prolonged political instability and economic constraints in Somalia, which has forced thousands of families to flee their homes throughout Southeast Asia, the study situates the struggles of Somali refugee children within the context of Bangkok’s urban refugee setting. Thailand is home to a large number of undocumented migrants, including a small but growing number of Somali refugee families, despite not being a signatory state to the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol. These refugee …

Accessing Vocational Education For Out-Of-School Myanmar Migrant Youths In Mae Sot, Thailand, Phyu Sin Maw Lin

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examined the accessibility of the Out-of-School Myanmar Migrant Youths to vocational education in the Mae Sot district, Thailand by employing the ‘4As framework’ for Education with the indicators of availability, accessibility, acceptability, and adaptability. In this thesis, out-of-school Myanmar migrant youths are understood as those who have left education without receiving formal qualifications, and who are under the age of 21. Myanmar migrant youth population in Thailand has been significantly growing due to the unrested conditions all around Myanmar. Among them, thousands of youths struggle to access any type of educational pathway because of their academic background, financial …

Legally Literate But Disempowered: Urban Refugees And National Screening Mechanism In Thailand, Andrew Wai Phyo Kyaw

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This dissertation examines the relationship between legal literacy, empowerment, and protection outcomes among urban refugees and asylum seekers in Thailand, focusing on the 2019 National Screening Mechanism (NSM). Thailand, a non-signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and hosting about 5,500 refugees mainly in Bangkok, lacks formal refugee laws. Its recent NSM reflects limited progress in regional protection mechanisms, functioning within a framework that emphasizes state security over human security. The study posits that urban refugees understand the law, like the NSM, but remain powerless because Thailand's approach prioritizes security over protection. This study addresses three interconnected research questions that investigate …

Enhancing Resilience Through Public Policy: Lessons From Disaster Logistics In The Post-2011 Tohoku Earthquake In Sendai City, Megumi Okumura

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

In recent years, the integration of resilience into disaster policy has gained global traction. Despite being widely adopted as a concept by international institutions such as the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) and the World Bank, resilience often remains underdeveloped at the operational level and is frequently seen as a “buzzword.” Even in Japan, although recognized for its disaster preparedness, there has been limited debate on how resilience is integrated in public policy. The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake prompted fundamental questions such as “Resilience to what?” and “Resilience for whom?”, highlighting the need to examine the purpose and …

Crisis Migration In Sri Lanka: Analyzing The Governance Of Transnational Actors In The Context Of War And Financial Crisis, Dolewaththa Gamage Niruka Sanjeewani

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Crisis migration has become a critical issue in Sri Lanka due to the war and ongoing financial crisis. Drawing from this understanding, the research investigates crisis migration in Sri Lanka through five distinct chapters. The first chapter offers an overview of the entire research. The second chapter examines the evolution of classical humanitarianism and its shift towards new humanitarianism in the context of war in Sri Lanka. It focuses primarily on Tamil refugees in India and their repatriations from India to Sri Lanka. The third chapter examines the transnational spaces of the Tamil diaspora. The chapter elaborates on their involvement …

Access To Reproductive Health: Experiences Of Female Migrant Workers From Myanmar In Samut Sakhon, Thailand, Phutita Sriprapha

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

Thailand remains a major destination for migrant workers from neighboring countries and hosts a large population of Myanmar migrants, including many women. Despite their contributions to local economic development, female migrant workers face persistent barriers to accessing reproductive healthcare. This study analyzes the structural, personal, and social dimensions of reproductive health access among Myanmar migrant women in Samut Sakhon province. Using the 4A framework, Availability, Accessibility, Acceptability, and Adaptability together with intersectionality, the study draws on 12 semi-structured interviews to explore how structural, personal, and social factors affect their reproductive healthcare access. Multiple dimensions of identity were also explored to …

The Socio-Economic Impacts Of Sport Tourism Development In Buriram: Challenges And Opportunities For Equitable Growth, Wanwanat Phromdecha

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines the socio-economic impacts and the challenges to equitable growth posed by sport tourism-led development in Buriram Province, Thailand. Over the past decade, Buriram has gained both national and international visibility by branding itself as a sport tourism destination, anchored by infrastructure such as the Chang Arena football stadium and the Buriram International Circuit. However, significant contradictions remain. According to the Thailand People Map (TPMAP), in 2022 Buriram had the highest number of people living in poverty in the northeastern region, totaling 45,356 individuals. Notably, the highest concentration of poverty is found in Mueang District, the same area …

Political Economy Of The Landbridge Project With A Focus On Ranong Development, Wipawadee Panyangnoi

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

This thesis examines the policy process of the Ao Ang–Laem Rio Landbridge project, with a focus on Ranong Province, to explore the institutional and power dynamics underpinning the formulation of infrastructure development policy in Thailand. The study draws upon the frameworks of institutional and power-centered political economy, environmental justice, and place-based development to analyze the relationships among the state, capital interests, political actors, and local communities. The findings reveal that the promotion of the Landbridge project operates within a centralized policy structure that prioritizes macroeconomic and corporate interests over local capacities and community needs. Although the state has framed the …

The K-Pop Music Industry Strategy For The Development Of The T-Pop Music Industry For Chinese Audience: (A Case Of Gmm), Zenghui Shen

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

The global success of K-pop has significantly influenced the development of T-pop, especially in terms of production model, artist training, visual aesthetics, and digital marketing strategies. However, despite K-pop's rapid global expansion, T-pop's growth, especially in the Chinese market, remains limited. This study explores how T-pop can borrow successful elements of K-pop's business model to enhance its appeal among young Thai Chinese. The study adopted a mixed methods approach, combining quantitative data obtained through an online questionnaire survey of 396 Chinese university students in Thailand and qualitative insights obtained through interviews with five music industry professionals. The results show that …

"Ruskiy Mir" And "Ukrainskyi Svit": Ontological And Anthropological Antagonists, Liudmyla Fylypovych, Oksana Horkusha

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article focuses on a crucial issue of global interest--attempts of the Russian Federation to reformat the world according to the worldview model of the "Ruskiy mir." The paradigm of the "Ruskiy mir" assumes a system of values (ontological, anthropological, theological, and historiographical ideas and behavioral models) programmed by the entire russian history, as defined by russian culture, traditions, and the russian worldview. According to the "Russian worldview," the world should have a different structure, and the global international system should have a different format: Moscow (the Russian Empire and the Russian Federation) should be at the center of the …

Assembling Hyperpop: Genre Formation On Wikipedia, Eliot Bates, Sophie Delphis, Romulo Moraes, Julia Santoli

Publications and Research

In this article, we analyze how a music genre is reciprocally defined online, through the crowdsourced ‘facts’ of Wikipedia. What are the traditional implicit and explicit exclusionary practices in this sort of genre formation? And how can internet-specific sociabilities create new exclusionary practices in the process of defining music? By analyzing the edit history of Wikipedia’s ‘hyperpop’ page, we locate ongoing debates, controversies, and contestations that point to shaping forces around online genre formation. These potentially have a huge impact on how hyperpop is understood both inside and outside of the music community. In locating the most active editors of …

Developing A Gender Diverse Stimulus Set For Emotion Expressions, Amir Robertson

Honors Theses and Capstones

Much past research has demonstrated that gender plays an important role in emotion perception, such that gendered stereotypes about emotion seem to shape how we perceive and interpret the emotion expressions of men and women. However, the stimulus sets that are typically used in the vast majority of this research have been based on binary ideas of gender, and purposefully limit common elements of gender presentation, with models posing with limited accessories or personal aesthetic choices. In everyday life, however, individuals’ gender and gender presentation are not limited in these ways and likely contribute in important ways to how we …

Differentially Unwell: On Mimi Khúc's "Dear Elia", Seo-Young J. Chu

Publications and Research

[...] Inviting readers to reclaim the stigma of unwellness and collectively to "tend to our unwellness, together," Khúc approaches unwellness as a crucial resource for subverting the "wellness and unwellness" dichotomy entirely. After all, the opposite of "wellness" is not "unwellness"; the opposite of "wellness" does not exist. The opposition itself is an artificial framework, one that reductively harms more than it dialogically helps. We need to move away from these simplistic dualisms, Khúc suggests, and towards more generous, trauma-informed epistemologies. [...]

Unwritten Ground Rules Of School Choice: Excavating Capital As A Regulator Of Access To Educational Goods, Jason E. Saltmarsh

Educational Leadership & Workforce Development Faculty Publications

District leaders in school choice contexts tend to overlook the many hidden costs of selecting schools in terms of mobility, time, liquidity, and labor. Meanwhile, a body of literature on school choice policies and cultural, social, and political capital shows that middle-class parents use the resources they possess to get the school access they want. In this study, I critically examine the complex interplay between school choice policies and forms of capital. This analysis extends our empirical understanding of the political dimensions of families’ school choices—the way parent resources, relationships, and strategies determine “who gets what, when, and how” (Laswell, …

Autophonia: A Memoir In Essays, Amy Blanchard

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

‘Routines’ And ‘Formulaic Language’ In Conversation Analysis, Danielle Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

Though the field of conversation analysis (CA) was founded upon examinations of interactional “routines” such as conversation openings and closings, conceptualizing and categorizing communicative phenomena as “formulaic” is anathema to CA. This chapter details how, since its inception, CA work has empirically elucidated how participants to recorded episodes of naturally occurring social interaction actively and collaboratively accomplish conversational activities as ‘routine’ or not by selecting from available action alternatives, spontaneously coordinating their selections vis-à-vis one another. Taking a multimodal CA approach, this chapter reviews state-of-the art literature on how people open and close in-person and telephone conversations, showing the immense …

‘Routines’ And ‘Formulaic Language’ In Conversation Analysis (Author's Extended Data), Danielle M. Pillet-Shore

Faculty Publications

Though the field of conversation analysis (CA) was founded upon examinations of interactional “routines” such as conversation openings and closings, conceptualizing and categorizing communicative phenomena as “formulaic” is anathema to CA. This chapter details how, since its inception, CA work has empirically elucidated how participants to recorded episodes of naturally occurring social interaction actively and collaboratively accomplish conversational activities as ‘routine’ or not by selecting from available action alternatives, spontaneously coordinating their selections vis-à-vis one another. Taking a multimodal CA approach, this chapter reviews state-of-the art literature on how people open and close in-person and telephone conversations, showing the immense …

Strategic Framework For Achieving Successful Sustainable Tourism In Egypt, Maher Abdelwahab

Theses and Dissertations

This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of tourism leaders who operate a tour operator company in Egypt. It sought to examine how the lack of collaborative leadership adversely affects tourism. The study further investigated the challenges the tourism industry faces, and the strategies tour companies’ leaders use to achieve successful sustainable tourism. The study revealed the connection between the challenges, strategies, competitiveness, factors of success, and recommendations to create a strategic framework for successful sustainable tourism. The strategic framework promoted collective tourism leadership and sustainable tourism as significant economic drive in Egypt to reduce poverty, develop society, and bring …

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure In Homes And Vehicles In Youth: Disparities Among Racial, And Sexual And Gender Minorities, Rajesh Talluri, Sahil S Shete, Surendra S Shastri, Sanjay Shete

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) among youth is a serious public health concern, leading to an increased risk of conditions such as asthma and respiratory infections. However, there is little research on SHSe among vulnerable populations, such as racial and sexual minorities. Understanding the factors associated with youth SHSe in homes and vehicles is crucial to developing better protective policies.

METHODS: This study utilized 2020 data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a representative sample of middle- and high-school students in the US. The primary outcomes were youth SHSe at home and while riding in a vehicle. Multinomial regression models …

Screening For Food And Nutrition Insecurity In The Healthcare Setting: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Non-Medicaid Insured Adults In An Integrated Healthcare Delivery System, Carmen Byker Shanks, Nancy P Gordon

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

OBJECTIVES: Healthcare screening identifies factors that impact patient health and well-being. Hunger as a Vital Sign (HVS) is widely applied as a screening tool to assess food security. However, there are no common practice screening questions to identify patients who are nutrition insecure or acquire free food from community-based organizations. This study used self-reported survey data from a non-Medicaid insured adult population approximately one year after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic (2021). The survey examined the extent to which the HVS measure might have under-estimated population-level food insecurity and/or nutrition insecurity, as well as under-identified food and nutrition insecurity …

Rural Racial Disparities And Barriers In Mammography Utilization Among Medicare Beneficiaries In Texas: A Longitudinal Study, Zhaoli Liu, Yong Shan, Yong-Fang Kuo, Sharon H Giordano

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

This study examined rural racial/ethnic disparities in long-term mammography screening practices among Medicare beneficiaries. A retrospective longitudinal study was conducted using 100% Texas Medicare data for women aged 65-74 who enrolled in Medicare between 2010-2013. Of the 114,939 eligible women, 21.2% of Hispanics, 33.3% of non-Hispanic Blacks (NHB), and 38.4% non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) in rural areas were regular users of mammography, compared to 33.5%, 44.9%, and 45.3% of their counterparts in urban areas, respectively. Stratification analyses showed rural Hispanics and NHB were 33% (95% CI, 25% - 40%) and 22% (95% CI, 6% - 36%) less likely to be regular …

Assignment: Forming Questions, Talha Issevenler

Open Educational Resources

A question development assignment that aims to make space for practicing fo developing critical reading and writing skills in engaging social scientific, philosophic and humanities course material.

Postsurgical Pyoderma Gangrenosum After Penile Inversion Vaginoplasty: Case With Review Of Diagnostic And Management Strategies

Faculty, Staff and Student Publications

BACKGROUND: Postsurgical pyoderma gangrenosum (PSPG) is a highly uncommon and unpredictable wound healing complication. Rapid progression of ulcers at incisions can cause unfettered dehiscence. Most commonly, PSPG involves breast procedures; however, in this work, we detail a case of a patient who developed PSPG 10 days postoperatively after penile inversion vaginoplasty.

METHODS: The patient in this case underwent a penile inversion vaginoplasty with orchiectomy in the standard fashion. She had no risk factors for PSPG. Following an uncomplicated hospital stay, the patient developed difficulty with pain control and increasing serous drainage on the 10th postoperative day. On readmission, the patient …

Authoritarian Fantasies And Democratic Aspirations: The Philippines After Duterte, Athena Charanne R. Presto, Nicole Curato

Political Science Department Faculty Publications

Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte defied established political norms in the Philippines. Beyond his inflammatory rhetoric and authoritarian posturing, Duterte actively undermined institutions of liberal democracy including due process, gender rights, and freedom of the press. These developments may give observers the impression that democratic political norms in the Philippines have made a turn for the worse. After all, President Duterte, as his presidential term came to an end, continued to enjoy an excellent public satisfaction rating. We seek to challenge these impressions in this chapter. We argue that the President's popularity must not be conflated with public support for …