Aireen Grace Andal
Macquarie University, Department of Geography and Planning, Department Member
- Ural Federal University, PhD, Department Memberadd
- Urban Studies, Childhood studies, New Social Studies of Childhood, Childrens Geographies, Sociology of Children and Childhood, Urban Sociology, and 9 moreUrban Geography, Ethics, Social reproduction, Playground Culture, International Relations, Emerging powers of Global South: Rising BRICS Countries, BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Modernity, and Eugenicsedit
- Researcher, Centre for Global Urbanism and Centre for Comparative Studies of Toleration and Recognition
Children's Spaces, Urban Ethics, Political Philosophy, Bioethicsedit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article examines spatiality in selected children’s books about COVID-19. Spatiality is an important lens because the coronavirus pandemic is a crisis related to distancing and mobility restrictions—spatial matters. Benedict... more
This article examines spatiality in selected children’s books about COVID-19. Spatiality is an important lens because the coronavirus pandemic is a crisis related to distancing and mobility restrictions—spatial matters. Benedict Anderson’s notion of imagined communities was adopted as a framework to how children’s books present community belongingness within the spatial restrictions imposed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. In a content analysis of pandemic-related children’s books published in early 2020 (n = 51), this paper explores the sense of community in three everyday spaces: ‘inside’ (home), ‘outside’ (outdoors), and ‘in-betweens’ (windows and digital space). Findings reveal a two-fold observation: (1) children’s books show how the ‘normal’ in everyday space is disrupted; and (2) layers of imagined communities manifest within the everyday spaces depicted in the books examined. These findings offer insights that while children’s literature and geography are different disciplines, there is much to be explored about spaces in children’s lives from writers and illustrators of children’s books. Likewise, a geographical lens can substantiate discussions in children’s literature by unpacking relationships of characters based on the spaces they occupy. With these in mind, it is hoped that conversations about spatial discourses in children’s books flourish from this initial exploration.
Research Interests:
This article examines the discursive narratives in academic literature about the nomadic boat-dwelling children of the Sama-Bajau group in Southeast Asia. Through examining academic literature from 1989 to 2021, this paper explores how... more
This article examines the discursive narratives in academic literature about the nomadic boat-dwelling children of the Sama-Bajau group in Southeast Asia. Through examining academic literature from 1989 to 2021, this paper explores how the literature shapes and mediates the narratives about Sama-Bajau children. Findings suggest two threads of discursive narrativesone takes a developmentalist lens, and the other offers alternative narratives that reveal the complex identities of Sama-Bajau children. These observations highlight the importance of nuanced conversations on child sea nomadism towards further developments of critical childhood studies on child migration in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This work rethinks the notion of urban vitalism-viewing cities as a collection of interwoven relationships constantly in flux-from children's perspectives. This is accomplished by firstly empirically examining children's... more
This work rethinks the notion of urban vitalism-viewing cities as a collection of interwoven relationships constantly in flux-from children's perspectives. This is accomplished by firstly empirically examining children's perceptions of the changes in their urban slum environments and secondly, by theoretically enriching our understanding of urban vitalism by linking urban transitions to the discourses that inform urban vitalism-smart, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities. The paper focuses on the perspectives of slum-dwelling children (9-12 years old) in San Jose del Monte City (Philippines), a city subject for conversion towards being "highly-urbanised". Through remote semi-structured conversations, children shared insights about the transformations of their urban spaces. Two key discussion points emerged from this study: firstly, urban transitions do not necessarily translate to vitalism for children as spaces important to children become subjects of displacement in urban transition; secondly, that the potentials of urban vitalism can be hampered if transitions detach young members of society from planning. Insights from this work suggest that children create their own urban imaginaries of a vital city, which contribute to a kaleidoscope of sources of urban vitalism. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of child-oriented urban vitalism for urban studies.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This work rethinks the notion of urban vitalism-viewing cities as a collection of interwoven relationships constantly in flux-from children's perspectives. This is accomplished by firstly empirically examining children's perceptions of... more
This work rethinks the notion of urban vitalism-viewing cities as a collection of interwoven relationships constantly in flux-from children's perspectives. This is accomplished by firstly empirically examining children's perceptions of the changes in their urban slum environments and secondly, by theoretically enriching our understanding of urban vitalism by linking urban transitions to the discourses that inform urban vitalism-smart, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable cities. The paper focuses on the perspectives of slum-dwelling children (9-12 years old) in San Jose del Monte City (Philippines), a city subject for conversion towards being "highly-urbanised". Through remote semi-structured conversations, children shared insights about the transformations of their urban spaces. Two key discussion points emerged from this study: firstly, urban transitions do not necessarily translate to vitalism for children as spaces important to children become subjects of displacement in urban transition; secondly, that the potentials of urban vitalism can be hampered if transitions detach young members of society from planning. Insights from this work suggest that children create their own urban imaginaries of a vital city, which contribute to a kaleidoscope of sources of urban vitalism. The paper concludes by reflecting on the implications of child-oriented urban vitalism for urban studies.
Research Interests:
This article examines the discursive narratives in academic literature about the nomadic boat-dwelling children of the Sama-Bajau group in Southeast Asia. Through examining academic literature from 1989 to 2021, this paper explores how... more
This article examines the discursive narratives in academic literature about the nomadic boat-dwelling children of the Sama-Bajau group in Southeast Asia. Through examining academic literature from 1989 to 2021, this paper explores how the literature shapes and mediates the narratives about Sama-Bajau children. Findings suggest two threads of discursive narrativesone takes a developmentalist lens, and the other offers alternative narratives that reveal the complex identities of Sama-Bajau children. These observations highlight the importance of nuanced conversations on child sea nomadism towards further developments of critical childhood studies on child migration in Southeast Asia and beyond.
Research Interests:
While infertility spurs the growth of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), religiously motivated evaluation of reproductive donation and third-party parenthood affect the users of ART individually and the ART industry nationally. The... more
While infertility spurs the growth of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), religiously motivated evaluation of reproductive donation and third-party parenthood affect the users of ART individually and the ART industry nationally. The article surveyed extant research on the ways religious beliefs of various actors such as governments and legislatures, medical institutions, donors and recipients, influence their attitudes towards reproductive donation. Three countries with dominant confessions and, more importantly, the confessions, which have strong articulate views on reproductive donation, were selected: Israel, Turkey, and Poland. While all these nations favor pro-natalist attitudes, they have their own interpretations of how pro-natalist goals should be achieved. Judaism and Israeli society demonstrate positive evaluation of reproduction and multiplication of the people, therefore, they offer robust collective support for reproductive technologies and donation. In Turkey, the influence of Islam on legal and ethical evaluation of reproduction is subtle but strong. It limits the treatment of infertility to officially married couples. Polish Roman Catholics are active in the political lobbying of restrictions on ART and in public condemnation of liberalizing reproductive rights.
Research Interests:
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men's altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altruistic motivation is mostly driven by existence and... more
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men's altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altruistic motivation is mostly driven by existence and relatedness. Correlations tests indicated two patterns: 1) men driven by existence needs are more willing to maintain contact with the future child and less prone to self-promotion; 2) men driven by relatedness needs demonstrate the opposite characteristics. These results contribute to further research of reproductive donor motivations in Russia. © 2020 Tomsk State University. All rights reserved
Research Interests:
This paper offers a hermeneutical analysis on how the BRICS nations display normative commitments to their particular vision of international relations and global realities. Particular attention is given to their interpretations of... more
This paper offers a hermeneutical analysis on how the BRICS nations display normative commitments to their particular vision of international relations and global realities. Particular attention is given to their interpretations of regional identities and the way they link their international goals and ideals to their geographies. Analysis suggests that the BRICS nations not only have different levels of normative commitments, but also that these normativities are imbued with their own political constructs.В этом документе представлен герменевтический анализ того, как страны БРИКС демонстрируют нормативные обязательства в отношении своего особого видения международных отношений и глобальных реалий. Специальное внимание уделяется их интерпретации региональной самобытности и тому, как они связывают свои международные цели и идеалы со своей географией. Анализ показывает, что страны БРИКС имеют не только разные уровни нормативных обязательств, но и то, что эти нормативности пронизаны их...
Research Interests:
This work takes off from the key concepts of Paul Weller’s thoughts on contemporary challenges to dialogue, which it adapts to the context of children’s dialogue in diverse classroom settings. The challenge in a diverse classroom is how... more
This work takes off from the key concepts of Paul Weller’s thoughts on contemporary challenges to dialogue, which it adapts to the context of children’s dialogue in diverse classroom settings. The challenge in a diverse classroom is how to adapt a strategy to acknowledge the diversity of participants and reach a peaceful and productive dialogue. This article shows how Philosophy for Children (P4C) together with a phenomenological approach can be used as a tool for addressing the challenges Weller has mentioned to address the issue of children’s differences. Then, this article shows the potential of using a phenomenological approach and lived experience to establish a bridge between Philosophy for Children, critical reflection, and understanding differences in the classroom. This work argues that phenomenology as an approach is useful for P4C to have a dialogue aimed at understanding diversity, solidarity, and even pluralistic democratic engagement. Such discussions have implications...
Research Interests:
This work examines childhood memories of baby boomers in the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes Island (Philippines) to examine gender dynamics in Virac’s seascapes. Through drawing together Donna Haraway’s (1988) notion of partial... more
This work examines childhood memories of baby boomers in the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes Island (Philippines) to examine gender dynamics in Virac’s seascapes. Through drawing together Donna Haraway’s (1988) notion of partial perspectives and Frigga Haug’s (1987) memory-work, this article shows the entanglement between the fragmented memories of boomers and the gendered waterfront of Virac. Employing unstructured interviews, this work presents the meanings and imaginations of the waterfront beyond being economic and industrial spaces. Three relevant discussions emerged from this interest: first, the boomers’ narratives demonstrate how coastal femininities and masculinities are constructed in relation to bodies; second, in contrast to the masculine dismissal of emotions and desires, women’s emotion-bound memories show potentials in navigating the symbolic meanings of bodies in relation to Virac’s waterfront spaces; and third, memories recognise the past as a plurality of subjec...
Research Interests:
This work examines childhood memories of baby boomers in the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes Island (Philippines) to examine gender dynamics in Virac's seascapes. Through drawing together Donna Haraway's (1988) notion of partial... more
This work examines childhood memories of baby boomers in the municipality of Virac, Catanduanes Island (Philippines) to examine gender dynamics in Virac's seascapes. Through drawing together Donna Haraway's (1988) notion of partial perspectives and Frigga Haug's (1987) memory-work, this article shows the entanglement between the fragmented memories of boomers and the gendered waterfront of Virac. Employing unstructured interviews, this work presents the meanings and imaginations of the waterfront beyond being economic and industrial spaces. Three relevant discussions emerged from this interest: first, the boomers' narratives demonstrate how coastal femininities and masculinities are constructed in relation to bodies; second, in contrast to the masculine dismissal of emotions and desires, women's emotion-bound memories show potentials in navigating the symbolic meanings of bodies in relation to Virac's waterfront spaces; and third, memories recognise the past as a plurality of subjective meanings, with the waterfront as a relational space. These observations suggest that the waterfront and its contours work together to create remembered narratives that animate and shape Virac's waterscapes. This work is an invitation to provoke further thoughts and engage in alternative methods in making visible hidden gendered processes in hidden spaces.
Research Interests:
This paper offers a discussion on the social dimensions of the barriers to nuclear power generation in the country. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature by identifying the barriers to nuclear power generation in the... more
This paper offers a discussion on the social dimensions of the barriers to nuclear power generation in the country. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature by identifying the barriers to nuclear power generation in the Philippines and offering perspectives on the social relevance of potentially adding nuclear sources to the country’s energy mix. Given the contemporary relevance of the energy transitions globally, this work builds on the available sources over the past decade concerning nuclear energy technology in the Philippines and provides further discussions on the diverse barriers to the country’s energy transition pathway. Findings present barriers related to politics, policy, infrastructure, technical capacities, environment and information. The differences in priorities and values concerning nuclear energy reflect that the barriers to nuclear energy generation in the Philippines are social as much as technical. Based on the findings and descriptions of the c...
Research Interests:
With the growth of children's population in cities, research on children's views about their urban lives has gained traction in the literature. Contributing to such a research agenda, this study examines the perception of slum-dwelling... more
With the growth of children's population in cities, research on children's views about their urban lives has gained traction in the literature. Contributing to such a research agenda, this study examines the perception of slum-dwelling Filipino children of their sonic environment, which is an under-researched topic. Analysis focuses on how children's experiences both create and are shaped by the soundscape of their slum spaces. Drawing from unstructured interviews with Filipino children (aged 9-12 years) in San Jose del Monte City, this study articulates what comprises children's sonic environment in slums and how they make sense of their soundscapes. Findings suggest that children have a complex sonic relationship with their spaces beyond physical aspects, offering another dimension to thinking about children's auditory encounters. This work hopes to spark conversations on how soundscapes can inform thinking about and conducting regional studies.
Research Interests:
This paper offers a discussion on the social dimensions of the barriers to nuclear power generation in the country. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature by identifying the barriers to nuclear power generation in the... more
This paper offers a discussion on the social dimensions of the barriers to nuclear power generation in the country. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the literature by identifying the barriers to nuclear power generation in the Philippines and offering perspectives on the social relevance of potentially adding nuclear sources to the country’s energy mix. Given the contemporary relevance of the energy transitions globally, this work builds on the available sources over the past decade concerning nuclear energy technology in the Philippines and provides further discussions on the diverse barriers to the country’s energy transition pathway. Findings present barriers related to politics, policy, infrastructure, technical capacities, environment and information. The differences in priorities and values concerning nuclear energy reflect that the barriers to nuclear energy generation in the Philippines are social as much as technical. Based on the findings and descriptions of the current discussions on Philippine energy generation, this work provides some key points for consideration in order to deploy nuclear power plants in the country. These recommendations, however, are not definitive measures and are still subject to local conditions that may arise. This study hopes to be instructive to other countries in terms of further reflecting on the social dimensions of the barriers to nuclear energy generation.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter seeks to contribute to the discussions on the ever-increasing role of weather in cities and urban governance discourses for their inclusiveness of urban residents more broadly, and that of children, in specific. It presents... more
This chapter seeks to contribute to the discussions on the ever-increasing role of weather in cities and urban governance discourses for their inclusiveness of urban residents more broadly, and that of children, in specific. It presents the relevance of children in understanding winter urban governance toward making child-friendly winter cities. The broader context in this study is grounded on two urban movements: winter cities and child-friendly cities. The winter season sets forth unique challenges for urban dwellers due to its “cold, snow-and ice-producing phenomenon of the water-land-atmosphere interface”(Hamelin, 2002: 43 cited in Chartier, 2007). Pressman (1985: 15) noted that “there is a unique beauty intrinsic to winter, but not all urban dwellers will be able to appreciate this beauty.” Yet, as cold regions of the world urbanize, appreciation of winter has gained traction. For instance, the Winter Cities Movement emphasizes the unique context of urban settlements that experience winter (Erskine, 1968; Collymore, 1985). The Winter Cities Movement is a response to the urgency to adapt the urban context in view of the UN Sustainable Development Goals that specifically stipulate its Goal 11 on urban areas to prioritize resilience, sustainability, inclusivity, and safety. Recent visions of winter cities aim “to reduce winter’s negative consequences and to emphasize its positive features and opportunities, to create more sustainable and livable settlements”(Davies, 2015: 278).
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men’s altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altru-istic motivation is mostly driven by existence and... more
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men’s altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altru-istic motivation is mostly driven by existence and relatedness. Correlations tests indicated two patterns: 1) men driven by existence needs are more willing to maintain contact with the future child and less prone to self-promotion; 2) men driven by relatedness needs demon-strate the opposite characteristics. These results contribute to further research of reproductive donor motivations in Russia.
Research Interests:
Aim/Purpose: This paper identifies and examines cross-cutting experiences from the perspective of two doctoral students, whose research was affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be... more
Aim/Purpose: This paper identifies and examines cross-cutting experiences from the perspective of two doctoral students, whose research was affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Background: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be challenging for higher education scholars in terms of proceeding with their research and how the pandemic sets the scene for changes in higher education’s future. Due to increased anxiety levels because of uncertainties, the paper provides a reflection of doctoral experiences from two students – one in Russia at the data collection stage, and one in China (enrolled in New Zealand) at the proposal stage. Methodology: Through collaborative autoethnography and joint-reflection, we analyze our experiences as doctoral students focusing on methodological adjustments, ethical dilemmas, adaptation strategies and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Conducting a collaborative autoethnography provides a richer analysis of the interplay between perspectives, ...
Research Interests:
This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary’s pregnancy is located and... more
This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary’s pregnancy is located and spatialized in Christianity. Through examining selected medieval Marian iconography, this work discusses what kind of space Mary’s body represents in the Christian doctrine. Analysis shows three central themes on the characterization of the maternal body as a space: (1) as a transitional space, (2) as a landmark, and (3) as a liminal space. The images of Marian pregnancy show that the maternal body is beyond its biological purpose in the Bible, but serves as a space that enables various interactions and spiritual events. The examination of Mary’s maternal body as a space offers an alternative perspective to discuss Mary’s character as a point of interface for Christian doctrines, biblical periods, and the Scriptures. In many ways, understanding Mary’s ma...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Commentary on DPJ Editorial by Robin Alexander (2019), Whose discourse? Dialogic Pedagogy for a post-truth world. This commentary adds emphasis on the importance of the four areas of dialogic pedagogy--language, voice, argument and... more
Commentary on DPJ Editorial by Robin Alexander (2019), Whose discourse? Dialogic Pedagogy for a post-truth world. This commentary adds emphasis on the importance of the four areas of dialogic pedagogy--language, voice, argument and truth-- that Alexander proposes to be invested in and prioritized more. It is argued that dialogic pedagogy will benefit from the development of the current approach to respond to the post-truth era, rather than from looking for new ways to do dialogue. Finally, it is suggested that practitioners of dialogic pedagogy take the post-truth era as a situation that fosters critical thinking and reevaluation of how dialogue is conducted.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article is aimed at the analysis of the perceptions of BRICS member states-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-on the role of BRICS as an actor in international politics. While numerous analyses of BRICS have already been... more
This article is aimed at the analysis of the perceptions of BRICS member states-Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa-on the role of BRICS as an actor in international politics. While numerous analyses of BRICS have already been provided, little attention has been given to the deliberate self-presentation of the group per country. As such, this work examines whether these countries themselves perceive the BRICS as a political body that offers an alternative to the Western political imaginary. The focus is on how the BRICS member states construct meanings of what BRICS is and put these perspectives into dialogue with each other. Through a critical discourse analysis, this work takes the official documents released by BRICS countries (e.g. texts and speeches) and examines how these documents reflect each BRICS country's perception of BRICS as a group. Findings show that despite BRICS' unified agenda and plans of action, considerable heterogeneity persists in the perceptions of each BRICS member country concerning the role of BRICS in the international community. The shared vision of the BRICS members remains reflective of the Western framework. However, while the BRICS bloc may not offer a full-fledged alternative politics to that of the West, it still offers an alternative reading of contemporary international politics. Considering also its current state as a group-in-progress, BRICS is significant for its adjunct role in global governance, not least through the differences between the countries and the uncertainty of its future, challenging how to examine historical transitions.
Research Interests:
This work examines the ethical aspects of restricting homebirth. It focuses on how restricting homebirth can breach the principle of autonomy because pregnant citizens1 not only risk losing control over the medical decisions facing them,... more
This work examines the ethical aspects of restricting homebirth. It focuses on how restricting homebirth can breach the principle of autonomy because pregnant citizens1 not only risk losing control over the medical decisions facing them, but also autonomy over their actions and control over their bodies. Using Berlin’s discussion on freedom, this work discusses the rather hidden oppressive nature of birth restrictions that appears when it is framed as helping pregnant individuals choose a moral option as per the advice of medical authorities at the expense of seeing an institutional failure to provide informed choice or options for birthing places for their so-called “best interest”. Three main arguments are offered why restricting homebirth can potentially violate autonomy: (1) imposing the authority to decide on the maternal body issues; (2) imposing standards on motherhood and pregnancy; and (3) imposing how to ascribe value to risk. These arguments highlight how the state and me...
Research Interests:
This paper aims to examine the views of urban poor children on the sustainability of urban gardening in mid-tier cities. The focus is on children engaged in urban micro-gardening in an informal settlement in San Jose del Monte (SJDM)... more
This paper aims to examine the views of urban poor children on the sustainability of urban gardening in mid-tier cities. The focus is on children engaged in urban micro-gardening in an informal settlement in San Jose del Monte (SJDM) City, Philippines. Informal settlements in SJDM comprise households under poverty that use vacant lands for micro-gardening as part of their general urban survival. Through remote qualitative interviews with 9-12 years old children (n = 25), this article analyzes children's opinions on the ecological benefits of their micro-gardens and the potentials they see in urban farming. Responses show contrasting sentiments. On the one hand, children perceive micro-gardens as helpful to the city's ecological sustainability and well-being. They consider urban gardens as a major household survival strategy against food insecurity. But on the other hand, these children have little hopes that urban policymakers will notice their contributions towards the city's sustainability. They do not expect significant improvement occurring in their micro-gardens and they fear to lose their microgardens due to threats of eviction. Such views of the children put into question the city's green governance and urban garden's capacity to address equity issues on sustainable food security in cities. This paper proposes that mid-tier cities have the potential to accommodate the vision of sustainable development through urban farming designs. However, this effort could only gain traction by having appropriate city policy acknowledgement of poor households as contributors to urban sustainability. The discussions raised in this work speak more broadly to the field of urban studies to recognize marginalized children's voices and their contributions to sustainable development.
Research Interests:
This paper examines children’s context in Southeast Asian coastal cities. Through a document analysis, this paper examines City Context Reports from five Southeast Asian coastal cities (Surabaya, Iskandar, Melaka, Cebu and Ho Chi Minh)... more
This paper examines children’s context in Southeast Asian coastal cities. Through a document analysis, this paper examines City Context Reports from five Southeast Asian coastal cities (Surabaya, Iskandar, Melaka, Cebu and Ho Chi Minh) and identifies opportunities and challenges to urban child-friendliness. Results indicate a mixture of achievements and challenges in terms of child-friendly coastal cities. The identified challenges and potentials in Southeast Asian cities shape an urban fabric characterised by the urban sprawl combined with their geographic vulnerabilities of coastal cities. While the challenges of urbanisation in Southeast Asian coastal cities are massive, so are the opportunities. As a way forward, this work proposes a framework for child-friendly coastal cities in Southeast Asia, with emphasis on: (1) child-oriented urban policy design, (2) urban policy assessment through participatory research with children, and (3) educational programs for coastal resilience. This work hopes for further dialogues toward an inclusive urban future in the global South.
Research Interests:
Aim/Purpose This paper identifies and examines cross-cutting experiences from the perspective of two doctoral students, whose research was affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Background The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be... more
Aim/Purpose
This paper identifies and examines cross-cutting experiences from the perspective of two doctoral students, whose research was affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be challenging for higher education scholars in terms of proceeding with their research and how the pandemic sets the scene for changes in higher education’s future. Due to increased anxiety levels because of uncertainties, the paper provides a reflection of doctoral experiences from two students – one in Russia at the data collection stage, and one in China (enrolled in New Zealand) at the proposal stage.
Methodology
Through collaborative autoethnography and joint-reflection, we analyze our experiences as doctoral students focusing on methodological adjustments, ethical dilemmas, adaptation strategies and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Conducting a collaborative autoethnography provides a richer analysis of the interplay between perspectives, compared to a traditional autoethnography. Collaborative autoethnography also provides conditions for a collective exploration of subjectivities of doctoral students through an iterative process. After providing separate individual accounts, we discussed our experiences, analyzed them, and engaged in a joint-reflection from our consensual interpretations.
Contribution
Our work aims to contribute to existing discussions on how COVID-19 impacted on doctoral students’ coping strategies during the pandemic. The paper encourages doctoral students to further discuss how they navigate their doctoral experiences through autoethnography and joint-reflections.
Findings
Three main themes transpired in our analysis. First, we encountered roadblocks such as interruptions, frustrations and resistance to adapt our doctoral studies in the pandemic context, which align with the recent literature regarding education during the coronavirus pandemic. Second, we faced a diversity of burdens and privileges in the pandemic, which provided us with both pleasant (opportunity to create change) and unpleasant (unknown threats) situations, thereby enabling us to construct and reconstruct our stories through reflection. Third, we experienced a shared unfamiliarity of doing doctoral studies during the pandemic, to which the role of the academic community including our supervisors and doctoral colleagues contributed to how we managed our circumstances.
Recommendations for Practitioners
We speak to our fellow doctoral students to dare navigate their doctoral experiences through collaborative reflections. In practice, by reflecting on our experience, we recommend that new doctoral students remain flexible and mindful of their doctoral journeys and recognize their agency to deal with the unexpected. We thus encourage the view of doctoral studies as a process rather than outcome-oriented, as we gain experience from processes.
Recommendation for Researchers
We recommend using both collaborative autoethnography and joint-reflection as an instructive tool for qualitative research. Such engagements offer important discussions towards further communications and exchange of ideas among doctoral students from various backgrounds.
Impact on Society
More broadly, this work is an invitation to reflect and provoke further thoughts to articulate reflections on the impact and various ways of thinking that the pandemic might bring to the fore.
Future Research
Doctoral students are welcome to contribute to a collectivity of narratives that thicken the data and analyses of their pandemic experiences in higher education to reinforce the role of doctoral researchers as agents of history in the trying times of a pandemic.
This paper identifies and examines cross-cutting experiences from the perspective of two doctoral students, whose research was affected by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19).
Background
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to be challenging for higher education scholars in terms of proceeding with their research and how the pandemic sets the scene for changes in higher education’s future. Due to increased anxiety levels because of uncertainties, the paper provides a reflection of doctoral experiences from two students – one in Russia at the data collection stage, and one in China (enrolled in New Zealand) at the proposal stage.
Methodology
Through collaborative autoethnography and joint-reflection, we analyze our experiences as doctoral students focusing on methodological adjustments, ethical dilemmas, adaptation strategies and supervisor-supervisee relationships. Conducting a collaborative autoethnography provides a richer analysis of the interplay between perspectives, compared to a traditional autoethnography. Collaborative autoethnography also provides conditions for a collective exploration of subjectivities of doctoral students through an iterative process. After providing separate individual accounts, we discussed our experiences, analyzed them, and engaged in a joint-reflection from our consensual interpretations.
Contribution
Our work aims to contribute to existing discussions on how COVID-19 impacted on doctoral students’ coping strategies during the pandemic. The paper encourages doctoral students to further discuss how they navigate their doctoral experiences through autoethnography and joint-reflections.
Findings
Three main themes transpired in our analysis. First, we encountered roadblocks such as interruptions, frustrations and resistance to adapt our doctoral studies in the pandemic context, which align with the recent literature regarding education during the coronavirus pandemic. Second, we faced a diversity of burdens and privileges in the pandemic, which provided us with both pleasant (opportunity to create change) and unpleasant (unknown threats) situations, thereby enabling us to construct and reconstruct our stories through reflection. Third, we experienced a shared unfamiliarity of doing doctoral studies during the pandemic, to which the role of the academic community including our supervisors and doctoral colleagues contributed to how we managed our circumstances.
Recommendations for Practitioners
We speak to our fellow doctoral students to dare navigate their doctoral experiences through collaborative reflections. In practice, by reflecting on our experience, we recommend that new doctoral students remain flexible and mindful of their doctoral journeys and recognize their agency to deal with the unexpected. We thus encourage the view of doctoral studies as a process rather than outcome-oriented, as we gain experience from processes.
Recommendation for Researchers
We recommend using both collaborative autoethnography and joint-reflection as an instructive tool for qualitative research. Such engagements offer important discussions towards further communications and exchange of ideas among doctoral students from various backgrounds.
Impact on Society
More broadly, this work is an invitation to reflect and provoke further thoughts to articulate reflections on the impact and various ways of thinking that the pandemic might bring to the fore.
Future Research
Doctoral students are welcome to contribute to a collectivity of narratives that thicken the data and analyses of their pandemic experiences in higher education to reinforce the role of doctoral researchers as agents of history in the trying times of a pandemic.
Research Interests:
This paper examines the relevance of the ocean in children's urban experiences, putting into dialogue the premises of blue urbanism and child-friendly cities. The focus is on discussing how children's lives are entangled with coastal... more
This paper examines the relevance of the ocean in children's urban experiences, putting into dialogue the premises of blue urbanism and child-friendly cities. The focus is on discussing how children's lives are entangled with coastal cities, urging the field of children's geographies to unpack how spatial conditions in coastal cities serve as a lens to make sense of children's narratives in urban spaces. The most significant themes that emerged from this interest include the narratives of children in coastal public spaces, child-specific risks, diversity of childhood(s) in coastal cities, and children's agency toward disaster resilience. Such discussions suggest that both the principles of blue urbanism and child-friendly cities are instructive to shift the fixity of our thinking about children's urban spaces, urging children's geographies to extend its mantle to cover the emergent logics of children's narratives in the coastal cities. Overall, this work is an invitation for children's geographers to further explore the ocean-child interconnectedness as a way of rethinking urbanity. Child-friendly blue urbanism is still uncharted but the opportunities thereof are immense. It is then the task of children's geographers to build on this potential and traverse other disciplines toward further navigating children's lives in coastal cities.
Research Interests:
This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary's pregnancy is located and... more
This work offers a theoretically informed analysis of the characterization of maternity in religion using a spatial lens. The maternal body as a space is used as an analytical framework to discuss how Mary's pregnancy is located and spatialized in Christianity. Through examining selected medieval Marian iconography, this work discusses what kind of space Mary's body represents in the Christian doctrine. Analysis shows three central themes on the characterization of the maternal body as a space: (1) as a transitional space, (2) as a landmark, and (3) as a liminal space. The images of Marian pregnancy show that the maternal body is beyond its biological purpose in the Bible, but serves as a space that enables various interactions and spiritual events. The examination of Mary's maternal body as a space offers an alternative perspective to discuss Mary's character as a point of interface for Christian doctrines, biblical periods, and the Scriptures. In many ways, understanding Mary's maternal body as a space speaks about the complexities and unveiled aspects of maternity's role in religion. This work hopes to spark further discussions on how the maternal body intersects with spatiality in the context of religion.
Research Interests:
This article investigates journal influence of childhood studies journals in 2011-2019. Using CiteScore metrics, results show that childhood studies journals have gained influence over the past decade, suggesting that research in... more
This article investigates journal influence of childhood studies journals in 2011-2019. Using CiteScore metrics, results show that childhood studies journals have gained influence over the past decade, suggesting that research in childhood has become more visible. However, certain journals flourish disproportionately within the network of childhood research. Overall, the findings demonstrate the rapid maturation of childhood studies as a discipline and the increasing relevance of journals in the process. Overall, the results serve as signposts for the direction of childhood studies and reminders to childhood scholars of their responsibility to maintain the integrity in childhood studies.
Research Interests:
This work explores the socio-spatial relations, urban practices, and institutional arrangements that contribute to the inclusivity of urban nightlife to children. Through a survey of selected literature, this work shows that while there... more
This work explores the socio-spatial relations, urban practices, and institutional arrangements that contribute to the inclusivity of urban nightlife to children. Through a survey of selected literature, this work shows that while there are efforts to address issues of children's overnight experiences, some urban practices also downplay children's urban night experiences. The most significant discussions that emerged from this interest are related to the meaning of public spaces at night; differences in cities' inclusion of children during the day versus the night; privileged and underprivileged childhoods at night; and attention to adults who work on behalf of children, such as women, educators, and neighbourhood communities. Together, the literature reveals the importance of urban policies and research toward children's social integration in the city nightlife. Finally, this chapter proposes the “ethics of care” in everyday life as a framework in creating urban spaces in which children are integrated into the conviviality of the city nightlife.
Research Interests:
This work takes off from the key concepts of Paul Weller's thoughts on contemporary challenges to dialogue, which it adapts to the context of children's dialogue in diverse classroom settings. The challenge in a diverse classroom is how... more
This work takes off from the key concepts of Paul Weller's thoughts on contemporary challenges to dialogue, which it adapts to the context of children's dialogue in diverse classroom settings. The challenge in a diverse classroom is how to adapt a strategy to acknowledge the diversity of participants and reach a peaceful and productive dialogue. This article shows how Philosophy for Children (P4C) together with a phenomenological approach can be used as a tool for addressing the challenges Weller has mentioned to address the issue of children's differences. Then, this article shows the potential of using a phenomenological approach and lived experience to establish a bridge between Philosophy for Children, critical reflection and understanding differences in the classroom. This work argues that phenomenology as an approach is useful for P4C to have a dialogue aimed at understanding diversity, solidarity, and even pluralistic democratic engagement. Such discussions have implications for facilitating dialogue in linguistically diverse classrooms, intercultural and interethnic classrooms, and digital classrooms. Finally, this article identifies key areas for future research. This work seeks to speak and contribute to the literature on dialogic research by problematising children's discursive positions as learners and participants of dialogue.
Research Interests:
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men's altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altruistic motivation is mostly driven by existence and... more
This article explores the motivations behind Russian men's altruistic sperm donation using Alderfer's Existence-Relatedness-Growth (ERG) model. Among the sample of 86 men, altruistic motivation is mostly driven by existence and relatedness. Correlations tests indicated two patterns: 1) men driven by existence needs are more willing to maintain contact with the future child and less prone to self-promotion; 2) men driven by relatedness needs demonstrate the opposite characteristics. These results contribute to further research of reproductive donor motivations in Russia.
Research Interests:
This study examines what hinders international law in establishing a binding guideline for abortion. This work seeks to discuss how debates in international affairs take the subject of the moral status of fetuses. As such, international... more
This study examines what hinders international law in establishing a binding guideline for abortion. This work seeks to discuss how debates in international affairs take the subject of the moral status of fetuses. As such, international organizations use the argument of “differences” in ethical standards among countries and world regions as a reason not to have binding abortion rights. This work argues, however, that this reason has invalid premises and is not sufficient to dismiss a binding international abortion law. While the moral status of the fetus is a matter to be further contested, this work argues that a provisional conclusion in the international law is urgent in situations where the unresolved abortion issues render women (pregnant or not) vulnerability, depriving them of a policy protection. Finally, this work concludes that establishing an international abortion law does not necessarily preclude political agents from keeping it under discussion, which keeps law accountable to ethics.
Research Interests:
Muratshina K. and Andal A.G. (2021) China’s Infrastructural Expansion in Southeast Asia. In: Bolgov R., Atnashev V., Gladkiy Y., Leete A., Tsyb A., Pogodin S. (eds) Proceedings of Topical Issues in International Political Geography.... more
Muratshina K. and Andal A.G. (2021) China’s Infrastructural Expansion in Southeast Asia. In: Bolgov R., Atnashev V., Gladkiy Y., Leete A., Tsyb A., Pogodin S. (eds) Proceedings of Topical Issues in International Political Geography. Springer Geography. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58263-0_26
This paper is aimed at the analysis of contemporary China’s policy of realisation of large-scale infrastructure projects in the region of Southeast Asia. In the recent years, the People’s Republic of China has intensified the promotion of such projects, insisting on the faster development of “One Belt, One Road” initiative. As a neighbouring region for China, Southeast Asia is subject to this policy, and many states, either driven by the desire of some profit, or not used to the format of this cooperation and its probable consequences, or unable to dismiss the initiatives of a powerful neighbour, have already agreed to allow the wider participation of the PRC in the construction of highways, railroads and other infrastructure in their territories. The construction is carried out on the basis of tied loans, with bids and offers going primarily to Chinese contractors, and with the use of Chinese workforce. As a result, typically after the completion of such projects, one side – the PRC – receives considerable margins and strengthens its impact in the region or in the economy of a partner state, while the other one – the recipient – acquires infrastructure, but for the price of financial dependence, additional expenses (any loan has to be paid back with the interest rate) and, in many cases, negative environmental impact and social tensions. This paper displays these common features of China-led infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and, in addition, analyses the reaction of the regional political elites and societies to this situation. Moreover, it is discussed, how China’s infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia become an example of the interplay between soft and hard power, wherein soft power can serve as a leverage to hard power.
This paper is aimed at the analysis of contemporary China’s policy of realisation of large-scale infrastructure projects in the region of Southeast Asia. In the recent years, the People’s Republic of China has intensified the promotion of such projects, insisting on the faster development of “One Belt, One Road” initiative. As a neighbouring region for China, Southeast Asia is subject to this policy, and many states, either driven by the desire of some profit, or not used to the format of this cooperation and its probable consequences, or unable to dismiss the initiatives of a powerful neighbour, have already agreed to allow the wider participation of the PRC in the construction of highways, railroads and other infrastructure in their territories. The construction is carried out on the basis of tied loans, with bids and offers going primarily to Chinese contractors, and with the use of Chinese workforce. As a result, typically after the completion of such projects, one side – the PRC – receives considerable margins and strengthens its impact in the region or in the economy of a partner state, while the other one – the recipient – acquires infrastructure, but for the price of financial dependence, additional expenses (any loan has to be paid back with the interest rate) and, in many cases, negative environmental impact and social tensions. This paper displays these common features of China-led infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and, in addition, analyses the reaction of the regional political elites and societies to this situation. Moreover, it is discussed, how China’s infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia become an example of the interplay between soft and hard power, wherein soft power can serve as a leverage to hard power.
Research Interests:
Rad ispituje etičke aspekte ograničavanja poroda kod kuće. Fokusira se na to kako ograničenje poroda kod kuće može prekršiti načelo autonomije, jer trudnice ne samo da riskiraju gubljenje kontrole nad medicinskim odlukama s kojima se... more
Rad ispituje etičke aspekte ograničavanja poroda kod kuće. Fokusira se na to kako ograničenje poroda kod kuće može prekršiti načelo autonomije, jer trudnice ne samo da riskiraju gubljenje kontrole nad medicinskim odlukama s kojima se suočavaju, već i autonomiju nad svojim postupcima i kontrolu nad svojim tijelom. Koristeći Berlinovu raspravu o slobodi, rad govori o prilično skrivenoj opresivnoj prirodi ograničenja poroda kod kuće koja se pojavljuje pri pomaganju trudnicama u odabiru moralne opcije prema savjetima medicinskih stručnjaka, u vidu institucijskog neuspjeha u pružanju informiranog izbora ili opcija mjesta za rađanje pod izlikom štićenja „najboljeg interesa“ trudnica. Tri su glavna argumenta zbog čega ograničenje poroda kod kuće može potencijalno narušiti autonomiju: (1) nametanje autoriteta u odlučivanju o pitanjima majčinog tijela; (2) nametanje standarda u majčinstvu i trudnoći; i (3) nametanje načina pripisivanja vrijednosti riziku. Ovi argumenti ističu način na koji su državne i medicinske ustanove uspostavile ovlasti u procesu porođaja kako bi opravdale ograničavanje poroda kod kuće. Kada su državne i medicinske ustanove postavljene kao moralni autoritet za mjesto porođaja, sklonostima trudnica da rađaju kod kuće pripisuju se osjećaji krivice, srama i drugih negativnih vrijednosti koje se odnose na nečiji izbor, a ne doživljava ih se kao reakciju na kvalitetu podrške trudnicama u državnim i medicinskim ustanovama. Ograničenje poroda kod kuće odražava činjenicu da odluka trudnice o mjestu rađanja nije izolirana od prava na vlastiti izbor. Doista, postoji etički interes oko ograničenja poroda kod kuće, jer ono u najboljem slučaju može biti dobronamjerno, a u najgorem slučaju diskriminatorno.
Research Interests:
This work situates the unborn within the wider discussions in political philosophy. Much existing work on the unborn’s relevance to theoretical discussions focuses on personhood, moral status and pregnant bodies. However, this work argues... more
This work situates the unborn within the wider discussions in political philosophy. Much existing work on the unborn’s relevance to theoretical discussions focuses on personhood, moral status and pregnant bodies. However, this work argues that the embryonic or fetal body is the crux of political philosophy’s interest in the unborn. There is less work on whether or not to protect the unborn by virtue of having a body, yet it is important because the embryonic or fetal body complicates the boundaries of the unborn’s membership to humanity. This work unpacks the relevance of political philosophy in furthering the discussions on the body of the embryo or fetus. The unborn’s membership to humanity is inescapably embodied because it is with and through a body that the unborn gains access the human world and touches discussions on moral status, personhood, identity and rights. Three cases are provided to substantiate these discussions: moral status, birth restrictions and gene editing, all of which are related to how the embryonic or fetal body becomes a contested space for membership to humanity. This work concludes that the political philosophy of the unborn contributes to both academic scholarship and political life by problematizing what virtues ought to govern laws and policies on the unborn. Discussions imply that the connection between the contested embryonic or fetal body and political philosophy gathers a variety of deep and important questions, which justifies an intellectual and practical pursuit.
Research Interests:
This work examines how the no home birth policy is embedded in the professionalization and moralization of maternal health. Technological advancements have established authorities in the birthing process, and at the same time, health has... more
This work examines how the no home birth policy is embedded in the professionalization and moralization of maternal health. Technological advancements have established authorities in the birthing process, and at the same time, health has been seen as a moral obligation. The “best interest” of the maternal organism, as informed by experts, is used as justification for no the home birth policy. With these developments comes the potential of the no home birth policy to distort freedom, especially when maternal health is framed as a moral issue that nitpicks on the pregnant citizens’ obligation alone. This work, however, argues that oppressive nature of birth restrictions goes beyond mere infringement of freedom. Using Berlin’s (1969) discussion on freedom, this work discusses the rather hidden oppressive nature of birth restrictions that comes when it is framed as helping pregnant people choose a moral option as per the advise of medical authorities at the expense of seeing an institutional failure to provide informed choice or options for birthing places for their so-called “best interest”. This is suggestive of double standards as this policy restricts choice based on expert advice without providing for alternatives. When the maternal organism is framed as the moral bearer of the responsibility of birth place, preferences are bound to be judged with guilt-ridden sentiments, shame and other value-laden labels related to one’s choice rather than be seen as a reflection of the quality of institutional support. The no home birth policy reflect that a pregnant person’s decision of birthplace is not isolated from the availability of one’s choice. Indeed, there is democratic interest to discussing home births as this policy could be democratic at best and discriminatory at worst.
Research Interests:
This article aims to put into dialogue Philosophy for Children (P4C) and education rights. Whereas rights have robust conceptualizations and have been the topic of many scholarly discussions , scholarship on P4C still has a lot to unpack... more
This article aims to put into dialogue Philosophy for Children (P4C) and education rights. Whereas rights have robust conceptualizations and have been the topic of many scholarly discussions , scholarship on P4C still has a lot to unpack for a more expansive understanding, especially when scaled up to the level of rights. This work asks whether or not the rhetoric of "rights" can be used to discuss if P4C has a rightful place to be a mandatory part of school curriculum. Thus the article explores how P4C is positioned between children education and rights discourses. The range of views on P4C is broad enough to prevent the concentration of discursive power in a single source or authority in terms of scale of discussion. P4C is therefore subject to both scrutiny and praise in the same way that other human rights ideologies have been. In conclusion, this work hopes to speak and contribute to the literature on P4C by prob-lematizing children's discursive positions as learners and citizens with rights.
Research Interests:
This work aims to examine the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in the context of President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. This article focuses on how Duterte’s war on drugs can be dissonant with the purpose... more
This work aims to examine the minimum age of criminal responsibility (MACR) in the context of President Duterte’s anti-drug campaign in the Philippines. This article focuses on how Duterte’s war on drugs can be dissonant with the purpose of juvenile justice standards. This work conducts an examination on the issue of age of criminal responsibility in the Philippines in a three-fold manner: (1) using Hanna Arednt’s theory to explain how violence is legitimised in the anti-drugs campaign then giving examples of how young people suffered from this; (2) analysing the legal standpoint towards young people under the war on drugs; and (3) using legal and psychological literature to argue that Duterte’s war on drugs can be dissonant with the purpose of juvenile justice standards. Young people are framed as instrumental to the drug crisis in the country instead of being victims of social ills, thereby justifying the strict measures on MACR to respond to the national drugs problem. Drawing on the principles on Juvenile Justice practices in different parts of the world, it also discusses that using the war on drugs as justification to lower MACR has underlying ethical normative and pragmatic issues which can pose threats to young people’s rights especially when lowering MACR is understood as a cursory response to drug crisis. Finally, this article seeks to encourage further discussions about the ways in which the norms and standards in setting age of criminal responsibility are to be interpreted in specific national contexts.