Political factors affecting parents’ perceptions on televised polio messages in Sindh, Pakistan: a critical investigation

Television messages are one of the essential means to disseminate polio messages in the prevention of infectious diseases. However, little is known about the hegemony of political actors specifically government in power over televised health content and its impact on people’s perceptions to adopt or reject a health attitude, particularly in developing countries. Theoretically, Bandura in his social cognitive theory (1997) has examined the change in mind-sets through observational learning, media and social surroundings. However, his research lacks to underline state dominancy over people’s health decisions with reference to political leadership. This study fills the gap by critically investigating political factors that obstruct Pakistani television channels to disseminate productive and informative polio messages, for boosting self-efficacy among lower middle class Jamshoro parents, thus encouraging them to vaccinate their children against polio in Sindh province of Pakistan. The methodological approach employs critical paradigm with qualitative investigation through in-depth interviews. Low level of awareness, less credibility of television channels and political hegemony over health messages contributed and enlarged self-efficacy to collective efficacy of political actors during findings of this research study as a new domain in social cognitive theory. In addition, this research sheds light by critically analysing the elements of corruption, unaccountability and lack of transparency involved in ineffective televised polio messages in developing nations as Pakistan, opening a space for policy makers and television officials for a positive health change in designing health awareness campaigns

Challenges in Enhancing Sustainable Sago Palm Cultivation in the Mukah Division of Sarawak, Malaysia

Sago (Metroxylon sagu Rottb.) has the potential to be an important commodity export for the state of Sarawak, Malaysia provided it can be cultivated sustainably by the sago farmers and in large sago estate plantation. Its ability to accumulate large amount of starch in its trunk lead its to be regarded as the "starch crop of the 21st century." The study's goal is to investigate the many challenges faced by sago farmers in Sarawak's Mukah Division in cultivating sustainable sago palms. It uses a sustainable agriculture framework to describe the issues and challenges in improving sago cultivation. This study employed in-depth interview with all stakeholders and observation as data collection. Results revealed that the pertinent issues and challenges for the sago farmers in sustainable agriculture includes integrating scientific methods with indigenous knowledge of sago cultivation, finding sago variety that produce high yield of sago starch, long maturity period of sago, the declining size of land to cultivate sago, competition from oil palm cultivation, and the absent of the sago board. Of a great concern is the reluctant of younger generation to enter the labour force in the sago industry

The Uses of Balau Among the Melanau Community Especially in The Traditional Healing Rituals

Indigenous Knowledge is defined by UNESCO as the understandings, skills and philosophies that is formed by communities through a continuous interaction between the natural surroundings with its people. The traditions and customs of indigenous knowledge particularly traditional healing rituals within the Melanau community are being forgotten as they are less practice nowadays. Balau or scientifically known as mextroxylon sagu is a plant that is closely related to the traditional healing practice and the way of life of the Melanau community. The objectives of the paper are: to identify the uses of balau among the Melanau community and to analyse the types and practices of Melanau traditional healing rituals. This paper uses a qualitative approach which includes in- depth interview and observation to gather all the data. The findings of this paper are: there are many functions of balau in the daily use of the Melanau community as a source of food, income and healing; and there are several types of traditional healing rituals that already not practice by the Melanau community due to the availability of modern medicine and religious conversion. To preserve the practices of indigenous knowledge mainly traditional healing rituals are challenging due to the rapid modernization

Constraints Affecting the Increase of Sago Production : A Case of Melanau Rural Youth’s Participation in Sago Industry in Sarawak, Malaysia.

Sago industry which comprises sago cultivation, processing and sago-based food entrepreneurship has its own youth participation challenges. Consequently, the study aimed at determining constraints factors affecting rural youth sago producers. The constraint factors, namely internal and external factors are developed from modelling reason action theory. Data were collected from 200 youth sago producers in Mukah Division via face-to-face interview using a close-ended questionnaire. The data were analysed by means of descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and binary logistic regression model. The descriptive statistic showed the pattern of youth participation in the sago industry. The result of exploratory factor analysis identified six constraints factors affecting youth sago producers; commodity price, new knowledge, physical infrastructure, income, assistance and training. The result of binary logistic regression showed that the low participation of part-time to fulltime participation of youth sago producers is significantly influenced by new knowledge, physical infrastructure and training constraint factors. The study suggests rural youth requires technological advancement in the sago industry. In addition, the findings may provide useful information to the relevant stakeholders to re-evaluate the assistance and support programs to increase the participation and productivity of the Melanau youth. Furthermore, encouragement be given to more non-Melanaus to participate in sago industry

Political Factors Affecting Parents’ Perceptions on Televised Polio Messages in Sindh, Pakistan : A Critical Investigation

Television messages are one of the essential means to disseminate polio messages in the prevention of infectious diseases. However, little is known about the hegemony of political actors specifically government in power over televised health content and its impact on people’s perceptions to adopt or reject a health attitude, particularly in developing countries. Theoretically, Bandura in his social cognitive theory (1997) has examined the change in mind-sets through observational learning, media and social surroundings. However, his research lacks to underline state dominancy over people’s health decisions with reference to political leadership. This study fills the gap by critically investigating political factors that obstruct Pakistani television channels to disseminate productive and informative polio messages, for boosting self-efficacy among lower middle class Jamshoro parents, thus encouraging them to vaccinate their children against polio in Sindh province of Pakistan. The methodological approach employs critical paradigm with qualitative investigation through in-depth interviews. Low level of awareness, less credibility of television channels and political hegemony over health messages contributed and enlarged self-efficacy to collective efficacy of political actors during findings of this research study as a new domain in social cognitive theory. In addition, this research sheds light by critically analysing the elements of corruption, unaccountability and lack of transparency involved in ineffective televised polio messages in developing nations as Pakistan, opening a space for policy makers and television officials for a positive health change in designing health awareness campaigns

Youth participation in the sago industry: a Malaysian case study

Studies have shown that today’s youth are shunning away from agricultural activities leading to workforce shortages to sustain production. The present study includes a survey of 200 youths involved in the sago industry in Malaysia’s four major districts of Sarawak to understand their general perceptions of the sago industry and employment patterns in both sago and non-sago. Results showed that a proportion of the youth respondents were employed either full-time or part-time, with more than half working full-time in the private sector. Of great concern, about 25 per cent of them are not employed full-time. Nevertheless, approximately 70 or 35 per cent of the youth respondents admitted that they are engaged in part-time sago-related activities. Generally, rural youths have favourable attitudes toward the sago industry. The level of education is an essential factor influencing youths’ full-time employment in the sago industry. Whereas for parttime employment in the industry, age was a significant determinant

Youth participation in the Sago industry: A Malaysian case study

Studies have shown that today’s youth are shunning away from agricultural activities leading to workforce shortages to sustain production. The present study includes a survey of 200 youths involved in the sago industry in Malaysia’s four major districts of Sarawak to understand their general perceptions of the sago industry and employment patterns in both sago and non-sago. Results showed that a proportion of the youth respondents were employed either full-time or part-time, with more than half working full-time in the private sector. Of great concern, about 25 per cent of them are not employed full-time. Nevertheless, approximately 70 or 35 per cent of the youth respondents admitted that they are engaged in part-time sago-related activities. Generally, rural youths have favourable attitudes toward the sago industry. The level of education is an essential factor influencing youths’ full-time employment in the sago industry. Whereas for part- time employment in the industry, age was a significant determinant