{"title":"Impact of Physical Environmental Factors on Mental Wellbeing of Condominium Dwellers","authors":"Siriwan Rujibhong","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.13","url":null,"abstract":"This paper attempts to reveal the outcomes of the empirical research investigating how the physical environments of the residential high-rises, known as condominiums, including the urban and community contexts, impact mental wellbeing of the dwellers since the emergence of condominiums in Bangkok’s real estate market has continued to proliferate. The principal objectives of the research are to determine the assumption that the high-density urban environment and unique structure of condominiums are the significant determinants affecting occupants’ mental status. Based on the quantitative research approach, the two-stage stratified sampling technique and a cross-sectional survey were performed to engage 1,206 participants from eighteen high-rise condominiums in Bangkok. The interdisciplinary research instruments applied in this study are a Physical-Environmental (PE) Assessment for evaluating the physical environment and surroundings of the condominiums and a Personal and Psychological (PP) Questionnaire for collecting respondents’ attributes and their psychological status quo: safety concerns, privacy satisfaction, and a sense of community at the time of their dwelling in condominiums. At the analytical stage, three inferential statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, independent sample t-test, and one-way analysis of variance, were applied at the p-value ≤ 0.05. The results endorsed three urban factors: geographical zoning, land use zoning, and density of population as significant dominants of safety concerns, including the sense of community of condominiums’ dwellers, whereas community and architectural factors appeared to have distinctive effects on all three psychological variables.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"50 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139210228","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yingying Fan, Hardev Kaur Jujar Singh, Diana Abu Ujum, Hasyimah Mohd Amin, Xia Hou
{"title":"Multi-dimensional Gender Perspective in Historical Narrative Structure of A. S. Byatt’s Possession: A Romance","authors":"Yingying Fan, Hardev Kaur Jujar Singh, Diana Abu Ujum, Hasyimah Mohd Amin, Xia Hou","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.05","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.05","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores gender issues in the historical narrative structure of A. S. Byatt’s novel Possession: A Romance (1990) by critically examining women’s exclusion from society, men’s identity crisis in gender environments, and the separation and union between two sexes in the novel. To reveal these complicated gender issues, Byatt combines history with narrative, which accords well with Hayden White’s historical narrative that fictive history can unveil historical truth. Additionally, Byatt’s three levels of historical narratives echo Giambattista Vico’s cycle of history to reveal the recurring gender issues in human history. In this respect, this study investigates how Byatt uses historical narratives to examine gender dilemmas of men and women to explore how characters free themselves from their gendered travails. In conclusion, Byatt employs historical narratives to reveal the recurring gender dilemmas and gender opposition in the history of human development. Meanwhile, Byatt is seeking a new type of gender relations in the cycle of human history as well—it is androgyny that liberates men and women from the limitation of defined gender roles and dissolves gendered conflicts to realize the union between body and soul in men and women.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139214240","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implementation of Early Reading Games to Teach English Using Integrated Sound Word Method for Preschoolers","authors":"Mohd Nazri Abdul Rahman, Kwee Eng Tham, Cong Liu","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.11","url":null,"abstract":"In teaching English reading skills to preschoolers, two primary reading instruction approaches have been established: the Phonics Approach and the Whole Language Approach. However, no evidence was found in the past studies to support these methods in the Malaysian setting. This study examines the effects of early reading games on teaching English among second language learners in preschools using the Integrated Sound Word Method using 60 preschoolers aged six years old in the district of Kuala Lumpur as samples. Two groups were formed to be assigned as the control group and intervention group. Pre-test, post-test, and post-test 2 were administered to the control and intervention groups before and after the quasi-experimental study. The Integrated Sound Word Method incorporated early reading games as an intervention for the intervention group. This study used one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) as well as the learning outcomes of the experimental study to measure its significance. The findings showed that the intervention group performed better in improving early reading proficiency through games as compared to the control group at each level. The participants in the intervention group are able to grasp early reading proficiency after learning through early reading games using the Integrated Sound Word Method. This study has several implications for educators and policymakers in developing effective reading programs for second language learners, emphasizing the significance of a balanced approach to achieving the objectives of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013–2025).","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139210619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Semantic Extensions of Hausa Visual and Auditory Perception Verbs gani and ji in Romance Fiction","authors":"Mohammed Sani Ya’u, Sabariah Md Rashid, Afida Mohamad Ali, Hardev Kaur Jujar Singh","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.06","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.06","url":null,"abstract":"This study focuses on the metaphorical semantic extension of Hausa visual and auditory perception verbs as portrayed in romance fiction. Hausa language, just like any other language, provides a window into how speakers use language to make sense of the world around them. The study examines how language users attribute abstract concepts, such as thinking and understanding, to sensory experiences of seeing and hearing, drawing on the conceptual metaphor theory. The study analysed a corpus of Hausa romance fiction, focusing on the use of perception verbs and the metaphorical extensions they evoke. A qualitative research approach was employed, and literary texts were selected as the primary data source. The text data were extracted using the AntConc programme, and such data were then analysed using a cognitive semantics analytical framework. The study’s findings indicated that verbs of higher intellect, such as “understand” and “think”, are derived from hearing and vision, respectively. These metaphorical extensions are closely related to cultural beliefs and norms, emphasising the importance of visual and auditory cues in human relationships. This article provides insights into how language and culture intersect in using perception verbs in Hausa romance fiction texts and demonstrates the importance of understanding metaphorical extensions in studying language and culture.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139211112","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tamilarasi Chandran, Nurzatulshima Kamarudin, S. Mustakim, Lavanya Silvarajan, Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh
{"title":"Factors Influencing Teaching Higher-order Thinking Skills among Mathematics Teachers in Malaysian Primary Schools","authors":"Tamilarasi Chandran, Nurzatulshima Kamarudin, S. Mustakim, Lavanya Silvarajan, Zeinab Zaremohzzabieh","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.09","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.09","url":null,"abstract":"Integrating higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) into the mathematics curriculum has been a longstanding goal of the Malaysian education system. By recognizing its growing importance in enhancing students’ thinking abilities, this study explores the factors influencing the teaching of HOTS in primary schools across Malaysia. A quantitative research approach is used to analyze 269 randomly selected mathematics teachers from primary schools in Temerloh, Malaysia, to investigate the impact of four influencing factors: teachers’ knowledge of HOTS, pedagogical skills, attitude, and barriers to teaching HOTS. The findings from this study revealed that all four influencing factors significantly predict the teaching of HOTS among Malaysian mathematics teachers. These results hold significant promise in enriching teaching practices and fostering HOTS integration within the school context. By providing valuable insights into the dynamics of teaching HOTS, this study aims to equip teachers, schools, and administrators with essential resources to enhance students’ academic achievements. The implications of this research are far-reaching and hold the potential to revolutionize the learning and teaching landscape in Malaysia, not only in mathematics but also in other disciplines, thereby elevating the overall learning experience.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"22 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139210915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Norlaila Abdullah Chik, Emmy Farha Alias, Siti Asmahan Mohammad Ali, Noorasiah Sulaiman
{"title":"The Implications of Palm Cooking Oil Price Increases in Malaysia","authors":"Norlaila Abdullah Chik, Emmy Farha Alias, Siti Asmahan Mohammad Ali, Noorasiah Sulaiman","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.08","url":null,"abstract":"Domestic palm oil consumption in Malaysia increased to about 3.37 million metric tons in 2022. This number is expected to increase further due to population growth and consumer preferences for palm oil cooking oil. However, in 2016, the government withdrew its subsidy on palm cooking oil, increasing its price by 48.9%. Recently, the government proposed to use a floating price for palm cooking oil. These changes have left direct and indirect impacts on food producers and consumers. Therefore, this paper examines the impact of an increase in the price of palm cooking oil on food producers (directly) and consumers (indirectly). This study applied the Leontief price modelling technique and simulated a scenario for the price changes in the production cost. The simulation results indicated that costs and prices changed. The results found that the most significant cost change came from restaurants, 52.0%, while other price changes were from oil palm (29.6%) and restaurants (17.4%). This study also used the profit index to calculate the profit food producers and services gained. Based on this scenario, food producers should revise their prices of goods and services since they still gain profit. It was recommended that the government revise the price of palm cooking oil by providing subsidies or incentives to the food producer or consumer. The fluctuation in palm oil prices impacts the price of palm cooking oil in the market. If the government does not revise cooking oil prices, it will affect food consumers and producers.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139212629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Ghajarieh, Zuraidah Mohd Don, M. Mozaheb, Ghazaleh Ghandil
{"title":"Intersection of Gender, Globalization, and Religion in Local and Globalized ELT Textbooks in Iran","authors":"A. Ghajarieh, Zuraidah Mohd Don, M. Mozaheb, Ghazaleh Ghandil","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.10","url":null,"abstract":"This paper examines gender representation in two textbook series: Solutions, published by an international publisher, and the Iran Language Institute (ILI) series, written by local writers. Evidence of gender representation is drawn from the analysis of their religious content in the narrative texts and the illustrations. The analysis of gender representation is guided by six criteria: visibility in pictures, visibility in text, firstness, character activity, occupations, and topic dominance. The findings indicate that in both textbook series, males exhibit greater visibility and dominance in relation to character and occupation. The gender representation varies significantly. These results substantiate previous investigations conducted elsewhere, highlighting the gender imbalance in textbook representation. The examination of gender representation at the intersection of religion in local textbooks also revealed that intersectionality in social sciences can further perpetuate gender bias in educational materials. These findings serve as a call to action for textbook authors and education policymakers to prioritize gender equality representation within the context of religion and globalization in language education textbooks authored by local writers. This research holds implications for language teaching approaches fostering intercultural competence, specifically in English as a lingua franca.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139213558","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Impact and Role of the Public Realm in Creating More Socially Cohesive Communities: A Case Study of Urban Pattern in Almaty, Kazakhstan","authors":"Adilet Kozhakhmetov, A. Abilov","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.4.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.4.12","url":null,"abstract":"Over the last three decades, there has been a notable transformation in urban growth patterns in Kazakhstan’s large cities, particularly in Almaty. While this can be traced back to market-oriented planning agendas, the increasing fragmentation of the public realm in cities can be linked to the recent residential development projects. The rise of these projects in post-Soviet neighbourhoods is often criticised due to their typology, as developers create them as gated communities. These patterns’ socio and spatial fragmentation is associated with fewer opportunities for social interaction between Soviet neighbourhoods and the more recent exclusive communities. Therefore, this paper investigates the key issues present in the urban patterns of Almaty city that can hinder the creation of a more cohesive society. It presents a case study of other Soviet-developed neighbourhoods with similar development patterns. The study’s methodology includes morphological mapping, observation of the use of the public realm and a survey of residents to support the findings. The investigation focuses on one of the typical urban patterns of mixed-use Soviet neighbourhoods and recent urban residential blocks, where an opportunity lies for perspective communities. The research reveals a lack of social cohesion between local communities due to mono-functional land use, poor permeability and accessibility that fragmented the city into closed neighbourhoods. The research dives into the core issues of Soviet and post-Soviet urban morphology’s outcomes in the public realm and the impact on social life in these neighbourhoods.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139211462","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah Abdulkareem Salih, S. Ismail, A. Najm, Nurhilmiyani Ismail
{"title":"Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Subsequent Social Distancing on Individual's Mental Health","authors":"Sarah Abdulkareem Salih, S. Ismail, A. Najm, Nurhilmiyani Ismail","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.3.08","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.3.08","url":null,"abstract":"The COVID-19 coronavirus, an infectious disease originating in Wuhan, has become an outbreak worldwide, leading to unprecedented measures restricting social and physical activities in many countries. The subsequent social distancing of COVID-19 has significantly resulted in many psychological consequences. The current study examines the impact of social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health symptoms of Selangor State, Malaysia residents. An online survey was conducted through social media platforms targeting residents of Selangor State in Malaysia. A convenience sampling method was led to include 258 respondents in the study. The questionnaire on the symptoms of mental health related to fear of COVID-19 included 13 items developed from the existing studies. The results showed that symptoms of mental health problems related to fear of COVID-19 are negatively associated with the likelihood of social interaction. The overall score of symptoms of mental health related to the fear of COVID-19 showed moderate symptoms of mental problems related to the fear of COVID-19. The factor of age was also associated with higher symptomatology of mental health problems related to fear of COVID-19. Thus, related measures and guidelines must consider the mental well-being of the at-risk person as the pandemic continues. The current study’s findings contribute to the knowledge gaps in behavioural health during biological disasters. It also provides a reference for professionals and policymakers to develop programs and measures to handle the psychosocial status of the affected people.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"30 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133415601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Rise of Islamic Populism and Social Alliances of the Muslim Middle-Class in the West Sumatra","authors":"Yayuk Lestari","doi":"10.47836/pjssh.31.3.12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.47836/pjssh.31.3.12","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores the manifestation of religious populism through a case study in West Sumatra, highlighting its rise to power and the consequent shift towards religion as a central factor in public policy decisions. In West Sumatra, where the Minangkabau reside, Islamic populism received support from the economically established, middle-class traders. It occurred due to the change within Minangkabau society, where the clan’s traditional role in meeting the needs of its members has been disrupted by modernization. Replacing the clan’s roles, financially stable middle-class Muslims have come to support the needy and community activities, eventually leading to the rise of Islamic populism. This transformation, from clan-based to multi-clan alliances, has provided the consolidated middle class with the impetus to advocate for a conservative Islamic agenda. The research findings also underscore the necessity of considering contextual factors, including urban-rural dynamics and community-specific socio-cultural structures. Data for this research were collected by employing vis-à-vis interviews and active observation from August 2019 to December 2020 in West Sumatra, Indonesia.","PeriodicalId":125431,"journal":{"name":"Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities","volume":"11 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128397514","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}