The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 43: Agrarian Transition and Smallholder Success Through Local Networks: A Case Study from Mindanao by Magne Knudsen. Please see below for details. Abstract: On the southern Philippine island of Mindanao, scholars have documented a precarious land tenure, livelihood, and security situation for many smallholders. Agrarian political economy studies provide insightful analysis of the underlying causes of much poverty and violence on the island. Less attention has been given to cases of smallholder success. This article proposes that conditions for smallholder…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 41: The Portrayal of Rainforests and People in Tourism Promotional Videos by Mizuki Munakata and F. Merlin Franco. Please see below for details. Abstract: Tourism promotional videos are known to play an important role in shaping destination image which motivates people to travel to the destination. Since destination images create expectations, marketing videos should ideally promote realistic scenarios that the tourist would experience at the destination. Failure to match the communicated destination image with reality would only lead to tourist…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 42: The Cultural Identity of the Chinese-Malays in Brunei: Acculturation and Hybridity by Nur Shawatriqah Binti Hj Md Sahrifulhafiz and Chang-Yau Hoon. Please see below for details. Abstract: This paper explores the ways in which Bruneians who are born into a Chinese-Malay family define their identity, how the state classifies them in terms of “race”, how they negotiate their bicultural practices, and what challenges they face while growing up. It argues that possibly due to their relatively small population and…

The Institute of Asian Studies at Universiti Brunei Darussalam is pleased to announce the publication of IAS Working Paper No. 40: Tourism and Leisure in Thailand: Erik Cohen and Beyond by Victor T. King. Please see below for details. Abstract: One of the major research interests in the study of development, culture, and identity in Thailand during the past four decades has comprised the effects and processes involved in the development of international tourism and the globalization of leisure. More recently attention has also been paid to the importance of domestic tourism in Thailand and the wider Southeast Asia as…