Challenges and Trends Towards the Integration of Humanities and Social Sciences Research with the Emphasis on ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint in the ASEAN Community

Abstract

ASEAN community has recently experienced rapid economic, social and cultural changes resulting in emerging concerned issues to be handled in the past decades.  In order to do this, researches in humanities and social sciences for knowledge and capacity building have been recently fostered and conducted.  The primary focus of this paper is to explore the conditions fostering and strengthening research and integration in the areas of humanities and social sciences in ASEAN community.  What are the factors influencing development of research in humanities and social sciences in ASEAN community ?  As shown in the official blueprint of ASEAN Community Blueprint, these factors are addressed in three broad areas – Socio-Cultural ASEAN Community Blueprint, ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint and ASEAN Political Community Blueprint. In this paper, the focus areas will be the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Blueprint (2009 – 2015).

This paper will address the current issues, challenges and trends towards the integration of humanities and social sciences. The main points of this paper are: 1) social, cultural, (mainly cultural pluralism) factors influence the development of researches in humanities and social sciences in the ASEAN Community; 2) emerging social problems in the past decades, namely, disaster management, terrorism and more as stated in the Socio-Cultural ASEAN Community Blueprint are influential factors in humanities and social science researches; 3) two selected approaches of system theory and rights-based approach have been employed for the applications to challenges for the community in humanities and social sciences research.  These include, for examples, the flow of information, make existing data available, the development of network among researches and scholars from local, national and regional in relation to global system.  Researches, policy, implementation, measures, practice including advocacy for specific target groups in need of assistance are also challenges.

Finally, similar to the main topics addressed in current issues under the official blueprint in social and cultural topics of the ASEAN community, trends in humanities and social sciences research cover the same areas.  Suggestions reflect some final thoughts on the possible researches, for example, a comparative study among the ten or selected countries on topics under the official blueprint, networking researches, and knowledge buildings. The timeframe of this preliminary study is five months for documentary research.  Documents will be employed from scholarly materials, contact persons in the field areas in the region,  libraries, ASEAN and United Nations documents.

Keywords: humanities, social sciences, integration, research, cultural and social blueprint, rights-based approach, system theory, ASEAN