The Vietnamese education system before 2013 struggled with many emerging issues, including achievement obsession, inflexible teaching strategies, student passivity, and cumbersome and lacking... Show moreThe Vietnamese education system before 2013 struggled with many emerging issues, including achievement obsession, inflexible teaching strategies, student passivity, and cumbersome and lacking practice curriculum (see Le et al., 2022). Against that background, a comprehensive educational reform was initiated in 2013, emphasising students’ social and emotional learning and civic learning (Le et al., 2022). Vietnamese educational policymakers believe that promoting a democratic school environment would benefit students’ civic learning by empowering them to engage deeply in school decision-making (CPV, 2013; Ngo, 2015). Hence, the latest Education Reform in Vietnam focuses on promoting democracy in education which aims to make democratic acts of stakeholders (i.e., school leaders, teachers, students, and parents) feasible. The grassroots democracy regulation in Vietnamese schools requires decision-making based on consensus and deliberation of stakeholders (MOET, 2020). Thereby, the voice and leadership spirit of teachers and students in school affairs have been encouraged (Truong & Hallinger, 2017). Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training- MOET considers promoting a democratic learning environment as a fundamental mission in the latest educational reform in Vietnam. Yet, the policymakers still seem to squirm: what does a democratic school look like? How do we promote a democratic learning environment at the grassroots? As Gutmann (1987) has argued, democratic acts only occur when citizens can conceive the nature of the democracy they commit and pursue. However, the stakeholders in Vietnam have not been equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to implement and reach democratic commitment in their schools (Mai & Hall, 2017; Thanh, 2017). Therefore, having insights into stakeholders’ democratic beliefs and democratic practices is essential to sketch and adjust the current education strategy of democratisation education in Vietnam. This dissertation aims to provide a critical view of Vietnamese secondary school stakeholders’ awareness of democratic education regarding the core educational democratic values and democratic acts within either the ‘physical’ or digital learning environment. Show less
Conflict management literature has primarily investigated traditional mediation strategies typically aimed at resolving resource conflicts. Recently, however, researchers have increasingly explored... Show moreConflict management literature has primarily investigated traditional mediation strategies typically aimed at resolving resource conflicts. Recently, however, researchers have increasingly explored a particularly challenging type of conflict: value conflicts. Over the course of four chapters—using both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies—the studies presented in this dissertation expand our understanding of the development, escalation and resolution of value-based disputes. The findings show that, despite being faced with conflicts that have repeatedly been termed difficult, if not impossible to resolve, mediators are currently approaching value conflicts with the intention to reach sustainable resolutions. In doing so, however, mediators should be aware of techniques that—while beneficial when intervening in resource conflicts—may prove unsuccessful when employed in value conflicts. Specifically, threatening litigation may be best framed as a loss of control of the outcome versus incurring increased costs, as the former may motivate intransigent parties to continue the mediation session while the latter may decrease avoidance behavior. Moreover, mediators who may strategically employ displays of anger, should only consider this if they hold a position of power and prioritize the resolution of the dispute above the disputants’ evaluation of the mediator and the mediation process. Show less
To date, the Dutch East and West India companies’ involvement in litigation in the Dutch Republic has been ignored. Kate Ekama’s research highlights this side of company activity by delving into... Show moreTo date, the Dutch East and West India companies’ involvement in litigation in the Dutch Republic has been ignored. Kate Ekama’s research highlights this side of company activity by delving into company disputes in the High Court of Holland, Zeeland and West-Friesland (Hoge Raad). The VOC and WIC were involved in over 100 cases in the High Court. These cases were about company charters and contracts, private trade-related matters, wages, shares and property rights. This study shows that a wide range of litigants pursued cases against the companies, encompassing individual and corporate litigants, subjects of the States General and foreigners, men and women. The companies were not above the law; rather, both the VOC and the WIC were subject to the decisions of the High Court. Following recent developments in historiography, the cases are approached from the point of view of conflict management. This wider perspective brings into view the States General, who played an important role in connecting jurisdictions and managing company conflicts before, during and after litigation. Kate Ekama’s study fills a lacuna in the historiography of the Dutch East and West India Companies, and lays the foundation for future research on early modern company conflict management. Show less
