Journal of Research and Multidisciplinary

Pathways to a Circular Economy in Cambodia’s Garment Industry: Barriers, Opportunities, and Policy Interventions

2026-09-15T13:41:50+00:00

The garment industry in Cambodia is one of the leading contributors to the country’s economy. It runs a linear production process with high consumption of materials generating massive textile wastes with very scanty recycling facilities. Since global brands increasingly advocate for sustainable production, Cambodia has been pressured within increasing degrees to implement circular economy (CE) strategies that minimize waste management while optimizing resource utilization and extending total competitiveness in the long run. A resultant aspect focuses on the challenges and opportunities of moving the garment industry in Cambodia toward a circular economy. Through existing literature review, waste stream analysis, and current factory practice assessment, this study not only identifies the technological, economic, and institutional hindrances against circular practice adoption but also reveals opportunities such as a waste segregation system, material-efficient technologies, upcycling initiatives, and possible partnerships with global buyers. Policies towards the recycling investments targeted at governments, factory owners and international brands supporting CE integration are proposed in the form of incentives; namely the waste reporting systems on an industry basis and capacity building programs. This requires an institutionalized multi-stakeholder approach under the findings enabling the garment industry of Cambodia to be put forward in transition movements towards sustainable and circular textile value chains.

Framing Persistence and Distortion in Post-Conflict News: A Reese-Informed Analysis of Manipur Coverage, 2025

2026-09-15T13:41:50+00:00

This study examines how the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur has been framed in two highest circulated regional digital news platforms—The Sangai Express and The Frontier Manipur—in post conflict news stories through a qualitative analysis grounded in Stephen D. Reese’s framing model. Focusing on 107 news reports published between January and March 2025, nearly two years after the initial outbreak of violence, the study investigates how frames persist, stabilize, and occasionally break down in a post-conflict media environment. Reese’s six framing characteristics are operationalized through textual indicators including narrative organization, lexical patterns, sourcing practices, and temporal sequencing, enabling a comparative assessment of how each platform constructs and sustains meaning. The findings show a strong dominance of security and political frames across both outlets, but with significant divergence in organizational coherence and narrative persistence. While The Sangai Express exhibits structured and cumulative framing, The Frontier Manipur adopts a more episodic and interventionist approach. Crucially, the study identifies distortion as an emergent outcome of framing processes, arising when persistence, shared meanings, and organizational structures interact under conditions of verification failure Rather than extending Reese’s model formally, the study demonstrates a limitation within it: the absence of a conceptual account of framing breakdowns in conflict reporting. By situating framing within a temporally extended, post-conflict context, this research contributes to debates on media framing, conflict journalism, and information disorder in digital news environments.

Paradox of Connectivity: How Phone Snubbing (Phubbing) Erodes Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction in Educational Milieus

2026-09-15T13:41:50+00:00

The ubiquitous integration of smartphones into daily life has engendered a paradoxical phenomenon wherein hyper-digital connectivity results in physical social disconnection. This behavior, termed "phubbing" (phone snubbing), is increasingly prevalent among adolescents, threatening the foundational dynamics of their social interactions. This study aims to quantify the impact of phubbing behavior on interpersonal communication satisfaction among early adolescents in a developing educational context. Employing a quantitative associative design, the study surveyed 92 junior high school students (aged 12–15) in Makassar, Indonesia, selected via simple random sampling from a population of 1,032. We collected data using validated 4-point Likert-scale instruments measuring Phubbing (Communication Disturbance, Phone Obsession) and Interpersonal Communication Satisfaction (Language, Physical, Psychological, Environment). We analyzed the data using classical assumption tests and simple linear regression in SPSS 26. Descriptive statistics revealed that both phubbing behavior (69.57%) and communication satisfaction (68.48%) predominantly clustered in the moderate category. Crucially, regression analysis demonstrated a highly significant negative impact of phubbing on interpersonal communication satisfaction (β = -1.178, t = -18.009, p < 0.001). The findings empirically validate the Expectancy Violations Theory in a digital-physical context, illustrating that smartphone-induced distraction severely diminishes relational satisfaction. Practically, these results underscore the urgent need for digital literacy interventions and "digital fasting" protocols within educational and familial spheres to preserve the psychological and social well-being of adolescents.

Joyful Learning Approach as a Learning Intervention: An Experimental Study on Mathematics Learning Motivation

2026-09-15T14:07:34+00:00

Mathematics learning in elementary schools still faces the problem of low student motivation, which affects engagement and learning outcomes. This condition requires learning interventions that address not only cognitive achievement but also students’ affective development. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of the joyful learning approach in increasing elementary school students’ motivation to learn mathematics. The study employed a One-Group Pretest–Posttest Design involving 26 fourth-grade students at SD Negeri Baddoka, Makassar City. Data on students’ learning motivation were collected using a dichotomous-scale questionnaire (0–1) administered before and after the implementation of the joyful learning approach. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Paired Samples t-test after fulfilling the required assumptions. The results revealed a significant difference in students’ motivation to learn mathematics before and after the intervention, with a significance value of < 0.05 and a relatively large effect size. These findings indicate that the joyful learning approach is effective in enhancing students’ motivation to learn mathematics. This study contributes empirical evidence supporting the implementation of enjoyable mathematics learning and provides further insight into the application of motivational theory in elementary school contexts.

Implementation of Sharia Pawnshops to Improve the Economy of the Makassar City Community

2026-09-19T14:05:36+00:00

Sharia pawnshops (gadai syariah) have grown into one of the more visible instruments of Islamic microfinance in Indonesian cities, yet how such institutions actually function on the ground, and whether their operation genuinely improves the economic condition of lower-income communities, remains insufficiently documented at the city level. This study examines the implementation of sharia pawnshops in improving the community economy of Makassar City, focusing on four aspects: the operational procedure, the implementation strategy, the impact, and the effectiveness of sharia pawnshop services. A qualitative field research design was employed, combining a normative-theological approach, a normative-juridical approach, and a case study approach. Data were obtained through observation, in-depth interviews with branch and unit heads of sharia pawnshop offices and their customers in Makassar, documentation, and secondary statistical sources, then analysed through data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing, with credibility strengthened through source, method, and time triangulation. The findings show that the operational procedure of sharia pawnshops in Makassar is consistent with the fatwa of the National Sharia Board of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (DSN-MUI), reflected in valid rahn and ijarah contracts, a profit-sharing (mudharabah) mechanism in place of interest, and a direct-sale (jual putus) mechanism for collateral execution. The institution functions not merely as an emergency financing channel but as an instrument of economic empowerment for lower-middle-income groups, through rahn-based financing, the productive use of pledged assets, affordable ujrah fees, and financial literacy initiatives. Its impact is evident in meeting urgent household needs, sustaining micro-enterprises, stabilising family economies, and offering a lawful alternative to informal moneylenders. The study recommends a clearer institutional separation between sharia and conventional pawnshops and continued conversion of conventional units into sharia-compliant ones to widen access to ethical financing in the city.