Asean identity via official language and education materials = bản sắc asean qua những tài liệu chính thức về ngôn ngữ và giáo dục

Asean identity via official language and education materials = bản sắc asean qua những tài liệu chính thức về ngôn ngữ và giáo dục

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Regionalism is not a new phenomena in international relations; it existed throughout the Cold War and was primarily associated with economic integration and security At the regional level, regionalism reflects the interconnectedness and interdependence of cultures and economies It manifests a ―multidimensional form of integration which includes economic, political, social and cultural aspects and thus goes far beyond the goal of creating region-based free-trade regimes or security alliances.‖ (Hettne 1999) Though viewed on a regional level rather than global one, regionalism still has a similar effect of homogenization, like grouping the regional space, cultural identity, economy, and politics into unity (Hettne 1999) It is this homogenization that contributes to a particular identity and shapes collective action within a geographical region when compared to others Regions are thought of as processes that obtain borders, symbolisms, and institutions as they become institutionalized A region is developed, gets prominence in the broader regional structure, and may become an important unit for regional identification or a projected regional identity as a result of this process (Paasi 2009) That is why regional identity, a concept implying at least some degree of cohesion or social integration in an area, has become a big term

Regional organizations are also a part of regionalism These organizations usually restrict their membership in principle and practice, based on geographical contiguity Ever since the end of the Second World War (1945), regional organizations have proliferated with distinct scope and nature: European Union (EU, 1950), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN, 1967), Caribbean Community (CARICOM, 1973), the African Union (AU, 2001), etc The benefits when founding and participating in these regional organizations explains why there has been a rapid increase in the number of those Getting out of the Second World War, almost all of the countries were deeply affected: collapsed economy, destroyed industrial infrastructure, and stirred governmental structure To regain the position

2 they once owned in the world before the war, those countries must find a method to serve their quest for economic development, which was to form a unified community By forming regional arrangements, they could focus on promoting common goals, meeting common needs, and resolving common problems, which led to the development on not only the regional scale but also the national scale And our regional organization - ASEAN - also serves the same purpose Other than only concentrating on economic purposes, each regional organization also focuses on constructing its own regional identity A clear organizational identity is extremely necessary to project itself not only internally and internationally, but also temporally, increasing its visibility and relevance (Oelsner 2013) On a regional scale, it projects its image onto its member country and their public opinion, and on an international scale, the regional identity projects its defined image to contribute toward the whole organization‘s credibility, recognition, and reputation From time to time, a concretely constructed regional identity can be of help to convey one shared idea of the organization's continuing relevance into the future (Terada 2003) Many regional organizations have made certain and definite efforts in constructing their own identity and made them worldwide acknowledged Take the European Union as an example The EU has strived to make its citizens recognize the shared feelings of loyalty, solidarity, and common belonging toward the organization in general and its member countries in particular through a series of expressions (visa, banknotes, languages, etc.) (Terada 2003) Other than those distinct organizations that succeed in defining their values; however, there also exist several organizations which still cannot properly express their identity on a global scale And with a vague ―common regional identity‖ (Jones 2004), ASEAN can serve as an example for this case As the EU was researched and studied a lot on this topic, there are also a series of studies on ASEAN‘s regional identity (Acharya 1997; Busse 1999; Nabers 2005; Jones 2004) ASEAN also expresses its identity through certain expressions; however, those which are manifested through customs or cultural aspects are next to none, most of them still lie in the written documents (Acharya

2018) Moreover, identity is not fixed Apart from the core meanings and ideals which are unchangeable, identity does change with regard to contextual transformations (Gioia et al 2000) How one organization continually changes to adapt to its identity also shows how that organization relates to the world Accordingly, regarding how ASEAN identity has not been widely recognized and acknowledged by its citizens (Jones 2004), it seems like ASEAN has still not well managed this task Pruzan (2001) stated that those regional organizations that fail to bring about a clear identity might result in a loss in determining organizational viability and success, then can gradually disappear or dissolve The Warsaw Pact and Comecon as two examples of failing to construct a concrete identity were disbanded in 1991 (The Christian Science Monitor 1991) And if ASEAN could not soon develop an acknowledged regional identity, which produces a sense of belonging for its people and serves the ultimate target to create a shared community, orient the organization‘s directions, define its goals and strategies to build and stabilize the organization's image in both regional and international arena, the link among ASEAN countries would possibly come to an end, and its future would be no different than the two aforementioned organizations The first step to this disruption starts from the indifference and ignorance of the citizens to their own organization

The case mentioned above revolves around the term ―identity‖, which has been a popular concept for many decades and is widely used in both research and practical context By perceiving ―identity‖ as ―[ ] the process of construction of meaning based on a cultural attribute or a related set of cultural attributes, that is given priority over other sources of meaning‖, Castells (1947) has affirmed the utmost importance of the role of ―identity‖ Though ―identity‖ is a controversial topic, Castells‘ (1947) perception still holds the core meaning and shares the same priority when compared with Cambridge‘s phrasing: ―a set of qualities or characteristics of a person or a group that make them different from others‖ They all aim at verifying and ensuring there exist subjects like that and they are who they

4 claim to be However, human lives are increasingly being challenged and integrated into larger networks of relationships All social systems are contaminated by the need to borrow values, morals, skills, and competencies from other regions or nations The process of globalization and regionalization consequences may lead to a stripping away of cultural identity Most people in the world now develop a multicultural identity, in which part of their identity is rooted in their local culture while another part stems from an awareness of their relation to the global culture Furthermore, there is the pervasiveness of identity confusion as local cultures change in response to globalization, some young people find themselves not at home though they are embraced in their local culture That shows the importance of identity among different periods stays the same though viewed under different looking eyes The fear of stripping away the identity leads to the identity crisis which has been a worldwide problem since there has been no definite way to frame this notion.

Statement of research problem

If ASEAN identity is merely viewed through the visible expressions like how people perceive social identity (fashion, music, etc.) or national identity (skin color, symbols, etc.), its existence in ASEAN citizens‘ mindset and how it is constructed or makes sense will gradually be blurred and oversimplified or even worse, be ignored and unheard Thus, the features and traits of ASEAN identity should not be viewed only on the outside from the historical and cultural context and the likes, which infers that this type of identity is only manifested through visual and recognizable expressions Instead, ASEAN identity and its discourses should be acknowledged on both written and unwritten documents as well as materials; and how those produce the features that contribute to the construction of ASEAN identity The different culture, background, and national goals of each member country lead to the nuances in their systems through all participating in ―One ASEAN community‖ And the study focuses on discovering the shared features as well as those being constructed over time in one specific field as a contribution to

This qualitative study aims at exploring the features or traits that express ASEAN identity through its official material regarding education and language when applied to Paasi‘s (1986) specific framework that is particularly constructed to identify a regional identity Based on these findings, the study is expected to contribute to the existing record of studies on the recognition and construction of ASEAN identity, thus highlighting how far ASEAN has passed on the way to achieving a concrete and acknowledged identity The conclusion drawn from this study can also serve as a useful reference for future studies on the same topic.

Theoretical perspective and modes of inquiry

This study views ASEAN identity‘s expressions through the published official policies regarding the language and education of this organization and its member countries themselves ASEAN has been on its way to constructing a common regional identity for a while; however, there are still conflicting opinions about this term ASEAN identity is a process of a social construct defined by a balanced combination of ―Constructed Values‖ and ―Inherited Values‖ that will strengthen the ASEAN Community (37th ASEAN Summit, 2020)

Central to this study is the concept of regional identity Traditionally, talks regarding ―identity‖ tend to refer to questions relating to people‘s sense of belonging: ―Where am I?‖, ―Where do I come from?‖ and ―Where do I belong?‖ Nowadays, though there is more flexibility for the meaning of regional identity, there is still no definite definition of the term, and the existing answers, though different, all revolve around those three aforementioned questions

To build on a comprehensive picture of the expressions referred to in ASEAN‘s teaching material ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook as well as ASEAN countries‘ official policies regarding language and education in terms of its identity and given the fact that this is a qualitative study, I will focus on textual analysis to analyze those documents, then applying two frameworks with regard to identifying regional identity to reflect on that information and build an in-depth understanding

6 of this subject The findings will be arranged into different categories to manifest the expressions of ASEAN identity The data collected from that process will act as evidence to support my understanding and interpretation By analyzing and synthesizing the collected data, I attempt to clarify the expressions of ASEAN identity that are of written form, then reflect on the ASEAN‘s journey of constructing an identity Furthermore, the material chosen for this study was the one that has been put into practice for a specific amount of time, and ASEAN member countries, as well as citizens, are also familiar with it, which means people have already had time to consume and experience the effects of this material by the time this study is conducted, and draw out some definite sentiments as well as assess how those contribute to ASEAN‘s goal of constructing a regional identity.

Significance of the study

This study hopes to benefit several groups whose concerns are directly or indirectly related to ASEAN and its identity First and foremost, the results of this study are expected to contribute to the existing pool of research on the identity of ASEAN and its people‘s awareness of this matter; therefore, it serves as a source of reference for researchers who aspire to enquire into the same problem This study also aims to provide administrators, educators, and researchers with qualitative data that showcase how far ASEAN has gone on the way of creating and constructing its own identity, which eventually implies the amount of current concern that ASEAN leaders have for this affair and reflects on how this material plays the role in achieving a regional identity All in all, this study is expected to be of relevance to the ones who assess themselves to embrace the ―we-feeling‖ and ―a sense of belonging‖ towards ASEAN by providing them with an in-depth analysis on the wholly textual scale, and I hope that this study would act as a source of reference and motivation for those interested in identity and its expressions, together with the way people construct their identities on multiple scales

Structure of the study

The study will be structured as follows: Chapter 1 acts as a brief introduction on the topic, Chapter 2 introduces the literature review regarding the important terms and the framework applied to the study The next section which is Chapter 3 represents the methodology before analyzing the related data in Chapter 4 and giving a conclusion in Chapter 5.

BACKGROUND ISSUES

Overview of identity

Identity, as normally perceived, is the condition of being a certain person or thing or the set of characteristics by which a person or thing is definitively recognizable or known Which means one specific identity can be recognized and meaningful where other identities also exist All of the aforementioned descriptions emerge points of similarity and difference, which produce identities From an anti-essentialist position, there is no essence of identity to be discovered, rather, identity is "continually being produced within the vectors of resemblance and distinction" (Baker 2004, p 93) Identity is not an essence but a continually shifting description of others and ourselves Identities shift according to how subjects are addressed or represented Thus, identity can be viewed as something that is created There is space for negotiation and creativity, but there are always constraints for what is recognizable and sustainable Identity combines both the way people view themselves and the way others view them (Deng 1995) The former is subjective and changeable, but the latter which considers how people are identified is often outside of their control Skin color, gender, role expectations, nationality, social class, and body size all 'classify' people But why overtly invest in an identity when it can signify the differences among people, or divide people into groups? Identity describes the practice of helping people integrate into communities and fit into parts of the social world Being identified equals membership, leading to the sense of belonging and revealing the relationship between one‘s subjective position - who you feel you are - and social situations - how one interacts with and relates to the world

There is a lot of controversy revolving around the notable features as well as the nature of the term ―identity‖ However, Ricoeur (1992), Hall (1994), and Martin‘s (1995) works all agreed on some of the identity‘s distinctive features as to be contemporary and always undergoes constant transformation to form a new

9 version It is then clear to state that identity is not fixed but undecided, and it is continuously constructed (Hall 1989) That is why there exist many frameworks contributing to the construct of identity, and this study will mention and generalize some notable and common ones

Martin (1995) perceived identity as a combination of uniqueness and sameness And to thoroughly understand this notion, one identity must be placed next to others to draw out the similarities and the differences rather than put them isolatedly Identifying identity through such an ambivalent method results in the ambiguity of this notion, as other than its features, it also receives its meanings from what it is not, or what so-called the ―Other‖ (one‘s identity indicates that one bears no resemblance to the Others) It means that other than the similarity, the difference also contributes to its existence since to be identified, one needs to be either identical or dissimilar from others The term ―the Other‖ of Martin‘s (1995) works reappeared once again in Littler‘s (2008) Littler referred to identity as a process of both defining and differentiating between oneself and ―the others‖ ―The others‖ here implied those that do not belong to one specific communal group, creating the distinct awareness of oneself and ―the others‖ Barth (1969), Tajfel (1979), and Turner et al (1987) shared the similarity with the other two papers when referring to identity as the process of creating a distinct line between Self and Other, belonging and non-belonging, and also highlighted that categorization at whichever level can virtually distinguish among groups

On other hand, Ashworth et al (2007) used culture to construct and contribute to the formulation of identity: language, religion, ethnicity, nationalism, place origins, and interpretations of the past are all put into consideration He (Ashworth et al 2007) especially emphasized the importance of cultural heritage in defining identity Cultural heritage indeed contributes to the collective memory, the sense of belonging, and the creation of a link to history The ability to identify which is heritage and which is not can greatly impact the sense of identity Stuart

(1990) shared the same thought on the construction as Ashworth et al (2007) by adding cultural identity into the framework to distinguish between sameness and

10 difference He categorized the framework into two sets: ―common historical experiences and shared cultural codes‖ refers to the others with a shared culture, and ―critical points of deep and significant difference‖ implies the distinction in the sets of culture (Stuart 1990)

The notion of regional identity by Zimmerbauer and Paasi (2013) has been reflected in this study, which is an emotional phenomenon related to regional consciousness, regarding a sense of belonging simultaneously with distinctions among social groups This feeling can be experienced via membership of regional groups like the ASEAN, EU, CARICOM, AU, etc Though Norberg-Schulz‘s reference to regional identity was back in 1980, a comprehensive definition was still brought out and covered all other before and later phrasing, which implied regional identity as the interrelationship between one person and the place where he or she is from, emphasizing the importance of place towards the construction of one‘s identity As regional identity is interpreted differently by actors from the political sector who desire to establish power in the region, by business people who desire to ensure and/or increase their economic profit, and by actors from the cultural sector who would like to revive, preserve, or protect local regional characteristics, it is thus not fixed to any specific frameworks, and this study will provide some highlighting criteria generally used to construct regional identity

Figure 1 Conceptual framework of regional identity (Paasi 1986)

According to Figure 1, regional identity can be divided into two parts: the

11 regional identity of inhabitants (regional consciousness towards ―we‖ and ―others‖) and the identity of a region (the image of the region in the insiders and outsiders‘ views) (Paasi 1986; 2009) Regional identity, either as the ‗identity of a region‘ or as the combination of the aforementioned and ‗regional consciousness‘, has become a very popular international topic, from cultural, economic to political geography Dividing the term into two separate components is critical to developing a clearer understanding of regional identity in the context of regional development Regional consciousness expresses the sense of belonging towards a specific community and acknowledges differences between one particular region and the others from the inhabitants‘ viewpoint The identity of a region is based on the constitution of a regional image, or it can be phrased as how the region is presented and perceived by its inhabitants and the others from outside the region (Hospers 2011; Semian 2012c) The image of a region can be influenced through various channels such as promotion, branding, and marketing, and the inhabitants‘ regional consciousness also has a great impact on that image (Paasi 1986) Moreover, there also exists the case when the inhabitants are identified and judged by others from outside of the region with those region‘s represented image

There exist many dissimilar viewpoints regarding the regional identity‘s conceptualization (Frisvoll & Rye, 2009; Paasi 2009) And Paasi (1986) viewed regional identity as an important factor in the regional institutionalization process

To better perceive this argument, Paasi (1986), Graham (2000), and Raagmaa

(2002) considered it to be crucial to acknowledge the region as a social and discursive construct, a dynamic continuing process of constant reproduction (re- institutionalization) of its features with collective meanings

Figure 2 The interacting stages of the institutionalization of regions (Paasi 1986) According to Paasi (1986), the institutionalization of regions consists of four phases: (1) the development of territorial shape; (2) the development of symbolic shape; (3) the development of institutional shape; and (4) the construction of the role of the region in the regional system These phases can occur separately and unevenly, but normally they coincide and affect each other

The formation of social practices through which the area reaches its limits and becomes designated as a distinct unit in the geographical structure of the society is the first stage in the institutionalization process The establishment of borders as a foundation for social classification is a necessary condition for residents to develop regional consciousness The conceptual forms (symbolic ordering with their manifestations) and institutions that begin the process of preserving and replicating the region's existence will be built on this basis Power relations in society, showing themselves in political, administrative/bureaucratic, economic, and symbolic institutions, for example, play a vital part in the creation of the territorial shape

Certain patterns of territorial symbols will emerge throughout the construction of a region's conceptual shape The name of the region, which ties its image with the regional awareness of residents and visitors, is a very important factor The emergence of the symbolic significance of regions, for example the

13 formation and reproduction of structures of expectations, is crucially dependent on the communication-based relationship between institutional and individual practices, and this stage is more explicitly associated with the consciousness of the inhabitants than the first The development of social structures and organizations, in particular, is critical for the formation of regional awareness content This realm preserves the society's history and traditions while also reproducing social awareness and, as a result, regional consciousness The conceptual and symbolic creation that distinguishes the territory from all others, as well as the frame of reference within which the structures of expectations are anchored and repeated

The second and third stages in the current framework are two sides of the same coin because the creation of institutions is inextricably tied to the increased use of the region's name and other territorial symbols and indications As a result, the expansion of the number of institutions beginning to maintain the image of the region and the criteria for determining identity among the residents is critical for the replication of regional consciousness The term "institutional development" refers not only to formal establishment (for example mass media or education), but also to local or non-local practices in the spheres of politics, economics, legislation, administration, and so on, as a result of which the regional unit in question acquires a specific name, social organizations, and institutions that are linked to it through their identification apparatus (territorial symbolism), function, and/or areas of influence (market areas, for instance) These, in turn, serve to reinforce the relevance and role of territorial symbols and signals, influencing the region's identity as well as the potential "feeling of oneness" among its residents

In the current framework, the fourth stage refers to any continuance of the institutionalization process after the region has developed an established, albeit not necessarily administrative, standing in the society's spatial structure and social consciousness A region also has distinct expectations structures at this point, which are regularly replicated by social institutions Assuming that regional institutionalization is a continuous socio-spatial process, the most formal feature

14 promulgated by society's institutions is undoubtedly the acquisition of an administrative role in the society's spatial structure, which integrates the region with the general system of public administration practices However, in terms of social reproduction, this is not often the most visible or effective phase Although an administrative position establishes the territorial basis for a region's identity, social institutions play a much larger role in the reproduction of regional consciousness and have an impact on daily practices by bringing the region to us, that is, by communicating information about the area or maintaining its expectations structures

APPROACHING THE INQUIRY

ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook

The first material analyzed is ―ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook: a Teaching Resource for Primary and Secondary Schools to Foster an Outward-Looking, Stable, Peaceful and Prosperous ASEAN Community‖ It was developed by the Senior Officials Meeting on Education (SOM-ED) and the Southeast Asian Ministries of Education Organization (SEAMEO), with support from the U.S Government-funded ASEAN-U.S Technical Assistance and Training Facility and published in 2012 Ever since published, the book has been distributed to education centers and schools throughout the region immediately, and the materials will also be uploaded to education websites as an open and free education resource, though the actual number of schools and centers that use this book as the material remain a tad low

With a total of 322 pages, the book itself covers a lot of information that is considered necessary for ASEAN primary and secondary students It presents strategies for teaching various ASEAN concepts, highlights ways of teaching and learning that transcend a mere survey of customs and cultures, and strengthens not

23 only knowledge of the nations and peoples of the region, but also the understandings between them It is a teacher-friendly manual that incorporates existing curricula being used by the Member States as well as other existing ASEAN resources, into chapters organized along with five themes: Knowing ASEAN, Valuing Identity and Diversity, Connecting Global and Local, Promoting Equity and Justice, and Working Together for a Sustainable Future Each lesson plan even contains materials, glossary, learning outcomes, and so on, which are suitable for students to not only grasp the core content of the chapter but also make it easier for them to dig deeper into in-depth knowledge

The book is used to incorporate ASEAN themes into classes in all subject areas in ASEAN schools to make changes to education and make ASEAN a more familiar existence to students, especially primary and secondary ones Mentioning this book, H.E Prof Dr Ir KH Mohammad Nuh, DEA, Minister of Education and Culture, Indonesia noted that this book could be used as a tool to teach students about political, social, economic, and cultural aspects of ASEAN, which eventually enhance ASEAN as an outward-looking, stable, peaceful and prosperous Community According to David L.Carden, U.S Ambassador to ASEAN, young people can be considered ASEAN‘s most important resource, and the more integration the region moves closer to, the more essential it is for students to know about ASEAN‘s origin, history, and objectives With crucial 21st century soft skills (critical thinking, collaboration, perspective consciousness, etc.) integrated into the materials, students will be equipped with the skills they need to build personal success and responsible citizenship in today‘s fast-changing interconnected world

I discovered that the details provided in the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook were rather one-sided The information has been compelled and summarized to the core; however, only general and common facts are provided without being expressed thoroughly and comprehensively The following detail can act as an example: ―10 Southeast Asian nations joined ASEAN to realize mutual goals.‖ (ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook, 2012, p 16) Currently, ASEAN indeed includes

10 Asian nations and strives toward their shared values and identity; however, the organization itself has undergone a lot of ups and downs to finally reach the condition as of today, and all of the steps and important details describing and clarifying the whole process have been omitted to retain a short and concise sourcebook This book can be suitable for those who want to quickly achieve the knowledge, but it can be rather short on the detailed course of events in many fields, which is a must when it comes to learning about other countries That is why I decided to use not only this sourcebook but also some ASEAN countries‘ policies to implement the amount of information for the study With that said, I have set out to conduct this research to place all the details regarding ASEAN identity in a context where they have the structure to make meanings out of their being merely general information, thus, providing a perspective to perceive the construction of ASEAN identity.

Some countries‘ official policies regarding language and education

The next series of documents used is the list of each member state‘s official policies regarding language and education to guarantee this study about the quality and precision of the outcome

The documents I chose are from Vietnam and Thailand Though ASEAN is an association of 10 countries, I decided to only research the policies of 2 First of all, the time allowance for this study is limited to expand the study on a larger scale Secondly, the ease of access to the rest of the 8 countries‘ policies was not the same as the 2 chosen ones To have the materials from the 8 countries left, I needed to have permission to access these countries‘ repositories, which I did not possess

Thailand‘s material used is ―The basic education core curriculum‖, which was published by Thailand‘s Ministry of Education The content of ―The basic education core curriculum‖ revolved around the whole picture of Thailand‘s education, listing out all of the notable and important points from the background, vision, goals, principles, and so on, for the readers to easier grasp Thailand‘s core aim of the education field

Vietnam's ―National Foreign Language 2020 Project‖ was approved ever since 2008, with an aim to renovate foreign language teaching and learning for Vietnamese students, in order to achieve a remarkable progress in the level and ability to use foreign languages It will contribute to the core objective of serving the industrialization and modernization of the whole country.

BACKGROUND OF ASEAN IDENTITY

ASEAN Identity is a social construct characterized by a balanced mix of

"Constructed Values" and "Inherited Values" that will help the ASEAN Community to become stronger (37th ASEAN Summit, 2020) Constructed values are described as the values of a group of people or nations who associate with them as a result of purposeful and deliberate intentions to establish an affiliation with particular mindsets in order to attain a community's specific goal The formation of ASEAN in

1967 was recognized by the ASEAN Identity During the Cold War, ASEAN envisioned attaining economic growth, social advancement, and cultural development that would contribute to regional peace, security, and stability by emphasizing on the issue of cooperation among ASEAN Member States, as outlined in the Bangkok Declaration Through three phases of created values, ASEAN has through significant transitions and accomplished several milestones The common political values that most of ASEAN's five founding nations stood for constitute the initial stage of the built values After achieving its political goals, ASEAN realized the significance of improving the economic well-being of its people As a result, ASEAN has advanced to the second stage of creating values: shared economic and trade gains After 36 years of practicing the above-mentioned ideals, ASEAN committed to entering the third stage, as represented in the Bali Concord II in 2003, to enhance ASEAN based on the three pillars in order to expand its allegiance When the ASEAN Community was legally founded in 2015, it entered the third stage of built values, concentrating on social and cultural values, with the goal of becoming a People-Centered and People-Oriented Community As members of the dynamic global community, the ASEAN Member States' inward and outward- looking shaped these transitions Inherited Values are values that people in Southeast Asia ascribe to and have passed down through generations as a result of the natural process of human interaction that leads to the formation of diverse sorts of communities with many commonalities The ideals that ASEAN member nations embrace have existed in Southeast Asian countries even before ASEAN was

27 formed As we work to strengthen the ASEAN Community, all of Southeast Asia's traits, values, and shared values, as well as its rich traditions, will become part of our future vision and culture The ASEAN Community will be more enriched and strengthened as acculturation continues Traditions, practices, and beliefs dating back to prehistoric times created the groundwork for Southeast Asia's ethnic group blending process Some local ethnics remained in specific places, while others had to migrate for survival Those who migrated set in motion a sequence of interethnic interactions As a result, ethnics and cultures have continued to be assimilated throughout history The infusion of skills and traditions in music, writing, dance, sailing, trading, farming, rituals, ceremonies, gastronomy, medicinal practices, and local customs like puppetry allowed these cultures to be preserved Alliances, marriages, barter, quests, migration, and fresh territorial conquests, among other things, continued this process of interaction and acculturation during the era of Ancient Kingdoms in Southeast Asia Later on, this acculturation aided the development of a pluralistic Southeast Asian community that is not only flexible and resilient, but also understands and respects diversity Spiritualism, kinfolk, communitarian/communalism, collectivism, tolerance, humility, social harmony, solidarity, and humanity, among other qualities, were made possible by this acculturation

Details that showcase the background of ASEAN identity when applied to Paasi‘s ―interacting stages of the institutionalization of regions‖ (1986) can be clearly expressed, taking ―The ASEAN Charter‖ (2007) and ―ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook‖ (2012) as the examples

According to Paasi‘s (1986) framework regarding the interacting stages of institutionalization of regions, the whole process contains four phases: (1) territorial shape; (2) conceptual shape; (3) institutional shape; and (4) established role Each phase can take place separately; however, they normally influence and affect each other Using this framework to analyze the expressions of ASEAN identity leads to several noteworthy patterns

The first phase - territorial shape - regards the formation of social practices through which the area reaches its limits and becomes designated as a distinct unit in the geographical structure of the society This is a point mentioned in the ASEAN Charter as ―respecting the fundamental of amity and cooperation, and the principles of sovereignty, equality, territorial integrity, non-interference, consensus and unity in diversity‖ (p2, 2007) It showcases how much ASEAN cares about the territorial independence of each member state as well as the whole association And ASEAN has obviously achieved this first phase by clearly predefining its boundaries with other organizations The boudaries were already clear and distinct with other zones, even before ASEAN‘s founding days when it had the first 5 member states (Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand), to when 5 other countries saw the benefits of participating and decided to join the organization (Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia) From its founding days till now, ASEAN has never faced territorial issues among the member states as all of them participated in ASEAN as a whole with no problems regarding sovereignty The establishment of predefining borders acts as a necessary condition for ASEAN citizens to develop regional consciousness

The second phase refers to the conceptual shape The name of ASEAN, which was used to represent its aims and purposes of uniting the countries in the area, has contributed to the process of sticking the regional awareness of both insiders and outsiders to the image of the association The sourcebook has repeated ASEAN a total of nearly 1,000 times while the ASEAN Charter mentions its name at least 10 times each page, which is a way to continually and unconsciously acknowledge this association in the second phase - the conceptual shape Another factor also expresses ASEAN identity is the image of the region The ASEAN Charter has a whole chapter listing all of the conventions agreed by the member states that mark the existence of its identity From tangible things like the flag, and the emblem, to intangible ones like the shared goals ―to promote a sense of belonging among peoples‖, a famous motto ―One Vision, One Identity, One

Community‖, and also the ASEAN anthem and ASEAN day Another striking point is that both materials are written in English - which is clearly mentioned in the ASEAN Charter to be ASEAN‘s official working language They all contribute to the one and only purpose - gradually reflecting people the image of this region Other than using English, the sourcebook only has one more feature which is the ASEAN Emblem on the cover page, but that is enough for just a mark, which is also another concrete evidence of the representation of this phase The Emblem acts as a symbol of ASEAN, showcasing ASEAN‘s purposes only through the simple illustration and colors: a dynamic, peaceful, stable, and united ASEAN Though only on the surface, all of the icons and symbols above stand for the evidence of the construction of ASEAN identity

The second and third phase are considered two sides of the same coins as they influence eachother without dividing into two separate stages The use of the region‘s name together with the territorial symbols have been previously proved on the second phase analysis, which leaves the creation of institutions After constructing the awareness in the inhabitants by having a name and symbols, expanding the number of institutions to enlarge the range of influence is the next step to engrave the existence of ASEAN into its people ASEAN does have a lot of

―institutional development‖ in many aspects as according to Paasi (1986), they ―[ ] begin the process of preserving and replicating the region's existence [ ].‖ Whichever fields might they be, as long as they show their power in society, they all play an important part in creating the territorial shape In the sourcebook, only education one is covered The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) which greatly contributes to developing this book is established in 1965 to specially promote regional cooperation in education, science, and culture, which can be decoded as ASEAN has an institution to particularly care for these fields, and saying that, ASEAN has perfectly gathered the aforementioned in its own zone

On the other hand, the ASEAN Charter continuously compiled and updated the list of institutions under the control of ASEAN The institutions are divided into

30 separate functions: political-security community, economic community, and socio- cultural community Each community contains a list of organizations that function separately but are interrelated These, in turn, serve to reinforce the relevance and role of territorial symbols and signals, influencing the region's identity as well as the potential "feeling of oneness" among its residents

The fourth phase refers to the stage after the institutionalization process when the region has developed an established consciousness, and it features the important role of social institutions in constructing regional consciousness, together with an impact on the people Indeed, the ASEAN Charter has clearly listed all the social institutions that are under ASEAN‘s control However, the first pattern, which implies the institutionalization process, is either or not clearly shown in the book so this phase will be skipped to move to the next part.

ASEAN IDENTITY IN THE EYE OF STUDENTS

To assess the ASEAN identity via language and education policies, a trustful and reliable viewpoint is required Students are the target that are directly exposed to ASEAN policies, programs, projects, and plans, so students possess the most suitable view on this matter

First of all, the organization that is under ASEAN‘s control and has weight in its words in whatever fields that are related to education undoubtedly is SEAMEO

It is an intergovernmental organization of the eleven Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN and Timor-Leste), which was formed on 30 November 1965 by Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam SEAMEO aims to promote regional cooperation in the fields of education, science, and culture The act of 5 countries having a discussion and sharing the same viewpoint on the need for an establishment of an educational organization itself has clearly satisfied four points in the regional identity framework according to Paasi: the ―insiders‘ image‖ and the ―idea of community‖ in ―conceptual framework of regional identity‖

(1986), and the ―conceptual - institutional shape‖ in ―interacting stages of the institutionalization of regions‖ (1986) SEAMEO has properly performed its tasks in the education field, from forming the SEAMEO Mathematics Olympiad - a regional competition, to organizing many joint projects for students in ASEAN to have a chance to work together, which gradually boosts the morale and the bond among ASEAN citizens

ASEAN Youth Exchange‘s aims are in line with that of SEAMEO, in the education aspect to be more specific, which is to boost the connection among participants all over ASEAN This organization aims to encourage participants to explore and make use of the opportunity to travel to learn more about the destination, and also seek the novelty and similarities between the home country and the host one to eventually build up a bonding feeling within the area Doing this also elevates the knowledge of different aspects of the environment, economy, or society ASEAN Youth Exchange also focuses on giving young people an avenue to exchange information and ideas that are directly related to ASEAN, first is to build

32 up the friendship amongst the region, second is to seek for possible solutions to regional problems from young and fresh mindsets The Second ASEAN Student Mobility Forum (2018) was organized to empower students to positively influence the development of the ASEAN identity in all member states With 175 participants from different backgrounds: students with a scholarship in ASEAN institutions, students from ASEAN University Network (AUN), and so on, the forum itself successfully gathers viewpoints from students of all over the region

ASEAN foundation is an organization from and for the people of ASEAN It organizes and establishes many projects under many thematic areas for example Community Building, Arts and Culture or Education and Media However, as the study revolves mainly around education, only educational projects will be mentioned below

ASEAN Digital Innovation Program (ADIP) is a joint initiative between the ASEAN Foundation and Microsoft with an aim to create a generation of future- ready ASEAN youth This program concentrates on training and providing quality digital skills, or computer science education to be more exact With the theme chosen was ―Sustainability‖ from Thailand‘s ASEAN Chairmanship in 2019, competitors were asked to create a blog that pointed out ASEAN‘s current problems in four sub-theme: climate change, biodiversity, water and agriculture In this program, competitors worked in groups, created the blog together and addressed the solution to each challenge listed The youths need to first, master the digital skills to have a nice and neat website, and second, have thorough and comprehensive knowledge about the ASEAN as well as its challenges to bring out the exact, helpful and interesting content for the website The outcome could only finish after the team completed all of the tasks To get the hang of this mission, the participants had to work together to have the whole picture, then move on with other tasks It can be undoubtedly confirmed that this program required the competitors to have a combination of skill sets to bring out a fine outcome By successfully organizing this program, ADIP has killed two birds with one stone First, the challenges that seem too minor to figure out by the policymakers or authorities will be depicted

33 through the products of the youths - the young generations with open mindsets that take concern in many things which the others might accidentally skip through The authorities can take these problems into account to find solutions to them without being accused of negligence towards citizens‘ issues So the first goal achieved is to recognize the hidden problems that only the ones who have experienced can point out, which indeed, a real benefit for the region It can also act as the adhesives to the people all over ASEAN with the policymakers In recognition of this outcome, the program has been recognized by the SOM-ED during the 14th SOM-ED held in Bangkok, Thailand, as one of the key activities that support the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2016 - 2020 Another goal achieved is by grouping the competitors regardless of race or origin, the program has created mixed-race groups, leading to the diversity in viewpoints and thoughts for one fixed topic And by working together with different people from different countries with different opinions to come out with the final outcome, the youths could learn to accept the differences and acknowledge the similarities amongst themselves The act of acceptance and acknowledgment is the first step that leads to the construction of identity Malaysia‘s Claudia Nisha Anthony said that she was grateful for this opportunity to be a part of the program as it offered her great insights into digital literacy, especially in the pandemic context It is one evidence showcasing the satisfaction of the youths when participating in regional programs, implying the great potential for the same projects in the future as well as the increase in the interest in approaching and understanding ASEAN-related content

The ASEAN Foundation Model ASEAN Meeting (AFMAM) is another program initiated by the ASEAN Foundation in 2015 This program‘s goal is to make university students to comprehend the way decision-makers of ASEAN state regional issues at regional meetings AFMAM aims to boost diplomacy and leadership skills for the participants, also organizes simulation to allow students know more about the decision-making process The theme of the simulation always sticks to the ASEAN chairmanship to assure the authenticity at most, from

―Advancing Partnership for Sustainability‖ to ―ASEAN Plus‖ and so on AFMAM,

34 same as ADIP, also provides place for participants, but to hone their diplomatic skills and at the same time building cross-cultural friendships As all being the members of ASEAN, their problems in some aspects resemble each other as the shared target of ASEAN member states is to achieve Sustainable Development Goals By targeting students in this program, AFMAM has achieved quite several objectives: promoting engagement between ASEAN and students, providing a place for free-exchange information and skill training, increasing the learning of ASEAN, and involving youths in ASEAN affairs to prepare for the new generations of ASEAN leadership The core goal of every program or project that ASEAN organizes stays quite the same They all boost people working together, understand each other, which finally results in the acceptance and acknowledgment Basically after these programs, people will have a better grasp of themselves and ASEAN as well, and gradually establish a sense of belonging towards this organization as they have related and involved themselves in the matter of ASEAN Siriphone from Lao PDR Delegate expressed her gratitude for the whole program as it was her chance to learn from others and develop her skills Afiq from Brunei Darussalam Delagate dug deeper in the ASEAN values as she voiced her thoughts on a regional scale, from ASEAN‘s goals to the connection among ASEAN member states towards a shared target These participants‘ thought though are quite simple and personal, they show that the ASEAN‘s matters more or less have touched on the mindset of the youths, and they do spend their time thinking about the organization

All of the analyses above presented the shifting trend of the youths in correlation with ASEAN matters Though the number of youths that appear to concern these issues is not that considerable, the outcome still showcases the potential for the future Since the goal of these programs is to help the youths to have a betters grasp of ASEAN identity, their support to the participants in constructing the ―insiders‘ view‖, the ―idea of community‖ and the ―idea of environment‖ can already be considered a promising start.

ASEAN IDENTITY IN THE EYE OF POLICYMAKERS

The education system is not only expressed through the students‘ viewpoints, but also through the eye of the policymakers Based on the analyzed data, I was able to comment on the emergence of several details regarding ASEAN identity via policymakers‘ view, according to the content of the ASEAN Curriculum Sourcebook as well as Vietnam and Thailand‘ official policies regarding education and language

This chapter is conducted using two frameworks from Paasi: ―The conceptual framework of regional identity‖ (1986) and ―The interacting stages of the institutionalization of regions‖ (1986)

The first, third and fourth phase featuring territorial shape have been analyzed quite clearly in Chapter 4, so this analysis will only contain the second phase of Paasi‘s ―interacting stages of the institutionalization of regions‖ (1986)

As written in Chapter 4, the aforementioned images and symbols depict the surface level of the second phase, while it requires a deeper stage, which is the consciousness of the inhabitants towards the association According to the framework, the image of the region can also be seen through the society‘s history and traditions which marks the development of inhabitants‘ consciousness and awareness (Paasi 1986), and the book has successfully covered those content in the curriculum The book has two whole chapters for ASEAN‘s history and traditions, respectively ―Chapter one: Knowing ASEAN‖ and ―Chapter two: Valuing Identity and Diversity‖ The first chapter focuses on providing every key information about ASEAN, from its structure, membership, and purposes, to its concept, significance, and accomplishments History plays an important role in this part since it acts as a pillar for all other themes and concepts mentioned as featured on pages 14, 16, 18,

23, 24, and so on, for example: ―ASEAN brings countries in Southeast Asia together‖, ―Southeast Asia has been connected through geography, history, trade, culture long before the formation of ASEAN‖, ―10 Southeast Asian nations joined

ASEAN to realize mutual goals‖, or ―ASEAN is working towards a 2009-2015 Blueprint‖ From page 28 to page 53 is the list of brief information on the member states written in short and concise sentences, which not only quickly equip readers with a general amount of knowledge but also does not bore them like other kinds of information-dense books Each member state is provided with a list of unanswered questions that especially describe its features: official languages, currency, religions, holidays, and some other questions regarding geography like land size or bordering countries From page 54 to page 74, the book starts going on a more detailed part when all of them are packed with information that digs deeper into each member state‘s background and situations The most used types of questions are ―what and ―why‖ - the two most easiest types to extract information These can trigger students to think and search for their own answer without depending on any kind of fixed answers or formats ―Why they joined‖, ―What goals they shared‖, or

―What cannot be done separately but jointly?‖ can act as some examples There are also some suggested materials which are thought to be of help for the learning process as ―ASEAN Declaration‖, some ASEAN organizations‘ websites, and so on The rest from page 74 to page 78 features some important materials that are of help to students or readers while using chapter one of this book Page 79 marks the beginning of chapter two, which revolves around traditions Throughout the whole chapter is the appearance of the main theme ―tradition‖, ranging in different parts, from ―explore diversity‖, ―examine community‖ to ―investigate celebrations‖, and so on Page 80 to page 87 lists how the concept of diversity is integrated into different fields and subjects The lesson plans are also separate in orientation with the first one being the general one considering the relationship between humans and nature, then the second one focusing further on the ASEAN range The book even tries to add details that are considered the special trait of ASEAN such as the

―Lunar New Year‖ and asks for further explanation on the special occasions or holidays After a series of shared content among the member states, the book continues with each country‘s features Together with that are some parts

37 combining both history and traditions in one lesson plan, as these two can never be clearly separated History and traditions were the main themes of the first two chapters, marking the concern of the authors to the development of the inhabitants‘ consciousness towards the construction of regional identity However, the evidence to the final point to complete this phase - social structures of the organization - is nowhere to be found as it is not featured in the book

―Chapter three: Connecting Global and Local‖ has made it easier to visualize the patterns of ASEAN identity as this chapter focuses mainly on the connections, the trends, and how some languages or belief systems of one area can resemble the others in the different place, which eventually emphasizes the ―community‖ as a whole Page 137 to page 145 recap the content of the lesson plan for all of the subjects in this chapter From migration, to how geography connects and separates communities (p.137), to language groups (p.138), global citizens (p.139), and so on The contents vary ascendingly, the easiest and most obvious for upper primary, then average questions for lower secondary and higher secondary‘s questions are those that require critical thinking with a lot of research For the lesson plan, students are asked to identify people and places in the community, the weather and geographical conditions, and how they influence the community (p.146), which can be clearly classified as the ―insiders‘ image‖ when applied to ―the conceptual framework of regional identity‖ (Paasi 1986) For the next part, the book still makes use of the ―insiders‘ image‖ pattern as the content revolves around identifying the community, the benefits of joining the community, the rights and responsibilities when participating, and so on The mention of ―memoir‖ also helps identify the evidence that showcases the history and how the past has changed and undergone to reach the present Engrossed in the shared problems also points out the responsibilities that need to take as a member of a community, and the book addresses climate change (p.167), global currents (p.175), globalization (p.182), and food security (p.183)

―Chapter four: Promoting Equity and Justice‖ reaches for something higher

38 than just the patterns on the surface, on the outside, and tangible ones It concentrates on equity and justice, which are both intangible, and parts of the ―sense of belonging‖ Only when both equity and justice are satisfied than the people fully accept this ―sense of belonging‖ towards ASEAN The table of curricula provides a list of rights, responsibilities, and needs at a normal and average level to assure life standards, basically the whole table revolves around promoting justice and equity in different aspects of life Each person possesses separate sets of rights and responsibilities, which support and boost the development of society in one‘s own way By having a close link with each other, people basically create a social network that bound those of the same community, nation, or region together - which can be considered the base of the society The next part lists some terms that will appear in the lesson, and almost all seem to be administrative-related: constitution, bill of rights, government, and so on (p.205) Though small, it can be considered a minor mention of the third phase - institutional shape (Paasi 1986) as it points out a small part of the institutionalization process with the appearance of several organizations and agencies as well as their bodies This viewpoint is once again supported by the ―Abbreviated 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights‖ (p.210) that is compiled in the next section It contains the view, that both

―insiders‘‖ - the people and policymakers and ―outsiders‘‖ - people elsewhere rather than in the region as almost all article mention, and the ―institutionalization process‖ also appear with the ―institutional development‖

―Chapter five: Working Together for a Sustainable Future‖ is properly clarified starting from line 1, it refers to not only to the environment but the whole system, from ―economic, healthcare‖ to ―political‖ and so on In this chapter, nearly every detail express for ASEAN through the third phase as they all aim for institutional development and process This part aims at making people acknowledge their awareness, that they belong to a bigger system and organization called ASEAN Different from previous sections‘ materials, this chapter is full of ASEAN-related ones: ASEAN maps, ASEAN flags, etc (p266) People are helped

39 to recognize, though slow but steadily, their responsibilities and rights towards every unit of community that they belong to, from family to school, or from their country to the whole region By the end of this chapter, students will eventually learn more about sustainability, not only in some separate aspects or field but as a whole, and how important the role that students play to function the whole system working towards that sustainability

The book is content-rich in all aspects of ASEAN and its member states as well Not only providing helpful and interesting information for students, it also integrates the existence of ASEAN identity in the mindset of students, leading to the future where ASEAN identity is a fixed term with a firm foothold and possesses the acknowledgement of all citizens in the area

2.Vietnam's “National Foreign Language 2020 Project”

The ―National Foreign Language 2020 Project‖ aims to improving and enhancing the language ability of the people who are directly in the education system This material revolves around the acceptance of the project which attempts to adjust the method of teaching and learning languages in national education system in the period of 2018 - 2020 So in this part, the study will focus on mostly the language aspect rather than the whole education one

The general goal has been clearly stated in the document, which is to comprehensively renovate the method of approaching learning and teaching foreign languages by the end of 2015, then eventually achieve a drastic change in the language ability of human resources, especially in some priority fields And by