IRASEC

n°25 - The Rise of Pet Culture in Southeast Asia

Bertrand — 2026-09-04T09:46:45Z

Pana KANTHA
IRASEC, Bangkok
August 2026, 19 p.
Text in French

The recent and rapid adoption of pet culture in Southeast Asia is not simply a matter of the spread of the Western model, but rather a process of appropriation and reconfiguration shaped by local social structures and new lifestyles. This article analyzes this transformation through the concept of “multiple modernities,” showing how pet culture fits into societies characterized by the persistence of familism, despite profound demographic, economic, and urban changes.

Pana KANTHA
IRASEC, Bangkok
August 2026, 19 p.
Text in French

In these contexts, pets become a new form of emotional investment, care, and responsibility, integrated into enduring family narratives rather than a purely individualistic logic. Their adoption, however, reveals the emergence of competing “moral economies,” pitting different conceptions of the legitimate family, the allocation of economic resources, and the place of animals in shared spaces against one another. These tensions are evident in urban policies, condominium regulations, and public debates, but they also foster new institutional adaptations : specialized infrastructure, professional services, and regulatory frameworks.

Far from being a linear process of Westernization, pet culture thus reveals the ability of Southeast Asian societies to transform globalized practices according to their own historical trajectories, producing unique forms of modernity in which the boundaries of family and care are gradually being redefined.

Read the Discussion Paper :

Pana KANTHA is an independant researcher. He holds an MA in Sociology and Anthropology from Chiang Mai University, with a thesis on pet culture in Thai society, which this article builds on and extends regionally. Past research has examined human-animal relationships more broadly, including the cross-border cattle trade across the Mekong subregion, and colonial-era conceptions of nature introduced through Christian missionary religion, and their lasting influence on Thai society. Current work focuses on the power relations and moral economy of Thai elephant tourism, within the broader field of conservation politics.

Épargne et grande pauvreté : l'expérience des familles du cimetière Nord de Manille, Philippines

Bertrand — 2026-07-22T09:33:22Z

Jérémy IANNI
IRASEC, Bangkok
July 2026, 18 p.
French Text

This paper analyzes savings practices and attitudes within a community living in extreme poverty that has taken up residence in the North Cemetery in Manila, Philippines.

Jérémy IANNI
IRASEC, Bangkok
July 2026, 18 p.
Franch text

This paper analyzes savings practices and attitudes within a community living in extreme poverty that has taken up residence in the North Cemetery in Manila, Philippines. Rooted in the field of education and training sciences, it is based on qualitative field research involving interviews and the analysis of practices observed within the framework of a popular education program implemented by the ATD Fourth World movement. Despite widespread exclusion from the banking system, families develop complex informal savings strategies (investing in relationships, hoarding objects). The study highlights how participation in a flexible, non-judgmental savings program fosters context-specific learning, bringing about lasting changes in participants' relationship with money and their ability to plan for the future—beyond the effects typically associated with budget training alone.

Read the Discussion Paper :

Jérémy IANNI holds a Ph.D. in Education and Training Sciences, is a research associate at IRASEC, and is an honorary assistant professor at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia. His research focuses on experiential learning and shifts in relationships to knowledge, particularly in contexts of extreme poverty. In addition to his research work, he serves as director of courses at the Alliance Française in Kuala Lumpur, having previously lived in the Philippines for eleven years.

Rebel Art: Myanmar Artists Respond to Repression

Bertrand — 2026-07-08T04:28:25Z

Artistically coordinated by Kyar Pauk, a leading figure in Myanmar's contemporary cultural scene now living in exile, and introduced by Chloé Baills (Ph.D. candidate, EHESS), Rebel Art : Myanmar Artists Respond to Repression explores contemporary artistic expression and resistance in Myanmar following the military coup of February 1, 2021. The works of twenty-two photographers, painters, illustrators, and poets each offer a personal perspective on the experience of the Spring Revolution.

Organized into six thematic sections (Protest, Conflict, Trauma, Ridicule, Heroes & Martyrs, and Exit), this 167-page volume documents the many dimensions of Myanmar's resistance : from peaceful demonstrations to armed struggle, from the psychological scars of war to satire, remembrance, and the realities of exile.

Beyond its artistic significance, Rebel Art provides an original lens through which to understand the profound political, social, and cultural transformations reshaping Myanmar. In particular, it highlights the emergence of a resistance culture driven by Generation Z, characterized by the intensive use of social media, visual art, and digital cultural production as tools for mobilization, collective memory, and transnational circulation.

Freely available in open access :

La main-d'œuvre touristique face à la crise de la Covid-19 à Chiang Mai : des mobilités professionnelles sous contrainte

Bertrand — 2026-05-21T03:14:41Z

Pongsa KANTASORN
IRASEC, Bangkok
May 2026, 26 p.
French Text

The COVID-19 pandemic brought international tourism in Thailand to a standstill, leading to business closures, unemployment, and significant income losses for workers in the sector. Based on a qualitative survey conducted in Chiang Mai—based on 101 interviews between July 2021 and February 2022—this research examines the strategies adopted by the tourism workforce in response to the crisis. Findings reveal that public assistance, which was limited and sometimes discriminatory, proved insufficient, pushing workers to develop individual survival strategies, including professional and geographical mobility into other sectors. These forced transitions raise issues of resource access, living conditions, and well-being, while also resulting in a loss of skills for the local tourism sector. The study thus sheds light on recent transformations in the tourism industry and the challenges posed by future crises.

Read the Discusion Paper :

Pongsa KANTASORN began his career as a French teacher specializing in tourism, while also gaining practical experience as a tour guide. He later collaborated with a French NGO dedicated to improving the living conditions of underprivileged children and youth in Southeast Asia. This experience inspired him to pursue university studies on the impact of migration in Southeast Asia, particularly in relation to the tourism sector. Pongsa Kantasorn holds two master's degrees—one in French language and the other in tourism development—both obtained in France. He is currently a PhD candidate at Paul-Valéry University Montpellier 3, within the Department of Geography and Spatial Planning, where his thesis examines “COVID-19 as a Revelator of Dysfunctions in Tourism Structuring : Precariousness and the Search for a Crisis Exit Trajectory for Thailand's Tourism Workforce in the Era of Sustainable Tourism” (« La Covid-19 comme révélateur de dysfonctionnement dans la structuration du tourisme : la précarité et la recherche d'une trajectoire de sortie de crise de la main-d'œuvre touristique en Thaïlande dans l'ère du tourisme durable »).

Voices from Boten

Bertrand — 2026-04-21T10:47:52Z

Souvanxay PHETCHANPHENG and Pascale HANCART PETITET
IRASEC, Bangkok
April 2026, 24 p.
English text

The urban migration of young people in Laos is often driven by the dual motivations of escaping poverty and seeking a different way of life. Previous research has demonstrated that rural-urban migration brings with it a mix of economic opportunities and heightened sexual risks. However, less attention has been given to sedentary populations residing in areas with significant migratory activity. While migration is often viewed in terms of economic opportunities, it also brings vulnerabilities, particularly in regions of rapid development like Special Economic Zones (SEZs). The presence of the SEZ has created an environment where sexual conducts and practices among local youth have become increasingly risky, yet these risks are often overlooked. Both migrants and local, sedentary populations are affected by shifting social norms and health risks, such as sexually transmitted infections. Furthermore, the stigma attached to sex workers, particularly from ethnic minorities like the Khmu, contributes to a broader social narrative that ignores the vulnerabilities of other groups, such as secondary school students, are at risk as well. Understanding migration requires attention to how both migrants and sedentary populations are implicated and impacted by these evolving patterns of interaction, risk, and social judgment.

Read the Discussion paper :

Souvanxay Phetchanpheng is an anthropologist, associate member of International Research Unit the International Unit TransVIHMI (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, INSERM, Université de Montpellier). Since 2005, his research focuses on the transmission of knowledge, migration of young people from rural areas to urban areas for educational purposes and the process of social mobility in Laos (https://www.researchgate.net/profil...).

Pascale Hancart Petitet is an anthropologist and permanent researcher at the International Unit TransVIHMI (Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, INSERM, Université de Montpellier). Since 2013, her research in Laos work lies within the academic field, at the interface between public health and the arts, and at the intersection of the anthropology of human reproduction, vernacular knowledge and biomedical technologies, gender, migration and infectious diseases. She has developed a strong interest in the co-construction of transdisciplinary research (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7377-8038) and experiments with innovative approaches for scientific production (forum theatre, photo voice, collective intelligence) and arts and sciences initiatives (radio program, films, dance and theatre performance (https://anthroms.com/).

Just released

Bertrand — 2026-02-23T06:37:40Z

Edited by Gabriel Facal and Jérémy Jammes
IRASEC, Bangkok,
February 2026, 488 p.

L'Asie du Sud-Est 2026 propose une analyse claire et approfondie des principaux événements ayant marqué l'année dans les onze pays de la région. Évolutions politiques, dynamiques économiques, transformations sociales, enjeux environnementaux et diplomatiques : chaque chapitre offre un panorama rigoureux et accessible. Il met également en lumière, pour chaque pays, deux personnalités marquantes et revient, à travers une image forte, sur un événement emblématique.

Bilan, enjeux et perspectives

Edited by Gabriel Facal and Jérémy Jammes
IRASEC, Bangkok,
February 2026, 488 p.

See the presentation / Read the book :

L'Asie du Sud-Est 2026 offers a clear and in-depth analysis of the main events that marked the year in the eleven countries of the region. Political developments, economic dynamics, social transformations, environmental and diplomatic issues : each chapter provides a rigorous and accessible overview. It also highlights two prominent figures from each country and revisits an emblematic event through a powerful image.

The book includes three thematic sections devoted to major regional issues : food security in the face of climate change, the reshaping of multilateralism (around the BRICS+), and road safety. A debate completes this collection with a cross-cutting and interdisciplinary reflection on traffic dynamics. Finally, practical tools enrich the volume : maps, fact sheets, and annual chronologies by country, as well as a section compiling the main demographic, social, economic, and environmental indicators.

Épargner en milieu de grande pauvreté urbaine aux Philippines

Bertrand — 2025-11-21T09:08:19Z

Nous avons le plaisir de partager la publication d'Épargner en milieu de grande pauvreté urbaine aux Philippines. ATD Quart Monde avec un groupe d'habitantes du cimetière Nord de Manille, un livre co-dirigé par Jérémy Ianni, doctorant associé à l'IRASEC, avec Rose Ann Fabros et Lilian Tiglao.

Contributeurs : Vincent Eugenio, Raphael Diaz, Pierre Johan Laffitte
Éditions Chronique Sociale, Collection Comprendre La Société
December 2025, 144 p.
ISBN : 978-2-38548-055-4
Texte français

Dirigé par Rose Ann Fabros, Jérémy Ianni, Lilian Tiglao
Contributeurs : Vincent Eugenio, Raphael Diaz, Pierre Johan Laffitte
Éditions Chronique Sociale, Collection Comprendre La Société
December 2025, 144 p.
ISBN : 978-2-38548-055-4
Texte français

Lire le livre.

Conçu à la fois comme un travail de recherche et d'évaluation participative, articulant les conceptions, les expériences, les idées et les récits de vie des participantes, cet ouvrage présente ce que la plupart des documents de discussion sur l'inclusion financière ne mettent pas en évidence : le point de vue des plus pauvres, pour donner une image plus authentique de leurs conceptions et de leurs attitudes vis-à-vis de l'épargne et de la gestion financière.

Cette étude documente donc la naissance et l'émergence des idées chez ces personnes qui vivent la pauvreté, et font face aux défis de la survie, de la reconnaissance et de la cohésion communautaire. Face à ces défis, elles cherchent aussi à instaurer un nouveau modèle qui fonctionne, un nouveau modèle qu'elles élaborent sur la base de leur situation, de leurs besoins et de leurs expériences.

Plus qu'un travail indépendant ou un travail de recherche de survol, cet ouvrage est une documentation collective de l'expérience des plus pauvres qui tentent de développer leur propre initiative, ancrée dans leur réalité quotidienne. Le travail des contributeurs et contributrices, des bénévoles et des familles qui habitent dans la communauté du cimetière nord de Manille, inscrit cette étude dans un contexte très particulier, tout en affirmant leur intention de créer une voie dynamique de coproduction des connaissances avec les personnes directement impliquées dans l'action Sulong.

Local Languages and Education in Southeast Asia

Bertrand — 2025-07-02T08:05:38Z

Moussons n°45
Directed by Nicolas Salem-Gervais and Jérôme Samuel
July 2025, 296 pages
ISBN 979-10-320-0564-4
English text

IRASEC is pleased to share the publication of 45^th issue of the review Moussons.

Read / download the book

Moussons n°45
Directed by Nicolas Salem-Gervais and Jérôme Samuel
July 2025, 296 pages
ISBN 979-10-320-0564-4
English text

IRASEC is pleased to share the publication of 45^th issue of the review Moussons.

Read / download the book

Southeast Asia is a region characterized by its diversity, particularly in terms of languages. This makes questions relating to local languages particularly acute, especially in terms of their place in education systems, whether as languages of instruction or as subjects. The stakes of these choices in terms of school language policies are indeed multiple and crucial : preservation of linguistic and cultural diversity ; access to education for ethnic minorities ; implications in terms of conception and adherence to national identities. After an introduction presenting linguistic diversity in Southeast Asia, the potential benefits of including these local languages in formal education and the challenges these policies are likely to face, this issue of Moussons offers 6 contributions related to the theme. Written by specialists (researchers and practitioners), they deal with Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore. Through the very diverse situations of these countries—in terms of ethnolinguistic landscapes, language and education policies, and trajectories as nations—readers will gain insights to enrich their understanding of some of the major issues underpinning language policies in the world of education, in the light of the South-East Asian context. A varia article, a research and field note and a contribution “out of frame” complete this issue.

Survie

Bertrand — 2025-05-14T11:04:31Z

Survie
Une anthropographie de la dislocation et de la réparation (Birmanie)
François Robinne
Éditions Mimésis, collection Anthropologie
328 p, 2025
ISBN 9788869764592

En birman, l'acronyme Ma Aye Lo est un jeu de mots construit sur les initiales du général putschiste Min Aung Hlain et l'expression issue d'argot « nique ta mère ». Ce 31 décembre, onze mois après le coup d'État du 1er février 2021, murmuré à l'unisson dans l'obscurité de la nuit, un retentissant Ma Aye Lo s'élève des fenêtres pour se répandre à travers le pays.

François Robinne
Éditions Mimésis, collection Anthropologie
328 p, 2025
ISBN 9788869764592

En birman, l'acronyme Ma Aye Lo est un jeu de mots construit sur les initiales du général putschiste Min Aung Hlain et l'expression issue d'argot « nique ta mère ». Ce 31 décembre, onze mois après le coup d'État du 1er février 2021, murmuré à l'unisson dans l'obscurité de la nuit, un retentissant Ma Aye Lo s'élève des fenêtres pour se répandre à travers le pays. Avertissement en quelque sorte à l'encontre d'une junte tout à la fois tortionnaire et paternaliste s'autoproclamant « père et mère de la nation » : « Min Aung Hlaing, tu niques ta mère », sous-entendu notre « mère patrie ». Pour en rendre compte, le choix est fait d'une approche multisite – en France, en Birmanie, en Thaïlande – auprès de déplacés, d'exilés, de réfugiés et apatrides. Regards croisés sur les notions de guerre intérieure, de respect mêlé de crainte, d'indésirabilité… ce volume offre plus largement une introspection des conditions mêmes de survie constitutives des migrations contemporaines et interroge la résilience d'une population « indésirée » en son propre pays.

Lire le livre.

Ce que la question du genre dit des sociétés

Bertrand — 2025-04-29T08:29:38Z

Nous avons le plaisir de vous faire part de la parution du nouveau numéro du Cahier des UMIFRE, dont le dossier thématique est intitulé « Ce que la question du genre dit des sociétés ». Il est disponible dès maintenant sous format électronique au lien suivant sur le site des UMIFRE : Cahier des UMIFRE n°11.

Ce onzième numéro, publié dans le cadre du partenariat noué entre le ministère de l'Europe et des affaires étrangères, le CNRS et la Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, met en lumière les actualités académiques, partenariales et les grands projets portés par les 27 Unités mixtes / Instituts français de recherche à l'étranger (UMIFRE) qui marquent la recherche française en sciences humaines et sociales à l'international en 2024.

Lire / Télécharger le Cahier des UMIFRE

Autour d'une thématique centrale, le Cahier des UMIFRE rassemble les contributions scientifiques et pluridisciplinaires des chercheuses et chercheurs, leur ancrage de terrain et l'impact sociétal de leurs travaux de recherche.

IRASEC

n°25 - The Rise of Pet Culture in Southeast Asia

Épargne et grande pauvreté : l'expérience des familles du cimetière Nord de Manille, Philippines

Rebel Art: Myanmar Artists Respond to Repression

La main-d'œuvre touristique face à la crise de la Covid-19 à Chiang Mai : des mobilités professionnelles sous contrainte

Voices from Boten

Just released

Edited by Gabriel Facal and Jérémy Jammes IRASEC, Bangkok, February 2026, 488 p.

Épargner en milieu de grande pauvreté urbaine aux Philippines

Local Languages and Education in Southeast Asia

Survie

Ce que la question du genre dit des sociétés

Edited by Gabriel Facal and Jérémy Jammes
IRASEC, Bangkok,
February 2026, 488 p.