Organizer: Center for Khmer Studies
Type/Location: Virtual
Description:
Cambodia is experiencing significant economic and social development, but difficulties remain. The Khmer Rouge genocide, the AIDS crisis, and the current economic distress have impacted family structures, leading to numerous reconfigurations. Support programs may face criticism for lacking cultural sensitivity or understanding of everyday life. The voices of these families must be heard in order to understand their experiences and specific expressions of suffering.
Qualitative exploratory research was conducted with seven vulnerable families. An inductive, emergent approach was adopted. Non-directive interviews, with thematic follow-up questions, were conducted in Khmer with an interpreter over a nine-month period in the families’ homes. The data consists of observation notes written by the researcher and the interpreter, which were regularly reviewed and discussed. The analysis combines a comparative thematic analysis and case studies. In our preliminary results, several themes emerge: The bond with the child; somatic complaints; family and community dimension; material concerns; Buddhist beliefs and animism. Mothers and grandmothers were our main interlocutors, who expressed their difficulties. Precariousness and traumatic memories color relationships with children, the community, and traditional rituals.
About the Speaker:
Alicia Landbeck holds a doctorate in clinical psychology and psychopathology and is a clinical psychologist. She is an associate researcher at the Psy-Drepi laboratory, University of Burgundy-Europe, as well as at Research Unit 3188, Marie and Louis Pasteur University, and a CKS 2024 research fellow. Her research focuses primarily on the clinical care of abused children, as well as clinical care and treatment in traumatic and highly precarious contexts. After conducting her first research project in 2015 and completing her doctorate in 2021 in Cambodia, her current research focuses on the family context of children in vulnerable situations who may be experiencing psychological difficulties.
About the Moderator:
Sophal Ear, PhD, is an Associate Professor at the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. A specialist in political economy, international development, and Southeast Asia, he is the author or co-author of several books, including Aid Dependence in Cambodia: How Foreign Assistance Undermines Democracy (Columbia University Press), The Hungry Dragon: How China’s Resource Quest is Reshaping the World (Routledge), and Viral Sovereignty and the Political Economy of Pandemics (Routledge). A member of the Board of the Center for Khmer Studies, Dr. Ear also serves as President of the International Public Management Network and Vice-Chair of the Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Program. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and delivered a widely viewed TED Talk on escaping the Khmer Rouge.
Registration:
To attend the event virtually, please register here.