Rosta Harun Jabatan Sains Alam Sekitar Universiti Putra Malaysia

1. Transforming Environmental Worldview to An Environmental Ethics Approach: The Suku Temuan of Orang Asli Rosta Harun Jabatan Sains Alam Sekitar Universiti Putra Malaysia Committee Members: Azizi Muda (PM, Dr) Ahmad Makmom Abdullah (PM, Dr) Zahid Embi (Dr)

2. Environmental Worldview “The holistic understanding of the relationship between human beings and the natural environment” (Matsui 2002, Inaba 2003)

3. Environmental Ethics • An ethic is a set of rules incorporating basic values • Environmental ethics deal with the interaction between humans and natural environment (Butler, 1992)

4. Environmental Ethics • Impose restraints on human behavior in relation to the natural environment (ideals) • Rules and principles which are not formally encoded or formally punished (UNEP, 1990)

5. Orang Asli “ Any person whose male parent is or was, a member of an aboriginal ethnic group, habitually follows an aboriginal way of life, an aboriginal customs and belief and include a descendent through males of such person” (JHEOA, 1974)

6. Suku Temuan • Ethnic Group: Proto Malay • Location: Kuala Pilah, Tampin, Port Dickson, Seremban, Rembau, Jempol, Sepang, Klang, Gombak, Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor, Jasin and Alor Gajah • Income: Rubber, Oil Palm, trading, fishing, forest product (JHEOA, 2003)

7. Problem Statement • The traditional environmental strategies often fail to address the root causes of the deepening environmental crisis and fail to develop a set of sustainable remedies. (Chiras, 1994)

8. Problem Statement • Environmentalists have suggested that using way of life or faith as an approach in environmental ethics has been proven useful in creating lasting solutions for environmental crisis. (Chiras, 1994, Pojman, 2000, Schmitdz & Willott, 2002, Mitsui, 2002Rosta, 2002)

9. Purpose Statement • The purpose of this study is to uncover the environmental worldview of Orang Asli of the Temuan subethnic group that can be used as bases for approaches in environmental ethics. • This will lead to the preparation of guidelines on environmental ethics components of the Orang Asli

10. Research Questions (objectives) • Are the three basic environmental concepts useful and meaningful the life of Orang Asli? • How do the Orang Asli define the interaction/relationship between human being and environment? • How can this environmental worldview be manifested in practices? • What is the role of supreme being(s) in managing environmental resources?

11. Methodology • Qualitative research design • Descriptive and inductive in nature • Focusing on uncovering meaning from the perspective of the respondents

12. Data Collection • Interviews • open ended questions • Informal observations • Surroundings provided confirmatory data • Document materials

13. Samples Selection • Purposive sampling • Community leaders (batin) • Elder members of the community

14. Results • Data have been collected from 4 villages: Kampung Hulu Pongsun, Kampung Air Hitam, Kampung Hulu Pertak and Genting Peras.

15. Findings • Biocentrics – centered on the needs of non-human organisms • Non polluted physical environment • Simplicity of life style • Physical phenomenon and geographical attributes are connected and controlled by Seliman

16. Interview Questions • Some of the interview questions will be: • How and what can be taken from the environment? • Can we modify the environment? • Why should we protect public health? • Why should we conserve renewable resources? • Why should we preserve special environment?

17. Interview Questions 6. Why should we protect special animals? 7. Why should we protect endangered species 8. Why should we protect special habitat? 9. Why should we protect the integrity of the global ecosystem?

18. Interview Questions All of the above nine questions can be considered as their understanding of the set principles of ecology by Odum (1994): Ecosystem succession, ecological energetics, carrying capacity, importance of diversity, biotic interactions, biogeography, materials cycling, the earth as biosphere.

19. Environmental Literacy “The understanding of the interactions between natural systems and human social system” (Barrett et al 1997, Hausbeck et al 1992)

20. Environmental Literacy “ Broad understanding of how people and societies relate to each other and natural systems, presuming an awareness of the ‘interrelatedness’ of life and the knowledge of how the world works as a physical system ” (Orr, 1992)

21. Internal Validity • In qualitative research we are not interested in how many or the distribution of predefined variables. Rather, it is important to understand the perspectives of those involved, uncover the complexity of human behavior in context, and present a holistic interpretation of what is happening. (Merriam, 2002)

22. Internal Validity • Interpretations of reality are accessed directly through observations and interviews; closer to reality than if an instrument with predefined items has been interjected between the researcher and the phenomenon being studied.

23. Internal Validity Strategies • Triangulation • Member checks • Peer preview • Long-term observation • Participatory or collaborative modes of research

24. Reliability • In qualitative research, reliability lies in others’ concurring that given the data collected, the result make sense – they are consistent and dependable (Lincoln and Guba, 1985)

25. External Validity or Generalizability • Since small, non-random samples are selected purposefully in qualitative research, it is not possible to generalize statistically. A small sample is selected precisely because the researcher wishes to understand the particular in depth, not to find out what is generally true of the many. • Case to case transfer (Walker, 1980)