Journal Description
Social Sciences
Social Sciences
is an international, open access journal with rapid peer-review, which publishes works from a wide range of fields, including anthropology, criminology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology and so on. Social Sciences is published monthly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), RePEc, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (General Social Sciences)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 27.7 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 5.3 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
1.7 (2022)
Latest Articles
In Defense of a Peripheral Epistemology: Exploring “Decolonial Cognitive Triggers” for Epistemic Disobedience in Urban Peripheries
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050240 (registering DOI) - 26 Apr 2024
Abstract
This paper presents an approach to decolonial thinking and epistemological disobedience through what we call “decolonial cognitive triggers”. It is based on the struggles of urban peripheral communities in Brazil and explores eight triggers in the making of a Peripheral Epistemology. The unique
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This paper presents an approach to decolonial thinking and epistemological disobedience through what we call “decolonial cognitive triggers”. It is based on the struggles of urban peripheral communities in Brazil and explores eight triggers in the making of a Peripheral Epistemology. The unique points of our reflection are the sociocultural practices emerging from urban peripheral communities in Brazil and their responses to structural racism. As a part of this, we will explore the concepts of potência and convivência as core components of the decolonial debate, as well as their role in enabling epistemic disobedience in urban peripheries. We conclude by suggesting shifts in policy-making directed towards urban peripheries through the recognition and incorporation of such concepts and triggers.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Racial Injustice, Violence and Resistance: New Approaches under Multidimensional Perspectives)
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Remittance and Macroeconomic Performance in Top Migrating Countries
by
Olajide O. Oyadeyi, Idris A. Adediran and Balikis A. Kabir
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050239 - 26 Apr 2024
Abstract
Globalization opens up economies and encourages the free movement of persons and factors of production. Diaspora investors and workers earn income in the process and make remittances to the migrating countries. We examine the impact of the remittance inflow on the macroeconomic performance
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Globalization opens up economies and encourages the free movement of persons and factors of production. Diaspora investors and workers earn income in the process and make remittances to the migrating countries. We examine the impact of the remittance inflow on the macroeconomic performance of top emigrating countries, which comprise nine emerging and two advanced economies. We conduct group and individual country analyses with distinct econometric models (Feasible Quasi Generalized Least Squares and Dynamic Common Correlated Effects) using data between 1987 and 2021. The results reveal positive impact of remittance inflows on nominal GDP and nominal GDP per capita and on real GDP and real GDP per capita, although evidence on the latter is weaker. In all, the emigrating countries can benefit from diaspora remittance in terms of improved productivity and macroeconomic performance. We therefore recommend better systems to facilitate remittance receipt and policies to channel such flows more into investment activities.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section International Migration)
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The Adultcentrism Scale: A Potential Contributor to Advancing Children’s Participation Rights in Nordic Contexts
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Tanu Biswas, Eleonora Florio, Letizia Caso, Ilaria Castelli and Serena Iacobino
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050238 - 25 Apr 2024
Abstract
The question that the authors of this article are collectively concerned with is as follows: how is it possible to protect children without disempowering them? To this end, the authors work to change adultcentric scholarly and social norms that justify rationales that marginalize
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The question that the authors of this article are collectively concerned with is as follows: how is it possible to protect children without disempowering them? To this end, the authors work to change adultcentric scholarly and social norms that justify rationales that marginalize children. The article begins with a theoretical overview of childism, in its transformative sense, with special attention to how childism relates to intersectional analyses. In doing so, age is highlighted as an axis of marginalization with reference to adultcentrism. After that, the centrality of analyzing and problematizing adultism in educational research and practice is discussed. The discussion is followed by a presentation of the published results of ‘The Adultcentrism Scale’ research tool developed at the University of Bergamo and the University of LUMSA-Rome. The research tool is used to evaluate the presence of adultcentric bias in adults in relation to children and can be helpful to understanding the psychological dimensions of educational relationships. Finally, the conclusion offers suggestions for how the research tool might be a useful example to raise awareness of adultcentric bias, promoting reflections that can lead to age-inclusive transformations. Overall, then, the article initiates a pertinent dialogue for advancing children’s participation rights in Nordic research and society.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children’s Wellbeing and Children’s Rights—A Nordic Perspective)
Open AccessArticle
Moral Distress and Moral Agency: Staff Experience of Supporting Self-Determination for People with Dementia
by
Cecilia Ingard, Maria Sjölund and Sven Trygged
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050237 - 25 Apr 2024
Abstract
People living in nursing homes have the right to self-determination, and difficulty in accommodating this right can create moral distress in staff. This study aimed to explore experiences of situations of moral distress and to identify nursing home staffs’ needs to act with
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People living in nursing homes have the right to self-determination, and difficulty in accommodating this right can create moral distress in staff. This study aimed to explore experiences of situations of moral distress and to identify nursing home staffs’ needs to act with moral agency. Six group interviews were conducted with nursing home staff. Content analysis of the interview responses showed that moral distress can be rooted in both concrete situations with residents and factors related to the work environment and policy requirements. Personnel can address moral distress through both active and passive means. Staff acted to address moral distress mainly in situations with residents and sometimes in relation to co-workers, but they did not try to influence the policy level.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)
Open AccessArticle
Contrasting Conceptions of Work–Family Balance and the Implications for Satisfaction with Balance during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by
Sejin Um, Anne Kou, Carolyn E. Waldrep and Kathleen Gerson
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050236 - 25 Apr 2024
Abstract
Pandemic-related changes, including the expansion of remote work and the closure of schools and daycare supports, posed unprecedented challenges to parents’ conceptions of their work and home routines. Drawing on interviews with 88 heterosexual partnered parents, we examine the different ways parents understand
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Pandemic-related changes, including the expansion of remote work and the closure of schools and daycare supports, posed unprecedented challenges to parents’ conceptions of their work and home routines. Drawing on interviews with 88 heterosexual partnered parents, we examine the different ways parents understand what it means to balance work and family responsibilities and how their conceptions shaped satisfaction with their balance during the COVID-19 pandemic. First, we discover that parents held three distinct conceptions of work–family balance at the outset of the pandemic: (1) individualistic (where balance is understood as an individual pursuit and regarded independently of their partner’s efforts in the work and family spheres), (2) specialized (where each partner specializes in one sphere, producing balance between spheres), and (3) egalitarian (where partners share responsibilities in both spheres). Next, among the women and men who held specialized or egalitarian conceptions of balance, most sustained their level of satisfaction. In contrast, among those with individualistic conceptions, most women (but not men) reported a change in their satisfaction. These findings provide new insights about the varied meanings people attach to the concept of “work–family balance” and how these diverse conceptions have consequences for satisfaction with gender dynamics in households.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Work and Family in Turbulent Times: COVID-19, Remote Work and Diversity)
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(Mis)Representing Ethnicity in UK Government Statistics and Its Implications for Violence Inequalities
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Hannah Manzur, Niels Blom and Estela Capelas Barbosa
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050235 - 24 Apr 2024
Abstract
The question of how we measure, categorise, and represent ethnicity poses a growing challenge for identifying and addressing ethnic inequalities. Conceptual critiques and qualitative studies highlight the complexities and challenges of measuring ethnicity, yet there remains a lack of quantitative studies investigating the
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The question of how we measure, categorise, and represent ethnicity poses a growing challenge for identifying and addressing ethnic inequalities. Conceptual critiques and qualitative studies highlight the complexities and challenges of measuring ethnicity, yet there remains a lack of quantitative studies investigating the implications of these complexities for inequalities research. This paper addresses this gap by scrutinizing methodological processes and analysing the implications of measurement and categorisation in the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW), critiquing the UK’s standardised measurement of ethnicity in national survey data and government statistics. Based on our comparative quantitative analysis of standardised ethnicity categories and regional origins and our evaluation of the CSEW and census’ methodologies, we propose an alternative categorisation of ethnicity, focusing on the ‘Mixed’, ‘Asian’, and ‘Latinx/Hispanic’ ethnic groups. Using adjusted crosstabulations and logistic regression models, we found variations in ethnic patterns of violence based on standardised measures and our alternative recategorisation, particularly relating to the distinction between ‘Asian’ sub-groups, the recategorisation of ‘Mixed’ ethnicities, and the inclusion of ‘Latinx/Hispanic’ as a distinctive ethnic group. Our findings reveal valuable insights into the implications of ethnic categorisation for understanding violence inequalities, with significant implications for further policy and research areas.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on Measuring Interpersonal Violence)
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Dehumanization of Uncivil Behaviors: Insights into Lack of Humanness and Racial Belonging
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Xing Jie Chen-Xia, Verónica Betancor, Nira Borges-Castells and Armando Rodríguez-Pérez
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050234 - 24 Apr 2024
Abstract
Humans are social creatures who need to respect certain norms and practice social responsibility for the well-being of everyone, but many people transgress these norms. Behaving uncivilly may lead to the transgressor being seen as someone unable to live in society and not
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Humans are social creatures who need to respect certain norms and practice social responsibility for the well-being of everyone, but many people transgress these norms. Behaving uncivilly may lead to the transgressor being seen as someone unable to live in society and not as human as others. However, not all transgressors are perceived and evaluated equally. The purpose of this research was to verify the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness, and identify how racial belonging influences the perception of uncivil transgressors. In three studies (N = 450), we wanted to confirm the association between (in)civility with blatant and covert dehumanization and explore how the racial belonging of uncivil agents may affect the way they are perceived. Results show that the agents who behave uncivilly are dehumanized blatantly and covertly (Study 1). Additionally, White uncivil agents are perceived and evaluated more harshly than Black uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2a). Additionally, Black uncivil agents were dehumanized less than White uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2b). Our findings confirm the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness and show a racial bias is present in the application of social norms.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Community and Urban Sociology)
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Social Innovations for Empowering Pastoralist Women: Evidence from Dasenech, South Omo, Ethiopia
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Melisew Dejene, Tafesse Matewos and Addisalem Adem
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050233 - 24 Apr 2024
Abstract
Innovations are vital for empowering women and youth by introducing alternative pathways for development. This study focuses on a social innovation project executed in Dasenech, South Omo, Ethiopia. The project introduced innovative initiatives (index-based livestock insurance (IBLI), a goat market value-chain system, an
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Innovations are vital for empowering women and youth by introducing alternative pathways for development. This study focuses on a social innovation project executed in Dasenech, South Omo, Ethiopia. The project introduced innovative initiatives (index-based livestock insurance (IBLI), a goat market value-chain system, an eco-friendly hydraulic ram pump, fodder production, and a vet drug store). Key among the goals of these initiatives was the empowerment of pastoralist women by promoting the livelihood base of the Dasenech Pastoralist Community. The present study assessed the contributions of these innovations to the empowerment of women and youth. We employed a mixed-method research approach to pool both quantitative and qualitative data using a household survey through Kobocollect, FGDs, KIIs, and case stories. We computed empowerment by employing a 5DE model with five domains, i.e., production, resources, income, leadership, and time use. The findings suggest that 93% of the project participants were empowered, recording “adequate achievements” in line with the 5DE model, i.e., with scores of at least 80% in four of the five requirements. Technological innovations that properly assess the context of the intervention area and, most importantly, that use proper avenues of implementation with women and youth as owners and leaders, have the capacity to empower such individuals in the economic, social, and political spheres.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)
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Online Support for International Students’ Engagement in Learning: A Case Study on Padlet Usage at a University in Korea
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Hyun-jin Lee, Eun-hwa Lee and Hee-ju Kwon
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050232 - 24 Apr 2024
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The number of international students in South Korea, which dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, reached its highest level in 2023. It is predicted that the number of international students will continue to increase with the active growth in international exchange and due
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The number of international students in South Korea, which dropped sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, reached its highest level in 2023. It is predicted that the number of international students will continue to increase with the active growth in international exchange and due to diverse government support. This study introduces Padlet’s canvas layout in a class for international students to organize the course and boost engagement and interactions among the students and with the instructors. A survey and interviews with 22 undergraduate students from eight different countries, studying in Korea, were conducted to comprehend how they benefited from using the Padlet platform and their experience with it. The results indicate that Padlet enhances the students’ sense of belonging, expands their thinking processes through collaborative interactions and feedback from professors and colleagues, and increases their knowledge, leading to positive effects on class participation. Moreover, the use of Padlet accommodates diversity among different cultures and has a positive impact on cooperative learning in an international context. Based on these findings, several strategies for the implementation of Padlet in an educational setting can be suggested. To stimulate the participation of international students in learning, professors should consider offering the option of staying anonymous versus using real names when posting on Padlet. To improve the effectiveness of feedback, instructors should visualize their feedback. In addition, it is critical to institute guidelines to evaluate the relevance of the information in order to provide information that meets the students’ level of understanding and to establish a healthy level of information exchange. However, due to the limited sample size, the findings from this study cannot be generalized. Thus, we recommend expanding the sample in future studies to enable the use of inferential statistics, such as investigating differences in student attitudes by demographics.
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Attachment Styles, Vulnerable Narcissism, Emotion Dysregulation and Perceived Social Support: A Mediation Model
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Valeria Saladino, Francesca Cuzzocrea, Danilo Calaresi, Janine Gullo and Valeria Verrastro
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050231 - 24 Apr 2024
Abstract
Attachment styles have been shown to significantly influence individuals’ social and emotional functioning. Furthermore, vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation are both relevant factors to consider in understanding individuals’ social interactions and support networks. However, the mechanisms underlying such relationships are not fully understood
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Attachment styles have been shown to significantly influence individuals’ social and emotional functioning. Furthermore, vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation are both relevant factors to consider in understanding individuals’ social interactions and support networks. However, the mechanisms underlying such relationships are not fully understood yet. The objective of this research was to assess whether vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation sequentially mediate the connection between different attachment styles and perceived social support. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 1260 emerging adults (50% women) aged 18–25. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted. Preliminary analyses indicated significant effects of gender on some study variables, thus gender was controlled in the mediation analyses. The findings indicated that there was no mediation for secure attachment, full mediation for dismissing and preoccupied attachment, and partial mediation for fearful attachment. The results suggest that addressing vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation may be crucial in promoting individuals’ perceived social support, particularly for those with insecure attachment styles. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the need for personalized approaches, as interventions may need to be tailored to individuals’ unique attachment styles.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)
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Ways of Spouse Support in Garment Workers’ Workplace Resistance: A Qualitative Study
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Md. Mynul Islam and Kyoko Kusakabe
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050230 - 24 Apr 2024
Abstract
This qualitative study aimed to explore the different ways of spouse support for garment workers in Dhaka city. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with male and female workers and their spouses and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders to explore the different
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This qualitative study aimed to explore the different ways of spouse support for garment workers in Dhaka city. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with male and female workers and their spouses and key informant interviews with relevant stakeholders to explore the different ways of support. The results highlight that male and female workers receive different ways of support for their ways in workplace resistance; therefore, male and female workers cannot participate in their workplace resistance in the same way. In terms of large collective resistance activities, husbands and wives support their spouses’ decisions to participate. Such agreement is important for workers to receive financial and other supports during the protest. However, not all female workers can participate inside and outside large groups of collective resistance as can male workers. Some female workers need to convince their husbands in order to participate inside and outside large groups of collective resistance, because husbands are serious about adherence to purdah. Such restrictions from husbands make it difficult for female workers who are in a dilemma between pressure from coworkers and from their husbands. In terms of small groups of collective resistance and individual resistance, women are more engaged than men, since men, being the main breadwinner in the family, cannot risk their jobs through such resistance.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Family Studies)
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Structures of Oppression or Inclusion: What Systemic Factors Impact Inclusion in Disability and Rehabilitation Research?
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Natasha Layton, Rachelle A. Martin, John A. Bourke and Nicola M. Kayes
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050229 - 23 Apr 2024
Abstract
This manuscript considers the drivers towards inclusive research in the field of disability and rehabilitation; including some of the tools and frameworks that may support its realisation. We, a group of researchers engaged in rehabilitation research from lived experience and ‘conventional’ (non-lived experience)
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This manuscript considers the drivers towards inclusive research in the field of disability and rehabilitation; including some of the tools and frameworks that may support its realisation. We, a group of researchers engaged in rehabilitation research from lived experience and ‘conventional’ (non-lived experience) positions, reflect on our collective endeavours to bring about inclusion in research and specify the systemic factors constraining inclusion in research. We conclude by asking the following: how might we reimagine systems where the mechanisms of research production are in the hands of those impacted by the research, and where are intersectionalities both sought and valued?
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Inclusive Research: Is the Road More or Less Well Travelled?—2nd Edition)
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Abuse in Chilean Trans and Non-Binary Health Care: Results from a Nationwide Survey
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Miguel Roselló-Peñaloza, Lukas Julio, Izaskun Álvarez-Aguado and Maryam Farhang
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040228 - 22 Apr 2024
Abstract
Abuse in health care (AHC) is an emerging concept used to describe healthcare practices and conduct that health services users find belittling and degrading. Such experiences, whose causes are not always voluntary but systematic and structural, have been described as one of the
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Abuse in health care (AHC) is an emerging concept used to describe healthcare practices and conduct that health services users find belittling and degrading. Such experiences, whose causes are not always voluntary but systematic and structural, have been described as one of the main barriers to the trans and non-binary population’s access to health care. To study this problem in Chile, the country’s first trans and non-binary health survey was conducted between January 2021 and June 2022 with the participation of 1116 people. Univariate statistical analyses were performed to calculate the frequencies (f) and percentages (%) of the different forms of AHC reported. Chi-squared tests (p < 0.01) and the Pearson correlation coefficients (r > 0.10) were used to identify statistically significant correlations between experiences of AHC, the health personnel reportedly involved, and participants’ responses to these experiences. About 84% of the participants who replied to questions on this subject said that they had experienced some form of AHC. The most frequently reported were inappropriate use of pronouns (65.9%) and stereotypical comments about genders (48.3%). These events occurred mostly in encounters with secretaries and receptionists, followed by psychologists and nurses. The most frequent response of participants to these situations was to change the medical staff responsible for their care, followed by ceasing to seek professional attention. A mainstreamed relational gender perspective is required to address the complexity of this problem.
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(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
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Theorising Digital Afterlife as Techno-Affective Assemblage: On Relationality, Materiality, and the Affective Potential of Data
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Anu A. Harju
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040227 - 21 Apr 2024
Abstract
In the ongoing academic discussion regarding what happens to our data after we die, how our data are utilised for commercial profit-making purposes, and what kinds of death-related practices our posthumous data figure in, the notion of digital afterlife is attracting increasing attention.
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In the ongoing academic discussion regarding what happens to our data after we die, how our data are utilised for commercial profit-making purposes, and what kinds of death-related practices our posthumous data figure in, the notion of digital afterlife is attracting increasing attention. While the concept of digital afterlife has been approached in different ways, the main focus remains on the level of individual loss. The emphasis tends to be on the role of posthumous digital artefacts in grief practices and death-related rituals or on data management issues relating to death. Building on a socio-technical view of digital afterlife, this paper offers, as a novel contribution, an understanding of digital afterlife as a techno-affective assemblage. It argues for the necessity of examining technological and social factors as mutually shaping and brings into the discussion of digital afterlife the notions of relationality, materiality, and the affective potential of data. The paper ends with ruminations about digital afterlife as a posthumanist project.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue DIDE–Digital Death: Transforming History, Rituals and Afterlife)
Open AccessArticle
Rethinking Sporting Mystification in the Present Tense: Disneylimpics, Affective Neoliberalism, and the Greatest Transformation
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Junbin Yang
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040226 - 20 Apr 2024
Abstract
While questioning the universalization, naturalization, neutralization, and idealization of sport and physical culture, this paper examines the ultimate mystification process of sport and physical culture by expanding upon two conceptual frameworks: Jules Boykoff’s celebration capitalism and Lawrence Grossberg’s affective landscape. It first analyzes
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While questioning the universalization, naturalization, neutralization, and idealization of sport and physical culture, this paper examines the ultimate mystification process of sport and physical culture by expanding upon two conceptual frameworks: Jules Boykoff’s celebration capitalism and Lawrence Grossberg’s affective landscape. It first analyzes the evolution of the Olympics into a corporatized, commercialized, spectacularized, and celebritized “Disneylimpics” that can consistently evoke an affective reverberation. It then introduces the idea of “affective neoliberalism” to highlight neoliberalism’s affective and ideological aspects. With Grossberg’s concept of affective landscape, this paper explores the internalization and intensification of anxiety and affective isolation within society. Additionally, the paper utilizes Karl Polanyi’s analysis in his influential book, The Great Transformation, to investigate the historical expansion of affective neoliberalism. By highlighting the 11 September 2001, attacks in the United States, it points out provocative militarization and (re)organization of the soul into a fictitious commodity, in addition to labor, land, and money, which triggers the greatest transformation. Lastly, summarizing central arguments, this paper concludes with modest suggestions, mainly focusing on two questions: (1) where are we now? and (2) how can we more effectively respond to the present context?
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Contested Terrain of Sport: Sociological, Political and Policy Perspectives)
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The Teachability of Global Citizenship to Children through Empirical Environmental Education: Reflections from a Horticultural Project in a Spanish School
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Isabel Pérez-Ortega and Iñigo González-Fuente
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040225 - 20 Apr 2024
Abstract
In a context defined by the internationalisation of educational policies and the supranational nature of school programmes, we highlight the desirability of promoting local strategies for teaching environmental sustainability in order to contribute to the formation of global citizenship in children. Based on
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In a context defined by the internationalisation of educational policies and the supranational nature of school programmes, we highlight the desirability of promoting local strategies for teaching environmental sustainability in order to contribute to the formation of global citizenship in children. Based on the experience of a horticultural curricular project in a school in northern Spain, the aim of this article is to reflect on the need for socio-educational communities to transform the objectives of environmental education into tools with which children can co-responsibly build connections to modify or enrich their everyday concepts of caring for the planet. To do this, semiotic analysis of different official school documents is used as a key methodology. Our findings invite consideration of the fact that pedagogies designed to train children in global citizenship competencies should not be limited to the classroom or to reproducing the proposals of institutional documents. Rather, they should be based on the prior knowledge and experiences of all members of the community, above all, of the children. From this perspective, the promotion of empirical learning situations is essential for the acquisition of meaningful and appropriate environmental contents, in the sense that they allow children, as future global citizens, to recognise the ethical repercussions of their own actions and decisions.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Childhood and Rights in a Global World)
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An Assessment of Socio-Economic Status of Women on Family Farms: Slovenian Case Study
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Jernej Prišenk, Urška Vesenjak, Črtomir Rozman, Jernej Turk and Karmen Pažek
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040224 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
The question of gender equality is increasingly being raised today and is present at all levels of society. The topicality of the issue on farms is particularly evident, due to the particular inheritance processes on farms, the clear division of labour, and intergenerational
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The question of gender equality is increasingly being raised today and is present at all levels of society. The topicality of the issue on farms is particularly evident, due to the particular inheritance processes on farms, the clear division of labour, and intergenerational cooperation that characterise the agricultural sector. In this research, a multi-criteria model (DEX-SOCIAL) was developed to understand the broader aspect of rural sociology and the issue of women’s status on the farm. The paper discusses the status of women on a farm and assesses their social and economic situation. The methodology includes an online questionnaire in which women in the Eastern and Western Cohesion Regions participated, as well as other farm members and owners. Subsequently, the questions were transformed for the requirements of the assessment model, which assessed the life prospects of women on farms in both the Eastern and Western Cohesion Regions who were aged both over and under 40 years (criteria for “young successor”). The results of the study show that there is a clear difference in the qualitative assessment of women’s socio-economic position in relation to the East–West cohesion region. The social position of women does not differ according to age structure. The conclusions of the study also present broader applications of the results in the field of rural development and rural sociology.
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(This article belongs to the Section Social Economics)
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Migrant Organisations on the Rise after 2015/2016? Between “Projectitis” and the Formation of New Structures and Types
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Kirsten Hoesch
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040223 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
The paper departs from the observation that the role of migrant organisations (MOs) in Germany has changed significantly since the strong influx of refugees in 2015/16. As a result of this specific historical situation, it seems that MOs were able to strengthen their
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The paper departs from the observation that the role of migrant organisations (MOs) in Germany has changed significantly since the strong influx of refugees in 2015/16. As a result of this specific historical situation, it seems that MOs were able to strengthen their position as important civil society and integration policy actors and reduce reservations about them. While there has been growing attention on MOs’ civic and social contributions, both in public and academic debates, this article also highlights the risks of failure and inflated expectations and the often rather fragile structures of MOs. Thus, the article aims to broaden the view on MOs by focusing on aspects which have been neglected in the course of recent public and academic interest and rather optimistic perceptions. The methodological approach is one of “embedded research”: the author has been a senior executive of one of the largest German MOs for six years and, at the same time, a migration researcher for many years. From this special inside/outside view, an ambivalent picture emerges: despite a significantly greater appreciation of the achievements of MOs and much verbal recognition, there is a clear lack of the necessary material/structural support, jeopardising the sustainability and viability of many MOs.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Migrant Organizations: Multifunctional and Flexible Providers of Social Protection and Welfare in Changing Societies)
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Effectiveness of School Violence Prevention Programs in Elementary Schools in the United States: A Systematic Review
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Ie May Freeman, Jenny Tellez and Anissa Jones
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040222 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
School violence remains a major concern for scholars, policymakers, and the public in the United States. Despite the implementation of various school violence prevention programs, information regarding their effectiveness in the United States is outdated and limited. This systematic review identified current elementary
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School violence remains a major concern for scholars, policymakers, and the public in the United States. Despite the implementation of various school violence prevention programs, information regarding their effectiveness in the United States is outdated and limited. This systematic review identified current elementary school programs that effectively reduce school violence in the United States and determined the types of elementary school violence prevention programs implemented, their effectiveness, and the types of tools used to enhance such programs. A qualitative methodological approach was employed, and four databases were searched. English articles published between 2012 and 2023 were selected. Furthermore, data involving elementary school education, school personnel, teachers, and children (5–12-year-old) in the United States were included in the thematic analysis. Results confirmed that the school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports program effectively decreases violence, suspensions, office referrals, and disruptive behaviors, whereas positive action effectively reduces negative violent behaviors. Social–emotional learning (SEL) implementation also reduced behavioral issues. The findings of this study are relevant for guiding teachers, school administrators, policymakers, teacher education preparation programs, and health professionals in constructing evidence-based violence prevention programs with an added SEL component for elementary schools.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reducing School Violence)
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From Intersex Activism to Law-Making—The Legal Ban of Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM) in Greece
by
Nikoletta Pikramenou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(4), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13040221 - 18 Apr 2024
Abstract
In 2022, Greece became the fifth country in the world to legally ban Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM). The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Health and the intersex-led organisation “Intersex Greece”. Even though the organisation was only established in 2021, it was
[...] Read more.
In 2022, Greece became the fifth country in the world to legally ban Intersex Genital Mutilation (IGM). The bill was prepared by the Ministry of Health and the intersex-led organisation “Intersex Greece”. Even though the organisation was only established in 2021, it was actively engaged in the whole law-making process, which resulted in a legal text that became a best practice worldwide. This article tracks the history of the intersex movement in Greece and shows that the movement emerged around 2009. Then, based on online interviews, blogs, videos and articles, all strategies and alliances used by the movement over the years to advocate for intersex rights are explored, especially in the year 2017 when the law on Legal Gender Recognition (LGR) was passed and in 2022 when IGM was banned. Furthermore, online public documents from the Greek Parliament are consulted to provide a comprehensive analysis of how the social, cultural, economic, and political environment in the country affected these legal developments. Based on the above evidence, this article shows that the law-making process on IGM in Greece started 13 years before the law and was the outcome of a long process of multiple and unique intersecting factors.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions—International Conference)
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