Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060180

Authors: Kuo-Yi Jade Chang Jennifer Smith-Merry Ancheng Koh Yao Yao Ying Li

Supported employment programs are widely implemented to improve vocational outcomes for people with severe mental illness, yet evaluations of these programs employ highly heterogeneous approaches to costing and outcome measurement. This methodological review examines how costs and outcomes have been identified, measured, and reported in randomized controlled trials of supported employment interventions conducted in high-income countries. Eligible trials were drawn from a recent rapid scoping review and analysed using narrative synthesis, with data extracted on analytical perspectives, outcome domains, costing methods, and data collection approaches. Thirty-two trials were included, of which seven incorporated an economic analysis. Vocational outcomes were consistently prioritised, while clinical, functioning, recovery-oriented, service use, and implementation outcomes were variably assessed. Economic analyses differed substantially in perspective, time horizons, cost identification and valuation, and transparency, limiting comparability and transferability. While methodological diversity reflected differing research questions and policy contexts rather than inconsistent intervention effectiveness, incomplete reporting constrained interpretation and evidence use. Based on these findings, the review outlines practical guidance for evaluators, emphasising alignment of study design with decision-making needs, transparent and perspective-consistent costing, theory-informed outcome selection, and explicit documentation of contextual and methodological choices to enhance the policy relevance and interpretability of supported employment evaluations.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060179

Authors: Alaa Ziyud Khaled Al-Thelaya Jens Schneider

In Arab societies, cultural norms, family expectations, and social visibility constraints shape how young people encounter and respond to gender-related content in online environments, yet these dynamics remain insufficiently understood. Building on prior survey research and co-design workshops that explored participatory approaches to digital intervention design, this study investigates how Arab youth in Qatar perceive and respond to issues of gender equality and social inclusion in social media contexts.The Qatari context is particularly significant due to its rapid digital transformation combined with strong cultural, religious, and regulatory influences shaping youth online expression. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with thirty-two participants aged 18 to 24 residing in Qatar. The interviews explored social media activity, experiences of social inclusion, views on gender equality, and perceived challenges alongside culturally appropriate solutions. Interview transcripts were verified and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis revealed three interrelated thematic domains: determinants of attitudes rooted in cultural norms, values, and beliefs; attitudes toward gender equality and social inclusion ranging from supportive to resistant; and behavioral outcomes reflected in passive or active engagement as well as prosocial and antisocial digital behaviors. This study provides the first in-depth qualitative account of Arab youth’s perceptions of gender equality and social inclusion in digital spaces and offers culturally grounded insights to inform the design of inclusive and context-sensitive digital interventions.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060178

Authors: Luis Fernando Garcés Giraldo Rafael Liza José Alexander Velásquez Ochoa Gelver Pérez Pulido Cesar Felipe Henao Villa José Albán Londoño Arias Jorge Hoyos Rentería

In a post-consensus institutional landscape—where higher education systems face intensifying pressure to demonstrate strategic governance and measurable commitment to global sustainability mandates—understanding how the scholarly field of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has itself structurally evolved acquires both analytical urgency and policy relevance. This study maps the intellectual structure of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and institutional commitment in higher education through a PRISMA 2020-guided bibliometric analysis of 126 articles retrieved from Scopus for the period 2018–2025. Annual output rose from a single article in 2018 to 32 in 2025, with 46.8% of the corpus concentrated in the 2024–2025 biennium—a pattern indicative of rapid field maturation. Keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals a dual thematic architecture comprising four clusters: a Curriculum Innovation and Pedagogical Transformation axis and a strategic governance and institutional commitment axis. A notable pattern is a reorientation in the relative weight of research themes, evidenced by the growing density of terms such as governance, strategic approach, and institutional commitment in the recent literature. This governance-oriented cluster, consolidated by a core of prolific authors, shows a higher recent growth rate in co-occurrence frequency than the traditional curriculum axis. An emerging tendency toward disciplinary specialization—particularly in engineering education—and toward impact assessment is consistent with a gradual thematic consolidation of the field. The observed co-occurrence patterns are consistent with theoretical frameworks that associate scalable pedagogical innovation with institutional-level commitment and systemic governance frameworks aligned with the SDGs, although bibliometric data alone cannot establish this dependency. These patterns may signal a reorientation in the scholarly framing of ESD toward institutional design and governance questions, although confirming whether this reflects substantive epistemic change or shifts in publishing incentives requires evidence beyond bibliometric indicators.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060177

Authors: Souad El Mghari Anders Olof Larsson

Research on social media-based health communication has largely focused on non-credentialed influencers or single platforms, leaving limited empirical insight into how credentialed health professionals negotiate professional and personal identity across platform environments. Addressing this research gap, the present exploratory pilot study examines how health opinion leaders (HOLs)—credentialed health professionals active on social media—express professional and personal identities across Instagram and TikTok, and how these expressions vary by gender. Using a quantitative, multiple-case design, the study analyzes 1237 posts and Stories from four Instagram accounts and two TikTok accounts belonging to Norwegian HOLs. Drawing on theories of platform affordances and identity performativity, the analysis traces content-level patterns in how expertise, authenticity, and engagement are staged within specific platform environments. Rather than offering generalizable platform effects, this study identifies contrasting tendencies within a small set of cases: Instagram content more frequently blends professional and personal narratives—especially among female HOLs—while TikTok content is oriented toward more streamlined, expert-focused presentation. Engagement dynamics further differ across platforms, suggesting that visibility and interaction are shaped by distinct platform logics. This study contributes theoretically by demonstrating that professional identity expression in health communication is platform-conditioned and gendered, extending dramaturgical perspectives to contemporary platform infrastructures. More broadly, this study demonstrates how data-based analysis of digital trace content can illuminate shifting boundaries of expertise and identity within digital societies. Finally, given the emergence of HOLs as a socio-professional phenomenon, these findings serve as a stepping stone for larger-scale research and raise practical concerns about trust, professional boundaries, and the adequacy of existing guidelines in increasingly hybrid professional–personal online practices.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060175

Authors: Lavinia Falese Samuele Di Palma Simone Digennaro Sebastian Merten

Background: This study examines the digital transformation of sport organizations, a process that has shifted organizational needs toward seamless, real-time digital services. Despite the growing economic scale of the sports market, digital governance within this sector remains underexplored. Methods: We performed a systematic literature review following PRISMA guidelines and a thematic analysis of 31 peer-reviewed articles in order to develop a structured conceptual framework. Results: The analysis identified eight recurring themes, namely, innovation and technology adoption, leadership and strategy, organizational change, digital tools and platforms, fan engagement, governance structures, barriers to transformation, and data management and privacy. The predominance of conceptual and exploratory studies indicates that the field remains in an early stage of development, underscoring the need for more systematic empirical investigations. The findings show that while larger organizations possess greater resources for innovation, smaller organizations face significant financial and technical barriers. Conclusions: The study concludes that digital transformation is a governance challenge that requires strategic alignment and leadership commitment rather than just technological upgrades. The framework provides a conceptual foundation for future empirical research and the development of maturity assessment tools to help sport organizations managing digital evolution.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060176

Authors: James Ndlovu Zamokuhle Mbandlwa

This study examines the role of institutional governance in strengthening health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The systematic review synthesizes findings from 75 studies to explore key themes such as leadership and institutional capacity, decentralisation, accountability mechanisms, financing and resource allocation, and digital governance. The study employs the institutional theory as a framework for analysis. The analysis reveals that strong leadership and institutional capacity are essential for navigating the complex institutional environments in LMICs, but path dependence and institutional inertia often hinder effective reform. Decentralisation efforts were found to be unsuccessful when local governance structures lacked the necessary resources and institutional capacity to implement reforms, leading to mimetic isomorphism, where decentralised models were adopted without adaptation to local contexts. Similarly, accountability mechanisms, including performance-based financing and regulatory frameworks, were often undermined by institutional weaknesses such as corruption and political interference. Financing and resource allocation were influenced by institutional factors, where historical patterns of centralized control limited the adoption of innovative financing models. Digital health technologies, although promising, were frequently hampered by insufficient infrastructure and political resistance to change. The study argues that successful health system strengthening in LMICs requires institutional adaptation and institutional work to overcome barriers such as political will, resource constraints, and institutional resistance. The findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of health governance in LMICs and provide practical insights for policymakers aiming to implement sustainable reforms. Future research should explore how institutional frameworks can be adapted to support resilient health systems in LMICs.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060174

Authors: Juan Antonio Giménez-Beut

In recent decades, Early Childhood Education has consolidated its role as a decisive stage for socio-emotional, identity, and moral development. However, attachment pedagogy, identity construction, and character education have traditionally been addressed through fragmented theoretical frameworks. The main aim of this article is to propose and theoretically ground an original pedagogical integration of these three constructs from the perspective of the Ethics of Care, offering a relational integrative model for Early Childhood Education. Through a theoretical analysis drawing on attachment theory, identity development, and moral education philosophy, a dynamic and interdependent model is proposed in which secure attachment supports identity construction, identity structures character, and character, in turn, reinforces the quality of relational bonds. The findings show that character education cannot be reduced to normative instruction but rather emerges progressively from lived educational experiences of care, recognition, and shared responsibility. Finally, practical implications are derived for the classroom, the school as an institution, and teacher training, aimed at fostering character education grounded in relational bonds, identity development, and human flourishing from early childhood.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060173

Authors: Estela Ferko Fiona Todhri Enrico Zero

This study analyzes the impact of socio-demographic factors on citizens’ perceptions of the functioning of local-level inclusion mechanisms, focusing on four dimensions: information, participation, transparency, and effectiveness. A mixed-methods approach is employed, combining: (1) a large-scale survey with 885 residents in three municipalities (Patos, Elbasan, and Mat) and (2) in-depth interviews with mayors, municipal councilors, and social service managers. The quantitative analysis was conducted through binary logistic regression models in SPSS version 27, as well as ordered logistic regression, examining the impact of socio-demographic factors such as age, education level, gender, employment status, and area of residence on the four dimensions of the study and the Inclusion Index. The qualitative component analyzes how local officials address citizen inclusion in key social policy areas such as employment, education, housing, social assistance, and social services. The results show that residence is the strongest predictor, with citizens in urban areas reporting higher levels of information, transparency, and effectiveness of participatory processes. Employment status is also associated with more positive perceptions, while gender and educational level show limited and inconsistent effects. Qualitative findings suggest that these differences are mediated by structural and institutional factors, such as infrastructure, administrative capacity and access to information. The study contributes to the literature on democratic innovation and participatory governance by showing that the impact of demographic factors on civic engagement is mediated by institutional and territorial conditions, particularly in developing countries.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060172

Authors: Cinzia Leone Anna Siri

This article examines gender inequalities in scientific research in the Mediterranean, with a particular focus on STEM disciplines. It draws on qualitative data from the STEP (STEM and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion for Research Enhancement in Portugal) project, a European Commission-funded initiative aimed at embedding equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles across partner institutions in Portugal, Italy, France, and Spain. Using semi-structured interviews with five scientific leaders and an inductive thematic analysis, the study explores early-stage mechanisms in the institutionalisation of EDI policies and women’s empowerment trajectories from an intersectional perspective. The analysis identifies emergent patterns suggesting: (i) a gradual strengthening of EDI mainstreaming in contexts with initially limited awareness; (ii) the role of transnational collaboration in enhancing visibility, mentoring, and peer learning; and (iii) the potential of time-bounded initiatives to catalyse participant-observed shifts and institutional routines in formation. Rather than measuring longitudinal impact, the article traces how legitimation, routinisation, and network diffusion may enable EDI principles to extend beyond project lifespans and become embedded in governance structures. These mechanism-focused insights offer a transferable framework for future European cooperation initiatives and contribute to ongoing debates on sustainable gender and EDI policy implementation in Mediterranean research contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060171

Authors: Cecilia Cornaggia Carla Lunghi

In recent decades, the fashion industry has attracted mounting attention due to its considerable social, environmental, and cultural impacts. A substantial corpus of academic research has examined these issues, employing terms such as “ethical,” “sustainable,” and “responsible fashion” to describe models that transcend a solely profit-driven logic. These labels, however, are not inherently fixed in meaning and are subject to continuous evolution through public and professional discourse. What, then, do these terms mean? To address this question, the study examines how responsible fashion is defined and framed, drawing on 34 qualitative biographical interviews with Italian fashion communicators. The findings indicate that they ascribe divergent meanings to the concepts of “sustainable” and “responsible” fashion. Sustainability is commonly depicted as an unattainable or utopian objective, whereas responsibility is characterized as more pragmatic and achievable. It is linked to reflexivity and gradual enhancement rather than comprehensive transformation. Even though certain critical viewpoints have called into question the compatibility of fashion with responsibility in itself, the analysis indicates that communicators predominantly construct and negotiate responsibility through specific discursive repertoires. In this regard, responsibility is framed as a compromise, that is, a way of resolving competing demands.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060170

Authors: Majida Yakhlef Amalka Nawarathna Aseel Aburub Isra Al-Qudah Alireza Moghayedi

Despite the growing participation of women in higher education worldwide, they continue to face persistent challenges in their career advancement, including limited promotion opportunities, underrepresentation in leadership positions, lower research productivity, and unequal access to institutional resources. These challenges are shaped by a range of structural, institutional, and socio-cultural constraints within academia. Understanding these influencing factors is essential for promoting gender equity within universities. This study investigates the factors influencing the career advancement-related challenges experienced by women academics in Jordanian higher education institutions, focusing on career experience, family responsibilities, and organisational support. Grounded in Gendered Organisations Theory, Work-Family Conflict Theory, and Social Support Theory, the study develops and empirically tests an integrated conceptual model. Data were collected through a questionnaire survey of women academics across Jordanian universities. The quantitative data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), while qualitative responses on strategies for overcoming challenges were examined using directed qualitative content analysis. The findings indicate that family responsibilities represent the most influential driver of perceived challenges, highlighting the continuing tension between professional and domestic roles. Career experience is found to reduce perceived challenges, suggesting that accumulated professional capital and institutional familiarity enhance women’s ability to navigate academic environments. Organisational and social support not only directly reduce perceived challenges but also buffer the impact of family responsibilities. Multi-group analysis further reveals differences in the strength of these relationships between teaching-research academics and those occupying leadership roles. The qualitative results identify key strategies for addressing these challenges, including mentoring systems, flexible institutional policies, professional networking, and leadership development initiatives. By integrating structural modelling with qualitative insights, this study advances understanding of the complex dynamics shaping women’s academic careers and provides evidence-based recommendations for fostering more inclusive and supportive higher education environments.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16060169

Authors: Jochebed G. Gayles Sarah Meyer Chilenski Mary Lisa Penilla Sylvia Lin Megan Galinsky Francisco Villarruel Patria Johnson Charles Henderson Jeremiah Newell

Building healthy communities requires organizational arrangements that center on resident and community assets while using data to guide decisions. This study examines how the Evidence2Success framework was implemented in three communities, Kearns, UT, Mobile, AL, and Memphis, TN, to understand how citizen-led asset mapping, coalition processes, and funding strategies shape youth well-being efforts. Using an interpretive case-study design, we analyzed process-evaluation interviews, implementation milestones and benchmarks, strengths-and-concerns reports, and community case materials to trace how coalitions mobilized assets, reoriented institutional resources, and adapted evidence-based programs. The results show that broad, cross-sector Community Boards completed most implementation tasks, increased participation by people of color, and developed more inclusive decision-making structures that addressed historical inequities. Coalitions also strengthened data-use capacities, employing youth survey results and local qualitative input to select priorities, braid funding, and make culturally responsive adaptations while maintaining program fidelity. Overall, the findings suggest that when evidence-based planning frameworks are embedded within asset-based, resident-governed structures, communities can build sustainable organizational arrangements that support youth well-being and advance more equitable local systems.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050168

Authors: Luis Felipe Higuita-Gutiérrez Diego Alejandro Estrada-Mesa Jaiberth Antonio Cardona-Arias

Mistreatment is a pervasive and normalized feature of medical culture. In medical residencies, it functions as a structural rite of passage that shapes professional socialization. While the prevalence of mistreatment is documented, there is a lack of qualitative research exploring its role as a mechanism of identity construction. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of mistreatment among internal medicine residents in Medellín, Colombia, through the lens of ritual theory and symbolic violence. A particularistic ethnographic study was conducted with 12 residents selected via theoretical sampling. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a reflexive field journal. Rigor was ensured using investigator triangulation and analytical bracketing to manage researchers’ biases. The training process follows a three-stage rite. (1) Separation: Symbolic violence and social pressure to specialize frame general medicine as “mediocre,” turning admission into a “battlefield” where self-worth is tied to success. (2) Marginalization (Liminality): Residents endure systemic mistreatment, including sleep deprivation (3.5 h rest cycles), public ridicule (“pimping”), and physical/verbal abuse (e.g., being hit with stethoscopes or called “testicles/jerks”). This stage is governed by a “purificatory logic” where suffering is internalized as a meritocratic requirement. This leads to high morbidity, with clinical diagnoses of anxiety and depression. (3) Integration (Postliminality): Professional autonomy and financial stability act as a “redemption” that justifies past suffering. Mistreatment is not an isolated interpersonal issue but a structurally embedded ritual and a core element of the hidden curriculum. It reinforces toxic hierarchies and a “tyranny of merit” that obscures structural barriers. These findings offer analytically transferable insights for global medical education, calling for a deconstruction of ritualized violence to foster more humanistic training environments.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050167

Authors: P. G. Macioti Heidi Hoefinger Calogero Giametta Nicola Mai Calum Bennachie Miranda Millen Antonia Filipova Yigit Aydinalp Aura Cadeddu Eurydice Aroney Olga Wennergren Giulia Garofalo Geymonat

This concept paper advances stigma power as a central analytical mechanism for understanding how patriarchy, capitalism, white supremacy, and cis-heteronormativity operate with particular intensity against sex workers. Integrating Link and Phelan’s stigma power with Bourdieu’s symbolic violence and Foucauldian productive power, the framework theorises stigma as a mechanism institutionalised through law and enforced by institutions, which produces measurable consequences that include violence, exclusion, and health harms. Analysing the intersecting axes of gender, sexuality, race, migration, and class across three qualitative studies (SWMH, SEXHUM, VICSW), the article demonstrates why labour-rights reforms, including decriminalisation, are necessary but insufficient. Dismantling stigma requires not only removing sanctions but actively contesting the actors exercising stigma power and interrupting the stabilising mechanisms that reproduce it. This requires policy that acknowledges stigma’s existence whilst working to dismantle it, rather than eliding its reality through liberal mainstreaming or strengthening it through criminalisation or rescue frameworks. The framework explains why decriminalisation is associated with better access to rights and health; why all criminalisation including the so-called Swedish model correlates with increased violence; why stigma persists under optimal legal conditions; and how intersecting marginalisations produce differential vulnerability. Policy implications emphasise pairing decriminalisation with peer-led anti-stigma work, institutional reform, migrant rights, and funded support for sex worker self-organisation.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050166

Authors: Cristina Soare Florentina Gherghiceanu Traian Soare Victor Lorin Purcărea Consuela-Mădălina Gheorghe Lucia Bubulac Iuliana-Raluca Gheorghe

Due to the health information asymmetry, the upsurge of Patient Online Communities (POCs) and Patient Social Media groups has increased the importance of electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) in health care, influencing individuals’ health decisions, as well as a medical organization’s image. This study investigates the association between the multidimensional perceived value of patients and their eWOM intentions in health care services, based on Art Weinstein’s adapted Perceived Value framework. According to this framework, perceived value comprises perceived quality, perceived service outcome, non-monetary costs, and organizational image. Data were collected from 210 Cardiology patients and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings of this study revealed that perceived value is positively associated with eWOM intentions within this sample, which highlights the practical importance of enhancing patient experience. As perceived value improves, it may be associated with increased patient-generated content in the form of eWOM. This study provides practical insights and contributes to the understanding of the patients’ perceived value in engaging in health-related eWOM.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050165

Authors: Giovanni Allegretti Patricia García-Leiva

Over the last two decades, the global political landscape has witnessed an unprecedented surge in interest in processes of democratic renewal and innovation [...]

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050164

Authors: Antonia Ramírez-García Daniel Macías-Fernández Irina Salcines-Talledo Arantxa Vizcaíno-Verdú M. Pilar Gutiérrez-Arenas

This article develops theoretically an integrative analytical construct (InMeDiT Capital, acronym for informational, media, digital and technological capital) derived from Pierre Bourdieu’s social field theory framework to expand its conceptual capacity to interpret and explain specific relational dynamics within a hyper-digitised social context that directly affects families. Based on Bourdieu’s social field theory, different types of classic capital and other more novel types (informational, media, digital, or technological) have been defined. The characteristics of 21st-century society require that the latter be addressed from an integrative perspective. Methodologically, the work is based on a critical and systematic review of the literature. Based on this analysis, a process of conceptual abstraction and theoretical modelling was carried out that can be described as phenomenological in its attempt to capture the depth of the concepts. This consisted of (1) defining the ontological and relational assumptions of the original framework, (2) isolating the analytical mechanisms relevant to the phenomenon under study, and (3) reorganising these elements into a coherent conceptual structure. The result is an updated conceptual framework (InMeDiT Capital) that maintains epistemological consistency with social field theory, but introduces a novel conceptual articulation through its hybridisation, the dimensions that comprise it, and an operational framework for diagnosing and mobilising capital in the family context.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050162

Authors: Ludovica Carini Emanuela Mora Kalkidan Shashigo

This article offers an exploratory overview of the contemporary Ethiopian textile, fashion and apparel system. The contribution originated from a teaching experience in Addis Ababa within the framework of the AICS–UNIDO-funded project “Ethiopia: Support to Youth and Women through Products and Services Development and Public–Private Partnerships in the Fashion Value Chain” which prompted the authors to deepen their understanding of the local fashion ecosystem. Drawing on informal conversations, observations, and ethnographically oriented field notes, the authors developed the analysis through desk research and a review of the relevant literature. The picture that emerges reveals both the creativity and strong entrepreneurial drive of Ethiopian designers, alongside the structural barriers they commonly face, including limited access to materials, investment, and institutional support. Designers are shown to negotiate ongoing tensions between cultural heritage and global aesthetics, while also contending with local consumption patterns situated between second-hand clothing markets and international brands. These dynamics highlight both the challenges and the potential of the Ethiopian fashion scene, pointing to opportunities for mutual learning and for fostering fashion practices that are sustainable, globally relevant, and firmly grounded in local contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050163

Authors: Annamária Šimšíková

This study addresses the phenomenon of the hikikomori syndrome and escapism into digital environments. We examined the associations between digital escapism and identified supportive factors contributing to the liminal state between the real and digital worlds among digital hikikomori individuals. The case study captures, through in-depth interviews, the life situations of five hikikomori individuals aged 27–33 from selected countries: France, Russia, North America, Malaysia and Japan. The study covers the period from June 2025 to January 2026. Escapism into the digital environment is associated with the consumption of narrative digital content and digital games. Characters and avatars play a significant role in escapism. By identifying with characters and avatars, digital hikikomori reflect on their own life stories, exercise emotional self-regulation, and control their digital experience in a safe environment. Stressful life situations are the driving force behind the creation of a virtual identity. Through characters and avatars, digital hikikomori not only engage in self-reflection but also present their own identities, abilities, character traits, and personalities absent in the real world. They likewise substitute psychological and relational needs. Escapism into the digital environment, time investment in consuming narrative digital content, building a virtual identity, and progress in the digital environment that saturates self-assertion in the real environment are, in relation to the real environment, prerequisites for stagnation, procrastination, and liminal experience.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050161

Authors: Gita Šakytė-Statnickė

Background: Sustainability in education requires creating a supportive working environment that promotes the well-being, motivation, and professional development of employees in the education and science sector. From the perspective of sustainable human resource development in the education and science sector, it is essential to identify job resources that are positively associated with work engagement, as emphasized in the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model. The aim of this paper is to examine whether three key work organization and job content resources (influence at work, possibilities for development, and meaning of work) predict work engagement among employees in the Lithuanian education and science sector from a sustainability perspective. Methods: Based on the JD-R model, this study applied a quantitative research design. Data were collected through a structured written questionnaire completed by 446 employees in the Lithuanian education and science sector. The relationships between key work organization and job content resources and work engagement were examined using hierarchical multiple regression analysis, with gender, age, and position included as control variables. Results: The hierarchical regression analysis showed that meaning of work and influence at work remained statistically significant positive predictors of work engagement after controlling for gender, age, and position, whereas possibilities for development showed a positive but non-significant tendency in the controlled model. These findings are consistent with the Job Demands-Resources theory and can be interpreted from the perspective of the UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development framework, which emphasizes the importance of empowering teachers, scientists and other employees in the education and science sector, fostering continuous improvement, and connecting their work to a broader educational and societal purpose. Conclusions: The hierarchical regression analysis indicates that meaning of work and influence at work are the most stable predictors of work engagement in the education and science sector from a sustainability perspective. This study contributes to the literature by applying the JD-R model through a sustainability lens in the education and science sector. The results provide new insights into how influence at work, possibilities for development, and meaning of work can be interpreted as sustainability-oriented job resources associated with work engagement in the education and science sector.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050160

Authors: Bodhi Taylor Matthew James Phillips

Current research directed toward exploring the complexities of experiences within video gaming culture often comprises male-majority yet mixed-gender samples. Although valuable, these findings do not provide a male-representative overview of male gamers and risk diluting male gamer experiences as universal to all gamers, losing valuable gendered perspectives. In our study, we aimed to bridge this research gap by addressing: “What are the experiences of male gamers in online video gaming environments?” Through a qualitative, exploratory approach, underpinned by social constructionist epistemology, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 Australian adult male-identifying people who self-identified as online gamers (aged 18–36 years). Interviews were analysed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis, and findings present an overview of the complex social dynamics that shape male gamer experiences. Participants discussed experiences with toxicity online and frequently attributed problematic behaviour to characteristics they described as unrepresentative of male gamers broadly. They further described the sophisticated nature of online socialisation regarding the depth of bonds formed through gaming, which, at times, constitute larger online communities. These were navigated through a multitude of social criteria, revealing the underlying sociological structures that maintain dynamics within gaming environments. As such, broader concerns for the sociocultural status of men arose, particularly the problematisation of masculinity, which participants countered through identity management strategies aimed at restoring their reputation. Our findings highlight implications surrounding the importance of accounting for gendered meaning within gaming-based academic discourse and encourage public discourse surrounding problematic behaviour online to be redirected toward systems-level approaches.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050159

Authors: Ji Won Kang

Dementia care research has been largely shaped by Western biomedical and cognitive paradigms that privilege verbal, linear, and memory-dependent methods of data collection. While these approaches have generated valuable insights, they also reproduce epistemic and ethical limitations, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. Linguistic dominance, culturally mismatched diagnostic and care frameworks, and reliance on caregivers as proxy informants can marginalize culturally and linguistically diverse communities and risk pathologizing cultural difference as cognitive deficit. In response, this conceptual paper advances a participatory arts-based framework for cross-cultural dementia care research that centers multiple ways of knowing beyond language. Drawing on principles of co-creation, shared decision-making, reflexivity, power-sharing, and relational ethics, the framework positions people living with dementia as collaborators rather than subjects. It articulates five interrelated dimensions: (1) modes of expression (visual, embodied, sensory, and performative); (2) forms of participation (co-design, co-creation, and co-analysis); (3) cultural situatedness of meaning-making; (4) relational ethics, including ongoing assent, trust, and reciprocity; and (5) intersectionality across culture, gender, migration, class, and caregiving roles. The paper illustrates how participatory arts-based methods, such as photovoice, body mapping, collaborative art-making, and sensory storytelling, can enable culturally resonant engagement across stages of dementia while addressing power asymmetries inherent in conventional research designs. By foregrounding embodied, sensory, and culturally grounded forms of expression, this framework offers a critical reorientation of dementia care research toward more inclusive, ethical, and culturally responsive knowledge production in diverse care contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050158

Authors: Stefanos Balaskas Ioanna Yfantidou

Gender-based violence (GBV) in higher education is increasingly recognized as a systemic problem across offline and online contexts, yet the pathways linking gender-related attitudes, victimization, and formal help-seeking remain insufficiently understood in Southern Europe. This study examined whether Sexual Harassment/Assault and Coercive Control mediate associations between ambivalent sexism, Acceptance of Dating Violence, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Formal Help-Seeking Intentions among women students in Greek higher education. An anonymous online survey was completed by 550 women students, and structural equation modeling tested direct, mediated, and multi-group associations by age, education level, and perceived financial situation. Coercive Control was the strongest predictor of Formal Help-Seeking Intentions, followed by Acceptance of Dating Violence and Perceived Behavioral Control, whereas Hostile and Benevolent Sexism had no significant direct effects. Mediation analyses showed that Coercive Control, rather than Sexual Harassment/Assault, provided the more consistent pathway to help-seeking intentions. Multi-group analyses indicated broadly stable patterns, with selected differences by age, education, and financial situation. The findings suggest that university GBV policies should move beyond incident-based responses, address patterned Coercive Control, and improve students’ perceived ability to access formal support services.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050157

Authors: Shyhnan Liou Cyleen A. Morgan

As Taiwan faces rapid population aging and increasing longevity, individuals are expected to assume greater responsibility for their own financial security in later life. Future Time Perspective (FTP) is a well-established cognitive-motivational construct associated with long-term planning, while curiosity has been linked to adaptive functioning and sustained cognitive engagement across the lifespan. However, its role in shaping perceived timing of financial preparation remains underexplored. This study examined the associations among FTP, joyous exploration (JE), and perceived timing for financial preparation, and tested whether curiosity mediates this relationship. Cross-sectional data from 435 adults in Taiwan (aged 31–89 years) were analyzed. Participants completed validated measures of FTP, JE, and perceived timing for initiating financial preparation. OLS regression and mediation analyses were conducted, controlling for age, sex, education, and health. FTP was positively associated with JE. JE predicted earlier perceived financial preparation timing. Although the direct effect of FTP indicated endorsement of later preparation ages when controlling for JE, a significant negative indirect effect demonstrated that higher FTP was linked to earlier preparation ages through increased JE, reflecting inconsistent mediation. JE may represent a modifiable psychological pathway for promoting earlier and more proactive financial preparation in super-aging societies such as Taiwan.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050156

Authors: Elliott J. Alvarado Gabriel Alvarez

This paper revisits assimilation theory—developed to explain immigrant incorporation into U.S. society—and advances a reformulation centered on reciprocal assimilation. Classical models describe a linear convergence toward dominant Anglo-American norms, while segmented assimilation highlights multiple pathways shaped by context, race, and class. Both, however, tend to frame incorporation as a directional process in which minority groups adapt to dominant institutions. Drawing on contemporary autism scholarship, this paper brings assimilation theory into dialogue with neurodiversity to examine how its core assumptions extend beyond immigrant contexts. Using autism as a critical case, we show that social adaptation often occurs through camouflaging (masking, compensation, and behavioral adjustment), producing outward conformity without changing underlying neurological differences and often carrying psychological costs. These dynamics suggest that inclusion is frequently conditional on sustained performance of normative behavior rather than true structural incorporation. We identify an underlying assumption of universal assimilability within assimilation research and show how engaging with disability calls for a broader conception of incorporation. In response, we propose reciprocal assimilation as a framework in which adaptation emerges through dynamic interaction among individuals, institutions, and social structures. Integrating life-course concepts—turning points, cumulative (dis)advantage, agency, and social bonds—we illustrate how participation trajectories are shaped by accessibility, accommodations, stigma, and support over time. We conclude that a reciprocal model shifts emphasis from cultural convergence to meaningful participation, offering a more flexible framework for understanding incorporation across diverse populations, with implications for research, measurement, and policy.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050155

Authors: Gloria Macassa Anne-Sofie Hiswåls Elias Militao Joaquim Soares

Corporate crime is a widespread societal issue that causes significant physical, emotional, and financial harm. Despite its prevalence, research examining its effects from a public health perspective remains limited. This viewpoint paper, informed by a systematic review, examines the relationship between corporate crime and mental health, highlighting potential associations and methodological gaps. Evidence from OECD countries identified only two empirical studies, both conducted in Spain, both focusing on financial fraud, leaving other forms of corporate wrongdoing largely underexplored. The discussion is guided by a conceptual framework linking corporate financial violations to mental health outcomes, integrating stress theory, social determinants of health, and bidirectional pathways in which mental health may also influence corporate crime. The paper outlines a research agenda for public health researchers, addressing priority populations, study designs, measurement approaches, and policy implications. By bridging criminology and public health perspectives, this approach offers both theoretical insight and practical guidance for understanding and mitigating the mental health impacts of corporate crime. This framework constitutes the paper’s primary conceptual contribution by explicitly integrating criminological and public health perspectives into a multi-level and bidirectional model that has not been systematically articulated in prior literature. Rather than providing generalisable OECD-wide evidence, the paper highlights a substantial empirical gap within OECD settings and identifies key directions for future research.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050154

Authors: Florencio Arias-Coronel Mauricio Solórzano-Alarcón Paola Andrea Arias Bravo Ricardo Chamorro López

Background/Objectives: From a phenomenological perspective, the body is not merely a biological entity but the primary medium through which we experience and interpret the world. This study aimed to understand the lived body experience of advanced physiotherapy students at a university in Cali, Colombia, exploring how significant life events are embodied and expressed. Methods: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed. Twenty physiotherapy students participated in a body mapping exercise within a mental health elective. Participants graphically represented sensations, emotions, and memories on a body silhouette using colors and symbols. Data from the resulting body maps were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach via a data extraction matrix to identify patterns in symbolic, chromatic, and narrative elements. Results: The analysis revealed that students consistently inscribe both traumatic and positive life events onto their body maps, illustrating a narrative of resilience. Specific colors and body parts were symbolically charged: black and red in the heart, head, and shoulders represented pain and emotional burden, while blue and green in areas like the hands and stomach signified stability and achievement. External symbols (e.g., landscapes, bicycles) served as emotional anchors or representations of personal growth. Conclusions: Body mapping proves to be a powerful technique for accessing the embodied, often non-verbal, narratives of students. It underscores that the body functions as a living archive of experience. Integrating such methodologies into physiotherapy education can significantly enrich professional training by fostering sensitivity to corporality as a lived, relational, and cultural phenomenon, thereby strengthening future clinicians’ holistic and humanistic competencies.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050153

Authors: Soonhee Hwang

Gender disparities in STEM education continue to shape students’ academic persistence and career development. Identifying how psychological and contextual factors operate differently for male and female students is essential for understanding these disparities and designing targeted interventions. This study examines gender differences in the structural pathways linking contextual supports, career barriers, engineering self-efficacy, major motivation, career exploration behaviors, and academic persistence intentions among STEM undergraduates in South Korea. Using data from 2393 students collected through a national institutional project, multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) was conducted to compare path coefficients between male and female students. The results showed that contextual supports significantly enhanced engineering self-efficacy, which in turn predicted higher major motivation and stronger academic persistence intentions across both groups. However, gender-specific differences emerged. Major motivation had a stronger positive effect on persistence among male students, whereas career exploration behaviors were negatively associated with persistence intentions only among female students. In addition, career barriers exerted a stronger negative total effect on persistence among female students. These findings suggest that gender differences in STEM are reflected not only in overall levels but also in the structural mechanisms linking key variables. Practically, supporting female students in managing perceived barriers and reframing career exploration as an adaptive process may help strengthen their academic persistence.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050152

Authors: Anurak Wongta Muhammadfahmee Talek Pintip Kaewkamthong Kriengkrai Peungchuer Kanittha Thaikla

Thailand’s Community Liquor Law Reform aimed to encourage small-scale alcohol production in 2022. Early evidence suggests a mismatch between legislative changes and the capacity of existing institutions to implement them. This study aims to examine governance challenges, stakeholder experiences, and implementation gaps during the early phase of the reform across four provinces. A qualitative policy analysis was performed through semi-structured interviews with fifty-eight participants, comprising twenty-three community liquor producers and thirty-five officials from excise units, public health offices, and local administrative bodies. Data was collected through interviews, meeting records, field observations, and policy documents. Thematic analysis followed a hybrid inductive and deductive approach, and triangulation strengthened the credibility of the findings. The research revealed a significant gap between national policy goals and local implementation. Stakeholders noted the unclear procedural guidelines, resulting in continued reliance on pre-reform practices. They also reported substantial administrative challenges and inconsistent enforcement across regions. Limited technical capacity among producers contributed to unstable alcohol strength, variable product quality, and inadequate waste management. Furthermore, the reform raised concerns about increased alcohol availability, potential youth access, and community misinterpretation of policy objectives. These findings suggest that legislative reform alone is insufficient for effective implementation. Clear guidelines, coordinated enforcement, technical training, and monitoring systems are essential to align policy with practice.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050151

Authors: Gillian Harvey Maryam Mallakin Katherine Sellen

This paper examines the role of graphic medicine as a critical design tool that should be used in harm reduction messaging, focusing on its capacity to address barriers to opioid overdose response. Through three case studies, we illustrate how visual storytelling in the form of comics, animation, and other graphic elements can encourage empathy, reduce stigma, and improve understanding of overdose interventions, particularly naloxone administration. Barriers to effective overdose response include stigma, fear, mistrust, limited knowledge, and poor access to lifesaving tools. Stigma—both societal and internalized—remains one of the most persistent and hardest barriers for effective overdose response. In response, design researchers and practitioners have explored communication methods to reshape public and professional discourse. By drawing on critical design tools in a cross-disciplinary way, this paper situates comics and animation within a broader effort to engage communities, shift narratives, and build more inclusive, compassionate approaches to opioid overdose prevention.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050150

Authors: Susana Ribeiro Rosa Isabel Rodrigues

This study investigates people management efficiency as a multidimensional organizational capability, contributing to the broader discussion on how organizational culture and internal processes are associated with management effectiveness as a socially embedded organizational outcome beyond formal institutional arrangements. A sequential exploratory mixed-methods design was employed, comprising three interrelated studies. Study 1 involved semi-structured interviews with 15 auditors to identify the key dimensions of people management. Study 2 used cognitive interviews with 28 professionals to refine and validate the measurement items. Study 3 consisted of a survey administered to 286 employees, aiming to validate the People Management Efficiency Scale (PMES) and to test a parallel mediation model. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a stable five-dimensional structure. The results show that organizational culture is positively associated with people management efficiency, both directly and indirectly, with work organization and continuous improvement operating as statistically significant mediating variables within the tested model. No statistically significant differences were identified between certified and non-certified organizations in terms of people management efficiency, work organization, and transparency. However, statistically significant differences were observed for organizational culture and continuous improvement. Overall, the findings suggest that people management efficiency is closely associated with the alignment between cultural values and internal organizational practices as socially embedded processes. These results highlight the relevance of internal organizational mechanisms in shaping people management outcomes. Given the simplified operationalization of certification in the present study, the findings should be interpreted with caution and do not support definitive comparative conclusions between culture-driven processes and formal certification mechanisms.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050149

Authors: Soukayna El Majdoubi Yassir El Guenuni Fatima Zahrae Hadran Omar Boubker

Research on dishonest behavior within organizational contexts has expanded rapidly in recent years. However, the structural organization of dominant explanatory mechanisms within this literature remains insufficiently clarified. This study provides a theory-informed bibliometric analysis focusing on a deliberately selective segment of the workplace dishonesty literature. Rather than attempting an exhaustive census, the study maps a corpus centered on dominant socio-cognitive and organizational explanatory frameworks in order to examine how these mechanisms are positioned, interconnected, and evolving within this theory-filtered segment. To ensure a transparent and reproducible review process, the study was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, which guided the identification, screening, and eligibility assessment of the literature. Drawing on a systematically constructed corpus retrieved from Web of Science and Scopus and covering the period 1989–2025, the bibliometric analysis was conducted using Biblioshiny 4.5.2 on a final dataset of 679 documents. The analysis integrates performance indicators with science-mapping techniques, including keyword co-occurrence networks, thematic mapping, multiple correspondence analysis, thematic evolution, and global citation analysis. The findings indicate that this theory-based subset of the literature has developed steadily over time alongside a clearer structuring of publication outlets. Conceptually, it remains largely organized around a small number of recurring mechanisms, most notably ethical climate and moral disengagement. Thematic analyses suggest a degree of theoretical stabilization alongside diversification within this selected corpus, while factorial mapping suggests recurring contrasts between cognitive, normative, and organizational explanatory logics. From a longitudinal dynamic perspective, the mapped patterns suggest a possible movement toward more context-sensitive and governance-oriented perspectives; however, this should be interpreted as an inferential reading of this selected corpus. Overall, the findings suggest that, within this corpus, unethical workplace behavior is increasingly conceptualized as a context-dependent socio-cognitive phenomenon shaped by justificatory mechanisms, organizational environments, and performance-related pressures. This review contributes to the fields of behavioral ethics and organizational behavior by providing a structured reading of this specific body of work, clarifying its conceptual organization, identifying its main developmental trajectories, and outlining a theoretically grounded future research agenda for this selected body of literature.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050148

Authors: Anupama Padoor Anilkumar Hina Sheel

Existing research on factors associated with self-esteem and the subsequent risk of mental health disorders among immigrant Indian university students has largely focused on the US immigrant population. To address this gap, the present study surveyed immigrant university students in the UAE. While previous studies have independently linked ethnic identity, perceived social support, and maladaptive perfectionism to self-esteem, this study is the first to examine these associations within a new geographical context. The study hypothesized that (i) ethnic identity would predict self-esteem, (ii) perceived social support would positively predict self-esteem, and (iii) maladaptive perfectionism would negatively predict self-esteem. The final regression model explained 35% of the variance in self-esteem, and the findings were in line with the hypotheses. These findings can help highlight the potential relevance of ethnic identity, social support, and maladaptive perfectionism in understanding variations in self-esteem among immigrant Indian university students. However, the study has limitations, including its cross-sectional and correlational nature. Further studies may reveal culturally embedded patterns warranting investigation through longitudinal or experimental research.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050147

Authors: Elenica Sofijanova Theodore Koutroukis Liljana Pushova Stamenkova Marija Majhosheva

Organizations today face growing pressure from both digital transformation and sustainability. This creates challenges in aligning human resource practices with the skills and engagement of employees. While these two areas are often studied separately, less attention has been given to how sustainability-oriented HR practices function in digitally transforming organizations. This study examines the relationships among Sustainable Human Resource Management (SHRM) practices, green training, green skills, digital readiness, and employee engagement across organizations in North Macedonia. Drawing on the Job Demands—Resources framework, the study focuses on how organizational practices and employee competencies are associated within contexts shaped by both technological and environmental change. Using survey data from 152 employees representing 152 organizations, the findings indicate that SHRM practices are positively associated with green training and green skills. More importantly, green training emerges as a key mechanism linking SHRM practices with employee competencies, suggesting that sustainability-oriented HR systems are most closely associated with employee capabilities when supported by structured development processes. Green skills are positively associated with employee engagement, and this relationship appears stronger in organizations characterized by higher levels of digital readiness. These findings highlight the importance of training and digital context in shaping employee outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by integrating sustainability, HRM, and digital transformation perspectives, and by emphasizing the role of developmental mechanisms in linking organizational practices with employee outcomes.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050146

Authors: Sangmin Jeon Wi-Young So

This study examined the critical sustainability challenge of regional demographic decline in South Korea by analyzing how young people’s mobility decisions are intricately influenced by structurally and socially constructed meaning systems. Countering strictly economic deterministic views, this research posited that youth out-migration is a complex socio-cognitive process mediated by social representations of place—collectively constructed and circulated meanings attached to regions. Applying a secondary analysis of Q-sort data from 24 undergraduate students at a regional national university, the study integrated Q methodology with Social Representation Theory to systematically identify youth typologies regarding regional identity, territorial stigma, and local extinction. Participants sorted 44 statements encompassing place attachment, local consumption, cultural experiences, and policy effectiveness. Rigorous factor analysis revealed four distinct perception typologies: identity-based strategic mobility, conditional leaving based on internalized success norms, re-anchoring toward alternative lifestyles, and skeptical leaving rooted in profound institutional distrust. The findings empirically demonstrated that identical structural constraints can produce highly divergent mobility trajectories—ranging from active retention to complete resignation—depending entirely on the region’s socio-cognitive representation. This study demonstrates that local extinction is not merely a demographic condition, but a socially constructed framework of meaning and an object of social representation that shapes youth perception typologies and mobility judgments. Accordingly, moving beyond conventional technical interventions, meaning governance, and strategic communication are needed to help reimagine regional futures.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050145

Authors: Sarah Dantas Monique Botha Catherine Grainger Eva Rafetseder Carol Jasper

Autistic people experience social stigma, which involves facing negative or false social stereotypes. A prevalent stereotype of autism in society is that it is a male condition, which has led to most traditional representations of autism across different types of media (e.g., characters in films and TV) being predominantly male-focused. In this study, a group of autistic women and/or non-binary people were recruited to speak about how they perceived media representations of autism, as their gender identities did not fit this traditional gendered stereotype. Participants shared their experiences through group discussions and a zine-making activity, where they created different forms of artwork that were then compiled into an independent community booklet and displayed in an exhibition in Central Scotland. Participants’ group discussions and descriptions of their artwork were analysed using IPA techniques, yielding two experiential themes. Participants discussed negative experiences with dehumanising media accounts of autism, which displayed autistic people as a stereotypical ‘other’, as well as positive experiences with humanised media accounts, which prioritised autistic lived experience in a more authentic and relatable way. Our findings highlight that the media can positively impact autistic people’s lives when representations centre on autistic lived experience, which fosters connectedness, autonomy, and self-understanding. Alternatively, this impact can be harmful when media accounts are stigmatising and dehumanising, which generates significant material and subjective challenges.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050144

Authors: Gabrielle Tatith Pereira Fabrício Castagna Lunardi Pedro Miguel Alves Ribeiro Correia Adriano do Vale

Domestic violence against women is a severe problem in Brazil and worldwide. The Brazilian system presents innovative policies aimed at women’s access to justice, which have not yet been systematized or empirically examined. This article aims to identify, analyze, and categorize the main policies for access to justice for victims of domestic violence in Brazil. Methods used are documentary analysis and data collection were conducted. Data were requested from public institutions and collected from 27 state governments and the federal government. As results, the research found that, in addition to access to justice policies commonly adopted worldwide—such as emergency protective measures, risk assessment forms, call centers for women, and panic buttons, Brazil has implemented several innovations, particularly: (i) multidisciplinary care centers, (ii) specialized police stations, (iii) shelters and rental assistance, (iv) employment quotas, (v) special pensions for orphans, and (vi) aesthetic repair. In conclusion: (i) the ten public policies are effective and have benefited millions of women in Brazil; (ii) there is a need to coordinate these policies, assess their effectiveness, and consolidate data; (iii) new technologies offer opportunities to develop tools that facilitate access to justice and prevent and redress domestic violence; and (iv) these policies may be adopted by other countries, with appropriate contextual adaptations.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050143

Authors: Alevizos Antonios Maria Petraki Eirini Vakalopoulou

This study examines the multicultural school as a micro-organizational unit, focusing on the interplay of power relations, organizational culture, and everyday pedagogical practices. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with educators at the 16th General Lyceum of Thessaloniki, the analysis situates school life within broader institutional and normative frameworks. Grounded in Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), specifically Target 4.7 of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the findings show that while educators actively promote intercultural coexistence and democratic participation, their initiatives are constrained by centralized governance and curricular rigidity. Nonetheless, teachers’ personal agency and informal leadership play a crucial role in fostering inclusion, care, and global citizenship values at the micro-organizational level. The study contributes theoretically by reframing the multicultural school through an organizational sociology lens, emphasizing the micro-politics of discretion, institutional logics, and cultural reproduction within school settings. Practically, it highlights the need for structural policy reforms that move beyond reliance on individual teacher initiative and institutionalize inclusive, care-oriented, and sustainability-driven practices within centralized educational systems.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050142

Authors: Antonio del Bosque Pablo Fernández-Arias Georgios Lampropoulos Diego Vergara

The increasing integration of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in cultural and historical contexts has significantly transformed the way heritage and legacy are preserved, studied, and experienced. This study provides a bibliometric analysis of the current research landscape surrounding the use of VR in heritage and legacy research. The results obtained highlight a research environment dominated by European institutions—primarily Italian and Spanish—complemented by Asian and French contributions that demonstrate a trend toward progressive internationalization. This field of research combines immersive technologies, photogrammetry for 3D digitization and user-centered designs, moving from conservationist approaches to holistic approaches that prioritize accessibility, educational dissemination and tourism. The results reveal a duality between digital documentation and immersive experience, while, among the countries with the most World Heritage sites, Italy leads in terms of quantity and average citations, China in terms of total volume, and Spain shows underutilized bibliometric potential despite its rich historical heritage. This analysis aims to trace the evolution of this field of research, uncover gaps, and suggest directions for future work that leverages virtual reality to safeguard and disseminate cultural heritage in an immersive and impactful way.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050141

Authors: Albena Ilieva Nakova Valentina Georgieva Milenkova

In recent years, the escalation of international and internal conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa and Bulgaria’s geographical location, which places it on the route of those seeking protection from these regions in Europe, has led to a significant increase in the number of refugee children arriving in Bulgaria. According to Eurostat data, Bulgaria ranks fourth in terms of the number of unaccompanied refugee children in the European Union. In this article, the possibilities for achieving the welfare of refugee children and their successful integration into society are considered as a result of the intersection of two main trends—state legislation and public policies aimed at guaranteeing the best interests of refugee children, and public opinion about refugee children, which, in some cases, cause the failure of positive state measures and policies. The data on public attitudes towards refugee children used here are the result of an empirical study conducted in 2021 by the authors of this article. The results show that while state legislation and public policies are evolving towards ensuring the best interests of the child, the same cannot be said for public attitudes and the distance that the local population demonstrates towards refugee children.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050139

Authors: Elyakim Kislev Aurel H. Diamond

Unmarried individuals experience lower levels of subjective well-being than married individuals. Some argue that this is due to intrinsic benefits often associated with marriage. Others claim that those who are never married, divorced, or widowed face prejudice, stigma, and discrimination that contribute to their lower levels of subjective well-being. The current research investigates these two perspectives by empirically estimating the role of positive self-view in the happiness levels of different groups by marital status (N = 79,695, excluding missing values). Multilevel regression analyses are conducted using two relevant waves of the European Social Survey (2006 and 2012). The results indicate that unmarried adults show lower levels of positive self-view. However, unmarried individuals derive greater happiness from positive self-esteem, optimism, and a sense of accomplishment than married individuals. In other words, self-view may be impactful in determining the well-being of singles.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050140

Authors: Kasetchai Laeheem Nattha Lertpanyawiwat Kanda Janyam

Thailand is facing a rapidly aging society, raising concerns about how retiring workers will maintain their quality of life. Insured persons in the social security system—especially voluntary members under Section 40 of the Social Security Act B.E. 2533 (1990), who are often informal workers—frequently lack formal retirement plans, underscoring the need for interventions that address financial security and subjective well-being (SWB) in later life. This study aimed to develop and evaluate a retirement planning program designed to enhance subjective well-being and improve the quality of life for pre-retirees in Songkhla Province. A Research and Development (R&D) design was employed in four phases. Phase 1 (R1) involved a needs assessment: survey data from 500 insured individuals (ages 40–60) were collected to identify gaps between current and desired retirement preparedness. Phase 2 (D1) utilized the needs assessment results and theoretical frameworks to design a Subjective Well-being Retirement Planning Program, encompassing financial, health, and psychosocial components. Content-relevance experts validated the draft program. Phase 3 (R2) involved implementing the program with 15 volunteer participants over four weekly workshops (each 3 h long) and evaluating its short-term pilot outcomes using pretest-posttest measures of subjective well-being. Phase 4 (D2) refined the program based on evaluation findings and expert feedback. Results indicated that following participation in the program, participants’ overall subjective well-being and all sub-dimensions (life satisfaction, positive and negative affect balance, sense of meaning, social connectedness, security, and health) were significantly higher than before (p < 0.001). Additionally, the proportion of participants classified as inadequately prepared for retirement (high-risk due to low planning) decreased markedly, suggesting increased readiness within the pilot group. Expert evaluations of the program design reflected a high content validity index and strong agreement on the program’s accuracy, appropriateness, and usefulness for the target group. In conclusion, the developed retirement planning program was associated with short-term improvements in subjective well-being and quality-of-life indicators among insured pre-retirees. This theory-informed program, developed through an R&D process, offers a model for supporting aging workers in the social security system, with implications for policymakers and practitioners seeking to promote healthy, happy, and secure retirements in an aging society.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050138

Authors: Mohammed Ali Aldossary Tamer Hamdy Ayad Mohamed A. Moustafa

Artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly incorporated into organizational functions to streamline processes and improve performance outcomes. However, prior research has primarily examined AI from a technological and operational perspective, with limited attention to the role of employees’ perceptions of AI in shaping organizational outcomes. This study develops and empirically tests a moderated mediation model examining the impact of perceived benefits of AI (PB-AI) on organizational performance (OGP), both directly and indirectly, through organizational agility (OAG), while assessing the moderating role of management commitment (MC). Data were collected from 381 managers in medium-sized enterprises in Saudi Arabia and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results indicate that perceived benefits of AI (PB-AI) significantly enhance organizational agility (OAG) (β = 0.400, p < 0.001) and organizational performance (OGP) (β = 0.303, p < 0.001). Organizational agility also positively influences performance (β = 0.163, p = 0.001) and partially mediates the relationship between PB-AI and OGP. However, the moderated mediation effect of management commitment was not supported. The findings highlight the role of employees’ perceptions of AI as a mechanism through which AI-related benefits are translated into organizational outcomes. The study contributes to the literature by positioning perceived benefits of AI as a key explanatory construct and by demonstrating the role of organizational agility in linking AI-related perceptions to performance outcomes. It also provides insights into the role of management commitment in AI-enabled organizational contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050137

Authors: Hulda Mjöll Gunnarsdóttir Håvard Haugstvedt Marita Wassbakk

Social workers are an integrated part of the criminal justice system. In this field, criminal justice social workers (CJSWs) face challenges related to structure and professional autonomy. During the COVID-19 pandemic, correctional services (CS) implemented strict infection control measures through early releases, lockdowns in prisons with isolation, and the cessation of visits. This research explores how CJSWs experienced working during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific focus on perceived influence on their working conditions, changes in users’ needs, and adaptation to new demands related to infection control. This is a mixed-methods study of a small sample of social workers in Norway’s criminal justice sector (N = 75). Findings indicated that they experienced a negative impact of COVID-19 on their contact with colleagues and their target group, as well as on their ability to provide services to the latter. In addition, there is an indication of a heavier workload for CJSWs during COVID-19. Our results are analysed using the job demand–resource model (JD-R). The results suggest that infection control measures created additional demands and strain on CJSWs in caring for vulnerable and at-risk groups, while at the same time reducing contact with their own colleagues and supervisors, experiencing what we address as a ‘double negative’.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050136

Authors: Marco Carradore

Growth in the elderly population will inevitably increase the demand for care and assistance, which must be matched by a sufficient number of individuals capable of providing the care and assistance required. This study aims to estimate the present and future caregiver support ratio (CSR) at the national level across Europe and at the Italian subnational level. Italy was selected due to its higher proportion of elderly citizens compared with other EU countries. The CSR is defined as the number of potential caregivers aged 45–64 years (the age range most commonly involved in caregiving) per citizen aged 80 and over (the most likely to require long-term caregiving). Data were obtained from Eurostat for the EU-level analysis, whereas those pertaining to Italy were sourced from the Italian National Institute of Statistics. CSR projections were made for the decades spanning 2030 to 2080. The findings show that the ratio of potential caregivers aged 45–64 to individuals aged 80 or over will steadily decline over the coming decades, implicating challenges for gerontological social policies. The results reveal variation in the CSR for the 27 European countries—with a decline from 5:1 in 2025 to 2:1 by 2050—and across the 20 Italian regions, as well as differences in the projected trends in CSR variations over the medium (until 2050) and long term (until 2080). Technology may offer possible solutions to address some of the challenges associated with the aging demographic.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050135

Authors: Cecilia Manzo Silvia Mazzucotelli Salice Michele Varini

This article advances a critical rethinking of digital transformation in craft-based and socially embedded production systems by examining ateliers of social integration as community-led solidarity spaces where sewing and embroidery practices intersect with relational, care-oriented, and collective dimensions. Existing debates on digitalisation remain largely centred on automation, scale, and efficiency, overlooking how technology operates within care-based and territorially embedded economies. To address this gap, the article develops an alternative analytical framework grounded in relational economies and the ethics of care. While the phenomenon is transnational, the empirical analysis focuses on the Italian context and draws on data from CreAbility, an ongoing action-research project aimed at building a digital community of micro and small fashion enterprises, associations, and designers characterized by social and cultural impact. Against dominant, scale-oriented models of innovation, the article conceptualises ateliers of social integration as relational ecosystems in which value is co-produced through social ties, inclusion practices, and localized knowledge. From this perspective, digital technologies serve as situated mediators that extend and amplify proximity-based relations. This reframing challenges linear and growth-centred accounts of digital innovation, instead proposing a non-linear, care-centred, and place-based model of digital transformation. Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods design combining quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data were collected between June and July 2025 through an online questionnaire distributed to a broader population of Italian ateliers of social integration and were complemented by participatory focus groups involving organisational representatives. The findings show that these ateliers operate as infrastructures of proximity in which production, care, and community are co-constitutive, and where digital practices support forms of extended embeddedness rather than substitution. In doing so, the article contributes to debates on digitalisation, social innovation, and the care economy by showing how alternative, relational, and non-scalable models of production can reshape the meaning and the trajectories of innovation.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16050134

Authors: Evi Togia Manolis Wallace John Liaperdos

As modern society grows increasingly complex, access to essential services such as healthcare, legal aid, tailored education, and psychological support remains heavily gated by socio-economic, neurological, and systemic barriers. This paper explores the transformative potential of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative Artificial Intelligence not merely as industrial productivity enhancers, but as vital “social scaffolds” capable of fostering a more inclusive society. Crucially, we propose a paradigm shift in the concept of Ethical Computing—moving from a passive defensive framework of non-maleficence (“do no harm”) to an active mandate of beneficence, where AI systems are explicitly developed to serve marginalized and un(der)served populations. Through this expanded ethical lens, we systematically analyze the democratizing impact of AI across four primary axes of inclusivity: socio-economic (providing zero-cost medical triage and legal translation for undocumented populations), neurospicy (acting as a non-judgmental communicative bridge for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder), pedagogical (delivering hyper-personalized executive function support for Special Educational Needs), and psychological (serving as an accessible, first-level triage system for mental health crises). By framing LLMs as a modern social safety net, we outline a clear trajectory for future research, advocating for an “ethical-by-design” development paradigm that explicitly prioritizes equity, accessibility, and the active dismantling of historical barriers for the digitally and socially disenfranchised.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040133

Authors: Phuong Viet Le Minh-Hoang Tran Khanh Quoc Nguyen Lan Thi Nguyen Hung Viet Nguyen Thuy Phuong Hoang Le Nghiep Ke Vu

The current study provides a comprehensive overview of the socioeconomic and sociodemographic conditions of Vietnamese fishing crews, who form the backbone of the nation’s marine capture fisheries but remain among the most vulnerable labor groups. Based on interviews with 2037 captains and crew members across six coastal provinces, the study examines demographic characteristics, education, working conditions, legal arrangements, and income determinants. Results show that the fishing labor force is entirely male, predominantly middle-aged, and characterized by limited formal education and long occupational experience. Employment relationships are largely informal and verbal, leaving crews without labor protection, social or health insurance, or contractual stability. Statistical analysis revealed significant income disparities between captains and crew members, between inshore and offshore fleets, and among fisheries and provinces. Fishing experience and professional certification were positively correlated with income, highlighting the importance of skill development. The findings underscore the urgent need for socioeconomic policies that formalize labor contracts, expand insurance coverage, promote vocational training, and modernize fishing technologies. These measures, combined with income diversification and community welfare programs, are critical to improving the well-being, safety, and resilience of Vietnam’s fishing workforce and advancing sustainable marine economic development. This study provides valuable baseline information on an underrepresented segment of the commercial fishing industry, informing fisheries managers and policymakers in designing future development programs that account for the socioeconomic and demographic conditions of fishing crews.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040132

Authors: Allan Herison Ferreira Ana Carolina Trevisan Carla Maria Baptista Rubén Ramos-Antón Álvaro Augusto Comin Henrique F. Carvalho Silvestre Vendrell Valéria Oliveira Sá

This article examines how algorithmic classification systems participate in the production of meta-identities, understood as operational classificatory constructs that mediate the visibility, circulation, and interpretation of digital content and its authors. The study employs a mixed-methods design combining controlled analytical simulation with qualitative interpretive analysis, systematic thematic coding, and comparative statistical procedures. Empirical data are derived from the analysis of 150 audiovisual works produced in formative workshops and interpreted by four types of agents: authors, peers, specialized human analysts, and two Large Language Model-based AI systems (ChatGPT and Gemini). Interpretations were analyzed across micro, meso, and macro levels, using a consolidated system of thematic categories with hierarchical weighting and normalization procedures to ensure inter-agent comparability. The results demonstrate a systematic and structural divergence between human and algorithmic classifications. While human agents preserve semantic plurality and contextual anchoring, AI systems tend to reorganize thematic hierarchies through semantic aggregation and stabilization, thereby privileging broad, reusable categories. This process produces recurring, opaque classificatory patterns that serve as infrastructural references for subsequent algorithmic decisions. The article contributes methodologically by offering a replicable framework for comparing human and algorithmic regimes of meaning production in digital environments.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040131

Authors: Anusuyah Subbarao Ahmad Salman Kaniz Farhana

This study maps the global scholarly landscape on digital parenting and children’s digital device use through bibliometric analysis of 628 Scopus articles (2010–2025). Using PRISMA-guided screening and science-mapping visualisations (VOSviewer and CiteSpace), the review identifies publication growth, influential sources, intellectual structures, and thematic clusters shaping the field. The mapped knowledge structure is dominated by health and media-effects traditions, with major research fronts centred on parental mediation, screen-time outcomes, online safety, and digital wellbeing. Crucially, the analysis shows that parenting perspectives remain weakly represented within this global corpus, with limited engagement with faith-based concepts that could shape mediation practices and moral reasoning in households. This underrepresentation contributes to a Western-centric evidence base, indicating a need for Islamically situated digital parenting research that integrates developmental concerns with ethics and culturally grounded mediation strategies. The study concludes by proposing a focused research agenda to strengthen theory building and empirical work in family contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040130

Authors: Giacomo Buoncompagni

This study explored the behaviour of traditional media in the event of an extreme situation: the global collapse of the internet, using a qualitative and creative methodology. The objective was not to make a technological prediction or engage in dystopian speculation, but rather to conduct a sociological experiment that interrogates the cultural, technical and symbolic presuppositions of contemporary communication. Using imagination as the primary methodological tool allowed a ‘potential’ case study to be constructed, while the use of artificial intelligence as an imaginative source and cognitive mediator enabled creativity and analytical rigour to be combined, producing a research space that bridges sociology, media science, and socio-technical studies (STS). The results demonstrate that, without the internet, analogue media emerge as essential social infrastructures, restoring journalism to its original purpose of facilitating human connections and collective narratives.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040129

Authors: Gabriela Arcos-Cuaspud Andrea Basantes-Andrade Sonia Casillas-Martín Marcos Cabezas-Gonzáles

This study examines the effects of a three-month pedagogical intervention that integrated artificial intelligence (AI), social media, and web-based tools to strengthen digital literacy, creativity, and cultural participation among secondary education students in Ecuador. The intervention was theoretically grounded in perspectives of inclusive digital education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), emphasizing participation, accessibility, and collaborative knowledge construction. The intervention involved 61 students supported by 31 university facilitators and was developed under a mixed-methods action research design with a pre–post (quasi-experimental) approach. Pre- and post-test surveys were administered to assess changes in digital competencies and creativity, while semi-structured interviews explored students’ perceptions of creative expression and their engagement with the cultural and technological ecosystem. Quantitative results showed statistically significant improvements in digital literacy and creativity (p < 0.001), while qualitative findings evidenced increased student empowerment, critical awareness of algorithms, and active cultural participation. The integration of AI and social media promoted an inclusive, student-centered learning environment that enhanced autonomy, reflective thinking, and media engagement. These results suggest that hybrid and culturally contextualized AI-mediated interventions may foster 21st-century competencies, strengthen digital equity, and promote creative agency in educational contexts of the Global South, particularly within emerging digital learning environments in Ecuador.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040128

Authors: Rūta Žukauskienė Meda Andrijauskienė Asta Savanevičienė Natalija Mažeikienė Gita Šakytė-Statnickė Rūta Čiutienė

Recent geopolitical events have led to an increased research focus on the experiences of female refugees. As careers play a crucial role in socio-economic integration, this study aims to examine the scope and characteristics of research findings on the careers of refugee women in host countries. Following the general research questions for bibliometric analysis, the major trends and intellectual structures of the research field of women refugees’ careers were identified. Four hundred and fifty-three articles selected from the Web of Science database (search by title, abstract, and keywords) for the period 2000–2023 were analyzed using VOSviewer (1.6.20). The results show that key challenges faced by forcibly displaced women include mental health disorders, language barriers, discrimination, downward career mobility, and pressure of traditional gender roles. The research reveals that critical enablers for female refugees’ workforce participation and economic independence are language training, culturally sensitive healthcare, and access to childcare. Simultaneously, empowerment strategies, including entrepreneurship and participation in professional networks, are proved to foster resilience and create pathways for successful career steps.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040127

Authors: Theodora Saridou Charalampos A. Dimoulas

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) approaches date back more than 60 years, there is no doubt that in the last 4 years, we have entered the era of AI. The advanced capabilities of Generative AI (GenAI) and Large Language Models (LLMs) have noticeably reshaped multiple sectors, becoming a driving force in participatory environments. Recent developments in Machine/Deep Learning (ML/DL) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) have enabled the introduction of tools and applications integrated into various professional fields. Areas ranging from education and media to art, tourism, and food science incorporate AI technologies to optimize established workflows, facilitate change, enhance creativity, and foster interaction. The current Special Issue includes nineteen multidisciplinary research works exploring AI in participatory environments, primarily focusing on technologies, ethics, and literacy aspects. Employing diverse methodologies, the research identifies various uses of AI along with the critical ethical and legal risks and challenges they entail. Concerns about inaccuracy, algorithmic bias, data infringements, and the potential erosion of transparency and interpretability need to be addressed in every phase of the design and implementation of AI technologies. Co-creative human-in-the-loop processes and human judgment need to be further strengthened and supported through digital/AI literacy initiatives. In this regard, effective regulatory frameworks, inclusive institutional strategies, and targeted training programs can ensure responsible and trustworthy AI use with a balance between technological evolution and human oversight.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040126

Authors: Mohit Kumar Agarwal Aurobindo Ogra

The parks and open spaces of planned neighbourhood are generally underutilized in cities due to the lack of a Child-Friendly Environment (CFE). The quality of parks and open spaces can be elevated by addressing and improving the deficiencies identified in their conditions. There is a need to identify the parameters for rating neighbourhood parks and open spaces. This research aims to understand the level of CFEin the planned neighbourhood parks of a metropolitan city. The research considers three parks as case study areas, Gandhi Park, Maharanapratap Park, and Balmiki Park in the city of Lucknow, the state capital of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state. The research employed the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method to rate the parks with the use of a nine-point weighting scale. The research identified various dimensions under five major parameters of CFE, namely: perception, physical, social, cognitive, and emotional. The cognitive and perception parameters are observed to play the most significant role in generating CFE. The research result could be used in planning and developing CFE parks and open spaces in neighbourhoods by incorporating the critical dimensions and key elements of the identified parameters in policy guidelines, norms and standards.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040125

Authors: Oksana Liashenko Oleksandr Dluhopolskyi Viktor Koziuk Dmytro Zherlitsyn Tetiana Dluhopolska

Contemporary European societies face overlapping societal challenges—ecological degradation, immigration pressures, and widening economic inequality—which generate a pervasive climate of uncertainty affecting citizens’ perceptions of their own life conditions. This study investigates how social pessimism, conceptualised as a multidimensional orientation reflecting perceived threats across environmental, migratory, and distributive domains, relates to subjective financial insecurity at the individual level. Drawing on harmonised cross-national data from the CRONOS-II panel (N = 8993), covering eleven European countries, we construct a composite pessimism index and analyse its association with perceived financial strain using multivariate and multilevel regression models. Results demonstrate that individuals who express greater societal pessimism report significantly higher levels of financial insecurity, even after controlling for income, education, employment status, and country-level heterogeneity. This relationship is moderated by socioeconomic position; specifically, the pessimism–insecurity link is strongest among lower-income and less-educated groups, suggesting that material precarity and anticipatory anxiety compound one another. Cross-national analysis reveals substantial variation in effect magnitude, with the strongest associations observed in Hungary, Portugal, and the Czech Republic, and the weakest in Slovenia and Iceland. These findings contribute to the interdisciplinary understanding of how macro-level societal concerns permeate individual wellbeing, demonstrating that subjective economic vulnerability is shaped not only by objective circumstances but also by the broader socio-political climate in which citizens interpret their life situations. The results underscore the need for policies that address both material conditions and the affective dimensions of societal uncertainty in order to strengthen social cohesion and reduce perceived economic risk. Theoretically, we frame social pessimism as a formative composite capturing perceived threat to societal stability, offering an integrative perspective on how structurally distinct societal concerns converge to shape economic subjectivities.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040124

Authors: Izabela Pinheiro Mariana Holanda Rusu Conceição Nogueira Joana Topa

Mental health inequities affecting migrant populations stem from structural determinants that hierarchize access to resources, recognition, and social protection. Among these determinants, structural racism plays a central role in the experiences of racialised Brazilian immigrant women in Portugal, producing vulnerabilities at the intersection of race, gender, nationality, and migration status. Grounded in intersectional feminist and decolonial epistemology, this study analyses how structural racism operates as a health determinant through specific mechanisms traversing material conditions of life, distress trajectories, and experiences of psychological care, and it examines how these women navigate the limitations of mental health services, identifying conditions for a practice committed to racial equity. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with racialised Brazilian immigrant women and analyzed through Reflexive Thematic Analysis. The findings indicate that racism is manifested through professional devaluation, labour precarity, documentation instability, and linguistic racialisation, impacting access to rights and the production of psychological distress. Mental health inequities are not limited to barriers to access, as institutional and clinical dynamics tend to individualize distress and disregard its historical and social bases, operating as epistemic violence. The community-based strategies mobilized by participants challenge models centred on individual intervention. This study underscores the need for structurally competent approaches and for institutional reforms oriented toward equity and racial justice within mental health systems.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040123

Authors: Luis Edgardo Cruz Salinas Marco Agustín Arbulú Ballesteros Marilú Trinidad Flores Lezama Mabel Ysabel Otiniano León

Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), this study examines how personal factors, academic integration, and institutional support relate to students’ intention to persist in private higher education. Using a cross-sectional online survey, composite scores were computed for validated constructs and entered simultaneously into a single multiple linear regression model to estimate each dimension’s unique association with intention to persist. The overall model explained a substantial share of variance in persistence intentions (adjusted R2 = 0.599). Academic integration showed the largest unique association, institutional support contributed a smaller additional association, and personal factors did not retain a unique association once overlap among constructs was taken into account. Given the cross-sectional, self-report design and single-institution sample, the findings are interpreted as conditional associations within this context, informing retention strategies that strengthen sustainable educational ecosystems as private higher education expands in Latin America.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040122

Authors: Safri Darmawan Salman Sakaria Salsa Rizkia Meilinda

Large-scale infrastructure development disrupts not only the material foundations of agrarian livelihoods but also the social and ecological systems through which households manage uncertainty. This study argues that the livelihood shifts observed among households affected by the construction of the Bili-Bili Reservoir in Lanna Sub-district, Gowa Regency, Indonesia, are best understood as products of contextual rationality operating at the individual level and enacted through household-level strategies. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach with 15 purposively selected informants, each representing a distinct household directly affected by the reservoir’s construction functioned as a structural shock that exceeded the adaptive capacity of the existing agrarian system, triggering differentiated household responses—including reservoir fisheries, small-scale trade, home-based enterprise, and labor migration—whose variation reflects systematic differences in individual skills, asset endowments, and social capital access rather than arbitrary or purely compelled choice. Theoretically, this study advances the sustainable livelihoods framework by specifying the mechanism linking individual rationality to household adaptive outcomes, and by showing how social capital—in its bonding, bridging, and linking dimensions—shapes the option set within which rational calculations are made. These findings suggest that post-displacement livelihood recovery is more effectively supported by policies that strengthen social network structures alongside physical and financial provision.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040121

Authors: Danielle Wallace Isabella E. Castillo

In police culture, the danger imperative is the idea that the most important part of policing is to “come home at the end of the night.” Neurodivergence brings uncertainty to police encounters; because of the danger imperative, police officers may respond to that uncertainly with increased use of force. We examine the likelihood of being handcuffed and detained (low levels of use of force) for individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DDs) (i.e., neurodiverse diagnoses) during discretionary stops using data from police stops in California (n = 3,300,671) and doubly-robust inverse-propensity weighted regression. Results show that the average effect of being I/DD on the likelihood of being handcuffed is nearly 6.5% percentage points higher than people without I/DD; similarly, the average effect of being I/DD on the likelihood of being detained is also nearly 7.5% percentage points higher than people without I/DD. Our findings point to officers’ perceptions of danger and safety (i.e., the danger imperative) during encounters with individuals with I/DD, creating disparate experiences with low levels of use for force for this population.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040120

Authors: Jianmin He Mohd Rustam Mohd Rameli

This study evaluates how life stress acts as a catalyst for network anomie (online deviance) among college students, specifically examining the mediating influence of anxiety sensitivity. Through a quantitative framework, data were gathered from 612 undergraduates utilizing the Life Stress Scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Inventory, and the Network Anomie Behaviour Scale. Initial findings confirmed that digital deviance is relatively prevalent across the cohort. Demographic analyses revealed distinct patterns: male respondents and single-child participants experienced elevated punishment-related stress and engaged more frequently in online infringement. Furthermore, academic performance demonstrated a clear polarization effect; students at both extremes of the academic spectrum—particularly those in the lowest 5%—exhibited the most pronounced anomic behaviors. Regression models identified life stress, notably the punishment dimension, as a strong positive predictor of online norm violations. Additionally, anxiety sensitivity serves as a partial mediator in this dynamic, accounting for 7.78% of the overall effect. Ultimately, these results characterize life stress as a critical environmental vulnerability that directly fosters network anomie while indirectly aggravating these behaviors by elevating student anxiety.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040119

Authors: Romana Andò Leonardo Campagna

This article examines the resurgence of a series of diverse practices from mending and sewing, to embroidery, knitting and crochet, which are traditionally situated in broader debates about gender and domestic labor but also care work, everyday life, and sustainability. While recently reframed as feminist and eco-conscious practices, these crafts have only been partially explored in their material, symbolic, and emotional aspects due to their association with the feminine and domestic sphere, their invisibility within public discourse, and the stigma attached to repair in consumer capitalist societies. Drawing on an ethnographic study conducted between 2023 and 2025, the research examines the intergenerational transmission of these skills within eleven Italian families. Semi-structured dyadic interviews were carried out with at least two members of each family, predominantly women, exploring learning processes, everyday uses, emotional meaning, and their influence on clothing consumption. Findings reveal a complex and discontinuous trajectory of transmission, shaped by gender expectations, class dynamics, and shifting cultural meanings: while older generations often learned these crafts out of necessity and social obligation, younger generations approach them as creative hobbies, tools for self-expression, or forms of sustainable consumption. Across generations, however, the crafts emerge as powerful affective languages through which care, memory, and relational bonds are materialized in clothing.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040118

Authors: Simone Ciaccioni Youngjun Lee Laura Capranica André Urban Rachel May Sara Massini Flavia Guidotti

Crises such as pandemics, displacement, climate change, and economic downturns disrupt grassroots sport, undermining participation, equity, and resilience. This umbrella review synthesised evidence on strategies that sustain and adapt community sport participation during crises. Following PRISMA 2020, a protocol was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420251132267). PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO were used as sources, and eligible studies were selected: systematic reviews on grassroots or community sport in crisis contexts. Methodological quality and evidence certainty were assessed using established appraisal frameworks (AMSTAR-2, GRADE, and CERQual). Fifteen reviews (2021 to 2025) were included, spanning health, climate, economic, and displacement crises. Overall certainty of evidence was low. Quantitative evidence showed moderate certainty that psychosocial interventions reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms among youth during COVID-19. Qualitative syntheses provided moderate confidence that organisational safeguarding, culturally tailored programmes, instructor role modelling, and collaborative community approaches support participation and resilience. Conceptual and policy reviews offered frameworks for governance, sustainability, and crisis management, although confidence in these syntheses was generally low–moderate. Across evidence types, recurrent strategies included community-driven and culturally tailored programmes, digital or hybrid delivery, infrastructural and environmental adaptations, and integration of sport within broader sustainability and crisis-recovery policies. This umbrella review integrates heterogeneous evidence to identify key organisational and policy strategies capable of strengthening resilience and equitable participation in grassroots sport during periods of societal disruption.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040117

Authors: Francisco Escario-Sierra Victoria Sanagustin-Fons Jose A. Moseñe-Fierro

The search for sustainable practices in the tourism industry has opened new horizons in a polluting industry. This study explores astrotourism in the region of Aragon, Spain, considering Allan Schnaiberg’s environmental theory, which points out that as society becomes more industrialized, individuals become increasingly disconnected from nature and develop a sense of alienation from the natural world, leading to a longing for reconnection and deep experiences. The hypothesis postulates that astrotourists reflect the current trend of seeking knowledge-enriching, emotional, and nature-based experiences. Analyzing 407 astrotourists visiting the region’s attractions, we explore their profiles and travel motivations, uncovering subtle differences in prior knowledge, changing perspectives, and sociodemographic. The findings inform destination policies, marketing strategies, and management practices. The research outlines a structured profile encompassing sociodemographic, tourist behaviors, and assessments of Aragon’s astrotourism. This profile sheds light on astrotourists’ motivations, attitudes, and consumption patterns, serving as a foundation for future research and tailored experiences. This study contributes to understanding the dynamics of astrotourism and its implications for the evolution of astrotourists’ preferences.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040116

Authors: Enikő Kovács-Szépvölgyi Brigitta Molnár Bernadett Szakács

This study examines how European Union Member States address cyberbullying affecting children through legal and policy frameworks, paying particular attention to children’s rights. It employs a qualitative, document-based comparative methodology, applying a harmonized codebook to analyze definitional, legal, preventive, and reactive responses across all 27 EU Member States. The analytical framework is grounded in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, the EU Strategy on the Rights of the Child, the Better Internet for Kids (BIK+) initiative, and the Digital Services Act, which serve as normative benchmarks. Coding draws on EU-level harmonized sources, including Joint Research Centre outputs and the 2025 BIK policy reports, and aggregates the findings into a composite structural indicator capturing the formal regulatory and policy coverage of cyberbullying from a child rights perspective. The results indicate a high level of formal regulatory attention in most Member States, particularly regarding criminal law protection, educational prevention, and institutional reporting mechanisms. However, child-specific and child-friendly elements—such as explicit cyberbullying definitions, adapted reporting procedures, and tailored civil law remedies—remain uneven and limited. The study concludes that, despite comprehensive formal regulation, significant gaps persist in the integration of child-centered and access-to-justice-oriented mechanisms, underscoring the need for strengthened child rights approaches and further research on implementation and children’s lived experiences.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040115

Authors: Maria Schneller Michael Bedek Eva De Lera Otilia Kocsis Jonas Seier Dietrich Albert

Civic online participation platforms offer valuable opportunities to involve citizens in local governance and benefit from collective intelligence. Yet, vulnerable groups, such as older adults, people with disabilities, and the less educated, are often underrepresented in online political engagement. Aiming to empower these citizens to raise their voice online, we conducted two studies using an inclusive-by-design approach for developing an online civic engagement platform. In the first study, 39 individuals from two digitally low-performing European countries were surveyed about functions and features that would motivate and support their online participation. In the second study, focus groups with 13 digital and AI experts identified technical and informational requirements for effective use of the features desired by citizens. Our findings show the wishes for accessible, unbiased and secure AI-driven civic engagement platforms with transparency and user education about AI tools. In particular, chatbots require clear disclaimers and user guidance. Once citizens have been involved in the technical design process, both technical and informational feature preferences must be taken into account to avoid access and usability barriers or misunderstandings during the platform’s use. This is important to facilitate participation, especially for citizens from vulnerable groups.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040114

Authors: Irena Dimova Plamen Tsvetkov Mihal Pavlov

This study explores the digital competence of foreign language teachers in Bulgarian secondary education by focusing on the institutional context of which they are a part, the strengths and gaps of their competence, and their levels of competence. It draws upon empirical data that were collected and analyzed within an integrated, dual-instrument framework, combining the SELFIE (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the Use of Innovative Educational Technologies) and SELFIE for TEACHERS (Self-reflection on Effective Learning by Fostering the Use of Innovative Educational Technologies for Teachers) EU-aligned assessment tools. The results from the questionnaire data show that the foreign language teachers state that they work in a relatively good technological environment and evaluate the usage of digital technologies for teaching and communication purposes within the school context as a salient aspect of their digital competence. The results also reveal three areas in the study participants’ digital competence that are in need of improvement: (1) empowering learners/personalizing the educational process, (2) assessment and (3) facilitating learners’ digital competence. In addition, the findings indicate that the foreign language educators rate their digital competence at a low to medium level. By blending institutional and teacher-oriented perspectives into a single integrated study of Bulgarian secondary school foreign language teachers, this investigation extends the existing research and makes evidence-based recommendations for institutional capacity building, teacher education policy and targeted professional development aimed at improving the educators’ digital competence.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040113

Authors: Margarita Calderón Elizabeth Martínez

This study examines how pre-service teachers construct pedagogical knowledge to promote equity in school settings through reflection and research from an intersectional gender perspective. Situated within current debates on gender, interculturality, and social justice in teacher education, the study explores how pre-service teachers develop critical awareness of inequality and envision transformative practices. Using a qualitative design, three reflective workshops were conducted with students from Early Childhood and Elementary Education programs in Chilean universities. Thematic analysis identified nine principal codes, which were later organized into four analytical domains: knowledge construction, interculturality and inclusion, gender practices, and intersectional meanings. Results show that participants conceive teaching as a political and ethical practice linked to community engagement, democratic coexistence, and affective responsibility. They also challenge traditional gender roles by proposing co-care and collective well-being as foundations for equitable education. Furthermore, intercultural and situated pedagogies emerge as key strategies for connecting theory with practice and validating diversity within the classroom. Participants demonstrate emerging forms of intersectional and gender awareness, questioning the feminization of teaching and proposing notions of co-care and collective well-being that transcend binary gender norms. They also value intercultural and contextual pedagogies, emphasizing empathy, recognition of diversity, and the validation of students’ origins and trajectories.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040111

Authors: Özlem Dağlı Gökbulut Burak Gökbulut Mustafa Yeniasır

This study, which aimed to instill values effective in developing social adaptation skills in students with special needs through traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games, employed an action research model within a qualitative research design. The participants in the study were 5 students with mild intellectual disabilities aged 9 to 12. In the first step of the two-stage implementation plan, data were collected by having the students play traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games, selected by the researchers and containing the relevant values, three times a week. In the second step, on the day following the game phase, the students’ acquisition of the target value was assessed through worksheets containing activities prepared by the researchers, which covered the basic points related to the target value. The aim was to instill 8 core values through applications that continued for a total of 5 weeks. After the completion of the application phase, a one-week break was given. During this period, the aim was to determine the short-term retention level of the targeted values. After a one-week follow-up, the researchers evaluated whether the students had learned the relevant values permanently in the short term through visuals and texts. The findings of this study, in which traditional Turkish Cypriot children’s games were practiced three times a week for five weeks, show that the games positively contributed to the learning of the targeted values and that the children adopted these values. However, the findings reflect only short-term retention; longer-term follow-up studies are needed to assess the long-term internalization of the values.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040112

Authors: Tamara Taggart Simone Sawyer Connor Mitchell Marcy S. Ekanayake-Weber Robert W. Faris Nisha O’Shea Luz E. Robinson Belinda Woodard Wan-Chen Lin Yinuo Xu Yutong Gao Kate Nyhan Dorothy L. Espelage

Structural racism and discrimination (SRD) is a fundamental cause of health inequities that emerge during adolescence and persist throughout adulthood. This scoping review systematically synthesizes the evidence on policy and community-level interventions designed to disrupt SRD exposure among Black adolescents and mitigate its impact on their health behaviors and outcomes. Following PRISMA-ScR guidelines, we searched five databases for peer-reviewed intervention studies published through October 2025. Of 3417 abstracts screened, 9 studies met inclusion criteria. We examined the study characteristics, theoretical frameworks, implementation strategies, and effectiveness of interventions targeting three primary mechanisms of SRD exposure for adolescents. The majority focused on neighborhood and social integration interventions, with limited representation of resource-based and school-based approaches. Culturally grounded, community-engaged interventions buffered SRD’s negative effects on mental health, empowered youth as change agents, and removed structural barriers to health-promotive resources. The review identified several gaps in the research, including methodological and theoretical rigor, geographic contexts, and follow-up. Findings underscore the potential of culturally grounded, multilevel interventions to reduce inequities across mental health, physical health, and social outcomes for Black youth. This review highlights the need to expand systems-level interventions that address the root causes of the persistent racial health inequities experienced by Black youth.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040109

Authors: Gareth Davey

The call to decolonize our teaching, research, and universities is gaining momentum, and change begins with our everyday actions. In this concept paper, I advance critical reflective praxis—grounded in critical race theory, decolonial thought, and Indigenous studies—as a heuristic for identifying and challenging colonialism, Eurocentrism, racism, and other biases and systems of power across the entire research process, and for moving beyond critique into praxis. I also advance research as a site of praxis, and I argue for reconceptualizing praxis as praxis-in-motion, and for diagnostically evaluating praxis rather than assuming it is inherently ethical. To exemplify the process of critical reflective praxis, I evaluate a travel-based study I conducted about urban health and sustainable development in northeast Thailand that utilized the Moving Worlds Framework (also known as the travelogue methodology), a critical and decolonial approach to research that positions travel as a dynamic condition of knowledge production. In this evaluation, critical reflective praxis is operationalized as a whole-of-process intervention, embedding critical analysis, reflexivity, accountability, and praxis throughout the research process, based on social justice perspectives. My analysis demonstrates how bias can infiltrate research planning, design, methods, representation, and publication, even within decolonial methodological approaches. Critical reflective praxis is proposed as an evaluative and diagnostic tool for evaluating research and praxis.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040110

Authors: Ebru Ger Sura Ertaş

Framing—how issues are communicated—can influence attitudes. This study examined (1) the impact of value-framing on attitudes toward homosexuality among Turkish university students in 2012 and 2024, (2) cohort differences over time, and (3) socio-demographic predictors. Participants were 199 psychology students (161 female; M age = 21). Attitudes were most positive after equality framing, followed by neutral, then morality framing. Cohorts did not differ in overall attitudes. Morality framing led to significantly less positive views than neutral framing. Positive attitudes were associated with being female, higher parental education, and having more gay friends (for women) or lesbian friends (for men). Findings highlight the negative impact of morality framing and suggest that personal and social factors shape attitudes toward homosexuals.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040108

Authors: Yue Xu Liya Lin Yu-Shiuan Sun

Background: Chinese immigrant families of autistic children in the United States face intersecting barriers related to language, culture, immigration, and fragmented service systems. Yet little is known about how Chinese immigrant parents engage in advocacy or how such efforts relate to disability and human rights. Methods: This qualitative study draws on in-depth interviews with fourteen Chinese immigrant parents of autistic children across multiple U.S. regions. Data were triangulated with analyses of publicly recorded advocacy events and parent-produced textual materials. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to examine motivations for advocacy, advocacy practices, and structural, linguistic, and cultural constraints. Results: Advocacy rarely emerged as an intentional or identity-driven pursuit. Instead, parents were compelled into advocacy through institutional exclusion, service denial, and unmet care needs. Parents engaged in diverse forms of advocacy, including migration, negotiation within institutions, information translation, community-building, and grassroots organizational leadership. Cultural norms shaped advocacy strategies, producing quiet, relational, and collective forms of action often overlooked in dominant rights-based models. Conclusions: Interpreted through a disability justice lens, parental advocacy functions as burdened and unequally distributed labor compensating for systemic failures. Findings underscore the need for institutional reforms that reduce reliance on families’ capacity to fight for access, dignity, and care.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040107

Authors: Manuel Gámez-Guadix Estibaliz Mateos-Pérez

The use of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) in academic contexts has expanded rapidly in recent years, yet limited evidence exists regarding its prevalence across educational levels or its association with psychological and academic variables among adolescents and young adults. This exploratory study aimed to examine the prevalence of GenAI use for learning-related academic purposes among pre-university and university students, including gender differences, and to analyze its relationship with self-esteem, self-efficacy, academic confidence, and academic anxiety. The sample comprised 1043 participants aged 13 to 23 years (M = 16.16, SD = 2.42; 59.1% female) who completed self-report measures. Structural equation modeling was conducted controlling for gender, age, and Internet use. Overall, 95% of students reported using GenAI for academic purposes, with higher usage among university than pre-university students and among female than male students. GenAI use was significantly associated with higher academic anxiety, although the effect size was small, and no significant associations were observed with the remaining variables. These findings suggest that while GenAI use is widespread, its associations with psychological and academic variables appear to remain limited.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040106

Authors: Ali F. Almutairi Jonathan Pils Nazeer Muhammad Shafiullah Khan

The establishment of AI ethics bylaws in academia is needed for teaching, learning, and assessment. The adaptive parameters of these bylaws define the ethical, pedagogical, and operational standards for the use of artificial intelligence tools within academia. The main aim is to ensure that AI tools are used to enhance educational practices while preserving human judgment, safeguarding academic integrity, and promoting critical thinking. Specifically, these are intended to mentor all domains of academia to uphold the core values of fairness and transparency while adapting to the advent of modern technologies. While many are enthused by the support provided by large language models, it is also important to prevent over-reliance or misuse of AI technologies. This establishes clear responsibility for faculty, students, and administration. These significant bylaws pay more attention to these issues to provide a foundation for good governance, evaluation, and amendment of AI-related practices. To provide normative insight into the anticipated reception of these bylaws, we conducted a small exploratory pilot study with STEM faculty. The resulting observations offer preliminary indications of the feasibility of the proposed method for future research and policy development.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040105

Authors: Lorena Suárez Alvarez José M. Álvarez-Alvarado Avatar Flores Gutiérrez Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz

Gender-based violence in public transportation is a global phenomenon that restricts women’s rights and autonomy. Most of the documentation relies on harassment and physical aggression, but the subtle internalized mechanisms that reproduce gender inequities remain insufficiently analyzed. This study involves the concept of symbolic violence as an analytical category to unveil how resignation and normalization of violence perpetuate gender power relations and limit women’s mobility. A cross-sectional survey of 263 women aged 15–60 was conducted in Querétaro, Mexico, a rapidly growing city with significant mobility challenges. The questionnaire included items on perceptions of safety, violent experiences, responses to acts of violence, and prevention strategies. An inductive–abductive analysis was implemented to construct empirical indicators derived from Bordieu’s concept of symbolic violence and habitus. Findings reveal that fear, avoidance, and self-regulation are normalized responses to violence in public transport. Women implement strategies such as changing routes, limiting night travel, or increasing their expenses to access safer options. Six empirical indicators were identified: perceived insecurity as normality, resignation to harassment, bodily and emotional self-regulation, preventive reorganization of mobility, personal costs of safety, and collective inaction. In conclusion, the study demonstrates how symbolic violence operates through behaviors, actions, perceptions, and thoughts that reproduce inequities. Operationalizing symbolic violence provides a methodological and conceptual tool to advance gender equality and inform gender-sensitive mobility policies.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040104

Authors: Hugo Ordoñez Cristian Ordoñez Carlos Cordoba Luis Revelo

This study identifies and explains road safety behavior patterns in Colombia using explainable artificial intelligence (XAI). Based on 9232 records and 38 variables from the Territorial Survey of Road Safety Behavior, the CRISP-DM methodology was applied, including data cleaning, normalization, encoding, and feature selection. XGBoost, Random Forest, Bagging, and AdaBoost models were evaluated, incorporating three domain-specific indices: Distraction Index (DI), Risky Road Interaction Index (RRI), and Normative Compliance Index (NCI). AdaBoost achieved the best overall balance (Precision = 0.78; Recall = 0.75; F1-score = 0.77), simultaneously reducing false positives and false negatives. SHAP analysis revealed that environmental and infrastructure factors (lighting, traffic signals, intersections, congestion, perceived crime) explain more variance than self-reported behaviors (mobile phone use, alcohol consumption, speeding). The complementary indices indicated above-average distraction levels, high exposure to risky interactions, and low compliance in specific segments. These findings enable the prioritization of targeted interventions (improvements in lighting and crossings, focused enforcement, and educational campaigns) and support operation with thresholds adjusted to error costs, providing traceable decision support for public road safety policies. Overall, the proposed approach integrates prediction and explainability to enable actionable decisions and continuous monitoring aimed at reducing traffic accidents.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16040103

Authors: David Alonso González Andrés Arias Astray Juan Brea-Iglesias Susana Muñoz Hernández

In conditions of liquid modernity, marked by accelerated technological change, the virtualization of essential services, and the erosion of stable institutional support, digital participation in later life is less a matter of initial access than of continuously renegotiating engagement within unstable socio-technical environments. While established technology adoption models such as TAM, UTAUT, and STAM have provided robust explanations of cognitive and age-related determinants of adoption, they remain limited in accounting for the relational processes through which technological engagement is learned, stabilized, and sustained over time. This article advances a relational perspective on technology appropriation by foregrounding the role of warm experts—trusted informal supporters who mediate learning, interpretation, and adaptation in everyday contexts. Moving beyond dyadic understandings of assistance, the paper conceptualizes mediation as a distributed ecology of roles embedded within relational networks that both enable and constrain digital inclusion. Building on this perspective, the study proposes the Relational Technology Appropriation Model (RELTAM) as a general multi-level architecture integrating individual determinants, relational mediation processes, and network-level support configurations within a dynamic framework of appropriation. The Relational (Older Adult) Technology Appropriation Model (REL(OA)TAM) is introduced as a context-specific instantiation of this broader framework, calibrated to the distinctive conditions of later life. By incorporating temporal instability and mediation ecologies as structural components, REL(OA)TAM offers a socially grounded account of digital inclusion as an ongoing process of adaptive negotiation within the fluid and uncertain conditions of liquid modernity.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030102

Authors: Rosario Palese

This article examines how artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems are reconfiguring truth regimes in digital societies, introducing the concept of “Artificial Truth” to describe an emerging form of epistemic governance where knowledge production and validation become infrastructural functions of sociotechnical systems. The study develops an integrated theoretical framework combining Foucault’s notion of truth regimes, Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic capital and fields, and Actor-Network Theory’s constructivist approach. Through conceptual analysis, the article investigates how algorithmic recommendation systems, generative AI, and automated fact-checking operate as epistemic devices that actively shape what is recognized as credible, authoritative, and true in public discourse. The analysis reveals three fundamental transformations: (1) the restructuring of trust economies, with epistemic authority shifting from institutional expertise to platform-native capital based on engagement metrics and affective proximity; (2) the emergence of generative AI as an epistemic actor producing “synthetic truth” through linguistic fluency rather than propositional understanding; (3) the institutionalization of computational veridiction in algorithmic fact-checking systems that translate situated epistemic judgments into probabilistic classifications presented as neutral. These dynamics configure a regime where truth is evaluated less by correspondence with reality and more by computational plausibility and platform integration. The article’s primary contribution lies in providing a unified theoretical framework for understanding contemporary transformations of epistemic authority, moving beyond disinformation studies to analyze AI as an epistemic actor. By integrating classical sociological perspectives with Science and Technology Studies, it conceptualizes algorithmic systems as epistemic infrastructures that embody specific power relations, restructure symbolic capital economies, and distribute epistemic authority asymmetrically, with profound implications for democratic knowledge, citizen epistemic agency, and public sphere pluralism.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030101

Authors: Laria-Maria Trusculescu Ramona Amina Popovici Alexandra Enache Aniela Roxana Noditi-Cuc Adina Feher Dana Emanuela Pitic Sorina Enasoni Diana-Mihaela Corodan-Comiati Andreea Mihaela Kis

Universities play a strategic role in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through community engagement, particularly within medical education. This study examines medical students’ involvement in volunteering activities and evaluates how such engagement contributes to SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 4 (Quality Education). A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 499 students from the Victor Babeș University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Timișoara, using a structured questionnaire assessing perceived community impact, soft skills development, motivation for volunteering, sustainability orientation, and institutional support. Results indicate a high level of availability and prior participation in volunteering, reflecting strong internalization of public health and social responsibility values. While no significant differences were observed between volunteers and non-volunteers regarding perceived community impact (SDG 3), volunteer experience was significantly associated with higher levels of soft skills development and motivation (SDG 4). Strong positive correlations were identified between perceived community impact and motivational, educational, and sustainability related dimensions. The intensity of involvement was modestly associated with sustainability orientation and institutional support. Despite high motivation, students reported limited structured institutional frameworks for sustained engagement. The findings suggest that medical volunteering functions as a dual mechanism, strengthening professional competencies while reinforcing community health orientation. Institutionalizing structured outreach programs, particularly in underserved areas, could enhance long-term impact and align medical education more effectively with the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030100

Authors: Elitsa Dimitrova Apolinaras Zaborskis

Background: Immigrant adolescents experience distinct risk and protective factors related to substance use; however, cross-national differences between immigrant and native-born youth remain insufficiently understood. This study examines differences in the prevalence of psychoactive substance use between immigrant and non-immigrant 15-year-old adolescents and assesses the protective role of family support across Europe, Central Asia, and North America. Materials and Methods: Data were drawn from nationally representative samples of the 2021/2022 WHO Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey, including 15-year-olds from 32 countries, representing Belgium by two separate regions (n = 66,400). Outcomes included cigarette smoking, electronic cigarette use, alcohol consumption, drunkenness, and cannabis use in the past 30 days. Key predictors were immigrant status and family support. Multilevel analyses incorporated country-level indicators, including the proportion of immigrant youth and the Inclusiveness Index, and were adjusted for sex and family affluence. Results: Substantial cross-national variation in substance use prevalence was observed. Immigrant adolescents were more likely to smoke cigarettes, use electronic cigarettes, and use cannabis, whereas alcohol consumption was more common among non-immigrant adolescents. However, in countries with a low proportion of immigrant youth (<5%), immigrant adolescents showed an elevated likelihood of engaging in all forms of psychoactive substance use, including alcohol consumption. Low family support emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of substance use across all outcomes. Conclusions: Immigrant adolescents living in countries with low immigration rates constitute a particularly vulnerable group facing increased risk of substance use. Family support is protective against adolescent substance use for both immigrant and non-immigrant youth, with the strongest effect for alcohol use in low-immigration contexts.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030099

Authors: Carina Kuenz Belinda Mahlknecht Tabea Bork-Hüffer

While school bullying has received substantial academic attention, the specific roles of teachers as (co-)perpetrators or bystanders in (cyber-)bullying dynamics remain markedly underexplored—particularly in the Austrian context. This article foregrounds pupils’ perception of teachers’ involvement in (cyber-)bullying. Drawing on feminist perspectives and insights from digital and gender(-queer) geographies, as well as interdisciplinary (cyber-)bullying research, it explores how pupils perceive teachers’ involvement in bullying dynamics and how they believe it shapes the perceived severity, trajectories, and outcomes of (cyber-)bullying. In doing so, the article contributes a specific but underexplored perspective on power and violence in schools. The analysis is based on 41 written narratives produced by young people attending upper secondary vocational colleges in Austria. The findings reveal that pupils subjectively perceive teachers as taking on various roles in (cyber-)bullying dynamics, including preventers, (silent) accomplices, defenders, outsiders, and (co-)perpetrators. In these accounts, teacher involvement in bullying reinforces power hierarchies, intensifies victimisation, and intersects with peer bullying dynamics, creating a complex system of interrelated influences. The study highlights the intersectional nature of discrimination and bullying, showing how pupils’ identities are entangled with their embodied experiences of both teacher- and peer-perpetrated bullying. These findings suggest an urgent need for spatially and structurally informed reforms in school policies and teacher training programmes to address teacher-perpetrated bullying, raise awareness of teachers’ responsibility in peer bullying dynamics, and foster safer, more inclusive learning spaces for pupils in Austria.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030098

Authors: Makoto Nakakita Tomoki Toyabe Wakuo Saito Naoki Kubota Teruo Nakatsuma

Delayed marriage and non-marriage have become increasingly important issues in Japan, where marriage remains closely related to household formation and well-being. This study examines which sociodemographic characteristics are associated with being married and how marital status correlates with economic conditions, health behaviors, subjective well-being, and COVID-19-related measures. Using annual panel data from 2014 to 2022, we first conducted descriptive comparisons between married and non-married individuals and then estimated a Bayesian panel logit model with respondent-specific effects to account for unobserved heterogeneity. The analysis was designed to identify associations rather than causal effects. The results showed the strongest positive associations with being married for individuals aged 30–49 years, consistent with delayed marriage. Employment attributes such as holding side work and managerial positions were positively associated with marriage, whereas nonprofit employment and self-employment were negatively or imprecisely associated. Financial assets and total debt were positively correlated with marriage, consistent with joint household formation. Higher happiness and life hope were positively associated with being married; regular exercise and longer weekend sleep were negatively associated, whereas longer weekday sleep was positively associated. In addition, respondent-specific effects revealed substantial heterogeneity beyond observed covariates. These findings identify key socioeconomic and behavioral domains associated with marriage in Japan, highlight the importance of unobserved heterogeneity, and provide evidence that may help identify groups prone to delayed marriage under changing social and economic conditions.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030097

Authors: Amelda Pramezwary Juliana Juliana Nonot Yuliantoro Meitolo Hulu Fransiskus Xaverius Teguh

Religious tourism is an evolving form of cultural and spiritual mobility that connects faith, community identity, and sustainable destination development. Despite its growing significance, few studies have examined service quality in pilgrimage contexts using the 4A framework (attraction, accessibility, amenities, and ancillary services), particularly in developing regions. This qualitative study explores how the 4A dimensions shape service experiences and sustainability practices in religious tourism across three Catholic pilgrimage sites in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia: Goa Maria Golo Koe, Goa Maria Golo Kaca, and Goa Maria Rekas. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted with ecclesiastical leaders, including a diocesan priest and the Archbishop; key informant interviews with government and tourism actors; focus group discussions with local communities; and non-participatory field observations. The findings show that spiritual attraction remains the primary driver of pilgrim motivation, reinforced by local traditions and collective devotion. However, accessibility, amenities, and ancillary services are constrained by inadequate infrastructure, fragmented governance, and limited service standards. Despite these challenges, community voluntarism and the Church’s moral leadership help preserve the sanctity and authenticity of visitor experiences. This study introduces a Sacred Service Framework that integrates faith-based ethics with the 4A model to support sustainable, inclusive, and spiritually grounded religious tourism management.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030096

Authors: Oluwaseyi B. Ayeni Isabella Musinguzi-Karamukyo Oluwakemi T. Onibalusi Oluwajuwon M. Omigbodun

This paper argues that digital identity in AI-mediated environments has become a central mechanism through which contemporary societies organise recognition, participation, and belonging. Digital identity is no longer simply a technical representation of the individual. It is produced through infrastructural processes of classification, ranking, and credibility signalling that determine who becomes visible, who is treated as legitimate, and who is able to participate meaningfully in social and civic life. The paper develops a conceptual framework that treats AI-driven platforms as social infrastructures rather than neutral intermediaries. It shows how identity is inferred through data-driven systems rather than negotiated through social interaction, how recognition is operationalised through visibility and credibility metrics rather than ethical judgement, and how participation becomes conditional on algorithmic allocation of attention rather than guaranteed by access alone. Visibility is identified as the key conversion point through which inferred identity becomes social consequence. Drawing on interdisciplinary literature, the analysis demonstrates that misrecognition, exclusion, and inequality in platform environments are not primarily the result of isolated error or intentional bias. They are patterned outcomes of ordinary optimisation processes that distribute legitimacy and opportunity unevenly across social groups. These dynamics reshape group formation, harden social boundaries, and concentrate risk among populations that are already more vulnerable to misrecognition and reduced contestability. The paper concludes that governing digital identity is a societal challenge rather than a purely technical one. As platforms increasingly perform institutional functions without equivalent accountability, digital identity governance becomes a critical site of social ordering. Addressing this challenge requires public standards for how visibility, recognition, and participation are allocated, meaningful avenues for contestation, and protections against the normalisation of stratified belonging in AI-mediated societies.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030095

Authors: Erica B. Edwards Manasseh Cudjoe

Academic literature often frames African girls through a lens of sexual and reproductive vulnerability, with limited attention to their self-defined experiences. This study used photovoice methodology to explore how Ghanaian girls living in Nima, a neighborhood in Accra, represent their lives. Drawing on Afro-feminism and Black Girlhood Studies, the study engaged six girls in a participatory process of documenting perceptions of their lives through photographs, artists’ statements, and interviews. Thematic analysis of their visual and narrative data produced a counternarrative of girls’ lives in Nima, offering a multifaceted vision emphasizing intergenerational bonds between women and girls, and national, cultural, and spiritual pride. By centering Ghanaian girls’ voices, this study calls for a reimagining of how African girlhood is represented in social research. It affirms youth-voice knowledge production as vital to more just and accurate scholarship.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030094

Authors: Hazem Ahmed Khairy Wagih M. E. Salama

This study examines how digital technologies are reshaping customer–brand relationships and contributing to social change in the hospitality sector by humanizing brands in the digital age. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory (SET), the research investigates how brand anthropomorphism—enabled and amplified through digital interfaces—fosters perceived empathy and customer engagement, ultimately driving hotel brand evangelism. Using survey data from 466 customers of five-star hotels in Egypt, the study employs PLS-SEM with WarpPLS v.8 to test the proposed framework. The findings demonstrate that brand anthropomorphism significantly enhances perceived empathy and customer engagement, with perceived empathy partially mediating the relationship between anthropomorphism and engagement. Customer engagement, in turn, partially mediates the effect of anthropomorphism on brand evangelism. Crucially, perceived technological empowerment strengthens both the impact of brand anthropomorphism on customer engagement and the influence of engagement on brand evangelism. These results highlight the pivotal role of digital technologies in transforming customer–brand exchanges from transactional interactions into socially embedded, trust-based relationships. By integrating emotional, relational, and technological dimensions, the study extends SET to digitally mediated service contexts and contributes to broader debates on technology-driven social change. Managerially, the findings offer guidance for hospitality organizations seeking to design empathetic, human-like, and technologically empowering service experiences that foster customer advocacy in the digital era. By conceptualizing brand evangelism as a form of digitally mediated social influence, this study advances understanding of how micro-level customer behaviors contribute to social change in contemporary hospitality service ecosystems.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030093

Authors: Tomasz Jurys Karolina Krupa-Kotara Beata Nowak Zofia Spandel Joanna Szołtysek Mateusz Grajek

Procrastination is commonly conceptualized as a maladaptive self-regulatory failure associated with impaired performance and reduced control over task execution. However, recent research suggests that procrastination may also assume a functional form, referred to as active procrastination, characterized by intentional delay combined with preserved control and effectiveness. The present study aimed to examine the relationship between the level of procrastination and perceived control over academic tasks among psychology students, as well as to explore differences according to gender, study level, and mode of study. A quantitative cross-sectional pilot study was conducted using an online self-report survey administered to 300 psychology students aged 18–30 years from universities in southern Poland. An author-developed questionnaire with good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.84) was used to assess procrastination behaviors, perceived task control, and self-reported academic functioning. The results indicated a high prevalence of procrastination behaviors alongside high levels of declared task control, timely task completion, and satisfaction with task quality. Women reported significantly lower levels of procrastination than men, while no significant differences were observed with respect to study level or mode. The findings support the existence of a functional paradox of procrastination and provide evidence consistent with the concept of active procrastination, suggesting that perceived control may buffer the negative consequences of delaying academic tasks.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030092

Authors: Priscilla Gutura

This paper presents qualitative findings from a broader study conducted with beneficiaries of social assistance grants in Nkonkobe Municipality, South Africa, guided by Amartya Sen’s Capability Approach and a Feminist Political Economy perspective. It specifically examines the impact of the Child Support Grant (CSG) on women residing in rural areas with limited economic opportunities. Drawing on the narratives of twenty-five female beneficiaries, the study explores the grant’s role beyond child welfare outcomes. Despite its small monetary value, the CSG demonstrated significant and unintended transformative effects. Within contexts of persistent poverty, unemployment, and inequality, the grant contributed to alleviating household hardship and enhancing women’s empowerment. Participants reported increased economic agency, autonomy, and decision-making capacity. The CSG also served as a critical resource for women seeking to exit abusive relationships by providing a measure of financial independence, often lacking among survivors of domestic violence. These findings contribute to broader debates on welfare services as tools for equality, diversity, and democracy, highlighting the CSG’s potential to advance gender empowerment and social inclusion. However, the grant alone remains insufficient to ensure sustainable economic security. The paper recommends that the CSG be strengthened through increased value and complemented by active labour market interventions that promote women’s economic participation.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030091

Authors: Uldarico Inocencio Aguado-Riveros Luis Enrique Espinoza-Quispe Ciro Liberto Santillán-Enciso Manuel Silva-Infantes Yamill Alam Barrionuevo-Inca-Roca Saúl Nilo Astuñaupa-Flores Luis Alberto Poma-Lagos Javier Amador Navarro-Véliz Vicente González-Prida

This study examines whether administrative simplification is associated with stronger document-management practices in a district-level local government organization, and why this matters for societal outcomes such as transparency and more equitable access to public services. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional, non-experimental design, we surveyed officials and administrative staff with validated Likert-type instruments (62 items for administrative simplification; 17 items for document management) and tested associations using Spearman’s rho. Results show a positive, modest relationship between simplification and document management (ρ ≈ 0.37; p < 0.001). Stage-level analyses indicate consistently positive correlations, with stronger associations in later, institutionalization-oriented stages (implementation, monitoring/evaluation, continuous improvement, and sustainability). The study contributes to debates on administrative burden and digital-era governance by linking staged simplification efforts to the organizational backbone of records flows. Practically, findings suggest that resource-constrained municipalities can improve governance quality by treating document management not as a back-office function but as an enabling infrastructure for user-centered services, accountability, and compliance with digital-government guidance. Limitations include the single-organization design and reliance on staff perceptions; future research should test citizen-level outcomes and service-equity effects.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030090

Authors: Sabri Öz M. Çağrı Pehlivanoğlu Mustafa Emre Civelek Adnan Veysel Ertemel

Rapid advances in automation, artificial intelligence, and Industry 4.0 technologies have intensified concerns about job displacement and reshaped employment relations globally. While technological unemployment has been widely examined, its psychological dimension—technological unemployment anxiety—remains fragmented and relatively underexplored in the literature. This study conducts a bibliometric analysis of 930 articles published between 2001 and 2025 and indexed in the Web of Science database to map the intellectual structure and thematic evolution of research on technology-related employment, including anxiety-related dimensions. Using keyword co-occurrence, collaboration mapping, and thematic clustering, this study identifies a gradual shift from macro-level economic discussions toward micro-level concerns, including job insecurity perceptions, employability expectations, and worker well-being. The findings indicate that post-pandemic digital acceleration has intensified individualized forms of workplace anxiety within contemporary workplaces. The novelty of this study lies in explicitly positioning technological unemployment anxiety as a distinct analytical construct, rather than a secondary outcome of technological change, thereby extending existing bibliometric research. The results offer insights for scholars and provide practical implications for policymakers and organizational actors seeking to address technology-driven anxiety in the emerging post-digital ecosystem.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030089

Authors: Ncumisa Makabeni Herring Shava

This study examines whether moral identity, perceived environmental responsibility, and locus of control predict green consumption behaviour among young consumers. Adopting a quantitative approach, the study follows an explanatory research design grounded in the positivist paradigm. Primary data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire delivered to respondents aged 18–35 years. Descriptive statistics were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 30, while inferential analysis was conducted using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) via SmartPLS 4. The findings suggest that moral identity and perceived responsibility for environmental damage are significant predictors of green consumption among youth. In contrast, locus of control shows a weak, statistically insignificant association with green consumption behaviour. After controlling for demographic variables, including gender, age, race, education, occupation, and income, the results indicate that only education level and race make significant contributions to the model. Notably, the effect of moral identity becomes insignificant once demographic factors are considered, while locus of control remains insignificant. However, perceived environmental responsibility not only retains its significance but also demonstrates a strengthened effect on green consumption behaviour. These findings highlight the persistence of the attitude–behaviour gap in sustainable consumption among young consumers, particularly in rural contexts. The study contributes to the literature by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour through the incorporation of moral and psychological constructs within a rural African setting. Practically, the study offers insights for policymakers, educators, and marketers, emphasising the importance of environmental education, moral reinforcement, and targeted behavioural interventions to enhance youth participation in sustainable consumption practices.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030088

Authors: Avital Cayam Elazar Ben-Lulu

Curbing pornography consumption is the subject of keen debate and the object of numerous social efforts. The methods of structuring the discourse on combatting pornography use reveal a wide range of sociocultural views. This study utilizes semiotic and textual analyses of videos and advertisements (ads) dedicated to preventing pornography use in the secular and religious sectors of the Israeli Jewish public, which illuminates the differing perceptions and social norms among these groups. To this end, we conducted a comparative study of ads aimed at both audiences. By analyzing their symbolic representations and the rhetoric emerging from their content, we discovered that, while the prohibition narrative for the observant religious public centers on pornography use negatively impact the individual’s environment (their relationship family and community), the ads designed for viewing by the secular public focus on the individuals themselves. Thus, divergent socio ethical perspectives on the use of pornography emerge, illuminating how individuals relate to both their environment and their sense of self. The present study teaches us how different communities adapt words and symbols to convey social messages, particularly those associated with charged issues such as sexuality.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030087

Authors: Diena M. Lemy Juliana Juliana Henricus Kurniawan Elang Kusumo Reagan Brian

Overtourism has intensified socio-environmental pressures in popular destinations, raising concerns about ethical responsibility and sustainable behavior among tourism actors and visitors. In this study, we explored how environmental awareness and ethical values shape behavioral intentions under overtourism pressure by combining a systematic literature review with qualitative field data from Bali. Through a PRISMA-based review of 100 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2015 and 2024, we synthesized evidence on environmental ethics, responsible tourism, and pro-environmental behavioral mechanisms. The review reveals that increasing scholarly attention is being paid to ethical norms, emotional engagement, and contextual constraints but shows that there is limited empirical understanding of how these factors are experienced in practice by local actors and domestic tourists. To address this gap, qualitative interviews were conducted with three key stakeholders, including accommodation and tourism service providers, and 10 domestic tourists. Thematic analysis identifies three interrelated mechanisms influencing behavioral intention: (a) recognition of environmental risk and destination vulnerability, (b) ethical reasoning and sense of collective responsibility, and (c) structural barriers shaped by convenience, economic pressures, and weak governance. While participants express strong environmental awareness and moral concern, behavioral intentions are often constrained by limited information, the perceived ineffectiveness of individual actions, and a lack of regulatory enforcement. This study contributes to the sociological literature on sustainable tourism by elucidating how ethics and awareness translate into intention under overtourism pressure. We report the practical implications for ethical communication, stakeholder collaboration, and participatory governance.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030086

Authors: Viviana Fernandez

This research challenges the macro-centric narrative of crisis management by examining the socially embedded responses of small business owners during the global COVID-19 pandemic. While the literature frequently prioritizes the structural resilience of large firms, this study utilizes a novel conceptual framework to analyze how social networks, collective identities, and normative motivations shaped the adaptation strategies of over 27,000 entrepreneurs across 43 countries. Our analysis reveals that entrepreneurial agencies are deeply tied to interpersonal influence; expectations for future opportunities were significantly molded by peer effects, while the social contagion of nearby business closures exacerbated perceived impediments to growth. Furthermore, the study highlights a critical divergence based on entrepreneurial identity: family and purpose-driven actors—whose logic is rooted in social stability—suffered a more pronounced decline in innovation following income shocks compared to their wealth-driven counterparts. Finally, the study quantifies a significant structural shift in the entrepreneurial pipeline. While the pandemic triggered a 1.5% increase in potential entrepreneurs (reflecting a shift in societal aspirations), it caused a 2.3% contraction in emerging entrepreneurs, signaling a breakdown in the transition from individual intent to formal social organization. These findings suggest that crisis adaptation is not merely a financial calculation, but a complex negotiation of social support systems, peer-group benchmarking, and institutional trust.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030085

Authors: Nadia Lilova-Zhelyazkova Milena Ilieva

Intercultural Competence (IC) has gained prominence as a strategic priority in higher education; however, the socio-emotional mechanisms through which it develops in structured short-term academic mobility remain underexplored. This qualitative study addresses this gap by examining the intercultural learning experiences of undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students from Trakia University, Bulgaria, who participated in a two-week winter academic program in Zhuhai, China, hosted by the Beijing Institute of Technology. Employing a triangulated qualitative design that combines semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and content analysis of institutional discourse, the study foregrounds emotional regulation as a central process underpinning intercultural competence development. The findings indicate that navigating culturally unfamiliar situations and “disorienting dilemmas” within a multicultural co-living environment facilitated stable behavioral adaptations, including active listening, reflective pausing, empathy, and tolerance. These adaptations supported emotional well-being by reducing uncertainty and fostering a sense of belonging and psychological safety within the multicultural learning community. Repeated emotional engagement with cultural difference enabled participants to internalize values of openness and mutual respect, contributing to the formation of intercultural attitudes that extended beyond the immediate learning context. These processes functioned as a feedback loop through which intercultural competence became integrated into participants’ emerging personal and professional identities. The study demonstrates that even short-term academic exchanges, when pedagogically structured and emotionally immersive, can foster meaningful intercultural learning, leadership readiness, and professional orientation. By highlighting emotional regulation as a pathway to emotional well-being (belonging and psychological safety) and to identity integration, the findings contribute to broader social science discussions on student well-being and identity formation in transnational higher education.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030084

Authors: Anne-Marie Day

Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those defined as ‘neurodiverse’ are significantly over-represented in the English and Welsh youth (juvenile) justice system (YJS). Evidence points to a number of significant challenges in neurodiverse children’s lives before entering the justice system that increase the likelihood of criminalisation. Then, once in the youth justice system, they encounter further challenges that are both harmful and arguably inconsistent with their human rights. This paper discusses research showing that neurodiverse children often have their rights compromised both prior to and throughout their involvement with the youth justice system. The concluding section of the paper will focus on best practices and recent developments in England and Wales that seek to close the rights gap for this group of children. It is hoped that, by considering both the advances and challenges in England and Wales, the paper will provide a useful case study for international jurisdictions seeking to close this gap for neurodiverse children in youth justice systems.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030083

Authors: Wan Mohd Muhiyuddin Wan Ibrahim Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki Sharifah R.S. Dawood Su Jinxia

Universities and governments are steadily recognising international students as strategic assets due to their contributions to cultural exchange, global visibility, and economic growth. However, international higher education institutions continue to face challenges in delivering contextually relevant curricula, particularly in disciplines related to urban development, such as urban planning, architecture, landscape architecture, geography, and urban management. In these fields, international graduates must navigate complex professional environments shaped by local regulations and socio-cultural norms in their home countries. Accordingly, this study examined the post-graduation employment experiences of international graduates in disciplines related to urban planning and development. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with eleven master graduates (2010–2024) employed in their home countries, data were subjected to analysis using inductive thematic analysis in NVivo 15. Through iterative comparison, the following five major themes were identified: (1) nature of the studied discipline, (2) curriculum design, (3) job classification, (4) employment location, and (5) job culture ecosystem differences. Findings revealed a tension between globally oriented training and locally grounded job expectations. Graduates often face difficulties applying international academic models to local practices, undervaluation of qualifications, and challenges in cultural and professional reintegration. Nonetheless, many leverage their international exposure to introduce innovative solutions, sustainability principles and cross-cultural perspectives in local urban projects. The study highlights the need for context-sensitive curricula and institutional support to bridge global knowledge and domestic employment systems. Such efforts are forecasted to enhance graduate employability whilst reinforcing Malaysia’s position as a competitive higher-education hub in the Asia–Pacific region.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030082

Authors: Michael Gerlich

Generative artificial intelligence increasingly mediates how individuals interpret information, perform cognitive tasks, and participate in economic and political life. While such systems promise efficiency and expanded access to knowledge, their societal effects are unevenly distributed. This article develops the concept of societal bifurcation to explain an emerging structural divergence between a cognitively resilient minority, capable of integrating AI reflectively, and a cognitively dependent majority, whose reliance on automated interpretation reduces interpretative autonomy. Drawing on contemporary empirical evidence from cognitive science, labour research, and human–AI interaction studies, the article shows how unstructured AI use diminishes metacognitive monitoring and inflates confidence, while labour-market restructuring amplifies differences in adaptability and resilience. These cognitive and economic dynamics interact with an increasingly fragile democratic information environment shaped by synthetic communication and declining epistemic trust. The article argues that these processes form a self-reinforcing sociotechnical mechanism through which cognitive dependency, economic inequality, and democratic vulnerability become mutually constitutive. By conceptualising societal bifurcation as a distinct analytical framework, the article contributes to sociological and science and technology studies debates on inequality, agency, and governance in AI-mediated societies, while highlighting the importance of sustaining interpretative autonomy in the age of generative AI.

Societies doi: 10.3390/soc16030081

Authors: Ashley S. Membreno Lopez Camrynn Cutchin Bayan Haseem Danielle May Cara Green Jonathan Livingston Christopher L. Edwards

Despite the growing recognition of social factors that underlie health disparities in historically disenfranchised populations, the health and well-being of Latinas remain underexplored in the extant literature. There are several key challenges for this population, including access to healthcare, mental health disparities, and cultural practices that contribute to Latina health outcomes. By identifying both barriers and protective factors, we will posit solutions based on an ecologically valid understanding of the nuances of Latina health. We will advocate for interventions, based on research, which can reduce disparities and promote health equity for this underserved population. This paper aims to bridge this gap by examining the existing literature concerning health disparities in Latinas to uncover the unique factors that influence health outcomes of this population with a focus on social, cultural, economic, and environmental determinants.