Journal Description
Social Sciences
Social Sciences
is an international, open access journal with rapid peer-review, which publishes works from a wide range of fields, including anthropology, criminology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology and so on. Social Sciences is published monthly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), RePEc, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (General Social Sciences)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 27.7 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 5.3 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
1.7 (2022)
Latest Articles
Navigating the Post-Pandemic Normal: Learning from the Experiences of Cyprus-Based Female Researchers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 280; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060280 - 22 May 2024
Abstract
The article addresses the new normal for female researchers in the post-pandemic era by utilising information collected from the pandemic period, when disruption to ‘business as usual’ occurred. This information can inform a new normal that is as efficient, resilient, and ethical as
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The article addresses the new normal for female researchers in the post-pandemic era by utilising information collected from the pandemic period, when disruption to ‘business as usual’ occurred. This information can inform a new normal that is as efficient, resilient, and ethical as possible. The research employs a case study methodology, with qualitative data collection and analysis approaches. To understand the circumstances faced by researchers in Cyprus during the pandemic, it was necessary to approach several scientists from different research areas and try to understand their experiences through conversations. The set of notes compiled from the completion of the informal conversations were analysed using thematic analysis. Three themes were identified: (a) misperceptions of flexibility in researchers’ schedules and workload, (b) lack of flexibility in adjusting expected outcomes or timelines, and (c) inability to compartmentalise personal and professional life. To better contextualise these findings, the study additionally explored survey results published by the European Commission on relevant topics, enabling a critical juxtaposition of the European perspective to the Cyprus-based findings of these pandemic-induced challenges. The study highlights significant misconceptions and overlooked dynamics regarding research conducted in times of crisis and offers avenues for ensuring research quality in analogous future scenarios.
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(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
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Revisiting the Claims of Past Medical Innocence and Good Intentions
by
Janik Bastien Charlebois
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060279 - 22 May 2024
Abstract
Medical professionals usually reject critiques of deferrable treatments that alter the sex characteristics of infants and children without personal informed consent on the grounds that intersex adults’ experiences reflect ‘obsolete’ practice. However, past practice is also protected from criticism by claiming ‘good intentions’,
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Medical professionals usually reject critiques of deferrable treatments that alter the sex characteristics of infants and children without personal informed consent on the grounds that intersex adults’ experiences reflect ‘obsolete’ practice. However, past practice is also protected from criticism by claiming ‘good intentions’, a commitment to the child’s best interest and context-dictated constraints on medical practice. I first examine foundational literature of the Optimal Gender Policy to verify the presence of statements of interests or motives, I then collect affect displays to identify motives, and I observe attitudes to clitoridectomy. Affect displays point to motives that are relevant in interpretive sociology, as they allow access to cultural or institutional dispositions when justification talk has not been provided. While a statement of interest is absent from the foundational literature, I identify the following affect displays: (1) unease and disgust; (2) attachment to heteronormativity, as well as three kinds of gratification or pleasure rewards; (3) power pleasure; (4) surgical pleasure; (5) and cosmetic pleasure. As surgical action appeases some of these affects and nourish others, previous medical professionals had interests that were their own and not centred on the children. Examination of attitudes to clitoridectomy reveals that clinicians were aware of the (phallo)clitoris’ importance to sexual pleasure but dismissed it, further invalidating claims that past practice was based on children’s best interest.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Selected Papers from Centring Intersex: Global and Local Dimensions—International Conference)
Open AccessArticle
Exploring the Relationships between Personality and Psychological Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Pro-Environmental Behaviors
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Maria Chiara Pino, Marco Giancola, Marta Sannino, Simonetta D’Amico and Massimiliano Palmiero
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 278; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060278 - 22 May 2024
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Background: Research in psychology has attempted to identify the main predictors and strategies that are useful to promote well-being. Although personality has been recognized as one of the main determinants of well-being, the primary mechanisms involved in this relationship are not fully disclosed.
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Background: Research in psychology has attempted to identify the main predictors and strategies that are useful to promote well-being. Although personality has been recognized as one of the main determinants of well-being, the primary mechanisms involved in this relationship are not fully disclosed. This research addressed the impact of pro-environmental behaviors in the interplay between the Big Five (openness, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism) and psychological well-being (eudaimonic). Methods: A total of 176 young adults (mean age = 21.55 years; SD age = 1.76 years; 114 F; mean education = 14.57 years; SD = 2.11 years) participated in this study. The participants were requested to complete a short battery of self-report questionnaires, including the Big Five Inventory-10, the Pro-environmental Behavior Questionnaire, and the Psychological Well-being Scale. Results: The results revealed that pro-environmental behaviors only mediated the association between agreeableness and eudaimonic well-being (B = 2.25, BootSE = 1.26, BootCIs 95% [0.149, 5.050]). Conclusions: These findings contributed to identifying the potential mechanisms through which personality contributes to individual eudaimonic well-being, also providing insights into the development of promoting interventions based on eco-sustainable behaviors. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
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Open AccessArticle
Experiencing Negative Racial Stereotyping: The Case of Coloured People in Johannesburg, South Africa †
by
Amanuel Isak Tewolde
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060277 - 21 May 2024
Abstract
Scholars examining racial stereotyping and prejudice in racially organised social systems have largely focused on how non-White ethnic and racial groups experience racial stereotyping in White-majority national contexts such as the US, Australia and European countries. There is only scant scholarship on experiences
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Scholars examining racial stereotyping and prejudice in racially organised social systems have largely focused on how non-White ethnic and racial groups experience racial stereotyping in White-majority national contexts such as the US, Australia and European countries. There is only scant scholarship on experiences of ethno-racial communities in Black-majority countries such as South Africa, a country where Whites are a minority. Even though there is ample scholarly work on racial stereotyping of racial groups in South Africa such as Coloured people, much of it is focused on their experiences during colonial and Apartheid eras. Little is understood about how Coloured people experience racial stigmatisation in post-Apartheid South Africa. This paper addresses this gap. Based on interviews with fourteen Coloured participants from Westbury, Johannesburg, this study found that many interviewees claimed that Coloured South Africans were negatively racially stereotyped as people who use drugs, as aggressive and violent people, as alcoholics and as criminals. Many participants also resisted and countered the negative stereotypes by talking about Coloured people in positive ways,which shows their agency. The negative stereotyping of Coloured people which prevailed during colonial and Apartheid times is still deployed by society to describe Coloured people in post-Apartheid South Africa. To capture the continuity of negative stereotyping in South Africa about Coloured people, I developed the analytical term of perpetual racial stereotyping. Many decades after the end of the Apartheid system, negative racial stereotyping of Coloured South Africans still continues in everyday life, and Coloured people are still associated with racist prejudices, narratives, discourses and stereotypes that were invented many decades ago by settler colonialism and Apartheid.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
BMI Is Bunk, but Fat Women Are Diseased: The Hypocrisy of “The Normal (White) Man”
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Sabrina Strings and Caryn Bell
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 276; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060276 - 21 May 2024
Abstract
“Obesity”, is defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. Yet the tool, BMI, has been shown to be flawed in its weight classing. BMI categories were made by relying nearly exclusively on data about middle-class white males, creating “the normal (white)
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“Obesity”, is defined as a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 30. Yet the tool, BMI, has been shown to be flawed in its weight classing. BMI categories were made by relying nearly exclusively on data about middle-class white males, creating “the normal (white) man”. Yet, BMI continues to be used as a diagnostic tool, and is increasingly deployed to stigmatize fat persons as “diseased”. This has critical implications for women—especially Black women and Latinas—who have some of the highest BMIs in the country. But, despite the consternation over the size of the bodies women of color have, there are nearly no studies to date examining the relationship between BMI and rates of chronic illness by race and gender. In this study, we examined the associations between BMI and type 2 diabetes (T2D) for women across race in comparison to white men. Relying on 20 years of NHANES data, we found that while Latinas and Black women were nearly 3 times and over 5 times as likely to have T2D than white men, respectively, the association between BMI and T2D was significantly weaker for Latinas than for white men. The association between BMI and T2D was markedly weaker for Black women. This study shows that racial and gendered health disparities cannot be explained by differences in rates of “obesity” as defined by a white male norm.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chronic Health Conditions and Bodies: Methods, Meanings, and Medicine)
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Open AccessReview
Influence of Cognitive Factors on Adherence to Social Distancing and the Use of Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic by Young Adults: A Systematic Review
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Marina Almeida-Silva, Graça Andrade, Tamara Luis, Margarida Santos and Ana Grilo
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050275 (registering DOI) - 20 May 2024
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Social distancing and the use of masks are crucial to prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2. Knowledge of the determinants of this behavior is essential to promote effective communication with the public in future public health crises that require mass public compliance with preventive
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Social distancing and the use of masks are crucial to prevent the spread of SARS-COV-2. Knowledge of the determinants of this behavior is essential to promote effective communication with the public in future public health crises that require mass public compliance with preventive behaviors. This systematic review focused on scientific evidence related to cognitive factors that underlie the intention of young adults’ intention to adhere to preventive social behavior (distancing and/or the use of facial masks) against COVID-19. A systematic literature search on the electronic database, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO was performed in December 2022 according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines. The PEO (Population: young adults, Exposure: COVID-19, and Outcome: cognitive factors that underlie the intention of young adults to adhere to social distancing and/or the use of facial masks) was developed to identify search terms and inclusion/exclusion criteria. Eight studies met the eligibility criteria. None of the studies were seriously flawed according to the quality assessment, and they were considered to have a low risk of bias for selection. Several cognitive determinants emerged in the analysis. For both social distancing and the use of masks, the most relevant factors related to adherence include risk perception and perceived severity, the moral value of fairness, social responsibility, trust in the government, respect for authority, and the quality of institutional communication. Adherence to social distancing was found related to self-efficacy. These results reinforce social cognitive models showing the relevance of cognitions to adherence behavior, and highlight the responsibility of official institutions in the development of contexts and in adapting the communication for the effective promotion of adherence to the recommendations they launch.
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Open AccessArticle
Age and Burnout: The Mediating Role of Emotion-Regulation Strategies
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Bianca Mendes and Isabel Miguel
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 274; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050274 - 20 May 2024
Abstract
In the context of an aging workforce, this study explores the interaction between age, burnout, and emotion-regulation strategies (ERS). Despite recognized challenges in managing age diversity and employee well-being, the direct impact of age on burnout and the mediating role of ERS remain
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In the context of an aging workforce, this study explores the interaction between age, burnout, and emotion-regulation strategies (ERS). Despite recognized challenges in managing age diversity and employee well-being, the direct impact of age on burnout and the mediating role of ERS remain unexplored. Analyzing data from 604 Portuguese workers (aged 18–65), this study utilizes a mediation model to investigate if age is directly related to the main problems that affect the workforce presently, focusing specifically on burnout and the role that emotion-regulation abilities (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) have in controlling the burnout effects (measured by emotional exhaustion and disengagement). The findings indicate that age does not have a straightforward linear relationship with burnout or ERS choice. Although age alone does not significantly influence burnout outcomes, ERS markedly impacts these outcomes, suggesting that factors beyond age predominantly drive ERS selection and effectiveness in managing burnout. This study emphasizes the critical role of ERS in influencing burnout, suggesting the importance of equipping workers with effective emotion-regulation skills to mitigate burnout risks. Further research is warranted to disentangle the complex interrelations among age, burnout, and ERS in organizational contexts.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Emotional Labor, Stress, and Well-Being: Components of the Sustainability and Dignity of Work)
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Open AccessArticle
Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Role of Efficacy Beliefs
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Ivana Vrselja, Lana Batinić and Mario Pandžić
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 273; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050273 - 20 May 2024
Abstract
Efficacy beliefs are important determinants of human behavior. In the context of social cognitive theory, the perception of collective efficacy is closely related to the individual perception of self-efficacy, which is influenced by socio-structural factors such as socioeconomic status (SES). Surprisingly, the relationship
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Efficacy beliefs are important determinants of human behavior. In the context of social cognitive theory, the perception of collective efficacy is closely related to the individual perception of self-efficacy, which is influenced by socio-structural factors such as socioeconomic status (SES). Surprisingly, the relationship between these variables has received little attention in the literature on environmental issues. Within the framework of social cognitive theory, the aim of this study was to investigate whether SES has a direct effect on pro-environmental behavior and whether it has an indirect effect via perceptions of self-efficacy and collective efficacy, in relation to climate change mitigation behavior. An online cross-sectional study was conducted using a quota sample of 1075 participants (51.9% women) aged 18–79 years. Participants reported their SES using objective and subjective measures, perceptions of their own and collective efficacy in mitigating climate change, and the frequency of their pro-environmental behaviors. Structural equation modeling revealed that the model with serial mediation effects of self-efficacy and collective efficacy between SES (both objective and subjective) and pro-environmental behaviors showed a good model fit. As expected, both objective and subjective SES had no direct effect on pro-environmental behavior. Surprisingly, neither objective nor subjective SES had an indirect effect (via efficacy beliefs) on pro-environmental behavior. However, both self-efficacy and collective efficacy were associated with pro-environmental behavior. These findings have practical implications for the development of strategies aimed at enhancing pro-environmental behavior.
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(This article belongs to the Section Social Economics)
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Inclusive Education through Digital Comic Creation in Higher Learning Environments
by
Jose Belda-Medina
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 272; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050272 - 19 May 2024
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This research aims to promote diversity and inclusion among higher education students by examining the integration of technology into project-based learning (PBL) for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates. Based on a mixed-methods approach and convenience sampling (n = 84
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This research aims to promote diversity and inclusion among higher education students by examining the integration of technology into project-based learning (PBL) for English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher candidates. Based on a mixed-methods approach and convenience sampling (n = 84 participants), this study involved pre-service teachers who collaboratively employed several authoring tools to create 16 digital comic strips for teaching English. The focus of the project was on inclusivity, cultural diversity, and affective education. This study consisted of five stages corresponding to different critical thinking skills: comprehension, negotiation, creation, presentation, and evaluation. The instruments used for quantitative data included a pre/post-survey based on two validated scales. Qualitative data were gathered through class discussions and semi-structured interviews. The results, analyzed through SPSS and QDA Miner Lite, revealed that teacher candidates lacked prior experience using digital tools to create EFL-inclusive materials. However, the study also highlighted increased awareness of inclusive education and strong advocacy for the integration of transformative technology in teacher training programs.
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Open AccessArticle
Lived Expertise in Homelessness Policy and Governance
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Anna Kopec and Alison Smith
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050271 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
Lived expertise (LE) is a valuable form of expertise that can lead to more effective policymaking. Existing research points to important mechanisms for where and how to include LE. It also offers lessons around the potential exclusionary effects such mechanisms may have. In
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Lived expertise (LE) is a valuable form of expertise that can lead to more effective policymaking. Existing research points to important mechanisms for where and how to include LE. It also offers lessons around the potential exclusionary effects such mechanisms may have. In this article, we bring the discussions together and ground them in the Canadian case of homelessness. Failures in Canadian homelessness governance and policy highlight the utility of LE where it has been included, but we also find that its prevalence is unknown. Recent mechanisms including LE are still limited and their influence is questioned. We insist that the inclusion of LE cannot be haphazard or merely a nod to its value. Rather, it requires careful and considerate inclusion that centers LE throughout the policy process, encourages its influence and innovation, and embeds mechanisms for its long-term involvement within governance structures.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Populations Rendered ‘Surplus’ in Canada)
Open AccessArticle
Sex Differences in the Influence of Relationships on Adolescent Offending
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Sara Zedaker, Ashley K. Fansher and Amanda Goodson
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050270 - 17 May 2024
Abstract
The impact of romantic relationships during the adolescent period has received significantly less attention in the literature compared to the influence of romantic relationships during adulthood. Specifically, how these influences may differ between females and males. As such, the current study uses four
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The impact of romantic relationships during the adolescent period has received significantly less attention in the literature compared to the influence of romantic relationships during adulthood. Specifically, how these influences may differ between females and males. As such, the current study uses four waves of data from the Pathways to Desistance study to examine how elements of romantic relationships, including relationship quality, monitoring, and antisocial influence, affect adolescent delinquent behaviors by sex. Results indicated several important findings regarding the desistance effects of romantic relationship quality, monitoring, and antisocial influence on adolescent violent and non-violent offending, and these varied widely by sex. Limitations, future research, and policy recommendations are discussed.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Violence, Crime and Juvenile Justice)
Open AccessSystematic Review
Arts and Humanities Education: A Systematic Review of Emerging Technologies and Their Contribution to Social Well-Being
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Nancy Usca, Mariela Samaniego, Carlos Yerbabuena and Isaac Pérez
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050269 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to identify the most applied emerging technologies in the field of arts and humanities, exploring their advantages and potential obstacles. The research results aim to contribute to social and cultural well-being by enhancing the understanding and application
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The purpose of this study is to identify the most applied emerging technologies in the field of arts and humanities, exploring their advantages and potential obstacles. The research results aim to contribute to social and cultural well-being by enhancing the understanding and application of these technologies in cultural, linguistic, and artistic domains. Through a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA protocol, using search strings in two scientific databases, 158 studies were obtained that helped address the research questions posed. The findings indicate that, in arts and humanities, emerging technologies such as virtual reality, the Internet of Things, and mobile learning are transforming creativity, teaching, and management. Identified benefits include interactive, collaborative, and innovative learning, as well as increased accessibility to education. However, challenges such as a lack of digital skills among educators, deficiencies in infrastructure, and resistance to change highlight the need for training programs and overcoming obstacles for effective implementation of these technologies in arts and humanities education. It is concluded that the integration of emerging technologies in the fields of arts and humanities presents an opportunity to promote digital intervention in social well-being, as well as to stimulate creativity and cultural exploration. These initiatives facilitate the dissemination and appreciation of cultural heritage, while also promoting community participation and strengthening an ever-evolving cultural identity.
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(This article belongs to the Section Social Policy and Welfare)
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Europeanisation in the Field of Housing: Its Areas of Influence, Different Approaches, Mechanisms, and Missing Links
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Jorge Afonso and Paulo Conceição
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050268 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
Housing has been, and continues to be, a central concern of economic, geographical and political research, as well as of social debates. It is worth noting that the European Union (EU) does not possess exclusive or shared competence in the field of housing.
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Housing has been, and continues to be, a central concern of economic, geographical and political research, as well as of social debates. It is worth noting that the European Union (EU) does not possess exclusive or shared competence in the field of housing. Rather, its influence is the result of policies in other areas. Building on the call in the literature to examine both Europeanisation and housing studies, we present and discuss the areas of the EU’s influence—economic, environmental, legal, political, social, and urban. The literature shows that these influences have resulted from different shifts in the European agenda, with different approaches (top-down, bottom-up) and mechanisms (legislative, economic and fiscal, cognitive), creating conflicting housing narratives. In conclusion, future research should focus on understanding the influences of member states as well as the intersection between housing and other policy areas. Additionally, the distribution and transfer of power in decision-making within the EU should be examined, as well as the strategic interactions between (housing) political actors from different member states and EU institutions, and the consequences of such interactions.
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Open AccessArticle
COVID-19: Uses and Perceptions of Music during Lockdown from a Gender Perspective
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Cristina Arriaga-Sanz, Alberto Cabedo-Mas, Antoni Ripollés-Mansilla and Lidón Moliner-Miravet
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050267 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
Starting in the middle of March 2020, various lockdown measures and degrees of confinement were put in place in most European countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this situation meant that more people were likely to experience poorer mental health,
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Starting in the middle of March 2020, various lockdown measures and degrees of confinement were put in place in most European countries as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although this situation meant that more people were likely to experience poorer mental health, largely due to the imposition of social distancing measures, many individuals incorporated music into their coping routines to help improve their psychological well-being. Using a gender perspective, this study analyzes how individuals used music during lockdown and explores the differences between men’s and women’s views on the impact that listening to and making music has on their perceived level of well-being. A questionnaire, MUSIVID19, was administered to a sample of 1868 participants from all the autonomous regions in Spain. The results reveal that in the uses and perceptions of music, the stereotypes underlying the patriarchal system were also reproduced during confinement.
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(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)
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Open AccessArticle
Mediatised Participation: Citizen Journalism and the Decline in User-Generated Content in Online News Media
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Simón Peña-Fernández, Ainara Larrondo-Ureta and Irati Agirreazkuenaga
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050266 - 16 May 2024
Abstract
The second generation of web tools shook the journalist profession approximately two decades ago with the proactive incorporation of audiences into the media. Citizen journalism and user-generated content arose as an object of interest due to the democratising value of participation attributed to
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The second generation of web tools shook the journalist profession approximately two decades ago with the proactive incorporation of audiences into the media. Citizen journalism and user-generated content arose as an object of interest due to the democratising value of participation attributed to them, with empowered citizens who could emulate the professional and institutional practises of journalists. However, difficulties soon came to the surface, and audience participation in news media began to be limited. Within this context, this article conducts a critical review of studies on audience participation in news media based on a systematic literature review. The results indicate that, in general, audiences showed low interest in the creation of informative content and that their participation has grown increasingly problematic. In addition, journalists are reticent as they defend their professional role above all else, while company strategies have prioritised making participation profitable. For this reason, the idea of citizen journalism that offers user-created content through the media appears to be a thing of the past, with many characteristics that could define it as a failed innovation. Therefore, the text concludes that audience participation in the media could be defined as mediatised participation.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Digital Journalism: Issues and Challenges)
Open AccessArticle
Centering Women of Color: Chronic Vulvovaginal Pain (CVVP) Communication
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Olivia R. Adams, Amanda N. Gesselman and Margaret Bennett-Brown
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050265 - 15 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Black and white women describe their chronic vulvar pain (CVVP) symptoms differently, indicating a patient–provider communication deficit. This may contribute to the diagnostic delay commonly reported by patients with CVVP and/or pelvic pain. Methods: A pilot study demonstrated CVVP terminology differences between
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Background: Black and white women describe their chronic vulvar pain (CVVP) symptoms differently, indicating a patient–provider communication deficit. This may contribute to the diagnostic delay commonly reported by patients with CVVP and/or pelvic pain. Methods: A pilot study demonstrated CVVP terminology differences between women of color and white women. The present study (N = 488) includes a sample of predominantly cisgender women who identified their race/ethnicity as Black, Hispanic/Latinx, Native American/American Indian, and/or Asian. Participants reported how they describe their CVVP, their healthcare experiences, and characteristics of their diagnostic journey. Results: Descriptions of CVVP were not uniform. Instead, there was great variability in how women described their pain across racial/ethnic identities and pain contexts (e.g., sexual activity, menstrual product use, and pelvic exam). Some pain experiences and descriptors were associated with healthcare outcomes related to diagnostic delay. Conclusions: This study sheds light on the pain communication experiences of women of color with CVVP, an understudied population within the broader CVVP literature. By resisting white and non-white comparative methodologies, this study demonstrates the applicability of intersectionality principles to the study of CVVP and contributes to the existing literature regarding pain communication, race, and ethnicity.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Chronic Health Conditions and Bodies: Methods, Meanings, and Medicine)
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Open AccessArticle
Burnout among Retail Workers in Spain: The Role of Gender, Personality and Psychosocial Risk Factors
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Susana Rubio-Valdehita, Eva María Díaz-Ramiro, Ana María Rodríguez-López and Wei Wang
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050264 - 14 May 2024
Abstract
This study examines the direct and interaction relationships between personality traits, psychosocial risk factors, and burnout among male and female workers in the retail sector in Spain. Through a cross sectional design involving 667 participants (241 men, 426 women), it employs self report
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This study examines the direct and interaction relationships between personality traits, psychosocial risk factors, and burnout among male and female workers in the retail sector in Spain. Through a cross sectional design involving 667 participants (241 men, 426 women), it employs self report questionnaires to measure these variables. In addition to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the MBI (burnout), NEO-FFI (personality), CarMen-Q (cognitive, temporal, emotional, and performance demands), and DECORE (support, control, and rewards) were administered. Results indicate that women exhibit higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Results from stepwise multiple regression confirmed that personality traits directly impact burnout dimensions and psychosocial risk factors. Specifically, neuroticism and emotional job demands significantly influence emotional exhaustion, while depersonalization correlates with neuroticism, agreeableness, temporal demands, and organizational support. Personal accomplishment links with extraversion, interacting with temporal demands in men and cognitive demands in women. Individuals high in neuroticism and low in extraversion tend to perceive elevated emotional job demands, leading to intensified emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The study confirms that personality traits and working conditions affect burnout differently for men and women.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Open AccessArticle
Ecofeminism and the Cultural Affinity to Genocidal Capitalism: Theorising Necropolitical Femicide in Contemporary Greece
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Anastasia Christou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050263 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
Resilient necrocapitalism and the zombie genre of representations of current dystopias are persistent in their political purpose in producing changes in the social order to benefit plutocracies around the world. It is through a thanatopolitical lens that we should view the successive losses
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Resilient necrocapitalism and the zombie genre of representations of current dystopias are persistent in their political purpose in producing changes in the social order to benefit plutocracies around the world. It is through a thanatopolitical lens that we should view the successive losses of life, and this zombie genre has come to represent a dystopia that, for political purposes, is intended to produce changes in societies which have tolerated the violent deaths of women. This article focuses on contemporary Greece and proposes a theoretical framework where femicide is understood as a social phenomenon that reflects a global gendered necropolitical logic which equals genocide. Such theoretical assemblages have to be situated within intersectional imperatives and tacitly as the result of the capitalist terror state performed in an expansive and direct immediate death, exacerbated by the lingering slow social death of the welfare state. The article contends that the scripted hetero-patriarchal social order of the necrocapitalist state poses a unique political threat to societies. With the silence of the complicity of the state, what is necessary is the creation and spread of new political knowledge and new social movements as resilient political tactics of resistance. This article foregrounds an ecofeminist perspective on these issues and considers ways through which new pedagogies of hope can counter the gendered necropolitics of contemporary capitalism in Greece.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feminist Solidarity, Resistance, and Social Justice)
Open AccessArticle
The Mediating Effect of Post-Traumatic Growth on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Distress in Adults
by
Sara Caetano and Henrique Pereira
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050262 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and are associated with psychological distress. Some studies indicate facing these adversities can lead to post-traumatic growth. This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on psychological distress and post-traumatic growth
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Background: Research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and are associated with psychological distress. Some studies indicate facing these adversities can lead to post-traumatic growth. This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on psychological distress and post-traumatic growth and to determine the mediating effect of post-traumatic growth between ACEs and psychological distress, in a sample of adults. Methods: In this study, there were 521 participants (mean = 31.32, SD = 12.28), who answered the following surveys online: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family ACE Questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Results: ACEs were positive and significant predictors of psychological distress, and the “Change in the perception of the self and life in general” factor of post-traumatic growth was the strongest predictor of lower perceived psychological distress. Post-traumatic growth did not mediate the relationship between ACEs and psychological distress. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the improvement of clinical practice and health policies and highlight the need for a more in-depth understanding of the impact of ACEs on mental health.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Systemic Causes of Adverse Childhood Experiences)
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Open AccessArticle
The More Democracy, the Better? On Whether Democracy Makes Societies Open
by
Cristian López
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050261 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
It is a common view that Popper’s defense of the open society has been a defense of Western, liberal democracies. This seems to imply that by fostering democratic institutions we are ipso facto fostering open societies. I criticize this view by arguing that
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It is a common view that Popper’s defense of the open society has been a defense of Western, liberal democracies. This seems to imply that by fostering democratic institutions we are ipso facto fostering open societies. I criticize this view by arguing that in-built incentives in democratic mechanisms move us away from (or hamper) the open society. Democracy promotes voters’ ignorance, indulges voters’ irrationality, and allows voters to externalize costs. This is contrary to well-informed, rational decisions and personal responsibility that lie at the fundamentals of the open society. I suggest that it has been free-market capitalism, or free-market societies, which has moved us closer to the ideal of the open society and which best realizes open society’s values.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Open Society 2.0: Democracy in the Age of Social Media and Populism)
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