Soc. Sci., Volume 12, Issue 7 (July 2023) – 58 articles

This study focuses on exploring the factors influencing individuals’ preparedness for disasters. Drawing upon the protection motivation theory (PMT) and the prototype willingness model (PWM), a conceptual framework was proposed to investigate the determinants of willingness to prepare for disasters and its impact on disaster preparedness. Data was collected through an online survey, involving 377 participants with disabilities and medical special needs residing in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV). The collected data was analyzed using generalized structural equation modeling (GSEM) to examine the associations among the selected study variables. The findings indicate that both coping appraisal and threat appraisal significantly influence individuals’ willingness to prepare for disasters, which, in turn, has a notable impact on disaster preparedness. Recognizing the significance of disaster preparedness in building resilience and effectively responding to and recovering from disasters, it is crucial to acknowledge the importance of the willingness component in these efforts to cope effectively with future extreme events. Full article

This article presents a theoretical framework for analysing the findings derived from the Diversity Barometer, a longitudinal study that collected data on immigration and diversity-related topics in Swedish society from 2005 to 2022. This article examines attitudes towards immigrants and migration in Sweden and how the historical context of Swedish race relations and structural racism shapes these attitudes. Specifically, the article focuses on attitudes regarding immigrants’ social rights and responsibilities, workplace diversity, cultural diversity, and spatial segregation. Our findings and analysis demonstrate how structural racism manifests itself through attitudes towards individuals with immigrant backgrounds in Sweden. Research has also revealed the pervasive nature of racial discrimination across various aspects of Swedish society, contributing to a divided society based on racial markers. However, the findings also show complexity in how Swedes’ attitudes toward immigrants are to be understood when they do not follow a simple horizontal division between Swedes and immigrants. Instead, it appears as an intricate vertical division where immigrants, their culture and their labour are accepted, albeit in a subordinate manner. Full article

The severity of the socio-economic, political, and ecological damage caused by forest fires each year requires action plans for disaster risk reduction (DRR). Despite efforts made to incorporate participatory mechanisms into risk governance, much of the research on disaster risk reduction in academia is conducted under the deficit model. This paper proposes public engagement as a mechanism for incorporating community-based knowledge, experiences, and practices into DRR plans. Based on the case study of forest fires in Galicia (Spain), developed within the MITIGACT project, we explore, through the analysis of in-depth interviews, how forest fires are defined, how disaster management plans are evaluated and what concrete proposals are considered. The results highlight the need to strengthen social governance at the local level and to balance the resources dedicated to the three phases of prevention, extinction, and recovery, moving from a linear to a circular model. Full article

The literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans*, intersex, and queer (LGBTIQ) politics has established the interplay between domestic and transnational norms and political tactics. However, knowledge about how local LGBTIQ activists understand, negotiate, and employ transnational LGBTIQ campaigns and tactics over time remains limited. This article builds on literature on the dynamics between national and transnational LGBTIQ politics. Based on interviews with Cypriot LGBTIQ activists, it examines how they adapt their perceptions and employments of LGBTIQ activism and politics when the transnational LGBTIQ movement interacts with local norms around gender and sexuality, and what the impact of this interaction is on the boundaries of LGBTIQ in-group exclusion and inclusion. The analysis of the interview material identifies three approaches toward transnational LGBTIQ politics that participants express over time: Ambivalence toward, acclamation of, and resistance toward transnational LGBTIQ politics. I argue that these different approaches show that the dynamics between national and transnational LGBTIQ activism and politics are not static and that the relationship between “norm” and “queer” is both messy and productive. I further argue that activists’ understandings, negotiations, and employments of transnational LGBTIQ campaigns and tactics in contentious contexts may reinforce and/or challenge national LGBTIQ politics’ normativization and queer emancipatory politics. Therefore, beyond contributing to discussions about the national–transnational relationship in LGBTIQ politics, the article demonstrates the importance of studying LGBTIQ activists’ views for gaining a well-rounded understanding of this issue. Full article

The Quality of Life (QoL) of older adults in nursing homes depends on multiple factors. It is necessary to discover the dimensions of QoL, and to obtain an integrating model, analyzing their relationships. With this aim, an exhaustive systematic literature review has been conducted in this area over the last decade. The research question has been to obtain the advances on the key factors influencing the QoL and well-being of older adults living in nursing homes in the last decade. Multiple databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley Online Library, PubMed, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, and Emerald were used. This review was reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. “Thematic Synthesis Analysis” was used to analyze the studies. The CADIMA web tool was used to conduct the systematic review. The quality of the studies was assessed. The findings were summarized, obtaining a classification of the relevant studies: models or scales for QoL; vision and perception of the QoL of the stakeholders; and determination of QoL through factors (relationship between factors and predictive factors). The results not only evidence the need for further research into this topic, but also the need for an integrative model of QoL, personalized and adapted both to the residents and the nursing home. Full article

This study focuses on men undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) treatment for prostate cancer who also participated in an exercise programme as part of their rehabilitation. Our aim was twofold. First, we aimed to describe and analyse how the participants talk about their treatment and its side-effects in relation to the body and masculinity. Second, we aimed to describe the participants’ understanding of and motivation to participate in a physical activity programme designed by healthcare professionals to deal with anticipated and unwanted bodily changes following treatment. Focus group interviews and individual interviews were conducted. Theoretically, the study leans on phenomenological theories of embodiment combined with a sociologically informed framework found in critical studies on men and masculinity. The results showed that the medical suspension of testosterone impacted not only the men’s understanding of themselves as men but also how they approached their own bodies. Testosterone was discussed as a source of masculinity and masculine traits. Consequently, the absence of testosterone following treatment led to ongoing reflections on how to understand the (ageing) body and its relationship to masculinity. The ageing ADT body, with growing breasts and a lack of libido, became a site of emasculation and bodily detachment. The men addressed this by displaying stoic masculinity; instead of addressing the problem emotionally they turned their attention and aspirations to having a capable body and being able to carry out physical work. However, participation in the exercise programme depended on recruitment by their physicians and was motivated by the opportunity to socialise with other men in the same situation. Full article

This study aims to explore the moderating effect of trust on the relationship between social media engagement, relationship benefits, and social relationships, utilizing an innovative framework grounded in social exchange theory. Employing a quantitative analysis with structural equation modeling (SEM), using a questionnaire distributed to a sample of 493 Jordanian youth, the results unveil a positive correlation between social media engagement and social relationships, with trust emerging as a crucial moderator in this dynamic. Trust positively moderates the connection between social media engagement and social relationships. This research sheds light on the pivotal role of trust in shaping social relationships on social media platforms. However, the interaction between trust and relationship benefits does not significantly impact social relationships. By expanding on existing knowledge, this study offers a fresh perspective on the interplay between trust, social media engagement, relationship benefits, and social relationships, emphasizing the potential of understanding trust to foster stronger social connections in the digital age. The results suggest that the positive influence of social media engagement on social relationships possibly will be determined by the level of trust present inside online communities. Full article

Based on a participatory research project on the practices and representations of young people in distressed neighborhoods, this article examines the contributions and limitations of a participatory approach in terms of scientific production. How does participation affect social science research? How does it challenge methodological and epistemological principles, knowledge building, and the nature of that knowledge? To what extent is it heuristically stimulating from this point of view? Full article

De-colonizing the curriculum and active learning approaches that engage students experientially are both current themes in the teaching of International Studies and related disciplines. For the discipline of global development, both are critically needed approaches to training students who are able to work across national contexts and effectively interact with communities of different political histories and cultures. Yet neither is necessarily straightforward. This article explores two pedagogical projects that, while very different from each other, reveal commonalities through a technique of systemist notation and visualization, strengthening their contribution to cross-cultural and cross-national active learning. While online international collaborations and study abroad programs are different pedagogical contexts, they both involve significant levels of intercultural communication and knowledge exchange, neither of which is a given and requires careful course design and implementation. Full article

Phenomenological philosophy was developed by Husserl for the eidetic sciences, which are interested in the general essences or persistent characteristics of things. By contrast, the empirical sciences are sciences of facts, interested in the concrete, singular, contextual and accidental qualities of phenomena. We do not encounter general, pure essences in concrete reality; instead, we meet phenomena, which present themselves as the particular actualisations of the essences. For this reason, it is legitimate to distinguish between the eidetic essence, which is constituted by a set of essential predicates that necessarily belong to the thing, and the essence of the concrete, which is constituted by a set of predicates that characterises that unique and singular thing in the space and time in which it manifests itself. Starting from these considerations, this article presents an original interpretation of Husserl’s phenomenological method to develop an empirical phenomenological theory. The ‘empirical phenomenological method’ (EPM) grounded in this theory will first be described, and two examples of its application, in healthcare and educational research, will then be presented. Full article

The paper at hand aims to address a research gap by examining the spatial impact of economic and non-economic institutions on regional variation in the support for the German populist far-right party ‘Alternative for Germany (AfD)’. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach and drawing on institutional anomie theory, the study explores the relationship between economic dominance—economic inequality and economic strength—and regional AfD vote share, as well as the role of non-economic institutions in shaping support for the party. Using various regional indicators, the study assesses the strength of different institutions and their impact on the AfD’s electoral results in the year 2021 across 401 German districts (NUTS 3-level). The results point to significant differences between eastern and western Germany in the analysis of regional populist voting patterns. Economic dominance emerges as a stronger predictor of the AfD’s vote share in eastern regions. However, the findings on the protective effect of strong non-economic institutions against AfD voting are ambiguous and partly contrary to theoretical expectations. Overall, the study’s findings show that the newly introduced indicators deduced from institutional anomie theory contribute to the existing literature to help better understand regional variances in AfD support. Furthermore, the study contributes to the existing literature on the rise of contemporary radical right movements by employing Karl Polanyi’s framework of ‘disembedded’ markets. In doing so, it sheds light on the complex interplay between social change, anomic tendencies, and the growth of radical right movements in capitalist societies. Full article

In forensic contexts, children who are victims or witnesses of crimes are repeatedly questioned using stressful leading questions and social pressure. The main aims of the present study are to verify the effects of repeated suggestive interviews on children’s level of suggestibility and resistant responses and to study how age and intelligence quotient may reduce the vulnerability of children. The study involved 110 children aged 10–15 years who were administered the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale 2, and 6 months later, the parallel form GSS1. Older children showed a significant reduction in levels of yielding leading questions in the second administration, while the levels of a shift in answers related to negative criticism remained unchanged. In older children, the age and intelligence quotients may reduce the effect of leading questions and improve resistant responses. The results showed that younger children maintain a stable suggestive vulnerability and constant use of the same strategies to cope with cognitive and social risk factors of interrogative suggestibility, while older children could reduce their levels of yield and use more resistant responses that defer to greater source monitoring and less adherence to external expectations. Children, when exposed to repeated suggestive interviews, may learn to cope with more cognitive aspects of misleading questions while being less able to handle social–emotional pressures. In forensic practice, these results may indicate how children, depending on their age, manage the factors of suggestibility during a testimony hearing and which resistance capacities they can actually use. Full article

Unless the views of parole officials are unpacked and understood with regard to rehabilitating offenders in correctional centres with limited resources in South Africa, there will be less effort devoted towards ensuring the effectiveness of the parole system. This paper captures the working experiences of the parole officials at Brits Community Corrections in South Africa with regard to the use of parole in the rehabilitation of offenders. Using a qualitative approach and an exploratory descriptive design, the study employed total population purposive sampling to ensure the inclusion of all parole officials in the study to provide their working experience. In-depth interviews that provided data saturation with four parole officials were analysed thematically, critically discussed and compared to existing literature. The major findings were that the challenges faced by parolees in the communities were the main problems preventing the successful implementation of parole services. This led to endemic frustrations among the parole officials in the execution of parole services in the Brits area. This paper recommends relevant holistic approaches as interventions to improve the parole systems in the area and improve the working experiences of parole officials. Full article

Although comprehensive school-wide interventions targeting bullying have proven effective, many schools, particularly those in low-to-middle income countries like Pakistan, lack the necessary resources to implement them. As a result, implementing cost-effective antibullying bystander programs that train students to become peer advocates is a promising approach for intervening in bullying incidents. Peer training in antibullying intervention involves training students to take on leadership roles and advocate for antibullying initiatives within their school communities. The aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate a peer-training module that was subsequently implemented in four schools (N = 38, boys = 26, girls = 12) in Pakistan. The aim was to raise awareness and prepare a team of peer mentors to effectively implement antibullying policies in educational institutions. Pre-post tests and participant feedback were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the peer-training program in increasing knowledge and awareness of bullying and the role of bystanders among trained peer mentors. To determine the impact of the peer mentor training on improving the school environment, data were also collected from students (N = 219, boys = 152, girls = 67) before and after the implementation of the program. The pilot implementation of the peer-training module was considered successful, indicating that the training was effective in improving the knowledge of peer mentors and could be used in a similar way in future cases. The results also showed a significant improvement in the development of prosocial bystanders. However, although improvements were observed in other aspects of the school environment, these did not reach statistical significance. The discussion section includes recommendations and explanations for differences based on gender and urban–rural factors. Suggestions are also made to improve the results for future applications. Full article

How is writing a part of creatively understanding ourselves, research questions, data, and theory? Writing is a critical form of connecting concepts, exploring data, and weaving knowledge in qualitative research. In other words, writing is integral to theorizing. However, writing is not an individualistic process. Writing is a relational and creative epistemological weaving of thoughts and embodiments constructed by researchers and their interactions with mentors and instructors, participants, and theoretical proponents. In this paper we discuss this creative process by paying attention to each co-constructor of knowledge and the ways in which the weaving of knowledge was constructed through our shared and different journeys as doctoral student and instructor. Grounded in Gloria Anzaldúa’s borderland and nepantla work, we will present our positionalities, interactions, and suggestions for fellow qualitative writers struggling to make sense of their writing and theorizing. Our hope is that doctoral students and veteran academics alike can benefit from this exploration. Full article

Quality education is an indispensable element for the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as it equips all children with the essential skills to promote sustainable development within the context of their lifestyles, in line with the fourth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG4). This will have to be an innovative education, not only in the contents and guidelines to be followed but also in the educational strategies and resources to be used. This article aims to present and describe the methodology used to develop the digital educational resource (DER) “Sustainability at Play,” a serious game intended for primary education and based on the concept of the ecological footprint. This DER was developed through educational design research (EDR) by a multidisciplinary team within a project to create Digital Educational Resources for Primary Education. The EDR approach was organized in four phases—Phase I—Problem Analysis, Phase II—Exploration of Possible Solutions, Phase III—Design, and Phase IV—Reflection—allowing for an iterative DER development process shared by different participants (researchers, illustrators, web designers, primary school teachers and students). As a result, this study enabled not only the development of an innovative DER to work on issues related to education for sustainability in primary school but also the understanding and validation of the suitability of the EDR methodology for the development of this type of educational resource. Full article

Gender-based violence represents a problem of public interest with a high prevalence on university campuses, which has intensified the preventive strategy for potential victims. However, the prosocial action of the viewer provides a promising alternative to mitigate its incidence. This study analyzes preventive interventions based on gender-based violence towards university viewers as a basis for future proven and sensitive implementation processes of intercultural adaptation. The Scoping review process was implemented based on the Arksey and O’Malley methodology (aligned with the Cochrane manual), with subsequent reporting of results according to the PRISMA guide. In total, 15 articles finally met the selection criteria in the databases: WOS, Scopus, ERIC, PsycINFO, Embase, and PubMed, with specific descriptors. Despite the heterogeneity in the types of intervention and the study variables, the intervention and the results are described, and it is highlighted that they were effective for most of the proposed objectives, such as the decrease in the perpetration of sexual violence, the increase in prosocial behavior, and the recognition of forms of violence. The great value of these preventive interventions is concluded, and the diversity of these strategies implemented in parallel and continuously would have a lasting impact in higher education contexts. Full article

The Nigerian legal system is diverse in that it recognizes several established legal systems that regulate how Nigerians conduct themselves. These legal frameworks include the civil law that was passed down from the British during and after colonization, pre-colonial customary laws and cultural practices, and religious laws (Christian and Islamic laws). Different kinds of norms and laws have subjected Nigerian women to violations of their rights depending on the woman’s cultural or religious affiliation. Such cultural and/or religious practices are usually in opposition to civil law and the Nigerian constitution, which is a custodian of these rights. Moreover, despite the supremacy of the constitution and expected compliance with international human rights treaties that Nigeria has ratified, the fact is that today there are impediments to the effective protection of women’s rights in Nigeria. For instance, although the Nigerian constitution outlaw’s discrimination on the grounds of gender, customary and religious laws continue to restrict the effective implementation of women’s rights, making it extremely difficult to harmonize domestic legislation with international human rights conventions, and also remove discriminatory measures. This article, thus, examines the issues of gender inequality as the basis for agitation for women’s empowerment and women’s rights while also proposing a re-alignment of domestic legislation in compliance with international human rights conventions and treaties, in order to combat cultural and religious norms that flout human rights considerations for Nigerian women. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to highlight the challenges that may arise when these legal systems clash, and how that affects the protection of women’s rights, particularly in view of international human rights treaties which Nigeria has signed and ratified. The article will therefore propose that women’s rights should be protected by seeking to eradicate cultural and religious practices that are discriminatory. This can be achieved by adopting laws which can be interpreted by domestic courts in line with constitutional requirements protecting the rights of women. It is noteworthy that the Nigerian judiciary has declared certain customs and traditions contrary to natural justice, equity and good conscience. Some of the case laws and judicial pronouncements will also be examined in this paper to enable implementation for the protection of women’s rights. The methodology adopted is desk-top legal research where judgments of courts and legislative enactments will form the basis of the findings of this paper. Full article

In this study, the aim is twofold; on the one hand, we investigate extracurricular artistic activities, and on the other hand, regularity of visits to ten different artistic and cultural events, such as theatres, puppet theatres, dance and folk-dance performances, exhibitions, and musical performances for children, among 9–10 year old primary school children (N = 974). We are looking for an answer to the question of whether there is a connection between active artistic activity and the attitude towards cultural and artistic events. Additionally, we plan to identify differences in the family backgrounds of individuals who participate in artistic activities compared to those who do not. Furthermore, we will examine the influence of social, cultural, and economic capital on children’s cultural consumption and related attitudes. We tested our hypotheses using SPSS; the methods included logistic regression and factor analysis. In addition to highlighting the role of school in equalising cultural capital, the results confirm the powerful effect of generational transfer. When parents have actively engaged in artistic activities, they tend to offer enhanced support for their children’s artistic pursuits. Those who engage in certain types of extracurricular artistic activities during their childhood are more likely to exhibit more positive attitudes towards cultural events as adult consumers. However, parents’ high educational attainment and favourable financial circumstances are not the sole determinants of openness to art. Full article

The dramatic increase of asylum seekers entering the EU in 2015 profoundly changed migration politics in many EU countries. Not least in Sweden which accepted more migrants per capita than any other EU country but then swung abruptly to become among the strictest recipient countries. We use Sweden as a critical and extreme case to argue that the rapid shift in asylum politics and public opinion towards migration is not profoundly shared in society. Based on a local media analysis of three types of purposively selected rural municipalities followed by the analysis of a survey of civil society organizations sent to all 290 municipalities in Sweden, we find strong civil society support and willingness to both receive migrants and facilitate their integration into society. Despite increasing votes for political parties with anti-migration policies, we also find remarkably positive attitudes towards migrants in civil society organizations and among citizens in the EU27 barometer for Sweden. The upshot is optimism that civil society can balance the anti-immigration governance imposed by both left and right political regimes and that populism will succeed only if it has the capacity to thoroughly transform civil society attitudes—which we doubt. Full article

The wide adoption of social media platforms has altered how people communicate, obtain information, and participate in society. Regarding political participation, social media has emerged as a novel venue for people to voice their opinions, connect with others who share their viewpoints, and engage in activism. As a result, knowing the effect of social media on political participation is critical, particularly in developing nations like Jordan. This research investigates the moderating effect of certain factors on the impact of social media on political involvement among Jordanian youth. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyze data from a survey of 334 young people. The findings show that social media has a favorable and considerable impact on political participation. Gender was also discovered to have a strong moderating effect on the relationship between social media use and political participation. According to the analysis, gender positively moderates the effect of the frequency of social media use on political participation, while gender negatively moderates the effect of the purpose of social media usage on political participation. The study sheds light on the significance of social media in young people’s political participation in Jordan, emphasizing the need of taking differences in gender into account when developing effective tactics to engage young people in the political processes. Full article

The aim of this study was to explore the lived experience of survivors of sexual harassment, as well as reportage factors and outcomes, psychosocial sequelae, and how survivors coped in first-generation higher-education institutions in Southwestern Nigeria. A qualitative exploration of the experience of 12 (11 females and 1 male) participants using in-depth interviews was conducted. The findings were grouped into four broad themes, namely: (i) experience of sexual harassment, (ii) reporting patterns, (iii) coping strategies, and (iv) the physical and emotional impact of sexual harassment. Most survivors had experienced sexual harassment multiple times and same-sex harassment occurs in higher-education institutions. Survivors did not report to university authorities because of the perception that the support from the environment was poor. Many shared information with their support networks or visited a psychologist for mental health care. Others used maladaptive coping mechanisms such as increased alcohol consumption. Mental health symptoms ranged from mild to severe. Institutes of higher education need to take decisive actions to improve the environment and to promote the prompt reporting of sexual harassment by survivors; they must also provide access to support to prevent the development of mental health problems, which are a common post-event occurrence, as identified in the present study. Full article

This paper examines the Abusive Behaviour Inventory (ABI), which is regarded as an efficient self-report measure with demonstrated high reliability and validity. This examination aims to determine the tool’s effectiveness when screening for victims of domestic violence and present recommendations for how the device may be improved. Within this critique, the ABI is analysed through a literature review and the exploration of the tool’s development. A detailed overview of the ABI is included, and its reliability and validity are critically reviewed. Findings from the research base of this tool are presented and also discussed. While the ABI is regarded as an efficient self-report measure which has been demonstrated to have both high reliability and validity, after evaluation, implementing a structured professional judgement (SPJ) approach is recommended. This would expand the tool’s utility to include risk and safety assessment. In addition, methods and considerations for including LGBTQ relationships are introduced. Finally, implications for the ABI’s use in informing batterer intervention programs are highlighted. It is concluded that more research is warranted to continue increasing the ABI’s applicability to different intimate relationship archetypes and populations. Full article

El Juego is a multicultural community of 30 people that exists as a permanent laboratory of conflict resolution and healing. Two and a half years ago, during the pandemic and after four years of living as nomads, we bought together one hundred and forty hectares in San Rafael, Antioquia, to live in close connection with nature and promote reforestation by creating a natural reserve. In this article, we share some of our reflections and experiences of collective healing. We do so through an exercise in autoethnography carried out by two members of our community following the death of Camelia, one of our horses. We then pull out themes that appeared in the autoethnographic pieces, sharing our reflections on developing a more intimate relationship with nature. In the discussion, we draw on the literature on anarchism and Indigenous ways of knowing and enrich it with the lived experience of the community. Full article

The challenge of this century is without a doubt to counter global warming. Land management, agriculture, and forests are responsible for 23% of total greenhouse gases (GHGs). In developing countries, such as those in African territories, where economic capacities are sometimes small and socio-cultural and linguistic perceptions are different, this requires a transition that is just and respectful of local culture and language, while at the same time helping to create labor conditions that respect gender and minors. This article describes a socio-technical ecological transition in the cocoa chain production in Côte d’Ivoire, which is not only the world’s leading producer of cocoa beans (45%) but also one of the African countries most prone to deforestation. Linguistic and multicultural aspects come together in Côte d’Ivoire, where more than 70 local languages are spoken. Intelligent digital approaches, agroecological issues, new methods, and sociocultural questions are embedded in a context of collaboration and co-creation, a living lab approach, to ensures sharing and co-creation among NGOs, farmers, companies, and researchers. A framework of socio-technical transition is presented, and this research aims to not only achieve the goals of a just ecological transition and reduce carbon footprint and deforestations but also to create diverse labour conditions, gender respect and inclusion. Full article

This study compares two articles that seek to explain why states participate in regional integration organizations and why they want to deepen their economic and political partnerships. The method of comparison is the systemist diagrammatic approach, which requires a deconstruction and mapping of ideas found in social science. The articles demonstrate common variables in their explanations, namely that power asymmetry and satisfaction with the status quo among regional partners are critical in determining why states integrate. The articles diverge in their explanations, with one emphasizing the similarities of institutionalized policies and the other the role a rising power, China, has in developing regional integration in the Western Hemisphere. Full article

Women’s, Gender, and Feminist Studies (WGFS) in Portugal emerged relatively late compared to other European countries, and a systematic quantitative analysis of Portuguese research in this field is lacking. This article addresses this gap by conducting a pioneering bibliometric analysis of WGFS publications by scholars based in Portugal between 1995 and 2021, utilizing data from the Web of Science. The analysis reveals several key findings, including a significant growth in WGFS productivity in the 2010s, a high level of internationalization of Portuguese production, and the increasing prominence of specific themes and theoretical perspectives, such as LGBTQIA+ studies and intersectionality. By examining the trajectory of Portuguese scholarship in WGFS since the 1990s, this study provides valuable insights and opens important avenues for future research. Full article

This exploratory study was carried out within the framework of a pilot learning and service experience in the subject of Qualitative Research Tools in Social Work, where the autoethnographic field journal was used as a tool for the development of deep learning competency in a group of third-year university students undertaking a degree in Social Work and fourth year students undertaking a double degree in Social Education and Social Work in the Social Work, at the University of Deusto. The authors hypothesized that this qualitative research tool could help students develop their ability to critically reflect on their experiences, identify their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to deep learning competency, and establish goals to improve their learning. The service-learning methodology experience proposed for the students involved to participate in a program aimed at the transition to adulthood of young people in situations of vulnerability, where they were required to record in a field journal the emotions, interpretations, and contradictions that the experience of meeting and living with unaccompanied migrant minors using the program could evoke. The results of the qualitative study showed that the autoethnographic field journal was an effective tool for developing deep learning competency in the students participating in the pilot service-learning methodology experience. The results concluded that the autoethnographic field journal could be a valuable tool for promoting reflection, self-awareness, and critical thinking. Full article

In light of the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on organizations and company human resource policies, multiple changes have been made to employee work behaviors. This paper developed a concept model on career plateaus, job burnout, work engagement, and turnover intention and examined it through a non-random sampling survey of 285 employees at resorts in Macao. The results revealed that career plateaus positively impact job burnout and turnover intention, and job burnout positively impacts turnover intention. The study found that career plateau negatively impacts work engagement and positively impacts turnover intention, and work engagement negatively influences turnover intention. Job burnout and work engagement partially mediate the relationship between career plateau and turnover intention. Training negatively moderates career plateau toward work engagement, and job rotation moderates career plateau toward turnover intention. Accordingly, organizations should consider the impact on employees’ careers when designing training and job rotation policies in response to the epidemic. Full article

South Africa has a colonial and apartheid past of social injustice, epistemological oppression, and exclusion. These mechanisms are historically inscribed in the designs, practices, and content of higher education—including in occupational therapy curriculum. If these historical markers are not consciously interrogated, patterns of reproduction are reified along the fault lines that already exist in society. The focus of this article is to demonstrate how an archaeological Foucauldian method was crafted from foundational Foucauldian archaeology analytics and existing approaches of Foucauldian discourse analysis to unearth the rules of the formation of the occupational therapy profession. These rules pertain to the formation of (a) the ‘ideal occupational therapist’; (b) who had a say about the profession; (c) the ways of preferred reasoning; and (d) underlying theoretical themes and perspectives about the future. Data sources for this archaeology analytics included commemorative documents of universities on the origin of their programmes; historical regulatory documents; and the South African Journal of Occupational Therapy archive from the period 1953–1994. The analysis rendered two subthemes for each of the rules of formation including ‘white exceptionalism’, white male national, and international, regulatory bodies, the profession’s know-how practical knowledge, and its need for recognition within a bio-medical paradigm. Unearthing the historical markers of a curriculum and viewing it as discourse may enable a conscious reconfiguration thereof. Full article