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Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships

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A special issue of Social Sciences (ISSN 2076-0760).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2024) | Viewed by 18207

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Prof. Dr. Gennaro Iorio

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Guest Editor

Departments of Political and Social Studies, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: social love; emotion; world love index
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Vincenzo Auriemma

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Guest Editor

Departments of Political and Social Studies, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: empathy; emotion; embodiment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Daniele Battista

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Guest Editor

Departments of Political and Social Studies, University of Salerno, 84084 Fisciano, Italy
Interests: political science; social network; ethnography

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Social love is a broad and multifaceted concept that encompasses the various means by which human ties and connections are fostered within a community or society. As a concept that comprises several elements, social love includes the following themes: (a) empathy and solidarity, involving the ability to feel the same emotions as others and to offer support in situations of need, which then translates into gestures of help and support toward other members in a community; (b) social cohesion, which indicates the strength of ties within a group or community and results in the fostering of cooperation, mutual trust and a sense of belonging—ultimately contributing to the overall well-being and resilience of a society; (c) meaningful interpersonal relationships that are represented by deep and authentic bonds between individuals, which exceed mere superficial acquaintance and are characterized by trust, emotional intimacy and mutual support; and (d) altruism and volunteerism, manifested through altruistic and voluntary actions, in which people devote time and resources to the welfare of others without the expectation of charity in return.

In essence, social love centers on the quality of human relationships, solidarity and commitment to the welfare of both others and the community as a whole. The implementation of this concept could profoundly affect the dynamics of electoral campaigns, political participation, the mobilization of supporters and the formation of public opinion. Hence, it is a crucial element in the formation of more inclusive, empathetic and resilient societies. Given its multipurpose nature, articles ranging from positional papers to research papers centered on the following topics will be welcome within this Special Issue:

Emotions and social interaction;
Empathy and prosocial behavior;
Emotions and education;
Emotions and politics;
Institutions and social services;
Identities and biographies;
Social love in the management of public services;
Emotions, processes, and educational policies;
Social interactions;
Urban interaction and ecology;
Migration and social services;
Empathy, work, employment and organization;
Emotionality and social research;
Emotionality and artificial intelligences;
Social and digital love;
The influence of digital platforms.

Please submit your proposals and any questions to Special Issue editors by 15 January 2024. Notification of acceptance will be provided by 31 January 2024. Final papers are due on 1 August 2024 for peer review.

Proposals should be one page in length and include a title, an abstract explaining its relevance to the Special Issue topic, a description of the population, and the methods used (if applicable). Also, include author names and affiliations.

Prof. Dr. Gennaro Iorio
Dr. Vincenzo Auriemma
Dr. Daniele Battista
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Social Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

emotion
social love
political emotion
empathy
solidarity
social inclusion

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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55 pages, 530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Emotional Implications of a Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Diagnosis in a Retired Athlete: An Autoethnographic Approach

by Ian Guyah Low, David Lavallee and Rhiannon Lord

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(11), 616; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13110616 - 13 Nov 2024

Viewed by 623

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to advance knowledge and understanding of the emotional implications retired athletes experience when diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This study employed an autoethnographic method to explore the consequences of living with this potentially life-threatening heart condition from a first-person narrative, using the account-making model of coping and loss as framework. The results illuminate the lived experience of someone diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and subsequent forced transition out of high-performance sport. This study provides practitioners with insights into this topic so that relevant and tailored interventions can be implemented to help retiring athletes who are diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy cope with the career transition process. Notably, this paper also offers a full, complete autoethnography rather than extracts of autoethnographic writing typically provided in journal articles due to formatting restrictions. Thus, we showcase the valuable contribution this methodology has to offer scholars and practitioners. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

14 pages, 240 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Virtuality and Solidarity: Exploring the New Frontiers of Social Love in the Sign of Collective Wellbeing

by Luisa Nardi

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(9), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13090485 - 12 Sep 2024

Viewed by 886

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate the concept of love and solidarity in human relationships, especially in their manifestation within virtual communities. Solidarity, understood as the highest feeling of connection between individuals, finds new forms of expression in the digital age, where physical distances are overcome by the ability to communicate and share experiences in an immediate and simplified way. The aim is to analyze the renewed sociological perspective on how to explore human interactions as a practical implication of the transition from physical to digital space, which, in spite of divergences, does not seem to reduce the quality of social ties but rather offers new ways of connection and interaction. Indeed, digital technologies can positively influence social dynamics by fostering the construction of community networks that act as catalysts for collective intelligence and knowledge sharing in the pursuit of collective wellbeing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

9 pages, 4915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The (Epistemological) Power of Love: From Pitirim A. Sorokin’s Integralism to a ‘Space for the Heart’ in Scientific Methods

by Licia Paglione

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(9), 482; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13090482 - 12 Sep 2024

Viewed by 777

Abstract

In the contemporary epistemological debate, it is possible to identify approaches whereby rational and sensory human faculties are not the sole essential dimensions in the knowing process. With its intuitional and empathic nature, love emerges as a specific way through which scientists may also know the world. In the 20th century, the Russian–American sociologist Pitirim A. Sorokin (1889–1968) was one of the scholars who highlighted the epistemological power of love. In his integral epistemology, the relevance of Altruistic Creative Love within the cognitive process is underlined. Love appears as an energy—linked to a specific intuitional human dimension called supraconscious—through which to know reality, which could integrate the empirical–sensory and rational–mindful dimensions. Following this line of thought, this article presents the thought of this scholar, outlining his general theory of knowledge and, in particular, highlighting the function of Altruistic Creative Love in the scientific method and analysing an original scientific dissemination activity embedded in the Sorokinian perspective that makes use of the arts, which can open new “eyes” and stimulate individual and social transformation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

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13 pages, 636 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Conflict in Love: An Examination of the Role of Dark Triad Traits in Romantic Relationships among Women

by Beatriz Ferrarini Furtado, Geovana Mellisa Castrezana Anacleto, Bruno Bonfá-Araujo, Julie Aitken Schermer and Peter K. Jonason

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(9), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13090474 - 6 Sep 2024

Viewed by 936

Abstract

The present study examined how the personality dimensions of the Dark Triad (i.e., Machiavellianism, narcissism, and psychopathy) predict infidelity intentions and jealousy and whether these variables predict conflict tactics used in relationships. Adult women (N = 567, 18–73 years old, M_age = 31.91; SD = 10.29) completed self-report scales assessing the Dark Triad traits, jealousy (i.e., cognitive, emotional, and behavioral), intentions towards infidelity, and conflict tactics, including negotiation, psychological aggression, physical assault, sexual coercion, and injury. Our results demonstrated that the Dark Triad traits had strong links to the intention to commit infidelity and jealousy, and at the correlational level, there were small correlations between jealousy and the intention to commit infidelity. Both jealousy and the intention to commit infidelity predicted conflict tactics. As this is possibly one of the first studies to examine these variables jointly, the present results add to our understanding of the role of personality in romantic relationships. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

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18 pages, 287 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Emotions in Ethnographic Research: Comparing Subjectivities

by Serena Quarta

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(8), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13080398 - 29 Jul 2024

Viewed by 953

Abstract

This article considers the role of the researcher’s emotions in ethnographic research. The topic originates from the epistemological turn that since the 1960s has dealt with the researcher–subject studied relationship. The first part of this article analyzes the pivotal elements of the epistemological debate on the researcher–studied subject relationship. It is defined through a dialogical relationship in which the researcher puts into practice their reflexivity while being aware of the elements that characterize it, including emotions. The second part of this article uses two research experiences to show how emotions in ethnographic research are a valid tool for entering into dialogue with the subjects studied. They provide a better understanding of the social cutaways and enrich the reflexivity that characterizes social research, without affecting methodological rigor. The possible risk when considering emotions is to fall into excessive relativism and enter a sort of spiral of reflexivity due to the plurality of possible interpretations. It is a risk that is mitigated by the procedures the researcher uses to explain the personal observer–author equation. Writing is one of the tools that allows the researcher to account for the construction of a meaning of the results. It gives a ‘probative’ narrative that must contain all the methodological choices that guided the research. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

10 pages, 217 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Matter of Style: Community Building between Seduction and Indirect Communication

by Tito Vagni

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 357; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070357 - 3 Jul 2024

Viewed by 729

Abstract

Diverging from studies that categorize influencers solely as advertising figures subject to interpretation within marketing frameworks, this research employs an extensive netnography to examine influencers through the lens of cultural production theory. It views them as creators and creative individuals who adeptly cultivate communities around themselves using communicative techniques akin to literary narration. On digital platforms, social connections are reshaped into a seductive game, unfolding on both aesthetic and communicative planes. This process yields influence indirectly, gradually reshaping the community imaginary, over time. Users become immersed in a realm of objects, each bearing the distinctive mark of the influencer who has imbued them with their unique style, “like that of the potter cradling a clay cup”. Influencers’ ability to invent and inhabit digital platforms effectively positions them as key figures in shaping the dynamics of these new environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

16 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Methodological Challenges: From the First to the Second Wave of the World Love Index

by Silvia Cataldi, Federica Floridi and Marco Palmieri

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(7), 334; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13070334 - 25 Jun 2024

Viewed by 887

Abstract

This article is methodological in nature, addressing and discussing the challenges the research team encountered in constructing a new international well-being index called the World Love Index. This index represents the first quantitative operationalization of the concept of Social Love, which seeks to capture actions or social relationships characterized by excess and care for the benefit of individuals outside the primary circle, loved for their irreducibility. Starting with a discussion of the project’s objective rooted in the Beyond GDP debate, the article first analyzes the theoretical definition of Social Love and its semantic dimensions for operationalization. It then focuses on the methodological construction of the index through secondary data analysis, particularly examining the transition from the first wave to the second wave. Through the first wave of the WLI, this concept was systematically investigated on a transnational level. However, the first wave faced criticism for its weaknesses due to decisions made during the index’s construction. This paper, from a purely methodological perspective, demonstrates how the second wave of the WLI aims to address these challenges and turn them into strengths. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

14 pages, 280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Prison and Love: The Role of Affection and Rehabilitative Actions in Reducing Recidivism and Beyond

by Laura Cataldi and Silvia Cataldi

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(6), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13060323 - 19 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1739

Abstract

This study investigates the protective role of emotional relationships and rehabilitative actions in reducing recidivism within the prison context. Data were collected from three Italian prisons as part of the European project “Calypsos”. This study examines the role of love across its various expressions and components in the social reintegration of inmates, exploring how family ties, educational programs, and employment opportunities contribute to their well-being and socio-affective regeneration. Descriptive analyses and multiple linear regression were used to assess the impact of these factors on recidivism. The results indicate that stable family relationships, positive interactions with teachers, and meaningful work experiences significantly reduce the likelihood of reoffending. The findings highlight the necessity of policies supporting the maintenance of emotional bonds and the provision of educational and vocational training within prisons. This study concludes that integrating these elements into rehabilitation strategies can improve inmate outcomes, reduce recidivism, and enhance social cohesion. Finally, the article identifies love as a performative right as a future research direction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

13 pages, 560 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Attachment Styles, Vulnerable Narcissism, Emotion Dysregulation and Perceived Social Support: A Mediation Model

by Valeria Saladino, Francesca Cuzzocrea, Danilo Calaresi, Janine Gullo and Valeria Verrastro

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050231 - 24 Apr 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1869

Abstract

Attachment styles have been shown to significantly influence individuals’ social and emotional functioning. Furthermore, vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation are both relevant factors to consider in understanding individuals’ social interactions and support networks. However, the mechanisms underlying such relationships are not fully understood yet. The objective of this research was to assess whether vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation sequentially mediate the connection between different attachment styles and perceived social support. Self-report questionnaires were administered to a sample of 1260 emerging adults (50% women) aged 18–25. Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) and Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) were conducted. Preliminary analyses indicated significant effects of gender on some study variables, thus gender was controlled in the mediation analyses. The findings indicated that there was no mediation for secure attachment, full mediation for dismissing and preoccupied attachment, and partial mediation for fearful attachment. The results suggest that addressing vulnerable narcissism and emotion dysregulation may be crucial in promoting individuals’ perceived social support, particularly for those with insecure attachment styles. Furthermore, the findings emphasize the need for personalized approaches, as interventions may need to be tailored to individuals’ unique attachment styles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

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14 pages, 1622 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender Diversity: An Opportunity for Socially Inclusive Human Resource Management Policies for Organizational Sustainability

by Caterina Galdiero, Cecilia Maltempo, Rosario Marrapodi and Marcello Martinez

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(3), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13030173 - 18 Mar 2024

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3269

Abstract

The context in which work is distributed, organized, and performed has certainly changed in recent decades. In recent years, shock events such as COVID-19 have contributed to the revision of human resource management (HRM) dynamics, which was previously for “standard work”. Overall, hybrid work is not a novelty but has significantly expanded, particularly in the post-COVID-19 period, creating new opportunities in human resource management, especially for female employees, who often manifest the need to reconcile family and work. The new post-pandemic situation has paved the way for gender sustainability processes in organizations by pushing towards a more general organizational sustainability. In fact, in recent decades, sustainability in companies has ceased to be merely environmental and has expanded its boundaries to a “sustainable” business model, whereby human resource management must also meet organizational sustainability criteria. The literature shows that women add value to organizations. Therefore, companies that take on the implementation of management policies with the aim of gender inclusion are committed to social and organizational sustainability, which leads to strategic ideas of competitive advantages. Starting from these considerations, the main purpose of this paper is to compare several strands of research on organizational sustainability and diversity management using an integrative literature review method that offers the opportunity to discover areas where further research is needed. This allows fields of study to be mapped. This paper, derived from a review, provides insights for line managers and upper management regarding pursuing sustainability goals within organizations’ boundaries. Limitations and potential future research directions are also discussed, contributing to the ongoing development of research on these subjects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

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9 pages, 218 KiB

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New Forms of Interaction in the Digital Age: The Use of the Telephone

by Angelo Romeo

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(3), 153; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13030153 - 7 Mar 2024

Viewed by 2230

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyze how the digital space has become a ground for encounters, comparisons, and sometimes even clashes among individuals who increasingly inhabit the Internet, not just as a gateway to consume products, but as a context in which to weave relationships that, in the era of the Metaverse, are no longer to be understood as opposed to face-to-face encounters but rather as a continuation that transcends space–time boundaries. The Internet has become a place where relationships can be formed in various ways, influencing daily life and individual as well as collective existence. This influence now extends across various realms, from recreational encounters to cultural exchanges, and from politics to social interactions. The focus of this article is to analyze relational transformations and consequently how each individual relates to the Internet, both within and outside digital circuits. A state-of-the-art review of digital studies primarily interested in issues related to identity, increasingly showcased on social media, aims to understand how relationships and interactions can be interpreted today. These interactions occur within the screens of devices, disrupting certain stages of each individual’s biographical experience. Knowledge often begins in digital contexts and does not necessarily translate into the “tangible” everyday life, to the extent that the term “Digital Society” no longer surprises but is part of routine language. The synergy between digital and physical spaces calls on the social sciences to carefully analyze the types of relationships we build and how we nurture them amid applications and platforms. Thus, this article explores what friendships and romantic relationships have become in this digital era. It delves into the role of individuals faced with this rapid influx of technology into contemporary society. What is the role of the person in navigating this technological excess? The article aims to shed light on these questions, emphasizing notions such as relationships, identity, complexity, and the individual. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Catalyzing Change: Social Love, Emotions and Transformations of Social Relationships)

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