Search Results (70)

Community-based drug rehabilitation (CBDR) in China involves multiple types of frontline workers, yet little empirical research has examined how these workers carry out their respective roles and collaborate in practice. This study explored the roles, collaborative practices, and role boundaries of drug rehabilitation social workers (DRSWs) and community drug control officers (CDCOs) in CBDR in Guangzhou, China. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 DRSWs and 9 CDCOs across two sequential phases, and data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed that DRSWs primarily performed professional rehabilitation services alongside administrative assistance, while CDCOs focused on administrative management, support for enforcement-related procedures, and upward resource advocacy. Five areas of collaboration were identified, characterized by a spontaneous complementary division of labor. However, role boundary ambiguity was also observed at three interconnected levels: DRSWs’ administrative workload had expanded beyond an assisting capacity, some CDCOs described care-giving practices that approached the professional domain of social work, and workers reported that persons with drug use histories (PWUDs) often had difficulty distinguishing between the two roles. These findings highlight the need for clearer role definitions and institutionalized coordination mechanisms in CBDR. Full article

This article examines the depiction of multiple forms of marginalization and exclusion in a recent Chinese film, Like a Rolling Stone (2024), through the prism of noise at the interface of politics and aesthetics. It starts with interrogating the ways in which the film transmits and amplifies the patriarch’s “Sacred Noise” as a dominant sonic presence in the domestic space, translating hierarchical social and familial structures into an oppressive acoustic order. As Jacques Rancière has reminded us, aesthetic hierarchies materialize political economic hierarchies, giving them sensible forms that structure our everyday embodied experiences. Therefore, the following section explores how political economic conditions devalue women’s domestic care work and recast their enunciations as undesirable, even non-human, noises. In this part, a series of Asian women’s films and writings are referenced to demonstrate a broader cultural trend in exposing the intertwined aesthetic and political economic inequities under capitalist patriarchy. Moreover, what has often been overlooked even in feminist scholarship and movements is that ageism, in conjunction with sexism and classism, reinforces aesthetic–political hierarchies that produce chasms and divisions even among women themselves (including between mothers and daughters) and push the aging (grand)mother further into the peripheries of the auditory regime. Unsettling such a patriarchal “distribution of the sensible,” Like a Rolling Stone deploys creative acoustic strategies to make audible the hidden exploitation of women’s affective labor and revitalizes the subversive potentials, affective energies and aesthetic values of women’s embodied experiences and everyday gendered noises. Full article

Social sustainability is central to resettlement induced by development. However, the long-term dynamics of cultural change among involuntary resettlers remain underexplored. This paper draws on a 25-year longitudinal ethnographic study of Three Gorges Dam migrants relocated to rural Anhui, China (2000–2025), including participant observation, archival research and in-depth interviews with 22 households. It also examines how cultural adaptation, rupture and continuity unfold over extended time horizons. A rationality-driven analytical framework is used. Three coexisting modalities of cultural change are identified. They are adaptations in livelihood strategies and household labor divisions, rupture via the abandonment of low-return farming and distant kinship ties, and continuity in dialect, cuisine, funerary rituals and close kinship. This paper demonstrates that these modalities are selectively mobilized by three interacting rationalities: survival (ensuring subsistence security), economic (maximizing material returns) and social rationalities (upholding identity and moral obligations). When these rationalities are in conflict, survival rationality commands the highest priority, while social rationality retains veto power in identity-defining domains. In the long run, this leads to a stable pattern of “segmented acculturation”, which involves separation in social interactions, assimilation in economic spheres and cultural distinctiveness in identity-relevant domains. These findings reconceptualize cultural change as an agency-driven process of strategic selection and offer policy guidance for the long-term governance of resettlement communities. Full article

The global division of labor system is increasingly refined, and the core components of some manufacturing enterprises are concentrated in a few (or even a single) suppliers, resulting in supply dependence. Excessive concentration of suppliers can lead to a higher risk of supply chain disruption. To this end, taking manufacturing companies listed on the Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share markets in China from 2010 to 2024 as samples and referring to Huazheng ESG rating data, research shows how the ESG performance of manufacturing companies reduces supplier concentration. The research found that (1) the ESG performance of manufacturing enterprises significantly reduces supplier concentration,—this effect is mainly reflected in social responsibility (S dimension)—and firm size has a positive moderating effect; (2) ESG performance has a mediating effect of alleviating financing constraints and enhancing trade credit in the process of reducing supplier concentration; and (3) heterogeneity analysis results show that the inhibitory effect of ESG performance on supplier concentration is more significant in non-state-owned enterprises. Through empirical analysis, the research scope of ESG performance was expanded to the upstream supply chain field, emphasizing the importance of ESG performance in manufacturing enterprises and providing theoretical and empirical evidence for enterprises to achieve high-quality and sustainable development. Full article

Honey bees are exposed to a wide range of environmental and ecological stressors that threaten individual health and colony sustainability. Growing evidence suggests that many of these stressors converge on a common target: the gut microbiome and its metabolic functions. The honey bee microbiome–metabolome axis represents a central regulatory system linking microbial symbionts with host nutrition, detoxification, immune competence, neural signaling, and social behavior. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how major stressors—including pesticides, antibiotics, pathogens, nutritional imbalance, thermal stress, habitat change, and environmental contaminants—reprogram honey bee chemistry by disrupting microbial community structure and, importantly, microbial and host metabolic pathways. We highlight recurring patterns consistent with functional dysbiosis, characterized by impaired energy metabolism, reduced production of short-chain fatty acids, altered amino acid and lipid metabolism, compromised antioxidant and detoxification capacity, and weakened immune regulation. However, much of the current evidence is correlative and derived from short-term or laboratory-focused studies; longitudinal and multi-site field validation of causal links remains limited. Importantly, emerging multi-omics studies suggest that profound metabolic disturbances can occur even when taxonomic changes in the microbiome are modest, emphasizing the need to move beyond descriptive community profiling toward functional and mechanistic assessments. We further discuss how stress-induced metabolic reprogramming at the individual level scales up to influence behavior, division of labor, and colony-level resilience. Finally, we propose a conceptual model illustrating how diverse stressors converge to disrupt the microbiome–metabolome axis, potentially leading to functional dysbiosis and host impairment. Full article

(1) Background: Rapid global aging has surged demand for elderly family care, a role long dominated by women. This study aims to reveal the specific manifestations of the gender division of labor in elderly family care through a systematic evidence synthesis, covering care tasks, care types, impacts, and driving factors. (2) Methods: We searched four databases (Web of Science (SSCI subsets), Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest) for articles published between 2015 and 2025. After screening, 45 peer-reviewed articles from 16 countries or regions were included, and thematic analysis was employed for data extraction and evidence synthesis. (3) Findings: The results indicate a differentiated gender division of labor and inequality in elderly family care, where female caregivers bear a greater burden in terms of task assumption, care time allocation, and perception of care impacts. The formation of the gender division of labor results from a dynamic interplay among multiple factors, including objective needs, social norms, and institutional influences. Promisingly, men are increasingly participating in family care for the elderly. (4) Conclusions: The study suggests that gender-sensitive policies should address the gender gap for elderly family care and provide targeted support to alleviate the unequal distribution of care burdens. Full article

In honey bees, reproductive division of labor is maintained by social suppression of worker fertility, yet queen loss can trigger ovary activation in workers. Here, we tested whether endogenous dopaminergic signaling is progressively remodeled across successive stages of ovarian activation and how these changes relate to key hormone pathways. Newly emerged Apis mellifera workers were introduced into queenright or queenless colonies, collected after 14 days, and classified as having inactive, partially activated, or fully activated ovaries. We quantified brain dopamine and measured expression levels of genes involved in dopamine synthesis, transport, metabolism, and reception in both brain and ovary tissues, together with transcriptional markers of juvenile hormone (JH) and 20-hydroxyecdysone (20E) signaling. Brain dopamine increased with ovary activation and peaked in fully activated workers, coincident with elevated transcripts of tyrosine hydroxylase, dopa decarboxylase, dopamine transporter, and arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase in the brain. Dopamine receptor genes were stable in the brain but were remodeled in the ovary, with Amdop1 increasing and Amdop3 decreasing during activation. Markers of JH signaling and ovarian 20E pathway activity also rose with ovarian development, consistent with early endocrine priming following queen loss. Collectively, these results support an integrated neuroendocrine framework in which dopaminergic remodeling and hormone pathway activation jointly accompany worker reproductive activation under queenless conditions. Full article

Enhancing the livelihood resilience of smallholder farmers has become a critical challenge in China’s contemporary agricultural development strategy. Agricultural machinery socialization services represent an important policy measure for facilitating smallholder farmers’ integration into modern agriculture and alleviating practical development constraints; however, as a substantial adjustment to farmer livelihood activities, such services may also disrupt smallholder farmers’ existing livelihood equilibria. Using survey data from smallholder farmers in the major corn-producing regions of Northeast China, this study examines the effects of agricultural machinery socialization services on smallholders’ livelihood resilience and explores the underlying mechanisms. The results show that both the breadth and depth of agricultural machinery socialization services significantly enhance smallholders’ livelihood resilience. These effects operate mainly through two pathways: an empowerment mechanism driven by farmland scale management and the professional division of labor in agriculture, and a capacity expansion mechanism driven by the extension and application of agricultural technologies and the development of social networks. Moreover, the influence of agricultural machinery socialization services on smallholders’ livelihood resilience is positively moderated by both internal perceived value and external policy incentives. Heterogeneity analysis further indicates that these services exert stronger effects on smallholder farmers’ buffering and learning capacities than on self-organizing capacity, with more pronounced impacts in plains areas than in hilly and mountainous regions. Accordingly, policy efforts should focus on the core needs of smallholder farmers by accelerating the development of a diversified, differentiated, and multi-tiered agricultural machinery socialization service system, expanding service coverage, improving service quality, and refining service mechanisms to promote sustained improvements in smallholders’ livelihood resilience. Full article

With the refined global division of labor and the increasing complexity of international production networks, high-quality interactions of suppliers impact downstream firms’ operational resilience through supply chain linkage effects. We use data from Chinese A-share listed firms and their suppliers from 2009 to 2023 and empirically examine the effects of suppliers’ high-quality interactions on downstream firms’ operational resilience based on signaling theory. The empirical results show that such interactions significantly enhance firms’ operational resilience, confirming positive spillover effects along the supply chain. Heterogeneity analyses indicate that the positive spillover effects are most pronounced for smaller firms and those with lower information transparency. Further analysis reveals that suppliers’ high-quality interactions mitigate firms’ financing constraints and enhance supply chain stability, thus strengthening their operational resilience. Moreover, this effect is moderated by suppliers’ environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance, which improves the signaling efficacy of high-quality interactions. The findings highlight the influence of suppliers’ interactions on firms’ operational resilience, broaden the analytical perspective on resilience research, and provide important policy implications for strengthening firms’ operational resilience. Full article

Mangrove ecosystems underpin coastal livelihoods and biodiversity in Mozambique, yet gendered patterns of resource use and their implications for management remain underexplored. This study explores how artisanal fishing and shellfish collection differ between men and women on Inhaca Island (Maputo Bay), focusing on how these gender-specific practices shape livelihood outcomes, spatial use of mangroves, and perceptions of ecological change. To address this question, we combined structured interviews (n = 35; 51.4% men, 48.6% women) and camera-trap monitoring in two mangrove areas during September 2024 to document fishing practices, catch characteristics, spatial patterns, and ecological perceptions. We found pronounced gendered divisions of labor and space use: men, using boats and nets, harvested a median of 15 kg of fish per day for commercial sale, generating cash income, whereas women collected a median of 3 kg of shellfish by hand, primarily for household consumption. Camera traps confirmed pronounced spatial segregation in mangrove use: women foraged in targeted areas, and men traversed broader zones, both synchronizing their activities with tidal and daylight cycles. By integrating social and ecological data, the study revealed nuanced gender roles and resource pressures, with 82.9% of participants reporting declines in fish and shellfish stocks, emphasizing mangroves’ critical role in livelihoods, biodiversity, and climate resilience. Our findings highlight the value of mixed-method approaches for understanding socio-ecological dynamics and advocate for gender-sensitive conservation policies, strengthened Community Fisheries Councils, and infrastructure investments to regulate resource use, enhance mangrove management, and promote equitable livelihoods in Mozambique’s coastal communities. Full article

To systematically investigate how the olfactory system of Bombus terrestris adapts to its social division of labor and reproductive strategies, this study integrated the micromorphology of antennal sensilla and the expression profiles of olfactory receptor (OR) genes from the heads of its three castes (workers, drones, and queens) for a multi-level analysis. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that drones possess significantly longer chaetic sensilla (Sch), sensilla trichodea (Str A/B), and sensilla basiconica (Sba A), as well as larger-diameter sensilla coeloconica (Sco) compared to workers and queens, indicating structural and functional specialization for sensitive detection of single key signals (e.g., queen pheromones). In contrast, workers and queens exhibited a more complete composition of sensilla types and a higher sensilla distribution density, suggesting the construction of a perceptual system capable of processing multiple chemical signals simultaneously. RNA-seq combined with qRT-PCR confirmed the significant upregulation of seven OR genes (e.g., BterOR3, BterOR4) in drones, while workers showed upregulation of BterOR3/5/7 accompanied by enrichment of P450 detoxification pathways. Phylogenetic analysis suggested that BterOR5 serves as a conserved co-receptor, and some OR genes may originate from recent duplication events. In summary, distinct differences were observed in the morphological structure and molecular expression of the olfactory system among B. terrestris castes. Drones exhibited structural and gene expression features consistent with specialization in queen pheromone detection, while workers and queens demonstrated sensilla diversity and olfactory receptor expression patterns indicative of a broader response capacity to diverse chemical signals. These findings support the view that the olfactory system has undergone multi-level adaptive evolution driven by social division of labor and reproductive roles. Full article

To contribute to the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this study focuses on improving two specific goals—SDG 2 (Zero Hunger) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production)—by examining how off-farm employment affects agricultural green total factor productivity (GTFP) in China, a key link between rural socio-economic transformation and agricultural sustainability. The results show that: First, the part-time operation of farmers significantly reduces the green total factor productivity, and the negative impact is more pronounced for off-farm employment households with higher non-agricultural income shares. It mainly stems from the redundant input of land and machinery elements. Second, the effect showed obvious heterogeneous effects at different stages of family development and land management scale. In addition, the scale effect of continuous agricultural production services and the technological synergy effect driven by the deepening of agricultural division of labor are the key to improving green total factor productivity and alleviating the negative effects of part-time operations. In summary, promoting sustainable agricultural practices requires the government to further deepen the reform of the land property rights system and optimize the agricultural socialization service system to ensure both food security and environmental sustainability. Full article

The regulation of reproductive division of labor in eusocial insects is pivotal for the evolution and maintenance of social organization. In Bombus terrestris, dominance hierarchies emerge among orphan workers through repeated agonistic interactions, forming distinct behavioral ranks. To explore the neural basis of this process, we combined behavioral assays with single-nucleus RNA sequencing to profile brain-wide gene expression across α-, β-, and γ-bumblebee workers. Our analyses revealed pronounced transcriptional divergence among Kenyon cells, which exhibited enrichment in synaptic, insulin, and MAPK signaling pathways. Among the neuropeptides examined, Neuroparsin-A was markedly upregulated in the Kenyon cells and glial cells of dominant workers, while its receptor, OR1, showed strong expression within Kenyon populations, suggesting a conserved neuropeptide–receptor axis in social Hymenoptera. Gene regulatory network inference further identified ecdysone-responsive transcription factors, including br, Eip74EF, Hr38, Hr3 and Hr4, as key regulators linked to neural plasticity and behavioral differentiation. Together, our findings uncover a neuroendocrine mechanism in which Neuroparsin-A signaling coordinates brain transcriptional programs associated with dominance hierarchy formation in queenless bumblebee societies, offering new insights into the molecular underpinnings of eusocial behavior. Full article

China’s rapid urbanization has created the world’s largest internal migration, increasingly shaped by women’s participation. Co-migrant mothers—rural women who bring their children to cities—occupy complex roles as workers, wives, and caregivers. Existing studies focus on left-behind mothers or individual coping, but little is known about how co-migrant mothers collectively reshape motherhood through urban spatial and social change. Based on fieldwork in a Guangzhou migrant community, this study develops the “disembedding–re-embedding–reconstruction” framework to show how mobility reconfigures motherhood. Moving from villages to cities disembeds mothers from the moral surveillance that enforces self-sacrificing norms. Community-based organizations (CBOs) then serve as re-embedding sites where women form new maternal subjectivities through mutual support and reflection, producing a locally rooted idea of self-caring motherhood. This idea reframes care as reciprocal rather than self-depleting and affirms mothers’ emotional and bodily well-being as part of family life. Finally, these values are reconstructed in households through subtle temporal and spatial negotiations that adjust gendered divisions of labor without open conflict. Highlighting collective empowerment and spatial transformation, this study moves motherhood research beyond individualized lenses and reveals grounded, pragmatic forms of gendered agency in China’s rural–urban migration. Full article

The quality risks of land trusteeship services are increasingly prominent, leading to reduced crop yields for farmers and land degradation; however, relevant research remains insufficient. This paper aims to identify and evaluate the quality risk level of land trusteeship services. It comprehensively adopts a field survey, web crawler technology, and expert consultation methods to identify quality risk types, and then uses the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method to assess the risk level based on survey data from Chinese farmers. The main conclusions are as follows: (1) Overall, the quality risk level of land trusteeship services is at a relatively high risk level. In terms of spatio-temporal patterns, the quality risk level shows an upward trend, and the quality risk level of mid-production services is increasing at the fastest rate. There are significant variations in service quality risk across prefecture-level cities in the Shandong Province of China. (2) In terms of risk heterogeneity, the quality risk level of small-scale pure farmers is higher than that of part-time farmers and large professional farmers, in that order. The quality risk level of the “farmer + service organization” model is higher than that of the “farmer + intermediary + service organization” model. According to the order of the quality risk level of different crops, the ranking (from highest to lowest) is cash crops, wheat, and corn. (3) The high quality risks of land trusteeship services will impact the multifunctionality of land systems. It exacerbates the land pollution and fertility degradation because of excessive application of chemical inputs like pesticides, fertilizers, and mulch by service organizations. It consequently destroys ecological systems, hinders sustainable agricultural development, and impacts farmers’ income and national food security by reducing yields. The research findings contribute to controlling the quality risks of land trusteeship services and protecting land. Full article