Introduction

When addressing the ‘gender question,’ a key concept that emerges is diversity, particularly within marginalised and underrepresented groups. One such group is Muslim women, whose experiences are often discussed in public and academic discourse, yet rarely centred. This paper seeks to examine the gender stereotypes faced by Muslim women, both within their communities and from external societal structures. It further explores how power dynamics and patriarchal frameworks influence the formation and negotiation of Muslim women’s identities. Recognising the complexity of the term ‘Muslim women’, the paper will highlight the diversity and heterogeneity within this category, including women's lived experiences across different social, economic, and geographical contexts. Special attention will be given to the voices of both indigenous and migrant Muslim women, with a particular focus on the Global South. The study will engage with contemporary Muslim women writers and scholars contributing to a growing body of feminist Muslim scholarship, challenging dominant narratives and reclaiming space within both religious and feminist discourses. Ultimately, the paper aims to foreground the agency of Muslim women as they actively engage in the process of redefining and reclaiming their identities in the face of intersecting forms of marginalisation.

BackgroundYoung women living with perinatal infections of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (YWLPHIV) in low- and middle-income countries are more likely to be challenged by social and health inequities, which can make adherence to life-long treatment difficult. We aimed to learn more about how YWLPHIV in Cape Town negotiated their adherence to antiretroviral treatment (ART) within their material environments. This study is one of the first to go beyond barriers and facilitators to adherence for people living with HIV to explore the role of the material environment in depth.MethodsWe adopted a multisensory arts-based community participatory approach and used visual and digital mediums for data-collection and analytical purposes. In our previous work, we identified a gap in the role of the material environment in ART adherence and proposed the Adherence Assemblage model grounded in critical phenomenology, which integrates biological, psychological, social, health system, political, natural, and material dimensions. This study co-explores non-living 'things'—such as bedrooms, doctor’s offices, pill containers, and condoms—that shape young women's adherence to ART in South Africa. The co-research team consisted of three academics, seven YWLPHIV (although they approved the study they could not be named as authors to protect their identities), one counsellor and two visual ethnographers. Data analysis was an iterative process with the co-research team. At first, we would reflect and journal the main insights individually, and then in joint meetings, we shared them. Together, we identified the main storylines and then created collaborative artworks we called, synthesis creations, in response. We operationalised this as a type of creative work that combines and integrates ideas or elements from multiple sources. It typically involves a process of synthesis, in which different pieces of information or artistic materials are brought together and recombined to form a new whole.ResultsWe co-creatively synthesised our findings into one research documentary and five co-creative artworks. We synthesised four storylines: ‘living with a (un)exposed HIV secret’, ‘multisensory experience of adherence’, ‘things that matter in adherence’, and ‘engaging spaces and places. Things such as the pill itself were perceived as triggers for associated memories and evoked emotional responses, impacting the adherence behaviours of YWLPHIV. At times, non-adherence was described as an act of control, with young women narrated an experience of power by rejecting the pills. Besides the more obvious lines of argument on power dynamics, the findings suggest that materiality influences adherence too. However, it is seldom used as an analytical concept to investigate challenges related to ART.ConclusionsIn conclusion, understanding the material environment's role in adherence is crucial for developing more effective support systems for YWLPHIV. Further research that prioritises the specific needs of YWLPHIV emotional, cognitive, and psychosocial development, while paying attention to the material environment is needed.

At the intersection of photography, ethnography, and visual sociology (Pauwels 2023), Urban Identities on Display (UID) explores image walls in two Afro-Maghrebi heritage neighborhoods in France: Château Rouge-Goutte d'Or in Paris and Wazemmes-Moulins in Lille (2023-2024). Both territories carry colonial histories, exemplify multiculturalism, and foster contemporary transculturalism (Buono 2011). Image walls—whether in museums, galleries, private collections, or on the street—are surfaces covered with multiple images grouping a visual unit (Reverseau et al. 2022). UID employs three complementary methodologies: visual production examines the aesthetic and material dimensions; ethnography situates the work within lived experiences; and visual sociology provides the theoretical framework for analysis. Set within an urban context shaped by successive waves of immigration from former French colonies (Ben Boubaker 2024), this interdisciplinary approach shows that image walls do more than reflect social realities—they actively shape identity negotiations, meaning-making, and power dynamics in these spaces. Images are understood not merely as representations but as cultural actors capable of affecting people and actively participating in culture (Mitchell 2005). These image walls, sometimes ephemeral, serve as intangible cultural heritage and transmit collective memory and cultural capital, granting symbolic visibility to their authors (Bourdieu 1979). Firstly, we used Krase's walking method (2012) and applied a walking methodology to localize the image walls, noticing that they did not appear as mere backdrops but as symbols of belonging. Secondly, using photo elicitation (Douglas 2012), we conversed with the actors who had created them. Finally, we repurposed our photographic documentation to create a panoramic collage that emulates the syncretic visual essence of these neighborhoods. Thus, UID explores how people from the diaspora produce and display their visualities, contributing to shaping these visual identities. Entering public and semi-public places, our accents immediately marked us as non-French mother tongue, echoing Bourdieu's (2014) analysis of language and symbolic power, and as one South American—Uruguayan, diaspora cohabiting with many other African ones within the same urban context. For those unfamiliar, the shop windows—full of goods from Algeria, Senegal, Mali, Congo, Tunisia, etc.—might appear exotic or disorienting (Bouly de Lesdain 1999; Chabrol, 2014; Silhouette-Dercourt, 2014). Yet this very maximalist heterogeneity reveals the dynamic nature and richness of the many cultures condensed there, where the colors, music, food, and languages are all entry points into these areas. Migrants carry migratory images with them: visual signs and artifacts that communicate and reshape imaginaries, cultural histories, and “scapes” (Appadurai 1996). Far from being a past, these migratory images challenge fixed notions of temporality and identity, reconfiguring what we remember, how we see, and how we inhabit the global world. By integrating political and symbolic imagery, UID explores vernacular and emotional uses of popular images (Chalfen 1987; Glevarec 2021). The project emphasizes how such practices foster the resilience and empowerment of the communities, preserve and shape collective imaginaries, and strengthen cultural identity in diasporic contexts. Thus, UID not only showcases the cultural capital of Afro communities (Bourdieu 1979; hooks 1992), but also emphasizes empowerment and resilience, contributing to the meaning-making processes that emerge in transnational spaces of shared belonging (Szulc 2023; Marin 2022). To conclude, as Hall and Du Gay (1996) remind us, identity is never static but always in motion.

The commodification of peasant livelihoods through export-oriented aquaculture has brought about significant social-ecological changes in low-lying coastal areas in many parts of Asia. A better understanding of the underlying drivers and distributional effects of these changes requires integration of social and ecological approaches that often have different epistemological origins. Resilience thinking has gained increased traction in social-ecological systems research because it provides a dynamic analysis of the cross-scalar interactions between multiple conditions and processes. However, the system-oriented perspective inherent in resilience thinking fails to acknowledge the heterogeneous values, interests, and power of social actors and their roles in navigating social-ecological change. Incorporation of political ecology and well-being perspectives can provide an actor-oriented analysis of the trade-offs associated with change and help to determine which state is desirable for whom. However, empirical demonstrations of such interdisciplinary approaches remain scarce. Here, we explore the combined application of resilience, political ecology, and well-being in investigating the root causes of social-ecological change and identifying the winners and losers of system transformation through empirical analysis of the differential changes in farming systems in two villages in coastal Bangladesh. Using the adaptive cycle as a structuring model, we examine the evolution of the shrimp aquaculture system over the past few decades, particularly looking at the power dynamics between households of different wealth classes. We found that although asymmetric land ownership and political ties enabled the wealthier households to reach their desired farming system in one village, social resilience achieved through memory, leadership, and crisis empowered poorer households to exercise their agency in another village. Material dimensions such as improved living standards, food security, and cash incomes were evidently important; however, freedom to pursue desired livelihood activities, better environmental quality, mental peace, and cultural identities had significant implications for relational and subjective well-being.

This study is a corpus based discourse analysis of professor-student conversations in order to identify the linguistic features, power dynamics, politeness strategies, and identity constructions in academic discourse. This research employs a mixed methods approach combining quantitative corpus linguistic tools with qualitative discourse analysis, to study how language reproduces or shapes the hierarchical and mutually working professor-student relationships. The findings show that professors tend to employ complex language, academic terminology and more authoritative speech patterns, as they establish themselves as knowledgeable and guide the conversation, and that the students generally speak more simple language and deploy more deferential politeness strategies as learners. Students, however, varied in their agency, especially when graduate students showed more independence by asking the challenging questions and negotiating power dynamics. To create a collaborative learning environment, professors also hedged their authority with hedging questions and open ended questions. The study’s findings seek to further understanding of how language is used to build academic identities and retain professional boundaries in educational contexts. Finally, recommendations for how to be more inclusive and effective in communication through pedagogical strategies are made, as well as suggestions for future research involving comparative studies among other contexts and multimodal discourse analysis in order to better understand the academic interactions.

This book addresses different forms of discourse by analysing the emergence of power dynamics in communication and their importance in shaping the production and reception of messages. The chapters focus on specific cognitive aspects, such as the verbal expression of reasoning or emotions, as well as on linguistic and discursive processes. The interaction between reasoning, feelings, and emotions is described in relation to several fields of discourse where power dynamics may emerge and includes, among others, political, media, and academic discourse. This volume aims to include representative instances of this heterogeneity and is deeply rooted, both theoretically and methodologically, in the acknowledgment that the investigation of the complex interaction between reason and emotion in discursive productions cannot be exempt from the adoption of a multi-disciplinary perspective. By providing a critical reflection of their methodological decisions, and describing the implications of their research projects, the contributors offer insights which are relevant for students, researchers, and practitioners operating in the broad field of discourse studies.

Interpellation is an assumption about taken for granted roles assumed by culture or any dominant strain of society, and it serves as flagship to status quo activities. In a pedagogical sense, its presence is also one of the manifestations of certain social and historical choices. If interpellation consolidates and perpetuates certain assumptions, the Critical Pedagogy does otherwise. As described by Friere (1970), Critical Pedagogy empowers marginalized educational practices. Learner autonomy and successful pedagogy are guaranteed by a neutral educational method. This approach is used in this paper to critically examine academic discourse. Power dynamics and cultural underpinnings of academic discourse are thought to have distorted the concept of critical pedagogy. Research is restricted to written scholarly texts from a number of different universities. Textual analysis aided in the investigation of power structures created indirectly by a nexus of powers. These results were revealed in a variety of shapes using CDA.

Sexual harassment experienced during ethnographic fieldwork plays an important role in power dynamics both in the research field and in the academic domain, but is marginalized in academic discourse. This article argues that experiences of sexual harassment during fieldwork should be considered as potentially relevant data and analyzed as such, going against the convention of the ‘malestream’ academic reference frame. The article demonstrates the possible relevance of such data, building on empirical fieldwork on the role law plays in social interactions in diverse public space, and connects to discussions on sexual harassment, embodied ethnography and academic positionality.

In both public and academic discourse, gaslighting has gained increased attention, especially regarding psychological abuse, power imbalance, and gender-based violence (GBV). However, the term gaslighting is often inconsistently defined and conflated with broader forms of manipulation. It is also largely examined in the context of intimate partner violence (IPV), which ignores its occurrence in other forms of GBV. The present study presents a systematic review that synthesizes interdisciplinary academic literature to create a comprehensive framework of gaslighting. This framework includes the specific tactics that are used by perpetrators of gaslighting, the social-psychological outcomes experienced by survivors, and the role of systemic inequalities and social power dynamics. A search across multiple databases identified 96 records that discussed gaslighting in relation to GBV. Thematic analysis revealed a two-part framework for understanding gaslighting: (a) gaslighting tactics, which were categorized into cognitive and perceptual manipulation, emotional and psychological abuse, power dynamics and control, and additional forms of manipulation and (b) survivor outcomes, including disruptions to perception and memory, emotional distress, social isolation, and resistance strategies. The findings show that gaslighting is more than just an interpersonal act; it is sustained within social structures, where perpetrators use identity factors and forms of marginalization to exploit survivors. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive definition of gaslighting that illustrates its epistemic nature and its intersection with systemic oppression. It is suggested that future research studies gaslighting in GBV contexts beyond IPV, while practice and policy efforts should seek to enhance recognition and support for survivors.

This literature review critically examines the potential of collective intelligence (CI) to enhance theories of deliberative democracy and participatory governance through academic discourse. We employed PRISMA guidelines for systematic article selection, complemented by a narrative approach for in-depth thematic analysis and supplemented by quantitative methodologies such as Sankey diagrams and keyness analysis. Reviewing 61 scholarly articles focusing on CI within the public sector, this study identifies theoretical insights that could significantly impact the field of democratic innovations and participatory governance. Our analysis reveals that CI methodologies can make governance more inclusive and dynamic by integrating advanced digital tools that foster broader and more effective citizen participation. We conclude that integrating CI with deliberative democracy and participatory governance theories holds substantial promise for developing more responsive and adaptive governance models. Future research should focus on measuring deliberative quality in real time, deploying CI tools to empower underrepresented groups and address specific governance challenges, and examining CI’s ethical and social implications, especially concerning privacy, security, and power dynamics in technology-driven public decision-making.

The resurgence of analog photography within our hyper-digitized landscape presents a unique and compelling intersection of technology, culture, and human psychology. This study offers an in-depth investigation into the multifaceted role of analog photography in shaping identity formation, fostering psychological well-being, and nurturing social capital development within the specific socio-cultural milieu of Southeastern China. Employing a concurrent mixed-methods design with a robust sample of 600 participants (N=600), we integrated quantitative surveys assessing psychological constructs and engagement levels with qualitative interviews exploring lived experiences. We applied advanced statistical techniques, including Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), to test a theoretically-grounded model. This model hypothesized that engagement in analog photography predicts enhanced well-being (manifested as higher self-esteem and lower perceived stress) through the crucial mediating roles of psychologically potent nostalgia and cultivated mindfulness. Furthermore, Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was utilized to move beyond a monolithic view and identify distinct, meaningful subgroups of analog photographers based on their underlying motivations and engagement patterns. SEM results indicated a strong model fit with the data, confirming the significant mediating pathways through both nostalgia and mindfulness, suggesting these psychological processes are key to understanding the benefits derived from analog practice. LCA successfully identified four distinct and interpretable classes: The tradition-focused ‘Nostalgic Purists,’ the aesthetically driven ‘Aesthetic Explorers’, the community-oriented ‘Social Connectors,’ and the process-centered ‘Mindful Contemplatives’. These quantitative findings were substantially enriched and contextualized by our qualitative data. Interviews revealed intricate details of how the material (film, cameras, prints), temporal (slowness, anticipation), and social (clubs, sharing) dimensions of analog practice are woven into personal self-narratives, facilitate emotional regulation strategies, and solidify enduring community bonds. Collectively, these findings provide a nuanced, multi-layered understanding of how seemingly ‘retro’ or traditional, tangible practices can serve vital, contemporary psychological and social functions, particularly in a rapidly digitizing, non-Western context like Southeastern China. This research extends existing theories of identity (Erikson, 1970; McAdams in Rev. Gen. Psychol. 5(2): 100-122, 2001), psychological well-being (Ryan & Deci in Am. Psychol. 55(1): 68–78, 2000)), social capital (Putnam in Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community, Touchstone Books/Simon & Schuster, 2000), and cultural memory (Assmann in Cultural memory and early civilization: Writing, remembrance, and political imagination, 1-319, 2011), offering valuable insights for both academic discourse and practical applications in mental health and cultural preservation.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-32663-x.

The body plays a crucial role in a critical study of religion that is interested in the interrelation of religion and social and cultural power dynamics, yet the “body” often remains a floating signifier. This paper seeks to overcome this default mode of critical social and cultural studies by placing the focus on the material body. Through an examination of the aesthetics of the neo-spiritual Israeli movement practice known as Gaga, I demonstrate how power materializes in bodies during practice; how the bodily and material power dimensions, both implicit and non-linguistic, can by critically addressed; and how neo-spiritualities as part of a contemporary religious landscape evolve around the body as a medium of power dynamics. I exemplify my approach by examining two aesthetic processes in the context of Gaga: (1) the connection between the teacher of movement instruction and the Gaga class participant and (2) Gaga’s body techniques that train sensory attention.

The survivability of the small-scale fishery and dried fish production in Indian Sundarbans, despite increasing threats posed by climate, environmental, economic, and policy drivers, suggests that they possess certain unique strengths and capabilities. One thread of these strengths is connected to the fact that Sundarbans’ fishery system is strongly anchored in the values and beliefs of the local fishing communities. There is, however, limited empirical information available on the prevailing individual and collective attitudes, expectations, traditions, customs, and, above all, values and beliefs that strongly influence local fishing communities of Sundarbans. This manuscript aims to address this gap by drawing on qualitative data to (1) map the nature of values and beliefs associated with the Sundarbans’ Sagar Island fishing communities who are engaged in small-scale fishery and dried fish production; and (2) highlight the contributions of values and beliefs to the small-scale fishery and dried fish production systems of Sagar Island. Our study reveals that historical factors such as the patriarchal and patrilineal system prevalent in the Indian Sundarbans as well as the current drivers, including environmental and social-economic changes, create inconsistent values and beliefs among male and female members of its society. Issues around values and beliefs are heavily influenced by social-ecological realities comprising material, relational and subjective dimensions. They can range from being strictly personal to largely community-oriented as they are shaped by realities of gender, class, power dynamics, and politics. Values and beliefs are fundamental to human perception and cognition but often get neglected in mainstream literature covering human dimensions of resource management. Our research adds weight to the theoretical and place-based understanding of the contributions of values and beliefs to the small-scale fishery and dried fish production systems. We learn from the case study that values and beliefs can act as mirrors, reflecting the current as well as future realities of small-scale fisheries and dried fish production systems and provide important directions for sustainability and viability of the entire social-ecological system that hosts this sector.

In this article, I propose a reflection on some ethical considerations in ethnographic fieldwork with vulnerable populations, particularly from the case of street workers in Chile. Beyond the "traditional" ethical concerns, I problematize the challenges that arise in fieldwork and the critical reflexivity of the ethnographer. To do so, I explore three crucial elements: positioning, engagement versus exploitation, and representation. First, I discuss the impact of researcher positioning on power dynamics and the interpretation of constructed data. Next, I examine the delicate balance between engagement with the community under study and the risk of exploitation towards it, highlighting the importance of reciprocity and shared responsibility. Finally, I analyze the importance of representing the voices of street workers in academic and public discourse, emphasizing the need to avoid stereotypes and promote a negotiated and liberating narrative. This paper contributes to enrich the debate on ethics in anthropological research, pointing out the importance of considering specific contexts and power relations in fieldwork with vulnerable populations.

The manifestation of ethnic identity in philosophy is a multifaceted subject that intersects with various academic disciplines and cultural discourses. Stock provides a specific example of this intersection by discussing the emergence of “ethnic minority philosophy” in China, which integrates ethnic and cultural identity into philosophical discourse. This discipline reflects the broader issues of national, ethnic, cultural, and philosophical identity, highlighting the role of “culture” in redefining minoritarian traditions as philosophy. Similarly, Siegel (notes the historical significance of philosophy of education and its potential to address vital philosophical questions, including those related to ethnic identity, suggesting a need for philosophy to reconnect with its broader applications, potentially including the exploration of ethnic identity. Contradictions or interesting facts emerge when considering the relationship between ethnic identity and philosophy. For instance, Stock’s concept of “hierarchical inclusion” suggests a power dynamic in the recognition and integration of minority philosophies into the broader philosophical canon. This contrasts with the more egalitarian and developmental perspectives on ethnic identity found in psychological research, as seen in, and which focus on the development and validation of ethnic identity measures and their implications for minority group members. In summary, the specifics of the manifestation of ethnic identity in philosophy can be seen in the integration of ethnic and cultural considerations into philosophical discourse, as well as in the recognition of the power dynamics involved in the inclusion of minority philosophies. The literature suggests that ethnic identity plays a significant role in shaping philosophical thought and discourse, particularly in non-Western contexts and in relation to educational philosophy. Further exploration of these dynamics is warranted to understand the full impact of ethnic identity on philosophical inquiry.