ABSTRACT Contemporary scholarship on Russian war-induced migration often identifies migrants as middle class, marked by higher education, civic engagement, and modern liberal values – seen as signs of political agency and democratic potential. This article challenges that view through discourse analysis of interviews with Russian migrants, embedding a relational class subjectivity framework within a lens informed by Foucault’s biopolitics and Ong’s concept of flexible citizenship. The findings suggest that under Russia’s authoritarian neoliberal order, class distinctions are articulated through moralized and depoliticized differentiation. The middle class is symbolically reproduced via moral and cultural distancing from a perceived civilizational ‘Other’. Viewed through processes of internal orientalization aligned with global liberal norms, this dynamic constructs migrants as an imagined community detached from national belonging. These dynamics, shaped by the Soviet legacy and neoliberal biopolitical integration into global regimes, reflect broader post-socialist identity patterns and illuminate limits on middle-class political agency and democratic subjectivity.

This study aims to examine the views of Salafi and contemporary scholars on the law of women traveling without a mahram in the context of modern travel. The background of this research highlights the tension between classical interpretations that prohibit women from traveling without a mahram and the growing demand for female participation in the global public sphere. The research employs a qualitative approach, using library research and normative and comparative methods to analyse classical and contemporary fiqh texts. The main findings reveal that the differing views between Salafi and contemporary scholars regarding women’s travel without a mahram stem from differences in identifying the ‘illah (legal cause) of the prohibition, with some scholars emphasizing physical protection, while others focus on social safety. While most Salafi scholars view the mahram as mandatory, contemporary scholars argue that modern security systems can replace the mahram’s role. This study contributes by offering a moderate legal synthesis that integrates maqashid al-Shariah with contemporary social realities. It recommends a paradigm shift in understanding the role of mahrams and the collective security system in supporting women’s mobility.

Background: The Tibeto-Yi Corridor, a geographically significant transition zone between the eastern Tibetan Plateau and southward ecosystems, serves as a vital historical conduit for migration, trade, and cultural exchange among diverse ethnic groups. Despite its strategic importance, the theoretical framing of the region has undergone significant shifts that require systematic synthesis. Objective & Methodology: This paper provides a comprehensive review of four decades of academic research on the Tibeto-Yi Corridor. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach that integrates findings from anthropology, history, geography, and linguistics, the review examines the conceptual evolution of the region. The methodology focuses on tracing the transition from the "ethnic corridor" framework to the "community space" paradigm through a qualitative meta-analysis of key scholars and research trends. Key Findings: The analysis reveals a paradigm shift: early ethnographic studies (1980s–1990s) initially framed the region as an "ethnic corridor," emphasizing bounded ethnic interactions and cultural diffusion. Contemporary scholarship has since transitioned toward conceptualizing the area as a dynamic "community space," highlighting integrated socio-economic lives, overlapping identities, and cultural hybridity (H=f(x,y)). The review further identifies critical tensions between state-led development initiatives—such as infrastructure and tourism—and local ecological sustainability, where the net benefit depends on the balance between economic gains (B) and environmental/social costs (C). Conclusion & Implications: The paper concludes that addressing the corridor's complex socio-ecological challenges requires a shift toward community-based participatory research (CBPR) and the integration of indigenous ecological knowledge (IEK). By advocating for a "community space" framework, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of ethnicization and place-making, offering a theoretical foundation for inclusive development policies that respect local agency.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping education through adaptive learning, intelligent tutoring, learning analytics, and generative AI tools. However, contemporary scholarship remains fragmented, often treating technical effectiveness, ethical governance, and sustainability outcomes as separate agendas. This paper proposes an integrative model that unifies these strands by conceptualizing AI-enabled education as a system shaped by three interacting dimensions: (a) technological capability, (b) human–ethical safeguards, and (c) sustainability-oriented goals. A narrative review supported by systematic elements synthesized Scopus-indexed scholarship published between 2019 and 2025, emphasizing high-impact reviews and evidence syntheses across higher education and broader learning contexts. The synthesis indicates that isolated, technology-only implementations risk undermining trust, equity, and long-term educational value. The proposed model aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—particularly SDG 4 (Quality Education)—and supports national transformation priorities such as Oman Vision 2040 by integrating responsible innovation with measurable learning and societal impact.

The Church of Caucasian Albania constitutes a distinctive yet often overlooked element within the broader narrative of Eastern Christianity, positioned at the intersection of cultural and geopolitical dynamics in the South Caucasus (Hewsen 2001). This investigation posits that the Albanian Church functioned as an autonomous ecclesiastical institution, cultivating a singular Christian identity by integrating indigenous Caucasian customs and doctrinal influences from prominent regional Christian centers (Dasxuranci 1961; Aleksidze and Mahe 2008). In terms of its material-cultural legacy, architectural ensembles such as the monasteries of Gandzasar and Amaras stand out, differentiated from analogous Georgian and Armenian structures by unique planimetric configurations, structural innovations, and the incorporation of pre-Christian architectural motifs (Akhundov 1986; Aliev and Mamedzade 1997). The assertion of the Albanian Church’s distinctive material and religious heritage is bolstered by its long-standing autocephaly, formally established at the Council of Aghuen in the fifth century, following the adoption of Christianity as the state religion (Dasxuranci 1961). This autocephalous status was underpinned by the political sovereignty of the Albanian polity and embodied a pursuit of canonical independence (Dasxuranci 1961; Guseinov 2017). Nevertheless, evolving geopolitical circumstances, notably the Arab conquest, precipitated the erosion of Albania’s political autonomy circa 705 CE (Dasxuranci 1961; Hewsen 2001). As a result, the Albanian ecclesiastical hierarchy became subsumed under the Armenian Church, eventually manifesting as the Catholicosate of Aghvank (Dasxuranci 1961; Hewsen 2001). This trajectory culminated in 1836, when the Russian Empire formally dissolved the Catholicosate, reallocating its assets and ecclesiastical oversight to the Armenian Apostolic Church (Guseinov 2017). In contemporary scholarship, the historical and cultural patrimony of Caucasian Albania remains embroiled in contentious historiographical discourses, often marred by allegations of distortion and leveraged to underpin modern political and territorial assertions in the South Caucasus (Mamedova 1977; Hewsen 2001). Against this backdrop, the resurgence of Albanian heritage and the establishment of Albanology — the study of Caucasian Albania — as an autonomous academic discipline, predicated on objective, evidence-based, and apolitical methodologies, assume heightened importance (Niyazievich 2024). This inquiry seeks to offer a judicious reassessment of Albanian heritage, framing it not as a peripheral footnote but as an essential and autonomous facet of the Caucasus’s religious and linguistic milieu (Schulze 2005; Gippert 2015). The examination delineates the Albanian Church’s historical evolution, encompassing its apostolic foundations and era of institutional autonomy (fifth to sixth centuries), through the progressive diminution of its autocephaly and its ultimate dissolution in the nineteenth century (Dasxuranci 1961; Guseinov 2017). This analysis underscores the intricate historiographical terrain surrounding this heritage, wherein empirical evidence is frequently co-opted for contemporary geopolitical agendas (Mamedova 1977; Guseinov 2017). Accordingly, the present work contests oversimplified narratives from diverse perspectives, advocating recognition of the Albanian Church’s independent identity, forged through a multifaceted amalgamation of endogenous traditions and exogenous theological paradigms (Aleksidze and Mahe 2008; Schulze 2005).

The article examines strategic management systems of development companies operating under conditions of high competition in tourism markets, characterized by seasonal demand concentration, spatial constraints, and strengthened institutional regulation. The study is conducted in the format of an analytical review and synthesis of contemporary scholarly works, within which development is interpreted not as an isolated investment and construction activity, but as a process of managing territorial development and the tourism product. The analysis is based on studies addressing the interrelationship between tourism and real estate, seasonality management, spatial planning, digitalization, sustainable development, and the role of cultural factors in shaping the competitive advantages of destinations. Particular attention is paid to interpreting the seasonal concentration of tourism demand as a structural constraint that frames managerial decision–making and intensifies the need for coordination between real estate assets, infrastructural capacity, and sustainability requirements. The synthesis of the results demonstrates a shift in development practice from an object–oriented logic toward managing territory as an integrated tourism asset, within which the developer acts as a coordinator of the interests of the state, business, and local communities. The article may be of interest to entrepreneurs, researchers in the fields of tourism and real estate economics, and practitioners engaged in the strategic management of development projects in competitive tourism destinations.

ABSTRACT This study reconceptualizes the professional status of social work through a multi-paradigmatic lens, assessing how classical models structural-functionalism, sequential development, and attribute-based approaches – capture the profession’s defining features. Although these frameworks offer useful ideal-typical insights, they only partially explain the structural inequalities, gendered hierarchies, and symbolic devaluation that shape social work, especially in post-socialist welfare contexts. Drawing on feminist, critical, neo-Weberian, and discursive theories, the study conceptualises professionalism as a socially constructed, historically embedded, and inherently power-laden process. It proposes a reflexive, care-oriented model that integrates ethical responsibility, social embeddedness, and interprofessional legitimacy as complementary sources of authority. Drawing on classical and contemporary scholarship, with particular attention to Eastern Europe, the analysis shows that although classical models remain influential, feminised care professions require alternative frameworks that more accurately reflect their specific structural conditions and value orientations. In doing so, the study contributes to international debates and supports the revaluation of care within contemporary welfare systems.

ABSTRACT Contemporary scholarship suggests that global feminist movements striving to end violence against women and girls have spurred an improvement in its media representations. Nollywood, Nigeria’s film industry, serves as a notable example of how local filmmakers are incorporating global feminist principles to challenge entrenched stereotypes and portray women’s empowerment. However, these changes are insufficiently explored in scholarship. This study examines how select Nigerian films portray violence against women and girls (VAWG) and seek to challenge societal attitudes towards it with empowering narratives. Through textual analysis of three films – Citation (2020), Dry (2014) and Stories by Her (2021), five recurrent themes were identified: institutional commitment to justice for victims/survivors, acceptable and unacceptable approaches to justice, voicelessness versus repossession of voice, and societal apathy versus complicity. The study highlights the potential of films for effective storytelling and social change.

As a triadic ethical vocabulary in Islamic family thought, sakinah functions as the telos of marital calm and psychological safety, mawaddah as the affective–commitment dimension of enduring love, and rahmah as the moral–empathic capacity for mercy that enables reconciliation, resilience, and mutual flourishing. This study interrogates how this spiritual–emotional architecture constitutes the substantive core of Islamic marriage beyond its formal-legal contract and clarifies how it may be operationalised to strengthen family sustainability in contemporary settings. Using a library-research design, the article undertakes systematic documentary analysis of primary Islamic sources (the Qur’an, Hadith, and classical fiqh on munākaḥāt) alongside selected contemporary scholarship on marital psychology; the materials are analysed through a descriptive–analytical strategy and a comparative–critical reading that bridges Islamic normative reasoning with relational-psychological constructs (e.g., attachment and emotional intelligence). The synthesis indicates that sakinah–mawaddah–rahmah provides a coherent normative framework for sustaining intimacy, ethical communication, and reconciliation-oriented conflict management, thereby supporting couple resilience over time. At the same time, the analysis identifies a persistent gap between normative ideals and lived marital dynamics, particularly the gendered distribution of emotional and spiritual labour that can undermine relational equity and long-term stability when unaddressed. This study contributes an interdisciplinary conceptual framework integrating Islamic family jurisprudence, marital psychology, and gender-sensitive analysis to inform more relationally grounded premarital education, marital counselling, and policy-oriented discussions on family well-being.

Introduction What does democracy require to survive authoritarian threats? While Hermann Heller prescribed social homogeneity, John Dewey emphasized communicative infrastructure, and contemporary scholarship highlights institutional checks by citizen mobilization, these frameworks struggle to explain how citizens rapidly recognize threats, forge solidarity across differences, and sustain commitment through uncertainty. This study examines democracy’s affective infrastructure as a critical but overlooked dimension of democratic resilience. Methods We analyze 483 speeches from 38 rallies during the critical initial 41 days of South Korea’s 122-day lightstick protests (2024–25), spanning from President Yoon’s December 3, 2024, martial law declaration to his arrest. Our analysis examines how participants expressed democratic commitments and sustained solidarity through protest discourse. Results Protesters employed distinct emotional repertoires, expressive practices, and material-institutional anchors to recognize authoritarian threats, build solidarity across differences, and sustain mobilization pressure on democratic institutions. These affective practices functioned as critical infrastructure linking individual emotional responses to collective democratic action. Discussion This study demonstrates that democracy’s resilience depends not merely on formal institutional design but on cultivating emotional capacities through which citizens feel, speak, and sustain democracy together. Affective infrastructure bridges micro-level emotional experience and macro-level institutional dynamics, offering new insights into democratic resilience against authoritarian challenge.

The paper examines Sextus’ concept of Pyrrhonian Scepticism, as presented in his Outlines of Pyrrhonism (Πυρρώνειοι ὑποτυπώσεις). Contemporary scholarship is in disagreement as to the appropriate meaning of Sextus’ work: whether the Sceptic suspends judgement on all issues, or whether he may hold some justified beliefs and act intentionally upon them. Proponents of the strong (so-called rustic) interpretation maintain that the Sceptic suspends judgement on all beliefs, whereas the more moderate (urban) view holds that the Pyrrhonian is capable of intentional action and that he lives an ordinary life, while suspending judgement only with respect to the scientific and philosophical beliefs of the dogmatists. For Sextus, it was essential to present the goal (τέλος) of the Sceptical school, which concerns both questions examined in philosophy and those of everyday life. The study proposes an argumentation scheme of Pyrrhonian Scepticism that adheres to Sextus’ account in the Outlines of Pyrrhonism and from which it is clear that the Pyrrhonian suspension of judgement (ἐποχή) does not concern matters of ordinary life, so that there is no reason to think that the Sceptic is unable to act intentionally and to live the same way an ordinary person does.

ABSTRACT This Special Issue examines the intersections of migration, religion, spirituality and the transnational lives of African youth, offering a decolonial and youth-centred perspective on mobility and belonging. Drawing on comparative, multi-sited ethnography in Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa and the UK, the contributions centre on young Africans’ agency as they navigate structural inequality, postcolonial legacies, racialised bordering and digital connectivity. By foregrounding African epistemologies such as kufambira (relational journeying) and unsettling Eurocentric binaries – migrant/left-behind and religious/secular – this Special Issue reconceptualises migration as a spiritually embedded, multi-directional process. The ten articles explore how youth leverage religion and digital platforms for identity, resistance and resilience, while interrogating the colonial infrastructures that shape their mobilities. Collectively, this issue advances a transformative agenda for migration studies, one that foregrounds Southern theories, lived experience and African youth’s creative agency to reshape understandings of migration, religion, spirituality and transnational life, offering a critical intervention in contemporary scholarship.

This paper proposes Creative Folklore Journalism, a new sub-genre of literary journalism utilising the discipline’s immersion to depict places intertwined with local folklore, creating a captivating narrative revealing the ‘invisible landscape’ through an enriched sense of place. This sub-genre recognises the role folklore has in sustaining meaningfulness in places and advocates for presenting place and folklore together by preserving the ‘geographical root’. This research pioneers Creative Folklore Journalism and explores how it utilises the fundamental devices of literary journalism enhanced with contemporary scholarship and an innovative folklore focus to capture enriched sense of place. An Australian case study examines its first instance of use in documenting the regional non-Indigenous folklore of a rural South Australian town through an immersive narrative that reveals the ‘invisible landscape’ otherwise unknown by outsiders. In conjunction with literary journalism, the research also adopts archival research, literary cartography, and narrative inquiry to thicken the narrative. In doing so, this paper proposes a replicable model using Creative Folklore Journalism that deepens sense of place in immersive storytelling.

Introduction. Open access to scholarly knowledge is a core element of contemporary scholarly publishing policy and is actively promoted at both international and national levels. At the same time, empirical research shows that principled support for open access is not always accompanied by a uniform interpretation or consistent institutional implementation. In this context, the position of journal editors is of particular interest, as they are the actors who directly shape editorial policy and the dissemination practices of scholarly publications. Purpose. To identify which definitions and key features of open access dominate in the perceptions of editors of Russian scholarly journals, and how these perceptions are reflected in stated editorial policies and in journals’ actual practices. Materials and Methods. The study draws on data from an online survey of editors of Russian scholarly journals (N = 138) representing a range of subject areas and serving as editors-in-chief, deputy editors, managing editors, and scientific editors. The questionnaire included closed- and open-ended items designed to elicit normative orientations and practices related to open access. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of open-ended responses. Results. According to the survey (N = 138), most respondents declare support for open access, yet their understanding of it is heterogeneous: responses to the question about the definition of open access were distributed almost evenly between interpreting open access as free access to the full text and understanding it as a regime that entails additional reuse rights/licensing. At the level of implementation, the study identifies a persistent gap between the declared access model and its institutional articulation: although 89.9% of editorial teams characterize their content dissemination as immediate open access, 18.8% of journals provide no information about open access on their websites. Conceptual ambiguity is also evident in the classification of open access models: about one third of respondents do not distinguish the typology, which correlates with fragmented licensing and contractual practices and limited digital infrastructure. Publication fees are not the dominant mechanism and are generally viewed critically by editors. Conclusion. The findings suggest that within the Russian editorial community, open access functions primarily as a normative orientation rather than as a fully institutionalized journal model. The study highlights the need to shift discussions of open access from declarative support toward the operationalization of legal, infrastructural, and organizational mechanisms that ensure the sustainability and reproducibility of open scholarly dissemination practices.

Cases of Domestic Violence (KDRT) against women have increased significantly, both physically and psychologically. In this context, Surah An-Nisa' verse 34 provides gradual guidelines for dealing with nusyuz, including moral warnings that are often translated literally as "pukullah" (wadhribuhunna). This study aims to analyze the meaning of wadhribuhunna through a review of classical to contemporary scholars, sort out the meaning based on the rules of fiqh choosing a lighter mudharat, and apply it in modern household life with a theoretical approach of Symbolic Interaction. The results of the analysis show that the most strict mufasir groups, such as Al-Biqa'i, Wahbah al-Zuhaili, Hamka, Rashid Riḍā, and M. Quraish Shihab, emphasize symbolic and educational understanding of the word "hit", so that the risk of physical and psychological harm can be minimized. The application of this symbolic meaning is in harmony with the principle of benefit, encourages healthy communication, and strengthens household harmony. The Symbolic Interactionism approach emphasizes that the meaning of the verse is formed through social interaction, individual reflection, and negotiation of moral values, so that symbolic interpretation becomes an effective preventive strategy against domestic violence.

This Trends article reviews recent scholarship (2020-2024) on the relationship between economic inequality and political participation. For decades, research has been guided by two dominant theories: Conflict Theory (CT), which posits that inequality stimulates political engagement, and Relative Power Theory (RPT), which conversely predicts that inequality depresses participation. Despite their prominence, empirical studies seeking to adjudicate between both theories have produced contradictory results. Synthesizing the recent literature, this article argues that such inconsistencies have prompted a shift away from assessing whether inequality uniformly increases (CT) or decreases (RPT) political participation. Instead, contemporary scholarship has turned to investigating the conditions under which inequality mobilizes or demobilizes citizens. Three major trends drive this reorientation: (1) the expansion of economic inequality measures beyond national-level income indicators to include finer-grained and subjective operationalizations; (2) the broadening of the concept of political participation beyond voter turnout to encompass diverse participatory behaviors; and (3) the growing examination of mediating and moderating variables that condition the inequalityparticipation relationship. Collectively, this article argues that these developments demonstrate that RPT and CT are best conceptualized as conditional rather than universal explanatory frameworks.

This study provides a critical review of scholarly literature on the interrelationship between language, power, and ideology within political discourse studies. Drawing primarily on the theoretical foundations of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), the review examines how political language functions as a strategic tool for constructing social realities, legitimizing authority, and reproducing or challenging ideological dominance. The study synthesizes key contributions from classical and contemporary scholars to highlight major analytical approaches, including discourse–power relations, ideological representation, framing, and identity construction in political texts and talk. Particular attention is given to how political actors employ linguistic choices—such as metaphor, nomination, argumentation, and evaluative strategies—to influence public opinion, shape policy debates, and sustain hegemonic structures. The review also explores methodological trends in political discourse research, noting a shift toward interdisciplinary, multimodal, and corpus-assisted approaches that enhance analytical rigor and contextual sensitivity. By critically assessing existing debates, gaps, and limitations in the field, this study underscores the continuing relevance of discourse-oriented analyses in understanding political processes in diverse sociopolitical contexts. The paper concludes by identifying directions for future research, emphasizing the need for greater contextual diversity, comparative perspectives, and engagement with emerging digital and media-driven political discourses.

In an era defined by democratic backsliding, political polarization and rising authoritarianism, Karl Popper’s concept of the open society emerges not only as a philosophical anchor but also as a practical blueprint for institutional renewal. This article explores the enduring relevance of Popper’s ideals—critical rationalism, pluralism and transparency—in confronting today’s political challenges, from populism and performative politics to youth disenfranchisement and digital misinformation. Through an engagement with contemporary scholarship, including the works of Gerson, Ingrams, Ani and Okoye, Esfeld and Scott-Phillips, the article traces how modern democratic crises mirror the totalitarian threats that initially prompted Popper’s vision. Far from being a relic of mid-20th-century liberal thought, the open society offers a vital framework for democratic resilience in the face of institutional distrust and eroding civic engagement. The article argues that meaningful institutional reforms—such as participatory budgeting, citizens’ assemblies and algorithmic transparency—must be rooted in Popperian critical discourse. It further emphasizes the transformative role of youth agency, civic education and digital literacy in shaping an informed and engaged polity. Ultimately, this study underscores the urgency of renewing democratic deliberation by internalizing the open society not just as a political aspiration but as a lived institutional practice that adapts to complex, pluralistic societies.

This article synthesizes contemporary scholarship on financial stress and borrowing behavior through a structured interpretive literature review of Scopus-indexed studies published between 2015 and 2025. Drawing on economics, behavioral finance, and economic psychology, the review integrates empirical and theoretical evidence to explain how stress reshapes household borrowing decisions beyond rational choice assumptions. The findings indicate that financial stress operates simultaneously as a cognitive constraint, an emotional burden, and a social signal, influencing credit uptake, debt persistence, and risk tolerance. Psychological mechanisms such as decision fatigue, loss aversion, and social emotions interact with structural factors including income volatility, debt composition, and institutional context. Longitudinal and comparative studies demonstrate that borrowing under stress often reflects short-term coping rather than intertemporal optimization, with measurable consequences for mental health and subjective well-being. The synthesis further reveals persistent heterogeneity across age, socioeconomic position, and cultural settings, challenging universal policy prescriptions. Conceptually, the article advances an integrated framework linking stress dynamics to borrowing behavior across micro-level decision processes and macro-level financialization. Policy implications are discussed briefly.

This study examines the legacy of Ibn Sina’s psychological thought and its significance for the development of Islamic psychology through a historical philosophical literature review. As one of the most influential Muslim philosophers of the Islamic Golden Age, Ibn Sina developed a comprehensive theory of the soul (al-nafs) that integrates intellectual, emotional, and moral dimensions of human existence. Drawing primarily on his major works, including Kitab al-Nafs, Al-Shifa’, and Al-Najat, this research analyzes how his conceptualization of the vegetative, sensitive, and rational aspects of the soul provides a holistic framework for understanding human psychology. The study employs thematic content analysis to identify key psychological concepts in Ibn Sina’s writings and to examine their reinterpretation in contemporary scholarship on Islamic psychology. The findings indicate that Ibn Sina’s thought offers an alternative epistemological foundation to reductionist psychological paradigms by emphasizing the immaterial nature of consciousness, the central role of reason, and the ethical orientation of mental life. At the same time, the study highlights the need for critical engagement with his ideas to avoid anachronistic or normative applications in modern psychological practice. Overall, the research demonstrates that Ibn Sina’s psychological framework remains theoretically relevant for contemporary Islamic psychology, particularly in efforts to develop culturally grounded and ethically sensitive approaches to mental health and human development. This study contributes to the ongoing reconstruction of Islamic psychology by clarifying the philosophical roots of the discipline and by positioning Ibn Sina’s legacy as a valuable intellectual resource for future theoretical and interdisciplinary research.