Contemporary Social Issues Research Articles

Integrating anthropology and social work education to address contemporary social issues

Integrating anthropology and social work education to address contemporary social issues

Scopus Indexed Indian Journal of Extension Education: Crafting Improvement Strategy through Altmetric and Bibliometric Analysis

The present paper includes a comprehensive bibliometric and altmetric analysis of the Indian Journal of Extension Education (IJEE), the first and only Scopus-indexed Indian journal from the discipline of Extension Education employing VOSviewer and R-packages. As the official journal of the Indian Society of Extension Education, IJEE covers diverse subject areas, including agricultural extension, rural sociology, information communication technology (ICT) application in agriculture, climate change, and other contemporary social issues. The study examined 543 authors and 263 organizations in co-authorship, considered 625 keywords in co-occurrence, evaluated 156 documents in the citation, and investigated 2849 cited references, 1416 cited sources, and 5203 cited authors in co citation. The results highlighted the influential papers and authors, providing insights into research trends and areas of significance by R-packages. It also explained the thematic map showing the emerging, developing, and already developed research topics in modern trends. The altmetric analysis of the 5 most cited papers from IJEE looked into the research paper’s citations, usage, captures, mentions, and social media penetration. While confirming conventional knowledge, the study identified unique situations indicating the growth of IJEE, contributing valuable perspectives for researchers and stakeholders in extension education and related fields.

Book Review: MEN’S LIB and Other Literary, Cultural and Personal Essays by Kumar Vikram

This article reviews MEN’S LIB and Other Literary, Cultural and Personal Essays by Kumar Vikram (2022). The book provides a hope that essay as a genre is here to stay for years to come. Vikram has presented a unique bouquet of his literary, cultural, and personal essays written and published over 15 years from 2004 to 2020. The essays in the book have been categorized as socio-cultural, literary, and personal. The book showcases Vikram’s own evolution as an essayist who creates his narratives based on lived experiences, academic rigour, critic’s mind, and layman’s inquisitiveness. The author provides a fresh perspective on some of the historical, literary, cultural, and political figures as well as imageries and provokes the readers to challenge their worldviews in inimitable style. Essays in the book are likely to trigger discourses and conversations around contemporary social, literary, and personal issues.

Digital Transformation, Social Innovation and the Not-For-Profit Sector in Australia

Digital transformation also includes the potential and practice of digital social innovation, whereby the affordances of digital technologies are used to address contemporary social issues. This is particularly relevant to the not-for-profit sector, which plays an important role in Australian society delivering community services. There is a growing appreciation of the ability of this sector to innovate, given its closeness to grass-roots social issues, its flexibility, and capacity to recruit staff and volunteers from all walks of life to contribute to its operations. The sector often operates in-between and in-connection-with government and business, and such collaboration with diverse viewpoints can also be a stimulus for innovation. However, various constraints have been identified, such as the lagging digital proficiency of the sector and its workforce, and the general standoff between purpose, profit and regulatory motivations. The relationship between modern technologies and social innovation by the not-for-profit sector is of national policy interest and worthy of investigation into its originality, opportunities and obstacles. From this brief discussion article, the author invites interested readers to correspond and contribute to this research project.

동시대 명품 브랜드 패션쇼의 혼종적 표현 연구

In contemporary luxury fashion shows, various artistic experiments are implemented to express a brand's identity and philosophy. Therefore, as a cultural phenomenon, the study of fashion show spaces requires an understanding of their aesthetic context. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics and significance of hybridity in luxury brands’ fashion show. After clarifying the concept of hybridity as a prominent feature of postmodern culture where boundaries are blurred and outlining developments in transportation and ICT, we identify three hybrid characteristics of 21st-century fashion shows: hybridity of time and space, of cultures and arts, and of nature, human and machine (media). Accordingly, we analyze how Chanel and Gucci’s recent shows experiment with and converge artistic, cultural codes and media effects, strengthening brand image: Chanel as representing modern elegance and sophistication, and Gucci as aligned with subculture. This study thus reveals how hybridity has become an important artistic strategy for luxury brands in order to provide an unfamiliar experience to the audience, while reflecting contemporary social issues and expressing brand values and identity.

“Fantasy as Subversion”: Ray, Totalitarianism, and “Dissensus”

Abstract Satyajit Ray’s faith in the integrity of his middle-class protagonists and his philosophical detachment coupled with his aesthetics of contemplation have often been brutally criticized by his Marxist critics. They have accused Ray of being a bourgeois humanist, a political effete without any specific ideology, estranged from tackling pressing contemporary social and political issues. The article attempts to trace Ray’s thoughts on cinema and analyze how his films, even those that seem to be fantasies, are not situated in a rarefied atmosphere but are determined by a number of sociopolitical events that intersect and interact in myriad ways. A ghost story by Upendrakishore Ray Chowdhury, provided the filmmaker with the perfect narrative trope to critique what he considered the germs of contemporary social and political conditions, the vantage point from which his allegory could address not only the contemporary scenario but also the distant future. In his fantasy-based musicals Goopy Gyne Bagha Byne (The Adventures of Goopy and Bagha, 1969) and Hirak Rajar Deshe (The Kingdom of Diamonds, 1980), Ray decided to be at his subversive best. These films based on magic realism were not simply departures from his neo-realistic narratives but also veiled satires that indicted the establishment.

Effect of Adolescents and Sexual Reproductive Health Policy on Girl Child Retention in Public Secondary Schools in Butula Sub-County, Kenya

The challenge of girls' retention in educational institutions has been identified as a significant obstacle. The inability to maintain the enrollment of female students in secondary schools can be regarded as a squandering of valuable human capital and financial investments made in their primary education, as well as a loss of time invested in their initial enrollment. These young females have the potential to develop into a demographic of women lacking in literacy skills, resulting in diminished economic, social, and political contributions. Among the critical contemporary social issues affecting many countries is teenage pregnancies. The matter of ASRH is a global issue affecting both developed and underdeveloped countries. The problem has drawn attention of governments from both developed and underdeveloped nations. Researchers have also given it consideration and studied it to some extent in their efforts to solve the recurring puzzle of solving the sex related matters that affect adolescents. This research was guided by a general objective, the effect of adolescents and sexual reproductive health policy on girl child retention in public secondary schools in Butula sub-county, Kenya. The study also adopted specific objective as; i)To assess the effect of educational opportunities on girl child retention in public secondary schools in Butula Sub-county Kenya.The study was guided by Human Capital theory of adolescence. Research adopted the descriptive survey design. The study also targeted a sample size of 488 respondents, out of the targeted population of 1335 respondents. The criteria for selecting sample size using convenient and purposive sampling techniques was fixed upon Mugenda and Mugenda (2004) formula. Also, the data from both primary and secondary sources was utilized in the study. The instruments for gathering the data comprised questionnaires, interviews, and records from the schools. Before utilizing the instruments in this research, they were tested using test-retest methods to ascertain validity and reliability. To establish links between variables, the study used correlational analysis. Precisely, a SPSS version 25 was used when seeking to establish any link between the Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Policy and girl child retention in public secondary schools Butula Sub-County, Busia County. There is an expectation that this study increased towards knowledge or understanding of the effect of teenage pregnancy on class attendance in public secondary schools in Butula Sub-county. Due to the sensitivity of the research all information that was obtained it was regarded as confidential and the participants including the schools kept it anonymous. Also, no one was coerced to become part of the sample space, but consent was the criteria upon selection of respondents in the study. Therefore, this study involved the highest level of confidentiality, acknowledgment and consent when dealing with respondents and sources of data. The finding of the study was that ASRH services were significant to girl retention in schools. Moreover, it was found that information on ASRH on girls’ retention was from media and school. This study recommends that school administrators assume the role of fostering a collaborative relationship between schools and the community. This partnership would facilitate the identification of opportunities for teachers, parents, and community members to collaborate in order to enhance the educational outcomes of students.

Bezrobocie jako współczesna kwestia społeczna – wybrane aspekty socjologiczne i ekonomiczne

Bezrobocie jako współczesna kwestia społeczna – wybrane aspekty socjologiczne i ekonomiczne

원격-대면 연계 평생교육 국악 수업구성안 연구 -방송통신대학교 학습자 의견조사를 중심으로-

This research offers a gugak class plan designed for teaching gugak (Korean
 traditional music) in a higher level of lifelong education linking remote and
 face-to-face classes. By examining educational goal and the request of both the
 program provider and the middle-aged and elderly student group, this study aims
 to scrutinize conceptional expansion of gugak education, and to suggest
 theoretical ground with a concrete example that can elevate the quality of lifelong
 education. The gugak class, as a part of college liberal arts program, is designed
 to raise a culturally creative person and to help them understand rapidly changing
 contemporary society. It is supposed to provide students with some aspects of
 sentimental relief, social interaction, and access to musical practice. Students are
 expected to listen to gugak from a critical perspective on the basis of
 understanding its aesthetic values. All the class works as well as academic
 discussions are planned to deal with contemporary social issues in relation to
 gugak. Along with the knowledge, the gugak class should be able to guide the
 students with how to take advantage of gugak infrastructure, such as local concert
 venues and free performances, so the middle-aged and elderly students, by
 themselves, can enjoy and understand the music for the rest of their life, not to
 mention the inspiration for further academic or professional challenge.

How Work as a Category of Thought Has Been Disrupted in Neoliberal Capitalist Societies

This article summarises and presents the main findings of Marie-Anne Dujarier’s French book Troubles dans le travail (2021). It focuses on the “travail” category of thought and practice in France, where it has become a ubiquitous and moral notion. The article traces the history of its social uses, highlighting its polysemy with respect to vernacular and scientific uses, then its limited meaning when used in institutions. It examines contemporary situations in which activity requiring effort, the production of use or exchange values, and the status of employment and remuneration are disconnected. Their frequency and importance cast doubt on who is working and when. This disruption in the “work” category of thought indicates that the eponymous institutions do not adequately accommodate real practices. They are therefore questioned. This observation is also an invitation for researchers to unpick this word for a better analysis of contemporary social, psychological and ecological issues. In France, the word “travail” is ubiquitous in our day-to-day exchanges, as well as in our scientific and political discussions (“travail” is often translated as ‘work’ or ‘labour’, translations are part of the history of the category). Although regularly given only one value, it also has a moral domain. But what does it mean? This article offers Anglo-Saxon readers a summary of in-depth sociological research on this issue, published in the book called Work Troubles. Sociology of a category of thought (French original title: Troubles dans le travail. Sociologie d’une catégorie de pensée) by the author of this article.

Moral Policing and Gender-based Violence: Portrayal of Honour and Shame in Poile Sengupta’s Mangalam

Thesis. The article aims to study Poile Sengupta’s play entitled Mangalam to analyse how the play raises a voice against society’s enforced models of masculinity and femininity, and sexual and psychological violence and its impact on women in the domestic sphere. Concept. The study foregrounds the impact of moral policing via the notions of honour and shame in Sengupta’s Mangalam and analyses that family, a micro-unit of patriarchy is the primary location of violence inflicted on women. The present study further attempts to examine interpersonal violence perpetuated through the institution of marriage through a study of the portrayal of marital violence in Sengupta’s Mangalam. Results and Conclusion. Sengupta presents contemporary social issues and interrogates moral policing and violence perpetuated by patriarchy through the discussed play. It presents a dramatic piece written by a woman, thus challenging the male-dominated narratives through a voice of protest and addressing violence inflicted on a woman’s body and psyche. Originality. The originality of the study relies on examining the underlying causes of gender-based violence within the institution of marriage and family as the smallest unit of patriarchy while also understanding the relevance of literary representations by women dramatists as resistance literature.

Journey to the East and national stereotypes. "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" as a depiction of contemporary social and cultural issues

The subject of this analysis is the image of a contemporary trip to the East and national stereotypes (Englishman, Indian) in the movie The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. The image of the trip to India is analysed from the perspective of Bauman’s metaphors of postmodern life, in which theredefinition of identity is inscribed. The journey in Madden’s work is presented as an escapade somewhere between the expedition of a tourist and the wanderings of a vagabond, thus constituting a metaphor for the contemporary life of senile people originating from Western culture. Theuse of national stereotypes (auto-images, hetero-images) and the transformations taking place within them are reflected upon. It turns out that the image of the trip of the elderly English people to India combines comedic elements with reflections on the key phenomena of contemporaryculture, such as a new form of life, the cult of experience characteristic of the West as a condition for the development of the individual, and the formation of a new stereotype of the journey and its participant.

تفعيل مادة الدفاع عن السنة في مواجهة تيارات الراديكالية وظاهرة الإسلاموفوبيا

This research aims to answer one of the contemporary social and religious issues, which means the issue of the phenomenon of Islamophobia and radicalism trought in the field of the glorious sunnah and how to overcome it by activating the article of the defender of the sunnah. Make shift scientific responses, whether it is textual evidence from the text of the Holy Scripture and Holly Qur’an and Sunnah, or rational evidence from logic, origins, and language, which is considered one of the mechanisms and tools of legal science. especially books dealing with modern suspicions. The results achieved by the researcher, among others: The activation of the article "Defending the Sunnah" is considered one of the tools and mechanisms that a Muslim can use to deal with extremist groups and the phenomenon of Islamophobia. However, it must be in a scientific, logical, rational, persuasive and thoughtful manner, and in a way that corrects some of the distorted concepts, suspicious ideas and wrong opinions about this true religion.

Beyoncé: At Work, On Screen, and Online

Beyoncé: At Work, On Screen, and Online

Chapter 10 Archaeologists as Indian Advocates? Lessons from Skinner, the Little‐Weasel; Moorehead, the Indian Commissioner; and Other Predecessors

ABSTRACTArchaeologists who study the Native past have a responsibility to the Native present. But our academic training does little to prepare us for advocacy work. Personal interests, ethics, and the precariousness of employment often dictate what can be done. Doing nothing is easier and safer than speaking out, but idleness reinforces the irrelevancy of archaeology to contemporary social issues. Recalling the advocacy decisions of two archaeological ancestors, Alanson B. Skinner and Warren K. Moorehead, helps us to consider how and when archaeologists should act beyond their own job descriptions. Skinner's attempts to educate the White‐public and Moorehead's work to guide governmental policies were not flawless. But their willingness to do something helps us reconsider if we, as individual archaeologists, are doing enough. First and foremost, archaeologists should ensure that their institutions have complied with the spirit of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, not just the letter of the law. We should also ensure that we take opportunities to connect the Native past to the Indigenous present, in ways that go beyond land acknowledgements. Archaeologists can be better allies, accomplices, and co‐conspirators.

Orthodox Christianity in the United States: A challenge for the study of American religion

AbstractArguably one of the oldest forms of Christianity, with a global population of more than 260 million adherents, Orthodox Christianity is a major religious system, with networks of believers on almost every continent. However, within the study of American religion, as well as most of the social sciences and humanities (not including theology), Orthodoxy has received minimal research and interest. The broad omission of Orthodoxy from the history of American religions pushes a question to the fore: Why are some forms of Christianity at the very edge of our academic topography? This article explores existing literature on Orthodox Christianity in the United States, looking at issues between emic and etic studies, notions of Eastern Christian alterity, and the rise in new research at the intersection of contemporary social issues, Orthodox theology, and religious practice. In doing so, this article draws out how Orthodoxy provides rich American religious histories tied to global politics, immigration, and nationalism, while also prompting us to reconfigure how we study religion in the United States.

Female Religious Leaders can be Strong Drivers of Dialogue and Mediation in Sri Lanka

This policy brief developed as a part of the Female Religious Leaders for Dialogue and Mediation (FREEDOM) initiative focuses on the importance of engaging female religious leaders in dialogue and mediation in addressing contemporary social issues in Sri Lanka. It was developed based on information gathered through consultation workshops, key informant interviews, an online survey, and a review of the available literature, which was carried out from 1 - 25 March 2023. Recommendations are made for the improvement of the engagement of female religious leaders for dialogue and mediation, targeting the leadership of religious organizations, mediation, dialogue platforms, civil society organizations, government institutions, and female religious leaders and community leaders.

Artificial Goods: Credentialism and Student Affairs Professional Development

Artificial Goods:Credentialism and Student Affairs Professional Development Laila I. McCloud (bio) and Niki Messmore (bio) Because of ongoing pessimism and frustration with the increased work expectations that do not correlate with increased financial compensation, student affairs professionals are left wondering what the future of student affairs is (21st Century Task Force, 2020). Graduate preparation programs and professional associations that have maintained their position as significant socialization agents for the field (Duran & Allen, 2020; Perez, 2016) are also wrestling with this question. Many student affairs professionals spend several years in graduate school being socialized into ways of being, thinking, and doing that often perpetuate whiteness. This socialization shows up in the classroom where faculty position graduate Students of Color as the experts on race-related issues (Harris & Linder, 2018) while failing to encourage racial identity development among white graduate students (Briscoe & Jones, 2022). This socialization continues as educators become enmeshed in their institution's culture. When these graduate students transition into full-time employment, the positioning of particular groups of people as experts on certain issues will follow them. The presumption of expertise on certain topics (e.g., anything diversity related) carries over into the availability of professional development opportunities. In recent years, opportunities for student affairs educators to pursue professional development have increased. These opportunities include pursuing additional degrees (e.g., a master's or doctoral degree or certificates) or learning experiences sponsored by professional associations (e.g., conferences, C.E.Us., or certificates). However, these opportunities come with physical and financial costs that need to be collectively assessed and evaluated by professionals and faculty compared to their effectiveness in enhancing student affairs practice and improving the quality of life for student affairs educators. Graduate preparation programs and professional associations have pushed practitioners and faculty to think about the role of credentialism in perpetuating whiteness, neoliberalism, and labor inequity that fuel our current evolution. THE ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL GOODS For this conversation, we understand credentials as any formal education deemed necessary or helpful for career advancement and social mobility. Credentialism perpetuates inequality in that individuals in senior-level positions operate as gatekeepers by controlling who has access based upon what Collins (2019) referred to as an "artificial good" (p. 243). Certificates [End Page 246] become an artificial good as they are used to demonstrate that a student affairs professional has more education, not that they are more skilled or knowledgeable. In this case, the increasing call for more skilled workers pushes student affairs educators to obtain additional educational currencies in a highly stratified labor market. Student affairs professionals are also in a unique position because their place of employment is both a site and guarantor of information production (Walters, 2004). We exist in a system that promotes credentialism while also seeing it as tied to our own success and credibility. We will explore these credentialing initiatives from our perspectives as a Black woman faculty member in a higher education and student affairs (HESA) graduate program and a White woman, mid-level student affairs professional. WHO'S CREDENTIAL IS IT? Contemporary social issues have pulled our attention to how whiteness dictates the entry into and movement within the student affairs profession. For example, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted many highly rejective graduate programs to eliminate their reliance on standardized testing to grant admission. The question remains whether the decision to eliminate the testing requirements was about disrupting whiteness or a response to limited opportunities to complete the test. Once students are enrolled in the program, faculty spend a significant amount of time assuaging students' concerns about their professional futures. Graduate students receive messages that they should know the functional area they want to work in for the rest of their careers. However, students who are racially marginalized often comment that they worry about having future career opportunities limited if they pursue certain functional areas. This worry is exacerbated by students' social locations and the organizational structure of student affairs divisions, which promote siloing of student identity and development. Two issues arise from this siloing as it relates to credentialing. First, the presence of certificates for particular functional areas perpetuates the idea that there is a particular way of doing the...

Editorial Note

Editorial Note

History and Approaches to Heritage Studies, Pedagogy and Practice in Heritage Studies

History and Approaches to Heritage Studies, Pedagogy and Practice in Heritage Studies