ABSTRACT Iranians in the diaspora are involved in home country politics and develop their diaspora politics according to the political opportunity structures available in the host country. Iranians in Spain have been interested in the politics of their homeland since the 1980s and have responded to socio-political conflicts that are active or (re)activated in the country of origin. This paper focuses on the political mobilising of first-generation Iranians residing in Spain since the early 1980s and 1990s in connection to the Iranian Revolution (1979), the Green Movement (2009) and the Woman, Life, Freedom protests (2022-2023). The article shows that trauma and fear originating in pre-revolutionary politics and strengthened in the post-revolutionary period in Iran are knotted with conditional nostalgia. Their interlinkage has an impact on the decisions that these first-generation Iranians in Spain take in relation to their (non)participation in public and visible contentious diaspora politics.

Background: The global biodiversity crisis has severely affected amphibians, a key group for ecosystem health, yet social perceptions that shape human–amphibian interactions remain poorly documented in the Colombian Caribbean. We investigated how gender, age, and education influence local knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to support conservation for 13 amphibian species in tropical dry forest landscapes located between Tayrona National Natural Park and the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. We also assessed how perceived morphological traits (body size, skin color, skin type, and leg function) relate to perceptions, recognition of ecosystem services (e.g., “good for the forest” and medicinal uses), and conservation support. Methods: We conducted 200 semi-structured photo-elicitation surveys in rural communities . PERMANOVA tested differences in responses among age, gender and education groups. Distance-based linear models with AICc model selection identified which perceived morphological traits best explained variation in perceptions, attitudes, ecosystem-service recognition, and conservation support. Results: Skin color and leg function were the most influential traits for perceived ecological function, medicinal associations, attitudes, and conservation support. Rhinella horribilis, Dendrobates truncatus, and Boana platanera were the most recognized species, whereas Elachistocleis panamensis had the lowest recognition. Disgust and fear predominated, yet most respondents reported non-harmful reactions (64% would leave the animal undisturbed; 1% reported intent to kill). Support for protecting the 13 species was high (85.5%), although willingness to participate in monitoring was comparatively low, indicating an attitude–action gap. Conservation attitudes varied by gender and were more positive among respondents with higher education. Conclusions: Overall knowledge of amphibians was limited, likely reflecting infrequent or negative encounters and persistent cultural fears. Althought the community recognizes the need for protection, barriers such as fear and limited environmental education remain. D. truncatus and E. panamensis could serve as flagship species for future conservation efforts. Implications for Conservation: The findings highlight the need for inclusive environmental education programs, community-based monitoring, and collaborative networks involving schools, authorities, and local communities, with attention to gender- and education- linked differences in perceptions and engagement to improve local conservation efforts.

ABSTRACTBackgroundEvidence is limited internationally regarding medical students' perceptions and training needs in patient safety, following the WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030, the COVID‐19 pandemic, and the subsequent acceleration in digitalization. To address this gap, this study explores undergraduate medical students' knowledge of patient safety, attitudes regarding safety culture, experiences with errors, and their perspectives on improving patient safety through training and digitalization.MethodsA mixed‐method design was employed, consisting of an online survey with open‐ended questions administered at a medical school in Greece. All registered undergraduate students were invited to complete a pretested 46‐item study tool, including demographics, the Greek version of the scale ‘What is patient safety?’ and their personal experiences, views on digitalization and educational needs.ResultsA total of 638 students from all 6 years of study participated (58% female; 54.2% preclinical students). Findings revealed poor knowledge regarding error management (mean 2.4/5) and the reporting process (mean 1.8/5). Fear of blame culture was reported by 51.2%. Digitalization was expected to advance patient safety in multiple ways. Students advocated strengthening patient safety training (92.8%), emphasizing case‐based learning, integrating patient safety principles into the teaching of all clinical courses and watching their professors acting as role models.ConclusionsMedical students feel underprepared to manage patient safety issues and request more relevant knowledge and skills. These findings highlight the urgency for appropriate training reforms, tailored to the students' needs, aiming to optimally prepare them to become key players in improving patient safety in a digitally evolving healthcare system.

Abstract: The article explores late-medieval vierges ouvrantes (hinged Virgins that reveal Christological or Trinitarian interiors) as thresholds between secrecy and revelation. They translate the porta clausa of Ezekiel 44:2 and the hortus conclusus of Song of Songs 4:12 into sculpture, illustrating the paradox of a body that is both inviolate and permeable. Their mechanisms turn the Incarnation into a visible event and also expose cultural fears about vision, curiosity and trespass. Patristic writers framed these fears in theological terms. Jean Gerson condemned the vierge ouvrante as ‘unwarranted exposure.’ Later comparanda, from illuminated manuscripts, obstetrical collections and the Mechelen Besloten Hofjes , repeat the same tension between revelation and restraint. The article argues that both the opening and the later sealing or destruction of these statues reveal a theology of thresholds that reshaped the act of seeing.

State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in South Africa have become epicentres of corruption, yet mechanisms designed to protect witnesses and whistleblowers remain fundamentally inadequate. This study examines institutional shortcomings in witness protection coordination within SOEs, analysing the mandate distribution among various agencies and the practical challenges in implementation. Through an examination of high-profile cases where witnesses faced intimidation, violence, or death, this research reveals critical gaps in South Africa’s approach to protecting those who expose corruption. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines institutional analysis with case study examination, including a systematic review of legislative frameworks (2010–2024) and confidential interviews with 23 former officials across multiple institutions, the study reveals fundamental coordination failures between the Office for Witness Protection, the Hawks, the National Prosecuting Authority, and SOE internal structures creating dangerous gaps exploited by corrupt networks. An integrated framework for SOE witness protection is proposed, emphasising resource pooling and coordinated responses. Without addressing these systemic failures, South Africa’s anti-corruption efforts will remain undermined by a climate of fear that deters potential witnesses.

Abstract This article explores a particular history of Anglophone writing about polar exploration, starting with the work of H. P. Lovecraft. In Lovecraft’s stories and novellas “Polaris”, “The Call of Cthulhu”, and At the Mountains of Madness , Earth’s polar regions and their indigenous people serve as a horrifying reminder of the historicity and finitude of colonial Anglo-American civilization. Fears and traumatic cultural memories of failed expeditions, cannibalism, indigenous vengeance, and the potential upending of social order recur in Lovecraft’s work as well as that of Charles Dickens, and Edgar Allan Poe – the latter of whom Lovecraft directly quotes in Mountains of Madness . This article traces a persistent association between the polar regions and these cultural fears, situating them in an ideological history of Anglo-American colonialism.

Beyond depoliticization and divisive antagonism: Rethinking fear, anger, and anxiety in environmental politics

Aim: This article aims to analyze the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on globalization processes, the emergence of new forms of discrimination triggered by the pandemic, and the implications for current social and economic realities, with a particular focus on Central Asian countries. Considering the historical role of pandemics in transforming societies and economies, the study provides a comprehensive assessment of the global economic downturn, unemployment, poverty, and social discrimination induced by COVID-19. Methods: A comparative historical analysis was conducted, juxtaposing the societal impacts of major past pandemics (Black Death, Spanish flu) with those of COVID-19. Secondary data from international organizations and reputable survey institutions were utilized to evaluate unemployment, economic growth, and incidents of racist-xenophobic violence in Western European and Central Asian countries. Results: The COVID-19 pandemic caused severe disruptions in global supply chains-the arteries of economic globalization-leading to a marked contraction in world trade and economic growth. Government measures such as border closures, quarantines, and mobility restrictions exacerbated job losses and disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, especially youth and women. The climate of fear and uncertainty fuelled by the pandemic increased racist and xenophobic attitudes toward “others” (foreigners, migrants, ethnic minorities), conceptualized as “xeno-racism.” While such discriminatory behaviors were widely reported in Western countries, no significant evidence was found in Central Asia, though the region suffered deep economic impacts. Conclusion: The research concludes that while COVID-19 will not end globalization, neglecting the human factor may inflict greater harm on globalization and the economy than the pandemic itself. Ongoing and future studies are needed to fully understand the long-term consequences of the pandemic on economies and societies. Originality: This study highlights that pandemics generate lasting effects not only on health but also on social cohesion and economic structures, emphasizing the emergence of xeno-racism as a distinctive phenomenon during the current pandemic.

A recent but continuing experiment of the inclusive form of grassroots democracy, women political empowerment in Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in rural India is a radical change. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1992 was a historic move based on the Gandhian philosophy of decentralization, which required that one-third reservation of women become mandatory in PRIs, eventually increased to 50 percent in some states. Such intervention by the constitution transformed the political visibility of women to an unprecedented extent, with women representatives being represented by more than 1.45 million elected women representatives, a figure of almost 46 percent of the entire members of PRI in the country. The paper notes that women have transcended numerical inclusion and have been able to bring better outcomes in governance by paying more attention to social welfare sectors, including health, education, sanitation, nutrition, and drinking water. Panchayats headed by women have been found to have better use of funds, less corruption and have also been associated with bringing social change in the society through breaking traditions that are practiced such as child marriage and gender discrimination. The unequal character of empowerment is, however, also highlighted in the abstract. Deep-rooted problems including proxy politics (Pradhan Pati) syndrome, lack of educational and administrative capacity, socio-cultural and patriarchal values, poverty, and political fear still prevent the autonomy of choices taken by women. These obstacles notwithstanding, PRIs continue to be an important training field of leadership, which over time allow women to become more confident, politically conscious and legit in the eyes of the populace. The paper contends that, as much as constitutional reservation has worked in securing descriptive representation, creating capacity-building, and institutional support, and socio-cultural change are necessary in enabling full capitalization of the democratic potential of women-led local governance in rural India.

Abstract This study examines the role of fear in the narratives developed by the European People's Party, the Party of European Socialists and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe during the 2009, 2014, 2019 and 2024 European Parliament elections. The research investigates whether the politics of fear is an exclusive prerogative of Eurosceptic‐illiberal parties or whether fear is equally deployed by Europarties that endorse pro‐European stances and hold positions of power within EU institutions. Drawing on emotion discourse analysis, the findings demonstrate that emotional politics and the politics of fear, whilst often associated with Euroscepticism and populism, can also be mobilised to promote European integration and legitimise EU politics. Highlighting the need for further research, the study underscores the centrality of fear in EU party politics and emphasises the role of mainstream Europarties as agents within the EU's emotional community.

ABSTRACT Urban reinvestment projects commonly embed ‘healthy‐city’ objectives like Safe Routes to School (SRTS), yet little is known about their effects in neighborhoods undergoing rapid gentrification. This mixed-methods study positions children’s active mobility as a behavioral lens on neighborhood change in Greenville, SC’s Historic West End – a once Black, low-income district now reshaped by park development and rising property speculation. Systematic counts, behavior maps, and field observation documented school-hour travel. Semi-structured interviews with 38 parents, planners, and community advocates provided depth. Contrary to SRTS expectations, logistic models show no significant link between living within one mile of A.J. Whittenberg Elementary and walking or biking, once race and built environment are considered. Black children in nearby Special Emphasis Neighborhoods were slightly less likely to use active modes than White peers commuting farther. Interviews reveal concerns about a ‘wall of cars’ at pickup, cultural fears related to traffic and surveillance, and the disappearance of traditional curbside spaces. These findings complicate SRTS health narratives: without community co-design, walking and biking infrastructure may signal displacement. The study calls for context-tailored active-mobility planning that honors local practices and positions children’s travel behavior as a barometer of social fragmentation before conventional displacement metrics emerge.

Asylum hotels: Healthcare staff work in "climate of fear" in political flashpoint.

Insecurity has become a defining feature of contemporary Nigeria, undermining both the safety and freedom of its citizens. The escalation of terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and herder–farmer conflicts has generated widespread displacement, economic stagnation, and a climate of fear that corrodes trust in government. Against this backdrop, this paper undertakes a Hobbesian inquiry into the relationship between freedom and security, framed by the social contract tradition. Drawing on the insights of Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Rawls, as well as Weber and Tilly’s perspectives on statehood, the study argues that the Nigerian government’s inability to safeguard lives and property constitutes a fundamental breach of the social contract. The paper reviews manifestations of insecurity across Nigeria, analyzes government responses, and explores the consequences of the breached contract for legitimacy, democracy, and development. It concludes that restoring the social contract requires more than military action. It demands a comprehensive approach that integrates effective security provision, institutional reform, social justice, and inclusive governance. By situating Nigeria’s crisis within philosophical and political science debates, the study demonstrates both the enduring relevance of classical contract theory and the urgent need to rethink legitimacy in fragile democracies.

This study investigates the politicization of security issues in Indonesian electoral politics through the construction and mobilization of the “Asing dan Aseng” narrative—a rhetorical strategy that depicts foreign influence and ethnic Chinese communities as existential threats to national sovereignty. The research aims to understand how political actors strategically use this narrative to mobilize voter support and legitimize their leadership. Using the theoretical lens of securitization and the politics of fear, the study applies a qualitative method based on critical discourse analysis of purposively selected campaign speeches, media coverage, and propaganda materials from the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections and the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. The analysis reveals three dominant narrative frames: the portrayal of foreign economic control, ethnic scapegoating of Chinese Indonesians, and the betrayal of national interest by political elites. These narratives are conveyed through speech acts, media framing, and disinformation, transforming political competition into perceived national emergencies. The findings indicate that while effective in galvanizing electoral support, this strategy intensifies political polarization, delegitimizes opponents, and reinforces exclusionary populist nationalism. The study concludes that the instrumentalization of fear and identity in electoral politics poses serious threats to democratic integrity, social cohesion, and institutional legitimacy, calling for greater media literacy, counter-disinformation efforts, and democratic safeguards.

The prevention of gender-based violence and discrimination continues to be a major barrier to women empowerment in control over their social, economic and legal decisions. It is a study on the trends and pattern of crimes against women in Himachal Pradesh over a decade from 2015 to 2025, its implications on the decision making autonomy of women. Using qualitative methods, this study draws on government documents, legal frameworks and academic literature to explore the intersection of gendered violence and women’s agency. Women are always under pressure because despite the existence of laws, crime such as rape and molestation and domestic violence to beat and humiliate wives and abduction still very much exists and create an atmosphere of fear that threatens the movement of women and denies them access to education and involvement in the workforce. Cultural fears, low conviction rates, underreporting, and structural issues prevent women from approaching the justice system. Economically dependent on male relatives, women often have no negotiating power to leave abusive relationships or seek financial autonomy. The study also emphasizes intersectional determinants caste, rural-urban differentials, socio-economic class that impact women’s experience of violence and ease of access to justice. These findings highlight the need for urgent, context-appropriate, evidence based policy interventions in rural communities taking in futuristic considerations. To ensure that laws become a reality on the ground, the government needs to establish law enforcement mechanisms, improve legal awareness among all citizens, and use the protective measures while enforcing Creating safety and equity allows women to engage in decision-making without fear and coercion, and in a way that is right for them.

This article offers a reading of the theme of jealousy in the novel Sāra by ʿAbbās Maḥmūd al-ʿAqqād (1889–1964), a theme depicted with such realism that many of his contemporaries perceived it as drawn from the author own life. Al-ʿAqqād presents a phenomenology of jealousy through Hammām, male protagonist in his forties, and the vicissitudes of his romantic relationship with a foreign woman, Sāra in her twenties. Jealousy emerges as a destabilizing force that triggers the protagonist’s psychological turmoil, fuelled by cultural fears of dishonour, wounded pride, a sense of social betrayal, and the erosion of trust. This article argues that jealousy functions as an emotion shaped by the urban environment – thriving in a setting where anonymity and concealment prevail, in contrast to rural areas where social control is more pervasive. The novel of Al-ʿAqqād explores various expressions of the universal emotion of jealousy within the context of the cultural and ideological tension between two worlds in Egypt.

This article examines the intersection of queerness and monstrosity in Le Fanu’s 1872 novella Carmilla. This study argues that Carmilla’s simultaneous depiction as a vampire and a queer figure serves as a critique of Victorian societal norms regarding sexuality and gender. Unlike existing studies that primarily compare Carmilla with other Gothic vampire stories, this research focuses on how Carmilla’s queerness intensifies her monstrosity, thus reflecting and amplifying Victorian anxieties about non-conformity and social deviance. The paper is divided into two main sections. The first explores how Carmilla’s queerness and vampirehood symbolize deviance, arguing that her relationship with Laura disrupts the era’s rigid norms surrounding family and sexuality. This section emphasizes how Carmilla’s love for Laura, which excludes male dominance, challenges Victorian values of monogamy and heterosexuality. The second section explores societal reactions to Carmilla’s transgression, which illustrates how fear and allure towards her queerness and vampirehood escalate into hostility and rejection. The study concludes that Carmilla’s monstrosity is not rooted solely in her vampirism but in her queerness, which defies the societal framework of her time. This dual identity makes her an ultimate representation of the “other,” whom society seeks to exclude and eradicate. By decoding these elements, the paper sheds light on the historical mechanisms of othering and the cultural constructions of monstrosity. This research highlights the importance of examining cultural fears and societal impulses to alienate those who challenge normative structures.

ABSTRACT In the saturated US podcasting landscape the longform, one-on-one celebrity interview format continues to deliver listeners. Marc Maron, an early adopter and pioneer of the medium, launched his podcast WTF with Marc Maron (WTF) as a desperate attempt to revive his ailing career. Maron positions himself as an outsider in the US mainstream comedy environment. Drawing acclaim for lauded interviews with comedians such as Louis CK and former US president Barack Obama, WTF revitalised Maron’s profile, audience, and comedy success. The emotional truth and vulnerability Maron shares with his audience, whether he is tackling difficult subject matter – including addiction, or grief – creates a public presence that invites questions about the connection between a performer’s stage presence and their inner/private self. We pose some of these questions by observing Maron’s comedic technique for audience engagement and offering examples of the critical roles that his overt politics and Jewish cultural articulation play in that engagement. Does Marc Maron’s negotiation of Jewish identity and political fear diminish his prestige, or does his openly progressive persona refine our perceptions of comedic power?

The research focuses on the stances of actively competing Filipino Cisgender Women Athletes (CWA) in combat sports regarding the inclusion of Transgender Women Athletes (TWA). Adopting a qualitative research design to uncover the discourse around the participation of TWA in combat sports, the researchers interviewed ten (N=10) actively competing CWAs. The researchers integrated the arenas where discourse occurs—sporting experiences, media interactions, and social relationships—in the questions in order to understand how the stance of CWA is constructed. Results showed emerging themes namely Sense of Fairness (SF) between CWA and TWA, Invasion of Women’s Spaces (IWS) in combat sports, Kind of Openness (KO) in TWA inclusion, and Cancel Culture or Avoidance of Topic (CC/AT) surrounding TWA participation. The themes lead the researchers to their findings, which contend that CWA are reluctant and unwilling to compete against TWA due to their belief in Men’s Physical Advantage, Strength outweighs other performance components, TWA is changing the women competition landscape and anxieties about intimacy, and security in CWA private spaces. On the other hand, reception to TWA participation were also discussed, deepening CWA’s LGBTQ relations and equal platforms for all genders with TWA category in competitions. It is noteworthy that responses were given with hesitancy of voicing opinions with the fear of cancel culture. It is recommended that follow-up research should be done including ethnography, content analysis, and focus group discussions to capture more authentic and holistic data.

This article explores the ethical complexities surrounding memory-extracting technologies by analyzing the speculative narrative of Black Mirror’s episode "Crocodile". Employing Stuart Hall’s representation theory as the main analytical framework and guided by Jawad’s research on brain-computer interface (BCI) ethics focusing on the ethical lenses of autonomy, privacy, and security, as well as responsibility and regulation, the study investigates how the Recaller device represents broader societal anxieties about surveillance, control, and the erosion of personal boundaries. Through content and discourse analysis, the research unpacks how “Crocodile” constructs meaning around the loss of individual agency and the moral consequences of technological overreach. The episode presents a dystopian world where memories are no longer private, forcing characters into ethically fraught situations. This study argues that the episode not only dramatizes the potential dangers of intrusive technologies but also reflects cultural fears about the future of privacy, autonomy, and moral responsibility. In doing so, it emphasizes the importance of critically assessing how emerging technologies might reshape societal values, ethics, and communication practices.