Heterogeneous Society Research Articles

Politics of State Survival and the Dilemma of Nation-Building in Post-Independence Nigeria

The prevalence of a fractionalized international environment coupled with the fractured African geopolitical landscape and Nigeria's colonial antecedents laden with myriad unresolved structural challenges during the emergence of Nigerian statehood provided the vortex of post-colonial state survival inclination for the country. The above is usually associated with a typically hugely populated and ethno-culturally heterogeneous society, and it renders the country fatigued with the burden of nation-building. Thus, the twin-challenges of state-survival and nation-building have occupied and dominated the political and socio-economic affairs of post-independence Nigeria. The notion of state survival is a realist paradigm which compels nation-states to use all the instruments at their disposal to seek the retention of their national identity within the precarious and predatory international system. Nation building, on the other hand, entails the process of forging a common identity and a sense of national empathy, shared values, and cultures constituting a state. This paper contends that while the pursuit of state survival is propelled by the external environment in which Nigeria emerged and intricately subsists, the structural challenges inherited at independence, no doubt raised the task of nation-building. As complimentary as the two challenges featured and influenced the nation's policy commitments towards the local and international environments, a cursory examination of Nigeria's socio-economic and political trajectories since independence reveal that state survival has often been aggressively pursued at the expense of nation-building resulting into structural volatility which inadvertently threatened the nation's survival prospects. The position of this paper is that efforts should be made to balance these two ultimate challenges in the quest to reposition Nigeria towards the path of greatness.

Cooperation Dynamic through Individualistic Indirect Reciprocity Mechanism in a Multi-Dynamic Model

This research proposes a new variant of Nowak and Sigmund’s indirect reciprocity model focused on agents’ individualism, which means that an agent strengthens its profile to the extent to which it makes a profit; this is using agent-based modeling. In addition, our model includes environmentally related conditions such as visibility and cooperative demand and internal poses such as obstinacy. The simulation results show that cooperators appear in a more significant proportion with conditions of low reputation visibility and high cooperative demand. Still, severe defectors take advantage of this situation and exceed the cooperators’ ratio. Some events show a heterogeneous society only with conditions of high obstinacy and cooperative demand. In general, the simulations show diverse scenarios, including centralized, polarized, and mixed societies. Simulation results show no healthy cooperation in indirect reciprocity due to individualism.

Active civic education using project-based learning and attitudes towards civic engagement

The paper investigates the effect of active civic education using project-based learning (PBL) on attitudes towards civic engagement in a heterogeneous society. The study used a qualitative research approach involving a content analysis of responses to open-ended questionnaires, students' reports and weekly discussions with the students. The study examines whether the PBL teaching approach, which was developed in medical schools, can be an effective tool for use in civic studies to promote civic engagement of college students in a multi-ethnic society. Active civic education matters; it prompted non-Jewish minority students in Israeli society to consider future civic engagement, and improved their understanding of the concepts of accountability, transparency, civil and human rights, and the ability of individuals in a democracy to obtain answers from their government. It also underscored their ability and obligation to contribute to their communities.

Indonesia Community Studies

Indonesian society is a heterogeneous society. To studying the heterogeneity of Indonesian society will be discussed successively in the understanding of Indonesian society, the structure of Indonesian society and the pluralism of Indonesian society. In discussing Indonesian society will put forward the concept of society and the differences between society and citizens. In discussing the structure of Indonesian society, unique aspects are examined vertically and horizontally. To discuss Indonesian pluralism society we can emphasizes ethnic diversity in Indonesia. This book describes the process of a pluralistic society becoming a multicultural society, how culture develops multiculturalism and how multicultural education can be used as a strategy to prevent and resolve possible conflicts that occurs in Indonesia’s pluralistic society. Indonesian culture can be seen as a system consisting of components that are interrelated and intertwined of the entire Indonesian people. To understand the Indonesian culture system requires basic cultural concepts from anthropology experts. Starting from the concept of culture and its function as a life guide, then a description of Indonesian community’s lifestyle, the diversity of Indonesian culture, along with value orientations culture of Indonesian society.

Under the Shadow of the Siamese Twins: Ethnicity, Religion and Nigeria’s 2023 Presidential Election

Nigeria is considered a heterogeneous society per excellence. This is courtesy of its multi ethnic and multi religious character. While there is no agreement among scholars as to the exact number of its ethnic and religious diversities, its ethnic and religious composition closely follow same geographical boundary such that while the Eastern Ibo are mostly Christians, the Northern Hausa are predominantly Muslims while the Western Yoruba people are partly Christians and partly Muslims. Thus both often exercise joint influence on its politics. This is more profound at moments of decision making such as elections. This paper examines the 2023 Presidential elections in Nigeria viz a viz ethnic and religious influence in the election. Anchored on the rational choice theory, the paper relied on secondary source of materials such as text books, journals, electronic sources and official publications especially from the Independent National Electoral Commission. These were analysed using content analysis. It argued that both ethnic and religious influences are like Siamese twins as far as elections in Nigeria are concerned especially because of their geographical boundaries that roughly coincided. It concluded that Nigeria is yet to witness a significant departure in the pattern of ethno-religious influence on its elections. It, therefore, recommends the need for all stakeholders to be deliberate in stemming the tide of destructive ethnic and religious influence on politics in the country.
 Key Words: Ethnicity, Religion, Politics, Election, Influence

On the contributing factors to shadow economy in Africa: Do natural resources, ethnicity and religious diversity make any difference?

Many factors influencing shadow economy, including foreign direct investment, economic complexity, and financial development, have been well acknowledged in the literature. However, little attention has been given to the roles of natural resources, ethnicity, and religious diversity as the intense factors affecting the size of shadow economy in developing countries. Our study provides fresh empirical evidence that answers whether ethnicity and religious diversity affect the shadow economy in developing regions. It also examines the role of natural resources on shadow economy. Drawing on data from 31 African nations, the study addresses conditional distribution of shadow economy and the endogenous nature of the relationship between dependent and key independent variables. It documents that ethnic diversity and resource rents increase the size of shadow economy while religious diversity reduces it. This result is robust to alternative estimation techniques. Our result argues in favour of policies that promote religious diversity and reduce ethnic groups' marginalisation in a heterogeneous society like Africa. It also advances the many possible reasons for the result and suggests policy implications.

Зарождение миллетной системы в Османской империи: правовой плюрализм в условиях гетерогенного общества

The article is devoted to the study of the origin of the millet system in the Ottoman Empire. The author analyzes the doctrinal foundations of Islamic law in terms of regulating the life of non-Muslim communities under the rule of the Muslim majority, combining the study of the letter of Muslim law with the historical context. Compara-tive analysis of Islamic theoretical and legal material together with socio-political processes that influenced the status of non-Islamic communities, first at the early stages of the formation of the Muslim legal system, and then – on the example of the formation of the millet system in the Ottoman Porte. In addition to the Islamic legal model of coexistence of people of other faiths within the same society, the prerequisites for a possible discrep-ancy between the initial requirements of doctrinal Islam and the socio-political realities of individual Muslim countries, including the Ottoman Empire, are explored, which forced the legislator to creatively rethink the legal doctrine, applying it in practice. The relevance of the study of the legal aspects of regulating the lives of non-Muslims in accordance with Islamic law is shown as one of the possible models of development and harmoni-ous existence of complex multi-ethnic heterogeneous societies.

Field Narratives on ‘Caste’, ‘Casteism’ and Violence: A Study of Everydayness and Gender in Heterogeneous Society of a Rural Uttar Pradesh

‘Casteism’ and ‘violence’ against women are the two different social evils that are quite evident in Indian society. If we make an ontological inquiry into the aspects of caste and violence, we come to know about certain tensions exists in the structural relationship gender in society and its relationship with caste. Women have been made and push towards becoming the soft target of the violence in any area of society. This article has tried to make a distinction between violence at private places and public place across the geographies of social, political and cultural nature in conceptualizing the larger relationship of the society beyond family relation focusing on ‘casteism’. So, in this article it has been tried to explore the processes of ‘casteism’ leading to cultivate sexual violence against ‘women’, how the ‘casteism’ plays role to victimized women and how do the victimization of women creates a ‘social violence’ has been attempted to answer in this article. Interview method, purposive sampling and focused group discussion have been the important elements of methodology in this article. Also, both the primary and secondary resources have been used to check empirical findings and the claims made by author on the very issue of ‘sexual violence’ against women.

STATE LAW, INTEGRAL ECONOMIC JUSTICE, AND BETTER REGULATORY PRACTICES: PROMOTING ECONOMIC EFFICIENCY IN INDONESIA

<p>Indonesia as a state based on the rule of law like any other developing countries, its society is based on patterns and economic classes, overall obedience to the law is not easy. In heterogeneous society formed of groups based on religion, race, language, and wealth, it is one of the most difficult unifying factors in terms of compliance with the law. Law deals with complex social, and conflicting societies apply law as a powerful instrument of regulation and control. Although law acts as an independent agent to facilitate their complexity, with economic approach, efficiency is an ideal model that guides legal practice. It is because most people as <em>homo economicus</em> (except children and the profoundly retarded) in all of their activities has one thing in common, that is the need for efficiency, perhaps efficiency is the nearest we are likely to approach to a universal secular “religion”. Efficiency in law simplifies how law works in different society, especially in heterogeneous communities. This approach does not reduce law to economics (or vice versa, for that matter), it claims simply that law and economics have a lot to learn from one another. The primacy of efficiency helps to harmonize the practice of law with social practices. When such law exists, it does function as a social tool aiming at the promotion of economic efficiency that goes well with other social practices.</p>

A liberalizing effect of happiness? The impact of improvements and deteriorations in different dimensions of subjective well-being on concerns about immigration

Abstract High levels of concerns about immigration pose a threat to the successful integration of immigrants and may even destabilize heterogeneous societies. This study assesses the mechanisms underlying the association between subjective well-being and concerns about immigration. The analyses rely on the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (1999-2017), a long-running data set that follows individuals over time with a total of 60,319 respondents and 329,556 person-year observations. Individuals who are on average more satisfied with their income, housing situation, and life overall are less concerned about consequences stemming from immigration. The impact of changes in subjective well-being reaches beyond the influence of objective well-being; moreover, if the same individuals become less satisfied with any one of these life dimensions, their concerns about immigration increase. In turn, an increase in satisfaction is followed by a decline of immigration-based concerns. These results imply that political measures that strengthen resilience and foster coping mechanisms are critical to reducing concerns about immigration, cultivating societal integration.

Enhancing Peace and Security through Ethno - Religious Tolerance in Nigeria for Sustainable Development

In recent times, the spate of insecurity through ethno-religious intolerance in Nigeria, a heterogeneous society has become an issue of concern. The paper scrutinized ethnic and religious tolerance as means of fostering peace and security in Nigeria for sustainable development. Peace and Security are germane in the development of every nation; but can only be achieved through tolerance among the ethnic and religious groups. The study employed descriptive and historical methods to elicit information. The significance of peace and security to development; together with the synergy between ethno- religious tolerance, peace and security were discussed. Primary and secondary sources of data collection which includes observation, text books, magazines, journals, and others were consulted in the documentation of the outcome of this research. The findings revealed that ethno-religious tolerance promotes harmony and enabling environment for healthy business operations that enhances growth across all sectors. The paper recommended that the government, religious and community leaders should enlighten the masses on the significance of tolerance, sincere dialogue; reconciliation, among others; which would serve as instruments to uphold peace and douse security challenges currently bedeviling the nation. It therefore behooves on the government to employ the necessary template for good governance embedded in peace and security for development to flourish. Religious leaders should ensure that right religious tenets are taught and practiced in order to discourage religious sentiments or fanaticism. Such would entrench national integration and peaceful co-existence among associates of various ethnic and religious affiliations for ultimate stability and sustainable development. Keywords: Peace, Security, Ethnicity, Religion, Tolerance, Sustainable Development

The Effect of Mass Communication and Social Media on Teenagers

The media is something that cannot be separated from humans in society, as well as the process of communication, especially mass communication, this is one side of the coin that we cannot sort and choose when we want to discuss it. Mass Communication and Media can change a culture or habit that already exists in society or can even create a new culture. The influence that will appear on society could have a positive impact or even a negative impact. Society is formed by several people or individuals, groups, organizations which then become a heterogeneous society. In this paper the author tries to describe the influence that mass communication and the media have on society and culture, through direct observations and observations made in the community

Ethnic and cultural diversity in Nigeria: A panacea for national development or decapitation?

Divisive tendencies are not uncommon in many heterogeneous societies. While the factors responsible for the tendencies may be as diverse as they can be, one common denominator is that if such tendencies are not well managed, they may produce unintended consequences for any society, which in most cases lingers beyond imagination. Nigeria is a multi-ethnic state with diverse cultural practices and affiliations. The dichotomous leaning of these elements of ethnicity and culture have the dual capabilities to enhance society's well-being or cause irreparable damage to the entity. Whichever outcome becomes mainly prevalent depends on how well-managed these issues are. Having witnessed too many unpalatable consequences elicited by the dual concepts of ethnicity and culture, this research sought to explore the possibility of attaining other outcomes that may not have negative consequences. This qualitative research is anchored on interviews with scholars across purposely selected academic institutions to elicit perspectives to determine if something can be done to tame the tide of many untoward incidences that have plagued Nigeria due to its diverse ethnicity and cultural pluralities. The outcome of the study is indicative that the outcomes of these dual phenomena can be rechannelled to produce desirable significance by deliberately institutionalizing some pillars that can become the backbone of society. These pillars or institutions will harness the upsides of ethnicity and culture by creating alignment capable of producing synergetic outcomes for the betterment of society. Neglecting such pillars will only mean we continue on the ignominious paths.

Challenges of Learning Social Science in the "Merdeka" Curriculum in Elementary Schools

The "Merdeka" curriculum is an educational approach that aims to pay attention to individual needs and encourage independence in learning. In the social studies learning context, Their Curriculum recognizes the importance of developing a comprehensive understanding of social, political, and economic issues that affect everyday life. Social science learning covers various aspects such as history, geography, economics, politics, and sociology. The challenge faced in social studies learning is to ensure that students understand the complexities and relationships between various concepts and phenomena in social studies. Students also need to learn about analytical and problem-solving skills that are relevant in social contexts. Another challenge is facing technological developments and globalization which can affect the way students obtain information and interact with the outside world. Social science learning needs to consider the integration of technology in the learning process to ensure students can understand and deal with social changes that occur. In addition, it is also important to ensure that social studies learning includes different perspectives and social experiences. In an increasingly heterogeneous society, students need to understand and appreciate the diversity of cultures, values ​​and social systems that surround them. In facing this challenge, an active, collaborative, and problem-based learning approach can be an effective solution. Through this approach, students can engage in discussions, research, and real projects that are relevant to their daily lives. This will help them develop the deep understanding and skills needed to participate actively in society. In conclusion, Social Studies learning under the "Merdeka" Curriculum approach faces challenges in understanding the complexity of social issues, integrating technology, respecting diversity, and developing relevant skills. However, with an appropriate learning approach, students can overcome these challenges and become socially skilled and informed individuals.

Revitalization of Moderation Messages in the Madinah Charter: Religious Development Communication Studies

This paper aims to determine the role of the Medina charter as a role model in the Indonesian context. The Medina Charter and the Constitution in force in Indonesia both have the function of regulating a heterogeneous society. However, the results of the implementation of the two are very contradictory. The rise of religious problems in Indonesia has led to the assumption that the constitution is unable to accommodate the interests of the whole society. This type of research uses qualitative methods with data collection techniques in the form of interviews and virtual observations. For secondary data used is a literature review approach by comparing various reading materials. This approach is able to provide arguments and reveal problems in a scientific and actual way. The results of the research show that the construction of messages in the Medina charter is oriented towards social and cultural values so that it creates synergy between religious communities. The message of moderation contained in the Medina charter places the principles of humanity with religion as a moral force.

The Role of Muhammadiyah Organizations for Social Pathology in Makassar City

The Industrial Revolution 4.0 in the current era of modernization, has resulted in diverse social impacts, both positive and negative. The negative impacts involve the emergence of various social pathologies or societal issues related to culture. The purpose of this research is to understand the role of the Muhammadiyah Community Organization in addressing the most common social pathological behavioral issues in the city of Makassar. This research uses a qualitative method with a phenomenological approach in Makassar city, involving the leaders of Muhammadiyah branches, Muhammadiyah youth cadres, and the local community as informants. Primary and secondary data are used as types and sources of data. Data collection is conducted through interviews, observations, and documentation. Data analysis involves data reduction, data presentation, and verification, using source triangulation, time triangulation, and technique triangulation to ensure data validity. The research shows that social pathologies continue to occur in the community of Makassar due to the complexity of the heterogeneous society. The Muhammadiyah organization plays a significant role in reducing cases of social pathology in line with their vision and mission as an Islamic movement. This movement also provides ethical, moral, and akhlakul karimah (virtuous character) guidelines in the social order of the community. Therefore, the Muhammadiyah social movement and preaching play a significant role in disseminating modern Islamic teachings that can be accepted by the people and residents of Makassar city.

Critical Diversity Literacy: A framework for multicultural citizenship education

We propose the Critical Diversity Literacy (CDL) framework for citizenship education in contemporary heterogeneous societies. It encourages an anti-essentialist, power-conscious awareness of difference beyond notions of citizenship that have been constitutive of the nation and tend to normalise masculinity, patriarchy, heterosexuality, able-bodiedness and whiteness. Using intersectionality and decoloniality heuristics, we approach multicultural citizenship from the multiple axes of our identities as we inhabit the world more complexly than mere belonging to the nation-state. The framework synthesises insights from contemporary social theory into a usable scaffolding for diversity capacitation. The ten principles focus on intersectionality, social identities and positioning, historical awareness, diversity vocabulary, the coded nature of hegemonic power and personal engagement. Taken together, they promote an approach to multicultural citizenship that focuses on social justice and pushes us to recognise the lived experience of citizenship ‘from below’. The framework has proved useful in designing curricula and interventions in different contexts and sectors and can be utilised to develop age-appropriate materials in schools.

Something more beautiful: educational and epistemic integrations beyond inequities in Muslim-minority contexts

PurposeIslamic schools in Western secular societies are evolving in response to collective concerns over marginalization of Muslim children and communities and to increasing demands for high-quality education in the faith tradition. These schools are at the center of public debate over how they fit within secular societies. This paper aims to take a pedagogic look at the literature in the field of Islamic Education Studies.Design/methodology/approachEngaging in a collaborative thematic analytic review of this literature, in an educational hermeneutic approach, two novel themes are discerned as features of Muslim learners’ diverse educational landscapes.FindingsThe first theme, Dual Consciousness recognizes that young Muslims live parallel lives, moving between secular and faith-based schools and communities, and suggesting potential in developing cognitive flexibility across epistemic horizons. The second theme, Educational Transferables is a coalescence of abilities that young Muslims develop within sites of Islamic education, which may enhance their engagement in secular schools and societies.Social implicationsIn highlighting possibilities for young people’s educational well-being in both secular and Islamic schools, with significant pedagogical implications for both, the themes featured in this paper suggest that Muslim learners’ complex educational experiences make varied contributions to heterogeneous societies.Originality/valueDespite ongoing forces of marginalization, expressions of Islamic education have benefits for young Muslims negotiating complex sociocultural and educational worlds. In highlighting possibilities for young people’s educational well-being in both secular and Islamic schools, with significant pedagogical implications for both, these themes suggest that Muslim educators can nurture in young people the ability for complex, conceptual integration in contribution to heterogeneous societies.

Food in the Frankish Levant: a Case Study of Cultural Borrowing

Abstract The Crusader movement called for the liberation of the Holy Land and the expulsion of non-Christians. Yet in reality, the Frankish states of Edessa, Antioch, Tripoli and Jerusalem, established as the result of the Crusades, were to become heterogeneous societies, with a plurality of ethnic and religious groups ruled by a Latin Frankish elite. In recent decades, historians, art historians and archaeologists have turned much attention to the study of influences and cultural borrowing in artistic, architectural, religious, military, governmental, administrative and intellectual activities that resulted from almost two centuries of co-existence of the Latins with the local population in the Levant: Eastern Christians, Muslims, and Jews. This article strives to contribute to this ongoing discussion by analyzing some aspects of everyday life in the Frankish Levant, focusing mainly on foodstuffs and food habits. The study of preservation of culinary traditions, consumption of new food products, as well as technological and administrative changes related to food production, are valuable tools in understanding coexistence and cultural borrowing in the Frankish Levant.

Talking About Social Inequality: Three Concepts of Difference

The article analyzes the categories and classifications of social inequality by asking which linguistic possibilities are available for developing concepts of social inequality. The article builds on Koselleck’s three kinds of differentiation: above and below, inner and outer, and earlier and later. It examines how these three kinds are used in the concepts of social inequality and demonstrates processes of shifting from one kind of differentiation to another. In conclusion, I claim that the three kinds of differentiation reach their limits in increasingly heterogeneous societies that expect differences like sexual orientation and ethnicity to be equally valued and recognized.