Human Society Research Articles

Weeds: A Vibrant Source for Eco-dyeing

The concept of color has consistently played a significant role in developing various human societies globally. It impacts all aspects of our lives, including the clothes we wear. As a result, the synthetic textile colouring industry has grown significantly. On the contrary, there has been a resurgence in the attention towards natural dyes due to the environmental apprehensions of synthetic dyes and their harmful health effects, as natural dyes are perceived to be more sustainable. Weeds are plants that are out of place and undesirable in a particular environment. Converting these plants into valorized products will be an efficient way of managing them. Many weeds have been identified as potential sources of natural plant pigments like anthocyanins, betalains, carotenoids, and other natural pigments. Using weed plants for dye extraction not only provides an alternative dye source but also helps to reduce weed plant invasion. A variety of natural colours can be extracted from weeds. Furthermore, several invasive species, including wire weed, siam weed, common purslane, etc., can be used to extract different hues and tints.

The Politics of Governance by Quantification Infrastructure

Governance by quantification has a long history in human society. However, two critical issues remain underexplored in the sociology of quantification. First, while the social conditions and consequences of governance by numbers have been widely addressed, the politics of the ‘middle ground’ – quantification infrastructure itself, particularly with the rise of digitalization – are not fully elaborated. Second, the power dynamics that underpin and shape institutionalized quantification politics remain understudied, as numeracy and statistics are always preceded by political judgments about what to measure and how. This symposium advances discussions on governance by quantification infrastructure by offering a critical, reflective perspective on state quantification infrastructures and shedding new light on contested issues in the sociology of quantification globally.

Learning from past society-environment interactions is discursive rather than substantive

Abstract Environmental changes pose unprecedented risks to human societies worldwide. Over the past few decades, burgeoning academic literature argues or assumes that past societies’ responses to environmental impacts can provide valuable lessons to guide adaptation to contemporary environmental changes. The ancient Maya civilization, whose decline is often linked with historically unprecedented droughts, constitutes a major case study for extracting such lessons. To analyze these lessons, we conduct a meta-analysis of the discourse of learning from past Maya-environment interactions. We demonstrate that although studies often refer to learning from the Maya explicitly, the learning is primarily declarative and discursive rather than substantive, and lessons are often vague, misguided, or inapplicable. Only a few articles employ research designs conducive to learning from the past, and only a few reflect on the process of, or the problems associated with, learning from the past. On the other hand, many articles are content with reaching ‘inspirational’ lessons, calling, for example, for increasing resilience, while only a fifth of the papers drew more specific lessons that offer somewhat concrete recommendations and courses of action. Many studies also claimed that their findings are applicable to present-day societies far outside the core regions of Maya habitation, ignoring pertinent social and geographical differences. Although the paper does not preclude the theoretical possibility of learning from the past, it argues that such learning must undergo significant changes to achieve robustness and relevance for the present. This would also require a more open discussion between scholars of the past and adaptation practitioners.

A sensitivity analysis of the Earth for all model: Getting the giant leap scenario with fewer policies

AbstractIntegrated assessment models (IAMs) are popular tools used to predict the evolution of human society, a challenging question that science has long tried to address. The World3 model is a popular IAM, designed in the seventies by several scientists convened by the Club of Rome and mostly known for its usage to analyze the so‐called limits to growth. The recent Earth for all (E4A) model has been initiated by one of the major co‐authors of the World3 model, Jørgen Randers. It is substantially more complicated than the relatively simple World3 model, and it has been used to compare two different and opposite world development scenarios: the too little too late scenario, in which current policies are assumed to continue, and the giant leap (GL) scenario, in which 21 policies related to five turnarounds are identified to produce significant improvements in six indicators of human well‐being. By using global and local sensitivity analyses of the E4A model, we suggest that the evolution of the six indicators in the GL scenario can be approximately reached by focusing on just six policies and three turnarounds (namely, the energy, the inequality, and the poverty turnarounds). The evolution of the six indicators can be even improved by investing “reasonably” more on three of these six policies and by keeping unchanged the remaining three. From a methodological point of view, we exploit both global (Sobol) and local sensitivity analyses to identify the policies that most influence the six indicators, and we subsequently execute a scenario analysis of the identified policies to confirm that they can produce a similar (or even a better) evolution of the indicators themselves.

The Myth of Agreement

ABSTRACTContemporary ontological constructivism often rests on the belief that social reality emerges from tacit agreements, underpinning mutual expectations and trust. In social theory, the concept of agreement has evolved from explicit social contracts to normative consensus and the idea of tacit knowledge that subtly binds social actors. This article challenges this prevailing approach by dissecting various constructivist positions and exposing the implications of agreement‐based ontological constructivism on our understanding of culture, norms, and society. The author revisits an alternative perspective, claiming that human society is equally a structure of disagreement. Emphasizing disagreement advocates for a realistic social theory and highlights the vital role of fiction in shaping social life.

Human socio-technical evolution through the lens of an abstracted-wheel experiment: A critical look at a micro-society laboratory study.

Micro-society experimental setups are increasingly used to infer aspects of human behavioural evolution. A key part of human society today is our dependence on, and use of, technology-whether simple (such as a knife) or complex (such as the technology that underpins AI). Previously, two groups of researchers used an abstracted-wheel experiment to explore the evolution of human technical behaviour, reaching fundamentally different outcomes. Whereas one group saw their results as indicating social learning only (void of causal understanding), the other inferred non-social technical reasoning as part of human technical behaviour. Here we report on the third generation of the micro-society abstracted-wheel experiment. We argue that causal reasoning is inseparable from both social learning and technical reasoning, and that these traits probably co-evolved into the current human socio-technical niche. Based on our outcomes, we present a critical assessment of what this experiment may (or may not) reveal about the evolution of human technical behaviour. We show that the abstracted-wheel experiment reflects behavioural output only, instead of testing for cognition. It is therefore limited in its ability to inform on aspects of human cognitive evolution, but it can provide useful insights into the interrelatedness of social learning, technical reasoning, and causal reasoning. Such a co-evolutionary insight has the potential to inform on aspects of human socio-technical evolution throughout the Pleistocene.

Stay social, stay young: a bioanthropological outlook on the processes linking sociality and ageing.

In modern human societies, social interactions and pro-social behaviours are associated with better individual and collective health, reduced mortality, and increased longevity. Conversely, social isolation is a predictor of shorter lifespan. The biological processes through which sociality affects the ageing process, as well as healthspan and lifespan, are still poorly understood. Unveiling the physiological, neurological, genomic, epigenomic, and evolutionary mechanisms underlying the association between sociality and longevity may open new perspectives to understand how lifespan is determined in a broader socio/evolutionary outlook. Here we summarize evidence showing how social dynamics can shape the evolution of life history traits through physiological and genetic processes directly or indirectly related to ageing and lifespan. We start by reviewing theories of ageing that incorporate social interactions into their model. Then, we address the link between sociality and lifespan from two separate points of view: (i) considering evidences from comparative evolutionary biology and bioanthropology that demonstrates how sociality contributes to natural variation in lifespan over the course of human evolution and among different human groups in both pre-industrial and post-industrial society, and (ii) discussing the main physiological, neurological, genetic, and epigenetic molecular processes at the interface between sociality and ageing. We highlight that the exposure to chronic social stressors deregulates neurophysiological and immunological pathways and promotes accelerated ageing and thereby reducing lifespan. In conclusion, we describe how sociality and social dynamics are intimately embedded in human biology, influencing healthy ageing and lifespan, and we highlight the need to foster interdisciplinary approaches including social sciences, biological anthropology, human ecology, physiology, and genetics.

Spatio-Temporal Differentiation and Driving Factors of County-Level Food Security in the Yellow River Basin: A Case Study of Ningxia, China

Food security is the primary condition for the development of human society. The Great River Basin is very important to ensure the accessibility and availability of agricultural irrigation, which is vital for food security. The Yellow River Basin plays a significant role in China’s food security, with counties serving as key administrative units for guaranteeing this security. This study uses the Yellow River Basin in China as a case study to construct an evaluation index system for county-level food security. It assesses the food security of 22 counties (districts) in Ningxia from 2013 to 2022, applying spatial correlation theories and driving factor analysis methods to explore the factors influencing county-level food security. The results reveal the following: (1) Overall, the food security index in Ningxia has been on the rise, but there is significant internal variation among counties. (2) Spatially, the food security index is relatively low in administrative centers, while the irrigation areas along the Yellow River play a crucial role in maintaining food security, and the overall food security index in the central arid areas is improving. (3) Food security is driven by multiple factors including economic, social, and climatic influences. To enhance food security in the Yellow River Basin, it is necessary to manage land resources systematically, improve grain production technology, and balance ecological protection with food security.

A Study on the Water Management Knowledge of Traditional Villages from the Perspective of Stormwater Resilience—A Case Study of Changqi Ancient Village in Guangdong, China

With the advancement of resilience concepts, enhancing resilience capacity has become an effective approach to addressing rainwater and flooding issues. Most rural planning and construction efforts adopt urban planning models from economically developed regions, often leading to surface hardening, which subsequently causes drainage difficulties and severe surface water accumulation during the rainy season. In contrast, traditional Lingnan villages, exemplified by Guangdong’s Changqi Ancient Village, continue to function normally in flood-prone areas, suggesting that their water management knowledge merits investigation. Previous research on rainwater management in traditional Chinese villages has predominantly been qualitative, lacking scientific data support. This study employs an eco-social resilience perspective, combining field surveys and interviews with villagers, and utilizes the SWMM (Storm Water Management Model) software to conduct both qualitative and quantitative analyses of Changqi Ancient Village. The findings reveal the following: (1) The SWMM effectively quantifies rainwater and flood management in traditional villages. (2) From an ecological resilience perspective, the village’s geographical location is crucial. The topography, along with a rainwater regulation system comprising rivers, ponds, ditches, and permeable pavements, significantly influences the village’s drainage performance. (3) From a social resilience perspective, community participation is vital to the long-term stable development of traditional villages. This includes post-disaster collective fundraising by villagers for the restoration of rainwater and flood management facilities, the formulation of village regulations, and the construction and restoration of spiritual sites. (4) From an eco-social resilience perspective, the eco-social resilience system exhibits adaptive cyclical characteristics, where the geographical environment and the local economy significantly shape the ecological spatial patterns of Changqi, while positive interaction between nature and human society ensures the system’s dynamic equilibrium.

Labeling and sorting of avian primordial germ cells utilizing Lycopersicon Esculentum lectin.

Avian species are essential resources for human society, with their preservation and utilization heavily dependent on primordial germ cells (PGCs). However, efficient methods for isolating live PGCs from embryos remain elusive in avian species beyond chickens, and even in chickens, existing techniques have shown limited efficiency. In this study, we present a rapid, simple, and cost-effective method for labeling and sorting circulating-stage PGCs across various avian species, including Carinatae and Ratitae, using Lycopersicon Esculentum (Tomato) lectin (LEL). Notably, this method demonstrates high sorting efficiency by identifying a wide range of PGC subtypes while preserving the proliferative and migratory potential of chicken PGCs. This approach is anticipated to significantly contribute to the conservation, research, and agricultural industries related to avian species globally.

Catalytic synthesis of niacin from 3-methyl-pyridine and 30%H2O2 by Cu-based zeolite

Niacin is well known not only as vitamin B3 but also as an important chemical, and has wide applications in the fields of food, farming, medicine, pharmaceuticals, and industry. With the rapid development of human society, the requirement for niacin has been increasing constantly worldwide. Meanwhile, development of green routes to produce niacin under mild conditions has become particularly urgent to substitute the conventional reaction process with the consideration of energy conservation and emission reduction. Among various synthesis routes of niacin, selective oxidation of 3-methyl-pyridine and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the liquid phase has become the focus of research due to its distinct advantages, such as mild reaction conditions, environmentally friendly reaction processes, and so on. Herein, zeolite-based catalysts have been first applied in the liquid phase synthesis of niacin from 3-methyl-pyridine and 30%H2O2 under mild reaction conditions. In addition, Cu-based 13X zeolite is found to show the highest catalytic performance, and optimal catalytic reaction systems have been established. This work provides a green and optional route for the synthesis of niacin.

What Makes a True Human with the Development of Technology: Subjectivity in Klara and the Sun under the Perspective of Levinas’ Ethics of Responsibility

Set in a future where genetic technology and artificial intelligence are highly advanced, Kazuo Ishiguro’s 2021 work Klara and the Sun is a novel that draws on the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence to consider human nature. Not coincidentally, the modern French philosopher Levinas argues that human nature, or subjectivity, is about being responsible for the Other. This paper applies Levinas's ethics of responsibility to analyse the human nature in Klara and the Sun, and finds that as the artificial intelligence, Klara is born to be responsible for human beings. In the meantime, Josie's weak face makes it impossible for Klara to neglect it, so she can only dedicate herself continuously until she sacrifices herself to achieve “substitution”. In the process of taking Josie's place to bear suffering, Klara continues to devote herself, and ultimately truly realizes her own subjectivity. In the course of taking responsibility for Josie, Klara is also helped by Rickk and Josie’s father, thus becoming a beneficiary of the human nature of “taking responsibility for others”. Levinas's extreme vision of the nature of human beings is highly compatible with Kazuo Ishiguro's construction of a perfect society, which is a revelation for the human society in the midst of technological advancement.

Modeling the distribution of cultural ecosystem services based on future climate variables under different scenarios

With the far-reaching consequences of worldwide climate variationon ecosystems and human societies, understanding and predicting changes in cultural ecosystem services (CES) is essential for sustainable development policy and resource planning. Past studies have focused on changes and impacts on natural ecosystems, while relatively few studies have been conducted on predictions of CES. This study combines POI datasets with future climate variables under different scenarios into the Maxent model for forecasting the spatial and temporal distribution of CES, which provides strong support for future decision-making. The results indicate that: (1) Under the SSP126 and SSP585 scenarios, the CES values in the northern, western, central, and northeastern parts of the study area are relatively high, while those in the southwestern, southern, and southeastern parts are relatively low. (2) Under the SSP126 scenario, the total CES shows an increasing trend from 2021 to 2040, but slightly declines from 2061 to 2080. In contrast, under the SSP585 scenario, the total CES significantly decreases from 2021 to 2040, especially in the provinces of Guizhou, Hunan, Zhejiang, and Anhui. (3) Temperature has a significant impact on CES predictions, with the annual mean temperature (Bio1) positively correlated with total CES, contributing between 0.75 and 0.78 to the distribution of CES across different years and scenarios. Additionally, the maximum temperature of the hottest month (Bio5) and the mean temperature of the wettest quarter (Bio8) also significantly influence CES under different scenarios and years. These findings reveal the regional characteristics and variations in CES distribution under different climate scenarios, providing crucial scientific evidence for future policy-making, resource management, and climate adaptation strategies. They also offer important insights into the impact of global climate change on ecosystems and human society, serving as a valuable reference for future national decision-making.

New Approaches to Researching AI Crime: Institutionalization of Digital Criminology

Objective: the article deals with modern scientific approaches to the “digital society”, identifies new criminological perspectives, such as that of digital criminology in an ever-changing hybrid world, in the scientific study of the potential use of AI by criminals, including what is referred to here as AI crime.Methods: this article is an essay commonly used in humanities and social sciences, as the author aims to present provocative arguments to encourage readers to rethink AI issues in relation to criminality in the “hybrid world” based on a non-systematic literature review. The arguments should be supported by relevant references to “digital criminology” and its non-binary way of thinking in favour of a techno-social approach.Results: the era of divided perspectives is coming to an end, and it’s time for synergies, especially at the interdisciplinary level. The «mirror of artificial intelligence» can help identify flaws and solutions, ensuring the future of AI and human society is decided by the people. In a digital society, technology is integrated into people’s lives, including crime, victimization, and justice. Digital technologies blur the boundaries between online and offline realities, creating a human-technological hybrid world where crimes occur in virtual networks. AI has potential for social good and Sustainable Development Goals, but concerns about human rights violations need to be addressed. Multidisciplinary approaches are needed to ensure safe use, address education inequalities, enhance justice, and identify online behavior as deviant or criminal. In the context of emerging technoethics, the idea that this unofficial norm, derived from a popular belief, will be the ‘touchstone’ for characterising online mediated behaviour as deviant/ crimninal, is missing - or rather in the process of being formed.Scientific novelty: the author aims to provide some insightful thoughts on formulating the right questions and interesting reflections from a technoethical perspective on the phenomenon of the use of information and communication technologies for criminal purposes under the catalytic influence of AI, recognising the social challenges arising from technological disruption (e.g. prediction and prevention through the transformation of policing, increased surveillance and criminal justice practises) in “digital society”.Practical significance: some of the initial ideas of this theoretical material can be used in the elaboration of proposals for amendements and additions to the current crime legislation, as well as in pedagogical activity, especially in the implementation of educational courses or modules on crime in the context of the digital transformation of society.

Crop-raiding by wildlife and cropland abandonment as feedback from nature-based solutions: lessons from case studies in China and Nepal

Abstract Conservation efforts under the nature-based solutions (NbS) framework aim at better management of ecosystems and improvement of human well-being. Policies targeting forest-based livelihoods align well with the NbS principles, but their social-ecological outcomes are often confounded by complex human-environment interactions. In this study, we identify one major feedback effect of the ecosystem dynamic on people’s livelihoods based on datasets collected from two study areas in China and Nepal. Our methodology integrates satellite remote sensing, household surveys, and statistical models to investigate households’ cropland abandonment decisions under the influence of crop-raiding by wildlife. Results show that cropland parcels that have experienced crop-raiding are more likely to be abandoned in the following years. The more damage the crops have suffered on a given parcel, the more likely it is that the parcel will be abandoned. Parcels in proximity to natural forests, farther away from the house location, and with poorer access to paved roads bear a higher risk of being abandoned. These effects are robust and consistent after controlling for multiple parcel features and household characteristics at different levels and using the dataset from each study area separately. We conclude that policymakers need to consider this undesirable feedback of the ecological system to the livelihoods of local people to better achieve co-benefits for ecosystems and human society.

Compatibilism and Truly Minimal Morality

Abstract I formulate a compatibilism that is distinctively responsive to skeptical worries about the justification of punishment and other moral responsibility practices. I begin with an evolutionary story explaining why backward-looking reactive attitudes are “given” in human society. Cooperative society plausibly could not be sustained without such practices. The necessary accountability practices have complex internal standards. These internal standards may fully ground the appropriateness of reactive attitudes. Following a recent analogy, we can similarly hold that there are no external standards for what is funny; the norms of comedy are complex, but funny is funny. However, this is compatible with moral reasons to change the practices themselves, and therefore change what is fitting within them: in the first instance, a moralistic “that's not funny” is ill-fitting, but “that shouldn't be funny” can be apt. The analogous reformist position prescribes practices constituting the minimal responsibility norms necessary for cooperative society.

Global expansion of wildland-urban interface intensifies human exposure to wildfire risk in the 21st century.

Rapidly increasing human-nature interactions exacerbate the risk of exposure to wildfires for human society. The wildland-urban interface (WUI) represents the nexus of human-nature interactions, where the risk of exposure to natural hazards such as wildfire is most pronounced. However, quantifying long-term global WUI change and the corresponding driving factors at fine resolution remain challenging. Here, we mapped and analyzed the global WUI at 30-meter resolution in 2000, 2010, and 2020. Our analysis revealed that the global WUI expanded by 35.6% since 2000, reaching 1.93 million square kilometer in 2020. Notably, 85% of this growth occurred between 2010 and 2020. The increase in WUI was primarily driven by the unprecedented expansion of global urbanization, contributing an additional 589,914 square kilometer of WUI. In addition, the number of small fires occurring in WUI areas has increased substantially since 2010. These findings underscore the rising wildfire risk to human society and highlight the urgency of implementing tailored fire management strategies in WUI areas.

An Evaluation Study on the Spatial and Temporal Evolution of Water Ecological Security in the Hotan River Basin

With the intensification of global climate change, inland river basins in arid desert regions are facing serious challenges in water supply and ecological and environmental protection. A water ecological security assessment is important as a key management tool in the context of inland river basins situated in arid desert areas. This study evaluated the water ecological security of the Hotan River Basin based on a combination of the Ecology–Produce–Life Space perspective and the Drive–Pressure–Status–Influence–Respond (DPSIR) model. The entropy value method and the composite index method were employed for this purpose, and a regression analysis was used to establish a prediction model to forecast the future water ecological security status. The results show that from 2013 to 2020, the water ecological security status of the Hotan River Basin exhibited a fluctuating upward trend, shifting from an average to a good status. The pressure layer has the greatest impact on water ecological security, while the ecological space within the Ecology–Produce–Life Space is increasing in the overall share year by year. In the future, the water ecological safety condition of the Hotan River Basin is expected to improve and remain in good condition. Taking the Hotan River Basin as an example, the results of this study, combining the Ecology–Produce–Life Space perspectives and the DPSIR model, provide in-depth theoretical and practical value for the evaluation and prediction of water ecological security in inland river basins in arid desert areas, provide a scientific basis and feasible suggestions for relevant decision-making, and emphasize the importance of ecological spatial protection and restoration for the sustainable development of human society and ecosystems.

The Socialization of Children from Vietnamese - Korean Multicultural Families: A Case Study of Korean International Schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

From the moment of birth, an individual exists as a biological entity. However, true integration into human society necessitates the acquisition of cultural norms, values, knowledge, and beliefs specific to their given community. This process involves adapting to social roles and cultural practices, ultimately enabling effective communication and fulfillment of societal responsibilities. Notably, language assumes a pivotal role in this intricate web of socialization and stands as arguably the most influential factor in the overall process. To delve into the current state of socialization among children from Vietnamese-Korean multicultural families residing in Vietnam and attending a Korean International School, this research employs socialization theory, descriptive statistical methods via questionnaires, and interdisciplinary research techniques.

Exploring Ethnomedicine: An Anthropological Perspective on Traditional and Modern Healthcare

Ethnomedicine, the complex tradition of medical practices, has always been an important component of human societies. The purpose of this paper is to focus on ethnomedicine from an anthropological perspective, discuss its significance, and describe the interaction between tribal medicine and the modern healthcare system and the innumerable avenues and problems that arise due to their integration. These highlight the holistic nature of traditional medicine, which often contradicts the scientific basis of modern biomedicine. A comprehensive approach that embraces both systems has the potential to improve service delivery, especially in culturally diverse and resource- constrained settings. Drawing from anthropological insights and experiences documented in case studies worldwide, this paper highlights why cultural competence and ethical engagement are essential to effective health practice. The integration of these systems poses challenges but also opens powerful opportunities for enhanced solutions.