Members Of Social Groups Research Articles

Social identity theory in retirement culture in an underprivileged population: a qualitative study

PurposeSocial identity theory describes how an individual’s behaviors and choices are influenced by social group membership, including those related to financial planning. Social group behavior can also be influenced by structural barriers. The primary cause of poverty at retirement stems from the lack of financial planning for retirement. Underprivileged populations tend to have limited access to resources thus, they have difficulty saving for retirement. This study aims to identify barriers to financial planning among underprivileged populations through the framework of the social identity theory.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study examines key aspects of retirement planning among underprivileged populations using the social identity theory. Findings were based on 32 in-depth interviews with individuals from the Arab population in Israel.FindingsFour central themes emerged from the interviews, detailing the motivations for financial planning for retirement: social identity, pension literacy, reliance on the national social security network and (lack of) trust in the state and the pension system.Originality/valueBy utilizing the social identity theory, this study identifies potential barriers retirement planning among people from underprivileged populations. Understanding these barriers is vital for policymakers globally, due to the expected increase in the rate of older adults in coming years. Lack of proper retirement planning can lead to an increased rate of poverty among older adults.

A prospect theoretical choice model incorporating profitable and punctual uncertainties: an investigation in the participation of private car sharing

This study aims to examine people’s propensity to share private cars between peers accounting for the potential impacts of uncertainties underlying the sharing profit and vehicle returns. A mixed logit prospect theoretical model is developed to estimate the effects of uncertain variables and examine the unobserved heterogeneity using the data collected through a stated choice experiment in Hiroshima City, Japan. Results show that car owners are generally sensitive to the gains and losses for the revenue and the time of delayed returns, and people respond to uncertain situations differently. Individual participation in private car sharing is significantly influenced by the choices made by different social group members like family/relatives and friends/colleagues. These insights on individuals participation mechanism are helpful for service operators to promote the market share of private car sharing.

Identity change and the transition to university: Implications for cortisol awakening response, psychological well-being and academic performance.

The social identity model of identity change (SIMIC) posits that social group memberships protect well-being during transitional periods, such as the transition to university, via two pathways - maintaining previously held social group memberships (social identity continuity) and gaining new social group memberships (social identity gain). Breaking new ground, this study investigates how these processes can influence an important biomarker of stress - cortisol awakening response (CAR). A total of 153 first year undergraduate students (69.3% female) completed measures (group memberships, depression, life satisfaction) at the beginning of the academic year (October, time 1; T1), of which 67 provided a saliva sample for CAR assessment. Seventy-nine students completed the time 2 (February, T2) measures 4 months later (41 provided saliva). Academic performance was assessed objectively through end-of-academic year university grade data (June, T3). At T1, students who maintained and gained social group memberships reported lower depressive symptoms and greater life satisfaction. Across the academic year, social identity gain was associated with a larger post-awakening cortisol response at T2, indicative of a better ability to cope with stress. Thus, gaining new social group memberships during the transition to university was associated with a better ability to cope with stress.

Priorities and challenges in social and healthcare policies for older people living in the Mediterranean basin: A Delphi panel study

BackgroundRecently, the countries in the Mediterranean basin (which share cultural ties) have been showing a common trend of declining social support for the elderly, with deficiencies in social care models for this demographic. Thus, this Delphi panel study analyzed the gaps in social and integrated care among the participating countries in a European research project.MethodsThis three-round Delphi panel study focused on the European countries of Greece and Spain and the non-European countries of Egypt, Lebanon, and Tunisia. In this project, experts were identified according to their level of expertise in the subject matter, their gender, and their membership in different social groups. Subsequently, they were asked to identify the current situation of social care, set future goals, and locate the gaps regarding the social and healthcare models for older people in the participating countries. The median score (Mdn) and interquartile range (IQR) were calculated to assess the degree of consensus on the different priorities.ResultsAmong the participating countries, there was a lack of state agreements to maintain social care models, a lack of coordination between public and private institutions to provide social care services, territorial inequalities in terms of access and coverage of rights, and job insecurity for professionals. The desired situation was to integrate social and healthcare services with a person-centered social care model, thus promoting autonomy and empowering users and families in participation and decision-making.ConclusionsThis Delphi study reveals significant disparities in social and healthcare policies for older adults across Mediterranean countries, highlighting shared challenges and specific national needs. European nations like Greece and Spain face fragmented systems, while non-European countries such as Lebanon, Egypt, and Tunisia lack specialized geriatric services and social security. All countries urgently need better professional training, social and economic empowerment of older adults, and integrated national strategies. These findings offer key insights for policymakers to develop equitable, sustainable solutions for aging populations.

Peer mentoring and identity transformation in a women’s prison

Purpose This study examined the impact of peer mentoring on identity transformation amongst women in prison, exploring how peer mentoring roles develop non-offender identities, contributing to the desistance process. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative, interpretative approach was adopted. The research was undertaken at a female prison in England and Wales. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews with peer mentors, mentees, project workers and prison officers, alongside focus groups. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the findings. Findings Being a peer mentor contributes positively to identity transformation for women in prison, fostering a legitimate, non-offender identity critical to the desistance process. Mentors view their role as a desistance signal through their interactions with prison staff. However, it can lead to role conflict and tension with other women in prison and prison staff. Research limitations/implications Future studies should consider longitudinal approaches to capture the long-term effects of peer mentoring upon desistance. Practical implications Recommendations include leveraging peer mentoring as a rehabilitative intervention, providing ongoing support for mentors and educating prison staff on programme benefits to foster a supportive environment. Social implications Enhancing peer mentoring programmes can improve the well-being of women in prison and support their reintegration into society. Originality/value This study examined identity transformation in female peer mentors in prison through the lens of social identity and group membership. To the author’s knowledge, no previous studies have focused centrally on identity or applied social identity theory to explore the psychological mechanisms behind these transformations.

Kenyan Female Immigrants’ Creation of a Virtual Enclave: The Influence of Age and Immigration Status

ABSTRACTMuch of the research on ethnic enclaves in the United States has focussed on physical, geographic spaces or brick‐and‐mortar establishments that foster community building and provide shared resources for immigrant groups, such as those from Latin America, Asia and Europe. These studies often highlight the benefits and challenges enclaves provide, with only a limited discussion of how immigrant women use these spaces. Using survey data drawn from Kenyan women residing in the United States, this study aimed to answer two research questions: (1) Does membership in social media groups comprised of Kenyan female immigrants vary (e.g. by age, immigration status)? (2) Do age and immigration/citizenship status influence Kenyan female immigrants' reasons for joining social media groups? The bivariate results show that older women and those who migrated to the United States for school or through the Green Card lottery programme were likelier to join Tumaini and other immigrant‐specific social media groups. Regarding factors influencing their reasons for joining these groups, the regression results revealed that US citizens and permanent residents were less likely to join the group for solidarity/support. Furthermore, those who migrated for school or to join family members were likelier to join the Tumaini group for support/solidarity. This finding suggests that older women, being more likely to belong to physical social groups, have a relatively stronger attachment to such groups. Consequently, their willingness to join the Tumaini group, despite it being an online community, may be stronger than that of their younger counterparts.

Language matters: what can social workers learn from the transgender community?

ABSTRACT Questions of language and its contribution to constructing and preserving the social order have gradually entered social work research. This paper seeks to add to this professional scholarship by examining the concrete impact of language usage on real persons in everyday interactions. It is based on an interview study with eleven members of the transgender community in Israel and anchored in the feminist social work perspective. Transgender individuals challenge seemingly natural social conventions and do not necessarily conform to expected coherency between biology and gender. Since most Hebrew grammatical forms make clear distinctions based on gender, these individuals often lack adequate means for conducting a dialogue consistent with their sense of self. The interviewees’ descriptions highlight the pivotal role Hebrew plays in realizing their identity, thus providing a better opportunity for enhancing our understanding of the strategic power of language than the discourse of members of predominant social groups. These findings have potential implications for social work teaching and practice, especially in relation to undoing injustice.

International human rights commitments to protect victims of domestic violence: Refugee recognition as the first step for an integrated approach under EU law in Case C-621/21, Intervyuirasht organ na DAB pri MS (women victims of domestic violence)

The judgment by the Grand Chamber of the Court of in Case C-621/21 Intervyuirasht organ na DAB pri MS case has already attracted significant attention for the finding of the Court that women victims of domestic violence can be considered as members of particular social group for the purposes of recognition of refugee status. This case note presents the facts of the case and analyses reasoning of the Court. It highlights the importance of the case both for its outcome, which has already guided subsequent findings of the Court on the refugee status of women of Iraqi origin identifying with the values of the EU, but also for placing the international human rights commitments of both the EU and its Member States at the core of the reasoning. At the same time, some contentious points of the judgment are also raised. These relate to the ‘hiding’ of the ECtHR case law in the reasoning of the Court and to the fragmented way in which international human rights obligations towards victims of domestic violence appear in other areas of EU law and case law.

Suicidal Behavior and Personality Group Affiliation: Approaches and Research Directions

Introduction. As it follows from a number of scientific works, not only suicide rates, but also their motives and ways of committing suicide vary widely in different countries, strata of society and strata of the population. In recent decades, research on this issue has become interdisciplinary and cross-cultural. Suicidal behavior is increasingly considered in the context of the suicidal person’s belonging to a certain social group or cultural community. Objective. To analyze the impact of an individual’s membership in a large social group or cultural community on suicidal behavior. The main directions of suicidal behavior research. In the vast array of theoretical and research works the following directions of suicidal behavior study can be distinguished: existential, clinical, socio-demographic, socio-cultural and socio-psychological. Starting from E. Durkheim’s sociological etude “Suicide”, the group affiliation of an individual is considered as a leading factor of suicidal behavior. However, the sociological approach appears limited because its proponents place excessive emphasis on demographic variables rather than on the psychological significance of suicide and the values of the individual prone to suicidal behavior. A. Adler’s socio-psychological conceptualization of suicide is partly responsible for overcoming these limitations. Adler’s socio-psychological concept of suicide, which takes into account not only demographic indicators, but also how suicides perceive, evaluate and experience their own group affiliation and the values of their social group. According to A. Adler, the predictors of suicide are a sense of community (belonging) and social interests of the individual. Sense of community and group belonging as a factor of suicidal behavior. Comparison of studies conducted in three countries (Russia / USSR, Japan and the USA) allows us to identify two socio-psychological factors of suicidal behavior: 1) negative attitude to one’s own group or cultural identity; 2) hypertrophy of the sense of community and belonging, leading to a decrease in the value of one’s own personality and individual life. Discussion. As modern cross-cultural studies show, suicidal behavior can be observed both at the deficit of the sense of community and group belonging and at the high level of development of this sense. This is conditioned, on the one hand, by the attitude of a suicide victim to his/her social group and cultural identity, and, on the other hand, by the historically formed attitude of society to suicide.

Is There a Need to Expand the Refugee Definition?

This article examines the urgency of protecting against displacement caused by climate change under international law and questions why Rohingya displacement has not been resolved even though it has been protected by international law, whether the harmonization of human rights approaches, national law, and international law towards refugees and climate refugees. This paper uses a literature review method and a normative legal approach by reviewing national and international human rights law. The findings of this paper suggest that many Rohingya continue to flee to safer countries, often taking enormous risks, including dangerous ocean crossings. The impacts of climate change can be categorized as persecution; the Refugee Convention requires that such persecution be due to race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group. Persecution alone is not enough. The difficulty is that the impacts of climate change are largely indiscriminate and not related to specific characteristics such as a person's background or beliefs. The Rohingya people have experienced violence, discrimination, and persecution for decades, and the international community has failed to protect them effectively. The international community has allowed Myanmar to carry out genocide against the Rohingya without taking any action, even though United Nations member states are obliged to protect their population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. National, international, and human rights laws play an important role in determining the legal status and rights of refugees in a country. All three must be embedded and integrated, starting from international law and its derivatives to national law, which contains humanitarian rights.

Positive Childhood Experiences are Associated With Alcohol Use in Adolescent and Emerging Adult Females by Adverse Childhood Experiences Dimension

PurposeExperiencing multiple adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is associated with alcohol use in female adolescents and emerging adults. Protective and compensatory experiences (PACEs) have been theorized to off-set the health and behavioral consequences from the accumulation of ACEs throughout childhood. This study examines the association between protective experiences and subsequent alcohol and binge alcohol use frequency over one month among female adolescent and emerging adults reporting high and low levels of two ACE dimensions (household dysfunction and emotional abuse/neglect). MethodsOne hundred 43 females between the ages of 15–24 who indicated at least one binge episode in the past two weeks completed the six-item ACEs scale, the PACEs scale, and demographics at baseline. Alcohol consumption was measured prospectively over the next month during weekly appointments using the timeline follow back approach. ResultsTwo PACEs factors had significant direct associations, a source of unconditional love was associated with less frequent alcohol use (β = −0.437, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.744, −0.131, exp(β) = 0.65, p = .005) in the context of high household dysfunction; and having a trusted adult to count on for help and advice (β = −1.373, 95% CI -2.283, −0.464, exp(β) = 0.25, p = .003) predicted fewer binge occasions in the context of high emotional abuse/neglect. Regardless of ACE dimension exposure, nonsport social group membership was associated more frequent alcohol use over the month across all ACE dimensions (β = 0.11-0.74, 95% CI -0.11, 0.74, exp(β) = 1.37 – 1.62, p ≤ .002); and having a trusted adult to count on for help and advice was associated with a 5.7 times more frequent of alcohol use among those with low household dysfunction (β = 1.74, 95% CI 0.83, 2.65, exp(β) = 5.70, p < .001). DiscussionFew PACE items are associated with direct reductions in alcohol outcomes. Indeed, there is consistently heightened risk associated with nonsport group membership for alcohol use frequency, regardless of experiences of childhood adversity. Future research should identify which protective factors have the most potential to off-set alcohol use by ACE dimension.

Assessment of social and personal manifestations of adolescents interested in youth subculture

Introduction. The problem of the study is related to the idea of peculiarities of socialization as the formation of adolescents’ personality. The solution to this problem is necessary to prevent the negative impact of the subculture on the personality of the adolescent in the learning environment. According to the age specificity, an adolescent pays special attention to the reaction of their peers. Having identified themselves as members of social groups, adolescents put this identification into the scheme of self-awareness and begin to ‘bring’ themselves into ‘conformity with the group’. Deep and long involvement in the informal movement determines the interiorization of the group’s value system and changes in the adolescent’s worldview. In this regard, the purpose of this study is to identify social and personal manifestations of adolescents who are interested in youth subculture. Materials and Methods. The study follows personality-oriented and cognitive approaches. In order to achieve the goal of the study, the authors used theoretical (analysis, generalization, systematization) and empirical (testing, conversations, questionnaires, expert assessments) methods. The sample included 85 Year 10 students of secondary educational institutions in the Krasnodar Territory (Russia). Results. The article presents a theoretical analysis of approaches to the problem of studying social and personal characteristics of adolescents included in youth subcultures. The data obtained indicate personality traits and social status that determine the enthusiasm for certain subcultures. In particular, adolescents interested in youth subcultures demonstrated the following problems: dissatisfaction with social status, communication problems, adequacy/inadequacy of self-esteem, search for thrills, influence of friends, and insufficient knowledge about the content and features of the influence of youth subculture. Conclusions. Based on the theoretical analysis of scholarly literature on the problem of the research, it was found that the adolescent’s inclusion in an informal association is determined by social and personal characteristics. Adolescents who are interested in youth subcultures demonstrated the following common characteristics: the need for a higher status in the students’ group, peer approval, unstable self-esteem, etc. Understanding the characteristics of adolescents contributes to fostering an adequate personality formation and determines the content of the prevention measures aimed at eliminating negative influences of informal associations.

Revisiting Women's Piety Movements in the Indonesian Context

The current Islamic studies literature focusing on women’s expression in Indonesia remains understudied. It still presents a scholarly challenge for current Islamic studies to address the issue of ideal expressed space for women. This mainly includes women’s positions and roles in society and their concerns about public issues. This gap often becomes a source of criticism, especially from the feminist perspective. The latter believes that dogmatic religious understanding restricts women’s roles in public space. Addressing this puzzle, this paper aims to analyze how Islam affirmatively can address women’s expression as individuals and members of social groups. This paper employs critical discourse analysis by cultivating theoretical frameworks such as the debate between feminism and Islamic understandings of women. It also draws data from fieldwork, conducting in-depth interviews with women activists and academics. The findings of this study show that the need for inclusive public space for women to express their concerns while keeping their Islamic faith is imminent. This need could also expand women’s concerns to broader contexts such as interfaith dialogue. By focusing on three different Islamic women's movements, this paper further investigates how these three movements build up their expressed spaces and their impact on society.

Social Group Membership, Social Identities, and Mental Health Experiences in Urban Poor Communities in Ghana: A Critical Social Psychology Inquiry.

Social groups and identities significantly influence mental health outcomes, yet their impact in resource-poor communities remains understudied. We explored the role of social group memberships and identities in shaping mental health experiences in two urban poor communities in Ghana. Data from 77 participants were analyzed thematically, revealing widespread engagement in social groups that provide access to both material and symbolic resources. However, these groups also serve as sources of tension and contribute to the stigmatization and marginalization of vulnerable members. Those affected include individuals with severe mental disorders, men experiencing depression, young men involved in substance abuse, family caregivers, migrant and tenant households, and otherwise healthy individuals with recurring psychosocial challenges. The groups exacerbate mental health challenges and restrict access to care among marginalized populations. The findings underscore the need for targeted interventions aimed at enhancing mental health support and reducing stigma in resource-poor settings.

A social identity approach to understanding sustainability and environmental behaviours in South Africa

ABSTRACT In recent years, change in behaviour towards the environment has gained prominence as a policy tool to influence positive environmental value. Simultaneously, the role played by social identity in promoting pro-environmental action is gaining recognition. Within this work, the intersection between collective group identity and environmental behaviour has received very little attention. Group norms are considered a strong predictor of pro-environmental behaviour, yet the influence of social identity and collective action on environmental action has not been adequately investigated in a multi-ethnic setting. Within this context, this study examines the affective component of social identity influence on pro-environmental action. More succinctly, this study demonstrates how outgroups and in-groups’ relations and broader sociocultural structures, values, interest, and norms impact environmental and sustainability transitions behaviours. Through interviews with participants across the four dominant social groups in South Africa, this study provides compelling evidence that country-wide expressions of social identity and ingroup dynamics shapes the individual behaviour regarding environmental and sustainability concerns and further strengthen the individual’s perspective for social environmental transformation. This study advances the need for a social-identity centred approach to foster pro-environmental and sustainability outcomes. Highlights The influence that social contexts and social group memberships have on individual perception and behaviour provide important insights to build an empirical base for an inclusive environmental and sustainable action. We applied the theory of social identity to explore these processes and how normative group values and group interest shape environmental behaviour.

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF LAYER FARMERS IN AKWA IBOM

This study analyzed the technical efficiency of layer farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to select a total of 100-layer farmers across three agricultural zones in Akwa Ibom State. Relevant data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Data collated from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistics, stochastic production frontier, and maximum likelihood estimates. The result showed that most of the farmers were female, with mean age of 36.68 years for layer farmers. The production function estimate showed that hired labour, feeds, capital depreciation, pen size, and saw dust use positively influenced output of layer birds, while family labour and medication had a negative impact on output. The technical efficiency distribution showed a mean efficiency of 66%. The determinants of technical inefficiency showed that education, family size, market share, farming experience, extension visits, trainings, farm size and membership in social groups had negative influence of technical inefficiency of layer production, and farmers age and access to credit had a positive effect on the technical inefficiency of layer production. The study recommends the government and relevant stakeholders should make efforts to subsidize the cost of essential poultry inputs, and develop a workable system to enable poultry farmers access credit. Also, extension training should be intensified as it is shown to improve the technical efficiency of layer farmers.

Η Διδασκαλία &amp; Ευαισθητοποίηση των Μαθητών της Στ΄ Τάξης του Δημοτικού Σχολείου για το Δικαίωμα του Παιδιού στην Εκπαίδευση μέσω Διδακτικού Σεναρίου Δημιουργικής Αφήγησης

Education for the Right to Education is developed in formal and non-formal education, with successful pedagogical methodologies for Primary Education. Creative Storytelling supports students to externalize and communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through their own stories and actively participate through empathy, freeing them from a real, stressful action environment. The proposition can contribute to students’ cognitive skills acquisition, critical thinking and metacognition as individuals and as members of social groups. The mixed research methodology of the case study depicted that raising awareness was successful. However, the research as a case study and the number of students is not enough so more research is needed for the generalizability and validity of these results.

Temporal patterns of gut microbiota in lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) living in intact and disturbed habitats in a novel sample type.

The gut microbiome is a plastic phenotype; gut microbial composition is highly variable across an individual host's lifetime and between host social groups, and this variation has consequences for host health. However, we do not yet fully understand how longitudinal microbial dynamics and their social drivers may be influenced by ecological stressors, such as habitat degradation. Answering these questions is difficult in most wild animal systems, as it requires long-term collections of matched host, microbiome, and environmental trait data. To test if temporal and social influences on microbiome composition differ by the history of human disturbance, we leveraged banked, desiccated fecal samples collected over 5 months in 2004 from two ecologically distinct populations of wild, red-bellied lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) that are part of a long-term study system. We found that social group explained more variation in microbiome composition than host population membership did, and that temporal variation in common microbial taxa was similar between populations, despite differences in history of human disturbance. Furthermore, we found that social group membership and collection month were both more important than individual lemur identity. Taken together, our results suggest that synchronized environments use can lead to synchronized microbial dynamics over time, even between habitats of varying quality, and that desiccated samples could become a viable approach for studying primate gut microbiota. Our work opens the door for other projects to utilize historic biological sample data sets to answer novel temporal microbiome questions in an ecological context.

Spillover effects of globalization using alternative spatial approaches

ABSTRACT Globalization’s ramifications extend beyond borders, impacting local and global economies through intricate spatial connections, ultimately influencing economic growth trajectories. This study examines globalization’s spillover impact on economic growth across 158 countries from 1990 to 2019, integrating geographical and non-geographical factors through spatial econometric techniques. The Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) based on CPSLHT (cultural, political, social, linguistic, and historical group memberships and international trade agreements) emerged as the best model compared to other spatial models. It finds expected direct positive associations between factors like initial GDP per capita, capital formation, labour force participation, economic globalization, health spending, urbanization, life insurance, poverty reduction, labour productivity, and rule of law with economic growth. However, the spillover effect of neighbouring countries on economic growth is significant and negative. The Fixed Effects SDM also identifies indirect influences on economic growth, including health spending, the age dependency ratio, and the population growth rates. Global negative effects are prevalent, especially in regions with low GDP per capita, reduced health spending, and a high age dependency ratio. Countries can enhance globalization’s benefits and mitigate drawbacks by investing in healthcare, boosting labour force participation, reducing age dependency, promoting urban development, and upholding the rule of law.

Social group membership and biomarkers of health

AbstractThe benefits of group membership for self‐reported measures of health are well documented; however, the processes by which they can influence biological health outcomes via cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to stress, remains under explored. In the present study, we aim to address this gap by examining if belonging to a social group affects cardiovascular (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate) and cortisol reactivity to stress. Using secondary data from the Pittsburgh Cold Study, 213 healthy adults (123 men, 90 women; Mage = 30.13, SD = 10.85) underwent a standardized laboratory stress‐testing session. During the 2.25 h session, participants completed psychometric measures including the Social Network Index (Cohen, 1997), while biological measurements were assessed noninvasively using the Critikon Dynamap Monitor. Results showed that participants who belonged to a social group demonstrated enhanced patterns of cardiovascular adaptation to stress (i.e., peak responding at initial stress exposure, then gradual decline). This suggests that those who belong to a group have greater physiological stress tolerance, thus indicating the benefits of group membership for biomarkers of health in the long term.