Microcosm Of Society Research Articles

Discussion on “School is Society” and Its Enlightenment to the Construction of University Environment

The principle of “school is society” indicates that controlling the environment is the only educational method. By transforming the school into a microcosm of society, we can cultivate individuals who possess a social spirit and adaptability, preparing them to thrive in real-world social situations. By analyzing the social performance of colleges and universities in terms of their training objectives for society, research concepts for the development of society, and service consciousness for the improvement of society, as well as the current demand for a proper connection with society, it can be found that taking “school is society” as the guiding ideology for the construction of the university environment tends to be simplified, purified, balanced, broadened, and provided with practical space. This will be beneficial to the development of higher education.

New Guidelines for School Counselors in their Fight Against Cyberbullying Prevention in Schools

In recent decades, cyberbullying, also known as “online bullying” or “electronic violence”, has developed as a serious social problem for society, and more specifically for the school, as a microcosm of society. Amongst all school personnel, it is the school counselor who has the highest responsibility in helping students develop all the necessary skills to avoid this relatively new form of bullying, or at worst, to cope with it. However, finding the right way to do this is not always easy, which explains the inaction on the part of adults at school and the resulting reluctance of students to seek help. The purpose of the article is to fill this gap by highlighting the existing misconceptions and intervention efforts that prevent school counselors from effectively dealing with the problem and, accordingly, to propose a new philosophy with fresh approaches and guidelines that facilitate their fight against cyberbullying.

Metaphorical Transfigurations: Symbolism and its Dynamics in Tewfik Al-Hakim's Fate of a Cockroach

Within the convoluted theatrical universe of Tewfik Al-Fate Hakim's Cockroach, metaphor and symbolism emerge as potent instruments of societal critique and existential investigation. The seemingly mundane setting of a kitchen serves as a springboard for profound philosophical reflection in Al-Hakim's work, which is the focus of this paper's analysis. In order to probe the depths of human consciousness beyond literal interpretation, this study analyses Al-Hakim's use of symbolism and metaphor. A symbol of resiliency and existential battle is the cockroach, a lowly bug, a sign of primordial instincts, while the cat represents innate drives and the relentless course of fate. Also, the kitchen is a microcosm of society's dynamics, reflecting problems of existential misery and structural inequity. This study explores the human condition profoundly and invites readers to embark on a life-changing quest to understand the metaphorical and symbolic implication of the play.

Understanding Vaccine Hesitancy in U.S. Prisons: Perspectives from a Statewide Survey of Incarcerated People.

Much of the American response to the COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by a divergence between general public opinion and public health policy. With little attention paid to individuals incarcerated during this time, there is limited direct evidence regarding how incarcerated people perceived efforts to mediate the harms of COVID-19. Prisons operate as a microcosm of society in many ways but they also face unique public health challenges. This study examines vaccine hesitancy-and acceptance-among a sample of individuals incarcerated within adult prisons in Pennsylvania. Using administrative records as well as rich attitudinal data from a survey of the incarcerated population, this study identifies a variety of social and historical factors that are-and are not-associated with an incarcerated person's willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Our findings highlight vaccination challenges unique to the carceral context and offer policy recommendations to improve trust in credible health messengers and health service provision for this often overlooked but vulnerable population.

Generational Guardians: Preserving India's Cultural Heritage through Family Values

This paper delves into the intricate fabric of the Indian family system, elucidating its pivotal role as a cornerstone of civilization, embodying the ethos of sanskar (values) and perpetuating the ancient sanatan sanskriti (eternal culture). Drawing from historical, sociological, and cultural perspectives, it explores the multifaceted dimensions of the Indian family, encompassing kinship structures, familial roles, and rituals. The paper examines how the family serves as a microcosm of society, transmitting cultural mores, traditions, and spiritual beliefs through generations. It also analyzes the resilience of the Indian family system in the face of modernization and globalization, highlighting its adaptive capacity while retaining core cultural values. Furthermore, the paper discusses contemporary challenges and opportunities confronting the Indian family system, including changing demographics, urbanization, and evolving gender dynamics. Through a nuanced understanding of the Indian family as a repository of civilization, sanskar, and sanatan sanskriti, the paper advocates for its continued recognition and revitalization as a foundational institution in India's cultural landscape.

Culinary capital and conceptualisations of school mealtime

AbstractThis paper presents ethnographic work conducted to investigate how notions of culinary capital have the potential to shape the everyday experiences of children during mealtime in school. Children's early experiences with mealtimes and food are critical determinants for eating behaviour over the life course. The paper presents an account of conceptual debates based on longstanding ethnographic work on school food with a particular focus on a case study of Maple Field Academy to frame the research. Research methods used included semi‐structured interviews, fieldnotes and photographs with the aim of capturing a rich picture of the school. This paper introduces Laird's sensory theory to frame the discussion. This research calls for the need to recognise the social good that can be realised from participating in mealtimes and school is a microcosm of society, which means it can function as a driver for social change. The paper calls for more engagement with social theorising on studies which focus on researching food in school.

Out-of-School Youth Civic Engagement in the Microcosm of Society

The youth sector is at the heart of society; they can inspire social change. Out-of-school youth leads the global crisis of declining youth engagement. Past investigations linked the problem to apathy and that the out-of-school youth is an underserved sector without the means to activate their agency effectively. The advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution put in place new platforms where typologies of civic engagement are carried out, and there are external and internal factors that influence these. As the barangay reflects the larger Philippine society, this study examined the typologies of civic engagement that Filipino out-of-school youth participate in both in the traditional and non-traditional settings, the factors that influence their civic engagement participation, and their perceived significance of civic engagement. The study operated on a mixed-method design, which combined quantitative and qualitative research design elements to answer the research questions. The findings show that the modern youth manifested their intense participation in diverse social activities through digital civic engagement; they value civic engagement; they have a comprehensive understanding of what is happening around them; and they are conscious of their role and willing to do what they can to enrich their communities. To enhance the brewing potentials of their transformative character, existing public and private institutional mechanisms, programs, and networks must be strengthened and/or new ones created and explored geared towards fostering a more inclusive and healthy development of the out-of-school youth. The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth.

Starting a conversation about racism with teenagers: using the social work research Dialogue Approach

Increased migration over the last two decades has resulted in greater diversity within Irish society. There is much debate around multiculturalism, diversity and integration, and how this is best achieved. As microcosms of society, schools have also experienced substantial growth in diversity. Over 90 per cent of second-level schools in Ireland record migrant students on their roll, with between 2 and 9 per cent of the school populations being migrant students. Moreover, research indicates that not only do teachers often struggle with increased diversity in the classroom but racism and inclusion are also not adequately addressed through the curriculum. Although Ireland sometimes prides itself on being a friendly and welcoming nation, racism is noted as a persistent issue. This article explores the topic of racism with teenagers in an Irish school, using the social work Dialogue Approach. This co-created study examines how students and teachers conceptualise racism and its impact. It is argued that exploring attitudes and encouraging dialogue among young people about the impact of racism and exclusion is fundamental to social work values.

Autoethnographically Interrogating School-Based Anti-“Asian” Racism in Post(?)-Pandemic Times: An AsianCrit-Informed Composite Palimpsest

The ongoing racialized violence against “Asian” communities—that was simultaneously illuminated and amplified during COVID-19—is not a geographically isolated phenomenon. Vis-a-vis the Atlanta Massacre of 2021 and other senseless attacks on “Asian” Americans stemming from white supremacist fears of the Yellow Peril, “Asian” Australians have likewise been, and continue to be, victims of everyday old and new racisms rooted in Orientalist discourses and concomitant fears of the invading Other. As microcosms of society, schools are germane for the analysis, confrontation, and transformation of such racialized injustices and so, as a means of intervening in these everyday inequities, this paper weaves an AsianCrit-informed autoethnography with palimpsestuous composite narratives drawn from semi-structured interviews in a broader project with other migrant “Asian” Australian teachers to chronicle personal and professional race-making practices in the face of racism before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also rethinking and re-stor(y)ing a–way toward more hopeful, inclusive futures in schools.

Students’ perceptions of the influence of media on perpetuating xenophobia in South African universities

Immigration and emigration are inevitable however, some South Africans have shown a strong dislike of those coming from other countries, in the form of xenophobia. Several studies have attributed the prevalence of xenophobia in South African communities to socio-economic, sociopolitical and scapegoating issues, with some researchers highlighting the role of the media in perpetuating xenophobia-related violence. On the other hand, xenophobia in institutions of higher learning in South Africa, which are a microcosm of society, has been under-prioritised in exploring the prevalence of xenophobia. This article aims to explore students’ perceptions on the influence of media stereotypes of foreign nationals on xenophobia-related behaviours in selected higher education institutions. In part, it aims to explore students’ perceptions on the influence of media-perpetuated stereotypes that may be attributed to possible symbolic xenophobia among university students. Therefore, this article looked at three South African universities, namely the University of Fort Hare, Alice Campus in the Eastern Cape province; the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Howard Campus in KwaZulu-Natal province; and the University of Johannesburg, Soweto Campus in Gauteng province. To achieve the aims of this study, a qualitative case study approach, based on the interpretivist design, was adopted. A nonprobability sampling method, based on purposive sampling and the snowball sampling technique, was used to select participants in this study. Data were generated through focus group discussions and analysed through thematic analysis. The findings of this article revealed that xenophobic attitudes, behaviour and perceptions were prevalent among university students. The South African print media’s perpetuated negative stereotypes and its adoption of derogatory names – amakwerekwere, amagrigamba, aliens, illegal immigrants, ‘my friend’ – to represent immigrants (especially from other African countries) were highlighted as some of the contributing factors toward ongoing xenophobic violence. As part of the recommendations of this study, the Student Representative Council (SRC) and other student communities, together with students in general, have a role to play in promoting xenophobia-free university campuses through antixenophobia campaigns.Transdisciplinarity Contribution: Most xenophobic-related studies show that media reportage has an influence on xenophobic violence in South Africa. This study therefore shifts its focus toward South African universities to investigate the prevalence of xenophobia among students and explores students’ perceptions of the influence of media in perpetuating xenophobic-related violence

Leadership, Centering Equity Vital to Future of Medical Education

Leadership, Centering Equity Vital to Future of Medical Education

Sport, Sexual Violence and the Law: A Feminist Critique and Call to Action

Sport is a microcosm of society. In this connection, in as much as there are reasons to celebrate individual athletic prowess and the undeniable contribution of sport to the maturation of communities, sport, like the broader society, contends with many ills, not least sexual violence. Although various sporting organizations and governments have, in the last 2 decades, adopted legislative instruments and Codes of Ethics and established various institutional mechanisms to combat the scourge of sexual violence, sport remains a hot bed for sexual violence, intimidation, reprisals and indignity in many jurisdictions. This article accordingly interrogates, from a Feminist Perspective, recently decided cases to illustrate how sexual violence committed against women and girls in the sporting context reflects a broader deeply entrenched system of patriarchy, characterized by a culture of silence, indifference, and abuse of authority. It concludes by calling on all concerned in the governance, administration, and practice of sport to redouble their efforts to address the growing problem of sexual violence in sport.

Reclaiming classrooms: Collectivising students’ wisdom, hopes and support

As a microcosm of society, colleges hold great potential for inviting young adults’ stories of resistance and hope. This paper describes the application of collective narrative approaches in my work with students at St Mira’s College for Girls, an undergraduate and postgraduate women’s college in Pune, India. I sought to integrate narrative ideas into the existing mental wellbeing program by documenting and showcasing students’ stories of mental health and wellbeing and their local knowledge about making the campus a safe place. The focus of this paper is on a collective suicide prevention project, which took place over four months in online and offline modes. This paper highlights students’ analysis of suicide as a social problem and their unique ways of supporting others through difficult times. Narrative concepts such as enabling contribution, externalising problems and collective documents are demonstrated.

Reclaiming Tom Longboat: Indigenous Self-Determination in Canadian Sport

Janice Forsyth's Reclaiming Tom Longboat is an enlightening exploration of Canadian sport told through the lens of a national award, including a critical study of colonization through physical activity, all the while not discounting the self-determination of Indigenous peoples. As others have previously noted, Forsyth is a leader in the study of the Indigenous sport history of Canada, and this work should be the canon when discussing books on Indigenous athletics or any type of sport award.The book begins with a foreword by Willie Littlechild, a recipient of the Tom Longboat award in 1965, providing a meaningful context of what is to come in the comprehensive investigation undertaken by Forsyth. Investigation is the most appropriate term for this volume because of the great extent of research done. Forsyth not only presents the research she has done but uncovers new relationships between stakeholders, from the Canadian government to the Indigenous community.As expected, Forsyth begins with an introduction to Tom Longboat and his notable athletic success. In this introduction, she also briefly explains the establishment of the Tom Longboat awards, a recognition based on race. As she explains, “The awards were given only to athletes defined as ‘Indian’ by the federal government through the Indian Act, a powerful piece of legislation that regulates nearly every aspect of Indigenous life, from property ownership to child welfare” (9). This is just a brief taste of her analysis of the dynamics of race, gender, class, and nationhood, themes that underlie the entire book.After the introduction, Forsyth explains how Canadian authorities used sport to try to assimilate the Canadian Indigenous community before diving into chapters that cover important time periods in the Tom Longboat awards. The fifth and final chapter highlights the voices of seven Canadian athletes and Tom Longboat award recipients.Forsyth masters the ability to present the facts without inflicting blame in the chapters that cover the history and timeline of the award. At the same time, she implies the responsible forces that continually place Indigenous people in positions of despair and deficit. Self-determination is another major theme Forsyth weaves throughout that is often overlooked and misunderstood. She provides the example of paternalism by highlighting a letter by Arthur Laing, the minister in charge of Indian Affairs. Laing expressed his concern about the government relinquishing its control and responsibility of Indigenous people to the Canadian provinces, stating the progress of Indigenous people “must be the development by themselves of a desire for the goals which we think they should want” (86).This book is about much more than an award; it is about education, control, power, and politics. Forsyth is a master at highlighting the hypocrisy and idiosyncrasies within the different players—for instance, reminding the reader that the idea for an individual award is automatically misaligned with the beliefs of Indigenous people, where community is valued above the individual. It is that sense of community that has allowed so many Indigenous people to find their individual success.If there is any critique of the volume, it is that the fifth chapter, which centers on the athlete's voice, is not longer. By highlighting the award winners, not the dominant narrative, the meaning of the awards is completely transformed. While it may be expected to hear about barriers to elite athletics for Indigenous people, it is not as common to understand the intersectional dynamics that impacted so much of these athletes’ lives. Forsyth highlights the deeper meaning of race by award recipients, writing: “Each was well aware of the racial politics of skin color and how it created opportunities and tensions in their lives, privileging them in some situations while marginalizing and stigmatizing them in others” (160). Ultimately, by hearing from these athletes, we see the changing idea of sport success in their lives and the ongoing objectification and otherness they experience.Just as sport is a microcosm of society, sport awards reflect what society values. Forsyth shows that we must critically examine who administers, controls, and awards honorifics such as the Tom Longboat awards. By doing so, we can ensure these awards do more than check a box and actually promote sport for sustained success. As Willie Littlechild stated, “Sport has the power to change and save lives of Indigenous people” (x). Through this book, Forsyth expertly shows how systems of power must allow that power to be fully realized.

Contesting and reshaping learning spaces: Students’ activism in South Africa

Universities in South Africa are a microcosm of society and thus offer grounds for criticism. In 2015, the Rhodes Must Fall student movement emerged, which demanded decolonization. This movement became one of the most important social movements in post-apartheid South Africa. While the student movement was formed to protest against the university, students created a space for transformative learning within the frame of the university. This article examines the ambivalence of the university: on the one hand, as a target of criticism and as a space for experimentation and reflection on society and societal change; and, on the other hand, as a space for emerging collective processes of transformative learning which created alternative knowledge, for instance in respect of decolonization and thus also discrimination, racism and marginalization.

Health Disparities, Systemic Racism, and Failures of Cultural Competence: Authors’ Response to Commentaries

The health system is, in particular ways, a microcosm of society and both reflects and contributes to its ills of racism, inequities, and disparities. As such, the house of medicine is obligated to...

Interacting The Urban Masterplan of Unicamp with the Sustainable Development Goals

Universities are the training centers for future decision-makers in the social, political and economic sectors. Considering the university campus as an urban locus or even a microcosm of society, the change that begins in the urban planning of a university is an opportunity for example and replication in the city. This paper presents the development of the Unicamp Urban Masterplan, a strategic project of the university that involves the participation of all-around social actors: professors, students, researches, staff and local community and brings the actual panorama, the future scenarios and the guidelines to achieve them. It is organized through six planning areas: 1. Urban usage and heritage; 2. Environment; 3. Urban infrastructure; 4. Mobility and accessibility; 5. Social interaction; and 6. University and society. Projects resulting from these guidelines should be developed through living laboratories. Campus territories and their evolution are monitored through performance indicators aligned with the UI GreenMetric sustainable university ranking process indicators. This paper explains the methodology in which the urban projects be implemented through living laboratories to put into practice the SDGs, as necessary action for the transition to sustainability in the campuses. The use of the university campuses as a living laboratory results in the transformation of the Unicamp space and impel the replication to transform the local community to sustainability and to disseminate solutions to the cities and other universities

Does teaching racial justice and equity have a place in our schools?

Schools are a microcosm of society and often tasked with fixing society's ills. We need to explore the purpose of education and the place of educators not only to prepare young people to gain the best qualifications they can but also to challenge ourselves as educators and our young charges to be active citizens with enough knowledge about society and citizenship to shape tomorrow's world. Recent world events have given educators a push towards addressing issues around racial justice and equity. Although this shift is rife with complexity, some schools and groups are actively addressing the issues with students in practical and powerful ways.

Tipping Point: Perceptions of Diversity in Black and White

By 2044, the USA is projected to be a majority-minority nation. Research suggests that when people of color reach 40–60% of the population, a tipping point occurs in which white individuals experience a collective existential threat and threat to their status and resources, resulting in more negative attitudes toward diversity. Institutions of higher education are microcosms of society. We were interested in how perceptions of diversity might differ across two universities—one that had reached the tipping point of only 50% white Americans; 543 black and white undergraduates completed items from the Diverse Learning Environment Core Survey measuring perceptions of belonging, diversity, and discrimination. We found that white students in the more diverse context were less satisfied with diversity on campus than their white counterparts (at the less diverse university); moreover, these students reported the highest level of discrimination in the study—even higher than that of black students in the less diverse context. These findings highlight the ways in which increasing representation and enfranchisement of racially and culturally different others may result in feelings of disenfranchisement for white Americans. With implications for the larger society, we argue that centering and deconstructing whiteness and white racial socialization is essential for the next era of equity and diversity aimed at redressing structural inequality.

Out of Place

Abstract Because hotels are a microcosm of society, they offer a useful case study to explore social inequalities, including racial divisions. This article examines the experiences of African-Jamaican hotel workers and guests from independence in 1962 till the present to demonstrate the salience of Jamaica’s race and color relations. It argues that hotel workers and guests at times challenged the racialized practices that they experienced but more often refrained from doing so because of their socialization into a long-standing ethos of “Black is nuh good” and exposure to a nationalist ideology that projected a vision of racial harmony. The article also shows that through their responses to claims of racial discrimination in hotels, a variety of stakeholders, including tourist organizations, failed to challenge the island’s racial hierarchy which placed Whites on top, light-skinned Jamaicans in the middle, and dark-skinned Jamaicans at the bottom.