Minority Context Research Articles

Islamic Values in a Multicultural Society: An Analysis of Parenting and Social Integration of Muslim Minorities

This research examines Islamic education parenting and social integration of Muslim minorities in Tanjung Labu Village, Rantau Pulung Sub-district, East Kutai Regency. Using a qualitative method with a case study approach, this research aims to understand the dynamics of Islamic education and social integration strategies in the context of multicultural communities in transmigration areas. Data were collected through participatory observation, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. The results show that the minority Muslim community in Tanjung Labu Village applies a variety of parenting patterns, from those that tend to be authoritarian in matters of principle to those that are more democratic in other aspects. Social integration efforts are seen in various aspects of life, including education, economy, and culture. Programs such as ‘Friday Taqwa’ in schools and cooperation in farmer groups show positive steps in realizing social integration. However, the research also identified challenges such as the lack of special programs for converts and potential discrimination. The study concludes that efforts to strengthen the social integration of Muslim minorities require a holistic, inclusive, and sustainable approach, involving the active role of the Muslim community and support from various relevant parties. The findings make an important contribution to understanding the complexities of Islamic education and social integration in minority contexts, as well as highlighting the importance of empowering Muslim converts.

The Interplay Between Ethnicity, Borders and Cross-border Political Spaces: Insights from the Italian–Austrian Border Region

This paper explores the dynamics of cross-border relations, ethnic diversity and the role of sub-state actors in border regions, focusing on the Austrian–Italian border. Using a transnational regionalism lens, it examines how minorities, majorities, sub-state political elites and the media perceive and utilise cross-border spaces. The findings reveal contested perspectives among sub-state political elites, influenced by historical conflicts, while the media emphasise the connective role of the state border. Furthermore, autonomist parties and representatives contribute to framing cross-border cooperation as a means of connection and shared territorial policymaking. The research highlights the potential of sub-state to foster inclusive cross-border relations in minority contexts and empower minority communities in border regions, offering insights into integration and connection beyond ethnic and territorial divisions.

A Study on Reflections of Prophetic Sīrah Discourse in Pluralistic Society: A Contextual Analysis

This research explores the evolving debates on Prophetic Sīrah discourse within pluralistic societies, addressing the critical need for a comprehensive understanding among Muslims. Recognizing the fragmented nature of previous works, which often focus on isolated aspects of the Sīrah, this study aims to provide an integrated analysis relevant to contemporary multicultural settings. Employing a qualitative, library-based methodology, the research utilizes primary sources such as the Qur'an, Hadīth collections, and classical Sīrah texts, alongside modern commentaries. Through thematic and contextual analyses, key concepts like interfaith relations, social justice, and ethical conduct are identified and examined. Critical discourse analysis (CDA) is applied to understand how Sīrah discourse is constructed and communicated across different contexts. The study reveals significant gaps in the current understanding and application of the Prophetic Sīrah, particularly regarding its relevance for Muslim minorities in pluralistic societies. It emphasizes the importance of defining key terminologies and developing an interpretive framework that aligns with the minority context. The findings underscore the urgent need to reframe the Prophetic Sīrah from a pluralistic perspective to foster peaceful coexistence and mutual respect. The study concludes by attempting to bridge the gap between traditional Islamic teachings and modern pluralistic principles, encouraging a more inclusive and peaceful community.

Sahrawi Women and the Liberation Struggle: Agency and Resistance in a Minority Context

This paper aims to explore Sahrawi women’s experiences of maternity within the Sahrawi liberation struggle, framing it as both an individual and a collective act of resistance against the occupation of Western Sahara. Rooted in the pronatalist politics of the Sahrawi liberation front’s (Polisario), it investigates how Sahrawi women approach biological reproduction as part of a minority group. Choices of biological reproduction among Sahrawis are inscribed within a history of occupation and refuge that, together with colonialism and nationalism, also shape Sahrawi women’s agency in navigating the socio-political dimensions of reproduction. This paper critically engages with an increasing number of humanitarian interventions in reproductive health, exploring the balance between addressing health concerns and the potential imposition of Western perspectives on biological reproduction. Empirical evidence highlights Sahrawi women’s adaptive strategies within in response to changing realities, emphasising the intricate interplay between reproductive autonomy, collective resistance, and identity.

Nyelvi ideológiák kisebbségben. Példák Katalóniából, a Csallóközből és Budapestről

Critical sociolinguistics with a qualitative approach seeks to explore the background of language-related social issues. Such issues include, for example, the systems of ideas that shape contemporary public thinking, especially when it comes to language choice in minority contexts. The paper compares three such contexts: the context of a diasporic group (Hungarians in Catalonia, Spain), the young adults of an indigenous minority (Hungarians in Csallóköz, Žitný ostrov, Slovakia), and the media representation of sexual minorities in Hungary. The comparison is based on three separate studies with a qualitative and explorative orientation conducted by one of the authors each. These studies examined the language ideologies of late modernity and global capitalism that the literature identifies as discourses of pride and profit. We argue that speakers’ narratives on their language choice are permeated by the concept of profit in a way that pride is no longer evidently associated with authenticity.

Unraveling Trust Issues Towards Mental Health Professionals Among Bedouin-Arab Minority in Israel.

Trust in mental health professionals and services profoundly impacts health outcomes. However, understanding trust in mental health professionals, especially in ethnic minority contexts, is lacking. To explore this within the Bedouin-Arab minority, a qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 25 Bedouins in southern Israel. Participants were primarily female (60%) married (60%), averaging 34.08 years old. Employing grounded theory, three themes emerged. Firstly, concerns about confidentiality were central, eroding trust due to societal repercussions. Secondly, factors influencing confidentiality concerns and distrust were tied to Bedouin-Arab social structures and cultural values rather than professional attributes. Lastly, the consequences of distrust included reduced help-seeking. This study enriches the understanding of trust in mental health professionals among non-Western ethnic minorities, highlighting how cultural factors shape perceptions of mental health services and distrust. Addressing confidentiality worries demands Bedouin mental health professionals to acknowledge hurdles, build community ties, and demonstrate expertise through personal connections and events.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Hesitancy, Screening Disparities, and Associated Factors Among Sexual and Gender Minority Women: A Systematic Review of Global Literature [ID 2683547

INTRODUCTION: Human papillomavirus (HPV) ranks as the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection globally, with a significant association with cervical cancer in cervix-having individuals. Understanding the epidemiological patterns of HPV vaccination rates and behaviors within the context of sexual and gender minority (SGM) women is essential in identifying factors hindering the initiation of HPV vaccination and screening. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted by searching five databases (PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Sciences, MedLine). Eligibility criteria included the following: reported HPV vaccination or screening outcomes, conducted among SGM women, data collected since 2010. All studies were independently screened and synthesized following PRISMA guidelines. Of 44 items, 13 studies met the criteria. RESULTS: Sexual and gender minority women reported substantial HPV vaccine hesitancy and decreased screening practices compared to their non-SGM peers, with the degree of vaccine hesitancy and delayed screening varying among bisexual, lesbian, and transgender individuals. Individual factors associated with HPV vaccine hesitancy and decreased screening include socioeconomic status, vaccination awareness, and SGM identity. Meanwhile, interpersonal and structural factors include community biases, family support, lack of provider LGBTQ+ health education, and structural racism. CONCLUSION: Sexual and gender minority women experience a substantial health care disparity surrounding HPV vaccination hesitancy and screening status. Results from this study substantiate the need for the standardization of health care practice, individual patient vaccine counseling, and the expansion of sexual and gender minority health training at all tiers of medical education. Furthermore, additional disaggregated research is needed to understand the unique health circumstances of bisexual, lesbian, and transgender individuals, as the current research landscape fails to capture the community’s health needs.

Who Wants To Share? Attitudes Towards Horizontal Redistribution Across the Globe

While recent literature has extensively addressed inequalities between households or individuals, known as “vertical inequalities,” there remains a dearth of research on socio‐economic disparities among culturally defined groups, termed “horizontal inequalities” (HIs). In diverse societies, addressing such group disparities is imperative to promote economic efficiency, political stability, and social cohesion. This thematic issue investigates the level of public support for HI‐correcting policies across nine contexts: Brazil, South Africa, Nigeria, Malaysia, Kenya, Western Balkans, India, the United States, and Northern Ireland. The articles within this issue collectively identify and analyze crucial factors at the individual, group, and national levels. In this editorial, we summarize major findings, reflecting on the salience of group identity across majority and minority contexts, the role of perceptions vs more objective measures of inequality and its causes, and the significance of shifting political climates and societal discourses.

Changing the Division of Household Work in Conservative and Minority Context: The Case of Arab-Druze Women in Israel

This article seeks to understand how Druze women’s employment in nontraditional fields (such as engineering, medicine, and law) shapes gender role division in their nuclear family. Data from 24 interviews with educated Druze women employed in high-quality professions suggests that Druze women who work in these fields succeed in bringing about a change in perceptions and practices regarding gender role division in their households. The interviews revealed three gender patterns: (a) ten women in the current study indicated egalitarian gender role division; (b) six women indicted reversal of gender roles in their home, and (c) eight women described a traditional role division, which required them to sacrifice their career in favor of the family. The choice of Druze women to study nontraditional professions is increasingly recognized and valued in Druze society and its clergy, driving a paradigm shift concerning women’s employment and gender role division in the private sphere.

Use of antimicrobials and other medical products in an ethnic minority context of South-Central Vietnam: A qualitative study of vulnerability.

Despite the global threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR), evidence on the use and quality of medicines at community level is limited, particularly in impoverished, rural areas where prevalence of (bacterial) infections is high. To better understand the processes that drive vulnerability to AMR' effects, this study aimed to assess social factors underpinning access to-and use of-medical products and healthcare, among people from the Raglai ethnic minority in Ninh Thuan Province, Vietnam. We conducted ethnographic research in eight villages in 2018-2019, using interviewing and participant observation methods for data collection. Different types of informants (including community members and healthcare providers) were selected using purposive sampling strategies and analysis was retroductive. Our findings show that, despite the existence of a government-funded health insurance scheme, Raglai people's flexible therapeutic itineraries did not systematically start with formal healthcare. Different types of care (private/informal, public, shamanic) were combined in parallel or in alternation, determined by distance to the provider, cost, workload, perceived diagnostic capacity, perceived severity and aetiology of the illness, and trust in the provider. Available medicines were often tablets dispensed in plastic bags containing labelled tablets, unlabelled tablets (in bulk) or tablets ground to powder. Treatment was often considered effective when it relieved symptoms, which led to abandonment of the treatment course. When symptoms did not speedily abate, the illness aetiology would be reinterpreted, and "stronger" medicines would be sought. The precarious socio-economic status of some Raglai drove them in cycles of severe poverty when additional unforeseen factors such as illness, animal disease or loss of crops arose, hampering access to (in)formal healthcare providers and/or appropriate diagnosis and treatment. We conclude that Raglai communities are structurally unable to buffer themselves against the threat and consequences of AMR. Despite this vulnerability, they are among the least targeted by efforts to optimize antibiotic use, which are concentrated in secondary and tertiary healthcare facilities targeted at urban populations.

Confirmatory factor analysis of latent constructs for measuring social well-being in African migrant samples

The present study contributes to psychology and well-being literature by investigating social well-being in minority contexts. The factor structure of the Keyes’ long format 33-item social well-being measure was investigated among African migrant samples. A cross-sectional survey methodology was used to collect data from a total of 404 African migrants living in South Africa (n = 146), Uganda (n = 158) and Kenya (n = 100). They were 202 (50%) males, 195 (48.3%) females, and 7 (1.7%) of the samples did not disclose their gender. They were aged from 14 to 70 with a Mean age of 32.21 (standard deviation = 7.696). Data collected were analysed using CFA in AMOS (version 29). We found an unstable four-factor emic solution for African migrants in Sub-Sahara Africa. We could not replicate the theoretical social well-being model of Keyes (1998) among African migrant samples in Sub-Saharan Africa. Insights from the study will be critical to designing culturally appropriate indigenous measures that accurately reflect the social realities and well-being constructs of African migrants. Our findings will also help policymakers and service providers to identify areas of need, develop appropriate socio-cultural programmes, and allocate resources more effectively to support the integration and well-being of migrants within African societies.

“Straight-acting white for same”: In-person and online/app-based discrimination exposure among sexual minority men

This study quantitatively and qualitatively examined the prevalence, frequency, and content of discrimination exposure among gay, bisexual, and other sexually minoritized men (SMM) within sexual minority contexts. Participants were an online, U.S. national sample of 14,133 SMM who reported discrimination exposure within sexual minority contexts targeting: body type, race, sexual behavior, HIV status, gender expression, age, and income/employment. Quantitative analyses included prevalence percentages and frequencies and ANOVAs, t-tests, and correlations to examine the frequency of discrimination exposure type across participant race/ethnicity, sexual identity, gender identity, HIV status, age, and income. Qualitative analyses included conventional content analysis of responses to an open-ended discrimination exposure item. Results showed that discrimination exposure was nearly universal (99%). Discrimination exposure frequency was lowest among White men and, other than for income/employment discrimination exposure, highest among Asian/Pacific Islander men. For several discrimination types, exposure frequency was highest among groups targeted by group-specific negative stereotypes (e.g., Black men were exposed to the most income/employment discrimination). Qualitative analyses highlighted specific exposures to discrimination targeting body type, race/ethnicity, gender identity, attractiveness, education, and intersections between forms of discrimination. Over 69% of write-in responses were relevant to online/app-based discrimination. Findings underscore the importance of examining individual and intersectional discrimination exposure targeting marginalized social positions within sexual minority communities, particularly in online/app contexts.

Health in Canada’s Francophone Minority Context: Twenty Years of Research

Health in Canada’s Francophone Minority Context: Twenty Years of Research

A kárpátaljai felsőoktatási intézmények hallgatóinak nyelvhasználati sajátosságai és nyelvi attitűdjei két felmérés részeredményei alapján

The characteristics of language usage and attitudes of students of higher education institutions in Transcarpathia based on the partial results of two surveys A positive attitude towards the mother tongue and the language variety is essential for confident language use. The way we perceive the language of the community where we live, or of other communities, is largely influenced by our knowledge and experience of the language, by the opinions of others, and of course by stereotypes. Education can do the most to overcome these, to develop an objective, confident linguistic awareness and self-awareness, by conveying a scientifically based approach at all levels. In our study, we analyse the partial results of two empirical researches conducted among the students of the Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College in recent years, which investigate the state language effect in the register of Transcarpathian Hungarian higher education, the interchange of words related to the topic of education and their relationship to the local language variety. The results of our research have shown that, despite the dominance of Hungarian, the language use of students in Transcarpathian Hungarian higher education is characterised by the presence of Ukrainian and Russian language influences, and that most of these are consciously present in their language use. The Ferenc Rákóczi II Transcarpathian Hungarian College considers it important to develop this positive attitude not only in its Hungarian studies, but also in all its training programmes. The presented results show that the group under study has a balancing-functional-segregating attitude towards different languages and language varieties: they are not closed to this variety, they are aware of its functions and importance. They are not excluded from the lower-prestige variety because of previous unpleasant experiences: they express a scientifically well-founded opinion in the survey. Although emotional attachment is also strongly expressed. But we also know that in minority contexts this can play a significant language-preserving role. Keywords: Transcarpathia, college students, loanwords, state language effect, language attitude

Abstract 15849: Studying the Effects of Race, Community Health, and Vascular Inequities on Outcomes for Peripheral Artery Disease: Principal Components Analysis of Community Health Metrics Using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Social Determinants of Health Database

Introduction: Healthcare disparities associated with peripheral artery disease (PAD) are influenced by differences in healthcare quality and social determinants of health (SDOH). Hypothesis: We used principal components analysis (PCA) to summarize key themes of community-level SDOH variables. Methods: This retrospective analysis used data from a single health system quality improvement database of patients diagnosed with PAD between 2016-2019. Subjects were geocoded to census tracts and variables from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and Research SDOH database were obtained to examine small-area variability in social, economic, educational, physical infrastructure, and healthcare contexts. PCA was used to identify major themes in SDOH heterogeneity across communities. Relevant SDOH variables were normalized within a data matrix and those with a loading value >0.2 were retained in a principal component (PC). PCs with an eigenvalue > 1.0 were identified to parsimoniously exemplify key themes. Results: Among 7,187 subjects with PAD, the mean age was 72.2 11.1 years, 45.9% were female, 9.4% self-reported as non-Hispanic Black, and 86.6% as non-Hispanic White. PCA was applied to 29 SDOH variables relevant to vascular health. PCA retained 6 PCs to an SDOH matrix describing 73.8% of variance in census tract level data. The greatest variance in data was attributed to socioeconomic advantage (PC1) and urbanicity/migration context (PC2) with some overlap in Black neighborhood context (PC3), income inequality (PC4), multi-race cohesion (PC5), and underrepresented minority context (PC6). Conclusions: PCA transforms high-dimensional SDOH data into distinct typologies of community health while retaining complex features of the data. Future analysis will weight these results within a hierarchical model that accounts for patient-level characteristics and quality of care to inform a more complete social-ecological model of whole-person vascular care.

Linguistic Landscape of Football. Reterritorialization in a Minority Setting

Abstract Football has been related to various fields of linguistics, and linguistic landscape (LL) research is no exception. The study examines how football fans in a linguistically, culturally, and ethnically diverse region claim the club and the stadium as their own space in the process of reterritorialization (Monaghan 2020), due to numerous linguistic and semiotic resources. The research site is a Hungarian minority context in the public space of a football stadium in Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania. The linguistic landscape of football in Sfântu Gheorghe has never been explored in depth before. The study draws on a corpus based on photographs, videos taken inside and outside of the stadium, and data collected from the social media. The analysis shows that the presence of Hungarian in this particular LL indexes collective identity and describes the positioning strategies of the Hungarian minority speakers. The study also explores the processes of identity negotiation in which they are engaged.

‘Raising their voices’: Explaining the policy practice of minority social workers in multicultural societies

The present article presents empirical evidence regarding factors that explain the involvement of social workers from minority groups in policy practice based on data from an extensive survey of social workers from the Arab minority group in Israel ( n = 218). The findings revealed that the sociopolitical context of an ethnic minority significantly affects their involvement in policy practice. In order to increase the involvement of minority social workers in policy arenas in multicultural societies, professional bodies and social work training frameworks should provide social workers with knowledge resources and professional skills, including tailored organizational support.

Negotiating Monolingual Official Language Policy at the Nexus of Locally Situated Language Practices and Dominant Language Ideologies in a Language Minority Context

This paper examines how children and teachers negotiate the official Turkish only language policy as they manage their linguistic resources (Turkish and Kurmanji) in one Turkish preschool serving predominantly emergent bilingual Kurdish minority children. Using a critical ethnographic lens to language-in-education policy making (Martin-Jones and Da Costa Gabral, in: Tollefson, Pérez-Milans (eds) The Oxford handbook of language policy and planning, Oxford University Press, 2018), the study investigates how children and teachers navigate locally situated language practices and language ideologies that accord legitimacy and authority to standard Turkish and officially invisibilise Kurmanji in the preschool. Findings indicate that acting as agentive social actors teachers and children do not merely comply to the Turkish only language policy but they also adapt, recast, and contest it in social interaction. They stress the need to rethink the language-in-education policy in the Turkish educational system in ways that recognise and leverage teachers and children’s entire linguistic repertoires and experiences for teaching and learning.

Evaluative reactions to minority languages and their varieties: Evidence from new speakers of West Frisian

Abstract Little is known about the connection between individuals’ evaluative reactions to (i) minority languages as such, and (ii) specific varieties of these minority languages. This study investigates such evaluative reactions amongst new speakers of Frisian in the Netherlands (n = 264). A questionnaire was used to elicit participants’ attitudes towards the Frisian language and their evaluations of the specific variety of Frisian they were taught. The results reveal a significant correlation between participants’ status-related attitudes towards Frisian and their anonymity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught—as well as between participants’ solidarity-related attitudes towards Frisian and their authenticity-related evaluations of the variety they were taught. The former are close to neutral; the latter are mildly positive. The article discusses how these results not only advance our general understanding of language in society, but also facilitate the development of more comprehensive science communication to inform revitalisation strategies in minority contexts. (Language attitudes, language ideologies, minority languages, language planning, language revitalisation, language transmission, new speakers)*

E-Mental Health Program to Prevent Psychological Distress Among French-Speaking International Students in a Linguistic-Cultural Minority Context (Ottawa, Alberta, and Quebec): Protocol for the Implementation and Evaluation of Psy-Web.

Based on experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, postsecondary institutions were most affected by the restrictions. Students, especially international students, have borne the brunt associated with in-person learning restrictions imposed by public health recommendations. Canada is among the top 3 countries hosting international students (ISs), including Francophone students in provinces such as Quebec and other anglophone regions. Academic restrictions were accompanied by other measures such as quarantine, self-isolation, social distancing, and travel ban, to cite some. This has had a wide-ranging impact on these ISs. The resulting psychological distress and burden may have a much greater impact on Francophone ISs in anglophone settings, many of whom had ordinarily limited access to active offers of care in French in addition to cultural barriers and low literacy of the health care system. In order to take advantage of the effectiveness of eHealth as a pertinent and promising avenue, our project intends to build a web-based application that is cost-effective, user-friendly, anonymous, and capable to prompt interactive interventions as a first-line resource for psychological distress. In fact, internet applications have been increasingly used for the management of psychological distresses, and internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the preferred methods to prevent or control them. The aims of this study are to (1) design, implement, and maintain Psy-Web for the psychological support of ISs and (2) analyze the results of the implementation of the Psy-Web platform, the additional resources solicited, and the results obtained. This interventional project will use a sequential mixed design in the exploratory phase (phase 1) including the construction of the Psy-Web platform. A quantitative prospective component (phase 2) will include the intervention content of the Psy-Web platform. In total, 105 ISs participants (study group) and 52 ISs (control group), based on a ratio of 1:2, will be considered. The control group participants include those who did not use the web platform. The project is at the data collection stage (phase 1). Psy-Web will be built in accordance with the DMAIC (Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve and Control) model with the perspective of boosting its robustness. As a first-line resource to prevent psychological distress and ultimately improve their academic performance, Psy-Web is an innovative opportunity for high education managers. The project involves a multisectoral and a multidisciplinary partnership. The project will develop a promising web-based solution to prevent psychological distress. Ultimately, Psy-Web will be operable in multiple languages including French. PRR1-10.2196/47059.