Social Nature Research Articles

Biology and Philosophy. IX: Biologizing Nietzsche.

Following one of our research lines, we discuss here the idea of using the last scientific discoveries to explore (and expand) the concept of Übermensch in Nietzsche. This can only be done now because he did not have the necessary elements to do so himself. Some information about evolution, lectotypes, races and ethnicities are presented to be used as the basis of our thesis. Nietzsche’s opinion about human primates is presented: what they are, what they do, and what they need. Friedrich introduces the concept of Übermensch in 'Thus Spoke Zarathustra' and based on this text, we compared this concept with the National Socialist and Marxist ‘new man’. Finally, some possible forms of supermen, slaves, cyborgs, etc. are presented and commented.

제1차 間島共産黨事件 관련 인물들의 활동과 동향

At the time of the First Round of the Gando Communist Party Incident, the majority of the individuals involved were in their 20s to 30s, with a significant number hailing from Hamgyeong Province. They received education on the Korean Peninsula and in Gando, and some had studied abroad in China, Russia, and Japan. Many of these individuals engaged in various social activities while working in the fields of education and media. Some of them also made efforts to stabilize the Korean community following The Gando Massacre.
 Those involved in this incident had been actively engaged in the independence movement since the March 1st Movement. They participated in the March 1st Movement on the Korean Peninsula and in Gando, and subsequently joined various organizations of National Movement and Socialist Movement, leading the independence movement in the early 1920s through activities such as independence movement fund-raising, anti-Japan armed struggle, and socialist movement both within and outside the Korean Peninsula.
 From immediately after the First Round of the Gando Communist Party Incident until liberation, they continued their independence movement in various ways. Some of them died while enduring hardships in prison, and some also persisted in their struggle even while incarcerated.
 Independence activists involved in the incident participated in the formation of Dongmanguyeokguk, a subordinate organization of the Korean Communist, and actively engaged in the organizational activities of the National United Party based on the National Cooperation Front. In other words, Dongmanguyeokguk was not only an integrated organization for various socialist groups but also a group with the character of the National United Party in the Dongman area, involving independence activists engaged in the national movement.

Криминологическая обоснованность внесения изменений в уголовный закон: использование статистики и роль средств массовой информации

Introduction. The foundation of the state’s strategic activity in the fight against crime (criminal policy) is a set of initial data of a criminological and social nature, the objectivity (compliance with the truth) of which is often rightly questioned, and therefore the issues of searching and selecting sources for the formation of criminal policy in order to achieving the requirement of criminological validity. Methods. In work based on the dialectical-materialistic method of scientific knowledge, the legal-dogmatic method, formal-logical and systemic methods are used. Results. Despite the fact that the scale of criminologically significant information is quite large, an obstacle to the formation of a criminologically based criminal policy is the lack of the required volume of objective data on crime. Recognizing that certain indicators themselves must be correctly interpreted (including in their interrelation and interdependence), it can be argued that correct criminological forecasting requires an appropriate methodological basis that clearly indicates how it is necessary to process what is significant for the fight against crime information. Recognizing the problem of crime latency, it is worth emphasizing the need to find tools for objectifying crime data. In particular, it is worth paying attention to the promise of an integrated approach to the analysis of criminal phenomena, including, at a minimum, “cross-reconciliation” of data from various government bodies and non-state structures (subject to confidence in the objectivity of the information they provide). When making changes to the criminal law, the use of official statistics as a basic source of information is recognized as justified. Of particular importance is the issue of searching for alternative sources of information, which are now increasingly referred to as social expectations.

EXPRESS: Conflict Recovery in Socialist Utopia – a Critical Analysis of Vietnam’s Post-war Reconstruction Policies through a Visual Interpretation of 1976-1986 Propaganda Posters

The Vietnam War left a newly re-unified Vietnam with innumerable challenges following the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Through an interpretive analytical approach using propaganda posters as the visual data source, this study examines how the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Vietnamese government disseminated its economic, political, diplomatic, military and social policies to the public in order to rally their support for its ambitious goal of rebuilding the country as an industrialized socialist nation. In doing so, this study shows how a national reconstruction discourse could be modalized in textual, visual, and symbolic spaces to maximize its persuasiveness in conflict recovery efforts. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that while recovery is the utmost goal of governments following the end of conflicts, basing it on a specific ideology without careful examination of contextual factors can be deleterious and even calamitous. Propaganda posters can serve as a powerful communication tool for policy makers but poorly aligned campaigns can be counterproductive.

“Everything Is Old”: National Socialism and the Weathering of the Jews of Łódź

Using the social scientific theory of “weathering”, the case study presented here reveals the broader explanatory power of the theory. Arline Geronimus developed the concept to describe the impact of racist systems on marginalized populations. Based on more than four decades of empirical research, Geronimus posits that the cumulative impact of navigating the structural racism embedded in US institutions results in accelerated declines in health and premature aging. The historical case study of the Łódź ghetto demonstrates that Nazi persecution of the Jews during the Holocaust resulted in a similar process of weathering among Jews. From 1939 to 1945, German authorities systematically dispossessed and uprooted, purposely starved, and exploited for labor the tens of thousands of Jews held captive in the Łódź ghetto. Despite valiant Jewish efforts to ameliorate the hardships of life in the ghetto, the persistent onslaught of racist policies and degradation ultimately resulted in widespread weathering of the population on an individual and communal level. I propose that the concept of “weathering” developed by social scientists has broad interpretative power for understanding the personal and communal impact of white supremacist societies in a historical context. The case of the Łódź ghetto is instructive beyond what it reveals about the particular persecution of the Jews during the Third Reich. The abrupt imposition of a racist system of government, the steady escalation of antisemitic policies from oppression and exploitation to genocide, and the relatively short duration of the ghetto’s existence lays bare the cumulative effects of widespread individual weathering on the vitality of the community itself. In the Łódź ghetto, prolonged exposure to an environment governed by white supremacy also resulted in communal weathering.

The revival of comparative economic systems research

AbstractThis essay offers an overview of the state and perspectives of comparative economics in Europe. The starting point is the publication of the collected works of Mario Nuti, but the overview covers several Handbooks and collections as well as individual contributions. The big picture of the post-transition period highlights the relevance of “old” comparative economics, especially when interpreting illiberal practices in the post-communist Europe and the debate on the nature and limitations of the Chinese market socialism.

Determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania: The case of national social security fund

This study was set to examine the determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania. According to literature millions of the people under the globe depend on the pension funds as their principal sources of income at their retirement age. This study adopted a descriptive design to examine the determinants of financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania. The study uses regression analysis approach to examine the effect of determinants on financial performance of pension funds. Data were collected from National Social Security Fund (NSSF)’s financial statements for the period from 2005 to 2022. Different tests were employed such as normality test, heteroscedasticity test multicolliniality test and autocorrelation test in multiple regression modelling. The findings from this study revealed that investments and contribution density have a positive relationship to return on assets. However, the age of the contributors has depicted a weak and insignificant relationship to the return on assets of the pension fund under investigation. Therefore, it is recommended that the pension funds have to put more efforts on its investments as well as contribution density which are key contributors to the financial performance of pension funds in Tanzania.

Partisanship and Political Socialization in Electoral Autocracies

In electoral autocracies, why do some people actively support political parties while others choose to not get involved in politics? Further, what differentiates those who choose to support the ruling party from those who support the opposition? Existing research has proposed that people support ruling parties primarily to extract economic benefits from the state while people support opposition parties primarily for ideological reasons. However, we lack a unified theory of partisanship, leading to indeterminant predictions about the individual predictors of partisanship. This article instead considers the social nature of partisanship in authoritarian regimes. Qualitative data collected in Cameroon highlight different processes of political socialization in an autocratic context, and data from an original survey show not only that partisan homogeneity in social networks is highly predictive of individual-level partisanship but also, at least to some extent, that partisanship can be contagious through the process of socialization within these networks.

Being and not being in time and place

ABSTRACT Based on an analysis of one family album, this article asks: How do the categories of place and space help to expand our understanding of the Jewish experience under the National Socialist dictatorship, a time when the regime sought to dis-place German Jews? The photographs reveal complicated attempts to insist upon their belonging to the local landscape and society, just as many of the images pointed to the family’s marginalization and absence from the places they visited. I show that experience and deployment of time play a key role in the family’s strategy to make claims to place and belonging.

The Beneficiary's Perception of their Awareness of Delay in Payment in Social Security Benefits in Tanzania

The study investigates beneficiaries' perceptions of their awareness of social security benefit delays, the relationship between employers' responsibility and social security benefit delays, and the effects of persistent NSSF bureaucracy on social security benefit delays in Tanzania. An explanatory study design was employed in this study with the use of a mixed quantitative and qualitative approach. The study included 150 NSSF customers and 5 key informants from employers. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire and interview guide, respectively. This study examined NSSF beneficiaries' perceptions in Tanzania regarding delays in social security benefit payments. It reveals that a substantial proportion of customers attribute delays to employer actions, such as failures in timely contributions and inactivity in following up. The study underscores shared responsibility among customers, employers, and the system. It is concluded that addressing customer views through increased communication, employer engagement, and streamlined processes is critical for improving NSSF system efficiency and customer satisfaction. The study recommended that to improve the efficiency of benefit payments within Tanzania's National Social Security Fund (NSSF), it is advised to increase employer engagement and education, strengthen communication with stakeholders, revise policies to hold employers accountable, streamline bureaucratic processes, modernize operations, and investing in employee training

Risk-based approach in external migration public management

The presence of risks emergence problem of socio-political conflict, threats to the preservation of Russian identity in the process of including foreign cultural groups of international migrants in Russian society is a consequence of public administration insufficient efficiency when implementing state migration and national policy. Applying the structural-functional method, the authors study public administration in the external migration sphere for compliance with its essential characteristics. The predominant focus of state management in the migration sphere on ensuring the human resources component of the Russian labor market, as well as on control over migration flows is combined with the state management model shortcomings in the sphere of migrants’ inclusion in the host community. External migration state management should be aimed at solving the socio-economic development problems in Russia and ensuring national security and at the same time should minimize potential risks of social and cultural nature. The authors propose a risk-oriented approach in the migration processes state management, based on a comprehensive consideration of tensions that arise both in the labor market of foreign workers and the foreigners’ inclusion in the Russian society. In order to implement the proposed method, it is advisable to define a single subject of state management, which will be able to exercise authority considering the migration process integrity.

Build Your Own Robot Friend: An Open-Source Learning Module for Accessible and Engaging AI Education

As artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in our society and global economy, AI education and literacy have become necessary components in college and K-12 education to prepare students for an AI-powered society. However, current AI curricula have not yet been made accessible and engaging enough for students and schools from all socio-economic backgrounds with different educational goals. In this work, we developed an open-source learning module for college and high school students, which allows students to build their own robot companion from the ground up. This open platform can be used to provide hands-on experience and introductory knowledge about various aspects of AI, including robotics, machine learning (ML), software engineering, and mechanical engineering. Because of the social and personal nature of a socially assistive robot companion, this module also puts a special emphasis on human-centered AI, enabling students to develop a better understanding of human-AI interaction and AI ethics through hands-on learning activities. With open-source documentation, assembling manuals and affordable materials, students from different socio-economic backgrounds can personalize their learning experience based on their individual educational goals. To evaluate the student-perceived quality of our module, we conducted a usability testing workshop with 15 college students recruited from a minority-serving institution. Our results indicate that our AI module is effective, easy-to-follow, and engaging, and it increases student interest in studying AI/ML and robotics in the future. We hope that this work will contribute toward accessible and engaging AI education in human-AI interaction for college and high school students.

Social Nature of Scientific Adaptations: Africa Brands Democratic Businesses & Dealings for Popular Professional Faculty

Social Nature of Scientific Adaptations: Africa Brands Democratic Businesses & Dealings for Popular Professional Faculty

US Human Rights Concept

The article examines the main stages in the development of the concept of human rights in the United States of America. The evolution of the traditional concept of human rights is traced, starting with the positions of the «Founding Fathers» of the United States. A classification of decisions of the US Supreme Court made on the basis of the natural law theory of constitutional interpretation is presented. The significant influence of the theory of natural law on the formation of American constitutionalism and, especially, judicial practice is noted. The features of the modernist concept of human rights in the United States, which is based on the idea of protecting private property as the foundation of individual freedom, are analyzed. The conclusion is formulated about the absence in the modern US constitutional doctrine of recognition of the fundamental importance of rights of a social, economic and cultural nature. The features of the official «progressive agenda», mandatory for the whole world, are revealed, which consists of the following provisions: desovereignization, antinatalism, and a negative attitude towards the family, in the traditional sense. The article presents a general description of the American concept of human rights.

ТЕНДЕНЦИИ И ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ РАЗВИТИЯ ОТРАСЛИ РАСТЕНИЕВОДСТВА В ПЕРМСКОМ КРАЕ

The scientific article contains a theoretical review of scientific literature on the problems of development of the crop production industry. Attention is drawn to the state of the market for crop products, the competitiveness of agricultural sectors and the presence of consumer purchasing preferences in relation to organic products. The dynamics of reduction in sown areas have been revealed, and natural and climatic factors affecting the range, yield and production efficiency have been noted. A methodology for a comprehensive analysis of the conditions for conducting economic activity in the agricultural sector of the economy is presented. The activities of agricultural producers aimed at providing priority provision of their own feed to the livestock industry by reducing the marketable portion of crop production were noted. Solutions for efficient feed production are presented through the selection of promising varieties of feed crops, planning the yield and nutritional value of feed. The strategic directions for the development of the crop production industry have been determined. The priority of development of the crop production industry is confirmed by the presence of deposits and producers of mineral fertilizers. Weaknesses include natural, climatic and soil conditions that limit the list, yield and efficiency of crop production. There are quite a lot of threats to reduce crop production, but the main ones are of a social nature: the continuing outflow of young people from rural areas; Due to labor shortages, there is an increase in abandoned agricultural land. Political, managerial, production and economic opportunities for the development of the crop production industry have been identified in terms of ensuring a targeted approach to personnel training, the development of social and production infrastructure that makes it possible to promote the rural lifestyle among the younger generation and ensure the investment attractiveness of the industry. Thus, great potential for priority development of the crop production industry has been identified.

Appraisal of universal health insurance and maternal health services utilization: pre- and post-context of the Jaminan Kesehatan Nasional implementation in Indonesia.

The Indonesian government introduced universal health insurance through the National Social Security System (JKN) in 2014 to enhance overall healthcare. This study compares maternal health care (MHC) service utilization before and after JKN implementation in Indonesia. Using 2012 and 2017 data from Indonesia Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), we conducted a two-period cross-sectional design study following the Anderson model. We assessed how the JKN policy and population characteristics influenced healthcare utilization for women aged 15-49 who had given birth in the last 5 years. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to assess the impact of the JKN policy and related factors. In two waves of Indonesia DHS with 14,782 and 15,021 subjects, this study observed a significant increase in maternal healthcare service utilization post-JKN implementation. Women were more likely to have at least four antenatal care visits (adjusted odds ratio, AOR = 1.17), receive skilled antenatal care (AOR = 1.49), obtain skilled birth assistance (AOR = 1.96), and access facility-based delivery (AOR = 2.45) compared with pre-JKN implementation. This study revealed a significant positive impact of JKN on enhancing MHS utilization. The introduction of universal health insurance coverage likely reduced financial barriers for specific demographics, resulting in increased service utilization. Our study may offer valuable insights for Asian countries with similar demographics and health insurance implementations.

Das unwahrscheinliche Überleben des Bankhauses Gebr. Bethmann, 1919 bis 1948

Abstract The long-term orientation of family businesses is particularly evident in crises. The example of the Gebrüder Bethmann bank in Frankfurt am Main, whose state of crisis began during the First World War and continued almost uninterrupted until the 50s, shows how far business families are prepared to go. The essay traces the developments and shows the measures taken by the bank and the banking family to counter the crises and their consequences. It shows that Baron Moritz von Bethmann made himself an instrument of the National Socialists and implemented their policies in associations, societies and companies – particularly with regard to the ousting of Jews from German economic and social life. However, his political role did not help him to run his business more successfully or to preserve his family property. In order to at least preserve Bankhaus Gebr. Bethmann – already almost 200 years old at the time – for the family, he sacrificed almost all of the real estate and land owned by the von Bethmann family. Despite this high price, the bank remained in the family for only one more generation.

‘Untarnished Regiment’? Divergent Perspectives on the Wehrmacht's 9th Infantry, 1939–1941

We know more about 9th Infantry than about other regiments in the Wehrmacht. Its ‘Prussian’ officer cadre produced two wartime field marshals, 27 generals, and a president of Germany in 1984–94. Several erstwhile officers conspired ahead of the putsch on 20 July 1944. Traditional accounts suggested that the regiment was ‘untarnished’ and not implicated in National Socialist crimes. This paper tests this by drawing on unexplored or little-known German, Polish, Jewish, and ex-Soviet sources. It finds that 9th Infantry did not differ from peers in supporting and joining illegalities in 1939–41. Moreover, in facilitating repression and Jewish ghettos in Poland and in shooting Soviet POWs it exceeded ‘typical’ criminality. Distortions seen in the traditional accounts are deconstructed. Some persist today in Germany's public sphere.

Who Gives? Non-Commercial Distribution Networks in Domestic Food Production in the Inland North of Sweden

This paper examines the social context of “domestic food production” (dfp) in the inland North of Sweden, with a focus on understanding the contributions of non-commercial food distribution to local food security and sustainable rural community-building. We report on the findings of an exploratory pilot study that included an online survey of 305 people who engaged in at least one dfp activity (hunting, fishing, foraging, or farming). The aims were to uncover common social practices of dfp, as well as to identify key values attached to dfp, the extent of commercial and non-commercial distribution of home-produced food, and motivations to give away food. The main findings emphasize the social nature of dfp activities, with the vast majority of respondents undertaking dfp in groups or as part of formal clubs. Key values attached to dfp included social and community-related aspects, while commercial interests were limited. Respondents were more likely to engage in non-commercial distribution networks, usually involving close family and friends. Food givers mostly cited social factors as their main motivations rather than other food-related aspects (such as food security, health benefits, or food waste). Food givers were also likely to receive food from others, emphasizing the relatively narrow and reciprocal character of non-commercial food networks. We conclude that non-commercial dfp networks may be expanded to the broader community by exploiting the social nature of dfp and encouraging generalized reciprocity led by dfp clubs. This could potentially reduce the negative impacts of food deserts whilst also stimulating community interactions, learning and local dfp communities of practice.

Public--Private Cooperation Funding Juxtaposed of University--Community Engagement in Europe: Systematic Review

This article explores the utilization of public–private funding models in European universities and its implications for community empowerment initiatives, particularly University–Community Engagement (UCE) projects. A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using the Scopus database, screening 50 articles relating to public–private funding models in European universities. The study reveals that while public–private funding models have gained traction in the academic sphere, they primarily focus on supporting applied science research projects. In contrast, the funding of projects solely oriented toward community empowerment remains limited, with only one article addressing this potential. The findings highlight the challenges associated with employing public–private funding for UCE projects with a strong emphasis on community empowerment. Public–private funding, typically sourced from industry partners, tends to prioritize product innovations and productivity enhancements, posing a mismatch with the social justice-oriented nature of UCE. This discrepancy underscores a significant research gap in UCE and calls for innovative approaches to develop supportive funding frameworks that can effectively sustain UCE initiatives.
 Keywords: public–private funding, university–community engagement, European University