Progressive Research Articles

Parental Illiteracy on Students' Well-Being: A Case Study of Grade 12 Students in Kabul Public School

This study aims to clarify the complex relationship between parental illiteracy and the wellbeing of 12th grade students in the dynamic city of Kabul, Afghanistan. Education, an indicator of hope, is investigated through the lens of parental literacy, demonstrating its pervasive influence on scholastic achievement, emotional stability, and social progress. The study makes use of empirical data to outline the complex effects of parental illiteracy on students' life fulfillment, academic self-efficacy, and self-esteem. Claiming that children of illiterate parents experience poorer levels of wellbeing is supported by a thorough investigation of the complex issues that arise when illiteracy, cultural dynamics, and socioeconomic circumstances come together. The research sheds light on the challenges that students have in the face of parental illiteracy, but it does more than just name issues; it also makes useful suggestions and advocates for radical change. The results highlight the critical role that literate parents have in influencing a child's educational path, cultivating good attitudes, and offering essential support. Suggestions that are customized to the particular circumstances of Kabul encompass community learning centers, integrated literacy programs, and programs that enhance socio-emotional health. The report advocates for systemic reforms through international cooperation, technological innovation, and legislative reform— a move that goes beyond individual remedies. As the study draws to a close, it calls on decision-makers, educators, and activists to work together to break down the obstacles caused by illiteracy, imagining a future in which education becomes a tool that empowers every kid. The appeal to develop hope, enlighten minds, and clear the path for a better, more just future resounds in Kabul's resilient heart. This call transcends national boundaries and fosters a vision of transformative education and societal upliftment.

The crisis in South America: neoliberalism, neodevelopmentalism and beyond. Insights from Argentina and Brazil

This article reconstructs the contemporary experience of the crisis in South America as part of the continuing crisis of the peripheral neoliberal state, focusing on the cases of Argentina and Brazil. Comprehensively exploring the implications of the demise of ‘neodevelopmentalism’ as a progressive politics and a specific relation of forces in the Southern Cone of Latin America, it tackles the recent backlash and ‘turbo-charged’ neoliberal experiments carried out in both countries, delivering a novel understanding of the situated nature of the ‘age of crisis’ and an insight into the prospects and challenges for a transformative praxis worldwide.

Modern technologies in the development of higher education teachers’ professional competence

   The relevance of the research. The current stage of the historical development of the world community is characterized by the acceleration of scientific, technical and social progress, the large-scale dissemination of new ideas and technologies. Therefore, the reproduction of knowledge carriedout on an innovative basis is relevant and has an increasing impact on the rate of economic growth.   The problem statement. The modern education system is gradually beginning to fully use theresources of the competency-based approach. In vocational education this approach is the conceptual basis for the implementation of an innovation system. The problem of the research is to identify the features of the formation of professional competence of higher education teachers.   The purpose of the article is to substantiate modern technologies for developing the professional competence of vocational education teachers to increase their readiness to train future specialists on innovative principles.   The research methods used are theoretical analysis of scientific literature on the research problem; study of regulatory documents in the field of education; analysis and synthesis; systematization and generalization; survey.   The results and key conclusions. The need for continuous professional development of teachers based on innovative principles and updating of the problem under consideration has been identified. The use of modern pedagogical technologies of distance learning, project-based learning and production technologies for the formation of professional competence of higher education teachers, as well as modern forms of training future qualified specialists, have been justified.

Ideas of education as basic guidelines for ensuring quality of life in modern conditions

   In the modern world, education is of great importance, since it is the main source of social progress. Changing technologies in the socio-economic sphere directly affect the transformation of the education sector throughout the world. The presented article is theoretical in nature and is devotedto the scientific problem of the transformation of education in modern sociocultural conditions.   The purpose of the research is to reveal the directions of transformation of education as basic guidelines for its quality in modern conditions.   The research methods used are analysis, theoretical generalization, forecasting.   The results of the research. The definition of “quality of education” has been revealed and the vectors of its development determined; the reasons that caused a serious transformation of the education sector in the world and in Russia have been argued. The drivers that determined the transformation of the educational institution at the present stage have been systematized.   Key conclusions: the quality of education is understood as a characteristic of the education system, reflecting the degree of compliance of the actual achieved educational results with regulatory requirements, social and personal expectations; the reasons facilitating the transformation of the education sector at present are: growing globalization, general digitalization, robotization, etc.; The leading drivers determining the development of education include: external, industrial and internal ones.

Maintaining influence through economic statecraft: Australia's response to China's presence in the Pacific region

AbstractAustralia has historically been a prominent diplomatic partner for the Pacific Island countries, providing development assistance to support their social and economic progress. China gradually heightened its political and economic influence in the Pacific area by integrating the region into its Belt and Road Initiative. This development has encouraged scholars to examine Australia's diplomatic engagements in the Pacific region in response to China's growing presence. This article approaches this issue by using the concept of economic statecraft as an analytical tool. It argues that Australia's reactions to China's presence through the infusion of strategic motivations into foreign aid and the use of multilateral agreements and initiatives can be seen as positive economic statecraft with two characterizations: emulation of China's successful strategies and differentiation from Chinese approaches through the incorporation of multilateral and ideational methods.

Социально-экономическое благополучие как условие формирования потенциального человеческого капитала

The materials of the article are a continuation of a series of the authors’ research devoted to the study of correlation relationship closeness between the level of socio-economic development of the countries and the development of national human capital. Quantitative relationship between the level of socio-economic well-being of the country and development potential of future human capital is the object of attention in the article. Based on the author's interpretation of the concept of "potential human capital" from the standpoint of correlation and regression analysis, influence of socio-economic well-being parameters on the current opportunities of formation and realization of human capital of future generations is considered. Within the framework of the methodological tools of regression analysis, based on calculations of correlation coefficients, there was an attempt to quantify the degree of influence on the dependent variable (potential human capital) of various parameters of socio-economic well–being of countries – per capita income, non-cost characteristics of social development (competitiveness of national economy, level of social progress, level of prosperity, and level of happiness).

Gender Equality in E-commerce Business

In the ever-evolving landscape of e-business, gender equality stands as a pivotal determinant of sustainable economic growth and social progress. This study delves into the multifaceted realm of gender equality within the sphere of electronic business, exploring its significance, challenges, and potential solutions. As women constitute a significant portion of the global workforce, their equitable participation in e-business not only fosters diversity but also harnesses untapped talent and creativity. The study also covers best practises and ideas that companies and legislators may implement to advance gender equality in e-business. The efficacy of programmes including skill development efforts, mentorship programmes, and encouraging work conditions in empowering women in the digital economy is investigated. Furthermore, policy interventions concerning education, financing accessibility, and legislative changes are examined as crucial elements of an all-encompassing strategy for achieving gender equality in e-business. The paper draws attention to the ongoing obstacles that women in e-business confront, which range from severely embedded cultural prejudices to restricted access to opportunities and resources. The paper illuminates the obstacles impeding women's active participation in e-commerce, entrepreneurship, and leadership positions through a review of relevant research and case studies. It also highlights the financial benefits of promoting gender equality in e-business by examining the favourable relationships between gender diversity and improved organisational performance, creativity, and decision-making processes. The paper concludes by arguing for a paradigm change in the e-business sector, where gender equality is now seen as an economic need rather than just a social objective. In the digital age, organisations may drive innovation, economic success, and social change by using the full potential of their workforce via the demolition of barriers, acceptance of diversity, and cultivation of inclusive cultures.

The Translation Strategies of Chinese-characteristic Vocabulary from the Perspective of Eco-translatology—Taking the 2023 Chinese Government Work Report as an Example

The English translation of the Chinese government Work Report every year is of great international significance and function. It provides other governments and the public with access to key information about China’s policy direction, governance measures, and social progress. It is also an important means for China to showcase its national image, promote economic development and strengthen its global partnerships. This paper attempts to interpret and analyze the English version of the government work report from the perspective of Eco-translatology, and sort out the translation strategies of a large number of words with Chinese characteristics so as to provide new ideas and perspectives for the translation and dissemination of Chinese excellent culture.

Reflections from members of a collaborative social work practitioner–academic research team investigating the career progression experiences of black social workers

This article shares the reflections of members of a collaborative practitioner–academic research team in social work. The team investigated the career progression experiences of black social workers working in statutory social work services in South-East London. Our intention in this article is to share our experience of researching a subject that holds emotional and political resonance. We do so by offering individual perspectives from different team members on how their project involvement affected them both personally and professionally. We also discuss some of the general themes identified in our reflections. These include practitioners growing in research confidence, the need to create a safe emotional space for stories of researcher discomfort and uncertainty to be heard, the effects of undertaking research on professional social work identity, and curiosity about whether our research endeavours can change social work career progression policies and practices for black social work colleagues. We caution that a safe emotional container is required when researching personally and professionally sensitive, subjects such as racism and discrimination in social work. We hope that our article inspires social work practitioners to become involved in research activities.

Study of a New Photocatalytic Film Process Combined with a Constructed Wetland and an Analysis of Reoxygenation Pathways in a Water Body

Pollution in water environments hinders both social progress and economic development. Wastewater treatment and the sustainable use of water resources are important factors in solving this problem. In a previous study, the authors proposed a process that used photocatalytic film as a back-end treatment in a composite iron–carbon constructed wetland (WIC&PF) to restore a mildly eutrophic water body. This method has strong reoxygenation effects, and can efficiently remove pollutants; these are qualities that have not been mentioned in previous studies regarding constructed wetlands. In this study, the authors further investigated the effectiveness of this process by using a photocatalytic film as a front-end treatment for a composite iron–carbon constructed wetland (PF&WIC) to restore a mildly eutrophic water body. The results showed NH4+-N, TN, TP, COD, and chlorophyll a removal rates using PF&WIC of 79.1 ± 6.6%, 76.8 ± 6.5%, 77.0 ± 5.4%, 77.3 ± 7.2%, and 91.7 ± 5.6%, respectively. The DO concentration of the water body increased compared with that of the effluent. The bacterial species and their abundance in the lake water also changed significantly, and photosynthetic autotrophic bacteria (Cyanobium PCC-6307) became the most dominant bacteria, and this played an important role in reoxygenating the water body. In comparing these results to those of our previous study, the removal of pollutants with PF&WIC was close to that with WIC&PF, but the reoxygenation effect of PF&WIC on the water body was significantly worse than that of WIC&PF; thus, WIC&PF is the more reasonable choice for treating eutrophic water bodies.

“Planning for anything, not for everything:” Uncertainty and temporal coordination in social movement organizing

A month before the 2020 US presidential election, then President Trump amplified a false claim about poll watchers monitoring early voting in Philadelphia, stating “They were thrown out. They weren’t allowed to watch. You know why? Because bad things happen in Philadelphia, bad things.” The months preceding the November 3rd election featured many similar discursive attacks on the integrity of Philadelphia's election systems, part of a larger right-wing campaign to delegitimate election outcomes in advance. Fearing what this might portend for election day, dozens of local progressive movement organizations and activist groups formed the “Philadelphia Action Council” (PAC), a coordinative space for organizing and planning a mobilized response to a contested election. Strategic collective action involves the coordination of complex temporal orientations, at multiple scales, however, PAC activists couldn’t be sure when, where, or for how long they may need to mobilize, nor what sorts of targets or messages or tactics the action should be orientated around. In fact, they couldn’t be sure if they would need to mobilize at all. In this paper, I analyze the temporal structure of the PAC's “action council” model, arguing that the contingent, eventful temporality embedded in the structure of the PAC engendered similarly contingent modifications in the temporal orientations of its participants, allowing PAC activists to embrace uncertainty in ways that they typically strive to avoid. I then demonstrate how the embrace of uncertainty (somewhat paradoxically) expanded the PAC's collective capacity for improvisation and adaptation in the days following the election. This research draws on (and contributes to) critical time studies to further the emergent project of temporalities research in the field of social movements studies.

Innovation of Enterprise Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

As a product of social development and technological innovation, Artificial Intelligence has become the driving force of technological innovation and industrial transformation. It profoundly impacts the world economy, social progress as well as people’s lives. Artificial Intelligence’s commercial applications innovate enterprises’ internal operations and production processes, bringing both challenges and opportunities for management. This article analyses innovation in modern enterprise management with specific applications of AI to management theories. Some suggestions are also made for enhancing the application level of Artificial Intelligence in enterprise management.

Mitophagy Upregulation Occurs Early in the Neurodegenerative Process Mediated by α-Synuclein.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurogenerative movement disorder characterized by dopaminergic cell death within the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNpc) due to the aggregation-prone protein α-synuclein. Accumulation of α-synuclein is implicated in mitochondrial dysfunction and disruption of the autophagic turnover of mitochondria, or mitophagy, which is an essential quality control mechanism proposed to preserve mitochondrial fidelity in response to aging and stress. Yet, the precise relationship between α-synuclein accumulation, mitochondrial autophagy, and dopaminergic cell loss remains unresolved. Here, we determine the kinetics of α-synuclein overexpression and mitophagy using the pH-sensitive fluorescent mito-QC reporter. We find that overexpression of mutant A53T α-synuclein in either human SH-SY5Y cells or rat primary cortical neurons induces mitophagy. Moreover, the accumulation of mutant A53T α-synuclein in the SNpc of rats results in mitophagy dysregulation that precedes the onset of dopaminergic neurodegeneration. This study reveals a role for mutant A53T α-synuclein in inducing mitochondrial dysfunction, which may be an early event contributing to neurodegeneration.

FORMATION OF A MODEL OF INFORMATION LITERACY IN THE DIGITAL ECONOMY OF THE XXI CENTURY (ON THE EXAMPLE OF EU COUNTRIES)

The relevance of the study of information literacy in the 21st century is paramount in the context of education and social development, particularly in light of the prevailing trend of digitalisation. Information literacy has emerged as a crucial skill set for effectively navigating the modern information society, characterised by the exponential growth and accessibility of information. The ability to engage with information critically and proficiently has become indispensable for personal and professional advancement in today's world. The subject of the article revolves around the significance of information literacy in the 21st century, particularly in the context of education and social development amidst the digitalisation trend. Methodology. Using a variety of methods and approaches, including cross-cultural, systemic, structural-functional, institutional, anthropological and axiological approaches, as well as general scientific methods, the authors aim to identify the strengths and weaknesses of people in information literacy and develop strategies to improve their competence in this area. The study employs a comprehensive approach to investigate both the theoretical and practical aspects of information literacy formation in the modern era. The overarching approach involves integrating information literacy into the educational curriculum, providing support to educators and fostering an environment conducive to the cultivation of these skills among students and the broader populace. This holistic approach recognises the importance of information literacy as a cornerstone of modern education and social progress, ensuring that individuals are equipped to thrive in an increasingly digitised world. In this study, the primary objective is to explore both the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of information literacy in the contemporary era. Information literacy encompasses not only the capacity to effectively interact with information but also the ability to evaluate it critically and leverage it to accomplish specific objectives. The theoretical and practical significance of this study lies in fostering digital competence, which entails not only understanding the digital landscape but also actively utilising technology and problem-solving skills. In conclusion, the study emphasises the paramount importance of information literacy in the contemporary era characterised by rapid digitalisation. As society grapples with the challenges and opportunities presented by the influx of information, the ability to navigate, evaluate, and utilise information effectively emerges as a linchpin for personal and societal advancement.

THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL BASES OF FORMATION OF THE CONCEPT OF ENSURING SOCIO-ECONOMIC SECURITY OF ENTERPRISES IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALISATION OF BUSINESS PROCESSES

It is established that the system of free enterprise in the form in which it is implemented does not ensure progressive changes and they do not occur. The authors believe that in order to ensure a high level of socio-economic security of Ukrainians, it is advisable to use methods, levers, information and legal support for socio-economic security based on the digitalisation of business processes at enterprises, organisations and institutions. The article substantiates the expediency of forming a structure and mechanism for ensuring socio-economic security, taking into account the determination of the values of the State, phenomena of public life and public consciousness, in order to solve the problems of ensuring the effective operation of enterprise through the use of digital innovative technologies. It proposes a structure of socio-economic security of enterprises in the context of digitalisation of business processes. In order to ensure the conditions for social protection of employees of enterprise, a mechanism for such protection is proposed, taking into account the economic component, which will largely depend on the introduction of digital technologies into the business processes of enterprise. The paper suggests the concept of digitalisation of business processes of enterprise with a view to forming and ensuring socio-economic security of enterprises in the context of digitalisation of business processes. It is proved that the digital society is a necessary progressive movement, which involves the intensive and productive use of digital technologies in all spheres of human life, the life of economic entities, regions and the State. The publication analyses the global volume of trade through e-commerce retail in 2016-2021 as a sign of the external environment of socio-economic security of enterprise. The emphasis is placed on the digital society as an external environment of socio-economic security of enterprise. It is determined that digital technologies have a significant impact on the socio-economic security of enterprises, as they allow increasing the profitability of production, reducing human labour costs, ensuring rhythmic operation at all stages of business processes, making it possible to implement the tasks set and achieve common economic, social and civic goals. It is determined that the digital economy covers not only the information and communication sector, but also all business sectors in all areas of economic activity, including the public and private sectors, non-financial and tertiary sectors, financial sector, extractive industry, manufacturing and services, agriculture and construction. The study analyses the system characteristics of functioning of the mechanisms for ensuring socio-economic security, taking into account the relationship between internal relations and the external environment. The article examines the assessment of digital quality of life according to the Digital Quality of Life Index 2023, and identifies factors and trends that affect such indicators. The factors influencing the socio-economic security of the 10 largest IT companies in Ukraine by the number of specialists as of July 2023 are identified. The prospects for the impact of digitalisation of business processes of enterprises on the socio-economic security of Ukraine are determined.

The Correction Strategy of Artificial Intelligence Embedding into the Negative Social Mentality of the Marginal Group of College Students in the New Era

Artificial intelligence is a rapidly developing technology that is gradually changing the pace of modern people's lives and ways of working. As AI enters the field of higher education, it is generating increasingly significant functions and effects. Artificial intelligence is having a certain impact on the growth of college students, and as a marginalized group of college students in the new era, it also presents unique social attitudes and patterns. Strengthening the correction of negative social attitudes towards marginalized groups of college students is of great practical significance for promoting social progress and development. This article takes the marginalized group of college students in a certain university in China as the research basis and concludes that: 1.there are significant differences in the scores of social emotions among marginalized groups of college students of different genders; 2.There are significant differences in the scores of social needs, social cognition, and social emotions among marginalized groups of college students from different disciplines; 3.There are significant differences in the scores of social needs, social cognition, social emotions, social values, and social behavioral tendencies among marginalized groups of college students of different grades. Research has found that artificial intelligence can have a positive impact on academic achievement, career planning, social responsibility, and creativity of marginalized groups of college students. It is suggested that universities should take artificial intelligence as their starting point and think from four dimensions: family factors, school factors, social factors, and personal factors, striving to guide marginalized groups of college students to establish a healthy and positive social mentality

Innovation, researcher and creativity: A complex indicator for territorial evaluation capacity

Innovation, research, and creativity are crucial elements to guarantee countries' competitiveness and promote sustainable economic and social progress. The evolution of these elements influences and guides the strategic choices of policymakers to develop potential improvements. Measures of economic and social well-being are widely studied in the literature as essential tools for understanding and promoting more equitable, sustainable and inclusive social and economic progress; they provide a more complete and holistic view of people's well-being, enabling more informed policies and decisions that meet a country's needs.Investments in scientific research and innovation, the human capital available for knowledge economy processes and the diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies are fundamental elements of social well-being and economic development. The literature highlights the need for indicators that analyze the efficiency levels of innovation, research and creativity activities to guide policies that promote better resource use. In light of this, the study aims to formulate a composite index that summarizes the "Innovation, research and creativity" dimension of the Equitable and Sustainable Wellbeing (BES) Report. The analysis focuses on Italy and provides a detailed measure of the situation in research, creativity, and innovation, which are indirect determinants of well-being but fundamental to social and economic progress. The authors propose an index for classifying Italian Regions by utilizing indicators from the BES and the Agenda 2030 and employing hierarchical clustering analysis associated with an algorithm based on the P2 distance method.From a broader perspective, the work provides a robust tool that combines various measures into a single value. This offers a more comprehensive view of a complex situation and allows for the identification of general trends or changes over time. Furthermore, this enables a more targeted assessment of goal achievement than analysing isolated individual variables.The results show the goodness and robustness of the proposed index. Therefore, the proposed index is a valuable tool capable of providing a comprehensive view of the situation, identifying trends, regional or national patterns, and information essential for governments to formulate strategies.

Promoting entrepreneurship for sustainable development: Are education capital and ICT diffusion important?

AbstractThis article makes a valuable contribution to the existing literature on sustainable entrepreneurship by investigating the impact of entrepreneurship (both opportunity‐driven and necessity‐driven) on the achievement of sustainable development (SD) across its three dimensions. Additionally, it explores the underlying mechanisms through which this relationship is influenced. Specifically, the study examines the role of education capital (including education levels and government spending on education) and information and communication technology (ICT) diffusion (access, usage, and skills) in facilitating this relationship. The analysis focuses on data from Saudi Arabia and utilizes the Dynamic Ordinary Least Squares (DOLS) estimator. The findings indicate that only opportunity entrepreneurship exhibits a positive influence on SD. Furthermore, the study reveals that the positive impact of opportunity entrepreneurship is amplified through its interaction with government spending on education and tertiary education, leading to favorable indirect net effects on SD at both aggregated and disaggregated levels. Similarly, the interaction between opportunity entrepreneurship and ICT usage, as well as access, generates positive indirect net effects on SD across aggregated and disaggregated levels. Therefore, education capital and ICT diffusion are indeed key mechanisms that foster opportunity‐driven entrepreneurship for achieving SD. Education equips individuals with the necessary skills and mindset, whereas ICTs provide access to information, markets, and tools for business efficiency and innovation. By investing in education and promoting the widespread adoption and accessibility of ICTs, governments can empower individuals to become successful entrepreneurs while driving sustainable economic, environmental, and social progress.

A novel multi-criteria approach for evaluating social discrimination in OECD countries

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) was established to unite countries from different geographical regions to achieve prosperity and economic progress. Different geographical regions have different cultures. The sociological perspective on gender varies in these cultures. As a result, gaps occur in terms of gender discrimination and its dimensions between countries. While social progress is a prerequisite for economic progress, society must be in harmony for social progress. The Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) was developed to measure progress in different countries. This study proposes a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) model over the SIGI index to measure gender discrimination levels in OECD countries. However, since the differences in gender discrimination resulting from the multicultural structure of OECD lead to significant variability in terms of countries, countries are first clustered. Then, SIGI criteria significance levels are evaluated with a novel Importance of Criteria’s Indifference to Normalization (ICIN) method based on the differences between the two normalization approaches. Subsequently, a novel Modified Extended Alternative Ranking Order Method Accounting for Two-Step Normalization (ME-AROMAN) approach is employed to rank the member countries. While discrimination in the family is the most prominent factor for countries better at social equality and access to productive and financial assets is the major factor that separates the countries worse at social equality, the sensitivity and comparative analysis demonstrate the applicability and validity of ICIN and ME-AROMAN in MCDM literature.

Enlightenment and Exchange

This essay explores a link made in the late eighteenth century between social critique and economic progress. At the intersection of enlightenment and capitalist exchange a series of assumptions about social development and social tutelage are made. While national development driven by exchange was understood to homogenize people, and peoples, over time, I argue that this homogenizing effect depended on a constant application of economic tutelage. According to Adam Smith the propensity to exchange is a universal human attribute driving economic progress, but in practice the adoption of technical change could not be guaranteed by the propensity to exchange alone. As both Jane Austen and Maria Edgeworth recognized, the implication was clear: without critique of old technical forms, no general increase in wealth. A tutor specifying the appropriate stance toward technical progress was forever needed. The form of enlightenment that was good for individuals, to think for yourself, was thus not extended to social groups in the economic realm.