Public Opinion Research Articles

Aspects of Tuberculosis in Greece over the Last Century: Historical Perspectives and Today’s Challenges

Tuberculosis has had a long-standing prevalence in Greece over the last century, going hand in hand with the country’s overall socioeconomic situation. The current study explores aspects of tuberculosis in Greece since the interwar period and up to the present. Apparently, ignorance of the nature of the disease coupled with false medical perceptions sealed the fate of patients while unwittingly influencing public opinion and making societies hostile toward patients. Such paradigms are of great and timeless value for the cohesion and functioning of societies, not excluding modern ones. Although the present-day situation in Greece is utterly different from that in the previous century, considering the limited number of cases and minimal impact of the disease, new challenges have emerged, such as the under-reporting of cases, the emergence of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, latent tuberculosis or the management of large refugee flows in the Eastern Mediterranean involving citizens from countries with a high prevalence of the disease. On the other hand, the study of tuberculosis is nowadays more urgent than ever, given the global concerns regarding the future of the disease in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has put enormous pressure on national health systems.

Muslim Turcophobia: A Study of Two Missionary Authors

Among Turks, major religions with universal messages have always been tolerated. The fact that Turks generally did not convert to religions other than Islam led to the interpretation of Islam as “the most suitable religion for the character and national culture of the Turks”; therefore, Turks accepted Islam voluntarily, not by force. Among all these belief systems and religions, Islam was based on the belief in “Gök Tengri”. The proximity of the Turks to the Muslim Regions made it easier for the Turks to become Muslims and they became Muslims in groups. The statement in the Quranic Ayat al-Kursi (Al-Baqarah, 255); “His pulpit has encompassed the heavens and the earth كُرْسِيُّهُ السَّمٰوَاتِ وَالْاَرْضَۚ وَلَََا يَؤُ۫دُهُ حِفْظُهُمَاۚ وَهُوَ الْعَلِيُّ الْعَظ۪يمُ” The similarity in the fact that “Gök Tengri”, which they have believed in since the beginning of their existence, is both in the sky and much closer to them (closer than their jugular veins) has facilitated the change of belief in the Turks. The seven stories of the sky, which their ancestors saw as “Uçmak”, the fact that hell is seven stories below the earth, free thought and tolerance in both religions, and the fact that there is only one God religion. The compatibility of the belief in God with hundreds of years of customs and traditions facilitated the acceptance of the idea that Islam was a suitable religion for them. The enmity against Muslim Turks, which started in the Christian world with the progress of Turkish tribes towards the West after the adoption of Islam, has increased the efforts of fanatical missionary Christian writers to create prejudice with their publications, which are far from historical facts, to demonize Turks in the Western public opinion. The common characteristics of these writers are that they fictionalize alleged inhumane crimes against Christians and present them as if they were true, and that they unconditionally support Greeks and Armenians, whom they see as the real owners of Anatolia. In this way, they accelerated the spread of "Islamophobia" in Western public opinion, and the persecution and massacres of Muslims were ignored. However, neither the Holy Quran, nor the Turks, nor the Prophet Muhammad deserve these accusations and slanders. After Afet Inan shared with Atatürk a history book that disparaged the Turks during her studies at the French Notre Dame de Sion High School in Istanbul, the struggle against the unchanging mentality of the West was turned into a state policy, and the Turkish Historical Society was established after April 15, 1931, to rescue Turkish history from the prejudiced views of Western states through scientific studies. The aim of the study is to investigate the publications of two of the dozens of missionaries (George Horton, Sir Edwin Pears) who saw Muslims as a threat to Christianity in the Turkish nation as an example from the publications of works written by missionary writers and containing insults, slander and attacks against Islam.

The attitude of Ukrainian society toward equal rights and opportunities in the military sphere

Ensuring gender equality in general and in the military sphere during wartime is an important component of democratic development, particularly in Ukrainian society. At the beginning of the article, the international and Ukrainian experience of ensuring equal rights and opportunities in the military sphere was studied; the experience of integrating women into the armed forces of such countries as Norway, Israel, the United States of America, and Canada is systematized. The peculiarities of the involvement of women in the military sphere of Ukrainian society from a historical perspective are clarified.What do Ukrainians think about the involvement of women in the military, especially during the Russian-Ukrainian war and after the full-scale invasion? The empirical part of the work is based on the analysis of quantitative data obtained as a result of three representative surveys from the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology (KIIS) in 2018 and the research agency “Info Sapiens” in 2023 and 2024. Accordingly, the dynamics of Ukrainian society’s attitude to gender equality in the military sphere in 2018, 2023, and 2024, including, depending on socio-demographic indicators, were revealed. Finally, the public opinion of the Ukrainian society about the option of the army, which should be introduced in Ukraine, was studied.The results of a survey of Ukrainian society over the last six years of the Russo-Ukrainian war demonstrate wave-like support for egalitarian ideas regarding the policy of equal rights and opportunities in the military sphere. One year after the full-scale invasion (in 2023), support increased, and two years later (in 2024), it was back to 2018 levels.In general, more than half of surveyed Ukrainians, both men and women, support the statement that women should be given equal opportunities with men to work in the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) and other military formations. The level of support is higher among those with higher education as well as among people in the older age group.It is important to add that, among other things, this is influenced by the historical persistence of the tradition of women’s participation in combat operations, which has been traced since the First World War.Ukrainian society supports the idea of a rather American model of the army – the conscription of both men and women only voluntarily (under contract). On the other hand, support for the Israeli model – the conscription of all men and all women – is very low. The current version of the army – the conscription of all men and only some women – is also not very popular in Ukrainian society.

What Is Democracy?

Abstract Modern democracies, including the United States, rely upon three normative elements: (1) rights expressing the dignity of the citizen; (2) law expressing a commitment to public reason; (3) elections as the method of selecting representatives. In each dimension, citizens are to see a representation of themselves as popular sovereign. Morality and law are not matters to be resolved at the polls. Yet, popular opinion, supported by contemporary social sciences, tends to reduce democracy to the third element. On this view, the higher the voter turnout, the better the democracy. In an age in which we worry as much about majority, as minority, tyranny, this view is not credible. A mob at the polls is still a mob even if it is a majority. An exclusive focus on quantification represents a profound misunderstanding of the meaning of democracy. Democratic politics includes an interpretive practice across the moral and the legal dimensions. It relies as much on persuasion as on proof. Recovery of a vibrant democratic life requires a renewed appreciation of a public humanities, not as a pastime but as way of living.

AUDIÊNCIA DE CUSTÓDIA E RISCOS À SEGURANÇA:ANÁLISE CRÍTICA DO DIREITO PUNITIVO

This article examines custody hearings from the perspective of the right to punish and public security challenges, highlighting their role in protecting detainees' fundamental rights and reducing unnecessary pretrial detention. The analysis reveals the complex relationship between punitive law and prison overcrowding, which undermines the effectiveness of the penal system and creates inhumane incarceration conditions. Additionally, resocialization is discussed as a core goal of the penal system, emphasizing that punishment should go beyond mere imprisonment to promote social reintegration. The study also explores how public perception and media influence trust in custody hearings, impacting public opinion and criminal policies. The conclusion advocates for reforms in punitive law to balance public security with respect for human rights, aiming for a more just and humane justice system.

Unevenly Unequal Responsiveness: Public Opinion and Redistributive Policy Shifts in Western Europe Since 2008

Recent studies puzzle over why it is that democratically elected governments have not responded to rising inequality by engaging in more redistribution. While some scholars argue that low- and middle-income citizens have not responded to rising inequality in the way we would expect, others argue that policymakers are not responsive to the demands of these citizens. We argue that both solutions to the “lack-of-redistribution puzzle” leave something to be desired and that variation across policy domains sheds new light on the issues at stake in this debate. Based on an original 2019 survey replicating questions asked by the European Social Survey in 2008, we show that support for progressive income taxation and more egalitarian unemployment insurance has increased in most West European countries since 2008. Tax policy has moved in the same direction as public opinion, but unemployment policy has not. We conclude that public opinion should be conceived as a constraint on policymakers motivated by political-economy considerations rather than a driver of policy developments.

Strategi Memikat Hati Publik; Membentuk Citra dan Opini Publik di Lembaga Pendidikan Islam

In an increasingly complex digital era, Islamic educational institutions face the challenge of building a positive image and favorable public opinion. This study aims to analyze effective strategies for shaping the image and public opinion of Islamic educational institutions, with the research questions: what is meant by building image and public opinion in the context of Islamic educational institutions, and what strategies can be implemented to foster public trust? The methodology employed is a literature review, including tool preparation and critical analysis of relevant literature. The findings indicate that building a positive image requires high integrity, quality service, trusted leadership, and the application of educational exhibitions as an effective communication medium. Six main strategies that can be implemented include honesty in communication, provision of quality services, strengthening leadership, developing human resources, applying competitive strategies, and utilizing educational exhibitions. Success in building a positive image not only enhances the institution's reputation but also contributes to increased attractiveness and public trust, enabling Islamic educational institutions to establish harmonious relationships with the community and support sustainable institutional growth. This research is expected to provide insights for the managers of Islamic educational institutions in implementing appropriate strategies.

Pragmatic Perception of Sensationalism: A Comparison of British and Malaysian Online Newspapers Headline Constructions

This study examines the pragmatic features of sensationalist headlines in online newspapers, comparing The Times (UK) and The Star (Malaysia) in 2024. Using discourse analysis on 60 headlines, we investigate how sensationalism shapes public opinion in the digital age. The research addresses a gap in cross-cultural analysis of media influence and aims to enhance media literacy. Results indicate that headline writers employ various pragmatic elements, with speech acts being the most prevalent, to convey intended messages and engage readers. Both overt and implicit use of pragmatic features effectively express themes of victory and liberation across both publications. While the study provides insights into pragma-linguistic strategies in sensational headline construction, its limited sample size suggests the need for broader future research. The findings offer valuable insights for media practitioners, researchers, and consumers, highlighting the importance of critical media consumption in an era of increasing sensationalism.

‘Comrade or coloniser’: Competing discourses on Sino-Zimbabwe relations in the local press

Deploying Michel Foucault’s discourse theory, this article qualitativey explores Sino-Zimbabwe engagements in four Zimbabwe newspapers to shed insights into how these relations are interpreted in a context. How the newspapers discursively constructed Sino-Zimbabwe engagements, the rationale for such constructions, as well as the perceptions of journalists on these engagements are questions at the core of this exploration. The article revealed competing discourses between the state-owned and the privately owned newspapers in relation to China–Zimbabwe engagements. Among the journalists, the study found mixed views, ranging from optimism, scepticism, and pragmatism. Given the polarised media discourses on China–Zimbabwe engagements, and the centrality of the press in shaping public opinion, perceptions and attitudes, Zimbabwean government may face an uphill task in trying to convince their citizens that their relationship is mutually beneficial, while China may face a similar predicament in trying to reduce stereotypes in Africa.

Social Representation of Mental Health Disorders in the Italian Big Brother VIP Edition

Despite the revolutionary impact of new media, television remains a socially shared reference point for media functions, e.g., information, entertainment, and hybridized genres. Through its simplified knowledge and scripts, television reduces cognitive asymmetry between experts and the public on general and specific topics, thus having a critical role in constructing social representations. This work examines two (apparently) distant realities, i.e., mental health as a fundamental aspect of public health and popular and “light” entertainment formats like reality shows. In the past, researchers investigated media representation of mental illness in general terms alongside other types of programs, e.g., coming-of-age, dramedy television series, and children’s television programs. This study examines how depression is discursively constructed and socially represented in a case that shook the Italian public opinion, i.e., a Big Brother VIP cast member with depression symptoms. The critical discourse analysis, focusing on positioning and representations about depression, enabled us to emphasize that (1) knowledge about depression is poorly defined and participants’ reactions are mostly immature and clumsy, and (2) mass media can play an essential role in creating more mindful and complete knowledge about mental health.

An empirical analysis of Saudi Arabian women’s intentions to adopt hydrogen fuel cell cars

To successfully execute demand-side tactics for alternative energy, such as hydrogen, it is essential to thoroughly comprehend the preferences and circumstances that stimulate client demand. Thus far, studies have been scarce on female customers’ opinions, intentions, and behaviour towards various products in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). However, no studies have been conducted thus far, specifically on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs). Our study examines the key elements influencing women’s inclination to embrace HFCVs in the KSA. This study utilized an online questionnaire to gather data from 227 prospective female clients, thus conducting empirical research. To ascertain women’s intentions towards hydrogen fuel cell automobiles, we employed a structural equation modelling technique utilizing Smart-PLS 4.1. The findings of our study demonstrate that the perceived advantages, perceived barriers, public opinion, and government initiatives significantly influence the desire of women in Saudi Arabia to use HFCVs. The study suggests that the government should gather all pertinent stakeholders, including vehicle manufacturers, hydrogen producers, research institutes, and organizations, to address the challenges and accelerate the advancement of the hydrogen transportation system.

Topic modelling as a method for framing analysis of news coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022–2023

This study critically analyses the representation of the Russia-Ukraine war in Western (the Euronews) and Eastern (the Kyiv Post) media discourses. It examines how media organisations shape narratives through strategic framing. Employing the Natural Language Processing technique – Topic Modelling – with a generative probabilistic model LDA and a transformer-based language model BERT, the study reveals generic frames elaborated by more specific extensions, shedding light on media portrayal of economy, public opinion, security & defence, external regulations, policy evaluation, and health & safety sectors. Through Named Entity Recognition with roBERTa, Sentiment Analysis with distilBERT, and Corpus Linguistics methods with LancsBox X, interpretation of these overarching frames provides a comprehensive analysis of the nuances in narratives, societal perceptions and policy decisions amidst the ongoing war.

Sentiments Unleashed : Pioneering the Frontier of Sentiment Analysis through Cutting-Edge Applications and Methodologies

Sentiment analysis is a powerful tool within Natural Language Processing (NLP), assists businesses and researchers in discerning the emotions, attitudes, and beliefs conveyed in written language. The increasing availability of textual data, including social media posts, product reviews, and customer feedback, has driven a significant increase in the demand for sentiment analysis. The primary goal is to uncover underlying emotions expressed through diverse word combinations, sentences, or paragraphs. By scrutinizing language nuances, it identifies a wide range of emotions, from joy and sadness to criticism and admiration. This profound understanding, facilitated by sentiment analysis, provides valuable insights into public perception, market trends, and consumer behaviours, empowering businesses to refine strategies, improve products, and enhance customer experiences. As sentiment analysis tools and techniques continue to advance, they present opportunities for progress, assisting businesses in navigating shifts in public opinion and enabling researchers to delve into the intricacies of human expression through text. With the continuous surge in textual data, sentiment analysis retains its significance in guiding stakeholders from diverse industries toward informed decisions and a comprehensive understanding of human sentiment. This research explores advanced approaches in sentiment analysis, including machine learning, lexicon-based methods, hybrid and ontology-based models, and multi-modal techniques, examining various levels, classifications, and methodologies.

Ethical Implications of Social Science Research on Xenotransplantation.

Social science research has generated extensive knowledge on xenotransplantation, encompassing the perspectives of actual and potential patients, other stakeholders, public opinion and debate, human-animal relationships, animal production and husbandry, bioeconomy, as well as biotechnology governance and regulation. We therefore convened social science researchers to discuss the latest developments in xenotransplantation research and practice in late 2023. Based on a brief workshop report, we aim to highlight the various ethical implications of this debate. After outlining the role of social science research in the ethical evaluation of xenotransplantation, we elaborate three critical points that may become pivotal in the future evolution of xenotransplantation: the framing of xenotransplantation in the clinical setting and in the public, the potential impact of religious beliefs on patients' transplant choices, and the consequences for the allotransplantation system if xenotransplantation becomes clinically established, including the allocation of allo- and xeno-organs.

Do voters polarise in response to elite dissensus on immigration?

While much of the existing research on public opinion about immigration focuses on anti-immigrant sentiment, less is known about voter polarisation on this issue and its determinants. This article examines the conditions under which elite polarisation, a factor shown in previous research to shape public opinion on a variety of issues, impacts voter polarisation on immigration. To this end, it employs a two-pronged empirical strategy. First, it exploits variation in individual attitudes and elite stances across countries and over time (2002–2019). Second, it employs individual panel data analyses and an instrumental variable approach, respectively. The results reveal little evidence that voters polarise in response to growing elite dissensus, except after elections with a radical right party breakthrough in the national parliament. Instead, some evidence suggests that elite polarisation may in fact depolarise non-partisan voters in remaining elections. These results have important implications for understanding mass–elite linkages on socio-cultural issues.

An Optimized Public Opinion Communication System in Social Media Networks Based on K-means Cluster analysis

This study proposes a public opinion monitoring model that combines the K-means clustering algorithm with Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) to enhance the accuracy and effectiveness of public opinion monitoring on social media. The model’s performance across various dissemination indicators is studied in detail. Through experiments conducted on social media datasets, the study comprehensively evaluates the model from four dimensions: dissemination speed, scope, depth, and sentiment dissemination effectiveness. The experimental results indicate that the proposed optimization model excels in multiple areas, particularly in dissemination depth and sentiment dissemination effectiveness. Specifically, in the three dimensions of dissemination speed, the proposed model achieves scores of 4.3, 4.2, and 4.4 in initial dissemination speed, decay speed, and peak dissemination speed, respectively. In the dimensions of user coverage, geographic coverage, and platform coverage under dissemination scope, the model scores 4.4, 4.5, and 4.3, demonstrating a broad dissemination capability. Additionally, in the dimensions of hierarchical dissemination depth and key node influence within dissemination depth, the model scores 4.3 and 4.5, indicating excellent performance in multi-level dissemination and key node activation. In sentiment dissemination effectiveness, the model receives scores of 4.4, 4.5, and 4.4 in emotional tendency change, polarity distribution, and diffusion intensity, showcasing its advantages in sentiment classification and dissemination. Sensitivity analysis further validates the model’s sensitivity to parameter settings, with experiments showing that reasonable adjustments to parameters such as the K value, PSO inertia weight, and learning factors can reduce the Sum of Squared Errors to 3209.72. Meanwhile, it can improve clustering purity to 0.822 and raise the Rand index to 0.623. Therefore, this study offers an efficient and reliable solution for public opinion monitoring on social media, providing valuable reference significance.

Publics in local media reporting on harm reduction: Rightfully worried local witnesses or uneducated obstacles to change

BackgroundIn 2018, the planned opening of a second Needle and Syringe Exchange Program (NSP) unit in Stockholm, Sweden, was stopped with reference to protests from the public. Local Stockholm media cited stakeholders who claimed that the initiative was led by politicians with “zero knowledge about what makes citizens upset” and referred to reported public concern over a preschool located near the planned NSP unit. This case highlights the significant role of the public – and the idea of public opinion – in relation to political and medial aspects of alcohol and other drug (AOD) issues. Our aim is to scrutinize how “the public” is produced in local print media reports on harm reduction measures such as the NSP, to illuminate how these representations operate and what reality/ies they co-produce. MethodsWe analyzed 171 articles reporting on harm reduction in local Stockholm print media from 2012 to 2023. The themes identified in the analysis emerged from a combination of data-driven empirical observations and a theory-driven approach grounded in the influential literature on publics and counterpublics by Michael Warner and Nancy Fraser. ResultsThe overarching articulation in the material is that of a singular and homogeneous public. Public opinion regarding local experiences of individual drug use and harm reduction is depicted as being driven by fear and worry over living alongside “messy others”, thereby producing a public of worried local community witnesses. This production of the public takes on two different meanings depending on the narrative of the articles: 1) as righteous and entitled, 2) as ignorant and irrational. As a result, the public comes to operate as either a consulted public deserving consideration in the implementation of harm reduction policies or as an uneducated political obstacle to change. Consequently, the public is assigned both a counterpublic and a dominant public identity. ConclusionsWhen the representation of the worried public is repeatedly echoed by the media, it becomes hard to ignore in policy-making processes. The implications of such media representations are significant, as they risk disguising the complex nature of publics as a diverse group of individuals while reproducing taken-for-granted ideas about local communities opposing harm reduction measures. In addition, the appropriation of a counterpublic identity narrows the discursive space for action. Taken together, the repetition of a singular worried public and the appropriation of the counterpublic position make it nearly impossible to imagine alternative public responses to harm reduction. As a consequence, this can limit well-needed policy responses to AOD issues.

A study on public opinion towards new proposed income tax slab rates with respective Tumkur city

A study on public opinion towards new proposed income tax slab rates with respective Tumkur city

Tönnies on the tension between community and society during the First World War

Ferdinand Tönnies’ main legacy in social theory, the community-society dichotomy developed in his work Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft (Community and Society, GuG) of 1887, showed its potential for grasping but also for creating social reality during the First World War (WWI), a conflagration welcomed by some of the most prominent intellectuals throughout Europe. One the most important terms for mobilising support for the war effort in Germany was Gemeinschaft (community), which Tönnies had opposed to (capitalist, modern, western) Gesellschaft (society). Many German intellectuals came to defend the now notorious “ideas of 1914”, inter alia Volksgemeinschaft (folk community), the toxic potential of which was most clearly revealed later under National Socialism. This served to relativise the ideas of 1789 – liberty, equality, and fraternity. The folk community was evoked together with a national truce between the social classes over the distribution of material and symbolic capital, known as the Burgfrieden, literally, the peace of the citadel, mirroring the Union Sacrée (Sacred Union) called forth by President Raymond Poincaré in France in 1914. Volksgemeinschaft figured in much of the polemics of Germany’s intellectual class throughout the war. Tönnies’ dichotomy and his variations on the theme formed one of the most significant conceptual inventions to be mobilised in wartime public opinion, for instance when Thomas Mann asserted a fundamental difference between western European Zivilisation and German Kultur – a dichotomy already found in Tönnies’ work of 1887 – in Mann’s Betrachtungen eines Unpolitischen (Reflections of a Nonpolitical Man), written between 1915 and 1918. While Tönnies did not claim Germany had a monopoly over culture, he had suggested in 1887 that the United States lacked national character, ushering in the notion that the degree of community depended on nationhood. Defining features of community – the sense of common appurtenance or the devotion of the individual to the Whole – characterised early German as opposed to Durkheimian social theory, which was more concerned with the division of functions and exchanges, as can be seen in the work of leading members of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Soziologie (German Sociological Association, DGS). While Tönnies’ GuG offered incisive concepts for social critique, his positions on WWI, like those of other early 20th century social theorists, raise the question of how such a perspicacious intelligentsia could have been won over by causes now viewed as calamitous, at a time when Europe’s belligerent nations’ intellectual elite were accusing one another of myopia and intellectual dishonesty.

Christian Zionism in the Twenty-First Century: American Evangelical Public Opinion on Israel by Motti Inbari and Kirill Bumin and: Messianic Zionism in the Digital Age: Jews, Noahides, and the Third Temple Imaginary by Rachel Z. Feldman (review)

Christian Zionism in the Twenty-First Century: American Evangelical Public Opinion on Israel by Motti Inbari and Kirill Bumin and: Messianic Zionism in the Digital Age: Jews, Noahides, and the Third Temple Imaginary by Rachel Z. Feldman (review)