Social Science Review Research Articles

THE ROLE OF SUCCESSFUL PUBLIC RELATIONS IN CRISIS SITUATIONS

This article analyzes the theoretical foundations of the emerging concepts of anti-crisis PR, in particular, the tasks and functions of crisis management services are considered. A comparative analysis was made using the example of large global companies. The integration of new communication PR technologies during a turning point has been studied. The role of the media in maintaining a positive image of organizations is specifically noted. A definition is given to the concept of “crisis” and crisis communications. In addition, theories of crisis communications (reputation restoration, situational crisis) are considered. Using the example of foreign and national companies, anti-crisis measures are analyzed. McDonald’s Sets Out to Conquer the World by Changing its Image. 2003. A business journal from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Knowledge at Wharton. Electronic resource: https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/mcdonalds-sets-out-to-conquer-the-world-by-changing-its-image/ Date of the application: 21.06.2024. Muratova, N. 2022. Mass Media in State Strategic Programs of Information Society Development in Different Countries. International Journal of Social Science Research and Review. 5:4. 56-61. Post on Facebook, 2018. Electronic resource: https://www.facebook.com/oqtepalavash.official/photos/a.1419760331386261/2725700707458877/?type=3&theater / Date of the application: 19/06/2024. Меньшиков, А. 2013. Паблик рилейшнз в кризисных ситуациях. Комсомольск-на-Амуре. ФГБОУ ВПО «КнАГТУ. 75

Sustainability of the use of critical raw materials in electric vehicle batteries: A transdisciplinary review

The expected growth of electric mobility will have major sustainability implications in societies across the globe due to a global reliance on primary natural resources and the uneven distribution of benefits and impacts. There has been a call for comprehensive assessments that account for the complex causalities between technological, environmental, social, economic, and political aspects of electric mobility. We present a literature review examining the interconnections between aspects of sustainability in the use of critical materials in electric vehicle batteries. With a holistic review of social sciences, materials science, environmental policy, and innovation management literatures, five domains of sustainability tensions were identified: 1) resource sufficiency, 2) geographical distribution and global value chains, 3) regulation and policies, 4) circular economy, and 5) emerging battery technologies. The framework explicates the wickedness and complex causalities involved in the interdependencies of multiple sustainability dimensions and the related tensions. This study extends the examination to cover political aspects and adds to techno-industrial research on battery materials, supply chains and industrial policies and land use, electricity consumption and governance in EV battery production. This study proposes pathways forward that consider various sustainability interdependencies.

Institutional change for the development of urban sanitation in the Global South: A social science review

This paper analyses knowledge in social sciences about the conditions for and the process of institutional change in the urban sanitation sector in the Global South. We conducted a literature review of 148 papers. This review is organised around the six steps of institutional change proposed by Greenwood et al. (2002). Most studies focus on conditions and barriers to change, on the “legitimacy” of social or technological innovations, and the actors promoting change. The change process is rarely analysed from a long-term perspective, nor at the city scale, calling for further research.

Resilience Building after Violent Attack on Buddhist Community: The Case of Ramu in Cox’s Bazar District of Bangladesh

This study delves into the analysis of communal violence in Bangladesh, focusing on the 2012 violent attack on the Buddhist community in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar. It examines the extent to which the attack affected the social cohesion of the local Muslim and Buddhist communities and evaluates the efficacy of post-violence responses for strengthening social cohesion and building resilience. We applied a mixed-method approach by using descriptive statistics from a survey of 300 local people and qualitative data from Focus Group Discussions and Key Informant Interviews. Based on an analytical framework of communal violence and resilience-building, this paper argues that communal violence is an ideologically motivated phenomenon that endangers inter-community relations, which cannot be fully recouped as various inadequacies undermine post-violence initiatives. The violent attack on the Buddhist community in Ramu was, in this vein, instigated by rumour and misinformation, igniting communal sentiment using a questionable Facebook post/tagging, intentionally used to mobilise locals and outsiders. Besides immediate consequences such as the destruction of property and the desecration of ancient religious places, it damaged inter-community relations by creating trauma, mistrust, and fear, which ruptured social interaction. The authorities could not prevent the attack due to their inability to understand the gravity of the issue. The immediate recovery support was quick and sufficient. However, it remained limited to reinstating the structures destroyed by the attack. Steps undertaken by different authorities for resilience-building were restricted. Therefore, grassroots people remain unattached in social cohesion building and coexist in subtle discomfort, if not anxiety. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(2), December 2023 Page: 143-170

Fall of Newspapers’ Sports Coverage during Corona Pandemic in Bangladesh: An Empirical Study

In this study, we have tried to analyse how the newspapers dealt with the pandemic situation. Due to COVID-19, sports events (both international and national levels) were stopped for a long time. In those days, it was a challenge for the daily newspapers to continue sports pages with regular trends. The policies and new trends that have been taken by the national dailies to cope with this situation have been analysed here. To conduct the research, we used the content analysis method. In this research, we have observed a significant decline in the number of news items and news areas on the sports pages. Cricket and football were the main sources of news, and most of the news items were male-centred. During the pandemic, using colours in headlines decreased. The Prothom Alo experienced a scarcity of advertisements though The Daily Observer did not experience it. The trend of using photos (with news) increased a little during the pandemic. Overall, many challenges were faced during this period by the newspaper industry, especially by the sports desk. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(2), December 2023 Page: 23-38

Bengali Nationalism and Identity Construction in Fagun Haway (In Spring Breeze, 2019)

The years 1948-1952 were pivotal for the history of Bangladesh. The question of what would be the state language was raised by the people of this country. Muslim leaders in Pakistan, at the time, believed that Urdu should be the state language because it had become recognized as the cultural symbol of sub-continental Muslims. However, most of Pakistan’s population, the Bengalis of eastern Pakistan, to whom Urdu was a foreign language, considered it a ploy by the West Pakistanis to colonize East Pakistan. Protests erupted across East Pakistan after the then Prime Minister of Pakistan replaced Bangla as the state language with Urdu. On February 21, 1952, a student protest resulted in the deaths of some students by police. The language movement drew Bengalis’ attention to their collective aspirations to create a new nation and nationalist identity, leading them to fight for an imagined sovereign state, Bangladesh. Against the backdrop of our language movement, Fagun Haway (In Spring Breeze, 2019), a film by Tauquir Ahmed, captures the anecdotes of Pakistani repression towards Bengalis by portraying the nationalist consciousness and identity approaches of this nation. Employing the concept of nationalism and the historical development of our identity approaches, this paper shows that Ahmed displays the coexistence of Bengali and Muslim identity approaches as well as the contentious relationship between these two approaches inside our nationalism at that time. Besides, Bengaliness is viewed as the dominating approach when the debate over the state language turns into a divisive political one and a fight for our very existence. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(2), December 2023 Page: 39-58

Was there a way out?: Nexus among domestic violence, stressors, and resources During COVID-19 among the urban middle-class families in Bangladesh

This article examines how different stressors created and aggravated by COVID-19 put urban middle-class families in a situation that leads to domestic violence, particularly in the unavailability of resources to deal with the stressors. A mixedmethod approach with an online questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews, and key informant interviews has been applied for a detailed understanding of the experiences of pandemic-induced stressors and the risk of domestic violence. Based on the Exosystem Factor Theory, the findings resonate that the pandemic created several stressors in urban middle-class families, including fear and anxiety, financial insecurity, gender role stress, disturbed interpersonal relationships, and disrupted support systems. This study further demonstrates that these stressors lead to domestic violence, where external and internal resources, such as alternative financial support, personal traits, women’s agency, rehabilitation support, and government and community support, do not appear to mediate the stressors.
 Social Science Review, Vol. 40(2), December 2023 Page 1-22

Comparing Speech Production Errors of 3 to 5 Year Old Bengali Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate in Two Contexts: Word Naming And Sentence Repetition

Research suggests various standardized assessment tools to collect and analyze the speech of the individual with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP). Despite the importance of developing an assessment framework for the growing CLP population, documentation on Bengali cleft speech is limited. This study aims to investigate the phonetic differences that happen in the speech sound production of 3 to 5-year-old Bengali-speaking CLP children in two different contexts: single word and sentence repetition. It also aims to evaluate the effects of these two speech assessment tools in those children’s phonological evaluation to identify the proper evaluation for CLP individuals. In total, 12 Bengali-speaking CLP children from 3 to 5 years old participated in each test. Thus, data has been collected from a sample of 24 with 79-word stimuli. Two types of speech materials were used: single-word naming and sentence repetition tasks. The samples were analyzed using narrow phonetic transcription for targeted speech items. The percentage of consonants correct (PCC), percentage of correct places (PCP), percentage of correct manners (PCM), as well as phonological simplification processes (PSP) were assessed from the samples. Results showed a range of word structures and place-manner features produced by CLP children in both tasks. Also, the PCC, PCP, PCM, and PSP results were considerably less accurate in the sentence repetition task, suggesting that the task may provide a more accurate assessment of the CLP population. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(2), December 2023 Page: 205-224

Exploring Disparities in Emotional Intelligence among Hearing Impaired Students from Segregated and Inclusive Education Systems

Background: Hearing impairment presents unique challenges in the educational and social development of children. Emotional Intelligence (EI) is a key factor in their ability to navigate these challenges effectively. Disparities in EI among hearing-impaired students may vary significantly depending on whether they are educated in segregated or inclusive systems. Objective: The study aimed to compare the levels of EI in hearing-impaired students attending segregated and inclusive educational institutions in Punjab, Pakistan, to determine how different educational settings influence their emotional competencies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 742 hearing-impaired students from various secondary and higher secondary schools and universities. The research employed a non-probability purposive sampling technique. Ethical approval was obtained from the Social Sciences Review Committee of the University of Management and Technology (UMT), and all procedures were in line with the Declaration of Helsinki. EI was measured using a standardized scale encompassing dimensions such as Self-Regard, Assertiveness, Empathy, and Stress Tolerance. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used for data analysis. Results: Students in segregated settings scored higher in most EI components, with Interpersonal Skill (Mean=3.10, SD=0.63), Self-Regard (Mean=2.69, SD=0.63), and Assertiveness (Mean=2.75, SD=0.60) showing significant differences with p-values of less than .001. Empathy was higher in inclusive settings (Mean=3.16, SD=0.49; p=0.039). Overall EI was higher in segregated settings (Mean=2.81, SD=0.47; p<.001). Conclusion: The educational setting is a significant determinant of EI levels in hearing-impaired students, with segregated education systems showing more favorable outcomes in EI development, except for Empathy. This insight is crucial for devising educational strategies and healthcare interventions that support the emotional and social well-being of hearing-impaired students.

Education and Social Sciences Review

Education and Social Sciences Review

The Rohingya Influx into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar: Mapping Internal Security Threats

Following the recent 2017 Rohingya influx, Bangladesh now hosts nearly one million Rohingyas. Being persecuted by the Myanmar state machinery and some local vigilantes, they fled for safe refuge in Bangladesh’s Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh sheltered them in 34 overcrowded camps located in the Teknaf and Ukhiya sub-districts of Cox’s Bazar. At present, Rohingyas are counted more than double compared to the local host population in these two areas. This study makes efforts to explicate why and how these stranded Rohingyas can be a security threat to Bangladesh. Theoretically, the study relies on security discourse; ecological and resource scarcity model; and relative deprivation theory. Under the qualitative research approach, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews mainly with key informants and subject experts to gather field data. The study brings out that this overpopulation has perplexed the security milieu of the country and forecasts multifaceted internal security threats. Thus, the study offers salient policy recommendations to ameliorate the crisis response by neutralizing the identified and forecasted conflictual issues. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 89-107

The Tyranny of Modern Mothers: Understanding the Lived Realities of Motherhood among Middle-class Professional Women in Dhaka

Motherhood, which generally relates to a combination of joy, pleasure, and fulfilment, frequently defines the social status of women within their families and communities. Although as a social institution, motherhood provides women with expanded authority and responsibilities, these are frequently defined by gendered social norms and behaviours. As a result, there is a significant disparity between the myths and celebratory appeal of motherhood and the everyday realities that mothers encounter. Particularly, among Dhaka’s middle-class, where professional mothers are expected to strike a balance between their personal and professional roles, the challenges and constraints of motherhood double. In Bangladesh, the societal pressure on women to become mothers and fulfil their obligations results in a gendered division of labour and multifaceted problems that hardly received adequate attention in existing feminist literature. This empirical study explored the meanings and manifestations of motherhood, as well as the tension, role conflict, and dilemma that middle-class mothers in Dhaka encounter in everyday personal and professional lives. Guided by the principles of feminist research methodology, this qualitative study employed twenty-five Life History Interviews (LHI) and two Focus Group Discussions (FGD) with professional mothers in Dhaka. The results of this ethnographic study indicate that professional mothers in Dhaka experience challenges with household chores, caregiving roles, and professional responsibilities, which add a triple burden to their everyday lives. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 57-72

Spatio-temporal Analysis of the Changes in Rooftop Gardening in Dhaka Metropolitan Area

Urban Rooftop gardening (RTG) as a possible solution to food insecurity gets popularised due to the reduction of urban agricultural land and regarded as an effective climate change impact mitigation strategy. This paper identified the spatio-temporal changes of RTG practices in Dhaka Metropolitan Area (DMA) between 2016 and 2021. This evidence-based study was conducted based on manually extracted build-up (building rooftop) areas of DMA for 2021 and RTG areas of DMA for 2016 and 2021 through digitization from Google earth images using Google Earth Pro software. It is identified that the different zones of DMA experience changes in RTG differently based on their zonal development stages. The DMA received moderate increase (i.e. 15 percent) in RTG between 2016 and 2021 where the western part has greater RTG area than the eastern part. The study also reveals that planned residential areas have higher RTG areas than any other landuse whereas most Government/ Non-Government buildings have less RTG throughout the 20 zones of DMA and the Dhaka Cantonment area. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 129-150

The Significance of Right Speech in Theravada Buddhism and its Importance in the Present Day Context

The highest importance is given to right speech in Buddhism. It plays a vital role in the present day context. There are enormous examples of speech to inflame violence and make separation among the people and even the world communities. It is hard to find out the path of peace and harmony among the society. Right speech can contribute significantly to building a harmonious and sustainable society to achieve SDG’s. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 151-163

Interfaith Dialogue to Counter Radicalization in Bangladesh: An Approach to Move from Extremism to Pluralism

The fundamental objective of this research paper is to examine how interfaith dialogue can be an effective mechanism to combat the forces of radicalization and extremism in Bangladesh. To unveil the answer to this question, this study has explored the nature of the politicization of Islam and the scope of Islamic fundamentalism in Bangladesh. Reviewing the existing pieces of literature, this research paper has identified that there has been a rise in Islamic extremism since the beginning of the 21st century, which evolved throughout the last two decades changing in its nature and intensity. It has illustrated that after the military coup of 1975, the military rulers and the following democratic governments of Bangladesh carried on the tendency of politicizing religion and have used state mechanisms to Islamize Bangladeshi society. However, to address this recent trend of rising militancy, interfaith dialogue can be an effective approach that will shrink the potential of radicalization and extremism in Bangladesh. This study proposes incorporating an interreligious curriculum in the education system of Bangladesh and the engagement of religious preachers as well as mass people of different faiths including various sects of each religion in such interfaith dialogue initiatives to improve understanding and compassion. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 165-184

The Dynamics of the US-Iran Relationship after the Assassination of Qassem Suleimani: Explanations and Predictions

The political dynamics of the US-Iran relationship have kept the two states always on the brink of the eruption of a major conflict. The targeted assassination of Major General Qassem Suleimani, one of the most consequential figures in Iranian military history, took the world to the brink of a global conflict on January 3, 2020. Fortunately, however, the subsequent events did not escalate to declared or undeclared war. This article provides a theoretical analysis of the conflict following the assassination of Major Suleimani to explain why and how war was avoided in this context. The analysis based on contemporary context, regional power dynamics, and relevant conditions illustrates how de-escalation of conflict was possible and argues why, in light of existing theories, there is hardly any possibility of a manifest war between the US and Iran in the near future despite prevailing in an alternate and latent form. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 185-201

The Rationale for Initiation and Continuation of Drug Abuse among Female Users: A Study of the Youth in Dhaka City

This paper explores the reasons for female drug abuse in an urban setting. It is concerned with a gender-sensitive approach to one of the burning issues of the 21st century: abusive and non-medical consumption of drugs among the youth. It focuses on social learning theory, control theory, labeling theory, and strain theory to understand and explain why female drug abusers initiate and continue to abuse drugs. This phenomenological research was carried out in three female rehabilitation centers in the Dhaka region. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty research participants: twelve female drug abusers (aged 12-30 years), seven rehabilitation personnel, and an official working with the Department of Narcotics Control, Bangladesh. This study finds some crucial reasons for initiating and continuing drug abuse among young female drug abusers, including traumatic experiences in life, the influence of peers and relatives, curiosity and sensation-seeking, easy access to and availability of unprescribed medicinal drugs, and social stigma. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 21-39

Women Leadership in the Emergence of Bangladesh: A Study on Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib

The emancipation of Bangladesh occupies a significant place in world history. Both men and women of Bangladesh valiantly participated in the liberation struggle and consequently, in the nation-building process. However, throughout the long period, liberation has been constructed as an exclusively male endeavour that ignores the contribution made by women in the process of bringing the nation into being. As women played an active and significant role in the process of constructing this nation, the need is now to reconstruct the traditional ways of representation as well as to see the role of women's leadership in the emergence of Bangladesh with a special focus on the life of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib. In this regard, accommodating qualitative research methodology, more specifically the feminist research approach, this paper aims to explore the leadership of Bangamata by adorning the ‘Behavioural Theory of Leadership’ along with ‘Transformational Leadership Theory’ that emphasizes the actions, not on mental or inner characteristics of a leader. These theories centre on how an individual's surroundings structure that person into a leader. This paper has depicted the leadership of Bangamata in the creation of Bangladesh and its political-economic journey onwards. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 1-20

Prejudices on In-vitro Fertilization: Experiences from Couples Struggling with Fertility of Urban Dhaka

The biomedical treatment of infertility has spread throughout the world rapidly, though the cultural understanding of its techniques stagger in various cultures and societies. The local moral ideologies and cultural urge of fertility have treated the infertile people miserably. In Bangladesh, biomedical treatments of infertility are being introduced, and many are approaching it, depending upon not only their affordability but also on various socio-cultural factors. The cultural interpretation of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) depends on various social components, like patriarchy, moral values, and belief system related to childbirth. Thus, the social exposure and moral pioneers of the recipient of treatment play significant roles in postulating the conception of IVF. This paper identifies the cultural interpretation of IVF among the infertile couples of urban Dhaka through their experience in addressing biomedical infertility treatment. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 41-55

Police Training for Managing Crime: With Special Reference to the Crime Data Management System of Bangladesh Police

Initiations of the Crime Data Management System (CDMS) have led e-policing to a higher level of accuracy. The purpose of this study is to explore the existing training on CDMS, assess the training needed on CDMS, and recommend some ways forward. This study follows the mixed methodology where the primary data were collected by using surveys, key informant interviews (KIIs), and FGDs. This study reveals that since its initiation in 2005, CDMS has been working to depict case information, investigation reports, and crime analysis. In 2010, this system introduced online medium, and the Police Headquarters took over total control from the Crime Investigation Department (CID). Gradually in 2015, the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) introduced this system and in 2016, this system has been used at all police stations throughout the country. Moreover, this study also finds that from 2009 to 2020 more than half of the police officials did not receive any training on CDMS. The training receivers express their dissatisfaction with its short duration, and the aged and newly promoted officers remain vulnerable due to the partial training system. Additionally, police officials working in local thanas remain largely untrained and they also need to use this software on a regular basis. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 73-88