School Of Social Sciences Research Articles

Scientific expertise and public engagement in science policy: A conversation with Dr. Alondra Nelson

MIT Science Policy Review spoke with Dr. Alondra Nelson about the role of scientists and the broader public in shaping policy. Dr. Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science at the Institute of Advanced Study, an independent research center in Princeton, New Jersey, and is the author of multiple works about the intersections of science, technology, medicine, and inequality, including Body and Soul (2011) and The Social Life of DNA (2016). She previously served as Deputy Assistant to President Joe Biden and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). As a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, she has advised at various levels of government and civil society on science-related issues. Dr. Nelson’s unique perspective as a sociologist sheds light on the importance of public participation in policy development, both as a democratic process, and to ensure that scientific and technological progress benefits society. In our conversation, we discussed some of the challenges of science policymaking, strategies to enhance public involvement in policy, and the fundamental value of providing broad public access to science and scientific education.

WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US (THE SCIENCE BIT)

Gabriella Jozwiak looks more closely at a study by Anne Fitzpatrick and Ann Marie Halpenny, from the School of Social Sciences, Law and Education at Technological University Dublin, which investigated the benefits of intergenerational learning.

About the VI International Winter Demographic School at Lomonosov Moscow State University

The VI International Winter Demographic School was held on February 1–3, 2024 as part of the career guidance work of the Higher School of Modern Social Sciences (faculty) of Lomonosov Moscow State University in order to popularize demographic knowledge and increase the demographic literacy of listeners. The work of the School was prepared and organized by the Department of Demography of the Higher School of Social Sciences on a free basis in a mixed offline and online format on the Zoom platform.

A Study of Global Trade War and Its Impact on Indian Economy

A Study of Global Trade War and Its Impact on Indian Economy

Policy Recommendation for Strengthening Capacity for Urban Disaster Management through Open and Distance Learning in Bangladesh

The adverse effects of climate change-induced geo-environmental changes have turned Bangladesh prone to intensifying recurring hazards like- floods, erratic rainfall, landslides, cyclones, storm surges, riverbank erosion, deforestation, droughts, and many more. Earthquake has also been identified as a hazard in Bangladesh. In addition, congested and unhealthy residential areas with high population density, inadequate infrastructural transport and communication facilities, and limited urban disaster management capabilities have been worsening the situation. The main theme of the study was to explore the ways of capacity building of disaster management in Dhaka City Corporation (DCC) through the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) approach offered by the School of Social Sciences, Humanities, and Languages (SSHL), Bangladesh Open University (BOU). The BOU has extensive access to communicate and spread knowledge to its large number of learners within the shortest possible time. Hence, the present research attempted to explore the prospects of the Open and Distance Learning (ODL) approach for strengthening the capacity of urban disaster management through BOU by forming skilled Urban Disaster Volunteer (UDV) teams in different parts of the DCC. Creating and incorporating an Urban Disaster Management (UDM) knowledge pool regarding the hazard and disaster modes, types, seasons, and patterns should be developed to strengthen the Urban Disaster Management Capacity (UDMC). A dynamic cooperation between the national policymakers and local stakeholders has to be accomplished to establish improved awareness through acquiring hazard and disaster-relevant knowledge, and the ability to cope with inevitable disasters.

Positioning Field Action Projects as Tools for Sustainable Development (With Special Reference to BSSS, Bhopal)

Field action projects are a distinguishing feature in social work education and practice and can serve as a live lab for social work students. Many renowned social work educational institutions began with the field action projects and developed them to a significant level. The state of Madhya Pradesh, India has several problems, and field action projects can serve as an excellent tool to alleviate these problems. The article is an attempt to appraise field action projects of Bhopal School of Social Sciences—one of the well-recognized social work institution in the Central India. Statistical software Jamovi 2.3.21 was used for analysis. Mode, median and Functional Narrative Analysis is used for analysing data. The suggestions can be used by the practitioners and policy makers for an optimal usage of field action projects as tools for sustainable development. It also discusses the presence of outreach activities as a mandate in New National Education Policy of Madhya Pradesh and the relevance of such initiatives in accomplishing the requirements of the policy. The study is limited to the field action projects of BSSS and should not be generalized.

A New Year's concert was held as part of moral support for Alzheimer's patients

'Moral Support for the Fight Against Alzheimer's: New Year's Concert' was held in cooperation with Üsküdar University Graduate School of Social Sciences, Türkiye Alzheimer Association Kadıköy Branch and Kadıköy Municipality Alzheimer's Center.

Association between friendship quality and subjective wellbeing in adolescents: a cross-sectional observational study

BackgroundFriendships play a vital role in the social lives of teenagers, and friendship quality can substantially impact the adolescents’ overall health and wellbeing. This study aimed to investigate the association between friendship quality and subjective wellbeing in Northern Irish adolescents. MethodsIn this cross-sectional observational study, we used data from the second wave of the Wellbeing in Schools Survey, conducted in Northern Ireland from April 2 to May 31, 2018. This survey used a clustering sampling method and included students aged 15–19 years. The survey was approved by the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work's Research Ethics Committee, with pupil opt-in and parental opt-out consents. Participants from the survey's initial wave in 2016 were considered eligible. Data on friendship quality and classroom friendships were gathered. Subjective wellbeing was assessed using the 7-item Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale. Metrics for psychological wellbeing (6 items), mood (7 items), and friendship quality (6 items) were taken from the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. All items were rated on a 1–5 point Likert scale. We examined the association between friendship network quality and subjective wellbeing outcomes through social network analysis and network autocorrelation modelling. FindingsOf 1542 students invited, 1189 (77%) from 83 schools responded to the friendship network queries. Slightly more than half of these participants were female (609 [51%] girls and 580 [49%] boys), and the median age was 16 years (range 14–19, IQR 16–16). The median overall friendship score stood at 20 (IQR 18–26, with possible scores ranging from 6 to 30). Adjusted network autocorrelation models indicated that higher friendship quality scores were significantly associated with improved psychological wellbeing (β=0·3448, p<0·0001), subjective wellbeing (β=0·3075, p<0·0001), and a reduction in negative mood (β=–0·1934, p<0·0001). InterpretationThe study found that friendship quality had a significant association with mood, psychological wellbeing, and subjective wellbeing in adolescents. The results emphasise the value of fostering positive social relationships among adolescents, with a particular focus on the quality of their friendships. Next stages of this research include longitudinal analysis to test these associations more robustly. FundingTaibah University.

Kapitał społeczny miasta globalizującego się. Studium przypadku Krakowa i Poznania

The article analyses the role of international migrants in the process of globalisation and cosmopolitisation of “globalising cities”, taking so-called secondary cities as its point of reference in the study of Kraków and Poznań. We posit that the role of migrants in the dual processes of globalisation and cosmopolitisation is contingent on the way in which the city itself has historically gone through the process of ‘globalising’, particularly in how the public sphere has been developed. In the case of the post-Fordist city (Kraków), which developed through the service and creative industries, these processes are more intensive, and migrants themselves are drivers of change. This is not as evident in Fordist-model cities like Poznań that have also experienced migration flows, but where the positioning of migrants in the public sphere is marginal. The findings in the article are based on two research projects, the first from Krakow entitled “The Relationship Between Foreigners and Public Services and the Development of ‘Nighbourliness’ in a ‘Globalizing’ City: A Case Study of Kraków”, and the second within the framework of a doctoral project realised in the Doctoral School of Social Sciences of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań.

Sustainability in transforming societies

Sustainable DevelopmentEarly View EDITORIAL Sustainability in transforming societies Peter Dobers, Corresponding Author Peter Dobers [email protected] Department of Business Studies, School of Social Sciences, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden Correspondence Peter Dobers, Department of Business Studies, School of Social Sciences, Södertörn University, Alfred Nobels allé 7, Huddinge 141 89, Sweden. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGyula Zilahy, Gyula Zilahy Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, HungarySearch for more papers by this author Peter Dobers, Corresponding Author Peter Dobers [email protected] Department of Business Studies, School of Social Sciences, Södertörn University, Huddinge, Sweden Correspondence Peter Dobers, Department of Business Studies, School of Social Sciences, Södertörn University, Alfred Nobels allé 7, Huddinge 141 89, Sweden. Email: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorGyula Zilahy, Gyula Zilahy Department of Environmental Economics and Sustainability, Faculty of Economic and Social Sciences, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, HungarySearch for more papers by this author First published: 15 May 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.2594Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. Early ViewOnline Version of Record before inclusion in an issue RelatedInformation

Spectator Experience Goes Over-the-Top during the Pandemic: From Cinema House to the Home Box Office

Click to increase image sizeClick to decrease image size Disclosure StatementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Additional informationNotes on contributorsAnupama A. P.Dr. Anupama A. P, Assistant Professor, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, VIT-AP University, Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh.Vinod BalakrishnanDr. Vinod Balakrishnan, Professor, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.

Contributors

Contributors

Caring with the Non-Human

The Anthropocene draws our attention to damaging relations we have with other planet beings. Taking that as a starting point, this article combines the cycle of care and an immersion at a market garden. Complementing theory and practices, two researchers from Wageningen University dialogue about how in soil care, there is complementarity and tension between caring for/with/about plants, livelihoods, people, and biodiversity. From a number of conversations this dialogue developed into a work of creative writing with critical reflections on the data gathered through participant observation. We shed light on questions about the relationality of caring with soil in practice, reciprocity between humans, non-humans and entanglement of care practices. The dialogue format allows us to discuss a broader range of facets around soil care. It is clear from the empirical material that soil care is never only about gardening practices. So, in line with our relational approach we let ourselves discuss various topics. Moreover, the dialogue format allows us to express ourselves in our own words, again staying closer to the empirical reality. This article contributes to the existing literature by (i) providing an example of a productive market garden that allows for the flourishing of all non-human beings; (ii) further developing the cycle of care theory by applying it to a real case; and finally, (iii) exploring various considerations around reciprocity in caring with soil. Funding InformationAdriana Ressiore's PhD project is supported by the research project Global Epistemologies and Ontologies (GEOS) and funded by NWO Vidi Grant (V1.Vidi.195.026 ETHNOONTOLOGIES). The PhD project of Michiel van de Pavert is financed by a grant from the Wageningen School of Social Sciences (WASS) at Wageningen University.

Prevalence of Sexual Harassment among Female Students of Khulna University

In Bangladesh, the scenario of sexual harassment is a great problem in the academic sector as well as the prevalence is equally the same. Female students are the prominent victims of sexual harassment incidents in the educational environment. The main objectives of the study were to evaluate the nature of sexual harassment in academia as well as the impacts on female students and the consequences of the problem. The study was conducted in a qualitative research method and collected primary data with the help of a checklist of the undergraduate students of the Social Science School of Khulna University. Eight respondents and two key informants were selected purposively for the study that fulfilled the criteria of the unit of analysis. The findings of the study disclosed that females are frequent victims of gender-based sexual harassment in the academic sector. Female students constantly face verbal and non-verbal sexual harassment as well as the majority of the respondents don’t disclose or report the incidents to the authority because they cannot rely on perpetrators who will not get proper punishment for their crimes. For this, the victims suffer from various impacts on their mental and physical well-being. As a result, female students replace their career focus, skipping their educational journey and constantly feeling insecure. This research also revealed that society and culture greatly impact sexual harassment occurrences by men. The overall study found the negative impacts of sexual harassment, its consequences along with possible solutions.

Editorial: Indian Literature: Past, Present and Future

Editorial: Indian Literature: Past, Present and Future

Attitudes of the Postgraduate Students of Manipur University towards Entrepreneurship

The attitudes of the student were studied using affective, behavioural, and cognitive components during 2020-2021 among the postgraduate students of Manipur University (MU). A structured interview schedule was used and data were collected from 160 respondents using stratified random sampling from five Schools of Studies of the university. Entrepreneurship Attitudes Score of students was found to be ‘0.647’ for the School of Humanities; ‘0.635’ for the School of Human &amp; Environmental Sciences, ‘0.702’ for the School of Social Sciences, ‘0.609’ for the School of Life Sciences; ‘0.677’ for the School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences. The overall score of students’ attitudes towards entrepreneurship was found to be 0.65, revealing that the majority of the students (58.28%) were moderately favourable towards entrepreneurship. Kruskal-Wallis test was used and found that students of the School of Social Sciences and male students showed higher attitude towards entrepreneurship; 44.14 per cent of the students showed highly favourable towards entrepreneurship. School of Social Science students were found to be more aware of the potential resource and were more aware of different programmers, schemes, ideas and strategies. Such potent and knowledgeable students should be selected and nurtured with proper training, exposure and making them aware of different Government schemes.

Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Public Administration, St. Petersburg School of Social Sciences and Oriental Studies, HSE

Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences, Professor of the Department of Public Administration, St. Petersburg School of Social Sciences and Oriental Studies, HSE

Studies on migration in Europe: paths to think about languages, media, and journalism

From the point of view of researcher and journalist Tom Moring, Emeritus Professor at the Swedish School of Social Sciences at the University of Helsinki, this interview addresses how language and the social sharing of information impact in the integration process of refugees and migrants. Considering the researcher’s experience and his studies, the interview problematizes the media coverage and the work of journalists around these themes, highlights the connectivity of the variables migration, integration and information, and discusses how the results of European research in the area can be applied in diverse contexts, such as Latin America.

Interacting with Librarians to Locate Australian Sociology PhDs in the Era of Constant University Restructuring

ABSTRACT University librarians occupied an important role in facilitating our academic research project identifying and locating sociology PhDs completed in Australia from 2010–2019. This project was to be based on the supposedly straightforward collection of sociology doctorates to assess research publication practices during and post PhD. This collection process, however, proved to be complex, arduous and time-consuming. When we approached librarians for information or were referred to them by university administrators, their service ethic was evident. Structural university changes, however, sometimes impacted librarians’ ability to locate and retrieve sociology PhD theses. Successive technological changes had often fragmented catalogue and repository data, affecting librarians’ ability to trace PhDs. Loss of library staff impacted universities’ collective memory of where and how theses were stored or could be accessed. The rich interactive process between researchers and librarians in this project is explored through reviewing the corpus of emails and other exchanges developing strategies to overcome barriers tracking down completed PhD theses within Departments of Sociology or their iterations in interdisciplinary Schools of Social Sciences containing sociology ‘disciplines’, ‘programmes’ or individual sociologists. The present manuscript aims to chronicle the intricacies of gathering data on completed Australia sociology PhDs with the assistance of librarians.

Cheating Behaviours in Online Exams

The paper aims at identifying cheating behaviours in online exams at a School of Social Sciences and Humanities at a university in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam. Using a quantitative approach. 440 samples from 4 Departments of the School were surveyed both online and offline. The findings indicated that plagiarism is the most common dishonest behaviour in online exams. In addition, switch between taps during exams, browser search, peer collaboration, and remote desktop were reported as cheating practices which account for more than 70% of surveyed respondents. These findings can be a useful reference for practitioners, online examiners, and teachers to minimize cheating behaviours for the sake of sustaining transparency, fairness and quality of education at tertiary levels.