Social Causes Research Articles

Obesity modifies the association of race and COVID-19 mortality: analysis of a retrospective cohort from Brazil.

COVID-19 and obesity are two concurrent, interrelated pandemics that share similarities in their social causes, including racism. It is essential to understand how their characteristics are interrelated and the possible role of obesity in the association between race and COVID-19 mortality. We investigated the relationship between race and COVID-19 mortality and the modifying effect of obesity on this relationship. It is a retrospective cohort study. We analyzed data from 113,737 adults aged ≥ 19 years hospitalized for COVID-19 in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The study outcome was in-hospital COVID-19 mortality. Exposures included race, analyzed as white, Brown, and Black individuals and as white vs. Brown and Black individuals, and obesity. The cumulative incidence of COVID-19 mortality was 33.46% (95% CI 33.18-33.74). Compared with white individuals, Brown individuals had a 39% higher likelihood of death from COVID-19 (95% CI 1.28-1.52), while Black individuals had a 30% higher likelihood (95% CI 1.20-1.41). Brown women with obesity had the greatest likelihood of COVID-19 mortality (1.64 [95% CI 1.27-2.13]) compared with all other groups. Obesity was an effect modifier of the association between race and COVID-19 mortality, increasing the likelihood of mortality in the group of Brown women.

An emotional learning process? The role of socially induced and regulated emotions for the development of an entrepreneurial mindset

PurposeAlthough emotional dynamics (EDs) during the entrepreneurial learning (EL) process are acknowledged to promote the growth of an entrepreneurial mindset (EM), while having social causes, empirical research on learning mainly looks at emotions as socially isolated concepts. This study aims to investigate how socially induced and regulated emotions during the EL process affect EM development.Design/methodology/approachWe applied a qualitative, inductive approach related to interpretative phenomenological analysis to get deeply involved into individuals’ experienced emotions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with participants of two EL programs. Open-ended questions stimulated free narratives and detailed descriptions of experiences that were analyzed following a five-stage process.FindingsThere is a correlation between socially induced and regulated emotions and the development of EM elements. We suggest a framework for the EL process based on EDs, which triggers four main mechanisms that help individuals develop an EM: “re-assessment of individual emotions through EDs”, “EDs affected by facilitator intervention,” “sharing and co-creation of emotions,” and “sensemaking of experiences and emotions.”Originality/valueThis study adds to the knowledge on EDs during the EL process and contributes to the literature on EL and emotions in learning. Therewith, it helps to sensitize practitioners toward the complexity of emotions in the entrepreneurial process, allows to moderate individual emotional reactions and social Eds, and improves existing EE programs. Future research could investigate the interplay of specific personality traits, learning environments, and socioemotional team dynamics in EL.

Herman G. Canady: A reintroduction.

For nearly four decades, Herman G. Canady actively promoted psychological science in the public interest. A skillful leader and administrator, Canady helped to establish one of the first national organizations of Black psychologists and was purportedly one of the founding members of the West Virginia State Psychological Association. He also collaborated with a diverse range of professional colleagues on relevant social issues of the time. Despite the depth and breadth of Canady's contributions to psychology, very little is known about his impact on the field. The goal of this article is to reintroduce the discipline to Canady. Drawing upon a range of archival materials, personal correspondence, and interviews, I highlight how Canady used the platform of psychological science in ways that not only redefined "racial psychology," but also brought attention to educational inequities, stressed the importance of institution-building, and demonstrated the utility of cross-cultural alliances for addressing important social causes. Canady's influence-and that of others of his generation-merits further study and deeper analysis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

‘Vaping is a break from all of that’: Exploring attitudes, harm perceptions, cessation barriers and social dynamics among people who vape

Objective: Vaping, initially a smoking cessation aid, is now a widespread recreational activity sometimes associated with perceived health concerns. This study explored attitudes, harm perceptions and cessation barriers in the context of participants’ vaping behaviours, guided by the theoretical lens of fundamental social causes. Design and Setting: The study focused on a subset of 571 current adult vapers from a larger survey investigating vaping attitudes. It analysed open-text survey responses relating to vaping behaviours. To analyse the responses, we employed layered analyses, using deductive conceptual mapping to inform an inductive thematic content analysis. Results: Participants mentioned nuanced vaping risks, citing cancer and respiratory concerns, often comparing them to tobacco’s well-known harmful effects. Despite acknowledging vaping’s potential harms, participants perceived the practice to be less harmful than smoking, emphasising relative safety. Some viewed vaping positively for former smokers, contingent on regulated products. This complex attitude balance reflected the intricate interplay between health concerns and social dynamics. Recurrent vaping symbolised consistent engagement, with cravings and widespread availability associated with quitting challenges. Conclusions: Participants’ nuanced perceptions of health risks reflect a harm duopoly, resembling illicit drug harm tiering. There is a complex interplay between health knowledge and social influences in the context of vaping behaviours. Study findings underscore the need for messaging interventions discouraging vaping among those who do not smoke tobacco to consider these health and social dynamics, leveraging collaborative design.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL SOURCING IN THE FASHION SUPPLY CHAIN: CURRENT TRENDS AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS

This review article aims to find the increasing need to source materials that are sustainable to mitigate the effects on the environment, improve the social status, and adapt to the dynamic fashion consumer needs. Some of the main trends discussed in this work include the use of organic fibers, recycling fabrics and the introduction of new biodegradable textiles. The review article also further discusses the implication of certifications and standards in the issue of transparency and accountability. This paper analyses the broader environmental, social and economical root causes of sustainable sourcing which focus on the long term gains although possibly costly in the short run. Moreover, the article also points out the directions for future research comprising of technology advances in recycling, biofabrication techniques, status changes in frameworks and policies and trends in consumer behaviour that may potentially influence the sustainability of fashion.

Sport Event Leveraging and Violence Against Women: The Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and One Million Stars to End Violence

The connections between sport events and violence against women are an emerging area of research and align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5–Gender equality. This article explores the connection between sport event leverage initiatives and raising awareness about violence against women, through a case study of an arts and cultural initiative that ran in conjunction with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games: One Million Stars to End Violence (OMSTEV). Event leverage literature and a gendered lens informed our study. We focused on the official messaging of the initiative, as a key aspect in social event leverage. We conducted a document analysis of 30 documents including event reports, government media releases, and public media articles to explore how official messaging and media coverage reported the initiative to the broader public. We found official messaging and media coverage portrayed OMSTEV as a successful community engagement initiative that produced a beautiful artistic installation. However, the official reporting and media coverage failed to communicate in a way to raise the broader public’s awareness regarding violence against women. We provide suggestions for practice and research to better contribute to the value of sport events for targeted social causes.

Study on Moral Education Value and Realization Path of Chinese Traditional Life View

Chinese traditional life view is ancient Chinese people to the value of life and human survival and development and other issues held a basic point of view, in essence, it is the Chinese traditional culture the most basic, core concept of life. Digging and elucidating the moral education value contained in the Chinese traditional life concept, through giving full play to the role of self-life concept education, improving the care of family life concept education, optimizing the form of school life concept education and strengthening the guarantee of social life concept education from multiple dimensions, to provide rich ideological and moral resources and spiritual motivation for life concept education. To better cultivate qualified builders and successors of the cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

W poszukiwaniu przyczyn wyrażania niechęci wobec dzieci w internecie

The article aims to highlight the phenomenon of adults expressing resentment towards children and to try to reach its causes. The subject of the study consists of the statements of internet users perceived through the prism of linguistic discourse analysis. The author distinguishes three groups of causes: cultural (individualism, freedom in way of life, egocentrism), social (child-centrism vs. loss of social contact with the child) and psychological (individual). Cultural reasons relate to the fact that people nowadays value freedom and don’t want to make sacrifices for children who they consider a disturbance to their orderly, ideal way of life and individualistic mindset. Social causes come in the form of two seemingly opposing ideas. The first is about protest against pressure to have and to like children, alongside the priority given to families with children. The second is about the loss of social contact with the child, caused by the change in the family model and the privatization of motherhood. Psychological causes are of an individual nature; they may be related to trauma and various hypersensitivities and often manifest in expressions of disgust towards children. The author draws attention to the normalization of rude language behavior and the escalation of expressed resentment, which raises questions about the possibility of age discrimination.

A Study on Causes and Pattern of School Drop Out in A Slum Area of Kolkata, India in 2024

Introduction: School drop outs are very common in children, especially in developing countries, and may occur due to many causes. Social causes and other diseases like infections and other are important causes of drop out in school life across the world. Materials and methods: - We assessed various causes of school drop out by clinic-based study. Results: - We have also recorded here similar findings. Poverty was leading cause of school drop out followed by other social causes and health issues. Conclusion: - The important social as well as medical causes of school drop out should be looked into and efforts should be made to mitigate these contributing factors, in order to foster education of children.

Perceptions of celebrity athletes involved in social cause endorsement.

Due to their ability to evoke unique associations in people's minds, professional athletes are considered prime ambassadors for companies, brands or organisations to add intangible values, credibility and awareness to their products or services. Based on that premise, using celebrity athletes for supporting social causes has also become a frequent practice over the past years. Empirical knowledge on how such activities are being perceived by involved athletes is scarce. Little is known about what they consider to be relevant attributes of their personal brand that make them suitable for endorsing social causes. Based on semi-structured interviews with (n = 12) current and recently retired professional athletes from four different continents, we explore the most prominent attributes of athlete brands as well as other important features in that regard. Our results indicate that, in contrast to product endorsement, on-field attributes of the athlete brand are considered more important in relation to social causes. On-field attributes, such as career achievements and the behaviour shown during competitions, are seen as the main sources of credibility. Congruence and fit between endorser profiles and cause is perceived as highly relevant for successful cause endorsement activities. Our study is useful for a variety of stakeholders, such as athletes or organisations considering getting involved in social cause endorsement.

Sustainable Behaviors of Young Polish Consumers: the Impact on Logistics and Business Strategies

The main objective of this survey is to analyze the sustainable behavior of young Polish consumers. The specific objectives are to find out the respondents' opinions on the most disturbing environmental phenomena and actions that negatively affect the environment. In addition, an important goal is to learn about their self-assessment of pro-environmental attitudes and to identify pro-environmental actions most often taken by young consumers, as well as to assess sustainable actions taken by companies in the logistics area. The results are based on empirical research concerning sustainable behaviors of young Polish consumers in a research sample of 50 consumers. The research was conducted in April and May 2024 and covered the entire area of Poland. The survey show that respondents have a good assessment of their environmental attitude. As many as 90% of them perceive growing environmental and social problems. The most worrisome environmental issues in their view are increased garbage and waste, polluted air and water, dangerous chemicals in everyday products, and climate change-the greenhouse effect. Among the activities that have the most detrimental impact on the environment, respondents identified deforestation, improper waste management, consumerism, pollution from pesticides used in agriculture and the burning of fossil fuels. Three-quarters of respondents believe they can contribute to improving the environment with their actions, and nearly two-fifths say they are willing to pay more for environmentally friendly products or products from companies that support social causes. Respondents also take a number of individual pro-environmental measures, and among them they are most likely to turn off lights, use reusable bags, segregate trash, use reusable bottles, conserve water and choose environmentally friendly forms of delivery for purchased goods. However, when making purchases, most of them do not choose products offered by companies that are actively involved in environmental activities. Up-to-date knowledge on the sustainable behavior of young consumers is particularly important for both the business and government communities, as it provides information on tailored strategies and policies that align with evolving values, ensuring competitiveness, and meeting environmental and social goals. Limitations of the study include the small sample size of the empirical study, as well as the limited nature of the survey questionnaire. Keywords: sustainability, social responsibility, sustainable consumer, young generation consumer

Collective Identity and Ethical Dilemmas Among College Students in Chinese Anonymous Online Communities: Sensory Stimulation and Media Effects of Online Exposure Discourse

This paper explores the dynamics of viral social media exposure posts within anonymous online communities in China, specifically concentrating on college students. Based on theories of effervescence and collective frenzy, this research probes into the emotional triggers and functions of group polarization and social identity reconstruction in the digital sphere. Adopting a mixed-methods approach that integrates semi-structured interviews and surveys, it evaluates participants' interactions with online exposure. The anticipated findings are expected to shed light on how factors like group identity, anonymity, and virality cultivate a carnival-like ambiance in social media exposure. These posts function as instruments for mobilization, provide support for social and political causes, and act as platforms for community building and identity formation. They also offer psychological and emotional outlets, aiding users in processing and expressing personal and societal grievances. The paper aims to deepen people's understanding of how digital interactions influence collective identities and social behaviors.

A Case Study on the Integration of Traditional Chinese Family Culture into Primary School English Teaching

The Chinese nation is a nation with a long history of culture, and traditional Chinese culture is like stars in the sky, brilliant and profound. It is the inexhaustible source of the development of the Chinese nation and the source of power to achieve its great rejuvenation. With the continuous strengthening of China s national strength and the rapid development of world economic integration, our traditional culture is moving towards the world and the international stage. More and more foreign friends are beginning to come into contact with and learn from our traditional culture. As the successors of the socialist cause, primary school students should integrate Chinese traditional culture into their daily learning. Based on this, this article will first analyze the characteristics of Chinese traditional family culture, and then analyze the significance of integrating Chinese traditional family culture into primary school English teaching. Finally, combined with the actual situation, we will analyze the specific integration. Strategy, I hope to combine traditional Chinese family culture with world languages and become an inexhaustible driving force for students life development.

Protected areas, drought, and grazing regimes influence fire occurrence in a fire-prone Mediterranean region

BackgroundExtreme fire seasons in the Mediterranean basin have received international attention due to the damage caused to people, livelihoods, and vulnerable ecosystems. There is a body of literature linking increasingly intense, large fires to a build-up of fuel from rural land abandonment exacerbated by climate change. However, a better understanding of the complex factors driving fires in fire-prone landscapes is needed. We use a global database based on the MODIS Fire CCI51 product, and the Greater Côa Valley, a 340,000-ha area in Portugal, as a case study, to investigate the environmental drivers of fire and potential tools for managing fires in a landscape that has undergone changing agricultural and grazing management.ResultsBetween 2001 and 2020, fires burned 32% (1881.45 km2) of the study area. Scrublands proportionally burnt the most, but agricultural land and forests were also greatly impacted. The risk of large fires (> 1 km2) was highest in these land cover types under dry conditions in late summer. Areas with higher sheep densities were more likely to burn, while cattle density had no apparent relationship with fire occurrence. There was also a 15% lower probability of a fire occurring in protected areas.ConclusionFuture climatic changes that increase drought conditions will likely elevate the risk of large fires in the Mediterranean basin, and abandoned farmland undergoing natural succession towards scrubland will be at particularly high risk. Our results indicate that livestock grazing does not provide a simple solution to reducing fire risk, but that a more holistic management approach addressing social causes and nature-based solutions could be effective in reducing fire occurrence.

How does Kailo work to improve adolescent mental health? A developmental realist evaluation protocol

Background Kailo is a community-centred research and design initiative that aims to improve adolescent mental health by addressing its wider social determinants. Unlike conventional interventions that often neglect systemic factors, Kailo employs a complex systems approach to identify and address the social causes of poor adolescent mental health in two pilot sites. This protocol outlines a developmental realist-informed evaluation that will develop, test, and refine the programme theory underpinning the Kailo framework. This evaluation will generate recommendations for the enhancement of Kailo before it is implemented in additional sites. Methods A developmental realist-informed evaluation will be conducted to investigate how and why Kailo works, for whom, and under what circumstances. This mixed-methods evaluation will engage key members of the Kailo consortium, local stakeholders, and young people who have interacted with Kailo. The initial phase incorporates a rapid realist synthesis, interviews with key informants, observations, and document analyses to formulate the initial programme theory. The second phase will employ semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, observations, and analyses of routinely collected data to test the initial programme theory. The final phase will use focus group discussions to refine and consolidate the initial programme theory. Given the developmental nature of this evaluation, this programme theory will refine the implementation of the intervention in the pilot sites and generate recommendations to improve future versions of the Kailo framework. Discussion This study will explore the mechanisms by which the implementation of Kailo improves adolescent mental health by facilitating place-based systems change in the two pilot locations. This theory-based evaluation will illuminate the primary contextual conditions and mechanisms which produce intended (and unintended) outcomes to inform the future development of the Kailo framework. Moreover, the methodological approach used may contribute to broader understanding of how to implement and evaluate complex interventions designed to improve public health.

Про сутність поняття “внутрішньо переміщена особа”

The article describes the essence of the concept of “internally displaced person”. Theoretical and legal approaches to the content of the concept of “internally displaced persons” have been studied. It was established that forced migration plays an important role in the modern worldmigration process of the population of Ukraine. It is argued that for the first time the term “internally displaced person” was used in jurisprudence in the last decade of the 20th century, when the need for an international response to the rather important problem of protecting the rights of displaced persons definitely arose. Statistical data on the number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine are indicated. It is noted that precisely as a result of military aggression by the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, the problem of forced migration and its solution is one of the main ones for the state and society. It is proven that an internally displaced person is a citizen of Ukraine, a foreigner or a stateless person who is in the territory of Ukraine on legal grounds and has the right to permanent residence in Ukraine, who was forced to leave or leave his place of residence as a result or in order to avoid negative consequences. It is indicated that internally displaced persons are under the legal protection of their country in accordance with international human rights legislation. The article indicates the main reasons for forced migration of the population, which encourage citizens to move within the borders of their country. These include, first of all, military conflict, occupation or annexation of territory, cruel treatment, manifestations of violence, genocide of the population, violation of human rights and freedoms, as well as environmental, social, economic, man-made and other causes. It was emphasized that internally displaced persons need to adjust to a new place of residence, which should become safer for them. It has been studied that the protection of internally displaced persons implies an important obligation for the state to create legal, social and economic conditions for the realization of their rights and freedoms, under which it is possible to protect the rights of individuals, as well as the activities of state organizations for the protection of human rights. The article offers the author’s definition of the essence of the concept of “internally displaced person” in Ukraine.

Becoming propaganda: critical race theory and the effect of fiction on education

ABSTRACT How does a social cause like race in public education get revived and reinvented? How do political interest groups mount a campaign that flows internationally from the United States to Australia and leads to the political exclusion of Critical Race Theory from the Australian Curriculum? This article addresses these questions by examining how social media has been used to distribute propaganda that infers racial literacy education is a problem for Australian schools. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s theories of propaganda and using artefacts from multiple Internet websites, including social media, this article examines how conservative lobbyists in education have adjusted claims from the United States to suit the highly mediated political culture of Australia in 2021. These conservative groups worked to gain political ground by deliberately subverting Critical Race Theory, turning it into a political weapon that has been deployed by political actors across the US, UK and Australia. This article traces the subversion of CRT and efforts by social media creators, editors and academics to control the meaning of the Law School concept. It concludes by discussing the consequences the use of CRT as a political weapon has had on Australian education.

Towards a Socially Conscious Start-up Brand: EDI in Entrepreneurial Branding

Successful start-ups are those capable of evoking customer loyalty. To achieve this, a well-crafted brand with a clear brand message that resonates with the target audience is needed. The pandemic, and its aftermath, has led to heightened scrutiny of brands by audiences, with consumers spending more time and money online. Purchase decisions and brand loyalty are increasingly influenced by what brands stand for, with a preference for those that believably prioritise people over profits. Nearly two-thirds of UK consumers expect brands to address societal issues. This trend is particularly pronounced among Generation Z, the fastest-growing demographic in the UK and other advanced economies in terms of spending power. This age cohort differs in several respects from preceding generations, showing a distinct hunger for social causes relating to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). This paper presents findings from an investigation into Generation Z's perception of EDI as part of entrepreneurial market communications. Our research aims to explore the target audience's awareness and attitude toward the inclusion of EDI elements in start-up brands and to ideate tangible recommendations for entrepreneurs in terms of embracing EDI as part of their brand’s activities. Guided by Design Thinking, a total of 35 semi-structured interviews were conducted with young adults in Greater London, UK. Through inductive Thematic Analysis, four key themes emerged: (i) There is currently limited visibility and awareness of start-ups with EDI branding; (ii) there is a desire for authenticity alongside distrust of brands delivering on this; (iii) there is an expectation of intersectional diversity; and (iv) there is a limited risk of 'cancel culture' for start-ups. Based on these insights, four tangible recommendations were formulated for crafting socially conscious start-up brands: (i) embrace intersectional diversity internally and externally; (ii) cultivate a community to co-create EDI initiatives; (iii) utilising/collaborate with existing EDI associations; and (iv) prioritise EDI efforts in branded communications.

FACTORS OF TENSION IN SOCIETY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NORTHERN IRISH CONFLICT

The article is devoted to the study of the causes of social tension in Northern Ireland in the 60s of the XX century. The author analyzes the social, economic and political causes of disunity and instability in the region. Special attention is paid to the problem of the existence of two ethno-religious communities: Irish Catholics and British Protestants. The economic heterogeneity of society, disproportions in representation in legislative and executive authorities, and the lack of mechanisms for protecting the rights of minorities are considered. These factors, according to the author, contributed to the growth of social tension and radicalization of communities.

Medow Brite Enterprises: a growth strategy dilemma

Learning outcomes After completion of this case study, students will be able to understand about characteristics of urban poor in the city of Mumbai which will aid in understanding about other emerging markets as well, to apply Health Belief Model to help students analyse behaviour change model, to apply social marketing strategies to popularize a social marketing cause, to learn about non-traditional intermediaries and apply to promote a social marketing cause, to apply Ansoff matrix and evaluate various strategies for growth and to analyse various challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enable learners to arrive at solutions (applicable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives). Case overview/synopsis This case study looked at a Mumbai-based organization, Medow Brite Enterprises, which sold sanitary napkins under the brand FeelOn to women particularly from urban poor background. The protagonist Mrs Ameeta Neel Ramesh was at the helm of the organization and was stuck with a dilemma – whether to enter rural markets or focus on selling incinerators and aid in disposing used sanitary napkins which was adding to the volume of non-biodegradable waste in the city. In 2019, Ameeta made her first investment in Medow Brite. The organization had seen turbulent times during COVID-19 outbreak. However, Ameeta with her astute strategy, helped the company get back on its feet. Medow Brite instead of manufacturing started procuring quality sanitary napkins from specific vendors. In contrast to many other sanitary napkins available in the market, FeelOn had cotton sanitary napkin variant without presence of plastic in the pads. Ameeta had taken a different route for sale of her sanitary napkin, she conducted awareness sessions with the help of non-governmental organizations in various locations of Mumbai as well as Maharashtra. Post these sessions she sold her sanitary napkins among the attendees of the awareness sessions. Complexity academic level The case study can be included in marketing management course, consumer behaviour as well as social marketing courses in both undergraduate level and postgraduate level. In addition, the case study is also suitable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives to discuss about non-traditional sales and marketing approaches, identifying unique segments and understanding behaviour change theories. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.