Social Construction Research Articles

Beliefs about raw milk production and consumption and their relationship with health in Miraflores, Boyacá, Colombia

The consumption of raw milk in Colombia continues despite the regulations issued to standardize or prohibit it. In the municipality where this study was carried out, more than 90% of the population chooses to consume this product, being at potential risk of acquiring diseases. The objective of this study was to understand the beliefs surrounding the production and consumption of raw milk and its relationship with health. It was carried out in 2020. Ethnography was used as a method of data collection and analysis. It was found that this phenomenon is related to the economy, identity, and ecology and is a central axis and articulator of various socio-cultural activities. It is guided by traditional production practices that do not fully respect biosafety and hygiene. Furthermore, the consumption of raw milk is socially approved and is the result of a social construction that arose independently of the physicochemical and microbiological properties of raw milk. Furthermore, local and national government regulators are not interested in this productive sector or in the consequences that their practices may have on the health of consumers. Thus, the responsibility for the consumption of raw milk and the possible acquisition of diseases passes from the food industry to the consumer. It is up to each consumer to make raw milk a safe food.

Presidential Discourses on Regionalism in Azerbaijan: Turkic Solidarity and the Silk Road

Abstract Drawing on theories of comparative regionalism, this article examines the construction of regionalist frames in Azerbaijan covering the period from 1993 to mid-2023. By examining more than 60 text passages from presidential speeches and statements, the study identifies two framings of regionalism that have dominated presidential discourses in Azerbaijan: the discourse of Turkic solidarity or unity (in the political-security domain) and the narrative of an East-West corridor or the revival of the Silk Road for transport of cargo and hydrocarbon resources (in the economic domain). By constructing these discursive frames, Azerbaijani state leaders crafted an alternative regional order reconstituting the geographic category of “South Caucasus” into a new, spatially broader area. In this formulation, “South Caucasus” is viewed as a central pillar of the Silk Road, and Azerbaijan as one of its focal points or nodes. While the study underscores a key role that actors and ideas play in the formation of regions and regional institutions, it also highlights how social construction of regional identities is embedded in and shaped by historical experiences and country-specific political-economic conditions such as historical memories, experiences of war, collective identities and cultural affinities, geographic location, domestic political economic structures, and international linkages.

Social Constructions of Sex Trafficking and Needs for a Critical Intersectional and Trauma-Informed Approach: A Critical Review

Social Constructions of Sex Trafficking and Needs for a Critical Intersectional and Trauma-Informed Approach: A Critical Review

Jewish Women, Native-Born and Migrants, in Brussels: Social Integration, “Bubbles” and Acculturation

AbstractThe purpose of this study is to compare two groups of Jewish women, native-born and migrants, who reside in Brussels regarding their social integration into native-born Jewish and non-Jewish communities and the acculturation strategies they employ. It seems that Brussels is not as socially and culturally open, as perceived by the interviewees. Hence, the social networks of women in our study, as well as their acculturation patterns, differ in degree of separation between native-born Jewish women, non-Israeli immigrants and Israeli immigrants. The former maintain social networks characterized by fluid boundaries between them and the majority society, whereas non-Israeli immigrants are characterized by shared, not very dense networks with the native-born Jewish community and diasporic networks. Finally, Israeli women are characterized by almost completely closed social networks, which can be defined as a distinct “Israeli bubble.” As for their acculturation strategies, native-born women are those who are more integrated among non-Jews and native-born Jews, as expected from their familiarity with the culture and their long-term interactions, despite being partially marginalized as minority. Migrant women are less integrated and more separated from both native-born Jews and – to a larger extent – from non-Jews; so are Israelis. Social networks which gradually become communities are mainly created by women and maintained by them over the years. Therefore, the study of social networks, their structure and construction through daily interactions, and their contribution to the ethnic-diasporic community building have become the source of women’s strength in the host country – as immigrants and as a native-born minority group.

Perceived discrimination among caregivers of children with disabilities in China: Unraveling the effects of social determinants

PurposeAlthough discrimination has gained increasing attention in research and practice intervention for family caregivers of children with disabilities, little is known about the social determinants that associate with the perceived discrimination among caregivers, especially in non-Western contexts. This study aims to examine the socio-familial and child-level determinants of perceived discrimination among family caregivers of children with disabilities in China. MethodThis study drew from a population-based cross-sectional survey in Shenzhen, China. Proportional quota sampling was conducted to get data from 2500 family caregivers of children with disabilities in rehabilitation service centers (response rate = 94.9%, n = 2373), accounting for 25% of the total population of children with disabilities receiving service in Shenzhen. Latent profile analysis was conducted to categorize three perceived discrimination groups among caregivers (i.e., severe perceived discrimination group, moderate perceived discrimination group, and low perceived discrimination group). The multinomial logistic regression models were conducted to test the association between these social determinants and perceived discrimination. ResultsMost caregivers (82.9%) reported moderate or severe levels of perceived discrimination. Caregivers of children with moderate and severe impairments and children with mental and multiple disabilities were more vulnerable to perceiving severe social discrimination. Socio-familial characteristics, particularly the intersectionality between gender and employment, influence caregivers’ perceived discrimination. ConclusionCaregivers of children with disabilities experience pervasive social discrimination in contemporary urban China. Our study demonstrates that the social construction of disablism and the affiliate discrimination against family caregivers of children with disabilities is complex and multidimensional and depends upon the children's disability and the caregivers' socio-demographic characteristics.

‘We haven’t even been able to talk!’: gender norms and masculinity exams in representations of sexuality in Spanish primary schools

ABSTRACT Through language, children participate actively in the construction of meanings around sexuality, which is governed unequally according to gender. This article examines the articulation of the social constructions of sexuality and gender with the pictorial and narrative representations of boys and girls from 9 to 11 years of age from four public schools in Barcelona province in the 2020–2021 school year. We used participatory methods, including drawing activities and focus groups. The findings suggest that hegemonic social constructions of masculinity and femininity guide children’s practices and narratives about sexuality, (re)producing differences between ‘boys’ and ‘girls’. The desire to fit into these hegemonic models puts pressure on boys to make their genitalia and bodies visible, and talk about sexuality through joking, while female genitalia are rendered invisible, and girls have calm discussions about sexuality. The article shows how children navigate, negotiate, or resist such governmentality and the inequalities that result.

Gender-Based Violence against Zimbabwean Migrant Women in Botswana

This study prioritises the experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women and their human security in the context of gender-based violence in Botswana. The study utilised the social constructivism theory and the social-ecological model to provide a comprehensive understanding of how gender-based violence occurs in society and how social realities construct migrant women’s experiences. Using a qualitative research approach, secondary data was collected to investigate the gender-based violence experiences of Zimbabwean migrant women. The study found that migrant women experienced various forms of abuse, including intimate partner violence with both foreign and local partners, sexual violence and harassment in their host communities, trafficking and smuggling, and sexual abuse in detention centres, all rooted in xenophobic sentiments. Power imbalances and irregularities in structural relationships between men and women were identified as significant factors contributing to violence. The findings indicate that cultural beliefs and gender roles from the country of origin and host country contribute to migrant women’s reluctance to report or disclose their experiences of gender-based violence. Patriarchal ideologies further affect judgment towards survivors and contribute to the acceptance and normalization of gender-based violence. This study contributes to the literature on human insecurities faced by migrant women and their responses to these insecurities. It highlights the need for policies that address the underlying causes of gender-based violence and promote the empowerment of migrant women.

Monstrosity and the Search for an Identity in Frankenstein

This work provides an insightful analysis of Mary Shelley’s exploration of social norms, otherness, and acceptance in Frankenstein. It examines how Shelley challenges traditional perceptions of beauty and humanity through Victor Frankenstein's endeavour to create life, leading to moral dilemmas. The paper highlights how the creature's marginalised existence reflects social biases, driving him to retaliation. Victor's failure to acknowledge the humanity of his creation underscores themes of accountability and compassion. The paper emphasises Shelley's juxtaposition of Victor's actions and the creature's plight to expose society's inclination to ostracise deviations from the norm. Furthermore, it thoroughly examines creator-creation intricacies and the "self" versus the "other" theme, critiquing society's tendency to vilify the "other" as a monstrous entity devoid of identity and human essence and characteristics. The analysis stresses the need for understanding identity deprivation and the construction of monstrosity in society. This comprehensive examination sheds light on the intricate interplay between social norms and individual identity, urging a reevaluation of social treatment towards those perceived as different or 'other.' Through Shelley's narrative lens, the paper navigates through the complexities of moral responsibility, compassion, and social prejudices, inviting readers to reflect on the broader implications of human relationships and social constructs depicted in Frankenstein.

Religion and The Indigenous Traditions Trap: Islamic Social Construction of The Existence Traditional Rituals in Ngadas Traditional Tourism Village, East Java, Indonesia

This study analyzes the social construction of Islamic values in three religious traditions in Ngadas traditional tourism village, East Java, Indonesia. Previous research in this field has focused on developing indigenous tourism villages based on religious moderation. However, there has been no deeper research related to the social construction of Islamic values in Muslim communities amid the existence of various traditional rituals that are preserved. The purpose of this study is to find the classification of Muslim communities in Ngadas traditional tourism village in interpreting and responding to the existence of local customs rituals amid their beliefs in carrying out Islamic law. Qualitative research methods are used by in-depth interviews and observations on each religious practice and traditional ritual. The results found that various traditional rituals could not be separated from the commitment of the Tengger tribe community originating from three religions, namely Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam. In addition, this study reveals that there has been a classification of Muslim types of society into three parts, namely: a) Normative-theological-conservative; b) Sociological-pragmatic-calculative; c) Sociological-empirical-intuitive. This study recommends further research that considers the development of the muslim Tengger tribe community spread across several other regions more broadly both in terms of practice and understanding.

Learning the art of Scholarly Peer-Review: Insights from the Communication Discipline

Many scholars find the peer-review process to be a puzzling, non-transparent, and subjective exercise. Many emerging scholars also learn about the peer-review and publishing process through painful and time-consuming trial and error while still students or as early-career researchers rather than through formal training or guided supervision. Yet many pitfalls exist in this process for new and veteran scholars alike. With this study, grounded in the communication field, we aim to pull back the curtain on this opaque process and assist scholars in their publishing ambitions while also providing suggestions, primarily for journal editors and those who train future reviewers, about how the peer-review process can be improved for collective benefit. To do so, this grounded theory study reviews a year's worth of reviews from a communication journal to explore which issues reviewers identify within the submitted research, to explore how the reviewer feedback reveals their implicit understanding of their role in the peer-review process, and to identify how clear reviewers and editors are regarding which feedback is most important. Taken together, this allows for an understanding of how reviewers and editors engage in the social construction of research. The results inform the training of communication scholars, reviewers, and editors.

The need for critical and intersectional approaches to equity efforts in postgraduate medical education: A critical narrative review.

Racialised trainees in Canada and the USA continue to disproportionately experience discrimination and harassment in learning environments despite equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) reform efforts. Using critical approaches to understand what problems have been conceptualised and operationalised as EDI issues within postgraduate medical education (PGME) is important to inform ongoing learning environment reform in resident training. We conducted a critical narrative review of EDI literature from 2009-2022 using critical race theory (CRT) and the concept of intersectionality to analyse how issues of discrimination in PGME have been studied. Our search yielded 2244 articles that were narrowed down to 349 articles for relevance to Canadian and American PGME contexts. We attended to reflexivity and our positionality in analysing the database and identifying themes related to EDI reform. Interest convergence was noted in how EDI reform was rationalised primarily by increased productivity. Problems of learner representation, gender inequities and curricular problems were conceptualised as EDI issues. The role that racism played in EDI-related problems was largely invisible, as were explicit conceptualisations of race and gender as social constructs. Overall, there was a lack of critical or intersectional approaches in the literature reviewed. Misalignment was noted where studies would frame a problem through a critical lens, but then study the problem without attention to power. Interest convergence and epistemic injustice can account for the absence of critical approaches due to the alignment of existing EDI work with institutional interests and priorities. Interest convergence conceptually limits existing EDI reform efforts in PGME. CRT and intersectionality connect racialised learner experiences to systemic phenomena like racism and other forms of discrimination to challenge dominant assumptions. Because they attend to power, critical approaches are key to understanding why inequities have persisted to advance equity in learning environments for racialised and intersectionally marginalised learners.

Integrated Strategic Analytical Framework for Analysing and Improving A Bank’s Market Performance during Periods of Disruptive Competition

As the Caribbean financial market becomes increasingly competitive as a result of the increasingly more innovative fintech companies and other revolutionary traditional banks’ activities, a critical analysis of the internal and external variables and changes that can undermine a bank’s effective market performance is essential for discerning the improvement strategies that must be adopted. However, the challenge has often arisen from lack of the accurate approach for accomplishing such internal and external analysis. To fill such a gap, this study uses integrative review as one of the techniques of qualitative-content analysis to evaluate different banking performance improvement strategies and strategic management theories. Through such analysis, the study aimed to discern the integrated strategic analytical framework that can be extracted and suggested to the banking executives for analysing and improving a bank’s market performance during periods of disruptive competition. To improve a bank’s effective market performance during periods of enormous disruptions, social construction and re-construction of the merging findings imply that the accurate analysis and response to the unfolding changes in the external trends will require the banking executives to use the three frameworks’ strategic analysis to inform the competitive course of directions that the bank can undertake. The Three-Frameworks’ Strategic Analysis will require the banking executives to evaluate the stage of its industry growth stages in conjunction with the use of Porter’s “Five Forces of Industry Analysis” and Porter’s “Four Corners of Competitors’ Analysis”. Following the accurate understanding of the industry and market dynamics, findings suggest the bank executives can then craft and apply the strategies for leveraging their competitiveness whilst also countering disrupters. Such strategies would require increasing the investment in R&D to introduce novel digital banking technologies as well as the introduction of novel digital financial products/services that respond or even exceed the unfolding customer expectations. Other critical strategies would require the assimilation or nurturing and integrating the most disruptive fintech companies as part of the essential business partners. Once these strategies are being executed, it is essential the banking executives must also analyse the impacts of such strategies on the improvement of a bank’s liquidity and profitability. Basing on such insights, the study enriches the existing theories by offering the Integrated Strategic Analytical Framework that the contemporary banking executives can adopt for analysing and improving a bank’s market performance during periods of disruptive competition. However, future research can still explore how improving employees’ creativity bolsters a bank’s innovativeness to catalyse its effective market performance during periods of disruptive competition.

LETRAMENTO E LEITURA DE MUNDO: CONSIDERAÇÕES DE PAULO FREIRE SOBRE A ALFABETIZAÇÃO

Understanding that literacy must be significant, relevant and happen as a process that is inseparable from the social construction of reading and writing practices, in this article, we aim to answer: what are P. Freire's main considerations about literacy and the relationship between literacy and reading the world? We aim to present the main ideas of emancipatory literacy, from the Freirean perspective. This is a theoretical and documental study, considering writings by P. Freire and scholars of his thought on literacy and documents available in the Paulo Freire collection of the Instituto and Memorial Paulo Freire. It is concluded that P. Freire's pedagogy drives us to understand that language and reality are dynamically linked. Reading and writing, texts, words, letters, cannot mean a break with the “reading” of the world.

Social Perceptions of Masculinity and Sexual Esteem Are Impacted by Viagra Use, Testosterone, and Sexual Performance.

Sexual behaviors play a role in the social construction of masculinity. Moreover, this stereotype has been capitalized upon by pharmaceutical companies, as well as those that sell products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, for purposes of marketing sexual medicines. Stereotypical notions of masculinity, however, also emphasize the importance of self-reliance, which may cause some to look unfavorably upon the use of sexual medicine. Consistent with this notion, a male target was viewed as more masculine when his female partner consistently reached orgasm, unless he had no history of erectile dysfunction (ED), but was taking Viagra anyway (Experiment 1; N = 522). In addition, when his partner consistently reached orgasm, ratings of his sexual esteem were also lower if he used Viagra than if he did not, but only if he had no history of ED. In Experiment 2 (N = 711), although there was no effect of a male target's use of testosterone, social perception of his masculinity and sexual esteem increased as his "natural" levels of testosterone increased. In addition, exploratory analysis revealed that if the male target had low (but not normal or high) "natural" levels of testosterone, ratings of his masculinity were higher if his female partner consistently had an orgasm, which suggests that female orgasm served to "rescue" masculinity. Because expectations about drugs drive their use, it is important to address preconceived notions about the use of sexual medicines for purposes of enhancing masculinity and sexual esteem, as the social perception of their use is much more complex.

Reducing linguistic profiling of individuals with communication disabilities to enhance careers: avoiding assumptions based on speech, language and communication mode

PurposeThe paper aims to support employers in avoiding linguistic profiling of individuals with communication disabilities; thereby reducing their exclusion from the workforce. It provides employers and others in the workplace with examples of speech, language and communication differences, common false stereotypes and assumptions, and strategies to prevent and address the negative effects of linguistic profiling.Design/methodology/approachThe paper offers a general overview of linguistic profiling as it relates to individuals with communication disabilities. Pertinent examples and findings from previous literature are included to illustrate linguistic profiling across speech, language and mode of communication, and to provide recommendations for inclusive workplace practices to ensure that career success is accessible to individuals with communication disabilities.FindingsLinguistic profiling is a barrier to successful and inclusive employment for individuals with communication disabilities. Education, training and the use of inclusive practices can reduce linguistic profiling of individuals with communication disabilities in the workplace.Originality/valueThough linguistic profiling used to make inferences of social constructs such as race and gender has long been discussed, little discussion surrounds individuals with communication disabilities and the impact it has in their lives and careers. This paper uniquely highlights communication disability in the linguistic profiling discussion so that organizations can be more aware of the impact and the need to create supportive and inclusive workplace environments and in turn reduce discrimination and increase diversity.

Urban flooding and the resultant pollution: What French-speaking scientists make of it?

Flood damage has increased worldwide in recent decades with a concomitant increased risk of flood-induced pollution. From the perspective of urban political ecology, we ask whether scientists acknowledge flood-induced pollution as a problem and if so how they address it. Using a mixed-methods approach, we analyse 30 semi-structured interviews with researchers in France and Quebec. Our results show that flood pollution can be framed not only in terms of its impact on the environment and our societies, but also as a social representation that varies with the spatial context. The diversity of flood-induced pollution, whether in terms of materiality, visibility, or causation, highlights the undefined contours of flood pollution for the scientific community. We identify obstacles to the emergence of this problem in the scientific arena explained by the structuring of this arena, the vagueness of the term pollution, regulation, and individual and collective approaches to resilience. We argue that these obstacles can be overcome by considering pollution as a social construct and viewing cities in a metabolic framework.

Cardiovascular Burden of the V142I Transthyretin Variant

Individual cohort studies concur that the amyloidogenic V142I variant of the transthyretin (TTR) gene, present in 3% to 4% of US Black individuals, increases heart failure (HF) and mortality risk. Precisely defining carrier risk across relevant clinical outcomes and estimating population burden of disease are important given established and emerging targeted treatments. To better define the natural history of disease in carriers across mid to late life, assess variant modifiers, and estimate cardiovascular burden to the US population. A total of 23 338 self-reported Black participants initially free from HF were included in 4 large observational studies across the US (mean [SD], 15.5 [8.2] years of follow-up). Data analysis was performed between May 2023 and February 2024. V142I carrier status (n = 754, 3.2%). Hospitalizations for HF (including subtypes of reduced and preserved ejection fraction) and all-cause mortality. Outcomes were analyzed by generating 10-year hazard ratios for each age between 50 and 90 years. Using actuarial methods, mean survival by carrier status was estimated and applied to the 2022 US population using US Census data. Among the 23 338 participants, the mean (SD) age at baseline was 62 (9) years and 76.7% were women. Ten-year carrier risk increased for HF hospitalization by age 63 years, predominantly driven by HF with reduced ejection fraction, and 10-year all-cause mortality risk increased by age 72 years. Only age (but not sex or other select variables) modified risk with the variant, with estimated reductions in longevity ranging from 1.9 years (95% CI, 0.6-3.1) at age 50 to 2.8 years (95% CI, 2.0-3.6) at age 81. Based on these data, 435 851 estimated US Black carriers between ages 50 and 95 years are projected to cumulatively lose 957 505 years of life (95% CI, 534 475-1 380 535) due to the variant. Among self-reported Black individuals, male and female V142I carriers faced similar and substantial risk for HF hospitalization, predominantly with reduced ejection fraction, and death, with steep age-dependent penetrance. Delineating the individual contributions of, and complex interplay among, the V142I variant, ancestry, the social construct of race, and biological or social determinants of health to cardiovascular disease merits further investigation.

Understanding the social construction of juvenile delinquency: insights from semantic analysis of big-data historical newspaper collections

AbstractMassive historical newspaper collections contain rich information about the historical development of social issues and constitute a unique resource for studying the social construction of issues such as juvenile delinquency. However, manual analysis of millions of pages of newspaper articles is infeasible. In this paper, we propose a suite of computational methods, including cross-context lexical analysis, dynamic semantic analysis, and valence analysis, to facilitate the study of historical social construction. We apply these methods to ProQuest Historical Newspapers$$^{\textrm{TM}}$$ TM collection in the period of 1790–2006 to study the social construction of juvenile delinquency over this period. Our results show that the proposed methods are effective in revealing insights regarding the social construction of juvenile delinquency, leading to a better understanding of this complex issue and specific hypotheses for further study. Overall, our study shows the great promise of leveraging natural language processing techniques for analyzing historical news data to study social construction of societal issues.

Tradition and Modernity: The Interface of Clan Structures and Electoral Politics in Naga Society

This paper delves into the intricate relationship between clan structures and electoral politics within Naga society, focusing on the interface between tradition and modernity. Challenging the perception of traditional institutions as static entities, the study highlights how clan structures are not timeless but rather modern constructs, subject to reinvention and adaptation. Drawing on the works of Hobsbawm and Ranger (1983), the research explores how clan members navigate power dynamics and political influences, particularly in the context of emerging political elites. By employing a social construction approach, the author investigates how traditional clan systems influence modern electoral contestation and vice versa. Through fieldwork conducted in Phaibung Khullen village, the author, an insider researcher, examines the interplay between traditional practices and contemporary electoral processes. The findings underscore the mutual reconfiguration of clan structures and electoral politics, emphasizing the enduring influence of tradition on modern political mobilization. This study contributes to a nuanced understanding of how traditional institutions shape and are shaped by the evolving landscape of electoral contestation in Naga society, highlighting the complex interface between tradition and modernity in clan-based communities.

Revisiting the bleeding effect in historical cobalt porcelain pigments: Mechanism, influence and technical responses

The bleeding phenomenon, a persistent and widespread issue in the application of cobalt-bearing pigment during porcelain decoration, has spurred different civilisations to develop various response strategies to alleviate this problem. In this study, we challenge the prevailing hypotheses concerning the role of composition and viscosity in determining the bleeding effect on blue-and-white wares, proposing a novel physical model framing it as a diffusion process that occurs within vitreous silicate, where the severity can be qualitatively expressed using the diffusion distance. Drawing upon the phenomenological Fick's law and microscopic diffusion mechanism, we quantitatively discuss the primary physical parameters that influence the diffusion behaviour for the first time, clarifying that the diffusion of cobalt ions is not related to the medium viscosity. Moreover, compared with the microstructural features of blue decors with and without the bleeding effect, we reveal that domestic cobalt particles are all encapsulated by anorthite crystals, acting as a passivation shell to hinder the dissolution of cobalt particles. Significantly, our reinterpretation has broader archaeological implications for the bleeding effect associated with cobalt pigment in ceramics, elucidating the historical trajectories of responsive practices and the multifaceted interplay between resource form, artistic expression and technological advancement across varying environmental and cultural contexts. Overall, these responses to the bleeding effect exemplify the complexities of technological evolution, highlighting that technology is not merely an extension of technical knowledge but also functions as a form of social construction deeply intertwined with its local context. This comprehensive understanding contributes to our understanding of historical narratives in ceramics and the diversity of human ingenuity in ancient societies, with potential implications for contemporary pigment manufacture.