Social Construction Of Reality Research Articles

Avatars at Risk: Exploring Public Response to Sexual Violence in Immersive Digital Spaces

As the metaverse emerges as a new frontier of human interaction, understanding public perceptions of crime in virtual spaces becomes crucial. This study delves into public perceptions of such crimes, focusing on reported incidents of sexual assault in virtual reality environments. We uncover complex dynamics, shaping threat perception in immersive digital realms by analysing YouTube comments through an innovative mixed-methods approach combining machine learning and empirical analysis. Our findings reveal that social norms and expectations are pivotal in influencing perceptions of threats, while technology-mediated interactions correlate with reduced perceived risks. Surprisingly, the oft-discussed blurring of virtual and physical realities shows no significant impact on threat perception. This research contributes to the expanding literature on the social construction of reality and public perception of emerging technologies. The results have implications for the development and governance of metaverse platforms, highlighting the necessity for comprehensive user education initiatives and culturally sensitive approaches to community guidelines and safety features.

The Construction of Social Inequality Reality Among Characters in the Drama Pyramid Game

This study examines the construction of social inequality among characters in the drama Pyramid Game using Peter Berger’s social construction theory and Charles S. Peirce’s semiotics. The research aims to analyze how visual and linguistic elements reflect social inequality between the characters. A descriptive qualitative analysis was employed, focusing on scenes depicting social inequality. The findings show that externalization is evident in actions and dialogues that demonstrate the enforcement of social rules and hierarchies. Objectivation is reflected in the shared acceptance of social inequality as a recognized reality, while internalization is observed in how the characters adapt to their roles within the social hierarchy. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of social inequality in the context of the drama.

Ded Moroz (Father Frost) as a social construct of childhood and society

The article proposes to expand the understanding of the fairy-tale wizard Ded Moroz (Father Frost) as a myth and cultural and symbolic image using sociological approaches. As an analysis methodology, the concept of social construction of reality was applied, which made it possible to characterize the social construct «Ded Moroz (Father Frost)», which performs numerous social functions for the adult population and additional, specific for children. The main functions include participation in the formation of national identity, traditions, political distinction, economic, educational, educational, socializing, additionally described as an incentive in projective research methods. Arguments are presented to prove that Ded Moroz (Father Frost) is not only an attribute of the cultural heritage of Russia, but also unites numerous ideas, social practices of children and the organization of the child's daily space, promotes the socialization of the modern young generation, participates in the intergenerational transmission of values and identity. The subjects and mechanisms of constructing processes, levels and possibilities of application in the periodization of childhood are highlighted. With the help of a representative empirical study of 2023 estimates by young people of the eventfulness of their childhood, including the situation of loss of faith in Ded Moroz (Father Frost) (average age 9.1 years), conclusions were drawn about social factors of stability and variability of the age of debunking the myth of the reality of the fairy-tale hero. Some hypotheses have been proposed for further research, including the new role of a «social worker and social defender» for Ded Moroz (Father Frost), the artificial lengthening of the period of trust in the fairy-tale character by the children themselves in order to receive gifts and entertainment.

The Pictorial Turn and Visual Rhetoric: Analyzing Image Agency and Persuasion in Contemporary Media

In a time where the role of the image within academic and cultural contexts is undergoing a paradigm shift, especially since the notion of the pictorial turn proposed by the American art historian W J T Mitchell, the following paper will argue that the image is not only a passive representation, but has also become an active force in the construction of social realities, public opinion and the formation of subjectivity. The theory of image agency by Mitchell will be discussed in order to explain how images in political propaganda, social movements and advertising are used to either reaffirm or challenge hegemonic decisions. Examples such as the poster Rosie the Riveter and the advertisement If Youre Not Fast, Youre Food by Timberland will be used to illustrate the persuasive power of the image in modern communication. The proliferation of digital platforms such as Instagram or TikTok, which support a predominantly visual mode of communication, will be discussed in order to demonstrate how images come with an expanded force of impact. In this manner, the conclusion will underline that image studies and visual rhetoric are of utmost importance to an understanding of the contemporary information dissemination.

Pembingkaian Media Dalam Perpektif Hak Asasi Manusia Terhadap Kasus Intoleransi Beragama dan Berkeyakinan di Masa Pandemi

Coverage of the issue of violations Religion and Belief Freedom during the pandemic is not free from the bias of journalists and mass media. The issue, which is reported inaccurately and sometimes tends to sharpen existing differences in society. It should then be able to provide an overview to the public on how to understand differences amidst the pandemic. Detik.com, as a popular mainstream online media in Indonesia, has the advantage of distributing news quickly. Coverage of the issue of violations is quite common in detik.com. This study focuses on examining how the news texts regarding the issue during pandemic are constructed by detik.com using the framing analysis method of Zhongdang Pan and Gerald M. Kosicki. In this study, the researcher uses the theory of the construction of social reality and views it from the perspective of Human Rights. This aims to see how detik.com constructs its news texts regarding the issue during the pandemic. Based on the research results, detik.com tends to be more biased towards the victims, as seen from most prominent structural units emphasized by detik.com when constructing news texts regarding the issue violations, such as headlines, leads, background information, quotes from sources, statements, details, and lexicon.

Media construction of pseudo-events: Lula da Silva at the Portugal’s parliament during a historic annual celebration

The Carnation Revolution (25th April 1974) has changed the course of Portugal, leading it to transition from an autocratic to a democratic Government. Every year, celebrations are conducted at the national Parliament. In 2023, it counted with another guest: Lula da Silva, Brazil’s ongoing president. Considering the notion of cultural memory and media construction of social reality through media events, this article notes Lula da Silva’s presence and exceptional address was portrayed on newspaper front pages of several journalistic media outlets. Therefore, it aims at understanding meaning and discourse production with Lula da Silva’s visit to Portugal on the 25th April 2023 through media coverage and first page highlight. Lula da Silva is noticed by the front pages under analysis as a controversial, entertaining, and eventful celebrity linked to specific positioned actors that is invited to the Parliament and prompts indirectly and directly discontentment and, at the same time, support. Also, it discusses how such spotlight over Lula da Silva turned that visit and Parliament’s address it into a pseudo-event. Adopting a Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis approach, this research work intends to offer a multimodal eye upon those front pages and critically reflect on populism, coloniality, cultural memory, and journalism.

The Social Construction of Sustainable Reality by Cultural Engagement with Climate Change

The Social Construction of Sustainable Reality by Cultural Engagement with Climate Change

Влияние автоматизации цифровых процессов в медиа на формирование потребительского поведения молодежи

Digitalization and automation of media affect the consumer behavior of young journalists and bloggers. The research revealed the corresponding strategic vectors of social constructs in young people’s consumer behavior. It relied on the social construction of reality developed by P. Berger and T. Luckmann, as well as on the reality of mass media by N. Luhmann. The main methods of empirical research included: 1) literature reviews and secondary analysis of research on digital marketing and its impact on consumer behavior; 2) observation and analysis of the behavior of university students and young professionals in online environment. The consumer behavior demonstrated such trends as social mobility; life changes, innovation, and experimentation; rapid suggestibility and gullibility. Young people proved to be active users of modern media; they were attracted mostly to entertainment content, i.e., videos, music, podcasts, games, etc., as well as to educational platforms. The authors described and classified the basic tools employed by content creators in the context of media automation. The study revealed an increase in major threats and risks associated with the fundamental lack of public control in the digital environment, where the final content is shaped by automated processes and artificial intelligence.

Penggambaran Perselingkuhan Pada Web Series Layangan Putus

At the end of 2021, Layangan Putus web series, which is based on the true story of a woman, went viral and was liked by many people. Layangan Putus tells the story of a harmonious domestic life that begins to fall apart with the emergence of a third person, the relationship eventually becomes a toxic relationship. This study aims to determine of infidelity in the web series Layangan Putus by using a qualitative descriptive method based on the theory of Social Reality Construction by analyzing signs based on Peirce's semiotic analysis, namely sign, object and interpretant. The results of this study show a picture of Aris's infidelity such as betrayal, having intimate relationships, giving gifts, hugging and kissing other women besides his wife.

Heterogeneous Sex Dolls: Outlining a Sociology of Knowledge Approach to the Abject

AbstractThis paper explores the integration of Julia Kristeva’s concept of abjection into the sociology of knowledge, with a particular focus on the cultural phenomenon of hyperrealistic sex dolls. Employing a unique methodological approach, this paper interprets Kristeva’s Powers of Horror through Berger and Luckmann’s The Social Construction of Reality by utilizing two observation-based vignettes. It proposes a novel translation of the abject, typically a psychoanalytic concept, into empirical research frameworks that traditionally emphasize everyday reality. This synthesis extends the boundaries of a sociology of knowledge by incorporating affective responses to transgressive phenomena. The findings suggest that pre-recognition psychoanalytic concepts can significantly broaden the theoretical scope of sociology, offering new lenses to examine events and affects that lie beyond conventional sociological analysis.

Цифровое моделирование интерсубъективности в социальном конструировании и феноменологических анализах мира повседневности

The widespread introduction of digital information and communication tech­nologies is changing the very nature of interpersonal and mass social interaction, creating new practices, meanings and forms of intersubjectivity. The article ana­lyzes a number of approaches to the creation of general artificial intelligence (AGI) systems based on the convergence of methods of phenomenological ana­lysis of intentional structures of intersubjectivity with technologies for creating and training artificial neural network systems of generative intelligence – Chat­GPT. It is shown that one of the most promising areas of constructing the cogni­tive architecture of AGI is the theory of frames as modeling schemes or matrices of stereotypical organization and interpretation of everyday experience. This conclusion is based on the fact that frames, as well as the procedures for swit­ching and configuring them, act as a kind of “spiritual automata” that control typical behavior of people in typical situations. The dual role of digital platforms in the social construction of reality is shown. On the one hand, digital platforms allow users to realize their aspirations and express the uniqueness of their indi­viduality, facilitate access to information, etc. On the other hand, our digital alter Ego, generated by intelligent systems, acquires the ability to recursively target, direct and control our thinking, motivations, emotional reactions, etc. The direct digital access to our spiritual life is not an inevitable consequence of the intro­duction of digital technologies into the world of everyday life, but a political project that can and should be sought for effective alternatives

El impacto de los contenidos generados por IA en la comunicación digital y su influencia en la formación de imaginarios sociales

En este artículo se reflexiona sobre cómo la creciente presencia de contenidos generados por Inteligencia Artificial (IA) en los espacios digitales está transformando la comunicación y la formación de imaginarios sociales. Se exploran las preocupaciones actuales, como la "Dead Internet Theory", que sugiere que gran parte del contenido en línea es generado por bots y algoritmos, y cómo esto influye en la percepción de autenticidad y en la naturaleza "social" de las redes sociales. A través de una revisión de conceptos clave y un análisis crítico, se busca comprender las implicaciones de esta tendencia en la construcción de la realidad social y en el futuro de la comunicación digital.

Cohabitation Attitudes and Behaviours of Undergraduate Students in Taraba State, Nigeria: The Mediating Role of Social Media and Peer Pressure

This study examines the impact of social-media and peer pressure on attitudes and behavior of undergraduate students towards cohabitation. The study sampled 1,970 undergraduate students from three universities in Taraba State, Nigeria. Data was collected with an online questionnaire. The study adopts social learning theory and Berger and Luckman’s social construction of reality. The data was analyzed using multiple regression and mediation analysis. The results reveal significant positive effects of attitudes towards cohabitation, social media use, and peer pressure on behaviours towards cohabitation. The finding revealed that a one-unit increase in attitudes towards cohabitation corresponds to a 0.41-unit increase in cohabitation behaviours. It also revealed that, a one-unit increase in social media use and peer pressure leads to a 0.21-unit and 0.25-unit increase, respectively, in cohabitation behaviours. Furthermore, the study shows that age negatively affects cohabitation behaviours, indicating a decrease in behaviours as age increases. The mediation analysis reveals that attitudes towards cohabitation significantly predict behaviors towards cohabitation (coefficient = 0.26 P <0.001). The study further revealed that social media use and peer pressure partially mediate the relationship between attitudes and behaviours towards cohabitation (0.19 (P< 0.001) with a 95% confidence interval of 0.14, 0.24). The study concludes that social media use and peer pressure play essential roles in shaping attitudes towards cohabitation and cohabiting behaviour among undergraduates in Taraba State.

How is feedback perceived by Brazilian students and faculty from a nursing school?

AimThis study aims to explore the perceptions of feedback among undergraduate students and faculty members at a Brazilian private nursing school. BackgroundFeedback plays a crucial role in the socioemotional development of learners, with its interpretation varying across different sociocultural contexts. Student evaluations frequently express dissatisfaction regarding both the quality and quantity of feedback received. Conversely, delivering feedback poses a challenge for faculty, requiring the establishment of an empathetic connection that fosters trust and credibility. Brazil, being a developing country characterized by social disparities and economic challenges, presents a unique backdrop for examining feedback dynamics. DesignQualitative research, employing Inductive Content Analysis, was used to understand feedback perceptions in Brazilian nursing education. Symbolic interactionism was adopted as methodological framework and guided data interpretation. MethodsWe carried out five virtual focus groups composed of a group of teachers (n=5) and four of students (n=34). Semi-structured interviews guided data collection. The recorded sessions were subsequently analyzed to identify key themes and codes. Symbolic interactionism was employed as a framework to derive meaning from qualitative data. ResultsContent analysis generated two categories that reveal the perception of teachers and students in the feedback process. The first, called “Feedback in Education: Sociocultural Influences for Students and Teachers”, expresses the beliefs and interpretations of students and teachers within the shared feedback environment. The second called “Challenging resonance, transformative construction: Navigating the dualities of feedback for teachers and students”, which elucidated how relational dynamics shape behaviors and attitudes, promoting the development of social skills and learning. Faculty's previous feedback experiences significantly influence their self-perception and behavior with students. As a result of the resonance of these past interactions, we recognize that the teaching self also plays a crucial role in the quality and perception of feedback. Furthermore, students construct social reality with similar beliefs and values, they believe in the learning potential generated by feedback. Our findings also corroborate that perceptions of feedback are deeply influenced by the sociocultural context and the narratives corroborate previous findings indicating that, in Brazil, honest feedback can be implicitly perceived as criticism rather than an opportunity for growth. ConclusionsFaculty members often draw on their past experiences when providing feedback, highlighting the adaptive nature of feedback interactions. Additionally, the feedback process is consistently influenced by the commitment to maintaining positive relationships with students. Students recognize the constructive dimension of feedback as a valuable tool for learning and personal growth.

Imaginary and Symbolic Forms of Water between Spirit and Culture

Water is a theme connected to human and social development, not only biologically but also in terms of cultural and identity processes; surprisingly, studies that discuss water from a sociocultural/sociological perspective are scarce. The foundational role of water in the construction of social reality should be highlighted: as a matter of fact, thanks to it identity processes develop, and the realisation of the relationship between human beings and the environment, and between culture and nature, occurs. The relationship with water as a primordial substance tied to the roots of existence pertains to the physiological as well as the historical development of societies. Historically, societies see the presence of water in their territories as an indispensable element for establishing the foundations of civilisations, and a central criterion for setting the bases of development. With regards to the management of territorial resources, it should be noted that, although water is a primary resource, it is not available everywhere. Humans had to struggle to secure reliable water sources, using techniques derived from millenary knowledge systems, which enabled individuals and communities to live and survive in times of abundance and scarcity, tumultuousness and poor health. Past narratives and ethnographies related to traditional communities link symbols to history, productive forms, and material constraints due to the physical factors of the environment. Water is a foundational element of the cosmogonic and theogonic myths that governed the evolution of ancient genealogies and epistemologies. For its intrinsic virtues, water is considered a living and beneficial force: it is hard to find another substance that can at the same time wash away guilt, eliminate impurities, refresh and reinvigorate weary souls, and promise renewal and existential rebirth. Starting from these premises, the essay deals with the theme of water, a humble substance with complex implications, considering the foundations of culture, and analyzing the natural element from a sociological perspective with reference to myths of origins, naturalistic philosophical conceptions, and imaginary, up to and including aspects related to religiosity, to get to the roots of identity.

Villain to Antihero

Identity and reality are socially constructed and maintained by both the individual and society. A primary way this occurs is through a process where people adjust their behaviors to meet the expectations of those around them and fit into an assigned place in life. People are not the sole creators of their destinies or their identities. Instead, their choices and how they develop identity are accomplished through social structures, interactions with others, and language used. Whenever people experience an event that damages their identity—like a history of substance abuse—they have difficulty redeeming themself and restoring their reality primarily because society is reluctant to let the person move past the injured or addicted identity. The author utilizes autoethnography and the idea of the antihero to show the social process where a spoiled identity can be reinterpreted into a new one. The article relies on dramaturgical analysis and the concept of social construction of reality, world-building, and world-maintaining. The author explores how his struggle with alcohol and subsequent religious conversion to Evangelical Christianity helped him establish a new identity, interpret previous mistakes, and build supportive connections. This study is significant because it emphasizes the sociological aspects of identity creation and restoration instead of individual ones.

FREQUENT CONCEPTUAL METAPHORS BY THE FORMATION OF THE IRAQ IMAGE IN THE GERMAN FEDERAL MEDIA

The conceptual metaphor as a linguistic phenomenon defining our perception and evaluation has a rich research tradition. Against the background of modern selective ideologized information and information fatigue of the mass addressee, interest in conceptual metaphor as a tool for discursive construction of social reality, including the formation and replication of the media image of the country, its stereotyping, is increasing. The purpose of the study is to identify the leading conceptual metaphors in the formation of the image of Iraq in the German federal media, to characterize their nominative fields, to identify the features they introduce into the portrait of the country. Methodology. The material of the analysis is the publications of the German federal media devoted to Iraq in the period from 2019 to the present. The object of the analysis is the contexts selected by the continuous sampling method for the implementation of frequency conceptual metaphors. Contextual, definitional analysis and quantitative calculations are used. Results. As the main conceptual metaphors involved in the formation of the image of Iraq, the metaphors "Iraq is a place of uncontrolled power", "Iraq is a living being", "Iraq is an incomplete whole", "Iraq is a theater" are highlighted. The first metaphor is dominant in terms of frequency and density of the nominative field; the least productive is the last of the named metaphors. Metaphors are implemented by constituents of certain semantic fields, and they introduce significant features into the created portrait of the country. Practical implications. The results obtained contribute to the further development of imagology, the study of discursive, metaphorical construction of reality, the relationship of mental, linguistic and social processes; they can be used in the training of specialists in the field of political communication, monitoring of media and social processes, and can also be useful to political technologists.

Internalizing Pancasila Values among the Younger Generation in Jakarta in the Context of the 2024 Presidential Election in Indonesia

The internalization of Pancasila values among the younger generation is significant for a more in-depth study ahead of the 2024 presidential election in Indonesia. This has become a hot issue as material for study, especially after the 2024 presidential and vice presidential candidate debate took place. This research aims at 3 things: First, to inform the importance of internalizing the Pancasila values among the younger generation to welcome the 2024 election; Second, to instill Pancasila values in the younger generation in responding to currently developing political dynamics; Third, to strengthen implementation of Pancasila values in political ethics by socializing them among the younger generation to realize peaceful elections in 2024. The mixed method used for this research is quantitative data collection, using qualitative descriptive techniques with text analysis. The distribution of questionnaires conducted directly and online is based on the theory of social reality construction, with the concept of internalization being the focus. This research shows 3 things: First, the younger generation received information regarding the importance of internalizing Pancasila values in creating peaceful elections in 2024. Second, researchers succeeded in socializing the effort to instil Pancasila values in the younger generation in responding to political dynamics in the 2024 elections. Third, ethical politics in peaceful elections have been socialized by strengthening Pancasila values to make the situation more conducive to implementing peaceful elections. It is hoped that this research can become a consistent and sustainable national movement for the upcoming elections and prepare the younger generation to have a peaceful and constructive mentality.

K-Pop Fandom and Beauty Trends: Investigating the Engagement of Young Urban Indian Women with BTS

The Korean wave (Hallyu) has emerged as a global phenomenon spreading to many countries including India since the nineties. In the initial phase, Korean dramas attracted international attention, after which Korean pop music took the world by storm. With the rising popularity of K-pop in India (Jiju, 2023), it is essential to understand the influence it carries on Indian fans. This paper delves into understanding how K-Pop has influenced ideas about beauty among young adults in Vadodara, a cosmopolitan town located in the western Indian state of Gujarat. Three focus group discussions were carried out with fifteen youngsters who identified as K-pop fans, particularly of BTS (Bangtan Boys), a South Korean boy band formed in 2013. The research design adopted for this study was qualitative and exploratory. Theoretical underpinnings informed by The Social Construction of Reality (Berger & Luckman,1966) and The Juggernaut of Modernity (Giddens, 1990) were used to examine the influence of K-Pop consumption on ideas about beauty in the context of fandom culture. The findings reveal no significant influence on beauty-related values and ideals. However, K-pop does have a positive bearing on other aspects of the lives of its fans such as challenging stereotypes, promoting self-love, addressing social problems, and positive impact on individual personality. In addition, a shift in fashion ideals is observed indicating a growing trend of Korean-inspired fashion trends.

Journalistic Storytelling for Social Justice: A CDA of Global News Coverage of the Otodo Gbame Forced Evictions in Nigeria

ABSTRACT Despite the growing discourse on forced evictions around the world, very limited scholarship has explored the constitution, replication and/or transformation of a discourse of urban development and forced evictions in journalistic work. This study investigates the global news coverage of state-sanctioned forced evictions of Otodo Gbame community in Lagos, Nigeria—with specific attention to journalistic discursive construction of urban development and the reproduction of hierarchies of worth in journalistic work. Critical discourse analysis of 17 journalistic texts published online by national and foreign news media organisations during the Otodo Gbame forced evictions (November 2016–April 2017) revealed journalists positioned Otodo Gbame residents at the bottom of a hierarchical social order and as victims of an unfortunate circumstance without transforming that discourse into possibilities for social and environmental justice. Journalists prioritised institutional voices, used passive construction and detached expressive mode to downplay the social implications of state-sanctioned forced evictions, and reproduced hierarchies of worth in journalism and broader society. Considering journalism plays a crucial role in the social construction of reality, this study offers insights and directions for journalistic role expansion and the transformation of conceived journalistic roles into meaningful practice.