Social Crisis Research Articles

САМОЗВАНЧЕСТВО КАК МАРКЕР СОСТОЯНИЯ ОБЩЕСТВА

The phenomenon of imposture is considered in the article in the context of the specific state of societies where it appeared. The author pays close attention to the specifics of the perception of medieval impostors by different social groups, the ways of establishing and functioning of everyday and symbolic communication between the deceiver and his sympathisers, collective representations of justice, social order and its violations in different strata of society. The author identifies various forms of imposture — claiming belonging to another ethnicity, profession, or social class, creating fake genealogies, and using the label of impostor as a tool for defaming an opponent in polemical treatises. The goals of such deception could range from delegitimising the opponent to trying to increase one's social status or save one's own life. The author concludes that imposture is a peculiar reaction to a social crisis and simultaneously a way to bring society into balance and restore the ‘proper’ order of things.

Challenges in the diagnosis and management of patients with rare coagulation disorders in Lebanon and consequences of a social and economic crisis.

Rare coagulation disorders (RCDs) constitute an important health risk. Data on epidemiology, quality of life (QoL), access to care, and impact of the ongoing economic crisis on RCDs in Lebanon is limited. We aimed to address these gaps by evaluating effect of the crisis on themanagement of RCDs. We performed a retrospective chart review of RCD pediatric patients in a tertiary hospital between 2003 and 2023. Patients with deficiencies of fibrinogen, factor (F)II, FV, combined FV and FVIII, FVII, FXI, FXII, FXIII, and congenital deficiency of vitamin K-dependent factors (VKCFDs) underwent a qualitative assessment of the impact of the economic crisis on care and quality of life by an interview aimed at investigating obstacles to diagnosis, disparities in access to treatment, impact of the crisis on QoL and disease management, and opinion on governmental efforts to solve the health crisis. 46 patients were included. The response rate for the interview was 63%. Among the cohort, 21 (72.4%) reported difficulty accessing treatment since the start of the crisis and 18 (62%) reported "lack of healthcare coverage for necessary treatments" as the main issue. Most participants reported that the Lebanese government did not adequately address their needs during the crisis. Our study showcased that management of RCD patients in Lebanon has been severely affected by the economic crisis. Combined efforts by public and private sectors are needed to appropriately address this issue. Lessons can be learned from the Lebanese experience to appropriately screen for actionable factors in vulnerable populations.

Learning to ‘sit in the fire’: Staying with the discomfort of transformative learning

In view of the deep social and ecological crises of our time, many scholars are calling for forms of learning and change that are predicated on establishing qualitatively different relationships between human beings, and between humans and the rest of the living world, as well as on a deeper awareness of systemic social justice issues. This is notably advocated within the field of Transformative Learning. This article investigates how such forms of transformation may happen, and what factors may enable them, in the under-researched context of small and self-directed adult inquiry groups. Through the case study of a social learning evaluation conducted within one such group, enabling factors for transformative learning and the fostering of critical social consciousness are examined. The role of particular individuals within the group – ‘key enablers’ of transformative learning – is highlighted as an important social learning element in this regard, which may be particularly helpful in situations of discomfort within self-directed groups.

Physical and mental well-being of older adults: examining the impact of financial support from male migrant children on Indian left-behind parents.

Amid high youth out-migration, India's older parents face severe social, economic, psychological, and health crises due to their children's separation. However, remittances from their migrant children alleviate economic hardships, improve healthcare access, and partially compensate for their absence. So, this study examines how adult-child migration affects older parents' physical and mental health and how remittance support helps mitigate these challenges. This study used the 2011 Building a Knowledge Base on Population Ageing in India (BKPAI) dataset, the current study (n = 5122) employs bivariate statistics, logistic regression, and mediation analysis to address the objectives. Logistic regression determines the factors of self-rated health and depression, while mediation analysis is implied to understand the intermediate effect of financial support i.e. remittance on left-behind older adult health. The findings indicate that approximately 43% of the study populations were left behind, meaning they have at least one migrant child. Notably, 20% of these left-behind older adults report poor health conditions, and 17% exhibit depressive symptoms, while the poor health and having depressive symptoms were lower among the non-left-behind older adults i.e., 13% and 12% respectively. The mediation analysis indicates that the likelihood of good self-rated health increased 1.35 times through the effect of remittance, which compensates for around 55% of the total adverse effect of migration. The consistent inflow of remittances serves to alleviate the impact on household finances, ensure food security, and address medical expenses. However, it is crucial to recognize that while remittances contribute significantly to economic stability, they cannot fully replace the physical presence of adult children, especially in terms of caregiving.

Lessons from the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Perspectives in the Medico-Legal Field

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to an enormous global health, social and economic crisis. The pandemic caused considerable upheaval and considerable difficulties due to an unforeseen and devastating health condition. Materials and Methods: We discuss the numerous challenges encountered in the fields of forensic medicine and public health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Particularly during the first wave of the pandemic, forensic pathologists faced significant difficulties due to the lack of safe autopsy protocols and insufficient personal protective equipment. Mainly in Europe, they had to manage a substantial number of potential cases of medical liability related to COVID-19. The widespread outbreak of the virus in residential care homes and prisons posed another significant challenge. Furthermore, forensic pathologists had to address the issue of complications arising from vaccination campaigns. Conclusions: This article underscores the need for continued efforts in scientific research and healthcare preparedness to effectively manage such complex crises. Forensic pathologists must be equipped with the necessary resources and training to address unpredictable, complex situations with far-reaching social implications.

Experimental Study on the Acceleration Amplification Ratio of Cable Terminations for Electric Power Facilities

Among national infrastructure facilities, electric power facilities are very important sites that must maintain their functions properly even during a natural disaster or during social crises. Therefore, seismic design is required when necessary for major electric power facilities that have a significant impact when damaged in the event of an earthquake. In electric power facilities, bushings are generally installed in devices or structures. Therefore, ground acceleration can be amplified through devices, such as transformers, or sub-structures. Among various electric power facilities, cable terminations are representative cantilever-type substation facilities consisting of a bushing, a sub-structure, and support insulators. The bushings of cable terminations are generally made of porcelain or fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) materials, and they may have different dynamic characteristics. This study attempted to estimate the acceleration amplification ratio in the main positions of cable terminations considering the materials of bushings. For two cable terminations with different specifications and bushing materials, three-axis shake table tests were conducted in accordance with IEEE 693, which includes a seismic performance evaluation method for a power substation facility. The acceleration amplification ratios at the top of the bushing, mass center, and top of the support structure were estimated using the acceleration responses of each cable termination. They were then compared with the acceleration amplification factors presented in design standards. Consequently, the acceleration amplification ratio of cable termination with an FRP bushing was lower than that of the cable termination with a porcelain bushing.

A Study of the Effects of Kokoro Alate, A Crisis Resolution Programme of Agidigbo 88.7 FM Radio Station on the People of Akinyele Local Government of Oyo State

This research was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of Kokoro Alate, a crisis resolution programme on Agidigbo 88.7FM radio station, in promoting community resilience and mitigating crises in Akinyele Local Government, Oyo State.The research aimed to examine the programme's influence on listeners' perceptions and attitudes towards crisis, its effectiveness in promoting community resilience, and the challenges and opportunities associated with its implementation. A descriptive survey method was employed, targeting, 80 adults ( 50 unmarried and 30 married) selected through simple random sampling from Ajibode, Akinyele Local Governmen The study revealed that crisis management radio programs significantly influence listeners' perceptions and attitudes towards crisis, with education being the most impactful aspect. Kokoro Alate has educated a large number of people on how to conduct themselves during crises and resolve disputes. However, despite awareness of the importance of feedback, respondents hesitated to contribute, limiting the programme's effectiveness. The study concludes that crisis resolution programmes like Kokoro Alate are vital tools for combating social crises. To enhance programme effectiveness, awareness campaigns on crisis resolution programmes should be conducted.Further research is recommended to investigate reasons for low feedback and declining radio audiences. Additionally, government and private broadcasts should prioritize crisis-resolution programming. By addressing these areas, Kokoro Alate's influence can expand, enhancing community resilience and crisis management in Akinyele Local Government.

Public Computing Intellectuals in the Age of AI Crisis

The belief that AI technology is on the cusp of causing a generalized social crisis became a popular one in 2023. While there was no doubt an element of hype and exaggeration to some of these accounts, they do reflect the fact that there are troubling ramifications to this technology stack. This conjunction of shared concerns about social, political, and personal futures presaged by current developments in artificial intelligence presents the academic discipline of computing with a renewed opportunity for self-examination and reconfiguration. This position paper endeavors to do so in four sections. The first explores what is at stake for computing in the narrative of an AI crisis. The second articulates possible educational responses to this crisis and advocates for a broader analytic focus on power relations. The third section presents a novel characterization of academic computing’s field of practice, one which includes not only the discipline’s usual instrumental forms of practice but reflexive practice as well. This reflexive dimension integrates both the critical and public functions of the discipline as equal intellectual partners and a necessary component of any contemporary academic field. The final section will advocate for a conceptual archetype–the Public Computer Intellectual and its less conspicuous but still essential cousin, the Almost-Public Computer Intellectual–as a way of practically imagining the expanded possibilities of academic practice in our discipline, one that provides both self-critique and an outward-facing orientation towards the public good. It will argue that the computer education research community can play a vital role in this regard. Recommendations for pedagogical change within computing to develop more reflexive capabilities are also provided.

Exploring the Communication Impact of New Media Platforms Based on Pet-Based Short Videos

In recent years, pet short videos have attracted a large number of viewers as a popular topic, and as a result, have raised awareness of pets and stray animals. However, to shoot eye-catching video content, some creators abuse or abandon pets. These problems not only cause harm to the animals but also trigger a social crisis of trust, accompanied by ethical and legal issues. This paper explores the reasons for the popularity of pet-based short videos and the positive and negative impacts on the public and society of this issue. The study will adopt a case study research method to analyze the overall influence of pet bloggers by collecting relevant videos from short video platforms; meanwhile, popular videos and comments involving pet abuse and other incidents will be analyzed for content and public opinion. The final results of the study show that although pet short videos can effectively raise public concern about pets and stray animals, their negative ethical and social effects cannot be ignored, such as pet abuse and blind pet ownership, which hurt society. Future research should further focus on how to improve the ecology of short-form pet content thereby mitigating the negative social and animal impacts of pet-based short-form videos, thus enabling more positive impacts of video communication.

Constructing a Conformer–Explorer Identity in Pandemic Narratives: A Qualitative Study of Chinese Emerging Adults

Existing research indicates that social crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped young people’s sense of self, but little is known about what identities emerging adults construct in their pandemic narratives. Following propositions of narrative identity and Terror Management Theory, this qualitative study investigated Chinese emerging adults’ identity construction in their narratives of the national outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in late 2022. Participants were 62 college students invited to share their pandemic experiences with reflections. Thematic analysis of the data suggests that the participants shared their pandemic experiences as a process of managing their death terror activated in the pandemic which threatened their sense of self and meanwhile motivated them to reconstruct who they are in the world. Based on their meaning-making capacities, the participants disclosed death awareness and vulnerabilities, adopted a temporal perspective in storytelling, emphasized their interpersonal and social connections, and made meaning out of the pandemic experiences to defend against death terror. As an outcome of their narration, a conformer–explorer identity was constructed in their pandemic narratives and we proposed a dialectical model to capture the dynamics of the construction. Although with limitations, this study contributes to our understanding of the functions of mortality salience on narrative identity among emerging adults in collectivist cultures during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artificial intelligence – NPHIs’ role in utilizing its opportunities and addressing the risks

Abstract Issue & Problem National Public Health Institutes (NPHIs) in many countries are at the forefront of action to mitigate the impact of current and future threats to health as well as improving population health and wellbeing. Through research, collaboration, and support, NPHIs can approach these new realities together. One of the many emerging realities that NPHIs will need to engage in is how NPHIs best can utilise the powers of artificial intelligence and deal with the ethical and legal issues that come with it. Methods In preparation of IANPHI’s (International Association of National Public Health Institutes) Europe Regional network meeting in April 2024 a survey was conducted among the 42 members. 16 countries replied to questions, around e.g., 1) current applications of (generative) artificial intelligence (AI) in the work of institutes, 2) which experiences were made and 3) which measures NPHIs take to best utilize the possibilities and overcome challenges of AI technologies. Within four weeks 16 replies were shared. Lessons & Conclusions Some institutes have not yet adopted AI, while others report multiple applications but the primary areas of application vary considerably among Europe. Applications include summarizing and reformatting text; translation; transcribing and documenting meetings; search information in documents or databases; coding; creating visuals; literature review; surveillance of infectious diseases; disease forecasting; analysis of transmission dynamics; vaccine efficacy assessment and development; image recognition; diagnosis and prediction of diseases from medical datasets; text mining; symptom extraction; social listening; prediction of nitrate concentration in groundwater; drug analysis and measuring psychological resilience in social crisis. Key messages • AI poses opportunities and risks for public health and work of national public health institutes and capacity building initiatives are essential. • IANPHI decided to develop a joint framework for the use of AI in its member organisations with a focus on research and responsible use.

Transition and visual arts in Estonia 1988–1995: cultural policy, financing, legislation, and social changes

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the often-overlooked economic circumstances of artistic endeavors in Estonia from 1988 to 1995. It examines how the collapse of the Soviet Union, a deep economic crisis, the cessation of state patronage, and ultimately the downfall of the prevailing support system for art and artists – followed by a shift toward a neoliberal economy – impacted the arts and the principles governing the distribution of funds. The article covers legislative proposals and solutions introduced by the Estonian government, as well as the public discourse on economic and social crises within the art field, as reported by local newspapers.

Humanitarian Architecture in Service of Children: Designing an Orphanage for Vulnerable Children in Yaoundé

This research explores the impact of humanitarian architecture in designing an orphanage for vulnerable children in Yaoundé, Cameroon. In a context where millions of children are affected by social, economic, and political crises, particularly in Sub- Saharan Africa, humanitarian architecture emerges as a viable response to ensure their protection and well-being. The literature review highlights the key principles of humanitarian architecture, such as user-centered design, the use of local and sustainable materials, and the creation of resilient spaces in times of crisis. Through case studies, including projects in Burkina Faso and Mali, this research examines how architectural approaches can be integrated into educational and care facilities to improve the living environment of vulnerable children. The work concludes with design proposals for an orphanage in Yaoundé, focusing on adaptation to the local climate, material sustainability, and community participation, aiming to strengthen the resilience and autonomy of children.

A koronavírus-járvány társadalmi és gazdasági hatásai a határ menti térségek fejlődésére a magyar–szlovák határrégiók esetében

The Social and Economic Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on the Development of Border Regions in the Case of the Hungarian–Slovak Border Regions Borders in a given social context seem to be eternal and unchangeable, but their exact location, their permeability, their functions and the regulations assigned to them are in fact constantly changing according to the ideals of the respective societal eras. The SARS-CoV-2 neo-coronavirus infection, identified in December 2019 as the cause of Covid-19 disease, has become a global pandemic, causing a major health, economic and social crisis. The pandemic had an impact on the single market mechanisms established by the European Union, affecting freedoms—the free movement of services, goods, capital and people—and on almost every aspect of everyday life as it had been until then. In border regions, these effects were magnified. The active socio-economic interactions of the Hungarian–Slovak border regions were interrupted overnight as a result of the border traffic measures, causing significant negative changes and restructuring the functioning of cross-border processes.

Rak technologiczny w realnie zautomatyzowanym świecie

The article offers a combination of critical philosophical reflection with design science in the context of the implications of popularising generative AI systems. Challenging the validity of comparing AI to human intelligence, the text describes such consequences in reference to the “technological cancer” hypothesis stated by an astrophysicist, Aurélien Barrau, as well as drafts possible ways of fighting such a cancer. Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI), social crisis, environmental crisis, critical design, critical thinking

THE PHILOSOPHY OF FREEDOM AND ITS LIMITS: UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE OF DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT

The purpose of this research is a philosophical reflection on the category of freedom in the context of Ukraine’s democratic development, with a focus on its limits in light of current political and social challenges, particularly war and crises. The study analyzes the historical stages of the concept of freedom in Ukraine, the legal and ethical constraints placed on it, and the existential dimension of responsibility tied to individual choice. The research methods include critical analysis of philosophical and political works, synthesis of approaches from different philosophical schools (particularly liberalism and existentialism), comparative analysis of freedom and responsibility concepts, and systematic analysis of the legal and ethical challenges facing modern Ukrainian society. The results of the study reveal that the concept of freedom in Ukraine has specific historical features, related to the ongoing struggle for national independence, and dynamically changes under the influence of external threats and internal political processes. It is determined that the limits of freedom are shaped not only by legal norms but also by ethical and societal factors that actively shape Ukrainian public discourse. Special attention is given to the existential dimension of freedom as responsibility, which manifests in complex moral choices in the context of war. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the combination of historical, legal, and existentialist approaches to understanding freedom in the context of Ukrainian democratic development, providing deeper insights into the relationship between freedom and responsibility during periods of social crises. The theoretical significance of the work lies in expanding the philosophical understanding of the category of freedom within the Ukrainian context, its interaction with legal and ethical norms, which is essential for further research in political philosophy and law.

Formas não proprietárias de morar ameaçadas: despejos e remoções em São Paulo durante a pandemia de COVID-19

From the perverse conjunction between an increasing social and economic crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2022) — with rising unemployment, deteriorating incomes and increase of debt — and an unprecedent real estate boom, which caused a rise in land and rent prices, emerged new squats and an intensified number of displacements and evictions in São Paulo city, Brazil. However, the occurrence of displacement and evictions is quite invisible in the field of urban policies. This article presents the methods used by the Evictions Observatory to identify these processes, using cartography as a research method and analysis. By mobilizing data derived from different sources, we relate evictions to changes in real estate-renting dynamics that leads to the displacement of non-proprietary forms of living. We also investigated their relation with governmental plans, policies and projects which take on the role of incentivizing the market to produce new real estate products or offering rent as a service, in a context of increasing participation of real estate as financial assets and growing presence of asset managers and digital platforms in these markets.

Explaining the Taliban’s Revival: Thomas Spragens’s Crisis Theory

The revival of the Taliban and their rapid domination of Afghanistan shocked the world. It is a response to the chronic historical, political and social crises of the Afghan society, which is still in geopolitical and strategic confusion and disorder. Using the analytical descriptive method, the present study attempts to answer the question related to the causes of the reemergence of the Taliban based on Thomas Spragens’ crisis theory. The research hypothesis states that the conflict between political actors and the creation of a political deadlock has caused successive crises and political, social and security disintegration in the society. Accepting the Taliban, the Afghan people seek to solve the crisis and restore, peace, stability, order and security for themselves and their descendants. It seems that the occupation of the country, nonimplementation of Sharia laws and spread of corruption are signs of a brewing crisis caused by the weakness of the central government, lack of nation-state agreement, the spread of ethnocentrism and overdependence on America. To address these challenges, Afghans increasingly resort to Jihad and the formation of an Islamic Emirate as a possible solution.

A Detailed Case Study of Human Rights Violation in Chennai Region with Reference of Union Carbide Corporation Vs Union of India

Human rights include the expression of the need for people to be treated in a fair, decent and humane manner regardless of their ethnic, religious or racial profile. Violation of human rights involves denying human beings their basic moral rights. These violations have been part of human history, and only in the last century has a general consensus emerged that they are absolutely wrong. Perpetrators of human rights abuses range from governments, corporations and organized crime rings to communities and individuals. There are many underlying causes that lead people to violate human rights. There is a temptation to view human rights violations in a one-dimensional construct involving a very simplistic spectrum of evil versus good. The first part of this article examines the view that "human rights violators are not necessarily just evil, but may also be themselves forced into ways of behaving by external circumstances". Violations of human rights are a result of the innate evil nature of the perpetrators, who argue that there are other environmental and biological factors that drive people to commit such crimes. The second part of the paper examines the extent to which fear of the "other" drives the desire to commit war crimes against a perceived rival group. The study is based on a systematic content analysis of official documents, press releases, newspapers, articles and interviews. I quantitatively collected all available information and also identified the most frequently recurring terminology and key words, which were graphically represented whenever possible. It also consists of articles and sections as well as various steps taken as a whole or generally or individually with developments and human rights issues from time to time that help in the violation and protection of people around the world. You will find here a discussion of the issue of Kashmir, humanitarian crises during and after the conflict in Gaza between Israeli forces and Hamas in 2008-2009, the UN's view of human rights violations, the crises caused by the 2006 Lebanon war, the humanitarian disaster in the Darfur province of Sudan (2003- 2010); and finally the political, social and economic crisis in Zimbabwe (2001–2010). The case studies analyzed in this research report reveal a number of similar trends as well as some notable differences. As such, they restrict civil liberties to prevent the emergence and mobilization of dissent in society. Moreover, human rights are at the heart of the European integration process (which was built on the ashes of civil war and genocide) and its long-term aspirations. The fundamental recognition of human rights is therefore always reflected in the EU's foreign policy and external relations.

Embedding Sustainability across a Teacher Education Course: Teacher Educator Experiences

Abstract Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) remains an urgent priority to combat the numerous social, environmental and political crises prominent in the 21st century. This article shares the experiences of teacher educators who integrated ESD into discipline-specific units of study for pre-service teachers. Using a collaborative auto-ethnographic approach, we explore how curriculum change for ESD was navigated and discuss how institutional support was essential for providing legitimacy and necessary resources. Drawing on Noddings’ approach to ethics of care, we emphasise the significance of valuing the perspectives and experiences of stakeholders involved in curriculum change and advocate for inclusive and responsive approaches that engage individuals meaningfully throughout the process.