Social Ecology Research Articles

The Rhesus Macaque as an Animal Model for Human Nutrition: An Ecological-Evolutionary Perspective

Nutrition is a complex and contested area in biomedicine, which requires diverse evidence sources. Nonhuman primate models are considered an important biomedical research tool because of their biological similarities to humans, but they are typically used with little explicit consideration of their ecology and evolution. Using the rhesus macaque (RM), we consider the potential of nutritional ecology for enriching the use of primates as models for human nutrition. We introduce some relevant aspects of RM evolutionary and social ecology and discuss two examples where they have been used in biomedical research: obesity and aging. We next consider how insights from nutritional ecology can help inform and direct the use of RM as a biomedical model. We conclude by illustrating how conceptual tools might inform the use of RM as a model for human nutrition and extracting insights from RM that might be relevant to broader theoretical considerations around animal model systems.

The ecology of relatedness: How living around family (or not) matters.

How does living in an environment with many or few family relatives shape our psychology? Here, we draw upon ideas from behavioral ecology to explore the psychological effects of ecological relatedness-the prevalence of family relatives in one's environment. We present six studies, both correlational and experimental, that examine this. In general, people and populations that live in ecologies with more family relatives (Studies 1-4b), or who imagine themselves to be living in such ecologies (Studies 2/3a/3b/4b), engage in more extreme pro-group behavior (e.g., being willing to go to war for their country), hold more interdependent self-concepts, are more punishing of antisocial behaviors (e.g., support the death penalty for murder), identify themselves as more connected to and trust nearby groups (e.g., their community and neighbors) but less so distant groups (e.g., foreigners, the world), and also judge sibling incest as more morally wrong. These effects are examined across three countries (the United States, Ghana, the Philippines) and are robust to a range of controls and alternative explanations (e.g., ingroup preferences, familiarity effects, kinship intensity). The current work highlights the psychological effects of an underexamined dimension of our social ecology, provides a set of methods for studying it, and holds implications for understanding the ecological origins of a range of social behaviors and cultural differences. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Belief Formation: A Cultural Evolutionary Lens

This paper investigates changes in belief and their evolution in relation to the paradigm of cultural evolution. It underlines the interaction of the environmental factor with the social dynamic. The model proposed herein is extremely widespread and involves the creation, maintenance, and diffusion of beliefs that afford a perspective on how such processes influence individual and collective psychological constructs. By synthesizing theories in the fields of biology, anthropology, and psychology, this research will argue that cultural evolution is one key mechanism able to explain both diversity and variability in human belief. The examination suggests that beliefs cannot be cast solely as some sort of passive variant of personal cognition; instead, they are actively generated by cultural dynamics and social learning techniques such as imitation and instruction. It is a book that places more emphasis on the role of political ideology in accepting scientific evidence and shows how directed reasoning leads to the perpetuation of noxious beliefs. It then investigates transfer biases supporting the reproduction of cultural traits across successive generations, hence affecting social structure and any effort of cooperation. This may lead to a nuanced grasp of how beliefs can be advantageous or disastrous, considering the prevailing social structures and ecology within which they live. Based on the wealth of research regarding under what circumstances beliefs arise and spread, this paper examines from a critical perspective psychological processes of belief systems and what they might portend for human behavior and social organization.

Prevalence of gun carrying and gun violence victimization and perpetration among a nationally representative sample of US youth and young adults

IntroductionGuns were one of the leading cause of death in children and youth 0 to 24 years old in the US over the last decade, with large variations by gender, race, region and income. This paper examines rates of gun involvement for a group of youth and young adults in the US from ages 10-34 across major demographic and background factors. MethodsA cross-sectional nationally representative survey of participants recruited through an ongoing national research panel. Completed surveys were collected from 5,311 participants from September 2023 to January 2024. ResultsLifetime rates for carrying guns was 26.7%, gun violence victimization rates was 9.5% and gun violence perpetration rates was 3.3%. High levels of past year involvement with guns and gun violence were observed, with 13.9% carrying guns, gun violence victimization of 2.5% and gun violence perpetration of 0.9%. Even more concerning, data indicate that 7.6% of the participants reported carrying a gun before age 18, 5.2% experienced gun violence victimization, and 1.8% perpetrated gun violence. Gun carrying/violence was higher by demographics, with a statistically significant difference for all demographic subgroups on at least one gun outcome. ConclusionsHigh levels of exposure to guns and gun violence are experienced among a nationally representative population of young Americans, with rates varying considerably by demographic factors. Based on these demographic disparities in gun involvement, more work is needed to address community and other risk and protective factors across different levels of the social ecology, such as structural inequities, associated with gun violence.

Education System for Indigenous Communities: A Review of Social Ecology

This research aims to integrate traditional knowledge in the formal education system of indigenous communities, improve access, and preserve local culture. The methods used involve interviews, observations, and reviews of local education policies. Local governments and indigenous community leaders were involved in the reform process to develop a bilingual curriculum that respects local languages and traditions. The results of the study show that socially and ecologically relevant education can increase student participation, strengthen cultural identity, and support environmental sustainability. The policy implications underscore the importance of collaboration between the government and communities in sustainable indigenous education planning.

Local Supports to Break the Cycle: A Description of Intersectional Interventions to Address Adverse Childhood Experiences and Drug Overdose.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), substance use disorders (SUDs), and overdose are interconnected issues impacting individuals and communities at multiple levels of the social ecology and across generations. Few studies describe approaches that intentionally and simultaneously address these issues. This paper examines activities of 15 sites across the country that were designed to simultaneously prevent ACEs, SUD, and overdose. This paper describes the work at the intersection as well as gaps and opportunities. Describing ways to implement intersectional programming may assist other organizations in taking similar steps in their communities. From December 2020 through July 15, 2023, funded sites received technical assistance from the National Association of County and City Health Officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for 18months to support the implementation, adaptation, and/or expansion of evidence-based programs to address ACEs, SUD, and overdose. Activities were coded to identify intersectional interventions that addressed ACEs, SUD, and overdose. Most of the ACEs prevention strategies and overdose prevention priority areas/guiding principles from which communities could choose were represented. Most activities were implemented with caregivers and families and addressed ACEs through interventions to lessen harm or to promote social norms. Primary prevention and coordination of resources were the most used overdose prevention priority area/guiding principle. It is possible to address the intersection of ACEs, SUD, and overdose on a local level. Opportunities to further address the intersection include incorporating more secondary and tertiary prevention strategies, expanding economic supports, and increasing the work focused on equity.

Understanding the aims of education from a perspective of social ecology

Introduction. The article discusses the features of approaches to understanding issues in the philosophy of education, based on the principles and data of social ecology. Such environmentalist approaches, anticipated in E. Haeckel’s works, are actively developing today, which is reflected, in particular, in the existence of specialized periodicals and the formation of special thematic spaces for discussion.Purpose setting. The authors attempt to identify the socio- philosophical foundations of environmentalist approaches to education. At the center of the discussion presented in the article are environmentalist judgments regarding the question of the goals of education.Methodology and methods of the study. To solve this problem, the authors carry out a content-critical and comparative analysis of environmental solutions presented in domestic and foreign literature.Results. It is shown that from a socio-philosophical point of view, the environmentalist understanding of the relationship between the spheres of public life is not without interest. Many of the supporters of this direction make critical judgments regarding the influence of economic social institutions on the functioning of society and its development. Environmental problems, for which the educational transformations proposed by environmentalists are aimed at finding solutions, are determined from their point of view by social factors. In fact, environmental themes are used by environmentalists to argue for different views on education, based on differing attitudes not only of a theoretical but also of a political nature.Conclusion. The analysis carried out shows that it is advisable to consider environmentalism and social ecological philosophy of education as a thematically homogeneous complex of substantively different solutions. Such approaches are the result of reflection on the classical problems of philosophy of education with the help of «ecological» values and cognitive attitudes.

Radical care in displacement: Rohingya women’s activism amidst neoliberal humanitarianism and repression

ABSTRACT This paper examines the activism and care work of Rohingya women in displacement settings, focusing on grassroots efforts in Cox’s Bazar refugee camps and transnational advocacy by diaspora activists. Drawing on 43 in-depth interviews and applying a feminist ethics of care framework, we argue that these women's activism constitutes a form of radical care that challenges both neoliberal humanitarian practices and repressive state policies. Rohingya women activists forge networks of solidarity and empowerment that extend beyond conventional humanitarian interventions, providing emotional support and shared experiences that contribute to the social ecology of care for refugee women. Their grassroots work contests the neoliberal emphasis on individual self-reliance, instead highlighting the vital role of relational care in fostering collective resilience. However, these activists face significant risks from multiple sources, including state repression, community backlash, and online harassment. They employ strategies such as ‘strategic invisibility’ and digital activism to navigate these dangers. Despite the transformative potential of their work, it remains systematically undervalued, leaving activists vulnerable to burnout and depletion. By centering the experiences and agency of Rohingya women, this study reveals a complex landscape of resistance, care, and empowerment, offering insights into how refugee women create change amidst intersecting forms of oppression.

Analysis Of Social Media Promotion and Marketing Strategies for Disney Movies: A Case Study on Zootopia & Frozen 2

This study aims to deeply analyze the successful strategies of Disney movies in social media marketing, taking “Zootopia” and “Frozen 2” as case studies. With the expansion of the global movie market and the diversification of audience demand, animated movies are highly competitive, and Disney occupies a leading position with its strong strength and perfect network. The study first introduces the background of The Walt Disney Company, explaining the study's purpose and significance and the framework. Then it analyzes the global influence and marketing strategy of “Zootopia” respectively, including its background, the current fire situation, social media promotion techniques innovative parts, and offline promotion strategy. Then the background, audience reaction, social media promotion methods, and effects of Frozen 2 are discussed. It then compares the differences and changes in the marketing strategies of the two films, including social media strategies, offline promotion focus, cross-border cooperation methods, etc. It also discusses the evolution of marketing strategies, such as digital transformation, emphasizing user-generated content, exploring the application of new technologies, etc., as well as cross-cultural communication strategies. Finally, suggestions and expectations for movie marketing in the digital era are given, including strengthening innovation, building a social interaction ecology, pursuing content quality, and deepening cross-cultural communication strategies. The study summarizes the results, points out the limitations, and offers an outlook on future research directions, providing valuable experience and inspiration for the film industry.

The Realistic Dilemmas and Solutions of Youth Ideological and Political Education in the Digital Age

As the backbone of society and the hope for the future, the ideological dynamics and values of young people are directly related to the future destiny of the country and the harmony and stability of society. In the context of the digital era, youth ideological and political education is facing the challenges of the loss of youth values in the flood of information, the alienation of youth from real people due to their addiction to virtual socialization, and the disconnection between the traditional education model and the digital era. In the face of the practical difficulties brought by the digital era, it is necessary to place the ideological and political education of youth in a broader social context and historical process, and respond to them by improving the information literacy of youth and cultivating critical thinking, optimizing the social ecology and leading the positive development of network culture, and integrating online and offline and revamping the mode of ideological and political education, in order to better satisfy the needs of the youth for growing up and becoming successful and to cultivate the all-round development of young people. The youth of all-round development will be fostered.

Exploratory mixed methods investigation of time commitment in youth sport and physical activity: families’ experiences and satisfaction during the pandemic, and intentions for post-pandemic engagement

ABSTRACT Purpose/rationale: The COVID-19 pandemic drastically changed families’ time commitments for youth sport and physical activity (SPA). Guided by Social Ecology Theory, experiences and associated levels of satisfaction with these changes are explored, as well as intentions for post-pandemic engagement. Design/methodology/approach: Interviews with families (n = 14) informed the creation of a questionnaire that was distributed to 550 Ontarian families. Findings: Parents were satisfied with lower time commitment of youth SPA during the pandemic and would have liked to engage in less travel for youth SPA and fewer organized activities post-pandemic. However, families largely intended on increasing or reverting to their travel time for and diversity of activities post-pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic, suggesting that parents intend to support their children’s SPA preferences, regardless of their own. Practical implications: Given that parents intend to support their children’s SPA commitment preferences, tactics to ease the time demands on parents can be developed to provide greater value propositions for families. Research contribution: Two main consumer groups of youth SPA (i.e. parents and youth) can have differing preferences for their experiences. Originality/value: This study revealed conflicting experiences and preferences of two distinct consumer groups for youth SPA.

Do early school- and family-related factors predict midlife psychological well-being? Findings from A prospective Black childhood cohort study

The relationship between early school- and family-related factors and later psychological well-being (PWB) has been insufficiently studied. To address this gap, a comprehensive model was employed to investigate the effects of school and family predictors (ages < 14) on PWB, and a related construct, life satisfaction (LS), at age 35 for a large urban childhood cohort. 30-year follow-up data were analyzed for 72 % (N = 1,112) of the original 1,539 participants (93 % Black) in the Chicago Longitudinal Study, a prospective investigation on the impact of an early childhood education program. Hierarchical linear regression analysis revealed both parent (β = 0.51p = 0.013) and student educational attainment expectations (β = 1.48; p = 0.032) as well as peer social skills (β = 0.25; p = 0.003) were the most significant predictors of midlife PWB. Peer social skills (β = 0.02; p = 0.032), school mobility (β = -0.09; p = 0.012), and student educational attainment expectations (β = 0.17; p = 0.022) were strongly associated with midlife LS. Sex differences were also examined. Implications for shaping key components of school-family programs, services, and policies that foster positive development across different social ecologies are discussed. Further research should explore the mediational pathways to better understand the mechanisms behind these observed relationships.

Culinary Complexities in Turkey and Greece: On Food, Nation, and Identity in the Aegean

Abstract: Relations between Greece and Turkey are often imagined in binary terms. A common question typifies such bilateral thinking: Is baklava Greek or Turkish? Popular discussions attaching national labels to select dishes present food as a site for showcasing competitive and stereotypical conceptualizations of identity. In Greece and Turkey, cuisines have been integral elements of nation-building processes that display forms of gastronationalism, which can be traced in debates over the origins of food items that take place in everyday discourse or on international platforms. Challenging such formulations based on "methodological nationalism," which restricts the analysis of cultural processes to those conducted by nation-states, the proposed perspective of "culinary complexities" both underlines the difficulty of containing cultural processes within the confines of nation-states and recognizes recent trends regarding food as a realm in which to express regional identifications that defy and diversify dualities between Turkey and Greece in the shared social ecology of the Aegean.

“Community at the Table”, Kim Ji-ha’s Embrace of Social Ecology and Its Indigenization into Minjung Ecology in the 1980s

“Community at the Table”, Kim Ji-ha’s Embrace of Social Ecology and Its Indigenization into Minjung Ecology in the 1980s

Can Faith be the Key to Environmental Stewardship and Sustainable Development in Nigeria?

Nigeria confronts a dual challenge: pressing environmental degradation and the urgent need for sustainable development. This research explores the underutilized potential of religious institutions, a powerful force in Nigerian society, to champion environmental responsibility. Utilizing Social Ecology theory, the study examines the current engagement of religious bodies through interviews and a targeted survey of 390 participants. The findings reveal a critical need for collaboration between religious institutions, government, and civil society. Overcoming identified barriers is essential for progress. A significant portion (72%) of respondents highlighted a lack of environmental awareness within their communities, while nearly half (46.5%) cited insufficient government support and funding as roadblocks. This study proposes a novel approach: leveraging the moral authority and extensive community networks of religious institutions. The research underscores that there is need for urgent unified action. The paper argues that by addressing environmental challenges through collaborative efforts, religious institutions, government, and civil society can secure a sustainable future for all Nigerians. This study offers a beacon of hope, suggesting that faith-based solutions can be a powerful force for positive environmental change in Nigeria and even to third world nations that are grappling with this challenging phenomenon.

Regional ecosophy: a Guattarian approach to the border landscapes of the Irish Northwest

In this paper, we propose that landscape architecture is uniquely equipped to shape highly contested and politicized border regions. We contend that recognizing landscape architecture’s agency to contribute to national and international politics may enable the field to intervene in contemporary theoretical discussions within urban and regional studies that are otherwise dominated by geography and urban planning. Through the example of the Irish/Northern Irish border region in the face of Brexit, we discuss the limits to city planning and policy designations—such as that of city-region—in addressing the complex economies and ecologies of similar geopolitical landscapes. We also highlight environmentalist planning and design’s limitations in addressing the complex social practices and subjectivities that weave together regions like the Irish Northwest. Our alternative is a fieldwork-based “ecosophical” approach capable of addressing Félix Guattari’s social, environmental, and subjective ecologies in an integrated manner. With this, we establish how such an approach can offer a more nuanced set of tools to design and plan for larger regional landscapes.

Effects of the social environment on movement-integrated habitat selection

BackgroundMovement links the distribution of habitats with the social environment of animals using those habitats. Despite the links between movement, habitat selection, and socioecology, their integration remains a challenge due to lack of shared vocabulary across fields, methodological gaps, and the implicit (rather than explicit) historical development of theory in the fields of social and spatial ecology. Given these challenges can be addressed, opportunity for further study will provide insight about the links between social, spatial, and movement ecology. Here, our objective was to disentangle the roles of habitat selection and social association as drivers of movement in caribou (Rangifer tarandus).MethodsTo accomplish our objective, we modelled the relationship between collective movement and selection of foraging habitats using socially informed integrated step selection function (iSSF). Using iSSF, we modelled the effect of social processes, i.e., nearest neighbour distance and social preference, and movement behaviour on patterns of habitat selection.ResultsBy unifying social network analysis with iSSF, we identified movement-dependent social association, where individuals took shorter steps in lichen habitat and foraged in close proximity to more familiar individuals.ConclusionsOur study demonstrates that social preference is context-dependent based on habitat selection and foraging behaviour. We therefore surmise that habitat selection and social association are drivers of collective movement, such that movement is the glue between habitat selection and social association. Here, we put these concepts into practice to demonstrate that movement is the glue connecting individual habitat selection to the social environment.

Scale at the interface of spatial and social ecology.

Animals simultaneously navigate spatial and social environments, and their decision-making with respect to those environments constitutes their spatial (e.g. habitat selection) and social (e.g. conspecific associations) phenotypes. The spatial-social interface is a recently introduced conceptual framework linking these components of spatial and social ecology. The spatial-social interface is inherently scale-dependent, yet it has not been integrated with the rich body of literature on ecological scale. Here, we develop a conceptual connection between the spatial-social interface and ecological scale. We propose three key innovations that incrementally build upon each other. First, the use-availability framework that underpins a large body of literature in behavioural ecology can be used in analogy to the phenotype-environment nomenclature and is transferable across the spatial and social realms. Second, both spatial and social phenotypes are hierarchical, with nested components that are linked via constraints-from the top down-or emergent properties-from the bottom up. Finally, in both the spatial and social realms, the definitions of environment and phenotype depend on the focal scale of inquiry. These conceptual innovations cast our understanding of the relationships between social and spatial dimensions of animal ecology in a new light, allowing a more holistic understanding and clearer hypothesis development for animal behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial-social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'.

Perception of Mangrove Social–Ecological System Governance in Southeastern Cuba

This study examined local communities’ perceptions of mangroves in coastal southeastern Cuba. A variety of methods were employed, including mixed and structured questionnaire surveys, interviews with key informants, and document reviews. Data were gathered from 334 respondents living in communities adjacent to four mangrove social–ecological systems (SESs). The analysis focused on five variables: community use of mangrove resources, ecosystem services, threats to the ecosystem, management activities, and social–ecological relationships. To qualitatively assess the influence of social–ecological relationships and governance, a matrix was created based on anthropogenic activities identified by respondents and their perceptions of ecosystem services. A Spearman’s rank correlation analysis was performed between demographic variables and identified mangrove uses. The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the frequency of mangrove uses and the perception of ecosystem services among the studied areas. The results indicate that, while local people recognise the uses and ecosystem services of mangroves, they do not rely on them for their livelihoods. Perceptions of ecosystem services vary significantly depending on the occupation of the respondents and the locality. They also showed moderate to full awareness of management responsibilities and activities at each site. The most commonly identified threats were climate change, drought, and deforestation. Three types of social–ecological relationships were identified based on the characteristics of the communities, their economic activities, and their impacts on the mangroves: urban–industrial, rural–agricultural, and rural–agricultural/tourism. Based on the results, recommendations are made for ecosystem governance in the southeast of Cuba.

Becoming Hoa: Indigenous Political Thought and the Question of Settler Aloha 'Āina in Hawai'i

Abstract: How is Indigenous-settler solidarity to protect interconnected social ecologies urgent yet altogether precarious? The essay stews on this question in the context of Hawai'i and, through immanent critique of theories about settler aloha 'āina, demonstrates that becoming hoa provides a necessary alternative practice and dialectic process of binding relations together to aloha 'āina. First, I elaborate on Kanaka Maoli conceptualizations of aloha 'āina to foreground the investigation in Indigenous political thought and therein launch an immanent critique of settler aloha 'āina. Second, I examine the question of settler aloha 'āina to explore what it means, and its political and ethical implications concerning solidarity. I contend that the "settler" of settler aloha 'āina undermines Indigenous political thought by obscuring aloha 'āina. Third, I argue that becoming hoa is an alternative mode of solidarity to being settler aloha 'āina. Beyond contributing to critical interdisciplinary scholarship on Hawai'i, the analysis is useful for researching other contexts wherein non-Indigenous theorists, discourses, and movements deploy "settler" as a qualified additive to Indigenous worldviews and practices toward cultivating solidarity with Indigenous peoples on their territories. Settler liberal humanism's attachment to Indigenous worldviews and practices should be reconsidered even as it clings tightly to the language of solidarity.