Members Of Social Groups Research Articles

TECHNICAL EFFICIENCY OF LAYER FARMERS IN AKWA IBOM

This study analyzed the technical efficiency of layer farmers in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. A multistage random sampling technique was employed to select a total of 100-layer farmers across three agricultural zones in Akwa Ibom State. Relevant data was collected with the aid of a questionnaire. Data collated from the field was analyzed using descriptive statistics, stochastic production frontier, and maximum likelihood estimates. The result showed that most of the farmers were female, with mean age of 36.68 years for layer farmers. The production function estimate showed that hired labour, feeds, capital depreciation, pen size, and saw dust use positively influenced output of layer birds, while family labour and medication had a negative impact on output. The technical efficiency distribution showed a mean efficiency of 66%. The determinants of technical inefficiency showed that education, family size, market share, farming experience, extension visits, trainings, farm size and membership in social groups had negative influence of technical inefficiency of layer production, and farmers age and access to credit had a positive effect on the technical inefficiency of layer production. The study recommends the government and relevant stakeholders should make efforts to subsidize the cost of essential poultry inputs, and develop a workable system to enable poultry farmers access credit. Also, extension training should be intensified as it is shown to improve the technical efficiency of layer farmers.

Η Διδασκαλία & Ευαισθητοποίηση των Μαθητών της Στ΄ Τάξης του Δημοτικού Σχολείου για το Δικαίωμα του Παιδιού στην Εκπαίδευση μέσω Διδακτικού Σεναρίου Δημιουργικής Αφήγησης

Education for the Right to Education is developed in formal and non-formal education, with successful pedagogical methodologies for Primary Education. Creative Storytelling supports students to externalize and communicate their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through their own stories and actively participate through empathy, freeing them from a real, stressful action environment. The proposition can contribute to students’ cognitive skills acquisition, critical thinking and metacognition as individuals and as members of social groups. The mixed research methodology of the case study depicted that raising awareness was successful. However, the research as a case study and the number of students is not enough so more research is needed for the generalizability and validity of these results.

Temporal patterns of gut microbiota in lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) living in intact and disturbed habitats in a novel sample type.

The gut microbiome is a plastic phenotype; gut microbial composition is highly variable across an individual host's lifetime and between host social groups, and this variation has consequences for host health. However, we do not yet fully understand how longitudinal microbial dynamics and their social drivers may be influenced by ecological stressors, such as habitat degradation. Answering these questions is difficult in most wild animal systems, as it requires long-term collections of matched host, microbiome, and environmental trait data. To test if temporal and social influences on microbiome composition differ by the history of human disturbance, we leveraged banked, desiccated fecal samples collected over 5 months in 2004 from two ecologically distinct populations of wild, red-bellied lemurs (Eulemur rubriventer) that are part of a long-term study system. We found that social group explained more variation in microbiome composition than host population membership did, and that temporal variation in common microbial taxa was similar between populations, despite differences in history of human disturbance. Furthermore, we found that social group membership and collection month were both more important than individual lemur identity. Taken together, our results suggest that synchronized environments use can lead to synchronized microbial dynamics over time, even between habitats of varying quality, and that desiccated samples could become a viable approach for studying primate gut microbiota. Our work opens the door for other projects to utilize historic biological sample data sets to answer novel temporal microbiome questions in an ecological context.

Spillover effects of globalization using alternative spatial approaches

ABSTRACT Globalization’s ramifications extend beyond borders, impacting local and global economies through intricate spatial connections, ultimately influencing economic growth trajectories. This study examines globalization’s spillover impact on economic growth across 158 countries from 1990 to 2019, integrating geographical and non-geographical factors through spatial econometric techniques. The Spatial Durbin Model (SDM) based on CPSLHT (cultural, political, social, linguistic, and historical group memberships and international trade agreements) emerged as the best model compared to other spatial models. It finds expected direct positive associations between factors like initial GDP per capita, capital formation, labour force participation, economic globalization, health spending, urbanization, life insurance, poverty reduction, labour productivity, and rule of law with economic growth. However, the spillover effect of neighbouring countries on economic growth is significant and negative. The Fixed Effects SDM also identifies indirect influences on economic growth, including health spending, the age dependency ratio, and the population growth rates. Global negative effects are prevalent, especially in regions with low GDP per capita, reduced health spending, and a high age dependency ratio. Countries can enhance globalization’s benefits and mitigate drawbacks by investing in healthcare, boosting labour force participation, reducing age dependency, promoting urban development, and upholding the rule of law.

Social group membership and biomarkers of health

AbstractThe benefits of group membership for self‐reported measures of health are well documented; however, the processes by which they can influence biological health outcomes via cardiovascular and neuroendocrine responses to stress, remains under explored. In the present study, we aim to address this gap by examining if belonging to a social group affects cardiovascular (systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate) and cortisol reactivity to stress. Using secondary data from the Pittsburgh Cold Study, 213 healthy adults (123 men, 90 women; Mage = 30.13, SD = 10.85) underwent a standardized laboratory stress‐testing session. During the 2.25 h session, participants completed psychometric measures including the Social Network Index (Cohen, 1997), while biological measurements were assessed noninvasively using the Critikon Dynamap Monitor. Results showed that participants who belonged to a social group demonstrated enhanced patterns of cardiovascular adaptation to stress (i.e., peak responding at initial stress exposure, then gradual decline). This suggests that those who belong to a group have greater physiological stress tolerance, thus indicating the benefits of group membership for biomarkers of health in the long term.

Perceived controllability of group membership does not moderate individuating information effects in implicit person perception.

Although the effects of counterstereotypic individuating information (i.e., information specific to individual members of stereotyped groups that disconfirms the group stereotype) on biases in explicit person perception are well-established, research shows mixed effects of such information on implicit person perception. The present research tested the overarching hypothesis that, when social group membership is perceived to be under an individual's control, diagnostic individuating information would have lesser effects on implicit person perception than it would when social group membership is perceived not to be under an individual's control. This hypothesis was tested in the domain of implicit attitudinal and stereotype-relevant judgments of individuals who belonged to existing social groups and individuals who belonged to novel social groups. We found that individuating information consistently shifted scores on implicit measures among targets belonging to existing social groups, but not in a theoretically predicted direction among targets belonging to novel social groups. Controllability of group membership did not moderate such effects. Results of implicit and explicit measures were mostly consistent when targets belonged to existing social groups, but mostly inconsistent when targets belonged to novel social groups.

Ethnic‐racial socialization in Chinese American immigrant families: Associations with middle childhood ethnic identity

AbstractCompared to studies of ethnic identity development in adolescence, fewer investigations have examined the development of ethnic identity during middle childhood, a developmental period of dynamic social and cognitive changes that have direct implications for social identity and group membership. Moreover, research on the developmental processes of Asian American youth has also primarily utilized cross‐group comparisons, while neglecting consideration of variations in acculturation, socioeconomic status, and other sociodemographic characteristics within Asian American ethnic groups. Using a socioeconomically‐ and acculturatively‐diverse sample of Chinese immigrant families in the United States (N = 169; 49.1% girls; M = 9.16 years; SD = 1.05), the present study examined how parents’ ERS practices varied by parents’ socioeconomic status, education, and cultural orientations, then tested associations between parents’ ERS and children's self‐reported ethnic centrality and ethnic regard. More highly‐educated Chinese American immigrant parents reported more frequent cultural socialization and more acculturated parents reported more preparation of their children for racial and ethnic bias. Consistent with hypotheses, parents’ cultural socialization was positively associated with children's self‐reported ethnic centrality and positive regard. Results highlight the roles of social status and acculturation in Chinese immigrant parents’ ERS, and point to middle childhood as a key developmental window for ethnic identity socialization and development in immigrant families.

Denominational Loyalty on the Cooperative Programme of the Nigerian Baptist Convention Between (2013-2023)

The Baptist Cooperative Programme is a system in which churches, who cooperate with the Nigeria Baptist Convention (NBC), make contributions in the form of certain percentages of their tithes, offerings, and undesignated income to their associations, state conferences, and the national body. This paper explores the effects of denominational loyalty on the Cooperative Programme of the Nigerian Baptist Convention (NBC) and strategies to deepen this loyalty among church members. Social identity theory suggests that individuals define themselves based on their membership in social groups, leading to the formation of an identity that is partly derived from their group membership. The decline in the commitment of churches within this period of ten years is worrisome. The existing problem lies in the need to strengthen denominational loyalty to the Convention amidst changing societal dynamics and competing religious influences. Using secondary sources of data collection, including scholarly articles, books, and Convention reports, this study analyses the historical context and current practices of the Baptist Cooperative Programme. Preliminary findings suggest that the Cooperative Programme plays a crucial role in fostering a sense of belonging and loyalty among members, contributing to the overall growth and sustainability of the denomination. Also, while there is a strong desire for cooperation among Baptist Churches, challenges such as lack of loyalty, proper communication, and financial constraints hinder the commitment of the members. The study concludes that the Baptist Cooperative commitment has the potential to strengthen denominational loyalty among Baptist churches in Nigeria. Hence, by addressing these challenges and building on the potential successes of the Cooperative Programme, the Nigerian Baptist Convention can further enhance unity and cooperation among its member churches, ultimately strengthening the denomination as a whole.

Knowing Better: Motivated Ignorance and Willful Ignorance

Abstract Motivated ignorance is an incentivized absence of knowledge that arises in circumstances of unequal power relations, a self-protective non-knowing which frees individuals from having to reflect on the privileges they have in virtue of membership in a dominant social group. In philosophical discussions, the term “motivated ignorance” gets used interchangeably with “willful ignorance.” In the first half of this paper, using Charles Mills’ (2007) white ignorance as the defining case, I argue that this is a mistake. A significant swath of cases of motivated ignorance are non-willful, or deep, following Rik Peels (2010). But in all cases, benefits accrued to some in virtue of their social position are gained and maintained at the expense of harms to others. In the second half of this paper, I argue that these harms are what ground attributions of culpability in cases of motivated ignorance and drive the normative requirement that the subject know better, so long as the facts in question are ordinarily and easily knowable (in a sense to be specified). Willfulness is not a necessary condition for culpability, even if it is a sufficient one.

Group membership, social identification and mental health: A test of social cure or curse narrative in resource-poor communities in Ghana

Mainstream psychology research promotes social group membership as a remedy for poor mental health. However, empirical evidence from African communities is limited. Using a survey of 384 respondents (female = 55.7%; mean age = 34.38 years, SD = 14.37 years), we examined this in two resource-poor Ghanaian urban communities. Depressive symptoms ranged from 11.5% to 28.1%, with severe symptom rates higher in male participants. Anxiety symptoms varied from 6.5% to 14.6%. Hierarchical regression showed that after accounting for demographic variables, multiple group membership, group stigma, and identity centrality were associated with heightened depressive and anxiety symptoms. Ingroup homogeneity, satisfaction with the group, and perceived solidarity were associated with lower levels of symptoms. The findings reveal a dual-edge impact of social identification on mental health, underscoring the need for the development of context-specific interventions to effectively harness social group membership as psychosocial resources to improve mental health within African contexts.

Creating new resources: The impact of new group memberships on posttraumatic growth in China

AbstractThe Social Identity Model of Traumatic Identity Change proposes the group membership gain hypothesis, which refers to developing positive new group memberships after trauma that may contribute to posttraumatic adjustment. However, only a few empirical studies conducted in Western societies have provided correlational evidence for the hypothesis. The current research conducted three studies to test the hypothesis in China. Study 1 (N = 315) through survey confirmed the positive association between new group memberships and posttraumatic growth among Chinese adults with traumatic experiences. Study 2 (N = 300) replicated the findings through the hypothetical scenario, discovering that participants expected a hypothetical person who experienced trauma and gained new group membership after this trauma would develop posttraumatic growth. Study 3 (N = 300), in a further refined hypothetical scenario (i.e., replacing the hypothetical vignette and protagonist in Study 2), yielded consistent results, demonstrating the impact of new group memberships on anticipated posttraumatic growth behavioral intention. The current research, for the first time in China, examined the group membership gain hypothesis and emphasized the importance of social group membership management in facilitating posttraumatic growth.

An individual-based movement model for contacts between mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

Contacts between individuals are key for the spread of infectious disease. Although essential to understanding disease spread, contact rates are difficult to predict, based simply on population demographics in wildlife populations, because contact rates depend upon environmental features as well as the nature of social interactions within and between groups of individuals. We developed a detailed, behaviorally structured, individual-based model (IBM) in Netlogo to simulate contacts between- and within-groups of individual mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), a species particularly susceptible to chronic wasting disease. The model tracks contacts (defined as two individuals coming within five meters of one another), recorded as between- or within-group depending on the social group membership of the two individuals (dyad). We parameterized the model with data from mule deer with global positioning systems (GPS) collars in east-central Alberta, Canada. Individuals move according to habitat preferences, home range attraction, and grouping behaviours. Animals were tracked at two-hour time steps and were modelled as selecting locations relative to preferred resources based on sex-specific integrated step-selection functions (iSSFs) with steps biased toward a home range centroid. Total within-group contacts increased with group size and were sensitive to changes in movement cohesion of the group and movement persistence, particularly movement cohesion. Total between-group contacts were sensitive only to the number of groups. We compared model predictions for where the locations of deer contacts occurred against an existing statistical model for the relative contact probabilities (RCP) on the same landscape (Dobbin et al. 2023). Predicted locations of deer contacts generally were consistent with higher predicted RCP values. When disease transmission is a function of contact rate, the model can be used to assess the interaction between model components (e.g., movement rates, grouping rules, home ranges, animal densities) and the spatial distribution of key natural and artificial resources that may attract deer and potentially increase disease spread.

Sexual orientation as a contextual frame for attractiveness judgments.

Despite strong consensus about the basic features that make someone look objectively attractive, contextual variation may modulate subjective assessments. Here, we investigate how social group membership provides such a context, comparing attractiveness judgments between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) versus straight perceivers, and examining how these attractiveness judgments relate to beliefs about the target person's sexual orientation. We indeed find that perceivers rate targets as more attractive when they believe the target's sexual majority/minority status matches their own (Study 1). This association differs according to context, however: Although straight and LGB perceivers evaluate the components of facial attractiveness similarly (Study 2), straight men use attractiveness as a cue to sexual orientation (i.e., deeming unattractive women lesbians; Study 3) whereas LGB perceivers use sexual orientation as a cue to attractiveness (e.g., gay men rate men they believe are gay as more attractive than men they believe are straight; Studies 4 and 5). Thus, LGB identity seems to create a context in which sexual minority perceivers learn to attend to information about sexual diversity that straight perceivers may ignore. These findings highlight how group membership provides a lens for social perception, specifically pointing to how the contextual mindset of partner selection may transmute otherwise objective judgments, such as facial attractiveness. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

A Critical Pragmatic Analysis of Manipulation in Trump's Political Speeches

According to the socio-cognitive nature of ideologies that is manifested in the belief system and ideologically based practices that shared by members of social groups, critical pragmatics(CP henceforth) has come to existence. CP is a sub field of socio-pragmatics that works within macro pragmatics which deals with cognitively , socially , and culturally issues such as domination , power , language , ideology ,etc.(Al-hindawi& Al-khazali, 2021: 1). It is well –known that language is not only a tool for communication and transition of information but it can be manipulated to be an instrument of offence and defense. Language remains a rich and adaptable tool for configuration of life events . It can bring solidarity , harmony and brotherhood if it is properly utilized , but if it wrongly applied it can provoke animosity , conflict and violence . Manipulation is one of the strategies in which language is utilized for negative goals . This study is concerned with an important feature of political discourse, that is; manipulation which is analyzed from critical pragmatic perspective . This feature has become the most prominent feature of this type of discourse due to the nature of politics itself. This study examines manipulation in ten of Trump's political speeches and involves discovering how Trump constructs ideological discourse to present reality for his audience that frames his ideology by using manipulating strategies . Such strategies are conducted by Trump to marketing his agenda , ideology and programme to his audience

BENEFITS DERIVED FROM SOCIAL GROUP MEMBERSHIP BY POULTRY FARMERS IN ONDO STATE, NIGERIA

Social Capital is fast taking a defining role as a necessity for successful and sustainable agricultural enterprise. The network of farmers in developing countries like Nigeria has been seen to determine greatly their resilience, ability to escape poverty, take risks and overcome vulnerabilities. Investigating the benefits derived and constraints encountered by poultry farmers in membership of social groups was the main thrust of this study. A two-stage sampling procedure was employed to select 120 poultry farmers in Ondo state. Questionnaire containing open and closed ended questions were used to elicit information from respondents. Data collected was analysed using frequency counts, percentages and mean. Results reveal that majority of sampled poultry farmers were between 40-59 years of age (53.3%), male (62.5%), married (73.3%), with some level of formal education (85.8%), poultry farming experience of 1-10 years (71.7%) and farm size of between 1-1000 birds (71.7%). Livelihood security (mean=1.19), accessing health services (mean=1.08), recreation (mean=1.07) and consultancy services (mean=1.03) were the top benefits of social group membership reported among respondents. Major constraints to social group membership identified by the respondents were low financial capacity (mean=1.13), poor group coordination (mean=1.22), lack of education (mean=1.08), leadership issues (mean= 0.98) and religious differences (mean=0.95). Institutional support to strengthen social group membership because of its advantages; by providing financial incentives and leadership capacity building for small scale poultry farmers is canvassed.

THE PERSONALITY ISSUE OF A CHILD IN THE FAMILY AND SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT: A THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE

The purpose of article is to study the concept of formation and development of a child's personality, in particular, the specifics of its implementation in the family and school environment. It is stated that the fundamental principle for proper and effective upbringing, as well as educational success, lies in nurturing the idea of personality in young individuals. To appropriately analysis the issue of personality, this article presents key definitions and terms based on relevant literature. The terminological analysis of the concept of “personality” in relation to the younger generation is carried out. Analysis of the professional literature has shown that civilizational, anthropological and axiological crises has led to the on-going dehumanization of family, school, and work environments, with the concerning glorification of an instrumental and objectifying treatment of the human individual. It is stated that, a person's sense of identity is constituted by relating their own functioning to the behaviours and activities undertaken by members of other social groups. It was found that, treating young individuals subjectively requires actions directed towards prioritizing attitudes, followed by skills and knowledge. The discussion includes a dual image of personality, focusing on individuality and self-awareness on one hand, allowing individuals to develop a sense of identity in their behaviours and thoughts. On the other hand, personality refers to the social core, serving as a reference for all social behaviours and activities. Two primary environments play a crucial role in implementing the idea of subject-oriented treatment of a child: the family and the school. The success of the education process relies on their collaboration. It is essential for these social groups to be aware of the axiological and social significance of this idea. Reluctance towards treating a child as a subject not only leads to educational and upbringing challenges but also disrupts the psychosocial development of young individuals, negatively impacting their emotional, intellectual, and moral-social growth.

"Trust people you've never worked with" - A social network visualization of teamwork, cohesion, social support, and mental health in NHS Covid personnel.

The unprecedented rapid re-deployment of healthcare workers from different care pathways into newly created and fluid COVID-19 teams provides a unique opportunity to examine the interaction of many of the established non-technical factors for successful delivery of clinical care and teamwork in healthcare settings. This research paper therefore aims to address these gaps by qualitatively exploring the impact of COVID work throughout the pandemic on permanent and deployed personnel's experiences, their ability to effectively work together, and the effect of social dynamics (e.g., cohesion, social support) on teamwork and mental health. Seventy-five interviews were conducted across the UK between March and December 2021 during wave 2 and 3 of COVID-19 with 75 healthcare workers who were either permanent staff on Intensive Care/High Dependency Units used as COVID wards, had been rapidly deployed to such a ward, or had managed such wards. Work Life Balance was measured using the WLB Scale. Interview transcripts were qualitatively coded and thematic codes were compared using network graph modeling. Using thematic network analysis, four overarching thematic clusters were found, (1) teamwork, (2) organizational support and management, (3) cohesion and social support, and (4) psychological strain. The study has three main findings. First, the importance of social factors for teamwork and mental health, whereby team identity may influence perceptions of preparedness, collaboration and communication, and impact on the collective appraisal of stressful events and work stressors. Secondly, it demonstrates the positive and negative impact of professional roles and skills on the development of teamwork and team identity. Lastly the study identifies the more pronounced negative impact of COVID work on deployed personnel's workload, mental health, and career intentions, exacerbated by reduced levels of social support during, and after, their deployment. The thematic network analysis was able to highlight that many of the traditional factors associated with the successful delivery of patient care were impeded by pandemic constraints, markedly influencing personnel's ability to work together and cope with pandemic work stressors. In this environment teamwork, delivery of care and staff well-being appear to depend on relational and organizational context, social group membership, and psycho-social skills related to managing team identity. While results hold lessons for personnel selection, training, co-location, and organizational support during and after a pandemic, further research is needed into the differential impact of pandemic deployment on HCWs mental health and teamwork.

Ritual networks and the structure of moral communities in Classic Maya society

Ritual plays an important integrative function in the creation, maintenance, and transformation of human society. The shared experience of ritual establishes strong bonds between individuals that defines their membership in certain social groups. However, rituals are not timeless traditions, nor do they simply restore social equilibrium. Rather, rituals are active and ongoing social processes that unite and divide across multiple social categories. This paper applies archaeological network methods to analyze the multiscalar structure of ritual traditions across Classic Maya (ca. 300–900 CE) society using hieroglyphic inscriptions from dated and provenienced monuments cataloged in the Maya Hieroglyphic Database (Looper and Macri 1991–2024). For the Classic Maya, public ritual and performance were highly charged political events where meaning and power could be negotiated, creating opportunities for identity formation and community integration. Such contexts helped establish strong moral bonds in Classic Maya society. However, we know relatively little about the specific forms and content of these ritual practices. In this study we construct ritual similarity networks from hieroglyphic inscriptions to analyze the structure and organization of these moral communities as well as the ritual relations that bound them together.

‘Sins of their fathers’: Social groups parental incarceration and positive psychological outcomes across time in the US and UK

AbstractPaternal incarceration (PI) is recognised as a severely stigmatising event that undermines social connections leaving affected children isolated and vulnerable. However, few studies have explored social group membership as a potential mediator of positive outcomes. This paper analysed data from two national contexts, Scotland and the United States, to examine the potential for social group membership in childhood to mediate the association between PI and child behavioural and emotional outcomes. Study 1 reported on cross‐sectional data from the Growing Up in Scotland dataset of children aged 12 years. Study 2 used longitudinal data from the Fragile Families cohort study (USA) of children aged 9 years and then 15 years. Children and parents completed measures of PI, children's group membership, as well as positive functioning. In Study 1, a mediated indirect effect of PI on prosocial behaviour via children's group membership was observed. In Study 2, children's reported social group membership mediated the effect of PI on positive adolescent functioning longitudinally. Whilst experiences of PI at age 9 were linked with lower group membership at age 15, group membership was associated with higher levels of positive adolescent functioning. This has implications for the support families receive when a parent is incarcerated to avoid children serving sentences for ‘the sins of their fathers’.

Economic precarity and changing levels of anxiety and stress among Canadians with disabilities and chronic health conditions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple event stressors converged to exacerbate a growing mental health crisis in Canada with differing effects across status groups. However, less is known about changing mental health situations throughout the pandemic, especially among individuals more likely to experience chronic stress because of their disability and health status. Using data from two waves of a targeted online survey of people with disabilities and chronic health conditions in Canada (N=563 individuals, June 2020 and July 2021), we find that approximately 25% of respondents experienced additional increases in stress and anxiety levels in 2021. These increases were partly explained by worsening perceived financial insecurity and, in the case of stress, additional negative financial effects tied to the pandemic. This paper understands mental health disparities as a function of social status and social group membership. By linking stress process models and a minority stress framework with a social model of disability, we allude to how structural and contextual barriers make functional limitations disabling and in turn, life stressors.