Social Issues Research Articles

On the Principles of Constructing the «Urban Text» in Peter Rosei's Novel Project «The Vienna Files»

This article examines the concept of the «Viennese text» through the example of the novel project by modern Austrian writer Peter Rosei. It focuses on key toponyms, the structure of the novels, images, and events that recreate the urban space of Vienna. Through analyzing Peter Rosei's «Viennese Text», the author notes that the urban space in his novels is closely linked to reality, social issues, and historical events, with the city itself becoming an active participant in the narrative. The goal of the research is to identify and explore the basic principles behind the construction of «urban texts», which shape the problematic and poetics of the «Viennese text» in Peter Rosei's novels. The novelty of this research lies in its exploration of the concept of «Viennese texts» for the first time through the material of Peter Rosei's modern novel project, «Viennese Files». The results obtained allow us to conclude that the urban space in Peter Rosei's novel is represented through a kaleidoscopic vision of Vienna, which creates a sense of unity in the artistic image.

Experiences of Loneliness Among Gay Men: A Systematic Review and Meta-Synthesis.

Loneliness is a significant social and public health issue, particularly among gay men who often face unique challenges shaped by their social identities and minority status. These challenges often exacerbate feelings of isolation and exclusion, yet the specific ways in which gay men experience loneliness remain underexplored. This study aimed to offer insights for health professionals and policymakers via a systematic review and meta-synthesis. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in May 2024 across five major databases and gray literature to identify appropriate qualitative studies (i.e. if they focused on the experiences of loneliness among gay men, were qualitatively designed, and included participants over the age of 18). 72 studies, encompassing approximately 1335 participants were analyzed. Guided by Intersectionality Theory and the Minority Stress Model, data analysis generated three categories that impacted gay men's experiences of loneliness. (1) external influences of discrimination (lack of support systems, cultural standards, geographic location), (2) internal conflicts (internalized homophobia, concealment, fear of rejection), and (3) coping mechanisms (sex, substance use, social life and connections, embracing solitude). The findings highlight the complex interplay between external pressures and internal struggles, as well as how intersecting identities shape the diverse experience of loneliness among gay men.

Community participation through women’s health collectives promoted by India’s National Urban Health Mission: a realist evaluation in Chhattisgarh state

BackgroundThe urban poor especially women slum dwellers face health inequity including disproportionate challenges in participating meaningfully in government programmes on health and its social determinants. To allow equitable participation of the urban poor in health, India’s National Urban Health Mission has promoted women’s health collectives known as the Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) in urban slums since 2013. No evaluations of this important government initiative are available.MethodsA realist evaluation was conducted. A sequential exploratory mixed-method approach involving the following steps was applied − 1) Developing the Initial Programme Theory on action and outcomes of MAS; 2) Testing the programme theory through quantitative and qualitative methods; and 3) Refining and consolidating the theory.ResultsOver three years preceding the survey, 59.1% of MAS in Chhattisgarh had taken action on healthcare related problems, 74.1% on food-security and nutrition, 60.8% on gender-based violence, 56.4% on drinking water, 70.8% on sanitation and 64.1% on social environment related issues. Around 95.3% MAS had taken action on at least one of the above six domains. The community participation through MAS was not limited to increased uptake of healthcare services but to a wider people-centred agenda on social determinants of health. The MAS were able to devise multiple strategies for identifying and solving the problems. Participatory selection of women as MAS members, autonomy in decision making, appropriate training design, regular meetings and facilitation provided to MAS by the community health workers emerged as the main enablers to their human-rights orientation and action. Their work is facilitated by the supervisory cadre under the Mitanin program under the leadership of State Health Resource Centre. The social recognition gained by women members of MAS acted as the key source of motivation to sustain their action. However, there are limitations to the actions taken by MAS. The action taken by MAS remained limited to their immediate surroundings, and they were unable to improve public accountability at the higher echelons, or bringing policy-level changes.ConclusionThe MAS experience in Chhattisgarh offers an example of effective community participation of urban poor in health through a process that empowers the underprivileged women. Equitable community processes require appropriate design and need to be nurtured through capacity building and facilitation guided by a similar ethos. The government can further enhance community participation and advance equity in health by allowing collectives such as the MAS a greater say in health planning and monitoring.

The Influence of a Biblical Fatherhood Programme on Faith Communities: A Community Engagement Strategy.

This paper emphasises the significance of fatherhood, specifically the Fatherhood of God, and the experiential reality of faith communities as a viable framework for theology and public life. Numerous faith communities in South Africa contend with challenges such as poverty, unemployment, financial difficulties, alcoholism, occultism, Satanism and familial issues, including gender-based violence, father absence, fatherlessness and single parenthood. An intervention that encompasses training and the provision of resources for fathers is necessary and imperative. Faith communities took action on the demand for a biblical fatherhood initiative. Human fatherhood warrants recognition and serious contemplation, as it provides a foreshadowing of the nature of God the Father. Contemporary fatherhood is a facet of fractured families and arguably the most perilous aspect globally. The study reported on in this paper aims to mitigate the social and destructive problem of father absence by implementing a biblical fatherhood programme. The programme has a biblical nature aimed at addressing social issues in faith communities. The programme was developed from a practical theological study of fatherhood, primarily aimed at training and equipping participants with knowledge about fatherhood through community engagement.

Body, gender, race and fatness in social studies. Gap and future

Sociologists have increasingly turned to the body as a critical aspect of both individual identity and social organization. Some scholars, such as, examine the body's actions within social relations, while others, such as, have demonstrated the power of discourse in controlling and shaping bodies. Additionally, other scholars, like, view the body as a form of physical capital and argue that bodies reflect social class through three major interrelated factors: social location, taste, and habitus. However, sociological studies on the body lack certain dimensions that need to be addressed. In the next section, I will briefly illustrate some of the key gaps in sociological studies of the body concerning gender, race, and fatness. These gaps include an overemphasis on women's bodies, a predominant focus on the white race, a concentration on Western societies while neglecting other parts of the world, and a failure to consider fatness as a social issue. Furthermore, I will briefly discuss future perspectives on sociological studies regarding the intersections of body, gender, and fatness.

A Comparative Analysis of Disability Policies in Aotearoa New Zealand and the United Kingdom Through the Lens of the Capability Approach

ABSTRACT Disability policy intersects many policy domains, requiring cross-governmental responses. How policy understands and responds to disability affects capabilities for millions of people. Applying Amartya Sen’s capability approach (CA) positioned in the social model of disability, this research conducts a comparative thematic analysis to evaluate how Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) and the United Kingdom’s (UK) national disability strategies may shape opportunities for disabled people to live in ways they value. No CA research currently exists on these countries’ strategies. We find both countries’ strategies perceive disability as a social issue needing government action to expand disabled people’s capabilities at the individual, community and national levels. Our framework can evaluate agency by whether policy-makers engage with disabled people (lived experts of their experiences) to create disability policy. While both strategies state the importance of including disabled people in designing policy, only NZ’s strategy consistently demonstrates disabled people drive its focus. Both strategies are limited in how they acknowledge or target the economic deprivation of disabled people as a significant barrier to those experiencing disability, and have insufficient mechanisms around monitoring implementation to ensure accountability from government agencies.

Graduate students’ civic orientation: applying and testing an instrument

This study assesses the civic orientation of graduate students via the “Importance of Social Action Engagement” scale and tests that instrument’s construct validity and reliability when applied to graduate students. The study contributes to our understanding of the levels of graduate students’ willingness to engage with social issues, and to our ability to gauge those levels. The study’s results, based on a sample of 367 survey responses, reports on moderate levels of civic orientation amongst graduate students, and provides evidence of the construct validity and reliability of the instrument items when used with graduate students, and the overall instruments’ effectiveness in the initial exploration of graduate students’ orientation towards social engagement. The results offer useful feedback to graduate student program directors and faculty on the need to incorporate learning initiatives that actively engage their students with social issues, and suggest a viable tool to measure students’ civic orientation.

Implementation of ESG Principles as a Corporate Sustainability Strategy: A Literature Study

Companies are driving a shift in the global business paradigm to not only achieve financial benefits, but also pay attention to social and ecological responsibilities as part of their sustainability strategy. The principles of environment, social issues, and governance (ESG) are the main settings for assessing and managing non-financial effects that affect a company's services and reputation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the implementation of ESG as a sustainability strategy for companies through literature research from various academic sources and business reports. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of ESG offers significant benefits, including increased operational efficiency, fame, funding, and competitiveness. However, Indonesian companies still face challenges, including limited resources, lack of understanding of management, and integrated reporting standards. This study confirms that the integration of ESG into business strategy is not only a moral and regulatory requirement, but also a competitive advantage in addressing global dynamics, and supporting the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rapid antigen test based on gold nanoparticles embedded with highly sensitive surface-enhanced Raman scattering probes for detecting antigen concentrations below the visual detection limit.

The COVID-19 pandemic has proven that people expect medically high accuracy, sensitivity, and rapid testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) detection. These needs have led to developing various testing methods and platforms to replace reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the golden standard in diagnostics. Rapid antigen testing (RAT) using gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) has beendeveloped to compensate for the shortcomings of RT-PCR. However, RAT still shows less sensitive results because it is judged by sight only. Here, we applied gold-nanobridged nanogap particles (Au-NNPs) to conventional lateral flow assay (LFA) technology for high-sensitivity testing of samples containing antigen concentration below the visual detection limit through surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) signal detection. By using Raman dye-embedded Au-NNPs showing susceptible Raman signals instead of simply using gold nanoparticles, the sensitivity of the conventional RAT has been significantly increased. Therefore, it was possible to increase the sensitivity of RAT combinedwith simplicity and rapidityof the approach. These developments will lead to characterization applications of bio-nanotechnology and nanoparticles for health and social issues.

The Impartial Judge, Climate Change and the Conflict of Laws

The article reflects on how an impartial judge might approach disputes involving environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, especially climate change. Section II expresses doubts about the efficacy of a purely private international law analysis in dealing with climate change litigation and suggests ways of addressing such concerns. Section III focuses on Asia and comments on the extent to which the observations in section II are applicable to the Asian context. Section IV offers tentative thoughts, in light of sections II and III, on how judges can and should conduct themselves in ESG disputes relating to climate change.

A feel-good digital practice: Improving social emotional wellbeing through dialogue in Turkish tertiary context

The fundamental principle of positive psychology relies on the fact that becoming a happier person should be among the primary objectives of any educational activity. Adopting this basic tenet, this study aims to investigate whether a dialogic second language(L2) intervention on an interactive digital landscape can boost the social emotional wellbeing of young adult learners while helping them cope with the academic difficulties of acquiring a second language in the foundation year of an extremely competitive publicuniversity in Türkiye. An embedded experimental design was used to incorporate qualitative data within experimental research. Eighty-seven learners participated in this research and completed the Psychological Wellbeing Scale (Ryff & Keyes, 1995) both at the beginning and end of the 14-week study. The experimental group received a dialogic intervention involving the dialogic use of L2 in discussing critical and taboo social issues, conventionally avoided in mainstream English language teaching textbooks, conducted in internet-mediated dialogic space, namely, Google Classroom, in addition to regular L2 instruction. The dialogues were specially designed and revised according to the curricular requirements of the institution. To investigate learners’ emotional regulation and wellbeing, 10 digital classroom dialogues with emotional reactions of the participants were collected and analyzed using inductive content analysis. Analysis of wellbeing scale data indicates statistically meaningful differences between the groups in favor of the experimental group with a medium effect size. Qualitative findings show personal growth through discussing socially relevant and critical issues, building self-efficacy through increased practice in the target language, and building a more positive outlook through increased foreign language enjoyment (FLE), among other aspects relevant in positive psychology. Pedagogical implications are also discussed in the study.Keywords: dialogic education; second/foreign language acquisition; interactive digital landscape; dialogic intervention; positive psychology; emotional regulation; social emotional wellbeing

Legislation on Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID): Preliminary Consideration on the First Regional Law in Italy

Medical assistance in dying (MAID) remains a sensitive and evolving issue in Europe, frequently linked with discussions about human freedom, life dignity, and healthcare policy. While national consensus in Italy is absent, the Region of Tuscany has enacted Law No. 16/2025, which establishes a MAID procedure based on recent Constitutional Court rulings. The commentary aims to provide a preliminary analysis of the new law, addressing ethical, medico-legal, and social issues that emerge in relation to the Italian and global debate on the topic. The law establishes a three-stage process based on four eligibility criteria: irreversible disease, psycho-physical suffering, life-support dependence, and informed consent. However, Tuscany’s model poses medico-legal and ethical concerns, particularly about the boundaries of regional legislative competence, the duties of healthcare professionals, and the possibility of intra-national inequity or “health migration.” In addition, critical organisational implications derived from informed consent and lethal drug self-administration impede clinical implementation in some individuals with mental or neurological disorders. The lack of clarity in the different steps of the procedure, the uncertain supervision system, and the potential consequences for specific categories of vulnerable people underline the need for comprehensive national regulation. A future regulatory framework must balance procedural clarity with individual autonomy and equitable access, bringing Italy in line with larger European context for end-of-life care.

AI-Powered Digital Identity Systems and the New Digital Divide: The Case of World

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to feature prominently in global discourses on sustainable development as a potential solution to long-standing social and economic issues across the global South. In recent years, there has been increased interest by public and private actors to develop and deploy AI-powered digital solutions positioned to help close the digital divide—a phenomenon that has been traditionally framed as the gap between the connected and unconnected. Framed against a backdrop of “tech for good,” developments in AI and other emerging technologies have led to new challenges, including algorithmic awareness, a new dimension of the digital divide that attends to data and data-related inequalities. This colloquium paper uses World, a digital identity project co-founded by American tech company Open AI that combines AI, biometrics and blockchain-based technologies, as a case study to explore the ethical implications of private sector-led digital initiatives in the global South. Despite claims that digital identity projects help promote social and economic inclusion, we show that projects such as World can intensity existing inequalities through data extraction methods. We argue that the company's activities in countries such as Kenya are possible because of the digital divide and gaps in regulatory frameworks on AI in the global South.

Integrated reporting adoption, disclosure and media legitimacy: evidence from the IIRC Pilot Programme

Purpose In recent years, several businesses worldwide have started to adopt a more integrated approach to corporate disclosure, following the integrated reporting (IR) framework. This paper aims to explore whether and how a firm’s voluntary decision to adopt integrated reporting and the extent of its integrated disclosure impact negative media coverage related to ESG issues. Design/methodology/approach The study investigates the disclosures of 93 international firms from the International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) Pilot Programme and a matching sample of 93 similar firms issuing traditional sustainability reports to assess the impact on media coverage around ESG issues. The final sample consists of 1,116 company-year observations over a six-year period. Findings The results indicate that the voluntary adoption of integrated reporting alone does not significantly impact a firm’s level of media exposure. However, greater alignment of integrated disclosures with the IR framework results in reduced negative media exposure. These findings hold when the negative exposure is related solely to governance issues, but not when it pertains only to social or environmental issues. Research limitations/implications The results of this study contribute to accounting and business research on media and corporate disclosure by providing new insights into how the media value integrated corporate disclosures. The results indicate that the media particularly value the adoption of the IR framework when it is applied more extensively, especially in relation to governance issues. They also demonstrate that analysing this reporting tool benefits from a perspective rooted in media legitimacy theory. This theory suggests that when facing negative media coverage, businesses can use corporate disclosures to shape media attention and restore their legitimacy. Practical implications The findings of this work provide valuable insights for practitioners and the IFRS Foundation, guiding the refinement of the IR framework and reinforcing the growing global emphasis on corporate social and environmental performance. Furthermore, the study’s implications extend to managers, investors and policymakers. In accounting environments where IR is not mandatory, managers can use these insights to adopt IR practices, improving management quality through a comprehensive, integrated approach beyond financial metrics. Seeking external assurance can further strengthen the credibility of IR reports, fostering trust among stakeholders, including the media. Originality/value This study provides evidence that a greater extent of integrated disclosure leads to more favourable media coverage of a business regarding ESG issues. This suggests that the media use the information disclosed by companies to inform their news and positively value the disclosure provided, especially when it aligns with the IR framework.

Memes as health communication through the lens of COVID-19: a concept analysis

A meme is a humorous combination of imagery, video, or words that includes textual and subtextual messaging. COVID-19 saw a rise in the sharing of memes and memes used to address healthcare and surrounding social issues. We conducted a concept analysis of internet memes through the lens of health communication and the COVID-19 pandemic using Walker & Avant’s (2019) framework, including background, literature review, synthesis, and summary of attributes. Our analysis utilized a review of literature from the databases Academic Search Elite, Communication & Mass Media Complete, CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO, using inclusion criteria of “meme,” “health communication,” and “COVID”. By examining memes through the lens of health communication, educators and practitioners will gain a deeper understanding of memes and how memes may support or sabotage the education of individuals, communities, and students. We identify and expand on key attributes associated with memes: virality/evolution, iteration, community in/out-grouping, and humor.

A Newly Emerging Non-Verbal Language: The Interaction Relationship Between Social Causes and Popular Trends in Youth Music

For young people in contemporary Chinese society, music has become a new social symbol. They express their emotions and achieve emotional resonance through the Internet, social media, and live music events. The emergence of different popular music genres is not only due to the musical characteristics of the music itself but also serves as a common language to meet the emotional, cultural identity, and social needs of young people. This article attempts to explore the social reasons behind the popularity of emerging music types (such as hip-hop, electronic music, and "new national style" fusion music) and the relationship chain driven by digital platforms by analyzing their popular trends. This provides a new perspective for understanding the interaction between music and social issues and for better understanding contemporary youth culture. At the same time, it critically examines the possibility that algorithm-driven dissemination models may lead to cultural narrowing. It also calls for a balance between pursuing traffic and ensuring cultural diversity in the current context for platforms. Through research, it is found that the algorithmic recommendations and short-video dissemination mechanisms of digital platforms have significantly promoted the popularity of music genres, and young people build cultural identity and relieve social pressure through music consumption.

Classifications of Sociological Paradigms

In this entry paper, we propose a brief analysis of the use of the notion of “paradigm” in sciences in general and in social sciences and sociology in particular. A “paradigm” expresses a worldview and/or a unified perspective—at the level of the scientific community—on a given situation. Paradigms represent a collection of beliefs shared by the scientific community or a set of agreements through which social issues should be understood and interpreted.

LEARNING TO BELONG: AFGHAN NEWCOMER CHILDREN AND THE SOCIAL FABRIC OF AMERICAN SCHOOLS

There are important psychological, social, and cultural issues involved in the assimilation of Afghan refugees into American society. After the U.S. exited Afghanistan, Afghan refugees were temporarily detained in camps before being relocated around the U.S. Although they have survived the immediate danger, the impact of war, displacement, and detention has resulted in the refugees suffering chronic psychological trauma including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. These mental health conditions, along with cultural differences and difficulty acclimating to American social customs, add a layer of complication to the integration process. In this paper, the most important issues confronting foreign refugees are analyzed, and field-tested policy recommendations that can help to reconstruct and integrate this population into American life are formulated. The study employs a combination of methods such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, and case studies to better understand the experiences of Afghan refugees and the opinions of the American host communities. Results show that there are strong societal concerns toward refugee integration that can, however, be overcome by well-organized supporting measures. Other recommendations include gradual acclimation to the community, compulsory psychosocial support, and the development of cultural awareness programs for both refugees and host populations. Furthermore, targeted educational bridging programs are proposed for refugee children, aimed at covering the educational gap and supporting emotional development. It is particularly important to have mechanisms for continued monitoring of integration outcomes in the long term so that refugees are not left behind and are encouraged as they adjust to stable lives. The U.S. can make it easier for Afghans to be absorbed into society with the right policy recommendations in place. Given long-term planning and consistent support, refugees are able to start afresh and contribute to the social and cultural tapestry of this country.

Codevelopment of a complex intervention to reduce inequalities in paediatric diabetes secondary care outcomes for children with type 1 diabetes from underserved groups.

To codevelop (with children and young people with diabetes (CYPD)) an intervention to improve diabetes control and future health outcomes of CYPD from 'underserved' groups, to reduce treatment outcome inequalities between different socioeconomic and ethnic groups. To follow Medical Research Council guidance for complex interventions and the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behaviour) model for behaviour change intervention development. In phase 1 (previously reported), we established the evidence base, conducted literature reviews and analysed data from semistructured interviews with CYPD and their carers. In phase 2 (this report), we applied the COM-B framework to identify intervention components; in phase 3 (this report), we evaluated these components, including focus groups with CYPD, their carers' and healthcare practitioner (HCP) surveys, using the Acceptability, Practicability, Effectiveness, Affordability, Spill-Over Effects, Equity criteria. Secondary care; children, young people and their carers' were approached from two large paediatric diabetes services in England, both with socioeconomically and ethnically diverse underserved populations; paediatric diabetes HCPs were surveyed across four English regions. N=69 underserved CYPD (aged 5-19 years) and/or family members took part in interviews; N=48 paediatric diabetes HCP survey respondents (survey 1); N=34 paediatric diabetes HCP survey respondents (survey 2); N=3 young people's advisory group participants; N=17 underserved CYPD/carers focus group participants; N=9 wider stakeholder participants. The codevelopment process and integration of COM-B established four elements for an intervention package: (1) an enhanced peer support/mentoring programme; (2) provision of a health and well-being coach to CYPD/families; (3) family/community support to address social and community issues and (4) training for HCPs, including cultural competence, poverty proofing and to emphasise the need for increased sensitivity and better supported communication in work with CYPD from underserved groups. The Diversity in Diabetes codevelopment work informed an intervention to improve diabetes care in underserved groups, reflecting sociocultural contexts and plausible support options at the individual, community and clinical levels. The 'Diversity in Diabetes' programme will next test feasibility and further refine the intervention package in two more paediatric diabetes centres in England.

Cross-Sector Homeless Service Collaboration: Perspectives from Social Service Providers

Coordinated and comprehensive services are needed for individuals experiencing homelessness or those at risk for homelessness. Various organizations working in collaboration and partnerships to address social issues face several barriers. This study aims to examine the efforts of a cross-sector collaboration of social service providers supporting individuals experiencing homelessness in the United States through the Collective Impact framework. Organizations specializing in behavioral health, medical, housing, and HIV/AIDS services encompass these providers. To measure how well the conditions of collective impact were being met, an online survey was delivered to the service providers from the organizations. Follow-up focus groups aimed to explain and enhance the survey results. ANCOVA evaluated the differences in meeting collective impact conditions across organizations. While no significant differences were found, the highest mean scores were for common agenda and continuous communication, indicating strong alignment and open dialogue across agencies. The lowest scores were for mutually reinforcing activities and backbone infrastructure. Thematic analysis of the focus groups supported these findings and revealed four key challenges: concerns with safety and security, role confusion, inconsistent communication, and organizational culture differences. These results suggest a need for clearer protocols, shared leadership structures, and strategies to align organizational roles and expectations. Findings highlight the importance of continuous relationship-building and structural coordination to strengthen collective impact in cross-sector collaborations.