Social Issues Research Articles

Poetic works by Lyubov’ Garelina: features of lyrical statements

The article is devoted to the introduction of poetry collections by Lyubov’ Garelina, a non-professional writer, wife of Ivanovo-Voznesensk industrialist, philanthropist, and mayor Yakov Garelin, into literary circulation. Until now, Lyubov’ Garelina’s poetry and literary work as a whole have not been subjected to scientific comprehension, while it represents a unique phenomenon of provincial female middle-class literature. The article examines the specifics of two poetry collections by the poetess – 1867 and 1870. The author’s creative attitudes, leading lyric motifs, genre originality, and distinctive features of poetics and style are analysed. In comparison with the first poetry collection, the second one differs significantly: it looks more holistic, professional, with a clearly expressed author’s position. Several poems from the 1867 collection were included in the second one, but were rewritten – in this case, one can speak of the improvement of poetic skill. In general, Lyubov’ Garelina’s lyrics are characterised by the focus on depicting the “female soulˮ and female perception of the world. A feature of her poetic manner is confessionalism and diary-like nature, which developed in women’s literature only in the early 20th century. In general, in her creative attitudes, Lyubov’ Garelina finds herself in line with contemporary public sentiments and the emerging movement for women’s emancipation, although she is not interested in the social issue: she defends a woman’s right to freedom of feeling and life choice, including self-expression in creative work.

Working on Principles: Changing Concepts of ‘Labour’ before the European Court of Justice, 1972–1988

Free movement of labour was established as a so-called principle, that is, one of the four fundamental norms governing all community policy, in the Treaties of Rome in 1957. Yet already from this beginning, what was to be understood as labour, and what was not, was up for debate. In due course, judicial disputes would arrive at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, most of them related to migration. While claims to social security benefits by Italian miners played the most important part in the first couple of years following the Treaties of Rome, over the course of the decades a vast variety of welfare and social policy issues came to be associated with free movement of labour. As time went on, the trajectory pointed to a broader, both more complex and more flexible understanding of what constituted labour as the number of cases brought to Luxemburg increased that dealt with activities previously not regarded as work. Students and sex workers, unemployed and sick persons were demanding national benefits through European channels, transcending the boundaries of national welfare state systems and helping re-define labour and work in the process. This article will chart this development by studying a sample of cases that arose in Belgium from 1972 to 1988, tracing the social transformations that gave rise to the legal claims and analysing how these were translated into the language of Community law and endorsed or rejected by the Court.

Enhancing AI-Centered Social Cybersecurity Education through Learning Platform Design

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies have become increasingly pervasive in our daily lives. Recent breakthroughs such as large language models (LLMs) are being increasingly used globally to enhance their work methods and boost productivity. However, the advent of these technologies has also brought forth new challenges in the critical area of social cybersecurity. While AI has broadened new frontiers in addressing social issues, such as cyberharassment and cyberbullying, it has also worsened existing social issues such as the generation of hateful content, bias, and demographic prejudices. Although the interplay between AI and social cybersecurity has gained much attention from the research community, very few educational materials have been designed to engage students by integrating AI and socially relevant cybersecurity through an interdisciplinary approach. In this paper, we present our newly designed open-learning platform, which can be used to meet the ever-increasing demand for advanced training in the intersection of AI and social cybersecurity. The designed platform, which consists of hands-on labs and education materials, incorporates the latest research results in AI-based social cybersecurity, such as cyberharassment detection, AI bias and prejudice, and adversarial attacks on AI-powered systems, are implemented using Jupyter Notebook, an open-source interactive computing platform for effective hands-on learning. Through a user study of 201 students from two universities, we demonstrate that students have a better understanding of AI-based social cybersecurity issues and mitigation after doing the labs, and they are enthusiastic about learning to use AI algorithms in addressing social cybersecurity challenges for social good.

Sustainable development of low-income low-rise housing in Sri Lanka: Issues and challenges

This study examines sustainability challenges in low-income, low-rise housing projects in Colombo, Sri Lanka, amid a severe housing crisis. Using a qualitative explorative approach, it investigates projects over 20 years old, including Gunasinghapura in Premchandra Mawatha, Mihindu Mawatha, and Torrington. Data were gathered through observations and semi-structured interviews, focusing on technical, management, legal, and social issues, and analyzed using 21 indicators of economic, social, and environmental sustainability. Participants included two housing experts from Urban Development Auhtority (UDA), one professional from National Housing Development Authority, Narahenpita Police Crime Branch official, and three household per project, selected via judgmental sampling. Descriptive and thematic methods were used for data analysis. The findings reveal that technical issues like physical defects, accessibility barriers, and inadequate infrastructure pose safety risks and degrade residents' quality of life, increasing repair costs, reducing property values, and causing environmental problems. Management challenges, such as lack of awareness, ineffective governance, and poor maintenance strategies, lead to resident dissatisfaction and hinder sustainable development. Legal complexities and unauthorized constructions exacerbate these issues, correlating with economic impacts from legal disputes and compliance costs, and highlighting environmental challenges in land use and urban planning. Concerns about privacy and mental health have been heightened by social issues like crime, substance misuse, vandalism, and the inappropriate use of communal areas. These problems lead to increased healthcare expenses, decreased productivity, and a negative public image, which ultimately threaten the sustainability of low-income housing initiatives. Thus, Study emphasizes the need to invest in infrastructure upgrades, community education, improved accessibility, enhanced security, and robust legal frameworks. Future studies should focus on developing evaluation frameworks and tackling similar challenges in housing projects for higher-income groups. JBIP, Vol. 17, 2024, pp. 137-156

“Are You Still Alive?”: Survival Politics, Art, and Grief in Visualizing Palestine

This research analyses the difficulties and rights violations of the Palestinian people through visual narratives. The Palestinian struggle for freedom has been ongoing for many years, especially under Israel’s military rule and settlement policies. The study focuses on the Visualizing Palestine (VP) platform, which aims to strengthen this struggle and develop an alternative visual language against hegemonic media narratives. The population of this study includes all visual narratives and reports produced on the Palestinian issue, including digital platforms, publications and media content. The sample is specifically selected from VP’s 2021-2023 annual reports and 2023-2025 strategy reports. Using techniques such as Semiotic Analysis, visual content analysis and structural analysis, along with Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) based on Kress and Van Leeuwen’s (2006) methodology, this study explores how the visual content of these reports acquires meaning in social, cultural and political contexts. The findings reveal how VP’s visual strategies have reshaped Palestinian identity and historical memory while increasing global awareness and empathy towards the Palestinian issue. The results show that through visual narratives, Palestine’s international visibility is enhanced, awareness of rights violations is strengthened, and global social responses are mobilised. The findings also reveal how visual tools can challenge dominant narratives, promote activism around social justice issues and contribute to the transformation of public discourse.

Co-creating Conditions for Social Justice in Digital Societies: Modes of Resistance in HCI Collaborative Endeavors

In this article, we report on a 3-year endeavor that fostered 18 collaborations between academic and non-academic organizations to co-create responses to social (in)justice issues in digital societies. The projects and range of individuals and organizations connected to this program offer a snapshot of the state of social justice thinking within the UK digital economy research sector. Our analysis shows how the program’s constellations of actions enacted different modes of resistance attempting to reshape people’s relationship to power dynamics, addressing institutions and exposing systems, and developing and restoring values for social justice. We explore how these efforts invite nuanced understanding of what constitutes resistance in knowledge co-production endeavors and how they helped surface tensions at the intersection of agencies and the distribution of responsibilities. Drawing from our insights and experience, we discuss implications for HCI concerned with the creation of the conditions for social justice in our digital societies.

The Interpretation of Religion and Early Marriage Practices in Cirebon Regency: The Perspective of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Scholars in the Context of State Law and Socio-Cultural Aspects

Child marriage is a complex social issue in Indonesia, particularly within the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) community. This study aims to understand how religious, social, and economic perspectives influence the practice of early marriage in Cirebon Regency, focusing on the viewpoint of NU scholars. Using a phenomenological approach, this research analyzes the subjective experiences of scholars involved in the practice of child marriage. The main findings reveal that although state law sets the minimum marriage age at 19, the more flexible religious interpretation regarding physical and mental maturity (aqil baligh) dominates the views of the scholars. Social and economic factors also play a significant role, with early marriage often seen as a solution to reduce financial and social burdens. This study highlights the tension between state law and social and religious norms in determining the legal age for marriage. The implications of these findings suggest that a more inclusive policy approach, considering local religious and social values, is necessary to reduce the practice of early marriage in Indonesia.

Long COVID clinical evaluation, research and impact on society: a global expert consensus

BackgroundLong COVID is a complex, heterogeneous syndrome affecting over four hundred million people globally. There are few recommendations, and no formal training exists for medical professionals to assist with clinical evaluation and management of patients with Long COVID. More research into the pathology, cellular, and molecular mechanisms of Long COVID, and treatments is needed. The goal of this work is to disseminate essential information about Long COVID and recommendations about definition, diagnosis, treatment, research and social issues to physicians, researchers, and policy makers to address this escalating global health crisis.MethodsA 3-round modified Delphi consensus methodology was distributed internationally to 179 healthcare professionals, researchers, and persons with lived experience of Long COVID in 28 countries. Statements were combined into specific areas: definition, diagnosis, treatment, research, and society.ResultsThe survey resulted in 187 comprehensive statements reaching consensus with the strongest areas being diagnosis and clinical assessment, and general research. We establish conditions for diagnosis of different subgroups within the Long COVID umbrella. Clear consensus was reached that the impacts of COVID-19 infection on children should be a research priority, and additionally on the need to determine the effects of Long COVID on societies and economies. The consensus on COVID and Long COVID is that it affects the nervous system and other organs and is not likely to be observed with initial symptoms. We note, biomarkers are critically needed to address these issues.ConclusionsThis work forms initial guidance to address the spectrum of Long COVID as a disease and reinforces the need for translational research and large-scale treatment trials for treatment protocols.

Long-term reduced agricultural nonpoint source pollution driven by rural population aging

Rural population aging is a major social issue in China, but its impact on agricultural nonpoint source pollution has been largely overlooked by researchers. To explore the relationship between rural population aging and agricultural nonpoint source pollution, we used over 290,000 tracking survey data from the Rural Fixed Observation Points Survey (2003–2021), which is the most representative data set in China, and identified the long-term association between them. We found that rural population aging has a significant reduction effect on agricultural nonpoint source pollution, with each 1% increase in the proportion of elderly people in rural households reducing agricultural nonpoint source pollution by 0.0656%, and this reduction effect gradually weakening over time. This study provides a new perspective and evidence for developing effective policies to mitigate agricultural nonpoint source pollution.

Burnout among medical residents in Haiti: a mixed-methods study

ObjectivesTo investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with burnout among residents and to explain their experiences with burnout.DesignMixed-methods convergent parallel study with an explanatory follow-up.SettingsOne tertiary hospital in Mirebalais...

The CSR practices of Western Australian mining based on innovation ecosystems: Pathways to collaborative innovation and sustainable development

This study investigates the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) practices of Western Australian mining companies, focusing on their integration of innovation ecosystems to promote sustainable development. Through case studies of BHP Group, Rio Tinto, FMG, and South32, the research examines how these companies reduce carbon emissions, enhance community development, and foster collaborative innovation. The findings highlight the significant role of innovation ecosystems in enabling these companies to adopt cleaner technologies, improve social outcomes, and maintain a competitive edge in a sustainability-conscious global market. The study also explores the challenges and opportunities faced by mining companies in leveraging collaborative innovation to address complex environmental and social issues. This research contributes to the understanding of CSR in the mining industry and offers practical insights for improving sustainability practices through innovation-driven collaboration.

Reflections on the Remit of the Journal of Sport and Social Issues and the Sociocultural Study of Sport

In this essay, Lawrence Wenner, a former editor of the Journal of Sport and Social issues (JSSI), along with two other leading scholarly journals focused on the sociocultural impact of sport, reflects on the special remit of the JSSI project. In the essay's first section, Wenner outlines his vantage point and experiences and speaks to the complexities that confront the sociology and broader sociocultural study of sport in the academy. The second section of the essay considers the dynamics of the founding of JSSI as a personal and political project that, under the guidance of Richard Lapchick, looked to leverage public intellectualism, scholarly inquiry, and activism to advance human rights and social justice in the sporting space. The essay's third section considers how the foundational remit of JSSI evolved under the five editorial reigns that followed Lapchick's launch of the journal and outlines some of the more immediate challenges that incoming JSSI Editor Douglas Hartmann will face in reimagining the journal in a changed political climate. The essay closes by considering some of the “forks in the road” that JSSI must necessarily confront in charting a path that meshes the goals of its foundational remit concerning sport in a marketplace and political climate that stands in stark contrast to when the journal was founded.

A methodological framework for assessing development solutions: application to wood fuel challenges in Nigeria

Development interventions often yield co-benefits and trade-offs across multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, current approaches typically assess progress towards specific SDG targets, such as increasing access to clean energy or improving health outcomes, rather than evaluating the co-benefits and trade-offs of the solutions used to achieve these targets. This study introduces a solutions-oriented methodology to assess the impacts of development solutions, applied to the case of wood fuel cooking-related challenges in Nigeria. Using a rapid evidence assessment and stakeholder workshop, we identify co-benefits, trade-offs, and barriers associated with 13 wood fuel-related solutions, classified into three types: enhancing fuelwood availability, adopting alternative technologies, and implementing external interventions. We find solutions that increase wood fuel availability can address environmental and social issues, but not health challenges, while alternative fuels/technologies face affordability, market, and cultural acceptance barriers. We highlight data limitations and propose an iterative process to comprehensively evaluate solutions’ impacts. This process facilitates context-specific, cross-sectoral planning but underscores that no universal solution exists. Successful interventions require multi-sector collaboration, public education, and strengthened governance to balance competing priorities and ensure equitable outcomes. By advancing solutions-based approaches, this study contributes to integrating SDG interactions into practical, evidence-informed policy and programming.

Teaching against antiblackness within divisive educational contexts

Purpose This study used data from a longitudinal case study of professional learning sessions that were held between January 2021 and May 2022 for Afro-Caribbean teachers who were newly hired to teach in urban schools within the state of Georgia. While facilitating the learning sessions, HB 1084 was introduced, effectively censoring language related to diversity, equity and inclusion. The purpose of this study was to examine ways that the development of teachers’ socio-political consciousness (SPC) challenged antiblackness in education despite an overarching context where discussions of racism and other social justice issues were censored through the passage of divisive concepts legislation. Design/methodology/approach Case study methodology was used in this study. Data collected and analyzed for the study were obtained from the two sessions of the professional development impacted by divisive concepts legislation. Data included anonymous participant evaluations from approximately 60 Afro-Caribbean teachers, curricula from the learning sessions, instructor reflections and debriefing notes from instructor meetings. Themes from the data relevant to SPC, antiblackness and social justice education are highlighted in this article. Findings Instructional strategies emphasizing urban learners’ funds of knowledge and teachers’ critical and higher order thinking supported teachers’ development of SPC, though most teachers’ demonstrated emergent rather than advanced levels of SPC. For some teachers, inquiry-based learning activities increased motivation to challenge race-based and other educational inequities. Practical implications This article shares strategies that teacher educators working under divisive concepts legislation can use to continue promoting antiracism and social justice in education. Originality/value This study holds implications for educators who are forced to teach for social justice within challenging educational contexts. By discussing the pedagogical practices we used to encourage teachers’ development of SPC and their grounding in asset-based and inquiry-driven instructional practices, we offer strategies that social-justice oriented teacher educators can implement while adhering to the letter (though not the spirit) of divisive concepts legislation.

Developing a decision support system for sustainable urban planning using machine learning-based scenario modeling

Urbanization is rapidly transforming cities, posing intricate issues for sustainable urban development. Conventional urban planning techniques frequently encounter difficulties in incorporating several variables, including environmental, social, and economic issues. This research presents an innovative decision support system (DSS) aimed at tackling these difficulties through the application of machine learning and fuzzy decision-making methodologies. The approach utilizes random forest recursive feature elimination (RF-RFE) to determine the most significant criterion from a collection of 15 parameters, such as environmental impact, energy efficiency, social equity, and economic viability. The logarithmic percentage change-driven objective weighting (LOPCOW) approach is employed to determine the weights of these criteria according to their importance. The evaluation based on relative utility and nonlinear standardization (ERUNS) method is employed to rank different urban development methods, utilizing q-rung fuzzy sets (q-ROFS) to address uncertainty and imprecision. The analysis indicates that Green Urbanization is the most advantageous option among the assessed alternatives, demonstrating its compatibility with sustainable development objectives. The proposed DSS integrates machine learning-based feature selection with fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making, providing a comprehensive framework for navigating the intricacies of urban planning and facilitating data-driven, sustainable urban development decisions.

Compartmentalizing Intersectionality: Feminist Translations in Anti-Racist and Anti-Rape Activism in Japan

Feminists scholars based in the United States have long struggled with applying intersectionality to a transnational lens. This article explores intersectionality’s translations, drawing on two cases in Japan: the first, an anti-racism movement, and the second, a coalitional anti-rape campaign. We offer the concept of compartmentalizing intersectionality to describe the practices of prioritizing and deprioritizing certain social issues within social movement agendas, as they maneuver how to recognize multiple vectors of inequality. By providing insights into the structural and logistical constraints underpinning multidimensional social justice strategies, our article contributes to a richer understanding of intersectionality in theory and praxis at the transnational scale.

Experiences of women with threatened abortion: a qualitative study of pregnant women and health providers in Iran

BackgroundThere are significant health and psychological consequences associated with threatened abortion (TA). Women who lose desired pregnancies due to abortion are at risk of experiencing grief, anxiety, guilt, and self-blame. In Iranian society, psychological support for pregnant women is low, and as a result, women with TA experience high stress. This study aimed to investigate the experiences of pregnant women with TA and health providers in maternity healthcare services.MethodsThis exploratory-descriptive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews and purposive sampling. 13 pregnant women and seven key informants (husband and health care providers) were selected from February 2023 to July 2023. Data was analysed using qualitative content analysis with MAXQDA software (version 18).ResultsThe most critical causes of concern for women included medical, psychological, social, and financial issues and a lack of sufficient information about their current situation (spotting- bleeding). The participants used constructive coping strategies, such as regular visits to the doctor, and unconstructive coping strategies, like a lack of communication with others, to reduce their worries. Key informants proposed two methods for reducing the concerns of the women, including improving information sharing about abortion and therapeutic support available to pregnant women.ConclusionsThe study proposed that maternity healthcare providers, alongside medical care, should pay attention to techniques for improving the psychological support of women with TA.

Kidney failure care for migrants: a European survey.

The management of migrants with kidney failure and no medical insurance raises complex medical, social, financial, and ethical issues. The survey aimed to investigate (i) current practices in managing these patients, and (ii) the perspective of European nephrologists on ethical dilemmas and optimal care. The survey was piloted by the ISN Western Europe Regional Board, with members of the Young Nephrologists' Platform (YNP) of the European Renal Association (ERA), and disseminated to European nephrologists in the ISN and YNP networks. Responses were collected anonymously via SurveyMonkey. A total of 378 responses were collected from 29 European countries. Most (57%) managed fewer than 3 migrant patients with kidney failure per week, while 10% managed more than 11. Most respondents indicated that access to dialysis was unrestricted (59%), although only 25% said migrant patients were systematically eligible for kidney transplantation. Many nephrologists (38%) were unaware of the directives of governmental bodies or hospital protocols regarding migrant patients. The most common obstacles to patient management included language non concordance (64%), uncertainty about the future (56%), and lack of knowledge of medical history (49%). Two-thirds felt managing migrant patients was a moral duty, though 52% reported stress within the clinical caregiving team. Despite strong commitment from European nephrologists, a fragmented legal framework, remaining barriers, and uneven case distribution hinder optimal care for migrant patients with kidney disease.

Can data journalism make a difference in protecting Pakistani children? Social responsibility of press and data journalism

This research investigates Pakistani journalists’ opinions regarding data journalism’s role in reporting and highlighting child abuse as a major social concern. The data are gathered from twelve journalists, mainly covering news reports concerning child abuse in Pakistan. Results show that journalists consider traditional journalism as violating ethical guidelines to report child abuse in Pakistan, and a lack of relevant strategies also exists. They indicate that data journalism could make a difference if the information resources are authentic. Further, participants argue that the attitude of journalists towards child abuse awareness is considerable, mainly considering it as sexual abuse, overlooking the physical violence against children. Besides, this attitude is also of greater concern due to a lack of institutional training and strategies. Sexual violence against children is mostly reported, while physical and emotional violence remains underrepresented. They also indicate Urdu and English newspapers as mainly reporting child abuse. Finally, the participants show optimism about the role of data journalism in highlighting social issues, especially child abuse. However, they emphasize implementing data journalism training programmes and effective strategies to curb the relevant concern. The study participants also argue that the role of data journalism could be significant in the future, leading to policy-making and governmental consideration. Thus, it is concluded that data journalism can effectively raise child abuse awareness and advocate children’s rights in Pakistan. Media organizations can fulfil their social responsibility by highlighting the relevant issues to ensure a better future for Pakistani children.

We move: a journey metaphor in selected Ghanaian political cartoons

Abstract The research examines how Ghanaian political cartoonists employ journey imagery to explicate economic, socio-political, and topical/trendy issues. The effective communication of social issues requires the utilisation of compelling devices, such as metaphorical and metonymical representations, and symbolism. Cartoonists employ these devices to convey their messages about the aforementioned issues. For this study, thirteen political cartoons involving journey metaphors were retrieved from Tilapia of 3 News and Akosua of the Daily Guide. The data analysis utilised both Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory (CMT) and Forceville’s Multimodal Metaphor. In accordance with the tenets of CMT, several conceptual metaphors were identified through the examination of the comprehensive data which included, but was not limited to, ‘GOVERNMENT IS A DRIVER’, ‘MANAGING A COUNTRY IS DRIVING A CAR’, ‘LEADING A GROUP IS DRIVING A CAR’ and ‘NATION IS A BOAT’. The relatability of journey metaphors makes it easier for readers and viewers to understand the cartoons’ implicit meaning. Finally, the utilisation of the source-path-goal element in journey metaphors provides a comprehensive perspective to the message, which in turn facilitates the comprehension of the cartoonist’s intended meaning by a global audience.