Social Order Research Articles

Reassessing the military spending–economic growth nexus in the ‘shadows’: selected Balkan countries, 1990–2022

ABSTRACT Informality plays a pivotal role in developing and transition economies, where it can hinder growth, policy effectiveness, and competition, while also reducing regulatory burdens and enhancing competitiveness. Military expenditures (milex) support national security, attract capital, and promote social order but may divert resources from more productive sectors. This study builds on existing literature to re-examine the milex–economic growth nexus in the context of informality across selected Balkan countries (1990-2022). Using panel autoregressive distributed lag (P-ARDL) and cross-sectional augmented (CS) P-ARDL models, it explores both short – and long – run relationships. By incorporating widely accepted informality indicators, the study ensures consistency and comparability with prior research. Findings reveal that milex negatively impacts economic growth, even when informality is accounted for. While informality boosts growth in the short – run, it undermines it in the long – run. These results, confirmed through robustness checks, offer critical insights for policymakers aiming to promote sustainable development, social stability, and national security.

“My Life After I Received Christ”

Having a conversion “testimony” and evangelizing nonbelievers by “sharing” that testimony are membership expectations of American evangelical culture. As such, institutional mass media provide guidance on testimony preparation and delivery. This study analyzes online testimonial guides from seven major evangelical organizations. That the guides’ advice is essentially identical suggests that testimonies are life stories by which believers negotiate group membership through self-presentations acceptable to an evangelical generalized other. The guides deploy a shared speech code whose language (re)produces the community’s social order. Meanwhile, a process of mediatization has shifted religious authority from traditional offline authorities to a reliance on media technologies. Introducing media language and logics into the religious sphere has had the effect of reformatting evangelical conversion testimonies in the genre of popular therapy culture.

Field size as a predictor of "excellence." The selection of subject fields in Germany's Excellence Initiative.

We investigate the selection of subject fields in Germany's "excellence initiative," a two-phase funding scheme administered by the German Research Foundation (DFG) from 2005 to 2017 to increase international competitiveness of scientific research at German universities. While most empirical studies have examined the "excellence initiative's" effects at the university level ("elite universities"), we focus on subject fields within universities. Based on both descriptive and logistic regression analyses, we find that the "excellence initiative" reveals a stable social order of public universities based on organizational size, that field selection is biased toward those fields with many professors and considerable grant funding, and that funding success in the second phase largely follows decisions from the first phase. We discuss these results and suggest avenues for future research.

Causing, staging, and negotiating disruption

Immigration discourses are controversial and disruptive discourses within which ideological questions around the protection or destruction of existing social and political orders are discussed. These debates are increasingly revolving around political language use itself. Disruptions are identified in the debates not only on the level of sociopolitical implications of immigration, but also on the communicative level. A relevant communicative means hereby is public-political language criticism voiced in language (use) thematisations. Methodologically, the analysis of communicative disruptions (i.e. a word choice or formulation is not recognized as usable without disruption or is highlighted as worthy of criticism or problematic through metacommunicative marking) or stagings of disruptions (i.e. strategies of staging political competition and assigning and denying authority on the basis of notable linguistic evidence to decouple and delegitimize opposing ideologies) and interruptions of ongoing interaction to negotiate language use is carried out on the basis of an interactional-pragmatic discourse analysis. Thus, the instances are conceptualised as strategically employed language thematisation practices and attempts at (dis)clarification within mediatised public-political communication contexts.

Is the Environment a Political Issue? A View from Environmental Civil Society in the Aegean Region of Turkey

Abstract Is the environment a political issue or is it above politics? Do those who fight for environmental protection, the environmental civil society organizations (ENGOs), see the environment as an issue of politics or prefer to conceptualize it as a post-political phenomenon? In most societies, politics is viewed hesitantly. It is equated to activities undertaken legitimately only by the political parties and happening only in a parliamentary space. Political activities are perceived to be a call for destroying the social order and sometimes even an invitation for violence. However, whether the society views the issue of the environment as a political or an apolitical issue impacts the policy decisions. Hence, whether those pursuing environmental protection in environmental civil society organizations (ENGOs) see the environment as political or apolitical is highly significant. Through a survey of 119 ENGOs in the Aegean region of Turkey, this article explores the perspectives of ENGOs and examines how they perceive the nexus between the environment and politics.

Beyond the Veil of Vocationalism: Unveiling the Contradictions in Booker T. Washington’s Educational Philosophy

This paper delves into the contrasting educational philosophies of Booker T. Washington and W. E. B. Du Bois, two prominent figures who grappled with the question of Black progress in a society scarred by racial inequality. Washington, advocating for vocational training, championed economic self-sufficiency as the key to navigating a system rigged against Black success. Du Bois, conversely, championed a liberal arts education, emphasizing critical thinking and social critique as necessary tools for dismantling systemic barriers. This paper argues that while Washington’s pragmatism held a certain appeal, its inherent acceptance of the existing social order risked perpetuating the very systems it aimed to overcome. Du Bois, through his more radical vision, recognized that true liberation necessitated not only economic agency but also the intellectual capacity to challenge and dismantle oppressive structures. By analyzing the nuances and complexities of their arguments, this paper highlights the enduring relevance of this historical debate for contemporary discussions on educational equity. It underscores the need for a multifaceted approach to education, one that recognizes the interconnectedness of economic opportunity, intellectual development, and social justice, ultimately advocating for an educational landscape that empowers all individuals to reach their full potential and contribute to a more just and equitable society. Through embracing the strengths and acknowledging the limitations of both perspectives, we can create an educational system that empowers individuals to navigate societal barriers while also equipping them with the critical thinking skills necessary to challenge and dismantle oppressive structures, fostering a more just and equitable society.

Legal Pluralism and customary law in Andean communities: The case of the Casaorcco community, Ayacucho, 2020

In the community of Casaorcco, Ayacucho, customary law remains the primary mechanism for conflict resolution, coexisting with state law within a framework of legal pluralism. This study examines its role in the administration of justice, its theoretical foundations, and its impact on social cohesion and communal autonomy. Through a qualitative and ethnographic approach, including interviews with 62 community members (among them 8 leaders) and documentary analysis, it was found that the communal assembly is the main authority, imposing sanctions such as cold-water baths with nettles and communal labor. While these practices reinforce cultural identity and social order, they also spark debates regarding the proportionality of punishments and their compatibility with human rights. Communal justice, based on collective participation, lacks written regulations, leaving room for arbitrariness and tensions with state law. In this context, it is essential to articulate both systems through intercultural dialogue that balances communal autonomy with respect for fundamental rights, ensuring fair and culturally relevant justice.

Decoding CSR reporting on poverty alleviation in China: a symbolic power perspective

Purpose This study aims to use corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting focused on poverty alleviation in China as a case to demonstrate a unique interplay between the state and private enterprises. It illustrates how CSR reporting has influenced both the mechanisms and outcomes of their interactive relationship, contributing to the construction of symbolic power. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power, this study explores how symbolic power has been constructed and reinforced between the state and private enterprises. It highlights the unique role of CSR reporting in facilitating an alignment between private enterprises objectives and state goals, ultimately reinforcing symbolic and social order. The empirical materials examined are the CSR reports prepared by the top 20 private enterprises in China from 2017 to 2022. Findings Major private business enterprises in China actively engage with the state’s objectives on poverty alleviation as reflected through their CSR reporting practices. This engagement is evidenced by shifts in keywords, dominant language and reporting structure, which closely align with the state’s stance on the issue. As a result, these enterprises receive heightened public recognition, which in turn helps reinforce the symbolic power and its influence on corporate behaviour. Originality/value This paper contributes to the CSR accounting literature by revealing a strategic role of CSR reporting that extends beyond conventional compliance levels commonly observed in Western liberal democratic societies. It serves as a function that facilitates interaction between the state and private enterprises in a symbolic power relationship, where both parties mutually benefit from the alignment of interests in poverty alleviation and social positioning.

Thinking with and between social orders: Corporate embedded colleges and their public rivals

Abstract Scholars have argued that corporatisation is antithetical to higher education’s educational purposes. In this article, I complicate such claims by considering how higher education institutions develop concrete alternatives once a private coordination mode emerges as the dominant order. I also aim to show how we can use concrete practices and their content, purpose and structure to reveal alternatives to current market forms. By drawing on pertinent interviews and documents, I undertake a comparative analysis of the order of England’s corporate embedded colleges. Corporate embedded colleges are run by private companies in partnership with public universities. The purpose is to recruit and train international students for university preparatory programmes. I compare these colleges with three rival public orders: the University Pathways Alliance, in-house programmes, and the Northern Consortium. I proceed by thinking with and between these social orders. The goal is to help imagine alternatives to the corporate market for such colleges. I conclude that universities can learn from the private order and perhaps even outcompete its representatives if they cooperate and make full use of their institutional distinctiveness.

The connection between social hierarchy, three types of capital to the importance of acquiring a higher education in Israel

ABSTRACT Modern society has a social hierarchy, whereas being at the top of the social order has advantages. Many theorists have tried to quantify the social structure; one of the most modern among them was Pierre Bourdieu. The present study intends to examine the question: Are there existing differences between two social classes living in Israel in their guidance of their children to achieve higher education (regarding their possession of the three types of capital described by Bourdieu: economic, cultural, and social capital)? To study this phenomenon, we used qualitative research, which includes in-depth interviews with two groups of population (15 individuals in a group). Each group has homogenous Socio-demographic variables in different social classes. Our findings showed significant differences in the perception of obtaining higher education. differences in the parents’ guidance of their children toward this objective, a phenomenon which might increase the social and class polarization in Israel.

Soviet Documentary Films in Lithuania: Historical and Ideological Contexts (1963–1988)

The entire cinematography and documentary film production of the Soviet Union often created an analogue a country leading an autonomous life on the screen. It sought to integrate society by spreading Communist ideology and maintaining the vision of social order and progress. Based on interviews from the respondents who had worked in various cinematographic institutions in Soviet Lithuania, this article presents a structural analysis of the documentaries, with emphasis on the film-making processes. The high noon of the Lithuanian documentaries of the sixties was determined by interesting processes and falls within the general dynamics of the production of documentary films in the Soviet Union, the socialist East European block and in the Western world. As the research has revealed, the strenuous implementation of agitation-propaganda, the educational and cultural tasks of the regime were due to both political changes in the Soviet Union, the country's ideological doctrine and social-cultural processes, as well as internal factors which then existed in cinematography – protecting one self, a wish to represent the "positive" sides of life in the republic, and the personal likings and points of view of the censors. All this determined the methodology of "approving" and "correcting-cutting" the films. While analysing the structural documentary film-making process systematically, it is possible to assume that the system of the regime's directives and the approval of films operated on the principle of keeping a balance with the Party line.

The economic system as a component of the constitutional order of the state: theoretical and legal analysis

It is indicated that the concept of the constitutional order occupies a central place in the modern theory of constitutionalism, establishing the fundamental principles of the organization of state and public life. The economic order acts as a key component of the constitutional order, forming the basic principles of the functioning of the economic system and regulating the nature of economic relations in the state. Against the background of modern global economic transformations and changes in economic systems, the importance of studying the theoretical and legal aspects of the interaction of the constitutional and economic order is growing. The article carries out a theoretical and legal analysis of the economic system as a component of the constitutional order of the state. The evolution of scientific approaches to understanding the constitutional order in the context of its relationship with the concepts of “social order” and “state order” is studied. It is established that the constitutional system is a fundamental category of modern constitutionalism, which determines the basic principles of the organization of the state and society. It is substantiated that the economic system is one of the key subsystems of the social system along with the political, social and cultural components. Based on the analysis of scientific sources, it is determined that the economic system is a historically formed set of principles, rules and legislatively enshrined norms that regulate the main economic relations in the processes of production, distribution, exchange and consumption of economic goods. Special attention is paid to the study of constitutional and legal mechanisms for regulating economic relations and the influence of constitutional norms on the development of the economic system. The relationship and interdependence of the constitutional system and the economic order, which form a complex system of relations, where constitutional norms establish the legal boundaries of economic activity, and economic processes affect the implementation of constitutional principles and the provision of citizens’ rights, are analyzed. It is revealed that in the context of globalization and strengthening economic integration, the study of the mechanisms of interaction between the constitutional order and the economic system is of particular relevance. The need to find the optimal balance between state regulation of the economy and ensuring economic freedom, between the protection of national economic interests and openness to international economic cooperation is proven. In the context of European integration processes, the importance of harmonizing national legislation with European standards in the field of constitutional and legal regulation of economic relations is substantiated.

The Volcano and the Vampire: The Case for a Volcanic Gothic

This article charts the cultural connections between the vampire and the volcano as gothic symbols. Covering the period between the eighteenth century – when increased volcanic activity on Etna and Vesuvius as well as the excavations at Pompeii sparked a cultural fascination with volcanos – and the publication of Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897), which originally featured a sensational volcanic ending, I argue that the volcano and the vampire become culturally interconnected and share much of the same symbolic coding and signifying power. Both threaten social orders and even civilizations through the destruction of human bodies, relationships, and property. Both are portals in time – sites where ancient horrors might be spewed forth to menace the present. And both produce uncannily petrified people, from the undead body of the vampire to the human remains from Pompeii. This article makes the case for the volcano as an important and previously overlooked gothic symbol, and for a Volcanic Gothic as a mode through which writers could articulate cultural fears.

Potential of technical university educational environment in socio-cultural self-determination of future engineer in the context of forming his human capital

Introduction. The relevance of the research is determined by economic and socio-cultural transformations and social order for the formation of a new format of technical specialist: capable of targeting, searching and choosing meaning and life orientations based on socio-cultural values and on this basis to develop behavioural models, the implementation of which will allow to find their place in society, cultural space, while acquiring and building up human capital, allowing to be an effective specialist and a successful person. The article aims to develop a model of sociocultural self-determination of future engineer in the educational environment of technical university. Materials and methods. The material of the study was the results of the work obtained in 2021-2024 on the basis of the Faculty of Higher Education of the Orenburg Institute of Railway Engineering - branch of the Samara State University of Railway Engineering (Russian Federation). KEYWORDS Results. It is revealed that the socio–cultural self-determination of a future engineer is a multifaceted and multidimensional process, the success and effectiveness of which is determined by a significant number of factors and conditions. The criteria of the process under study developed by the authors emphasize its complex nature and importance in the context of a conscious choice of meaningful life orientations and finding one’s place in the socio-cultural space. It is proved that the design and implementation of the proposed pedagogical situations and scientific research and popular scientific events will allow the process of socio-cultural self-determination to be carried out more successfully, and the strategy of pedagogical support for this process will make it as effective and socially acceptable as possible. Conclusion. The study showed that the educational environment of a technical university has significant potential in the process of a future engineer’s free choice of individual trajectories in life, social, and professional terms, while increasing his human capital, which ensures his successful personal and social realization.

Formation of an active citizenship of student youth based on the implementation of innovative technologies of educational activities in universities of the republic of Crimea

Introduction. The urgency of the problem of studying the formation of an active citizenship of students is due to the urgent need of the state for highly qualified professionals with an active civic position, patriots, leaders of their country, and creators of the future of Russia. The social order of society to higher education is to search for effective technologies for the formation of an active citizenship. The purpose of the research is to identify the level of formation of the citizenship of student youth, the development and testing of formation technology. Research methodology and methods. The study was carried out on the basis of the Humanities and Education Science Academy (Branch) of V.I. Vernadsky Crimean Federal University in Yalta. The methodological basis of the study was the provisions of the system (V.I. Andreev, V.V. Kraevsky), axiological (G.M. Kojaspirova, V.A. Slastenin), personality oriented (B.V. Serikov, I.S. Yakimanskaya) scientific approaches. To study the level of display of an active civil position, experimental and control groups of subjects were formed. The empirical study involved 128 first-year students. KEYWORDS The following diagnostic methods were selected for the study: a test questionnaire for assessing the role of a citizen, the method of Rokic's value orientations, the method of studying self-assessment of personality according to Budassi. The correlation analysis using Statistica 8 was used to determine the correlation relationships between the indicators and statistical processing of the results. Study results. Analysis of the results of the study made it possible to identify the impact of the use of innovative technologies in the educational process on the formation of an active civic position of student youth. The relationship between the general level of activity and leadership qualities and the manifestation of an active civic position in students was confirmed, in addition, some indicators of activity and leadership correlate with indicators of civic activity of students (p < 0.01). A high level of formation of an active civil position was detected in 20.2% of students in the experimental and 8.6% of students in the control groups. The results indicate the effectiveness of the technology for the formation of an active civic position of student youth. It was revealed that the greatest interest among student youth is caused by participation in sports, patriotic, cultural and educational, social events. Conclusion. The level of formation of civic activity of student youth is determined by personality activity, leadership qualities.

Real or Imagined? American Urban-Rural Differences in Political Values

Differences in values theoretically underlie urban-rural political division. However, it is unclear whether this division is real or perceived. This distinction matters because politically discordant groups can more easily reconcile if they share common goals and values, whereas highly divergent value systems can make compromise more difficult. Using data from original surveys of US adults, we examine whether urban versus rural residents vary in how important they rate seven core political values. We find no consistent differences between metropolitan and rural/small-town residents, suggesting urban-rural value differences may be more perceived. However, we do find distinct and substantial political value differences for rural identity versus urban identity for freedom, individualism, social order, and morality. These results suggest that Americans largely share political values across the urban-rural spectrum, which provides an avenue for common ground in this split. However, place-based identities may have somewhat disparate value systems that could impact the durability of their political division.

Chinese Legalism and Islamic Views of Justice: A Comparison Based on the Political Thought of Han Fei and Ibn Khaldun

This study addresses the lack of comparative research examining the political dimensions of justice as conceived by Han Fei, representing Legalist thought in ancient China, and Ibn Khaldun, a prominent Islamic scholar. The objective is to elucidate how these two realist thinkers, each writing in a period of political fragmentation, conceptualize justice within their respective frameworks. Methodologically, the research employs a comparative philosophy approach, centring on textual analysis of Han Feizi and Al-Muqaddimah, alongside secondary sources on Legalist and Islamic political traditions. The findings reveal that both Han Fei and Ibn Khaldun view the nature of humanity with scepticism and emphasize the necessity of strong governance to ensure social order. However, their interpretations of law diverge: Han Fei portrays it as an impersonal instrument designed to enforce compliance under a ruler’s absolute power, whereas Ibn Khaldun integrates law with divine authority, thereby constraining secular power through religious principles. An important implication of this contrast is that both frameworks can, under certain conditions, legitimize authoritarian rule: in Legalist thought, through an unwavering focus on the ruler’s will, and in Islamic contexts, when religious law is manipulated to serve despotic ends. Understanding these convergences and divergences deepens our appreciation of how different cultural and historical settings shape the pursuit—and the potential pitfalls—of achieving justice.

THE PROPHETIC APPROACH TO DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION: A MODEL FOR MUSLIM MINORITIES

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) serves as a model of multiculturalism and multi-ethnicity, as demonstrated throughout various phases of his biography, including the Makkah period, the migration to Abyssinia (Habasha), the migration to Medinah, the establishment of the Medinah Charter, and the Treaty of Hudaybiyah. These historical moments provide profound insights into managing diversity, tolerance, and social harmony. In today’s world, where multicultural and multi-religious dynamics are increasingly prominent, there is a pressing need for exemplary guidance to foster social cohesion. This study examines the lessons from the Prophet’s (PBUH) life that are particularly pertinent to Muslim minorities, highlighting the significance of embracing cultural and religious diversity. This research uses content analysis to draw on primary sources such as the Quran, Hadith, and Sirah books, and secondary sources such as journal articles, and online publications. The findings indicate that, whether Muslims reside as a majority or minority, they are duty-bound to respect pluralistic social orders, accommodate individuals from diverse backgrounds, and recognize differences as an essential component of social harmony while firmly upholding Islamic theological foundations, ensuring both peaceful coexistence and unwavering commitment to faith. Keywords: Inclusivity, Diversity, Embracing Differences, Prophetic Sirah

Voluntariness as state building. How vaccination programs changed German society and vice versa—1870s to 2020s

ABSTRACT Vaccination is always political. That is why I explore voluntary and compulsory vaccination programs in German history from the nineteenth century to the present: Fundamental changes in German politics and society throughout this period provide the opportunity to gain a better understanding of voluntariness itself and of how it has unfolded in the relationship between bodies and social orders. From the introduction of compulsory vaccination in 1874 until today, the associated debate and politics oscillated between the demand for obedience to a paternalistic state and the self-image of a liberal society. Against this backdrop, it is surprising that the first German democracy, the Weimar Republic, rejected voluntary vaccination, whereas National Socialist Germany was very much in favor of it. After World War II, West Germany adopted a principle of flanked voluntariness, interpreting the success of voluntary vaccination programs as ‘plebiscite by syringe’. East Germany, in contrast, initially operated through compulsion, but later introduced practices of ‘covert voluntariness’ to calm protest of East-Germans and the lack of resources. Finally, my article juxtaposes the liberal ideal type of the ‘preventive self’, which gained momentum from the 1970s onward, with the most recent debate on the return of mandatory vaccination programs, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. In short, the history of vaccination reveals the ambivalences and dynamics of voluntariness. Voluntariness thus became a test of social cohesion and the population’s sense of responsibility.

SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF DIVORCE

The article presents the results of an analysis of the social consequences of divorce as a phenomenon leading not only to family disorder, but also to the disintegration of the entire society. The relevance of the study is confirmed by statistics showing more than half a million divorces a year, which concerns approximately the same number of children. The study was conducted using secondary analysis of domestic and international empirical research, which made it possible to more fully use the data obtained from primary research, as well as combine disparate studies into one. The results indicate that for spouses, breaking the marital bond is fraught with an unstable psychological state, promiscuity, and decreased reproductive health. Parental relationships are significantly disrupted: the connection with both the outgoing parent (mainly the father) and the mother is weakened, due to her increasing overload. However, the greatest tragedy of divorce is for the child, who loses the holistic picture of the world that the father and mother represented together. Children from divorced families have lower school performance and are more likely to have early and promiscuous sex life, addictions, and commit crimes than children from intact families. As a result, divorce sets off a chain reaction of social pathologies that disrupt the social order in society. The answer to the question of why divorce leads to an increase in social pathologies indicates a loss of stability, cohesion, a violation of “social heredity,” a decrease in the moral climate, uncertainty, ambiguity, torn and contradictory values in which all family members, and especially the child, find themselves.