Social Practice Research Articles

“Semester Marriages” and the Unintended Psycho-Social Challenges within Institutions of Higher Learning: Implications for Social Work Practice

The sexual economy prevalent within universities, as well as how young people perceive, interpret, and experience their sexuality, present complex dynamics, which, if not handled with great emotional intelligence, may disrupt their educational aspirations. This paper investigates the psycho-social implications of “semester marriages” within institutions of higher learning. Guided by principles of the qualitative approach and the theory of planned action, the paper disinterred that students experienced intense regret and guilt as a result of backstreet abortions. Soul-tie complications emanating from sharing the “wife-husband” bond also made it difficult for some students to move on after a breakup, leading to disruptions in their educational focus. In extreme cases, such an inability to deal with the adverse effects of “semester marriages” culminated in crimes of passion. The paper desists from pathologizing the “semester marriages” phenomenon and advocates for the strengthening of psycho-social support modalities within university settings to increase the accessibility and visibility of therapeutic services through a school social work model. Furthermore, universities, in partnership with other relevant stakeholders, are urged to prioritize sexual and reproductive education and services among the youth as provided for in the Constitution of Zimbabwe of 2013 to impart life skills that can equip students to make informed sexual and reproductive decisions.

Navigating the Digital Horizon: The Impact and Future of Communication Technologies in Society

The article delves deeper into the dynamic and rapidly evolving realm of digital communication technologies, highlighting their transformative impact across various dimensions of modern society. It scrutinizes the latest advancements in digital communication tools and platforms, assessing how these innovations are not only altering our fundamental methods of interaction but also redefining the paradigms of information exchange and processing. The study provides an in-depth analysis of five key domainssocial media dynamics, e-commerce evolution, mobile communication progression, online educational methodologies, and telemedicine advancements. Each of these domains is thoroughly examined through three distinct lenses, offering a nuanced perspective on their current state, challenges faced, and the potential trajectories they may follow. The article aims to furnish a holistic view of the digital communication landscape, contemplating its broader implications on social behavior, economic patterns, educational practices, healthcare delivery, and governance mechanisms. This comprehensive exploration is intended to offer readers a multifaceted understanding of how digital communication technologies are not just tools of convenience, but powerful forces shaping the future contours of our global society.

»Denn Ich ist ein Anderer«

Rimbaud’s formulation in his Lettre du voyant to Paul Demeny, »Car Je est un autre,« which has become famous in German as »Denn Ich ist ein Anderer« [For I is an Other/For I is someone else] (Rimbaud 1997, 20–21) can, in its formulaic nature, be read as a motto for various practices which effect a dissociation between the addressee and the author of lyric texts. In this text, these dissociation processes are referred to as practices of dereferentialization. The first thesis of this article is that an ambiguization of the addressee reference – not only by means of epitextual authorial poetological statements according to the abovementioned reasoning, but indeed from within the texts themselves – can manifest itself as a strategy in poetry production which leads to a poem becoming ambiguous, that is, allowing for more possible interpretations and as a consequence acquiring a positive quality. That dereferentialization has also proved to be a strategy of literary reception (and more specifically within the practice of interpretation) whose goal is to secure a property that is considered constitutive of poetry forms the second thesis presented here. Both theses are based on the assumption that ambiguity is an axiological value within the social practice of ›lyric poetry‹. The article concludes with a discussion of whether the reception-side dereferentialization is sometimes performed too uncritically, with a view towards Till Lindemann’s Undank und Wenn du schläfst.

A Practical Analysis on the Integration of College Students’ Labour Education into Rural Revitalisation from the Perspective of “Hundred, Thousand, and Ten Thousand Project”

The key to rural revitalisation lies in the revitalisation of talents, the core of which lies in the cultivation of high-quality talents who are united in knowledge and action. Colleges and universities, as the gathering place of high-quality talents, should give full play to their important role in cultivating talents through labour education. Labour education has the important value of improving college students' sense of social responsibility and self-worth, and promoting employment and entrepreneurship. In practice, it is necessary to raise the awareness of the importance of labour education for rural revitalization, establish a robust management mechanism for labour education and a sound safeguard mechanism for talents, organically integrate labour education with on- and off-campus social practice, build a diversified evaluation system with the sense of achievement of the students as the core, and build a system of labour education for colleges and universities at the conceptual, systemic, practical and evaluation levels, to explore a new path for labour education to integrate into rural revitalization, and to promote rural revitalization in a powerful and effective way.

Physicians’ Knowledge from Different Religious Background on Management of Diabetic Patients during Ramadan Fasting in Saudi Arabia

The objective of this study is to assesses the knowledge of physicians about basic facts of Ramadan and their ability to give health guidance for diabetic patients to people who are funding and changing their wishing to fast during Ramadan. We studied the knowledge of physicians on Ramadan fasting as a religious duty and impact of some social practices on the fasting diabetic patients. The sample included all the non-Muslim physicians working in different hospitals and health care centers in Najran. Data was collected over a period of one month. This was a quasi-experimental study where non-Muslim physicians were questioned on their knowledge and advice they give to diabetic patients and professional practice of physicians, pre and post a focus group intervention. There were 52 non-Muslim physicians most of the respondents (55.8%) see more than five diabetic patients per week in Ramadan, who had some enquires relevant to Ramadan fasting. Major source of information on Ramadan fasting was through personal communication with Muslim colleagues. Factors that impair diabetic control include cessation of medications, self-modification of dose, increase in consumption of sugar and increased physical activity. We conclude that physicians in Saudi Arabia lack basic religious knowledge on Ramadan that influences health and disease. By simple measures such as distributing written teaching materials or focused group discussions, we can empower their abilities to provide efficient advice to diabetic patients wishing to observe Ramadan fasting.

It's better to die before dishonour: Linguistic creativity and the negotiation of meaning in the Nigerian Army community of practice

This article investigates emblematic language use and the negotiation of meaning with particular emphasis on generative mechanisms like jargon and slang in two Nigerian Army barracks in Calabar municipality, Cross River State, south-eastern Nigeria. The study is anchored in a linguistic ideology framework which is grounded in beliefs and values people have towards explicit and implicit language use in a particular communicative context. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic data sourced through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with 30 participants who were purposively sampled, the authors argue that jargon and slang are indexical linguistic resources that enable military personnel to create diverse new meanings in the informal linguistic ecology of the army. We conclude that beyond helping to create a new linguistic convention in the barracks, jargon and slang also facilitate the construction of professional identity, enact inclusion/exclusion and sustain dominant values and professional ethos. The study focuses on ways of interpreting the specificity of the military world and the reality of dominance through the prism of these linguistic specimens. Jargon and slang, therefore, offer a firmer lens to appreciate the army's social universe and subjectivities, and more broadly to enhance an understanding of contextually embedded social practices in the military.

Медии, медийна култура, комуникации: процеси и трансформации

Abstract: This study aims to explore various scholarly perspectives on defining the concept of media culture and its significance for media, social, and cultural development. The theoretical review presents relevant theories, concepts, ap¬proaches, and important themes in the field of media culture. It argues for the necessity of a coherent theory of media transformation and media culture. The hypothesis posits that modern technologies utilizing artificial intelligence are not equivalent to human capabilities but are increasingly encroaching upon tradi¬tio¬n¬ally human domains such as language, religion, art, and politics. The conclusions drawn from the theoretical review and critical reading are applicable to several scientific fields. Media transformation often involves conflicts and is accom¬panied by crises. Therefore, media transformation can be seen as a process of transitioning from the old to the new. It expresses a new experience over time, accompanied by crises that arise from changes in technical, social, and political structures. These crises lead to a profound transformation in the media system and represent a turning point for the phenomenon of media culture as a social practice constructed by the media, through which meaning is created via different forms of communication. Keywords: transformation, media, media culture, media competence, culture, technology

Breaking Barriers: How Do the Marketing Capabilities of Emerging-Market Micro-Multinationals Drive Social Innovation?

AbstractDespite the increasing importance of social innovation, research seeking to illuminate how firms engage in social innovation in emerging markets is limited. Utilizing survey data from 143 Pakistani micro-multinational firms operating in other emerging markets, this study examined how these firms undertook social innovation practices in host emerging markets. The findings indicate that the social innovation practices of these firms in host emerging markets are influenced by dynamic marketing capabilities. Furthermore, this influence is mediated by social embeddedness in the host market. Moreover, this mediated influence is positively moderated by a socially supportive culture of the host market. The impact of marketing capabilities on value creation in host emerging markets involves the serial mediation of social embeddedness and social innovation practices. The study demonstrates how resource-constrained emerging-market micro-multinational firms can generate value in host emerging markets, thereby validating the efficacy of dynamic marketing capabilities in the context of social innovation in emerging markets. The study also discusses practical and policy implications.

Does corporate governance influence environmental, social and governance disclosure practices of state‐owned enterprises? An international study

AbstractThis paper provides fresh insights into the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure practices of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs). To accomplish this study's research objective, we collected ESG and corporate governance data from Refinitiv Eikon's database on a balanced sample of 253 SOEs from 37 worldwide countries over 5 years (2018–2022), obtaining a total of 1265 observations. A battery of fixed and random effects panel regression models has been estimated to test the impact of board characteristics, like board size, board independence, board gender diversity, number of board meetings, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) duality and the presence of a corporate social responsibility (CSR) committee, on overall and individual ESG disclosure scores of sampled SOEs. Results show that while board size and CEO duality negatively affect SOE ESG disclosure, board independence and gender diversity, as well as the number of board meetings and the existence of a CSR committee, exert a positive influence.

Assessing the Relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and R&D Effectiveness of Firms

Practices of corporate social responsibility often generate synergetic effects and improve financial and overall firm’s performance. However, in the high-tech industries, research and development (R&D) efficiency remains a key element of development strategy, and a shift towards sustainable activities can be considered as a trade-off. This study investigates the empirical link between corporate social responsibility practices and R&D effectiveness in R&D-intensive industries. Specifically, this research assesses the impact of environmental, social, and governance information disclosure, the availability of third-party rating, and long-termism on R&D returns. We employ the Hausman–Taylor estimator to analyze three R&D-intensive industries, namely pharmaceuticals, biotechnology and software, for the period from 2012 to 2019. Empirical results show that, in general, higher values of corporate social responsibility metrics are associated with the weaker R&D returns. The findings of this research might be meaningful for managers in making informed decisions with respect to corporate social responsibility practices.

Corporate social responsibility practices and value creation through open innovation approach: Evidence from the STOXX Europe 600 Index

AbstractIn the current business setting, companies must adopt new practices to remain competitive due to complex products, changing market demands, and stakeholder pressures. Many successful businesses are turning to sustainability‐oriented innovations as a means of both increasing their growth potential and engaging in corporate social responsibility practices. This approach benefits both the company and society. However, the full potential of implementing sustainability practices through open innovation has yet to be fully explored, and the impact on firm value is unclear. Additionally, there is currently a lack of international standards for representing sustainability as an open innovation approach. This study aims to shed light on the potential benefits of adopting sustainable practices through the open innovation approach. We highlight the value that sustainable innovation can create and analyze a sample of European‐listed companies from the STOXX Europe 600 Index from 2011 to 2020. Our findings show that the ESG score best represents sustainability as an open innovation approach. Moreover, we demonstrate that adopting sustainability as an open innovation approach practice positively impacts firm value. This suggests that companies can enhance their value and promote sustainable innovation success by embracing this approach. Overall, this paper contributes to the literature on sustainability and open innovation, specifically within the legitimacy theory framework. It emphasizes that stakeholder pressure to build a more sustainable and ethical economic system presents a challenge that can also be an opportunity for companies.

Do the firm characteristics moderate the nexus between the firm's sustainable practices and financial performance?

AbstractThe paper explores the partial and integrated influence of corporate sustainability practices on the financial execution of Indian‐listed firms. The study considered a sample of 569 listed firms, and the study period spans from 2010 to 2022. Using estimates of feasible generalized least square and quintile regression, the study finds a positive association between the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) score and the financial performance of firms. All the individual dimensions of the ESG score positively affect the firm's internal and external values. Environmental practices have the highest impact on improving balance sheet values through return on asset (ROA). In contrast, social practices have the highest impact on creating market value through Tobin's Q (TQ) compared with other dimensions. However, for large firms, excess investment in ESG may not support their balance sheet through ROA but generates market value through TQ. ESG disclosers negatively impact the internal earnings of firms that are financially inflexible but, in the aggregate, support the firm's market value. In addition, the study finds a significant moderating effect of size, earnings, value, and financial flexibility on the association between ESG scores and the financial performance of the firms.

The vagina problem: a step too far in parent–child sex communication with young children

ABSTRACT Parents describe a want for better sex education for their young children compared to their own myth and silence-led experiences while growing up. However, introducing the vagina has proved a challenging step too far for many parents. This study arose from a secondary qualitative data analysis of 20 focus groups with parents in Ireland about how they engaged in body and sexuality communication and socialisation practices with young children, aged 4 to 9 years old. Though parents often utilised euphemisms, the language applied to male bodies tended to be generic, while euphemisms for female bodies tended to be family-specific. The language used in talking about the female body evaded reference to the vagina and talking about its functions. Protecting the child from knowledge about the sexual body was aligned with maintaining innocence and delaying the child’s transition to adulthood. Parents demonstrated a commitment to stop using myths but still placed boundaries around their young children’s sex education, albeit boundaries that were being redefined. Perpetuating intergenerational taboos, placing boundaries on knowledge of the sexual body, impacts a child’s ability to fully integrate their body into their sense of self.

Ferreting the Efficacy of Action-Oriented Approach in Indian ESL Classroom: Learners’ Notion

The ‘Action-Oriented Approach’ proposes a new paradigm for teaching and learning languages, a pedagogical framework founded on the idea that language is a social practice and a tool for action. This study examines how Indian ESL students feel about AOA and its advantages in increasing English language competence among tertiary-level pupils in India. To gather data from 156 engineering stream students, including crucial key research objectives, the current study used a quantitative technique with survey instruments. Survey data were collected using a Five-Point Likert scale. The study results show that, in general, ESL students are in favour of assisting language learners to gain competency in various scenarios using an action-oriented approach. The statement "Action-Oriented Approach helps the learners to develop language proficiency in a variety of contexts" received the highest grade (x=4.2692) from the majority of ESL learners (94.2%). Overall, this study contributes to a greater understanding of Indian language acquisition strategies. The study’s outcomes highlight the benefits of implementing action-oriented approaches in ESL classes and the potential repercussions on pupils’ language fluency in English the Action-Oriented Approach was deemed an outstanding technique by a large number of ESL students, particularly for improving their comprehension of English.

The Role of Digital Social Entrepreneurship in Driving Green Economy and SDGs

<p class="Default"><em><span lang="EN-US">Environmental conservation and sustainable development are gaining increasing attention globally. Environmental problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, and resource crises are the focus of the attention of various parties, including the community, government, and private sector. This research aims to explore the role of the digital ecosystem and social entrepreneurship practices among the youth of Lintang Nuswantara Cirebon in supporting the Green Economy and Sustainable Development Goals. A qualitative approach with a case study was used to understand the role of this ecosystem. The results of this study show that excellent programs such as Youth Social Care Camp (YSCC), Lintang Muda Mengabdi (LMM), and the mangrove planting program with NGO Grow Up Institute (GUI) have contributed positively to advancing the Green Economy and achieving Sustainable Development Goals. This community has successfully created a sense of mutual aid and empowered the community through innovative digital initiatives</span></em></p>

Do local government sustainability initiatives impact corporate social sustainability practices?

AbstractThis study quantifies the initiatives of local governments' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and examines their impacts on regional corporate social sustainability practices. Our analysis reveals statistically significant results for corporate action on the following government initiatives on SDGs: BOD/COD effluent standard (6. clean water and sanitation and 14. life below water); number of students per personal computer (PC) (4. quality education); percent of female prefectural assembly members (5. gender equality and 16. peace, justice, and strong institutions); and minimum wage (1. no poverty and 2. zero hunger). These results are robust after controlling for peer effects by other firms in the surrounding regions. The evidence also indicates that these trends are more pronounced in footloose industries than in heavy industries.

Organisational practices and social inclusion: Inclusionary place‐making in the library

AbstractSocial psychology has long been concerned with social exclusion. Much of this interest has focused on people's negative intergroup attitudes and how these may be changed through individual‐level interventions. In this paper we explore a different level of intervention – one that targets the routine organisational practices that communicate who is welcome and able to draw on the organisation's services. Specifically, we investigate how a public‐facing organisation—a library service—engaged in a process of self‐reflection on its routine social practices with the aim of making people experiencing various forms of exclusion (e.g., job seekers, benefit claimants, ethnic minorities) more welcome. Our data arise from interviews (N = 19) with staff concerning their attempts to transform the practices that constitute the library as a distinctive public place. Throughout, we explore how they reflected on their everyday organisational practices, how these may unintentionally exclude, and how they could be modified to facilitate social inclusion. Moreover, we pay particular attention to our participants' understanding of the challenges involved in changing organisational culture and creating a social space in which diversity is accepted.

Application of Narrative Therapy in a Social Work Group of Caregivers with Mental Health Disorders

Social workers from China found in their community service and interview: Caregivers of individuals with people with mental disorders Lack of sense of meaning in life. They showed simple narration content, narration style, pessimism, low identity recognition. Caregivers think Causing their life stress, family economic difficulties. the psychological pressure is because of their have a mental illness person in. family. Social workers follow the concept of helping people to help themselves, hoping to improve the sense of meaning of life for these caregivers and change their perception. Thirty family carers of the mentally disabled have been chosen to receive life narration treatment in a social work group. this is the main content of social work practice research. In practice, Social worker which has adopted various kinds of narration methods such as life narration, sand table narration, story narration, drawing narration, etc. The practice of This social work group helps carers discover their life meaning from the experiences of care mental illness. this is a valuable practice of social work service for families with mental disorder. This is done with application value of promotion.

Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges for the Social Education and Profession

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly advancing and holds both opportunities and risks for the social work profession. This review article provides an analysis of the potential applications and implications of AI technologies for social work practice, education, research, and ethics. The article highlights promising uses of AI tools like predictive risk models, virtual simulations, chatbots, and data analytics to enhance social work services and training. However, it also critically examines the ethical considerations and social justice concerns related to the integration of AI in social work, including issues of privacy, transparency, accountability, consent, bias, displacement of roles, and threats to human dignity. To responsibly leverage AI's benefits while mitigating its risks, the article offers recommendations for social workers to collaborate on AI design, follow ethical protocols, pursue education on AI, and conduct further research. Key areas for future research identified include studying client perspectives on AI, testing the efficacy of AI systems for social work tasks, auditing algorithms for bias, and analyzing AI's impact on social work employment. In conclusion, while acknowledging AI's significant potential, the article emphasizes that purposeful oversight, participatory design, and adherence to social work values must remain priorities to ensure AI promotes dignity, autonomy, and justice. This review provides a balanced, evidence-based analysis to inform discussions on optimizing AI's integration in the social work profession.

Advancing social practice understandings of digital innovation delivery in construction project management

PurposeThe paper aims to apply social practice theory to clarify the process of innovation design and delivery from one successful digital innovation: the building information modelling (BIM) risk library. The paper clarifies the practices surrounding construction innovation and provides a schema useful for practitioners and technology designers through a social practice analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies Schatzki's “organisation of practice” concepts to a construction project innovation to clarify how the practice of innovation revolves around understandings, rules and teleoaffectivities (emotive behaviours). Sources for the study include notes from meetings, workshops with experts and the shared artefacts of innovation.FindingsThe practice of innovation design and delivery are clarified through a social practice analysis: a distinct “field of practice” and a “schema” of generalisable prescriptions and preferences for innovation delivery being presented.Practical implicationsThe paper informs the practice and process of innovation design and delivery; the insights clarify how collective understandings and rules of use evolve over time, becoming formalised into contracts, agreements and workplans. Practically, processes whereby innovation “sayings” evolve into innovation “doings” are clarified: a schema detailing prescriptions and preferences of practitioners and developers being presented.Originality/valueThe social practice analysis of one successful construction innovation is an original contribution to the body of knowledge, adding a level of detail regarding innovation design and delivery often missing from reported research.