Social Reform Research Articles

Filling the void: the underlying processes of CEO post-retirement role identity reformation

PurposeFollowing identity theory from a symbolic-interactionist perspective, we explore the post-retirement role identity reformation of public company CEOs to uncover the process elements through which role identities reform after retirement from highly salient roles.Design/methodology/approachWe applied a self-relevant qualitative exploration based on 30 in-depth interviews and employed an interpretative phenomenological analysis.FindingsThe findings reveal six interrelated, contemporaneous and contiguous underlying process elements within post-retirement liminality and emergence clusters, which shape work and nonwork role identities that contribute to retirement stability and well-being.Practical implicationsThe research provides a basis for organizations and human resource specialists to guide retiring senior executives on the psychological effects, cognitive processes and practical considerations of the retirement transition.Originality/valueThe study provides a framework for understanding how the post-retirement void evokes novel appraisals of self, others and context. These appraisals act as stimuli of an integrated cognitive, social and behavioral work role identity reformation process.

The Influence of Historical Events on Victorian Literature

Victorian literature serves as a rich reflection of the 19th century’s transformative historical events, including the Industrial Revolution, the expansion of the British Empire, social reform movements, and challenges to traditional religious beliefs. This article explores how authors such as Charles Dickens, Elizabeth Gaskell, Rudyard Kipling, Charlotte Brontë, Thomas Hardy, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and Matthew Arnold addressed themes of industrialization, colonialism, class conflict, and spiritual doubt. Through their works, Victorian writers critiqued societal norms, highlighted inequalities, and grappled with the shifting moral and intellectual landscape of their time. Their literature remains a vital lens through which to understand the complexities of the era and its enduring relevance today.

“A Precocious Little Mother with a Child’s Face”

Theme: Motherhood and Mothering. Ill. ©Stina Wirsén Although Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking captured international attention, Martha Sandwall-Bergström’s contemporaneous Kulla-Gulla books (1945–1951) were beloved by generations of readers, despite being discounted as girls’ books or considered insufficiently feminist by critics. A retrospective view, however, reveals that the Kulla-Gulla series offers something more radical than it may seem: it not only reflects twentieth-century Swedish social democratic values of the time and a utopian feminist social model (Toijer-Nilsson; Heggestad, Värld; Nilson) grounded in early Swedish feminist thought, but also, despite the heroine’s own orphaned and motherless state, espouses a maternal ethics of care, which positions the books as pathbreaking still today in a wider global context. The orphan heroine’s assumption of responsibility for effectively motherless children and her rejection of her own elevation from poverty to privilege – until the children she mothers are taken care of also – embody collective responsibility for the vulnerable. Continually emblematized by the heroine, this ethics of care gradually expands to encompass care for other vulnerable figures in the community and finds embodiment in other exemplary characters as well. Key plot points, major characters, and the overall narrative arc demonstrate the books’ radically inclusive and feminist social model and deliver its message of social reform to a young audience.

Inequalities in health and health-care accessibility among older people in China

Abstract While health inequalities among older people have long been a research focus and are now high on policy agendas in developed societies, they have often been neglected in less developed ones, despite them experiencing rapid population ageing since the turn of the century. Using data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) cohort study (N = 63,578), this paper measures the health status of older people using the Quality of Well-Being scale, and estimates time trends in health inequality with concentration indices, followed by an investigation of their social determinants. Its specific focus is health care accessibility (HA) in the period 2005–2018, when China experienced an unprecedented advance in health-related social policy reform. The analysis reveals pro-rich inequalities in health among older people, but also shows that these have narrowed gradually over the past two decades, which is largely attributable to greater equity in access to health care. Within this general trend of inequality reduction, however, the role of HA has declined and social determinants such as education now have an increasing influence on health inequalities. These findings suggest that social policies targeting not only health improvements among older people but also health inequalities earlier in the life course are required if policy makers want to promote health equity in later life.

Building Bridges to European Integration: Albania and Kosovo's Joint Efforts in the Balkans

This study aims to look at the joint efforts of Albania and Kosovo in enhancing European integration within the Balkans. It tries to figure out, through an analysis of the joint programs and strategic partnerships, the extent to which these initiatives help them realize their shared goal of EU membership and regional stability. Prior Work: Previous scholarship has looked mostly into individual tracks on how to integrate into Europe by analyzing the political, economic, and social reforms undertaken by Albania and Kosovo separately. Other studies have tried to identify challenges and opportunities for the Western Balkans in this regard of EU integration. Yet little is known about cooperative work between Albania and Kosovo, and what it means for the wider regional context represents a gap in this literature. Key Findings: The two countries have managed, as shown by these findings, to build such a framework of cooperation together with dimensions being diplomatic, economic, and even cultural. Cross-border infrastructure projects, policy reforms, and joint diplomacy as well as collaboration in regional and international initiatives have played a bigger part in lifting up their prospects for integration. The paper shows how important it is for these two countries to ally strategically in tackling common challenges, like issues of political instability within their territories, fostering economic development programs, and social cohesion that make up the key tenets upon which EU membership is anchored.Value: This paper is therefore important in providing an insightful analysis into how synergistic cooperation between Albania and Kosovo can be used to enhance European integration prospects. It underscores the role bilateral cooperation can play in ensuring regional stability on the path to EU membership. The paper provides insight into how other aspiring member states from the Balkans can use cooperative strategies to inform the broader European integration agenda from a disadvantaged region. Future Longitudinal studies should be done to assess the impact that such joint initiatives by Albania and Kosovo could have on their EU integration trajectories over time. Comparative analyses with other regional Balkan partnerships could give a more nuanced knowledge of best practices and lessons learned. Moreover, investigating how international organizations and external stakeholders support these bilateral agreements will further make a lot of sense in the academic discussion on European integration in the region. Received: 2 August 2024 / Accepted: 12 November 2024 / Published: 3 December 2024

Research on the Current Situation and Countermeasures of Self-Identity Crisis among Vocational College Students

In recent years, the issue of self-identity crisis among vocational college students has become increasingly prominent, affecting their personal growth and career development. This paper mainly explores the current situation and causes of self-identity crises among vocational college students from the perspective of social cognition, analyzing the impact of various factors such as social expectations, self-cognitive conflicts, and educational systems on self-identity. Based on this, it proposes strategies such as social support interventions, educational reforms, and school-enterprise cooperation to help vocational college students rebuild their self-identity and achieve positive development. Through theoretical analysis and case studies, this paper aims to provide new insights and practical suggestions for the psychological health and occupational identity of vocational college students.

Development of the labor market in the context of global transformations

Most countries have adopted a more liberal policy to socialize public relations under the influence of neoliberalism and lobbying by economic elites to strengthen the role of market mechanisms and citizens’ entrepreneurial activity. The nature, scale, sequence, and strategy of economic and social reforms in each country have their specifics. Today multi-vector and large-scale changes are taking place in social and labor policy, and they do not always have an internal logic. The study assesses prospects for the development of the labor market in the context of global transformations. Within the framework of this study, the collected information was processed gradually. Data processing was modified during the study phase. At the first stage, data processing results were used to determine total and non-farm self-employment for two groups of countries with developing economies and estimate the scale of vulnerable employment. At the second stage, indicators were identified that characterize various categories of economically active population that belong to the precariat. At the third stage, the authors analyzed data on non-standard forms of employment. The authors assumed that these forms have a right to exist and will be implemented more often. There is an imbalance between standard and non-standard forms of employment. Further research should consider the transformation of labor from material and intangible dominants to creativity.

Roadmap for Health Equity: Understanding the Importance of Community-Engaged Research.

Achieving health equity in stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery has continued to be a significant challenge. This article highlights the significance of health equity and the role of community-engaged research in addressing stroke disparities, including concepts around health equity as the fair and just opportunity for everyone to attain their highest level of health and well-being. Social determinants impact stroke incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality, which emphasizes the importance of intersectionality and social risk-informed care. A comprehensive roadmap for achieving health equity in stroke through the integration of community-engaged research is presented, including the necessity of community involvement in all aspects of research. Community is defined beyond geographic boundaries, highlighting the importance of shared identities and values. The process of developing targeted goals with communities toward social justice reform is reviewed, including an evolved community engagement framework, emphasizing the need for training to inform about issues and collaborative leadership models. Several stroke disparities intervention studies are highlighted, demonstrating the successful incorporation of community engagement into intervention design and intervention platforms. For enhanced engagement, the use of community health workers and better integration of community health worker models are essential. There may be a critical need for community engagement to optimize inclusion in clinical trials. Finally, acknowledging the complexities of research around decreasing stroke disparities in prevention, treatment, and recovery, this article delves into a framework for understanding the mechanisms by which interventions affect inequities and the need for multifaceted solutions with the community as a partner. Highlighting the roadmap to health equity, this research argues that community engagement is an integral component at all steps along the road to achieving optimum brain health through equitable stroke treatment, prevention, and recovery.

Kelmė and Vaiguva Jewish Communities and Their Perishing in 1941

It is believed that Jews settled in Kelmė in the 15th century and in Vaiguva in the 18th century. In 1897, 2,710 of the 3,914 residents of Kelmė were Jews. In the 20th century, the Kelmė Jewish community shrank, but the town continued to remain an important centre of Jewish (Litvak) culture. In 1937, 1,302 of the 3,599 residents of the town were Jews. The town had a rabbinical school and five synagogues and houses of worship. Prior to the Germany-USSR war, Kelmė (Raseiniai County) may have had approximately 1,350 Jews, while there were over 1,400 Jews in the entire volost, in which a number of Jews were engaged in agriculture. Over the years in the 20th century, the number of Jews living in Vaiguva (Šiauliai County) decreased from 137 (in 1923) to 90–100 (in 1940). Bolshevik-implemented nationalisation and other ‘socialist reforms’ undertaken during the Soviet occupation in 1940–1941 caused great suffering not only for Lithuanians but for Jews as well. Jews were particularly offended by the Bolshevik interference in spiritual matters connected with synagogues and teaching at private schools.

Social work, personalisation, and the : A Bourdieusian analysis

Abstract This article considers the role of social work in English social care within the context of the Care Act 2014 and related policy agendas. This is achieved through a theoretical analysis of English social care policy and legislation rooted in the work of Pierre Bourdieu. Having been contextualized in the consolidation of neoliberal hegemony in Britain, particular focus is given to social care reforms stemming from the 2010–2015 Coalition Government, including the implementation of the Care Act 2014 and its associated personalisation principles. Utilizing Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of ‘habitus’, ‘field’, and ‘capital’, social care policy and reform is viewed as embodying an ongoing ideological shift in the ways in which the state, and its social care professions, are envisaged as functioning and interacting with its citizens. From this, the role of social work in English social care is considered in relation to policy agendas underpinning the Care Act 2014 and more recent policy reviews and proposals. This article concludes by drawing on Bourdieu’s notion of ‘hysteresis’ to conceptualize a profession facing a complex negotiation of its skills and values within destabilizing political, economic, and ideological framings of practice.

From ink to influence: analyzing the impact of media translations in late Qing China through media system dependency theory

ABSTRACT This study examines the impact of periodicals in late Qing China through Media System Dependency theory. It emphasizes the synergy between media and translation studies, exploring how this combination influenced public discourse and catalyzed social reforms. It also focuses on how periodicals – as exclusive access to foreign knowledge – created a dependency among readers. This exclusivity and dependency empowered these publications to shape the intellectual and cultural milieu through strategically embedded translations. After analyzing cognitive, affective, and behavioral effects, this study demonstrates how media messages, particularly translations, introduced progressive concepts and advocated for social reforms, ultimately driving social and cultural shifts. By applying Media System Dependency theory, this study underlines the role of media as an agent of social change, extending insights beyond the historical context of late Qing China to contemporary media dynamics. This interdisciplinary approach contributes to a deeper appreciation of how media and translations collectively function as catalysts for cultural exchange and social transformation.

Population Aging and Sustainability of Pension Funds

Abstract: In light of the nation's increasingly pressing aging problem, achieving sustainable development of China's pension insurance fund is a key objective of the country's present social security system reform. The first subject addressed in this paper is the connection between aging and the sustainability of the pension insurance fund. An econometric model can be used to illustrate how the aging population will reduce the basic pension insurance fund's balance rate. This will have an additional effect on the fund's income and expenditure balance, causing a payment gap and hindering the fund's capacity to develop sustainably. As such, a review of the national pension insurance program is carried out. From the perspectives of policy concerns and improvement ideas, we argue for the soundness and areas for development in the national pooling policy of pension insurance funds. The sustainability of pension insurance funds is the ultimate goal, and it also helps with the difficulties brought on by shifting demographics and the pressure on pension insurance fund contributions.

Representation, responsibility and legacy: a comparative analysis of how colonial history is narrated in Bolivian social science textbooks, pre- and post-070 Educational Reform

Representation, responsibility and legacy: a comparative analysis of how colonial history is narrated in Bolivian social science textbooks, pre- and post-070 Educational Reform

“Workers in Saskatchewan Now Have a Clear-Cut Bill of Rights”

This paper examines the politics surrounding the construction, implementation, and administration of the Saskatchewan Trade Union Act (stua) between 1944 and 1950. The act is important because it reflects the first attempt by a social democratic government in North America to construct a system of labour law that ostensibly aligned socialist ideas with the rights of workers to form trade union freedoms. This makes the stua unique in Canadian labour and political history because the legislation demonstrated the policy priorities of the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (ccf) and the Canadian Congress of Labour as both organizations were attempting to solidify their places in postwar Canada. This history reflects the fact that the ccf and the unions, like the left in general throughout the 1940s and 1950s, defined the working class narrowly, focusing attention on white and male breadwinners with women and racialized workers very much on the periphery. The history also demonstrates the inherent contradiction within social democratic reform politics, as the act extended numerous rights to workers to organize and collectively bargain but when those same workers pushed back against government decision-making during the province’s first public-sector strike in 1948, political tensions found many of those same social democrats acting in similar manners to their private-sector counterparts. These tensions within social democratic approaches to labour relations – so evident in the Saskatchewan experience – have become a central contradiction of the movement throughout the postwar period and continue today.

From Detached Concern to Love: Reconsidering Physician-Patient Boundaries

Abstract Developing appropriate professional boundaries is part of becoming a mature clinician. Boundaries help physicians fulfill their duties in relationally complex and emotionally fraught situations. The concept of “detached concern” has been used to characterize physician-patient relationships in which physicians show empathy and concern while maintaining due emotional distance. However, if the default tendency of trainees and clinicians is toward detachment, then emphasis on professional boundaries may do less to promote proper detachment than to diminish human connections with patients, thereby leading to clinician disenchantment and patient dissatisfaction. The authors propose that the physician-patient relationship is better characterized by love—specifically the kind of ordered love described by the fourth- and fifth-century bishop and philosopher Augustine of Hippo. Augustine’s vision of love has influenced many social reformers through the centuries, including, notably, Martin Luther King Jr. Importantly, such love is consistent with safeguards for which professional boundaries in the clinical context are corollaries, including guarding against forms of compassion that interfere with reasonable judgment, acknowledging humans' finite capacity to love, and recognizing potential harms of disordered love. Against a horizon of love, however, such boundaries are transformed from walls that prevent human connection and concern to walls that create spaces for and encourage any human connection that does not hinder healing and the patient’s good. By shifting their emphasis from detached concern to love, medical educators can re-enchant medicine for trainees by encouraging the human connections that make the practice of medicine its own reward.

An Inquiry into Gender and Queer Issues in Chinese-Language Sci-Fi Film: A Case Study of The Soul

Abstract This paper explores the complex portrayal of gender and identity in Cheng Wai-ho’s 2021 science fiction mystery, The Soul. Set in a near-future grappling with RNA-based memory transfer and gender reassignment, the film intertwines technological advancements with social issues like tongqi, marriage trafficking, and transgender representation. Utilizing theories by Prosser, Stryker, and Salamon, the analysis examines how the film depicts transgender characters Wang Shicong and Prosecutor Liang, focusing on their experiences within a system of power dynamics and the exploitation of vulnerable groups. By contrasting the mainland and uncut Netflix versions, the paper delves into the boundaries of Chinese censorship regarding LGBTQ+ themes. This study argues that while The Soul challenges heteronormativity and reveals the complexities of intersectional identities, it also offers opportunities for further critique of its limitations in representation. The film’s contribution to Chinese cinema lies in advancing conversations on gender and sexuality while highlighting the need for social reform.

For Justice! The Double Burden of Women in Indonesia from the Perspective of The Compilation of Islamic Law

This study investigates the phenomenon of the double burden faced by women in Indonesia through the lens of the Compilation of Islamic Law (Kompilasi Hukum Islam, KHI). The double burden refers to the dual roles that women fulfill, balancing responsibilities within the household and in the public workforce. Utilizing a qualitative approach and document analysis, this research explores how the KHI addresses women’s roles and responsibilities in both spheres. Real-life cases of Indonesian women are examined to assess how interpretations of the KHI impact their experiences. Findings indicate that while the KHI acknowledges women’s participation in multiple facets of life, its implementation is often constrained by patriarchal interpretations that lack gender sensitivity. This has resulted in women bearing disproportionate responsibilities at home and work. The study underscores the need for a more progressive reinterpretation of the KHI to reduce the double burden on women, promoting gender equality and enhancing women’s welfare in Indonesia. These insights are intended to inform strategies for advancing gender equity within the framework of the KHI, contributing to broader social and legal reforms.

Verbal Alchemy: Decoding Political Power Play in India through Rhetoric

This paper analyzes how language shapes political power dynamics in India's complex linguistic landscape. It scrutinizes rhetorical techniques used by national and regional political parties across the ideological spectrum, including euphemisms, doublespeak, code-switching, shifting political correctness, and debates around language policy. Case studies exemplify how such linguistic tools frame policies, assert regional identities, signal social reform orientations, justify controversial actions, and expand appeal across constituencies. The analysis reveals how language is intricately tied to messaging, positioning, and electoral machinery of Indian parties. Examining political rhetoric and linguistic conflicts provides vital perspective on the deeper regional tensions, social reform commitments, and power structures underlying Indian politics.

Who’s Afraid of Jadidism?: Reckoning with the Legacy of a Cold War Paradigm

Abstract Since the 1990s, scholars in the fields of Central Asian, Volga-Ural, North and South Caucasian, and Crimean history have debated the role of Jadidism in the study of the history of Muslim societies under Russia imperial rule. The concept of Jadidism – variously described as a program for teaching literacy in Turkic languages, a set of educational reforms, and a movement advocating a broad range of cultural, social, and legal reforms designed to “modernize” Muslim communities – made its first appearances in Soviet historiography in the 1920s–1930s. In the 1960s, as the Cold War reached new heights, the Jadid paradigm made its way into English- and French-language historical studies, whence it became the primary lens through which Western audiences encountered and interpreted the histories of Muslims in late imperial Russia. The opening of archival and library collections following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the embrace of new theories and paradigms in Russian studies broke the hold of the Jadid paradigm over Western scholarship. At the same time, a series of heated disputes began over the legacy of the Jadid paradigm and how best to research the intellectual history of Russia’s Muslims in a post-Cold War context. In this essay, I will present a history of the rise and fall of the old Jadid paradigm in European and American scholarship. I will consider how the study of Central Asian intellectual history has evolved since the paradigm’s decline and what this evolution and the contributions to this journal issue suggest about how historians can continue to examine the nature, extent, and meaning of Muslim reform movements without reviving the old Jadid paradigm.

Theoretical perspectives on children in need in economic thinking

This paper investigates the progression of economic thought on children in need, highlighting pivotal transitions from early economic theories to contemporary perspectives. Initially, children were regarded as economic assets, with necessity of child labour being rationalized for national prosperity. Industrialization exposed the exploitative conditions of child labour, prompting significant social reforms and protective legislation. Modern psychology and sociology have deepened the comprehension of child development, emphasizing early education and health. Evidencebased strategies from behavioral economics and randomized trials now guide effective policy interventions. A multidisciplinary approach is decisive in enhancing conditions for vulnerable children, by ensuring that they can realize their full potential in a supportive environment.