Social Representations Research Articles

Consistent social odor representation across 7 languages: the Social Odor Scale translation and validation.

The Social Odor Scale (SOS) is a 12-item questionnaire initially developed and validated in Italian and German to investigate self-reported awareness of social odors, which are odors emanating from the human body that convey diverse information and evoke various emotional responses. The scale includes a total score and 3 subscales representing social odors in the respective categories: romantic partner, familiar, and strangers. Here, we aimed to (i) replicate the validation of the Italian and German versions of the SOS, (ii) translate and validate the SOS into multiple additional languages (French, English, Dutch, Swedish, Chinese), and (iii) explore whether the factor structure of each translated version aligns with the original versions. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) supported the scale's structure, yielding a good fit across all languages. Notable differences in SOS mean scores were observed among the different languages: Swedish participants exhibited lower social odor awareness compared to the other groups, whereas Chinese participants reported higher social odor awareness compared to Dutch and Swedish participants. Furthermore, SOS scores correlated with respondents' geographical location, with higher (i.e. northern) latitudes linked to lower social odor awareness. These results corroborate the SOS as a valid and reliable instrument, especially for the SOS total score and the Familiar and Partner factors, emphasizing the influence of individual and geographic factors on social odor awareness.

O PERFIL DO ESTUDANTE DO CURSO DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO MEDIANTE AS REPRESENTAÇÕES SOCIAIS DOS DOCENTES

This article aims to explore the perceptions of faculty members at the State University of Feira de Santana regarding the profile of students in the Administration program at UEFS. Social representations (SRs) are collective constructions that guide how individuals and groups interpret and interact with reality (Moscovici, 1978). Therefore, the study seeks to contribute to a reflection on the characteristics of the students from the perspective of developing autonomy and how these faculty perceptions can be used to improve teaching practices in the Administration program. The research, with a qualitative approach, used structured interviews and Bardin's Content Analysis, revealing that the majority of students are working professionals who face significant challenges such as lack of time and fatigue, which impact their autonomy and academic performance. The research also indicates that while some faculty are attentive to the students' specific needs, there is a need to adapt teaching practices to meet these students' particularities, promoting more flexible and integrated learning aligned with their realities.

Traces of Our Past: The Social Representation of the Physical World

How do humans build and navigate their complex social world? Standard theoretical frameworks often attribute this success to a foundational capacity to analyze other people’s appearance and behavior to make inferences about their unobservable mental states. Here we argue that this picture is incomplete. Human behavior leaves traces in our physical environment that reveal our presence, our goals, and even our beliefs and knowledge. A new body of research shows that, from early in life, humans easily detect these traces—sometimes spontaneously—and readily extract social information from the physical world. From the features and placement of inanimate objects, people make inferences about past events and how people have shaped the physical world. This capacity develops early and helps explain how people have such a rich understanding of others: by drawing not only on how others act but also on the environments they have shaped. Overall, social cognition is crucial not only to our reasoning about people and actions but also to our everyday reasoning about the inanimate world.

Psychological Resilience Following Disasters: A Study of Adolescents and Their Caregivers

Resilience, the process of successful adaptation to adverse circumstances, is traditionally studied as an individual characteristic. However, more recent multisystem perspectives underline the interrelatedness of systems, within and outside of the individual, in shaping coping and adaptation processes. This challenges the assumption that pathways to resilience are the same across the world, given the diversity in people’s contexts globally. In light of the preponderance of resilience research being conducted in higher-income countries, this study taps pathways to resilience in survivors of the 2018 earthquake-tsunami-liquefaction disaster in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. Guided by a social representations approach and using a novel free association technique, forty caregiver-adolescent dyads (N = 80) who survived the disaster were interviewed regarding their subjective experiences of coping and adaptation. Thematic analysis of their narratives demonstrated that survivors focused on mutual support, religious beliefs and intrapersonal psychological resources of seeking strength and calmness as routes for fostering psychological recovery. The results foreground group-specific aspects of such resilience: differences between caregivers and adolescents highlight how social roles and life stage shape resilience-related beliefs and practices. Moreover, the form their resilience takes is underpinned by sociocultural values of reciprocity and social cohesion. Thus, this paper points to similarities in resilience processes across contexts, but also to differences shaped by societal roles, developmental stage and cultural values.

Creating communities that care: social representation of mental health in two urban poor communities in Ghana

Building caring communities is fundamental to achieving a community-based approach to mental health. Understanding how communities perceive mental illness provides critical insight into fostering mental health awareness and care. We explored the perceptions of mental illness among members of two urban poor communities in Accra, Ghana. Qualitative data were collected from 77 participants through key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and situated conversations. Using theory-driven thematic analysis based on social representations theory, findings revealed cognitive-emotional representations of mental illness. The communities demonstrated high awareness of the multilevel factors contributing to mental illness risk and experiences, drawing on five sources of knowledge: embodied, common sense, medical, cultural, and religious. Mental illness representations informed the classification and legitimization of mental illness based on the severity of conditions and the identity of sufferers. These findings provide valuable insights for planning community mental health interventions that address both social and institutional care needs.

The imaginaries of a heterogeneous discourse: social representations of Catholicism in the magazines Cabildo, Criterio and Nueva Tierra (1989-2011)

The imaginaries of a heterogeneous discourse: social representations of Catholicism in the magazines Cabildo, Criterio and Nueva Tierra (1989-2011)

Power, interests and representations in the construction of alcopop as public problem in Quebec, Canada

Alcopops are malt-based or spirit-based sugary beverages whose consumption has led to numerous policies in different Western countries. This article examines the representational and socio-political dynamics surrounding the sale of alcopops that led to restrictive policies in Canada (2017–2020). Using qualitative methods during this period, including interviews with key players in the field of alcohol policy, analysis of press articles and review of legislative documents, we trace the evolution of public and political discourse on alcopops. We shed light on the role of social actors—mainly public-health organizations and the alcohol industry—defending their own interests to influence policy-making. A multi-theoretical framework is used to analyze how alcopops emerged as a public problem. This framework integrates Herbert Blumer's theoretical perspective on social problems, Serge Moscovici's social representation theory and Stevens and Zampini’s political constellation model. Through an analysis of the socio-political context in Quebec, we reveal the complex interplay between public health imperatives and the interests of the alcohol industry. This should serve as a model to study public problems that lead to public policies implementation.

The Mental And Social Representation Of Cabanagem In The Municipality Of Acará In The State Of Pará (Brazil): Narratives Of The Past To Understand The Present

Justification: Representations are the figurations of the environment, which occur through symbols, values, norms, knowledge, beliefs, among others, which are presented in a real or ideal way through social interrelations, in a way that they are ethnocentric or relativized in individual memory (Mental Representation), collective (Collective Representation), or social (Social Representation), are created and recreated, destroyed and reconstructed, materializing themselves through communication and language. In view of this, it seeks to understand the present of the city of Acará through the Social and Mental Representation of the Cabanagem Movement to understand the current problems of the population. Methodology: Semi-directive interviews were conducted with residents of the municipality of Acará in the state of Pará (Brazil) , and six interviews were selected, including interviewees with the following profiles: a teacher, a senior citizen, a community leader, a person who worked in social assistance, and two people who did not fit any of the previous profiles, chosen at random. It is worth mentioning that the interviewees were assured anonymity using, when necessary, an alphanumeric code. The most significant narratives were selected to analyze the Mental and Social Representation of Cabanagem and to understand how they reconstruct this history, and how their present fits into these Representations. Objetive: to identify how Cabanagem is represented in the memory of the population of Acará in the State of Pará in Brazil, how they construct, destroy and reconstruct the narratives of Cabanagem and how these communications occur. Conclusions: The study of Mental and Social Representations enables not only the search for history from the perspective of the population, where official history has often erased traces of heroism and dignity, but also the understanding of how people see and communicate their social condition and how they reconstruct facts that have reached them orally through relatives, friends or popular leaders, and thus can identify what they think about their current society, government projects, among others. Identifying their needs provides the elements for developing social projects that truly meet the needs of those populations

Le primat du phallus, talon d’Achille de l’appareil psychique ? Réflexions autour du cancer de la prostate

ContextThe clinical study of prostate cancer, particularly from a psychopathological perspective, remains relatively underexplored yet it serves as a site for serious and often lasting questioning of the erectile capacities of the penis, and thus potentially of the phantasmatic investments it is subject to. Moreover, this common cancer is particularly linked to the issue of aging, which radically tests the fragilities and narcissistic resources of patients. Power, performance, endurance, and counter-investment against passivity and depression become particularly acute issues in the relationship to oneself, to women, and to men. It then appears essential to delineate the psychological stakes of phallic demand in the articulation between the psychic reality of infantile sexuality and the external realities of aging, illness, and social representations. ObjectivesThis study aims to understand how the traumatic experience of prostate cancer—an acute realization and embodiment of aging and vulnerability—reveals fault lines not only shaped by the primacy of the phallus but also reinforced by societal phallic logic, balancing constraints and ideals. It seeks to discern the fragilities and resources of male narcissism related to phallic demands and their implications. The primacy of the phallus and its associated infantile sexual theory are thus questioned in their organizing or disorganizing roles. MethodThe study is based on a multifaceted methodology: an examination of the taboo surrounding the representation of the male sex in painting, semi-structured interviews, and projective tests conducted with twenty men in their sixties who have been treated for prostate cancer. A case study allows for a thorough and heuristic articulation of theoretical and clinical questions. ResultsHonor and virility emerge as particularly significant narcissistic issues, contributing to a hypomanic masculinity that enables men to shift the stakes of various anxieties (death anxiety, passivity anxiety, and castration anxiety) into the form of another anxiety: a narcissistic death anxiety rooted in virility, the dread of no longer existing as a man in the eyes of others. At the intersection of social, psychosexual, and somatopsychic spheres, prostate cancer thus uncovers a taboo Achilles’ heel. This is composed of unconscious interactions and loyalties between the phallic demand (both internal and external) and a partial dependency on the sensory dimension of erection, necessitating a reevaluation of masculinity, the phallus, and erection independent of sensory perception. InterpretationsSociety reinforces the confusion between the sensory perception of erection and the sense of virility and masculine reassurance on a psychological level through a collective and cultural imagination that associates characteristics of power, endurance, and vigor with a “good” virility, and attributes of vulnerability with a “crisis of virility.” These observations, beyond the scope of organic pathology, could contribute to the broader debate on gender issues, the formation of ideologies, and ultra-virilist movements.

ACCOMPAGNEMENT DES ENFANTS AUTISTES A LEPREUVE DES REPRESENTATIONS SOCIALES DES ORTHOPHONISTES : UNE APPROCHE PSYCHOSOCIALE

This article sets two main objectives. The first consists of identifying the social representations of autism among Moroccan speech therapists. The second objective consists of analyzing the impact of these social representations on the communication support practices of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although several studies have addressed the problem of autism, especially with the increase in the number of children suffering from this disorder in recent decades, few have approached it from the angle of the theory of social representations in context Moroccan. In this article, we used the psychosocial approach, with the theory of social representations of Moscovici (1961) to understand how speech therapists who are supposed to welcome and support autistic children construct their social representations on the autism. The empirical investigation is part of a mixed study, combining an exploratory qualitative method and a quantitative method. Indeed, our study took place in two parts: The first qualitative one was carried out through a free association questionnaire (the inducing word is autism) with 80 Moroccan speech therapists working in the private and public sector. Then, we used the hierarchical evocation technique of P. Vergès (1992) to show the importance of expressions and to assess their knowledge about autism. The second step, quantitative, makesit possible to collect quantitative data with the aim of illustrating the qualitative data obtained previously, and to understand the reality as objectively as possible, of the impact of social representations of autism among speech therapists on communication support practices for autistic children. Finally, we proceed to a discussion of the results obtained through this research.

Gendered socialization and sexual violence - A socio-anthropological study in Togo.

This article bases its argument on the social representations that justify sexual violence against adolescent girls and women and make it commonplace. It looks at the constructions of masculinity and femininity and their potential effects on the occurrence of sexual violence among adolescent girls. This is a socio-anthropological study carried out in the plateau regions of Togo. The empirical data came from individual semi-directive interviews (55), life stories (4) of adolescent rape victims and group interviews (40) with several stakeholders (adolescents, parents of adolescents, educators, community leaders and religious leaders). The results show that despite the efforts of the State and non-governmental organisations, local sexuality logics often have an impact on the persistence of sexual violence. (.

The effects of women's double working hours on professional nursing practice

Objective: Reflect on the double working day of female nurses and its consequences for professional practice. Methodology: This is a theoretical and reflective study based on the theoretical perspective of the sociology of work, together with the theoretical references of Simone de Beauvoir and Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. A narrative review of the literature was carried out in a non-systematic way in order to establish relationships between the theoretical framework selected and current issues in nursing, as well as women's experiences. Results: The logical-reflective exposition is anchored in three fundamental aspects: the working nurse; the double working day and the health of working nurses. It's not possible to look at women only as workers, since their biological reality is closely linked to their social representation. This implies the need to investigate how the social construction of women directly interferes with their lives in an integral way. Such reflection can contribute to valuing nursing work, as well as fostering discussion about the social role of women. Conclusion: This reflection needs to be present in society as a whole, not just in the context of nursing, so that women's demands, which have been evident throughout history, can be noted.

What does the word “science” evoke? Social representation of science, evaluative elements, and attitude

What does the word “science” evoke? Social representation of science, evaluative elements, and attitude

Assessing maps for social topic representation: a qualitative content analysis of maps for sustainable mobility

ABSTRACT Cartographic representations are increasingly used to communicate sustainable mobility topics. Various formats of maps, such as static maps, mobile maps, map-based dashboards, story maps, and 3D map scenes, are created to illustrate mobility planning, traffic status, emissions, and travel behaviors. These maps are rich in cross-disciplinary information, target to diverse audiences, adopt various design technologies, and enable knowledge exchange among stakeholders of sustainable mobility. This paper examines how maps are used as communication tools for traffic and infrastructure to support decision-making and engage people to actively adapt their behavior towards green mobility. In this study, we (1) identified 48 maps that actively communicate sustainable mobility topics, (2) proposed a rigorous approach to assess maps that are created for communicating sustainable mobility topics, and (3) derived design recommendations for map makers to achieve more effective and efficient communication.

Embodied spatial metaphor of cultural concept from the perspective of cultural tightness–looseness: Cultural compatibility concept is closer to the body

AbstractThe body carries culture, with cultural concepts emerging from the dynamic interplay between the body and its environment. By integrating social representation theory and embodied cognition, we explored the use of embodied spatial metaphors in representing cultural tightness–looseness across three studies. In Study 1, 84 participants were randomly assigned to either a tight or loose culture group and tasked with placing cultural words within a spatial context. Participants positioned culturally compatible words closer to themselves and incompatible words farther away, illustrating the use of spatial distance metaphors to represent cultural tightness–looseness. Study 2 used an implicit task, demonstrating that people from both tight and loose cultures exhibited greater accuracy in judging culturally compatible concepts (vs. incompatible concepts) when these words were close to themselves. Study 3 unveiled distinct patterns of embodied spatial metaphors between tight and loose cultures when comparing cultural and irrelevant words. Notably, metaphors depicting nearness for culturally compatible words and farness for irrelevant words emerged exclusively in tight cultures, while such patterns were absent in loose cultures. Overall, our findings empirically support the notion that social representations are embodied, and provide embodied evidence for understanding and representing concepts related to cultural tightness–looseness.

Representation of concepts associated with the digital environments of Chilean students

Introduction: The construction of digital identity is a negotiation process that involves a link between the self, identity, and cultural models. This process is affected by the incursion of technology, which incorporates new verbal forms and traces permanently connected spaces where digital identity is co-constructed. The objective was to determine the conceptual and social representations that construct digital identity in a group of Chilean students by sex.Method: Qualitative research with an analytical descriptive design. The sample included 509 Chilean students aged 18 to 27 from 21 higher education institutions. They were asked to write the first word they associated with the concepts of personal identity, digital identity, digital reputation, and privacy. The results were processed in the Atlas.Ti program, creating word clouds differentiated by sex.Results: Both men and women associated personal identity with "personality." For "digital identity," both groups agreed on the concept of "projection." However, regarding the concept of “digital reputation” men associated it with the term “followers” ​​and women with “prestige”. Regarding “visibility” men associated it with “privacy” and women with “exposure”.Conclusions: the concepts of identity (personal and digital) converge towards common social semantic constructions. However, in concepts such as reputation and visibility, stereotypical gender constructions are evident, with women associating them with prestige and exposure and men with followers and privacy.

Innovative Approaches Supporting Social Change, Improved Quality of Human Life, and Enhanced Planetary Consciousness Across Europe

This research uses a dialogical approach to the theory of social representations to investigate examples of social innovation in volunteer and community projects across Europe. Social representational processes shape public agendas and determine which issues are put forward. One example of this dynamic communicative exchange is the annual Social Innovation Competition of the European Innovation Council, for which an award is given each year. The study looks at a total of 36 projects that won awards over 10 years of the competition in Europe. Our archival research focuses on and discusses the co-construction of the meaning of innovation in relation to ecology. The analysis concentrates on the countries of origin of the projects, as well as the thematic areas, in relation to the themes of social innovation selected by the European Innovation Council. In this process, three crucial voices are examined, including the voice of the European Innovation Council, voice of the innovator in each award-winning project, and voice of the general public. The results indicate that members of volunteer and community sectors propose socially innovative initiatives, especially in the areas of enhancing planetary consciousness and improving the quality of human life.

The 2022 FIFA world cup in Qatar: resident interests and attitudes

ABSTRACT This study examined residents’ attitudes towards the staging of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and assess their interest and level of support or opposition to this mega sport event. Guided by the Social Exchange Theory (SET) and the Social Representation Theory (SRT), the study used a survey conducted in 2019, involving 2031 residents: 1017 Qataris and 1014 non-Qataris. T-test and ANOVA analyses were employed. Examination of the factors shaping residents’ attitudes towards and interest in Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup revealed strong and positive associations between respondents’ demographic characteristics and their interest. Significant relationships were identified between respondents’ gender, nationality and educational level and interest in the 2022 World Cup. Findings suggest directions for sports policy makers and sport event managers to improve strategic planning for hosting major sporting events. Future research can draw on this study’s findings for adaption to other contexts.

"Fora Saneouro, a água é do povo": social representations of residents of Ouro Preto, Brazil, on the privatization of water and sanitation services

The privatization of water and sanitation services constitutes a significant debate worldwide. Contrary to the trend in other countries, Brazil has been moving toward the privatization of these essential services. Within this scenario is the historic city of Ouro Preto, where water and sanitation services were privatized in 2019, leading to the formation of a broad popular movement against privatization. In this context, this study aimed to identify and analyze the social representations of the local population regarding the privatization of these services. Fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with native residents of the city, whose ages ranged from 26 to 90 years. The results point to the residents' dissatisfaction with the service provision by the private company, with privatization being perceived as a "great evil," anchored in values and conceptions aligned with anti-privatization groups. Remunicipalization emerges as the residents' desire and the possible path to achieving social justice and the realization of human rights.

Acadêmicos de enfermagem e a representação do cuidado à pessoa vivendo com hiv/aids

Objective: To describe the social representations of nursing students about the care of people living with HIV. Method: A descriptive study with a qualitative approach was carried out with 39 nursing students, whose evocations were processed by EVOC software and analyzed based on the Theory of Social Representations. Results: The term acceptance leads to a visibility of the suffering of living with HIV; The need for family support and the bond that must be established with the professionals appeared and, in contrast, the students bring representational elements about care where fear and prejudice are present. Conclusion: The representations that emerged present two divergent poles. Pointing out the need to prepare students to understand HIV and its implications in the provision of quality care.