Social Sciences Research Articles

Global challenges and local beekeeping practices: a case study of the beekeeping group “20 de noviembre” in the municipality of Emiliano Zapata, Chiapas

ABSTRACT Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are important pollinators of crops and wild plants. However, several global challenges threaten their populations, the ecosystem services they provide, and thus beekeeping in general. This research focused on the beekeeping practices and challenges faced by a group of beekeepers in the Central Depression of Chiapas. A variety of qualitative social science research methods were used to address the research objectives. These included a diagnostic meeting, 12 semi-structured interviews, seven visits to apiaries, a workshop on local knowledge of melliferous flora, several group meetings, and informal discussions. It was found that beekeepers perceive deforestation, bee diseases, climate change, agrochemical use in agriculture, forest fires and predators as threats to their beekeeping practices. A categorization of beekeeping challenges was conducted, based on their type and cause. It was found that beekeepers develop beekeeping practices at different scales, and that these practices can be implemented by individuals or as group initiatives. Importantly, beekeeping practices were found to be based on local knowledge and to have a preventive focus. This approach contrasts with industrial beekeeping practices, where practices are often reactive and responses to decline are focused on silver bullet solutions that do not address the systemic issues.

Non-Traditional Data for Macroeconomic Estimation Unemployment in Jordan as an Application

This dataset comprises quarterly unemployment rates in Jordan from 2010 to 2024, alongside Google Trends search interest data for 88 unemployment-related keywords in Arabic and English. The unemployment rates, sourced from the Jordanian Department of Statistics, provide official figures over 14 years. The Google Trends data reflects public search behaviour related to unemployment and job seeking in Jordan. Keywords were selected through consultations with experts from governmental agencies, NGOs, and private job portals to include terms relevant to local dialects and current job market trends. The search data was aggregated using Mean Aggregation, Exponentially Weighted Moving Average, and Seasonally Adjusted Weighted Average to align with the quarterly unemployment rates. By integrating official statistics with enriched search data, this dataset offers a valuable resource for researchers and policymakers exploring the relationship between economic indicators and online search behaviour. It supports economics, social sciences, and data science. The dataset can aid in developing predictive models, analysing economic sentiment, and informing policy decisions in Jordan and similar contexts.

Persistent Changes of Nurses' Practices and Working Conditions in High Acuity Settings in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Qualitative Meta-Aggregation.

To explore the persistent changes in working conditions and nursing practices in high acuity settings in the post COVID-19 pandemic era. A qualitative systematic review using the meta-aggregation design of the Joanna Briggs Institute. After screening by two authors based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 36 studies were included. Quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Data were then extracted and synthesised. Confidence of findings was assessed using the ConQual approach. The electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus were searched in November 2023. Additional searches were conducted using the preprint servers: medRxiv, Open Science Foundation, Social Science Research Network, and Journal of Medical Internet Research. Synthesised findings of 'unfavourable working conditions and changed nursing practices' and 'health concerns caused by the nursing practices' with eight categories were identified. Significant findings included increased workloads; overwhelming use and insufficient supply of personal protective equipment; decreased communication between nurses and patients, families, and other healthcare workers; lack of knowledge of the disease; and adequate support from coworkers, but inadequate support from nurse managers and physicians. This study synthesised existing knowledge and offered insight into the nursing practices and working conditions of high acuity nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Clinical nurses and managers need to actively take action on those modifiable aspects of their practices in a future similar crisis. This review did not identify any studies focusing on high acuity nurses' working conditions and practices in the post-pandemic era. This kind of research is urgently needed. Nurse managers and policy makers can use the findings of this review to help construct better working conditions for their high-acuity nursing staff in a future similar crisis. Frontline high-acuity clinical staff may use the findings of this review to help better guide their nursing practices and mitigate negative effects of a future similar crisis on their practice and health. The study was reported according to the Enhancing Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research statement. No patient or public contribution. International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews: CRD42023473414.

Bibliometric Analysis of Articles Published in The Field of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Van Yüzüncü Yıl University The Journal of Social Sciences Institute

Bibliometric Analysis of Articles Published in The Field of Economics and Administrative Sciences in Van Yüzüncü Yıl University The Journal of Social Sciences Institute

Factors associated with pregnancy-related anxiety among pregnant women attending antenatal care at public health institutions in Dessie Town, Northeast Ethiopia, 2023: an institution-based cross-sectional study

IntroductionPregnancy is intended to be a time of emotional well-being; however, for many women, it becomes a period filled with disbelief, worry, sadness, anxiety, stress and even depression. Mental health,...

Historical awareness of social science teachers in Albay community colleges

This study focused on the level of awareness of Social Science teachers in Albay community colleges. It addresses the following questions: 1) to determine the level of awareness of the faculty on historical distortion and historical fact, and 2) to propose training that could enhance the participants historical awareness. A descriptive mixed-method design was utilized along with a survey questionnaire, document review, and interview guide as a tool for data collection. The study participants were Social Science faculty teaching Readings in Philippine History in Albay community colleges. The frequency, weighted mean, and rank were used to interpret and quantify the collected data. The results showed that Social Science teachers were moderately aware of historical distortion. In addition, there is a consensus made by teachers that historical distortions are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated. Consequently, the teachers believed that this illegitimate practice of revisionism required a careful strategy to counter the threat it posed to the nation’s moral fabric and consciousness. Concerning facts, the Social Science teachers demonstrated a high level of awareness, which signifies that they could identify the listed items as factual because they were part of their basic knowledge of history. Reasons and factors are provided to substantiate how Social Science teachers distinguish between historical distortions and facts. Moreover, training/workshops/symposia on the challenges faced by Philippine history is the preferred proposed training by the participants. Hence, historical awareness and training play an imperative role in confronting a pressing issue in the study of history: historical distortion.

ON DECOLONIZING THE SOCIAL SCIENCES

ABSTRACTThis review article discusses George Steinmetz's The Colonial Origins of Modern Social Thought, a history of the French social sciences and their colonial entanglements. Surveying a vast array of objects, including institutions, texts, journals, thinkers, and concepts, Steinmetz demonstrates how central the colonial relation was to the production of social knowledge in France. This formation, he argues, has been actively repressed in historical accounts of sociology, and in an effort to decolonize the discipline, Steinmetz brings these connections out of the shadows and uses them to compose an alternative (colonial) history of the field. While acknowledging Steinmetz's major accomplishments, not least among them the consideration of unjustly neglected colonial thinkers, I challenge some of the book's basic narratives around the history and politics of decolonization. In what ways, I ask, is the contemporary call to decolonize the humanities and social sciences related to the social movement of decolonization, which swept through the colonized countries of Asia and Africa after the Second World War? What role did French social scientists play in the historical process of decolonization? Finally, how were these Third World social movements tied to social struggles happening in metropolitan Europe, notably the revolts of 1968? I conclude by suggesting that a more “genealogical” approach to the history of the colonial relation might lead to a more productive set of engagements on these important questions.

6th German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6): fieldwork, data collection, and quality assurance.

The German Oral Health Studies (DMS) are nationally representative surveys on oral health in Germany, conducted approximately every 8 years since 1989. The current sixth edition of the study (DMS • 6) was planned and executed in accordance with international standards. A field institute selected from across Europe was responsible for data collection. For six age groups, data collection for the DMS • 6 took place across Germany from October 2022 to September 2023. Data for a seventh age group had already been collected earlier, in the spring of 2021. In addition to conducting a cross-sectional study with new participants, for the first time, a longitudinal component was included by reengaging study participants from the previous study, the Fifth German Oral Health Study (DMS V). Participation was organized via postal invitations, followed by reminder letters or personal visits if there was no response. Data collection in the field was conducted at temporarily established study centers. The primary aim of the DMS • 6 was to assess the current oral health status, oral health behavior, and the dental care status in Germany. For this purpose, both new study participants and participants from the preceding DMS V study underwent clinical examinations and social science surveys. The clinical examinations followed a standardized protocol outlined in a manual. The social science survey was conducted in two parts: a paper and pencil interview (PAPI) completed at home and a computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) administered immediately before the clinical examination in the study center. A non-response survey showed no systematic differences between study participants and non-participants, indicating an unbiased data basis. Quality assurance: The DMS • 6 included a comprehensive examination program supported by a multi-stage quality assurance system. This system involved pre-testing of the social science research instruments, conducting a pilot study to simulate the main study, multiple training sessions, and the calibration and certification of the dental study personnel both before and during fieldwork. This ensured a high level of data validity.

Aging Consumer Engagement with the Mobile Food Planner Apps in Malaysia: Investigating Gender Differences

This study investigates the factors influencing older consumers’ word of mouth and intention to use meal planner applications, given that 57% of Malaysians aged 60 and above are active Internet users. The current study utilized an extended technology acceptance model and the stimulus organism response framework to examine the cognitive-affective dichotomy of usage influence. The respondents were initially selected through purposive sampling and further screened using filter questions to ensure alignment with the study objectives, resulting in data collected from 392 elderly individuals across various demographic regions of Malaysia. The analysis was conducted using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) and SmartPLS. The results indicated that cognitive factors (subjective norm, facilitating conditions, and app characteristics) positively impacted the affective components (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), which, in turn, enhanced consumers’ attitudes toward using these applications. Furthermore, openness to change and gender were observed to moderate the relationship between affective and conative responses (word of mouth and behavioral intention). The study provides new insights into the aging population on food-related mobile applications to governments, food service-based organizations, restaurants, and app designers. Thus, focus can be on improving app characteristics and facilitating conditions to enhance perceived usefulness and ease of use while also considering how gender and openness to change may influence consumers’ attitudes and behaviors.

Trauma‐Informed Practice in Welfare‐to‐Work and Employment Services: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACTThere is increasing recognition within welfare services, including employment services, that many participants may have histories of trauma. Research suggests that experiences of trauma not only impact individuals' psychosocial health but also vocational elements such as job performance, employability, career progression, and financial security. Yet, there is a notable lack of research detailing effective strategies for the delivery of trauma‐informed employment services nor is there a well‐established, empirically‐tested model designed to assist such disadvantaged jobseekers in achieving long‐term employment. This scoping review examines what is known regarding trauma‐informed models within employment service delivery and social security systems, with a view to directing future research, practice, and policy recommendations. A total of 596 articles were identified through a comprehensive search across social science databases; 14 articles met the criteria and were included in this review. The study found that out of the articles examined, half (n = 7) were primarily theoretical in design. There was a significant lack of empirical evidence concerning the outcomes of trauma‐informed employment services, including participants' experiences.

THE ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF VIGILANTE GROUPS IN KAURA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, KADUNA STATE

The high level of crime and insecurity in many communities including Kaura LGA, Kaduna State and security vacuum left by the deficiencies of the State and its security forces necessitated the establishment of various types of vigilante groups. This study was conducted to investigate the organisation, performance and challenges of vigilante groups in Kaura LGA, Kaduna State, Nigeria. The study was ushered by five (5) research objectives. The Cross- Sectional Survey and Case Study Design were adopted for the purpose of the study because of the nature of the population of study. The population of the study consists of all vigilante group members across the five (5) wards, officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force at the Kaura Divisional Headquarters, three Police Outpost and all adult members of the community across the five (5) wards in Kaura LGA. The Multi-Stage Sampling technique, the Systematic Sampling, the Purposive Sampling techniques and Cluster Sampling techniques were used in selecting 224 respondents and three (3) Vigilantes’ group leaders, three (3) Wards Heads, three (3) Police Officers and three (3) Community members. Data for the study were collected using two methods which are quantitative and qualitative, two instruments which are the questionnaire and interview guide. Quantitative data obtained was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, qualitative data were analyzed manually based on the substantive issues raised in the study thematically. The findings from the study revealed that there are many types of vigilante groups in existence in the study area but only KADVS has legal backing from the State Government. The study also found out that these Vigilante groups perform different functions and there exist good partnership between the vigilante groups and the police, also, the services of vigilante groups are found to be effective and the vigilante groups faces many challenges. The study recommended improves funding, training, retraining and full legal backing for all vigilante groups in Kaura LGA.

Unraveling the dynamics of dengue in Metahara town, East Shewa, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2023.

Since 2013, dengue cases have shown a marked increase in Ethiopia. The current suspected outbreak occurring in Metahara town, Oromia Regional State, began in July 2023. This study aimed to confirm and characterize the outbreak, identify risk factors, and implement control measures. We conducted a descriptive study and an unmatched case-control design, using a one-to-two ratio of cases to controls. We collected data on the dengue outbreak using line lists, laboratory test results, environmental observations, home visits, and entomological examinations. We selected a total of 50 cases using simple random sampling from the line list and purposively chose 100 controls from the same block. We applied community-based face-to-face interviews with 150 participants. After gathering data through Kobo Collect, we analyzed it using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and summarized the findings in Microsoft Excel 2013. A binary logistic regression model was employed to identify significant variables, with p-values ≤ 0.25 in bivariate analysis considered for the final model. Crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR and AOR) were used to measure associations, with p-values ≤ 0.05 indicating significance. The investigation confirmed 342 dengue cases, corresponding to an attack rate of 7.1 per 1,000 population and a case fatality rate of 0.88%. Significant risk factors included not using long-lasting insecticide nets during the daytime (9-fold increased likelihood) and having open water containers (5-fold increased likelihood. Respondents lacking disease awareness were 25 times more likely to be infected, while wearing long-sleeved clothing conferred a protective effect of 75% reduction in risk. The dengue outbreak in Metahara town was driven by epidemiological, entomological, and environmental factors, with Aedes aegypti as the primary vector. The ongoing circulation of DENV-3, coupled with insufficient vector control measures, poses a serious public health threat. Key contributing factors to the outbreak include the lack of utilization of long-lasting insecticide nets (LLINs) during the daytime, improper water storage practices, insufficient public knowledge regarding transmission and prevention strategies, and inadequate protective clothing choices that increase vulnerability to mosquito bites. Strategies including vector control, community education, promotion of protective clothing, and improved surveillance were recommended.

6th German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6): data processing and statistical methods.

The 6th German Oral Health Study (DMS • 6) is a combined cross-sectional and cohort study with the main objective of reporting oral diseases in Germany. Based on cross-sectional data, current prevalence estimates and trend analyses on the development of oral health and care status in Germany were conducted using representative data. Associations between oral health and further participant characteristics were examined. The aim of this article is to provide details on data handling and statistical analysis of the cross-sectional data. Sample weighting: Weighting factors were used as part of the statistical analysis to correct for deviations between the analysis set and the population structure in Germany. The objective was to make nationwide representative statements for the age groups examined in the cross-sectional component of the DMS • 6. Different types of weights were calculated: design, non-response, and calibration weights. Processing of quantitative variables: The indices and transformed variables required for data analysis were defined based on variables collected in clinical examinations and social science interviews. Dental characteristics were aggregated at the participant level. For epidemiologic description, prevalence rates and means with associated 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Regression models were adjusted to estimate the strength of associations between participant characteristics of interest and oral health-related outcomes. To describe trends in the temporal development of oral health and dental care status in Germany, epidemiologic descriptions from DMS • 6 and previous studies were compared.

Characteristics of Social Work License Examinees: Contextualizing Exam Outcome Within Educational Inequalities

Objectives: Drawing on the social science literature, this study aims to contextualize the racial disparities in social work licensing exam outcomes as educational inequality stemming from cumulative lifetime (dis)advantages. Method: It conducts descriptive analyses of the 2022 ASWB Clinical ( N = 25,088) and Masters ( N = 26,550) licensing examinees and tests three hypotheses to identify indicators of lifetime disadvantages of examinees from historically minoritized groups. Results: Significantly higher percentages of examinees from marginalized groups began their postsecondary education with an associate degree. They, particularly Black examinees, earned their educational degrees and took their first licensing exam at significantly older ages than their White counterparts. They had more years of work experience, typically in non-direct service positions, than their White counterparts. Conclusions: The educational and training paths of the marginalized groups were negatively affected by cumulative lifetime disadvantages before they took their first ASWB exams, calling for a structured perspective to understand the racial disparities.

The AI Triple Whammy

The gig economy is a rapidly growing global labour paradigm involving casualised labour across sectors as varied as transportation, freelancing, domestic help, programming and vacation rentals. The gig economy has been studied extensively within social science, political, legal and allied circles. It has been widely observed that gig economy, powered by myriad AI algorithms, has led to poorer working conditions and a downward pressure on wages. The focus of many such studies is split across governance and administration of algorithms on the one side, and consequences of algorithmic control on the other. Consequently, it could well appear that the underlying gig AI infrastructure is not necessarily blameworthy and may be amenable to ‘dual use’. This leaves room for optimism that the very same gig AI algorithms may be leveraged for alternative and responsible operation under models such as platform cooperativism. In this article, I consider whether the observed worker harms are substantively traceable to choices made at the domain-specific algorithm design stage, consequently exploring the possibility that the seeds of the harms are baked into the algorithms, undermining their intrinsic potential for alternative or responsible use. Focusing on two key gig sectors of transportation and freelancing, I consider three algorithmic tasks within the gig economy and three key forms of worker harm. Given the proprietary nature of gig AI and their consequent opacity, I adopt an interdisciplinary and critical desk research approach examining extant scholarly and other published literature across AI and social sciences and assemble evidence to derive insights. My analyses indicate strong support in favour of the assertion that worker harms are significantly traceable to algorithm design choices embedded within gig AI; I characterise these connections into separate streams of worker behaviours that are predicated by algorithm design which in turn lead to harms. This suggests that effectively developing responsible and convivial gig models would require not just innovations in governance and administration, but also technological research for the development of new and appropriate algorithms. Finally, I outline some technological possibilities for the development of such alternatives and responsible algorithms.

“Eliminate Anthropology”: Attitudes toward social science in the public discourse

AbstractWhat do people think about anthropology and other disciplines in the social sciences and liberal arts? How do negative views of anthropology influence the discipline's future? A review of public discourse from news, commentaries, scholarly literature, monographs, and institutional reports reveals anthropology's current state and direction. The results point to great distress. Analysis demonstrates powerful disapproval of higher education, the liberal arts, and social sciences threatens the instruction, practice, and ethos of anthropology. Narrative domains in popular discourse reveal active attitudes demanding and executing audits, cuts, and closures of anthropology departments; legislation restricting teaching and research; and the dissolution of anthropology's legitimacy. This review demonstrates the existence and power of such popular narratives, analyzes how they reflect a common political‐economic threat to the discipline, then asks difficult, critical questions before offering recommendations to confront one of the discipline's darkest moments.

System-practice entanglements and the harms of Ultra-Processed Foods

ABSTRACT The increased consumption of Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs) represents one of the greatest public health challenges of the current era, feeding into prevailing and accelerating health problems. This paper brings together social science and food science concepts to develop a conceptual synthesis of the entanglements of everyday food practices and broader social, political, and economic systems. Drawing on social science theories of practice and advances in new materialism, we make a case for attending to the distributed causation of harm within evolving system complexity. This should supplant the often-unhelpful focus on isolated responsibility, whether placed on individual actors/actants or even food sectors. We in turn argue that identifying potential leverage points to secure better health outcomes will rely on navigating this complexity, including addressing current practices of misattribution and obfuscation, and comprehending responsibility in terms of relative power to enact change. Considering the harms of UPFs through the lens of system-practice entanglements suggests new points of interest and intervention among researchers and policymakers, alike.

The Framework of the Decision-Making Process for the Expenditure Stage at the Planning Phase of Housing Construction Project

The main concern in this study was the conflict or disagreement about the decision-making process in the planning activity of the developer on a housing construction project. The study consists of three objectives: identifying the activities that developers often use during the decision-making process for the level of planning at a housing construction project, identifying the method of decision-making often used by the developer for the planning stage at the planning stage of a housing construction project and analyses the relationship between decision-making activities at the expenditure stage and decision-making methods at the planning phase of a housing construction project. The questionnaire was distributed to 63 respondents consisting of respondents working in a developer company in Johor with 30% of respondents. Data were analyzed using a descriptive statistical method with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 23. From this study, the researcher found that the most frequently used activities were spending determinations using financial analysis methods to carry out the decision-making process at the expenditure level. Planning stage in a housing construction project. Whereas the relationship between decision-making activities and decision-making processes at the planning stage is not related to each other, but the flexible decision-making process continues through the construction phase. The importance of this study is to help housing developers, academics, local authorities find the right activities and methods for making-decisions on housing construction projects in Malaysia.

Investigation to Standardise the Toolkit for Assessing Training Programs Quality in Viet Nam under the Effects of Quality Accreditation

This study has collected the data, analysed it, and drawn the necessary scientific conclusions to standardise the toolkit to evaluate educational accreditation activities' influence on training program development in Vietnam. The research method of the article includes building survey questionnaires and collecting data from 80 lecturers in 10 universities in Vietnam and then using secondary inferences based on data analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26.0 and Analysis of Moment Structures software. The results obtained include the design and standardisation of the closed-question questionnaire according to 5 levels of the Likert scale. Based on the criteria of the questionnaire, the research showed that the criteria were correctly arranged, consistent with the internal content of the factors in the independent and dependent variables, as well as with the proposed research model. From that, the study has provided a solution to standardise a usable accreditation toolkit suitable for higher-education conditions in Vietnam.

Visual storytelling as democratizing knowledge: relational concepts of transdisciplinary health impact through film.

This paper examines the transdisciplinary collaboration between health practitioners, Indigenous community members, and doctoral researchers to democratize knowledge transfer enhancing social justice outcomes in the context of hepatitis C awareness with Indigenous communities in Alberta, Canada. Utilizing the impactful intersection between media and healthcare disciplines, two social science researchers built on each other's qualitative research projects using relational engagement and participatory action research to co-create a DocuStory film and accompanying impact campaign. Diverse expertise and varied life experiences contribute unique perspectives transferring insights informing knowledge translation. Communication scholars, media producers, and academics are exploring the social function of documentaries and how they can be used to generate change. This innovative collaboration draws on the strength and creativity of transdisciplinary relationships providing opportunity for social justice praxis at the intersections of culture, theory, health, and media. This successful approach is relevant for numerous health topics and inspires transdisciplinary collaboration and media innovation in health promotion.