ABSTRACT Moodhevi Theyyam, a Malayalam natakam by G. Sankara Pillai, critically examines the complex dynamics of caste, gender and sexual violence. Moodhevi, traditionally an inauspicious figure in Hindu mythology and a derogatory term for women, is reimagined and transformed into an epithet of divine potency. This strategic reinterpretation allows Pillai to expose the paradoxical nature of ritual performances that provide temporary empowerment to lower-caste performers, only to be systematically returned to their socially prescribed positions once the ritual concludes. The natakam offers a critical lens into the mechanisms of social marginalisation, revealing how ritualistic practices create a temporary illusion of social mobility. This cyclical dynamic serves as a powerful metaphor for the persistent structural inequalities embedded within social systems. Despite the inherent contextual constraints of the natakam, this research provides a critical analytical framework that interrogates the complex dialectic between ritualistic performance and social stratification. The study attempts to explore the intricate mechanisms by which theatrical practices simultaneously destabilise and reify existing social hierarchies, offering a nuanced epistemological intervention into contemporary theatre discourse in India and Indigenous performance studies.

Educational institutions have historically assumed central roles not only in the transmission of knowledge but also in the shaping of social structures and the construction of collective identities. This article examines madrasas in the Indian Subcontinent from a sociological perspective, arguing that they functioned not merely as centers of religious learning but also as institutional mechanisms of social stratification and identity formation. Institutionalized since the period of the Dihlī Sulṭānate (1206–1526) and the Mug̱ẖal Empire (1526–1857), the madrasa system simultaneously transmitted scholarly knowledge and religious authority to Muslim communities while offering opportunities for social mobility, thereby enabling individuals from lower social strata to attain higher intellectual and spiritual status. At the same time, however, madrasas concentrated religious authority and cultural capital within specific groups, thereby reproducing social differentiation and consolidating hierarchies of knowledge. The study employs Émile Durkheim’s approach to social integration, Pierre Bourdieu’s concepts of cultural capital and habitus, and Max Weber’s analysis of status groups as its primary theoretical framework, while Berger and Luckmann’s theory of social construction serves as a complementary lens for understanding the processes of identity formation. The research adopts a conceptual analysis method rather than empirical fieldwork; it draws upon historical sources, archival materials, and both classical and contemporary literature on Islamic education. This approach enables a theoretically consistent examination of how madrasas evolved as dynamic institutions reflecting broader transformations in Muslim societies. The article’s original contribution lies in its integrative interpretation of madrasas as institutions performing multiple and sometimes contradictory social functions—equalizing, differentiating, and identity-forming—within the broader sociology of religion.

This article examines Muslim–Hindu relations during the Delhi Sultanate (1206–1526) both within the framework of South Asian historiography and Area Studies, offering its original contribution through a reinterpretation of intercommunal encounters that transcends static religious categories by combining socio-political theory with critical source analysis. The Delhi Sultanate is approached not merely as a period of conquest or cultural accommodation, but as a multifaceted era in which political negotiations, social hierarchies, temple desecrations, cultural exchanges, and identity negotiations were deeply intertwined. This era represented the first enduring Muslim political presence in northern India, transforming not only administrative and military institutions but also everyday social interactions and religiously infused cultural practices. The article employs a historical-analytical method, drawing on chronicles, inscriptions, travelers’ accounts, and secondary literature, while critically engaging with historiographical debates ranging from conquest-centered narratives to interpretations of cultural synthesis. It further underscores the necessity of a close reading of Muslim court historians’ legitimacy-focused accounts alongside the ideological framings of indigenous Hindu sources. Findings suggest that patterns of conflict intensified during periods of political instability, whereas phases of stable governance expanded opportunities for coexistence and cultural interaction. In conclusion, the Delhi Sultanate must be evaluated not solely as a political regime but as a formative “contact zone” in which identities and practices of coexistence were shaped. Indeed, this process not only ensured the entrenchment of Islam in the Indian subcontinent during the period in question, but also left behind a lasting legacy that continues to directly shape the religion-based political dynamics of contemporary India.

Media does not merely mirror society—it actively shapes how people understand the world around them. This study critically examines the dynamic relationship between media representation and social perception, demonstrating how news, entertainment content, and digital platforms collectively construct what audiences come to accept as “reality.” Drawing on theories of framing, agenda-setting, and cultivation, the research explores how selective portrayals of gender, caste, class, religion, and political issues influence public attitudes and behavior. Using a mixed-method approach that includes content analysis, audience surveys, and qualitative interviews, the study highlights the subtle ways in which stereotypes are reinforced, identities are negotiated, and social hierarchies are normalized. The findings reveal that media representation is not neutral; it is shaped by institutional interests, ideological biases, and market pressures. These forces often marginalize certain groups while privileging others, ultimately shaping collective memory, public discourse, and socio-political decision-making. The paper argues for a need to cultivate critical media literacy and ethical communication practices that empower citizens to question dominant narratives and engage with media more reflectively. By unpacking how reality is constructed through mediated images and stories, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of power, perception, and the politics of representation in contemporary society.

This article investigates the presence of Friedrich Nietzsche’s thought in Mikhail Bakhtin’s Rabelais and His World, despite the almost complete absence of explicit references to the German philosopher. We assume that, although silenced by the ideological context of Stalinism, Nietzschean influence is covertly manifested in Bakhtin’s conception of carnival. To this end, we examine four analytical axes: the Russian intellectual context of the early twentieth century, biographical elements of Bakhtin that favored the reception of Nietzsche, theoretical connections already suggested by Western interpreters, and finally, the internal reading of the work itself. The results indicate that central categories of Nietzschean thought—such as the Dionysian, the eternal return, and the critique of social hierarchies—were reworked by Bakhtin from the perspective of popular culture, taking on communal and collective features in contrast to Nietzsche’s aristocratic individualism. We conclude that the relation between the two thinkers should not be understood as mere thematic coincidence, but as an implicit and creative dialogue that broadens the understanding of Bakhtin’s carnival as a philosophical, aesthetic, and anthropological category.

This article offers a longue durée account of Kashmir’s textile industry, focusing on the post-1947 period through the life stories and recollections of its artisans. While the state and elite actors—from industrialists (karkhanedar) to researchers—have long sought to define and classify artisans, their lived experiences often defy such frameworks. The artisans’ counter-narratives are vital to understanding how they negotiate self-representation, dignity, and agency. By foregrounding artisan voices, the article shifts the usual focus of Kashmir’s textile histories from trade and production to the contested terrain of labour, identity and politics across colonial and postcolonial contexts. Drawing on ethnographic research, it shows that artisans construct their identities through multiple sources—including regional histories, Sufi hagiographies and inherited craft traditions. It further argues that while their everyday strategies of resistance—reinterpretation, symbolic assertion and subtle defiance—may not transform material conditions or dismantle marginalisation, they nonetheless challenge the social hierarchies that structure their lives.

Ancient DNA and archaeological studies indicate the Central Plain's pivotal role in the cultural and genetic evolution of ancient China. However, limited genome-wide data have constrained our understanding of this region's population history during the Bronze Age Shang Dynasty (around 1600-1046 BCE). Here, we present genome-wide data from 11 individuals from the Xisima Cemetery in Central Plain, a site exhibiting clear burial evidence of social stratification dating to the late Shang Dynasty (around 1300 to 1046 BCE). Genetic analyses reveal that all Xisima individuals can be modelled as direct, unadmixed descendants of Late Neolithic Central Plain-related people. We found no systematic genetic differentiation between individuals buried in high-grade (south-to-north) and low-grade (east-to-west) tombs, indicating genetic homogeneity across social strata. These results demonstrate that social stratification at Xisima occurred without corresponding genetic distinction, supporting the decoupling of social hierarchy from significant genetic differentiation in this Shang community.

Introduction Intergenerational income mobility serves as a key indicator of equality of opportunity and social stratification. Education is widely seen as a vital pathway for enhancing social mobility. This paper examines China’s Compulsory Education Law of 1986 and analyzes its effects on intergenerational income mobility. Methods Using data from the China Household Income Project, this study constructs matched samples of parents and adult children. Income adjustment and Heckman selection models are employed to correct measurement errors and co-residence selection bias. A difference-in-differences approach is used to identify the causal effects of the policy, supplemented by triple differences, event-study designs, and other robustness checks. Results The study finds that the Compulsory Education Law significantly reduced intergenerational income correlation, thereby increasing income mobility. The mechanism analysis shows that the policy significantly reduced inequalities in access to junior secondary education and non-agricultural employment opportunities, thereby enhancing intergenerational income mobility. Yet, persistent inequalities in access to senior secondary education and high-status occupations, together with class-based differences in returns to education, may have partially offset these gains. The heterogeneity analysis further shows that the policy had a stronger effect on intergenerational mobility among urban households compared with rural ones, while no significant differences were observed by gender. Discussion Expanding access to compulsory education can, to some extent, weaken the intergenerational transmission of economic advantages and promote social mobility, although its effects vary across social groups. The findings provide empirical evidence for ongoing policy debates on whether to extend the duration of compulsory education and offer broader insights into the dynamics of social mobility in developing economies.

ABSTRACT Meritocracy refers to the ideology that reward should be allocated to individuals based on their merits (effort and abilities). Social psychologists have studied it as a universal justice principle in reward allocation and a belief that justifies merit‐based social stratification. Taking a geopolitical stance, we further contextualize meritocracy is a socially and historically situated hierarchy‐legitimizing construct used to reinforce social division of labor and justify social inequality in the post‐industrial neoliberal society, so that the society can excel in global competition. As such, subscription to meritocracy should be associated with higher institutional trust in more mature market economies only. To test this hypothesis, we collated World Values Survey (WVS) data related to institutional trust and meritocracy beliefs from 84,638 participants in 57 societies (47.34% males, mean age = 42.89, SD = 16.43) and society‐level data of these societies’ economic freedom, economic performance, and economic inequality. Institutional trust data were analyzed both at the society level and the individual level. The results showed that at the society level, institutional trust was higher in a society that stronger shared beliefs in meritocracy and had many more economic freedoms. At the individual level, in societies with more economic freedoms, people trusted public institutions more if they held stronger meritocracy beliefs. In contrast, in societies with fewer economic freedoms, institutional trust was higher among people who opposed to meritocracy beliefs.

The paper uses a micro-level analysis of godparenthood as a tool for studying the social structure and personal networks in the rural milieu in Bohemia. The ritual kinship created between a child and its godparents during the baptism carried an essential symbolic value. It represented the social bonds, networks and hierarchies in the village, and reflected the traditions and individual aspirations of community members. The research concentrates on the Červená Řečice domain (South Bohemia) from the beginning of the 17th century, when the first parish register of baptism appeared, to the turn of the 18th century. The Bohemian rural society underwent significant transformation in this period: from the strengthening of subjection and the recatholization after the Thirty-Year War to the birth of civil liberties. The paper examines godparenthood as an indicator reflecting both the enforcement of ecclesiastical authority and the prominence of habitual godparents – individuals commonly chosen for baptismal ceremonies.

Serf lists are a unique Bohemian archival source, which was originally created by the manorial administration for the purpose of the effective registration of orphans and, from the beginning of the eighteenth century, all serfs. These lists were updated every year and even small children under one year of age were recorded. In estates where these lists were maintained, they tended to be drawn up by manorial officials until the abolition of serfdom in Bohemia in 1848. The serf lists aimed to record all persons with a permanent residence each village. The list for each village record was organized according to the social structure, from the highest to the lowest social stratum. The first section was reserved for full peasant holders, followed by smallholders, cottagers, and inmates. In a final section were recorded widows and orphans. The main purpose of this paper is to present the serf lists as an essential and informative archival source which provides indispensible information for historical and genealogical research. The authors seek to show how the serf lists can be used to study phenomena such as peasant mobility and migration, military service, servanthood, rural social structure, and craft apprenticeship.

Research demonstrates that discrimination is detrimental to health. However, most discrimination research does not examine Latino ethnic differences and often relies on unidimensional alpha scales. Such an analytic strategy obscures ethnic differences, can mask the multidimensional nature of discrimination, inflate reliability estimates, produce attenuated or spurious relationships, and bias parameters. To address these issues, we use data from the National Latino and Asian American Study to (1) examine group differences on the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS), (2) conduct a confirmatory factor analysis of the EDS to assess its fit and dimensionality for each Latino ethnic group, and (3) evaluate how alternative scaling approaches affect the relationship between discrimination, depression, and chronic health conditions. Results reveal significant group differences in perceived discrimination and show that a second-order factor with two dimensions—subtle and overt discrimination—fits well across all Latino groups. The relationship between discrimination and health is stronger when discrimination is modeled as a second-order factor. These findings indicate that (1) alternative scaling approaches may be more appropriate than alpha scales, (2) more precise measurement of discrimination can better capture its impact on health, and (3) disaggregating panethnic categories such as “Latino” that is essential for understanding ethnic stratification and health.

The purpose of our research is: (1) to provide and add references related to the contrastive levels of speech in Javanese and Japanese, (2) to explain the differences in the levels of speech in Javanese and Japanese, (3) to introduce politeness to the younger generation through the use of good and correct language. The research method we used was a literature study by prioritizing the results of the analysis of a reference as a reference for the writing data from the research we conducted. The results of the study show that: 1) Javanese and Japanese both have levels of speech in their use as daily communication tools as a form and parameter of politeness. 2) Javanese recognizes the level of speech in Javanese which is divided into four language varieties, namely, Ngoko lugu (Nl), Ngoko alus (Na), Krama lugu (Kl) and Krama alus (Ka). The level of speech in Japanese is classified into three parts and is used by considering the age or social strata of the interlocutor, how close or familiar the speaker is with the interlocutor, and paying attention to Uchi and Soto. Keego is divided into three parts, namely, Sonkeego (Sk), Kenjoogo (Kj), Teeneego (Tn). 3) Speech levels are introduced and passed down through examples of everyday life and through learning.

This study examines the extent to which individuals’ adherence to various principles of justice leads them to evaluate their income as (un)fair. We analyse individuals’ evaluations of income (un)fairness in relation to their own subjective social position, based on their declared identification with a vignette representing a given social stratum, paying special attention to the predominant evaluation of unfairness. Based on an overview of various principles of justice, we analyse responses to an open question in order to establish whether adherence to any of these principles is associated with that subjective assessment. We compare this with the influence of the individuals’ socio-economic characteristics relative to their objective social position. We use qualitative and quantitative data from a survey applied in 2024 to a statistically representative sample of 562 employed individuals from the province of Palena in Chile, selected randomly by district, household and individual. Results show that the principle of meritocracy based on education and entrepreneurship tends to be used to justify income inequality, while the opposite occurs with merit based on effort at work and the principle of need. However, some respondents’ socio-economic characteristics – in particular, having lower levels of income or education – are also associated with the likelihood that they will rate their income as unfair

This research aims to contribute valuable insights into the linguistic dynamics of nonstandard Romanian language with a specific focus on the evolution and adoption of the expression drumuri bune! vs. the traditional drum bun! The study elucidates the outcomes of an extensive investigation into the origins of this expression, which appear to be rooted within the domain of drivers. The research employs a multifaceted approach encompassing scrutiny of the RoTenTen corpus, data from the popular Kiss FM radio channel, the exploration of publicly available content from Twitter and Facebook, and the execution of a meticulously structured questionnaire utilizing the Lime tool. Initial findings unearth the genesis of drumuri bune! within the driver community and its subsequent dissemination across various social strata but not his penetration into the standard Romanian yet.

This paper investigates the business operations of shops in Guangzhou’s urban villages, aiming to clarify how grassroots commerce interacts with urban renewal. Urban villages, as transitional spaces, accommodate dense clusters of small retailers that sustain affordable services and migrant livelihoods, yet their survival strategies remain underexplored.Recent research has shifted from viewing urban villages mainly as governance problems to acknowledging their economic and social roles. Studies emphasize spatial restructuring, long-tail economic dynamics, and institutional change, showing how shop operations are embedded in broader urban transformation.Nonetheless, gaps remain. Existing studies focus heavily on macro policies, with limited attention to micro-level practices. They also lack longitudinal depth and rarely connect shop operations to issues such as social stratification perceptions or customer base positioning.This study addresses these gaps through a field survey of shop operations in Guangzhou, documenting operating conditions, business models, and client targeting. Findings reveal that shop resilience depends on both regulatory frameworks and community hierarchies, highlighting the importance of inclusive renewal strategies.Looking ahead, shop operations in urban villages are expected to evolve from informal survival units toward more formalized and digitally integrated enterprises, playing a vital role in Guangzhou’s pursuit of sustainable and high-quality development.

Childbearing norms and discourse influence social interactions and policy priorities, reflecting and reinforcing social stratification. We propose a theoretical framework that systematically explains stratification and discrimination in childbearing norms. The theory of socially sanctioned reproduction (TSSR) emphasizes how childbearing and reproductive norms are shaped by individual and intersectional attributes of both evaluators and those evaluated, underscoring multidimensionality and intersectionality in childbearing norms. We empirically examine this theory through paired conjoint survey experiments with a population-based sample of women ages 18 to 34 in Pernambuco, Brazil—a highly unequal, multiracial context. In our novel application, respondents assessed profiles of hypothetical married women with randomly varying attributes and reported whether they were well-suited for childbearing. Findings show how intersectional attributes and in-group/out-group dynamics, principally along race and SES lines, define childbearing norms. Black women receive less approval if in low- versus high-SES positions, whereas White women receive similar levels of approval regardless of SES. We find that these discriminatory patterns are shaped by the social attributes of evaluators themselves, suggesting othering and group attachment processes. Our theoretical and empirical frameworks can be extended to study norms in other highly contested areas of reproductive and family life.

This qualitative comparative case study examines how culturally grounded philosophies of education shape the teaching and learning of reading in two cross-cultural contexts—an Aboriginal Australian classroom and urban Chinese elementary schools. Drawing on interpretive and reflexive methodologies, it investigates how Aboriginal and Confucian epistemologies influence literacy practices and how these practices align with or resist dominant, decontextualized models of reading instruction. Data sources include classroom observations, reading assessments, teacher interviews, and researcher reflections. Conceptually framed by Gadamer’s hermeneutics, Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, Habermas’s typology of knowledge, and the Caribbean concept of overstanding, this research finds that Aboriginal literacy is embedded in relational, land-based knowledge systems, whereas Chinese literacy instruction reflects moral discipline and social hierarchy rooted in Confucian traditions. This study introduces overstanding as a pedagogical stance that foregrounds ethical engagement, cultural respect, and mutual understanding. By challenging universalist models of literacy, this research offers a framework for developing dialogical, culturally responsive, and equity-oriented reading practices.

In multilingual research, language choices and linguistic hierarchies play a significant role. The participants’ language preferences reveal emotional connection and confidence in their self‐expression. Building on Znaniecki’s (1927) concept of humanistic coefficient, Bourdieu’s (1991) theory of linguistic capital, and Blommaert’s (2010) and Heller’s (2007) understandings of multilingualism as social practice, this article examines how multilingual practices reveal underlying power dynamics and social hierarchies. From an ethical and methodological perspective, it proposes a model that prioritizes participant agency, minimizes biases, and redefines the researcher‐participant dynamic by granting participants the freedom to choose their interview language. Drawing on fieldwork conducted among Polish immigrants in Alanya, Türkiye, the article shows how multilingual practices during interviews expose hierarchies. It also allows code‐switching to function as a resource rather than an obstacle. The study offers a methodological framework for managing multilingual interviews, addressing the ethical and analytical challenges of linguistic hierarchies and code‐switching. It contributes to a broader understanding of social inclusion in migration studies by offering practical insights into developing fair participant‐researcher interactions. I argue that emphasizing participants’ linguistic realities and proposing adaptable strategies for multilingual research contribute to more inclusive and equitable methodologies in migration studies.

The topic of the precariat has recently gained considerable salience in society and substantial demand in scholarly publications. It is no coincidence that a new social stratum is widespread in all modern societies and tends to be constantly replenished, bringing differentiation and diversity to the composition and content of this group. The precariat phenomenon is shaped by macro-social challenges in societies: structuration disruptions, labor market volatility, and the dearth of enduring employer-employee relations. Subjective factors contributing to precariat formation encompass the potential of economic, cultural, social, and symbolic capital. The objec-tive ones include the influence of social institutions of the family, education, the labor market, and the economy on attitudes to work and its role in modern society.