Social Theory Research Articles

Benefits from Kipsigis Women Engaging in Socio-Economic Activities in Kericho and Bomet Counties, Kenya

Purpose: To investigate the impact of Kipsigis women group economic activities and how the public perceive this new undertaking in Kericho and Bomet Counties in Kenya. Methodology: The study used a qualitative research design, where different components of the study addressed the research problem. Probability sampling technique was used to select the participants in the study. The methods used to interrogate the participants included: focus group discussions, observation and face to face interviews. Each participant responded to the questions individually, as posed in the interview guide. This was later collected by the researcher for perusal and recording of the result that was compiled along with those from other methods. Along with the focus groups discussions, the researcher selected topics related to the topic of the study for discussion in the groups. The questions used in the different methods were posed to the participants who had been purposively selected to represent the rest of the population. This was done with the view of collecting the data that was later analyzed using tools such as NVivo or done manually. This study manually analyzed the data collected from the participants through the afore-mentioned research techniques for collecting the data. Findings: The findings showed that there was recognition of women’s contribution in society. The results from Bomet County indicated that 52% have embraced and supported women’s group activities, 24% see such group activities as making the women responsible and hardworking while another 24% feel that the women are not well supported in their group economic activities. In Kericho County, the results indicated that 54% felt that women’s contribution would improve living standards and another 46% felt that the group ability would significantly improve. The study also sought to find out the effect of women engaging in socio-economic activities on the home and family. The results from women in Kericho County show that 96% indicated that there was a positive effect on family and society as stated in the research outcome, 4% said there was no effect. The results from Bomet County showed that 98% of participants agreed that the women involvement in economic activities had a positive effect on family and society. Two percent were of the feeling that there was no effect on the home and family. Bomet had a percentage of respondents who indicated that women have not contributed much through their involvement in economic activities. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Critical Social Theory helps in understanding social functioning and behavior among gender groups in the society, where men and women roles among the Kipsigis is very distinct. Women assigned roles are undertaken by women and girls as their responsibilities lies in the kitchen and around the home. This is where the small children and the elderly are, and the women and the older girls are expected to undertake those roles without question.

Socio-cultural and Social Constructivist Theories and Its Application in EFL Classroom for Thai Pre-service Teachers: A Review for Further Research

Socio-cultural and social constructivist theories are crucial in learning and education. This article aims to inform readers about socio-cultural and social constructivist theories and to present their application in language classrooms. The body of knowledge in this article was synthesized from journal articles and books concentrating on the theories that are significant in preparing pre-service teachers in EFL classrooms. The article begins with an overview of socio-cultural theory involving mediation, activity theory, cooperative learning activities, and scaffolding. Then, the article explains the social constructivist theory and its application in EFL classrooms. The final part of the article sheds light on suggestions and future research.

Social comparison and self‐determination in luxury consumption motivations

AbstractThis study integrates social comparison theory) and self‐determination theory to examine the roles of escapism, conformity, and individual cultural values in shaping luxury brand attitudes. Concepts related to consumer upward and downward social comparison are complemented by aspects related to self‐determination and autonomy. Drawing on survey data from the United States and Colombia, the research employs partial least squares structural equation modeling and fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to investigate the complex drivers of luxury consumption. The findings reveal that escapism and conformity, complementary motivations grounded in social comparison and self‐determination theories, positively influence luxury brand attitudes. Furthermore, individual cultural values, such as self‐enhancement and self‐transcendence, moderate the relationships between these consumer motivations and attitudes. The cross‐cultural comparison highlights differences in the influence of cultural values on luxury consumption between two distinct cultures. The fsQCA—results uncover distinct configurations of motivations and values sufficient for driving positive luxury attitudes, extending the understanding of the complex interplay of factors shaping luxury consumption. By integrating social comparison theory and self‐determination theory perspectives, examining cultural values, and employing advanced methodological approaches, this study contributes to the theoretical understanding of luxury consumption. It also offers valuable insights for luxury brand managers navigating the evolving global market. Future research directions emphasize the potential for further integrating these two theoretical frameworks in the luxury domain.

Decoding job satisfaction in the Nepalese public sector: patterns and predictors

ABSTRACT In this study, we investigate job satisfaction within the Nepalese civil service, utilizing data from a survey of 858 Nepalese civil servants. Our findings reveal a moderate level of job satisfaction, with several factors influencing its variability. Particularly, relationships with colleagues, the physical environment, and remuneration emerge as significant determinants, where higher values correspond to increased job satisfaction. These findings are consistent with the theoretical expectations of social exchange theory. Beyond these conventional variables, innovation, higher authoritarian cultural orientation (ACO), and the nature of civil service groups (Administrative service vs. Others) significantly shape job satisfaction levels. Furthermore, factors such as transfer scopes, promotion policy, and human resource development programs are identified as areas of low satisfaction among civil servants. While these factors do not demonstrate statistically significant associations with the degree of variation in job satisfaction, their dissatisfaction likely contributes to an overall decrease in job satisfaction.

Whatever happened to Hungarian freedom fighters? Collective memory, collective forgetting, and dissociative collective identity

As the war in Ukraine unfolds, the Hungarian government seems less enthusiastic about the idea of state sovereignty than one might have anticipated given Hungary’s historic past. Moreover, there is a surge of pro-Russian sentiment among government supporters. This is counterintuitive in light of prevailing mnemonic practices which put heavy emphasis on Hungary’s struggle for freedom and independence. The new developments suggest that the role of collective memory in collective identity formation needs to be reconsidered, especially concerning the apparent inhibition of otherwise persistent and widely shared memories. The article discusses the problem in the context of socially shared retrieval-induced forgetting and social identity complexity theory. It puts forward two complementary arguments: (1) this Janus-faced public behaviour might be accounted for by selective commemorative practices of the government and (2) how memories of historical events sustain a shared sense of belonging and continuity is not only contingent on group membership but also on the ever-changing group interest.

The Mediating Role of Employee Energy in the Impact of Perceived Organizational Support on Creative Behaviors: An Application in Hotel Businesses

Purpose-The aim of this research is to determine the impact of perceived organizational support on creative behaviors and the mediating role of employee energy in this relationshipin hospitality businesses.In addition, determining the impact of organizational support on creative behaviors and employee energy and the impact of employee energy on creative behaviors constitute the sub-objectives of the study. Design/methodology/approach-In the research where quantitative research methods were adopted, field research was conducted with employees of five-star hotels operating in Mersin. In the study, a total of 362 questionnaires were collected using the questionnaire technique and the convenience sampling method. Collected data were analyzed by structural equation modeling using appropriate analysis programs.Findings-Analysis revealed a strong positive relationship among perceived organizational support, creative behavior, and employee energy. Research has shown that perceived organizational support has a positive impact on employees' creative behaviour and energy. In addition, it was concluded that employee energy positively affects creative behaviors. Finally, employee energy was found to be a key mediating variable that determined the impact of perceptions of organizational support on creative behaviors.Discussion-The research is among limited studies that examine the mediating role of employee energy in the relationship between perceived organizational support and creative behaviors in the context of hospitality businesses. Handled within the framework of the social change theory, this study discusses similar and different aspects in terms of theoretical and practical contributions and makes some suggestions for researchers and industry

Campaign against living miserably: A look from social learning theory (SLT)

ABSTRACT The Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) aims at advocating against suicide and changing the way mental health is addressed in everyday conversation. Social learning theory (SLT) explains how people imitate others’ behaviors—for example, through a process called learning by imitation. Observation and imitation are vital aspects of how people develop behaviors and habits. One of these behaviors is highly negative and controversial: suicide and the unhealthy mental health relationships that come with it. People can emulate the death of another by copying their behavior, sometimes without even entirely meaning to do so. This paper applies the tenets of SLT—i.e. attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation—to aspects of CALM and to the negative impacts of phenomena such as social media influencers (SMIs) and celebrity suicides. What makes this approach interesting is that the CALM campaign can benefit from the use of one of the longest-established theories in the fields of psychology and communication. More precisely, regarding mental health and the media, most studies have focused on how social media is causing depression or anxiety. This is why this manuscript adds fresh insights by using key SLT precepts to raise awareness as to how these suicidal thoughts and symptoms form.

Higher-order network information propagation model based on social impact theory

User relationships are becoming increasingly diverse in current online social networks. This paper utilizes simplicial complexes in higher-order networks to depict multiple user relationships and characterize the topology of social networks. By employing social impact theory and factors such as user interest and information aging to define state transition rules among users, we establish a UAPR information propagation model based on simplicial complexes to simulate the information propagation process in higher-order social networks. The proposed model is simulated on three types of synthetic networks and four real-world simplicial complexes, demonstrating its ability to accurately describe the dynamics and influences of information propagation. Furthermore, our results indicate that different network structures, user interest values, information aging speeds, and intimacy levels significantly influence the information transmission process.

Unveiling the Impact of Influencer Attributes on Purchase Intention of Gen Z: The Moderating Role of Parasocial Interaction

This study investigates the impact of social media influencer attributes, namely source credibility, social presence and influencer inspiration on the purchase intention of Gen Z consumers, considering the moderating effect of parasocial interaction. The conceptual model was created by combining the social learning theory, the social presence theory and the parasocial theory to examine and comprehend the key characteristics of social media influencers and the role they play in attracting Gen Z consumers. The study adopted a quantitative approach. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data from 303 Generation Z consumers in India. The hypothesized model was tested using SMART PLS-4 through the use of structural equation modelling analysis. Source credibility and influencer inspiration were found to influence the Gen Z cohort’s purchase intention favourably. However, it was found that social presence did not significantly influence Gen Z consumers’ purchase intention. The results of the moderation analysis indicate that parasocial interaction positively moderated the relationship between source credibility and purchase intention and did not have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between influencers’ social presence, inspiration and purchase intention of Gen Z consumers. Implications for theory and practice are also discussed, thus adding to the emergent literature on influencer marketing.

“You have to be willing to make the sacrifice”: K-12 teacher narratives and the coercion of social responsibility

ABSTRACT Public K-12 education in the United States struggles with competing narratives regarding its function and role. The neoliberal push to quantify education has led to increased legislation relating to state testing as well as public debate about teachers’ roles and responsibilities. A case study of teachers who were teaching in Oklahoma at the time of the 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout offers insight into how teachers negotiate these competing narratives. Many teachers considered teaching to be a “calling,” which aligns with social contract theory where individuals will yield personal interests for the common good. Teachers viewed their occupation as time-intensive and described themselves using the competing narratives caregiver and expert. Teachers described their social contract in ways that align with the ideas of caveat emptor or bait and switch. The 2018 Oklahoma Teacher Walkout occurred because the social contract was broken, and teachers began advocating for themselves. A new communication theory I call the coercion of social responsibility (CoerSR) explains how internalized social contracts acted to constrain teachers’ actions. The ways in which teachers countered CoerSR are identified.

A mixed-methods investigation into complex components of multilingual international students' self-regulated learning in English as a foreign language context: A social cognitive perspective

Self-regulated learning serves as a fundamental framework for understanding the cognitive, motivational, and emotional dimensions of learning. Recently, a growing body of studies on such cognitive processes appears in multilingual populations. Applying a mixed-methods approach, this study examined the key components of the self-regulated learning process among 233 multilingual international students in China, specifically within the context of English as a Foreign Language learning. Qualitative data was analyzed through Pearson's correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and path analysis, while semi-structured interviews were conducted to further confirm the results of the qualitative data analysis. 15 students were purposefully selected through purposive sampling to participate in follow-up interviews. Within the framework of social cognitive theory, the findings revealed that metacognition, motivation, self-efficacy, and feedback loops are the primary components of self-regulated learning. Additionally, path analysis confirmed that the four factors are positive predictors of self-regulated learning proficiency of multilingual international students in China. The interview outcomes further validated the integral role of these primary components in the self-regulated learning process within the context of multilingual study. This study underscores the significance of incorporating translanguaging backgrounds into teaching strategies and language policy. Findings may offer some insights for multilingual international students, language teachers, and language policymakers in the field of Chinese language instruction.

Sibling and best friend conflict resolution strategies among Mexican-origin youth

Sibling relationships evolve into a more egalitarian relationship dynamic resembling friendships during adolescence, potentially facilitating the transfer of interpersonal skills across relationships. This study investigates cross-relationship associations in conflict resolution strategies with siblings and friends. Research on family-peer linkages, largely focused on White populations, often overlook the role of siblings in other ethnoracial contexts. Drawing on social learning theory, we examined mean-level differences on conflict resolution strategy use with siblings versus friends and how conflict resolution strategies with siblings were related to those with friends. Participants were older ( M = 15.48; SD = 1.57) and younger siblings ( M = 12.55; SD = .60) in 246 Mexican-origin families. Adolescents reported on their use of solution-oriented, nonconfrontational, and controlling strategies with one another and their best friends, which reflect varying considerations for oneself, others, and their relationship. Multilevel ANOVAs suggest that adolescents typically use more adaptive strategies with friends than with siblings. Actor-Partner Interdependence Models revealed significant positive associations between actor-reported conflict resolution strategies with siblings and friends, even when accounting for relationship intimacy and conflict, expressive personality characteristics, and familism values, suggesting congruence across relationships. Cross-strategy analyses indicated that controlling strategies with siblings were correlated with all strategies with friends, while nonconfrontational strategies with siblings negatively related to solution-oriented strategies with friends. These findings highlight how sibling and friend experiences shape adolescents’ interpersonal skills and suggest avenues for future research on the enduring impact on social development.

Effectiveness of TVET Training in Harnessing Skills Development amongst the Youths in Kisumu County, Kenya

The global challenge of TVET is ensuring that vocational education systems are inclusive, industry-relevant and aligned with the needs of the 21st-century labor market. Without addressing issues like funding, perception and curriculum development, TVET systems may continue to fall short in equipping young people with the skills needed for employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable economic development. For this reason, this study sought to examine effectiveness of TVET Training in Harnessing Skills Development Amongst the Youths in Kisumu County, Kenya. The founding theoretical frameworks were: Human capital theory, social learning theory and empowerment theory. Descriptive survey was used. Target population was 20,857 comprising of 20,814 TVET students, 42 Heads of TVET institutions and 1 County Education Officer in Kisumu County Government. A sample size of 379 was determined using Krejcie and Morgan (1970) model. Disproportionate stratified random sampling was used to select respondents. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and interview guide. Data was analyzed through content analysis, descriptive and inferential statistics. Pearson`s Correlation analysis was used to determine linear relationships between variables. For the coefficient of correlation (r) of 0.96, it implied a very strong positive relationship between TVET training and skill development. Government as policy-maker was recommended to institute regular reform for reviewing the existing TVET curricula in order to incorporate feedback from students and adapt to emerging dynamics of demographic dividends.

Determinants of Willingness to Pay for Community-Based Health Insurance in Ethiopia: National Household Survey

The existing evidence on households' participation in Ethiopia's community-based health insurance (CBHI) scheme is limited, lacks representativeness, and lacks disaggregation. Thus, this study aims to assess households' willingness to pay (WTP) for CBHI membership and identify the factors that influence their decision to enroll. From February to May 2020, a nationwide cross-sectional household survey was conducted involving CBHI member and non-member households. The primary theories that informed this study were utility theory, social capital theory, and the health belief model. Sample included 5,976 households from 166 EAs—118 in CBHI regions and 48 in non-CBHI regions. A two-stage stratified cluster sampling used to select enumeration areas (EAs) and households from within these areas. The maximum amount of money at which participants responded "yes" in the bidding game exercise was used to measure WTP. Data were analyzed using STATA Version 16. Household expenditure was adjusted for key factors. Analyses explored WTP for CBHI by region, membership, and livelihood, with WTP based on mean maximum values. Linear regression identified influencing factors. The findings reveal that 30.9% of participants were active CBHI members. The average WTP increased with each additional family member, both in rural (AMD = 9.3 [6.8, 11.9]) and urban areas (AMD = 7.2 [1.0, 13.4]). In urban areas, WTP was also positively associated with the ability to pay (ATP) for CBHI (AMD = 64.1 [6.3, 121.8]). Male respondents and those who were literate in urban areas had higher mean WTP values of AMD = 39.8 [13.1, 66.4] and AMD = 56.8 [26.1, 87.4], respectively. Additionally, holding leadership positions in health and women's development initiatives positively influenced WTP. The study found that 30.9% of participants were active CBHI members. WTP for CBHI was higher among larger families. In urban areas, WTP was positively associated with the ability to pay (ATP) for CBHI, particularly among male and literate respondents. Community leadership roles in health and women's development also positively influenced WTP. To improve the CBHI scheme, adjustments should be made to premiums based on households' ability to pay. Community engagement should be strengthened, service quality enhanced, regional disparities addressed, and performance regularly monitored.

Social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views on social mobility and inequality in the U.K. and the U.S.

AbstractDrawing on social identity theory (SIT), this study explored social class group identity, intergroup attitudes, and views about social mobility and inequality among socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse adults in the U.K. (n = 457) and the U.S. (n = 595). U.K. participants evidenced greater consensus about the social class groups present in their society than did U.S. participants, but lower, working, middle, and upper class were commonly perceived in both contexts, and many participants self‐identified as working class (38% U.K., 17% U.S.) or middle class (45% U.K., 47% U.S.) Consistent with SIT, participants in both contexts identified with their social class ingroup (e.g., felt they belonged) and stereotyped it less harshly on dimensions (warmth or competence) on which it was generally negatively stereotyped. Importantly, middle and upper class participants tended to feel more positively (e.g., proud) about their ingroup, and believed society was more fair and equal, and upward mobility more likely, than did lower and working class participants.

From Health Risks to Environmental Actions: Research on the Pathway of Guiding Citizens to Participate in Pocket-Park Governance

The COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the demand for urban pocket parks near residential areas, posing new challenges for environmental governance. However, there is a lack of research on how to engage citizens in pocket-park governance to address both potential and unforeseen risks. This study combines social information processing theory with a norm activation model to develop a framework that identifies the shaping stages and influencing factors of citizens’ intentions to participate in pocket-park governance. Using partial least squares structural equation modeling, this research analyzed the relationships among external factors, attitudes, moral norms, and intentions to participate based on 719 responses from an online survey targeting Chinese citizens in November and December 2023. Results indicate that health risks and pocket-park environmental quality positively affect perceived usefulness. Attitudes and moral norms are indeed important factors mediating the positive effect of the external environment on the intention to participate. The pathway of guiding citizens to participate in pocket-park governance is clarified, which helps bolster the resilience of urban green spaces and improve the quality of life of residents after public crises.

Can Corporate Environmental Social Responsibility and Financial Performance Achieve a Win-win Situation in China? -From the Perspective of Executive Social Capital

ABSTRACT Based on the new market corporate social responsibility theory, enterprises try their best to achieve a win-win situation between environmental social responsibility and corporate financial performance. This paper quantifies corporate environmental social responsibility from the perspective of enterprise front-end governance, back-end governance and employee green behavior, based on the data of Chinese A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2022. Return on assets is used to measure the corporate financial performance. Then, from the perspective of executive social capital, this paper explores the threshold effect of environmental social responsibility on financial performance and draws the following conclusions: (1) In the short term, corporate environmental social responsibility exerts a negative effect on financial performance by augmenting R&D investment. In the long term, corporate environmental social responsibility has a positive effect on financial performance by enhancing reputation or reducing financing costs; (2) Specifically, compared with employee green behavior, front-end and back-end governance have a notably substantial adverse effect on corporate financial performance; (3) When executive social capital crosses a specific threshold, the negative impact of corporate environmental social responsibility commitment on financial performance becomes insignificant. Consequently, this study suggests that bolstering executive social capital is essential for concurrently advancing corporate environmental social responsibility and financial performance.

Exploring elementary school student's understanding and experience of pancasila values in using the tiktok application: a qualitative study

This research aims to explore elementary school students' understanding and experience of Pancasila values in using the TikTok application. The background to this research focuses on the increasingly dominant influence of social media in children's lives and the need to understand how Pancasila values are internalized in the digital era. The research method used is a qualitative approach with data collection techniques in the form of in-depth interviews, focus group discussions (FGD), and participatory observation. Participants in this study consisted of 30 students in grades 4 to 6 from three elementary schools in Indonesia, as well as their parents and teachers. The research results show that students have a theoretical understanding of Pancasila values, but their application in using TikTok is still limited. Students are more likely to be exposed to entertainment content than educational content that reflects Pancasila values. Parents and teachers play an important role in supervising and guiding students' use of TikTok. However, further efforts are needed to bridge the gap between understanding and practicing Pancasila values on social media. The conclusions of this research emphasize the importance of a holistic approach in teaching Pancasila values, by using social media wisely. Social Learning Theory highlights the importance of observation, imitation, and self-efficacy in this learning process. With collaboration between educators, parents and content creators, TikTok can be used as an effective tool to educate and internalize Pancasila values in students.

Residents’ behavioral support for tourism in a burgeoning rural destination

This study aimed to test a model derived from the social exchange theory and the theory of planned behavior in determining the role that antecedents play in explaining residents' behavioral support for tourism in a rapidly developing destination. Data were collected from 511 residents of McCurtain County in Oklahoma, USA, using onsite interception and online sampling strategies. Based on a two-step structural equation modeling analysis, eight out of the 10 proposed hypotheses were supported. Of the four potential predictors of residents’ attitudinal support for tourism, perceived benefits, perceived costs, and trust in local government were significant, explaining 63% of the variance in the construct. Attitudinal support, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control then significantly explained 84% of the variance in behavioral intentions to support tourism. These intentions, in turn, significantly explained 44% of the variance in behavioral support for tourism. Implications, limitations, and future research suggestions are discussed at the close of the article. Management ImplicationsResidents' support for tourism within McCurtain County in Oklahoma, USA, is not very strong mostly because residents do not feel that they can trust the government in making decisions regarding tourism and that they have limited power to contribute to tourism planning and management. To address the lack of trust in government, efforts should be made to increase transparency in tourism decision-making. This could occur through the greater inclusion of residents in planning sessions and sharing reports with the public (e.g., sharing minutes and reports via websites, radios, newspapers, etc.). The government should find ways to include more residents in tourism-related decision-making that will affect not only tourism businesses but also the community as a whole. This could look like a regular assessment of residents’ perspectives through conducting surveys, holding focus group interviews, or hosting town hall meetings.

Examining Local Government’s Web-Based Climate Risk Transparency in Florida

The article draws from institutional and social vulnerability theories and examines the determinants of climate risk transparency by local governments. Using data from Florida cities, the study investigates the impact of membership in climate networks and local socioeconomic and sociodemographic factors on web-based climate risk transparency. The findings support the view that membership in climate compact organizations, such as the International Council of Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) and Southeast Florida Regional Climate Compact (SEFRCC), serve as institutional factors that lead to climate risk disclosures and contribute to improved adaptive governance and transparency. It also shows that college education, which likely enhances individuals’ ability to search for, interpret, and use information regarding climate risk, contributes to the decision to disclose information. Lastly, it reveals that bigger cities are more likely to disclose climate risk to mitigate these threats because disasters in large urban centers affect businesses and commuters and cause more significant damage than in smaller towns.