Social Transformation Research Articles

Social economic transformation in a dynamic world

Social economic transformation in a dynamic world

Social Entrepreneurship: Toward Understanding an Emerging Force for the Common Good

Social entrepreneurship combines business innovation with an explicit purpose of positive social and environmental impact, becoming increasingly relevant for analysis from various perspectives. This article presents a systematic review of the literature on social entrepreneurship, aiming to consolidate existing knowledge, identify emerging trends and gaps, and provide an updated guide for researchers and policymakers. The results reveal diverse methodological perspectives, ranging from quantitative research on economic impact and poverty reduction to ethnographies that explore the experiences and strategies of social entrepreneurs. The unique potential of social entrepreneurship to address global challenges is highlighted, necessitating comprehensive strategies to promote it sustainably. Furthermore, education is identified as a fundamental pillar of positive social change due to its role in developing professionals with an entrepreneurial mindset oriented toward social transformation. Finally, the paper emphasizes the need to diversify research lines and initiatives that encourage social impact entrepreneurship in a proactive and innovative manner.     Received: 3 January 2024 / Accepted: 25 April 2024 / Published: 5 May 2024

POWER RELATIONS, HEGEMONY AND IDEOLOGY

This research aims to explore three fundamental works that address interconnected aspects of political, philosophical and social thought. “Fascism”, by Evguiéni B. Pashukanis, released in 2020, offers a critical analysis of the ideological roots and social implications of fascism. Then, “Philosophy, Ideology and Social Science - Essays on Denial and Affirmation”, by István Mészáros, published in 1993, highlights the contradictions of the capitalist system and potential social transformations. Finally, “The German Ideology”, by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, written in the 19th century, provides a theoretical basis for understanding historical materialism and criticizing the dominant ideology. The research seeks to draw connections between these works to enrich the understanding of contemporary social and political dynamics.

Factors Affecting Utilization of Health Services Among Elderly of Koshi Province, Nepal

Every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons. Aging is poised to become one of the most significant social transformations of the twenty-first century which affects all sectors of society. Aim of study was to assess factors affecting the utilization of health services among the elderly of Koshi province, Nepal. A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 357 elderly. A multistage sampling technique was recruited for the selection of eight municipalities and wards for obtaining a representative sample from each ward. A semi structured interview schedule was used for data collection procedure. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used after the normality test to measure the association of selected variables and utilization of health services. The study finding revealed that more than two-third (70.3) of the respondents was young old age. More than half of the respondents were female. Less than half (44.0%) of the respondents were hypertensive. A multivariate analysis revealed that the utilization of health services is higher among service holder elderly than non-service holder. The utilization health services by elderly were higher who had health insurance than who had not insurance service. The study concludes that only two-thirds of the elderly were satisfied with health insurance services facilities. Although One-thirds of elderly still not satisfied with the health insurance service facility so improve and easy access insurance service to elderly is essential.

Mobilizing social transformation with technology. The shaping of social processes since the development of industrial society and beyond: innovation input and social processes

Technological development is a key factor for shaping social life, transforming the ways in which societies organize their production, mobility and communication processes. Since the beginning of industrialization, the pace of the transformations brought about by technological change has increased dramatically, and has further accelerated since the advent of the new digital technologies. These development processes has also impacts in terms of social, economic and environmental costs, a fact that has been addressed in the past few decades by various social movements as well as theoreticians, becoming a key issue in political and social discussion agendas. In this paper, we outline a historical perspective of these changes and their effects, from pre-industrial, industrial, post-Fordism and network societies, and we focus on the mobilizing potential of technological change. We analyze the role that technological interfaces play today in social transformation, as well as the implications for our present day that our interactions become increasingly intermediated by digital technologies. Finally, we discuss digital technologies and their impacts on social inequity. We argue that a public and democratic agenda comprising both development and technological issues should be put in place for guaranteeing social development processes.

“The American Dream” in Norman Mailer's novel and travelogue “O'key, an American Novel” by B. Pilnyak: Shattered Illusions and Rethought Dreams

The concept of "dreams" as the core of American literature is recognized by most literary critics. The affirmation and apologetics of the "American dream", which is associated with the traditions of critical realism, remains the subject of discussion by both foreign and Russian researchers. Literary studies of the concept of the "American dream" encourage us to critically analyze the beliefs, experiences and aspirations underlying it, as well as its broader implications for society. The subject of this article is the concept of the "American dream", analyzed on the basis of Norman Mailer's novel "The American Dream" and the travelogue “O'key, an American Novel” by Boris Pilnyak. Using descriptive, hermeneutical, comparative, historical-literary and historical-cultural methods, the author examines the details of this concept that were not affected in previously published scientific works. The sources and prerequisites for the emergence of the phenomenon of the “American dream” in American literature are presented and its complex quintessences presented in the works of Mailer and Pilniak through the prism of different cultural contexts are revealed. The study showed that the failure of the American Dream project leads to its restructuring, which confirms its self-stabilizing nature and fundamental role in the process of personal self-determination of the character. Mailer, deeply rooted in American culture, criticizes the American dream from the inside, emphasizing individualism, social pressure and the pursuit of success. On the contrary, Pilniak offers us a different view of the "American dream". This is the view of a Soviet writer who emphasizes the relationship of the American dream with capitalism, democracy and social transformation. Conclusions. Despite the revealed differences in views, both authors encourage readers to take a critical look at the promises and pitfalls of the American dream, enriching our understanding of its universal appeal and enduring relevance.

Tiexi Workers’ Village: shaping collective life in socialist China from the 1950s to the 1970s

ABSTRACT Workers’ villages are social housing districts built during the early period of New China for accommodating state-owned factory employees and their families. By borrowing the Soviet collective housing model, workers’ villages triggered significant socialist transformations architecturally and socially – shaping a new collective lifestyle. This article discusses the formation approach and manifestation of collective life in workers’ villages focusing on one case: Tiexi Workers’ Village in Shenyang City during the 1950s–1970s period. The evidence illustrates that through collectivization of living space and coordinating administration structure, a collective life represented by intense organized activities and personal interactions was indeed shaped in this pilot housing project. This paper sheds light on the collectiveness of the spatial pattern on the one hand, and the role it played in moulding everyday life under the socialist political/ideological circumstances of early New China on the other. This article concludes emphasizing the practical significance of this collective living model, which is more than just a historical proof of the past socio-spatiality but is also an important heritage beneficial to contemporary housing and communities.

Re-engaging Foodways: Life-courses of Disconnection and Reconnection with Food, Environment, and Sociality in Hawai‘i

ABSTRACT The article focuses on the centrality (and relationality) of food, environment, and sociality in the efforts of a group of education practitioners and learners on Hawai‘i Island to create a more liveable future alongside and despite global, social, and ecological upheavals. The ethnographic material stems from an engaged anthropological research on environmental knowledge and ‘āina-based education in Hawai‘i in early 2022 and digital anthropological encounters established before and after the onsite phase. Within this article we hope to convey the idea that, while the education practitioners and learners draw from knowledge of an ancient food system and even ‘restore’ parts of it, they do not simply replicate the foodways of the past by implementing them one-to-one. Rather, in their re-engagements of past foodways, people create social transformations and move through transitions in innovative ways in order to navigate through a contemporary world of disconnection and reconnection, continuity and disruption, loss and innovation, impoverishment and empowerment, as well as powerlessness and creativity.

Research, Development and Social transformation

Research, Development and Social transformation

Behind the curtain of sustainable business models: the role of firm’s strategic agility in value creation

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the archetypes of business models and illustrate how firms create, deliver and capture value by juxtaposing the firm’s aspired value emphasis with its strategic agility.Design/methodology/approachThe two-by-two matrix is constructed based on an analysis of existing literature and conceptual development.FindingsWe advance a conceptualization of strategic agility to emphasize speed and flexibility as the main drivers, along with attention toward stakeholder expectations. Additionally, we unveil four different archetypes of business models based on the firm’s aspired value emphasis (economic vs plus social/environmental) and the type of strategic agility (defensive vs proactive).Research limitations/implicationsStudies that empirically corroborate the proposed conceptualization of strategic agility are needed. In addition, empirical investigations on the evolutionary paths underlying the development of firms’ business models are requested.Practical implicationsManagers learn about aspects and actions that they should pursue to shift from one business model archetype to another.Originality/valueWe identify the features – in terms of focus on all the components of the triple bottom line (or not) and in terms of strategic agility – that firms need to face or even anticipate environmental and social transformation.

‘Pastoral and ecclesial madness’ Facing the failure of ‘democratism’ within the current civil turmoil in South Africa

The Zondo Commission’s report of 2022 plays a decisive role in the motivation to write the article. Considering recent political developments in South Africa, specifically the uprising of violent protests on grassroots level in many townships, it has become paramount for research in theology, specifically, the branches of practical and pastoral theology, to give thorough attention to the following research questions: How can the discipline of pastoral care contribute to social change on grassroots level as well as promote the spiritual healing of communities exposed to constant forms of violence? How does the quest for social and community transformation impacts on theory formation in the discipline of pastoral caregiving? The article takes up the challenge posed by Desmond Tutu: Change the Rainbow Nation into a compassionate society. What will be the implication for pastoral caregiving and the ecclesial ministry? A trans-epistemological analysis of the notion of democracy has been performed. The root of democratic thinking is revisited and critically analysed by means of Plato’s radical critique on the ‘democratic type’. While taking the mad option of Desmond Tutu seriously, it becomes obvious that pastoral caregiving should shift from a problem-solving approach to a community engagement approach. This approach should explore the irrational option of an ethos of sacrifice, based on divine madness. Paul calls this spiritual option: The weakness and foolishness of God (1 Cor 1:18–25). The divine sacrificial option implies the radical engagement of a theology of pastoral madness.Contribution: My choice for a praxis approach to human suffering within contexts of civil societal unrest and demeaning forms of social stigmatisation like xenophobia, is the transformation of ecclesial and ministerial paradigms emanating from cathedral thinking (churches as demonstration of clerical power and abstract liturgies) into xenodochia thinking: Churches as safe havens (xenodochia) for the stigmatised outsiders in civil society. In this regard, the theological notion of the folly of God, should serve as the Christian spiritual cornerstone for implementing the concept of God as Friend and Partner or Host for Life. The latter is our choice for the madness of pastoral engagements in civil society. The sacrificial grace of God illustrates sheer divine irrationality: xenophilia as xenodochia.

South African Higher Education: Transformation or/and Decolonisation?

Transformation is the christened name of institutional activities seeking to change South Africa ‘into the opposite of apartheid’, including in higher education (HE). However, transformation failures meant that students at universities in South Africa, through several #MustFall movements, protested around their misgivings about ‘transformation’ and advocated for a decolonial turn. Decolonisation, therefore, has become the preferred name for change to some sections of HE, thereby creating a conflict with ‘transformation’. Our study collected responses on the meaning of transformation and decolonisation and their capability to change the hegemonic structure and Western institutional culture in universities. The qualitative study was anchored in Fomunyam’s social transformation theory and used semi-structured interviews to collect data from 11 participants from a South African university. They were analysed thematically (reflexively). Findings depicted opinions favouring both transformation and decolonisation to achieve changes required in HE. The liberal and linguistic nature of transformation means it can be manipulated for different agendas and research purposes. Meanwhile, decolonisation, anchored in histories of Africa’s oppression, is specific about recentring Africa in the universities. In conclusion, it is vital to exercise caution to avoid ‘decolonial fatigue’ which would make decolonisation a rhetoric just like transformation.

중국 청년들을 둘러싼 저층화 공간 서사의 전환과 재맥락화

This research examines how impoverished youth's perceptions of space, both real dwelling spaces and abstract social progress areas, are evolving. It examines in particular how the problems of'snail homes' and 'ant tribes', which were big difficulties connected to living spaces in the early 2010s, are continuing in what social context, and how disadvantaged youth are generating new narratives within this. They deploy narratives of 'disgust and exclusion' and'sympathy and empathy' towards poverty at the same time, eventually demonstrating new attitudes and actions in reaction to the state's narrative that has backed the development logic. Of course, their living conditions have not changed significantly, but the young are now learning to collect and recontextualize their own experiences and narratives in limited living spaces. Furthermore, in terms of social progress, they choose employment that provide stability in their lives rather than a single direction of travel focused in the city or the quest of tremendous achievement. Even people with strong academic credentials opt to go to the competitive perimeter, advance their jobs, and then return to the core city. The author believes that their psychological state is not entirely free of the stress of a competitive society and the narrative of competition, but that they are becoming psychologically stronger through lightness rather than previous heaviness, and cynicism and joy rather than sadness or despair. When reading impoverished youth's actions as signals of social transformation, it is assumed that the spectrum of interpretations will expand as we approach closer to future China.

Moderating Role of Economic Development’s on Zakat Success Factors and Compliance: A Saudi Arabian Perspective

The paper report a result of an investigation in the moderating influence of economic development on the relationship between zakat success factors and compliance to pay zakat, focusing on key factors such as zakat awareness, support for zakat practices, understanding zakat application, and willingness to implement zakat. Data from 250 respondents within the General Authority of Zakat and Tax (GAZT) in Saudi Arabia were collected using a quantitative approach using questionnaires. Analysis was conducted utilizing AMOS 20 and SPSS 20.1 software. The study reveals a positive direct effect of zakat success factors on compliance to pay zakat, with economic development playing a crucial moderating role. This underscores the significance of economic development in influencing the relationship between zakat awareness, support for zakat practices, and zakat compliance. The practical implications extend to zakat institutions, urging them to enhance strategies for transparency and compliance by securing additional resources for development and organizing educational initiatives to cultivate positive attitudes towards zakat. The research contributes uniquely to the literature by incorporating economic development as a mediator in the zakat success factors and compliance relationship, offering valuable insights for researchers, economists, and zakat institutions. The findings emphasize the multifaceted impact of zakat on economic structures, social transformation, poverty reduction, and inequality. Additionally, the study highlights zakat's role in achieving sustainable economic growth and reducing social issues, advocating for its integration as a financial system to address challenges in the Muslim world. Despite limitations in respondent selection and timeframe, the research opens avenues for future studies, suggesting a broader exploration of Zakat's impact on sustainable development, climate change, wealth distribution, and economic transformation.

“We Can Transform This, We Can Change This”: Adolescent Sociopolitical Development as a Catalyst for Healthy Life-Span Development

In the late 1970s, adolescents in East Harlem, New York, participated in a program called the Youth Action Program where they worked collectively to address systemic issues causing inequities in their communities (e.g., inequities in housing and education). In the current study, we integrate the sociopolitical development framework with life-course health development to explore how participation in the program shaped adolescents’ skills and capacities for social transformation in ways that were health-promotive and informative for life trajectories. Data included retrospective interviews and member-checking focus group data of 10 former Youth Action Program members (current Mage = 63; 45% female; 55% male) from predominantly Black and Latinx backgrounds. We used reflexive thematic analysis and adopted a case study approach to highlight how participants’ adolescent experiences of sociopolitical development and resistance against oppressive circumstances propelled healthy life-course development. Specifically, participants were able to establish healthy lives through four health-promotive sociopolitical developmental processes: questioning the system not the self; carving out alternative spaces and pathways; building agency in a dehumanizing society; and finding purpose through committing to social change. Our study suggests that contemporary youth organizing programs can incorporate sustaining practices including the careful vetting and training of adult staff, pursuing tangible opportunities to create change, and embedding youth voice and leadership into programmatic structures to encourage healthy development via sociopolitical development.

Research on the Network Communication Value and Strategies of Chinese Traditional Festival Culture

In the contemporary context of globalization and digitization, the communication of Chinese traditional festival culture not only involves the inheritance and promotion of culture but also pertains to the cultural identity and self-confidence of the Chinese nation. Starting from the perspective of the values conveyed, this paper emphasizes the role of traditional festival culture in strengthening the shaping of social ideology, maintaining a balance between the local and global aspects of culture, and highlighting its significance in the dialectical interaction with modern technology in the era of the internet. Subsequently, the paper proposes strategies for innovating content, utilizing advanced technology, enhancing interaction with audiences, and promoting cross-disciplinary integration to effectively propagate Chinese traditional festival culture in the online environment. Simultaneously, considering the impact of social transformation and external cultural influences, this study systematically analyzes potential challenges in the communication process and puts forth corresponding measures to promote the construction of cultural self-confidence in China through the dissemination of traditional festival culture.

Low-cost Mobile Solar Operated Lift Irrigation System : A Case Study

Effective and judicious use of irrigation water contributes a lot for the management of crop growth and increase in productivity. In the light of increasing demand for irrigation in the state of Assam(India) and to cover the non irrigated area as well as to continue the supplies for the irrigated command area, it becomes imperative to look for a holistic and people centric Low Cost Innovative Irrigation technique. Irrigation water can be assured at every crop field provided we set our mind and put concerted efforts to address it. This paper highlights the Irrigation scenario in Assam with a case study on Low Cost Solar Operated Mobile Lift Irrigation in Assam, for its continuance and contribution towards growth in Agricultural Productivity. This innovation in Irrigation Sector can cause Social transformation by bringing in the development of Agriculture and other allied Sectors. An attempt was also made to establish the economic and operational benefits of the system by making a comparison amongst the different lift Irrigation Schemes in the State. The study advocates for utilization of the non conventional solar energy for irrigating the multiple crops by lifting the surface water sources in the State of Assam by using the Low Cost Solar Operated Mobile Surface Lift Irrigation System. The paper also presents the financial analysis and Key Performance Indicators of the System with a highlight on its diversified application for disaster preparedness and mitigation on the part of Stakeholder Departments with a primary aim to increase Irrigated agriculture productivity

Human and Divine Law at the Secular University: The Divide between Classical Liberalism and Post-Classical Liberalism

The American university has been guided by classical liberalism in its defense of the freedom of speech and academic freedom. The idea is that a university is a place where all ideas and perspectives can be debated. However, this idea is increasingly being challenged by those who want the secular university to be a place that advances a social philosophy that promises to transform society by dismantling structural racism and providing for greater equity. In this article, I will argue that both of these models have been shaped by democratic legal ideals and both share a common skeptical assumption about the basic questions of meaning that each person must answer. The legal structures developed by Westphalian modernity attempt neutrality on questions about meaning. This can be seen even in recent Supreme Court decisions affirming the individual’s right to determine meaning for themselves. This skeptical root has produced the conflict between classical liberals and the social transformation that we are witnessing at our universities. I argue for a third option that I find in the Declaration of Independence, which affirms that we can and should know the answers to basic questions which then provide the foundation for education and law.

Additive manufacturing in the development of low-cost immersive virtual reality solutions for education: a study with google cardboard

Virtual Reality (VR) is a technology that makes it possible to create simulated worlds using computer systems. This study presents a proposal to develop a Google Cardboard prototype using additive manufacturing. The central aim of the study is to contribute to the understanding of low-cost Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) alternatives; to assist in the scientific-technological development of IVR solutions; and to contribute to technological development and access in a social context and to the preservation of the environment through sustainable technological solutions. Developed in two stages, the theoretical foundation aimed to systematize and understand the concepts involving VR, low-cost solutions for VR - specifically Google Cardboard - and additive manufacturing. The experimental research involved producing the Google Cardboard from the specifications provided by the company, creating a digital model of the display, printing the 3D model and testing the prototype developed. The results of the study indicate that additive manufacturing could be a promising technology for developing low-cost and sustainable VR solutions. The use of filaments made from recyclable materials, such as PET, can help reduce the environmental impact of this type of technology, as well as providing the possibility of social transformation. Therefore, this study contributes to advances in the development of accessible and sustainable solutions in VR, cost reduction, the evolution of Google Cardboard and understanding of the concepts involved. Limitations include the lack of tests with real users and the failure to investigate the impact of focal distance on visual comfort.

Developing individual carbon footprint reduction pathways from carbon budgets: Examples with Wallonia and France

Traditional climate strategies focus on long-term emissions targets, neglecting cumulative CO2 emissions and often limiting their scope to territorial emissions. Additionally, individual citizens struggle to connect with community targets. This study addresses these issues by computing a comprehensive carbon footprint pathway that, as a main contribution, can be easily personalized and associated with common carbon footprint calculators. This approach innovatively leverages inverted “S-shaped” patterns based on logistic functions that, unlike common linear patterns, have been documented as relevant for diffusion mechanisms of social or ecological transformations. One challenge lies in efficiently aligning the carbon footprint figures, expressed in CO2eq, with IPCC's +2 °C carbon budgets, expressed in CO2-only. This work first retrieves the current share of CO2-only footprint and then defines two mitigation pathways: one focusing solely on CO2 emissions and one addressing residual GHGs. Except for initial and final emission levels, both targeted pathways are defined by the same logistic function, based on the assumed intrinsic link between CO2 and the other GHGs. As final targets, the CO2-only pathway considers the common net-zero emission goal while the second pathway considers a level of 1 tCO2eq/year per capita of unmitigated non-CO2 emissions, in alignment with IPCC's latest assumptions and anticipated population growth. Besides the new +2 °C compatible suggested pathways, developing this method for France and Wallonia has also revealed that they should reach territorial (nature-based) carbon uptake of at least three times their current levels, necessitating deep land-use changes in their policies (implementing intensive urban vegetation, alternative agriculture techniques, etc).