Theory Of Society Research Articles

From Normal to Disaster Response Mode: How Can Virtual Communities Reconfigure Themselves to Respond Effectively to a Disaster?

ABSTRACTDuring a disaster, many people seek information from virtual communities. However, information overload, falsehoods and unrelated topics hinder information flow in virtual communities, putting disaster victims at risk. Given many disasters are generally of a short duration, we explore how virtual communities can quickly reconfigure themselves to respond effectively to a disaster. Drawing on risk society theory, our findings suggest reconfiguration is done via a series of cycles initially involving community members and subsequently featuring both community members and moderators working together to mitigate risks. We contribute to virtual community discourse on disaster response by showing how a virtual community can configure IT features to bring about change. Practically, we find transforming a virtual community from a normal to a disaster response mode requires (1) creating a controlled information hub, (2) promoting identity revelation and (3) allowing for temporary emergent hyperlocal leadership. While earlier IS research suggests that anonymity, openness and geographical dispersion are important for information dissemination in virtual communities, we suggest these practices may need to be changed during a disaster.

Fragile Harmony: Unraveling the Risks in the Development Mosaic

Objective: To discuss how economic growth based on the “at any cost” paradigm generates environmental and social risks, with an emphasis on the impacts on situations of vulnerability. It proposes the defense of “place” as an alternative for sustainable development, respecting local history and culture, while analyzing the market from the perspective of economic sociology and ecological economics. Theoretical framework: The research is based on Ulrich Beck's (1999) theory of the risk society, which addresses the global risks of reflexive modernity, highlighting the de-localization, incalculability and non-compensability of risks. Polanyi (1980) contributes to criticizing the logic of the market as the absolute regulator of natural resources. According to Martinez-Alier (2007), ecological economics rejects the idea that all environmental values can be reduced to prices, regulating the limits of planetary sustainability. Methodology: It uses a theoretical-conceptual approach, through a bibliographical review of authors such as Beck, Polanyi and Martinez-Alier, to explore interactions between economic development, socio-environmental conflicts and the valuation of natural resources. Results and Discussion: Uncontrolled economic growth increases inequalities and environmental degradation, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. The market, analyzed by economic sociology, reveals social and cultural dimensions, while ecological economics highlights the complexity of valuing natural resources, pointing to the need for preservation policies and social justice. Research implications: A review of economic paradigms is proposed, prioritizing alternatives that respect biodiversity and local cultures. We suggest investigating the role of social movements in promoting inclusive and sustainable policies.

Mongolia and 14th Dalai Lama in Late 20th and 21st Centuries

This study explores the role of the Dalai Lama institution in the political processes of Mongolia, both from a historical perspective and in the context of contemporary events. The aim of the article is to identify the key factors influencing the presence of the Dalai Lama in Mongolia’s socio-political life. Conceptually and methodologically, the research relies on the theory of post-secular society. The sources for this study include legal documents from Mongolia, data from national censuses, results from sociological surveys, and publications from Mongolian, Russian, and Western media that address the relationships between state, society, and religion. The authors argue that modern Mongolia exemplifies a post-secular society. It is noted that the abandonment of state atheism and the phenomenon of “Buddhist revival” have led to a significant intertwining of religious and secular institutions. The figure of the 14th Dalai Lama is regarded as a crucial participant in these processes. The study establishes that the main factors contributing to the involvement of the Dalai Lama in Mongolia’s socio-political processes include his high religious authority among believers, the legitimization of Mongolian reincarnations, and his image as a “democratic leader.” Factors that restrain the influence of the Dalai Lama include a significant segment of non-religious citizens in Mongolia, risks of deteriorating relations with the People’s Republic of China, and trends toward the nationalization of Mongolia’s Buddhist sangha.

Evaluating the Justice and Risk Dimensions of Ethylene Oxide Governance in the US.

We investigate the governance and environmental justice (EJ) outcomes from the hazard reclassification of ethylene oxide (EtO) by the Environmental Protection Agency in 2016. In response to EtO pollution after 2018, federal and state regulators engaged constituents to respond to complaints about EtO but adhered to a cost-benefit governance approach that ultimately inhibited risk mitigation. We argue risk mitigation was constrained by path dependent approaches that simultaneously enabled recognition of constituent concerns about EtO pollution while minimizing the costs of institutional change. Drawing on data from government documents and interviews, we analyze governance responses in Illinois and Georgia, selected due to their cross-cutting exposures to EtO and public mobilization in response to EtO risk. Our research reveals how structural and political factors limit risk mitigation and create a mismatch between environmental outcomes and public expectations. Drawing from theories of environmental justice and risk society, we show how this acceptance of EtO risk aligns with Ulrich Beck's theory of a risk society while generating significant justice concerns for its inability to consider how risk experiences vary according to social class.

THRIFT FASHION TRENDS AS A NEW CULTURE OF CONSUMERISM

The mushrooming phenomenon of fashion thrift in Indonesia has resulted in a new culture. The new culture is the consumption of young people on thrift fashion products. This research uses the qualitative descriptive method. The data was taken by filling out an open questionnaire to 10 respondents obtained through Instagram social media. The data obtained were then analyzed using the theory of the consumption society by Jean P. Baudrillard where the consumption of fashion thrift products not only pays attention to the value of the function of a garment but also the value of symbols in purchasing fashion thrift products. The results of this study show that the reasons respondents consume fashion thrift are because they accidentally found suitable products, complete collections, low product prices, products that are sold well and even some are products with well-known brands, and pride factors.

Control of Electroplated Copper Layers Microstructure Under Modulated Current: Organic Additives Free Electrolytes

The use of organic additives is a common thing to improve the properties of copper layer elaborated from a sulfate plating bath. Especially, levelling effects and brightness intensity can be strongly enhanced. But this practice is not without its disadvantages, with high costs, risks of defects in the supply chain, and health and environmental issues [1]. An interesting alternative consists in the current modulation currently named pulsed currents [2] to replace the use of organic molecules to control the roughness of copper deposits. If several works still exist in this field, their application to plating on rough surfaces (Sa around 2 μm) has not been explored yet and the pulse sequence design requires an exhaustive knowledge of each compound effects. In a previous study [3], the mode of operation of industrial organic additives was defined. The modulated current is mainly used to influence the electrocrystallization mechanism, thereby controlling the mechanical and physical properties of the deposited metal [4]. Since the nucleation rate is proportional to the current density, the use of pulsed and reverse currents can reduce porosity and create deposits with finer grain sizes. This allows them to achieve significantly higher densities than their static counterparts [5]. When the current is interrupted at Toff, the active metal ions diffuse into the electrode, where their concentration decreases due to the deposition process. This process promotes the formation of new and smaller grains [6]. Copper layers microstructure and roughness, can, therefore, be greatly modified under the influence of the deposition overpotential. Moreover, the other pulse current parameters, like pulse frequency, have an effect on the surface roughness.[1]: https://www.anses.fr/en/content/carcinogenic-mutagenic-and-reprotoxic-substances-cmrs[2]: P. Leisner, M. Fredenberg and I. Belov, Pulse and pulse reverse plating of copper from acid sulphate solutions, Transactions of the Institute of Metal Finishing, Vol 88 N° 5, 2010.[3]: J. Dematos, M-P. Gigandet and J-Y. Hihn, Organic Additive Free Copper Plating, Oral Communication, ISE, 74th Annual Meeting, Lyon, France, sept. 2023.[4]: Green, T. A., Su, X. & Roy, S. Pulse electrodeposition of copper in the presence of a corrosion reaction. J. Electrochem. Soc. 168, 062515 (2021).[5]: Kim, M. J. et al. Pulse electrodeposition for improving electrical properties of Cu thin film. J. Electrochem. Soc. 157, D564 (2010).[6]: J.C. Puippe and F. Leaman, Theory and Practice of Pulse Plating, American Electroplaters and Surface Finishers Society, 1986. Figure 1

Study on the barriers and breakthroughs of resilience building in aging Urban communities from the perspective of risk management: A case study of Jin Guang Men community in Xi’an

The continuous escalation of social risks has exacerbated the challenges faced by aging urban communities. In this context, resilience building emerges as a critical approach, offering new perspectives and innovative solutions to address these issues. This paper applies the theories of risk society and resilience governance to establish an analytical framework for resilience governance, specifically examining the current status of resilience construction within the Jin Guang Men community in Xi’an. The findings indicate that resilience building within these aging urban communities is hindered by issues such as weak grassroots governance, deficient repair mechanisms, inadequate infrastructure, and a slow pace of information technology adoption. To effectively manage social risks, it is imperative to strengthen party leadership in governance, enhance community self-repair capacities, upgrade infrastructure, and accelerate the application of information technology. These measures are essential for bolstering the risk management capabilities of aging urban communities.

A quantitative analysis of biosafety and biosecurity using attack trees in low‐to‐moderate risk scenarios: Evidence from iGEM

AbstractAs synthetic biology is extensively applied in numerous frontier disciplines, the biosafety and biosecurity concerns with designing and constructing novel biological parts, devices, and systems have inevitably come to the forefront due to potential misuse, abuse, and environmental risks from unintended exposure or potential ecological impacts. The International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition often serves as the inception of many synthetic biologists’ research careers and plays a pivotal role in the secure progression of the entire synthetic biology field. Even with iGEM's emphasis on biosafety and biosecurity, continuous risk assessment is crucial due to the potential for unforeseen consequences and the relative inexperience of many participants. In this study, possible risk points for the iGEM projects in 2022 were extracted. An attack tree that captures potential risks and threats from experimental procedures, ethical issues, and hardware safety for each iGEM‐based attack scenario is constructed. It is found that most of the attack scenarios are related to experimental procedures. The relative likelihood of each scenario is then determined by using an established assessment framework. This research expands the traditionally qualitative analysis of risk society theory, reveals the risk formation in the synthetic biology team, and provides practical implications.

Emancipation and liberation as normative horizons in critical theory

Although they are often used as synonyms, emancipation and liberation constitute two distinct normative horizons in critical theory of society. In this article, I offer an analysis of these two concepts, including their historical and epistemological characteristics, pointing out similarities, differences and the possibilities for their combined use as basis of models of normative social criticism. I argue that the critical horizon of human emancipation emerges in post-Kantian European thought, while the horizon of liberation was developed in Latin American decolonial thinking in the second half of the 20th century. The horizon of emancipation arises with the critique of the primacy of systemic domination, while liberation emerges in the resistance to the primacy of the experience of oppression. The analytical distinction between these two normative horizons can be helpful to better understand both the foundations of epistemic decolonization and the potential for dialogue between the critical perspectives of center and periphery.

AI and cybersecurity: a risk society perspective

IntroductionThe rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has introduced transformative potential across various sectors, while simultaneously posing significant cybersecurity risks.MethodsThe aim of this paper is to examine the debates on AI-related cybersecurity risks through the lens of Beck’s theory of the risk society. Utilizing thematic content analysis, we explored public discourse on AI and cybersecurity as presented in articles published by WIRED.ResultsOur analysis identified several key themes: the global nature of AI risks, their pervasive influence across multiple sectors, the alteration of public trust, the individualization of risk, and the uneven distribution of AI risks and benefits.DiscussionThe editorial choices in WIRED predominantly favor a functionalist and solutionist perspective on AI cybersecurity risks, often marginalizing the opinions of ordinary individuals and non-Western voices. This editorial bias tends to limit diversity and underrepresent key opposing viewpoints, potentially hindering a more comprehensive and nuanced debate on AI and cybersecurity issues.

Civil Society and the Struggle Against Media Freedom Violations in Ghana

ABSTRACT Per the recent rankings of Reporters Without Borders, media freedom in Ghana has been declining as a result of consistent and systematic harassment, physical abuses and even murder of journalists. For years, the literature has been aloof on the question of whether the civil society has been playing its constitutionally assigned duties of protecting the fourth estate. Using data from key informant interviews and within the lens of the libertarian theory of civil society, this study concludes that years of advocacy, activism and legal support for media personnel have cemented the role of civil society in Ghana not just as a protector of media freedom but also as an important vanguard against harassment, unfair prosecution and detention, physical assaults and even murder of journalists. Despite all the efforts from civil society organizations, violations of media freedom still occur frequently while civil society itself faces obstacles ranging from financial problems to media partisanship. This calls for financial and moral support from citizens and other independent organizations and more escalatory actions from the media and civil society such as the recent media blackout of politicians and public officials deemed as perpetrators.

The moderating role of government heuristics in public preferences for redistribution

A theory of rational attitude formation suggests public perceptions that income differences are too large should lead to demands for income redistribution. Public opinion scientists irregularly observe this at best. It is possible that the instruments we use to observe support for income redistribution are ineffective. We suggest at least part of the inconsistently observed linkages are due to unobserved confounding of government heuristics. We hypothesize that government affect provides a heuristic cue for survey respondents to answer questions on their preference for the government engaging in income redistribution. The greater the valence or quantity of reasons for a survey respondent to have negative government affect, the more perceptions of inequality and support for redistribution are decoupled and apparently inconsistent. To test this, we measured government affect at the country-time level using trust, corruption perceptions, and economic performance. We executed tests of moderation using slopes-as-outcomes regressions with ISSP data from 36 countries in 102 country-time points. Given the difficulty in fitting complex theories of society and politics into a limited number of macro-comparative cases, we ran a multiverse analysis of alternatively plausible models. There is a consistent negative moderation effect across models suggesting that our theory of government affect as opinion expression on a survey is worthy of further consideration. The findings also suggest more qualitative cognitive survey interviews to better understand this process.

Prolegomena to a genealogy of “society”

The article reconstructs the evolution of the semantics of one of the social sciences’ most important concepts, that of society. It follows two main systematizations, those of the societas and the societas civilis, respectively, through a millennia-long history rooted in Graeco-Roman civilization. This history exhibits remarkable continuity across time. Its modern adaptations survive to the present day. But the social sciences appear to know only the latter which, in the form of the nation-state, they adopted as their default model under the intellectual leadership of Parsons. Recent developments in the social world have rendered that model obsolete. This leaves the social sciences in dire straits, as they have failed, with one exception, to develop a persuasive alternative. The exception is Niklas Luhmann's systems theory of world society, a theory barely known outside small niche circles. The article ends on a brief speculative note about what might account for the odd tenacity of a theoretically untenable concept.

Foucauldian perspectives on migration and society: The epistemological-political grids of “people” and “population”

Drawing on Foucault's approach to knowledge and power, this paper aims to strengthen theoretical perspectives on migration and to revise social theories by reflecting on the constitutive role of migration in the formation of society. Differing from studies that use a methodological approach based on Foucault, I draw on his work to develop a constructivist theory of society by examining and problematizing two dominant lenses through which migration is commonly problematized: the epistemological-political grids of the “people,” associated with sovereign power and nationalism, and the “population,” associated with biopower and capitalism. Both grids are crucial for understanding how migration is constructed as a specific object of knowledge and incorporated into mechanisms of power. Taken together, they allow us to reconnect the often separated debates on sovereign power and biopower—or nationalism and capitalism—and to reflect on the central tensions of contemporary migration societies. By highlighting the relevance of border and migration processes that Foucault barely addressed, I open up an alternative perspective on people and populations through an analysis of the marginal figures of “vagabondage” and “bad circulation” that are currently most associated with migration.

Bugis Philosophy of Life in Religious Harmony: George Simmel's Perspective

This paper examines efforts to realize religious harmony in society by applying the Bugis philosophical concepts of "Sipakatau, Sipakainge, Sipakalebbi." The purpose of this research is to describe and analyze the meaning or philosophy contained in the Bugis philosophy and to propose implementations that can be applied in social life to achieve integration and religious harmony. In this regard, the author employs qualitative research by reviewing books and published research results and exploring relevant literature sources related to this research, specifically the tradition of "Sipakatau, Sipakainge, Sipakalebbi" as a manifestation of religious harmony in society, which will be analyzed and then reflected upon using a philosophical approach. From this effort, the researcher finds that the concept of "Sipakatau, Sipakainge, Sipakalebbi" is highly relevant to George Simmel's theory, which emphasizes the ways of interacting with society. The theories of sociability, superordination, and conflict provide a concept of society through reciprocal interactions. Society is viewed as more than just a collection of individuals; it refers to patterns of reciprocal interactions between individuals. This principle is continuously practiced by the community to achieve religious harmony in Indonesia, especially amidst the strong currents of globalization.

The middle class and the media in post-war Japanese mass society theory: domination, satisfaction, connection, and construction

The inconsistency between an objective socioeconomic position and subjective sense of belonging is challenging for middle class studies. Scholars have argued that the information and images the media conveys can become a ‘reference group’ influencing people’s subjective sense of belonging to the middle class, leading to subjective-objective inconsistency. However, the media—the crucial influencing factor—was always on the periphery of class research. This article demonstrates that in today’s media-saturated world, the media plays a critical role in progressively altering social structures, cognitive underpinnings, and behavioral logic; therefore, it is a key variable in class studies. The analysis of discussions on the middle class and media in post-war Japanese mass society theory reveals that some representative viewpoints remain relevant for understanding the middle class from a media perspective. This article revisits the theories of mass society in post-war Japan, and affirms the media’s role in mediating subjective and objective middle-class identities, and constructing class belongingness. It identifies four fundamental perspectives—domination, satisfaction, connection, and construction—to investigate the relationship between media and the middle class. It also highlights the potential to analyze the middle class from a media standpoint, and issues that subsequent research should address.

The paradigm of anthropocentrism in contemporary pediatric surgery

The idea of anthropocentrism is a key marker of the state of medical theory and practice in the technocratic society of the twenty-first century and demonstrates the global reflection of human society on its axiological attitudes. Aim. The paper aims at theoretical and methodological analysis of the paradigmatic dimensions of anthropocentrism in pediatric surgery. The theoretical basis of the study was formed by philosophical concepts of anthropocentric orientation, modern scientific substantiation of the problems of deontology and medical education. The methodology of the study was determined by the cultural approach based on the use of philosophical hermeneutics (interpretation of texts). The method of extrapolation allowed the use of philosophical heritage to analyze contemporary deontological issues. The method of synergetics provided an integrating function. The methods of analysis, synthesis, and generalization determined the logic of our scientific research. Anthropocentrism is one of the leading trends in philosophy, which, at different historical stages, from ancient times to the present, defines topical issues, including deontological ones. Subject-object relations in medicine are relations in the “person-to-person” and “healthcare professional-to-patient” systems. The current and most realistic model is the contractual model, in which pediatric surgeons, parents of patients, and patients themselves establish relationships that are most acceptable to all participants in the treatment process. Conclusions. The obtained results provide a more advanced level of analysis of both general and specific cognitive interests and preferences of pediatric surgery professionals from the angle of cognitions that characterize the discourse of the idea of anthropocentrism. The practical significance of the study is determined by the possibility of using the material of the paper in teaching deontological disciplines and as a factor that motivates medical students to scientific and worldview reflection. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Uczestnictwo obywatelskie na Węgrzech, cz. 1

The aim of this paper is to analyse the state of civil society in Hungary and thus to offer an insight into the theory of civil society and civic engagement. Firstly, the process of political transition and the formation of civil society in Hungary is discussed. The next section gives an overview of the legal status of civil society institutions. Then an attempt is made to present complicated relationships between politics and civil society in Hungary. The article addresses the methodology of the empirical research conducted by the author. Given the collected research material and the conducted empirical research, the paper was divided into two parts.

Современный массовый туризм: становление, принципы, факторы развития

One of the effective and affordable ways to organize recreation and leisure in modern conditions is considered to be mass tourism, which is influenced by global trends: globalization, informatization, geopolitics. In the article, based on generalizations of the approaches of domestic and foreign researchers, an attempt is made to give a detailed definition of the term “mass tourism” and to specify its phenomenon through the justification of its distinctive features: the number of consumers (mass), motives and goals, the influence of technological progress, industrialization and scaling of the tourism business. The authors highlight factors contributing to the development of modern tourism, including: accessibility, globalization, marketing and advertising, political situation, economic stability, digitalization and conceptual approaches to the emergence and development of mass tourism: the theory of consumer society, the theory of mobile sociology, “quality tourism” and etc. Among the general principles of modern mass tourism, the authors highlight: the commercial principle of a balance of interests, taking into account the global problems facing humanity, the active socialization of tourism. Particular attention is paid to the issues of periodization of the formation of mass tourism in the historiography of various countries; description of the modern understanding of mass tourism, taking into account its influence on national socio-economic systems; determining the main directions for the development of mass tourism in the domestic market of tourism services, taking into account rapidly changing external conditions and factors, which made it possible to identify the main and most popular types of tourist activity.

Protocols of Production: The Absent Factories of Digital Capitalism

Contrary to dominant theories of postindustrial society, this article advances an alternative account of digital capitalism that repositions the factory—so often associated with industrial manufacturing—as a defining yet largely overlooked feature of the internet economy. I pursue this claim by interpreting data centers and microwork platforms as digital embodiments of the factory system through a historical theory of the factory model that reconstructs the consistent mechanisms of control and extraction that have distinguished factories as consolidated infrastructures of production since their inception. I define these “protocols of production” as formal rules deployed by a combination of technological systems, spatial arrangements, and management regimes devised to fragment tasks, discipline workers, and supervise production. By probing the socioeconomic consequences of the factory’s algorithmic redeployment and adaptation to global data production, I contend that these absent factories have amplified alienation and precarity as structural social qualities of the digital labor process.