Sociocultural Framework Research Articles

International and Historical Variation in the Age–Crime Curve

Our goals were to assess competing narratives within criminology about contextual variation in the age–crime curve (ACC)—most prominently, whether the ACC shows constancy or difference across societies and historically and whether the prevalence of adolescent lawbreaking is high, with a majority of teens committing crime, contributing to a steep peak followed by rapid, continuous descent among adjacent adult age groups. We analyzed historical and cross-national evidence from numerous sources that revealed significant variance in ACCs. Strongly at odds with invariance projections of an adolescent peak and rapid descent, the predominant age–crime patterns outside the United States were postadolescent peaks and spread-out age distributions. Teen prevalence was typically much lower than the projection that a majority of teens commit crime, whereas the prevalence of adult crime was often sizable and serious. We illustrate using understudied societies how a socio-cultural framework that draws on age-graded expectations, social control practices, age-structured crime opportunities and stressors, and resultant lifestyle differences across significant life stages (adolescence, young adulthood, midlife) can apply to understanding cross-national differences in the age–crime relationship. Methodological challenges and future areas of research are discussed.

Co-teaching practices in Italian primary classrooms: a case for including the sociocultural framework in training teaching collaborations

ABSTRACT Internationally, co-teaching is valuable for educating mainstream classes including children with disabilities. This educational provision typically involves a special education teacher (SET) and a classroom teacher. These ‘co-teachers’ are generally expected to collaborate in whole-class instruction. However, international research often illustrates that SETs independently support the classwork of disabled children while teachers handle whole-class education. This limited instructional collaboration is primarily attributed to insufficient time for co-teachers to jointly plan more elaborate, team-based instruction. To gain a nuanced understanding of co-teaching, this research was conducted in the relatively unexamined context of Italian primary schools, where SETs and teachers have considerable opportunities for collaborative lesson planning. The study drew on classroom observations of one SET-teacher pair and interviews with 31 additional SETs. The findings nonetheless echoed those elsewhere: the ‘Italian’ primary-school SETs instructed children with disabilities, and rarely collaborated with teachers for whole-class education. The interviewed SETs explained these results through their own and teachers’ limited knowledge of more complex co-teaching practices and the project management skills for co-planning these. The findings are interpreted according to a nuanced sociocultural framework linking co-teaching strategies and children’s learning. The findings suggest that this sociocultural framework could guide the training of SETs and teachers.

Virtual Socialisation among Malaysian Animal Crossing Players During Movement Control Order

During the COVID-19 lockdown of Movement Control Order (MCO), many Malaysians reportedly turned to video games for socialisation purposes. Drawing upon the sociocultural framework of media ecology, this study aims to explore in-depth how players engage in such virtual socialisation. Against the backdrop of the MCO, this study argues that Malaysians could perform socially meaningful actions through video games, just like they were in the real world, to address their social deprivation. The method employed is a qualitative textual analysis of paratexts published in a local gaming Facebook group, focusing on Nintendo’s Animal Crossing: New Horizons (2020). The findings indicated that Malaysian players sought companionships through reciprocal gaming interactions during the lockdown measures by playing as a single player, multiplayer, and community. In the gaming community, they built networks, interpersonal connections, and resources of mutual social support to enrich their gameplay. The findings highlighted the significance of virtual socialisation through the interactive medium – an effective approach to cushion the isolating effects of the MCO period. The study is relevant in showcasing the role played by virtual socialisation and gaming communities for the Sustainable Development Goals of SDG3 Good Health and Well-being and SDG16 of Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions.

Faith-Based Financial Accountability in Nigeria: A Theological Perspective on Stewardship in Religious Organizations

Faith-based organizations play a crucial role in the socio-cultural framework of Nigeria, providing spiritual support and economic aid. However, concerns regarding financial management and transparency have raised significant questions about their accountability, leading to a decline in trust among followers and the broader community. The paper addresses the question of how can faith-based organizations ensure financial accountability while remaining true to their spiritual objectives? This study explores the theological concept of stewardship as a viable framework for improving financial accountability within Nigerian religious institutions. The primary issue identified is the gap between biblical teachings on stewardship and the financial practices observed in many organizations. Against this background, the paper examines the theological foundations of financial stewardship, assesses the current challenges related to financial accountability in Nigerian faith-based organizations, and proposes strategies grounded in theological ethics. By emphasizing the theological aspects of accountability, the research highlights the necessity of ethical leadership, transparency, and the active involvement of congregants in financial governance. Utilizing a qualitative methodology, the study combines scriptural insights with modern theological scholarship, enabling a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between theology and financial practices in Nigeria. The findings contribute to the fields of theology and religious studies by offering a theological framework for financial accountability that is deeply rooted in biblical principles of stewardship. Furthermore, the study provides strategies and insight for religious organizations to enhance trust, credibility, and operational efficiency in their missions. By analyzing financial mismanagement through a theological lens, the study bridges the gap between faith and financial ethics, advocating for an accountability model that reflects both spiritual and societal values.

Construction of Self and Family in Intergenerational Family Stories: Associations with Sociocultural Group and Familism in Female Emerging Adults

SYNOPSIS Objective. Family stories are the fabric of identity, as they anchor individuals in their familial, cultural, and societal context. However, relatively little research has examined the function of family stories in relation to sociocultural group or cultural values. Design. In the present study, we examined how emerging adult women (n = 41) engaged in retrospective storytelling of a favorite family memory based on sociocultural group (Asian American, Latina American, or European American) and familism (high or low). Results. Drawing upon narrative identity and sense-making literatures grounded within a sociocultural framework, analyses revealed that family stories consistently served to provide insight into the perspectives of others and to model positioning of relationships. Sociocultural group was associated with how family stories served as a mechanism for expressing familism values, and both sociocultural and familism groups were related to how family stories served as a source of meaning-making and identity creation. Conclusions. Our findings add to the growing literature on the nuanced ways in which sociocultural group and cultural values shape the function of family stories and have important implications for the development of identity and storytelling behaviors in emerging adulthood.

From shōnen to shakaijin: governing neoliberal subjectivity in Japan’s “credential society”

This doctoral thesis explores the educational journeys of Japanese learners enrolled in a Top Global University Project college. Drawing on Foucauldian governmentality and grounded in a phenomenological-ethnographic approach, results highlight the pervasive impact of the neoliberal knowledge economy as subjects transition from childhood to adolescence and, finally, “functional” grown-up status. At each stage, the pressures inherent to Japan’s gakureki shakai (“credential society”) mold subjects into entrepreneurial projects, wherein success is synonymous with one’s credentialed resources and economic ­productivity. Here, learners optimize their skills, qualifications, quantifiable achievements, and personal “brands” to meet market demands, gradually enhancing their entrepreneurial selfhood as they transition through education. In doing so, traits rooted in Japanese society—responsibility, harmony, hierarchical meritocracy—merge with neoliberal imperatives, producing a hybrid “small-n” model distinct to the local context. Accordingly, this thesis contributes to Japanese anthropological literature by highlighting how broad economic concepts indigenize and recontextualize within unique socio-cultural frameworks.

Identity and Art Consumption through a Micro-Sociological Lens : An Ethnographic Study of Urban Yuppies in Dongshankou, China

Dongshankou, a district in Guangzhou, China, represents a unique intersection of traditional Chinese and Western cultures, shaped by its historical role as a hub for the upper class and foreign influence. This distinctive cultural context positions Dongshankou as a compelling case for examining the relationship between collective identity and art consumption among young urban professionals (yuppies). This study investigates how the purchase of artworks contributes to the formation and maintenance of yuppies’ identity. Utilizing Burke and Stets’ Identity Theory, the research explores the interplay between identity formation and art consumption from a microsociological perspective. Data were collected through ethnographic methods, including participant observation and in-depth interviews with 22 yuppies selected based on income, education, and occupation. The findings indicate that art consumption enhances self-esteem, fosters community belonging, and serves as a critical mechanism for identity validation. The purchase of artworks, in particular, emerges as a key tool for sustaining collective identity within this sociocultural framework.

Shashi Deshpande's Feminist Perspective: A Voice For Indian Women

Abstract Shashi Deshpande is one of India’s most prominent feminist writers, known for her extraordinary portrayal of women’s struggles within the socio-cultural framework of Indian society. Through her novels and short stories, she explores the intricate gender dynamics, tradition, and identity, reflecting the realities of Indian middle-class women. Deshpande’s works are not just narratives of oppression but also highlight the emotional and psychological dilemmas faced by women and gives a vivid pen picture of patriarchy, empowerment and self-discovery. This article gives an idea about feminism and explores Deshpande’s feminist perspective through her select works ‘That Long Silence’, ‘The Dark Holds No Terrors’, and ‘A Matter of Time’. It examines how Deshpande redefines feminism in an Indian context, advocating for women’s agency, autonomy, and voice while acknowledging the complexity of their lived realities.

Research on Gender Awareness Issues and Psychological Mechanisms among Contemporary Adolescents

Currently, the issue of gender awareness among adolescents is increasingly becoming a focal point of societal discourse, despite the insufficient in-depth exploration of its multifaceted characteristics. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the diverse aspects of adolescents' gender cognitive dilemmas, centering on identity confusion and deeply entrenched gender biases. Furthermore, it delves into the intertwined influences of physiological differences, psychological evolution, and complex social structures underlying this phenomenon. The findings indicate that adolescents encounter unique challenges stemming from physiological developmental variations, psychological growth trajectories, and the profound shaping of sociocultural frameworks during their exploration of gender self-awareness. In light of this, the paper advocates for the optimization of familial environments, the reinforcement of gender equality awareness, the enhancement of gender education content, the popularization of gender equality values, the strategic use of media platforms to promote gender awareness diversity and inclusivity, and the establishment of a sound psychological counseling system to provide robust psychological protection for healthy adolescent development.

STUDY OF PERCEPTION OF SENSITIVITY TOWARDS PATIENTS' CONDITION AMONG ALLIED HEALTH CARE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS USING PHOTOGRAPHY

This project has been chosen to assess the insights of the students grounded on their sensitivity and perception towards the patients through a qualitative analysis. This research aims to employ photography under cultural activities parameter of the above concept to study the perception and the sensitivity of undergraduate students of Allied Health Sciences. Photographs can be found in almost every element of contemporary living. Pictures are used in magazines, periodicals, ads, billboards, broadcast, and the World Wide Web as a medium of communications and record. In this study participants were showed photographs of the patients in different situations and were asked to frame a write-up of 100 words based on their feelings, emotions, sentiments, empathetic outlook, imagination, professional viewpoint and thoughts. The data collection was based on the stratified random sampling method and was further analyzed using thematic analysis technique. Thematic Analysis can be used to investigate respondents' perceptions, experiences, standpoints, behavioral patterns, and approaches, including the influences and socio - cultural operations that impacts and frame specific circumstances in a clear, rolling as well as in a clandestine style.This paper studies how personal and social mores emphasizes the regulations that guide specific strategies, and perform the subjective and shared fabrication of explanation and the illustration of individual or community objects or experiences in specific writings for a particular scenario. Medical humanities (MH) are defined as "a collaborative and increasingly global enterprise that relies on the aesthetic and cognitive qualities of many domains such as literature, artwork, creative arts, theater, cinema, philosophy, morally acceptable judgment, and legacy in achieving medical education objectives." There is a huge urgency for a "compassionate" general practitioner who can utilize this empirical data and talents for every affected person while also possessing professionalism, interpretive competence, and intuition. This research aims to employ photography under cultural activities parameter of the above concept to study the perception and the sensitivity of undergraduate students of Allied Health Sciences. Photographs can be found in almost every element of contemporary living. Pictures are used in magazines, periodicals, advertisements, billboards, broadcast, and the World Wide Web as a medium of communications and record. This paper studies how personal and social mores emphasize the regulations that guide specific strategies, and perform the subjective and shared fabrication of explanation and the illustration of individual or community objects or experiences in specific writings for a particular scenario. In this study participants were showed photographs of the patients in different situations and were asked to frame a write-up. The data collection was based on the stratified random sampling method and was further analyzed using thematic analysis technique. Data coding and reduction was done, and the codes which were derived were: perception, experience, standpoint, behavioural patterns, approaches and socio-cultural framework.

Understanding the Public's Viewpoint on Organ Donation Among Adults in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study.

Organ donation is the last option for patients with end-stage organ failure, but the number of people in need of transplantation outweighs the supply of donor organs. A thorough analysis of public understanding is required to design educational programs that increase public commitment to organ donation. Therefore, the present study aimed to explore Bangladeshi adults' understanding, attitudes, and willingness towards organ donation, while also investigating the sources of information, gender-specific knowledge, intentions, and the factors influencing their decisions. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 15 and November 25, 2021, using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Data were analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Among 592 participants, only 35.8% were knowledgeable about organ donation. Internet/online sources were the most reported source of knowledge (37.8%), followed by social media (36%). Despite having limited knowledge, 63.7% had a positive attitude, with females demonstrating a more positive attitude than males (β = 0.09, p = 0.024). Males were significantly more likely than females to follow Bangladesh's specific organ donation laws (29.3% vs. 25%, p = 0.004). Besides, 48.6% of females, compared to 40.4% of males, believe that the health service related to organ donation in Bangladesh is ineffective (p = 0.016). More than one-third (35.1%) of the participants indicated a willingness to donate their organs after death. The participants' significant barriers to organ donation were found to be family objections (40.4%), health complications (34.4%), fear of disfigurement (31.1%), and religious barriers (26.8%). Although Bangladeshi adults have a positive attitude regarding organ donation, they lack adequate knowledge, which renders them unlikely to be eager to donate organs. Therefore, it is crucial to update policy within a sociocultural framework to boost organ donation for transplantation. National education campaigns and awareness-raising events should be held in Bangladesh to increase public knowledge of organ donation and transplants.

Integrating traditional knowledge with modern agricultural practices: A sociocultural framework for sustainable development

Integrating traditional knowledge with modern agricultural practices: A sociocultural framework for sustainable development

Words, Characters and Messages in the Queer Romance of Generation Z

Abstract: This article presents an attempt to analyze the structural elements and characters that make Casey McQuiston's debut novel Red, White & Royal Blue so popular with readers, as well as the challenges posed to viewers by director Matthew Lopez and the creative team of the eponymous film, which immediately became a cultural phenomenon with many fans among viewers. The novel and its film adaptation follow the relationship between two young men from prominent families against the constraints of a heteronormative society. The article investigates a pertinent and contemporary issue from a social and intercultural perspective. The primary objective is to identify and examine linguistic and communicative characteristics, including the contextual use of words and expressions, within a specific socio-cultural framework as depicted in two distinct art forms: literature and cinema. The analysis incorporates comparative elements by referencing well-known works that address similar themes related to cultural differences, behavioral patterns, stereotypes, prejudices concerning LGBTQ+, queer, cultural dynamics of Generation Z, and the influence of heteronormative societal structures. This text seeks to delineate the boundaries of a new interdisciplinary research field focused on the concept of difference. It aims to propose potential research methodologies that contribute to the development of a comprehensive methodological framework, free from bias. In accordance with the principles of academic correctness, the novel and the film Red, White & Royal Blue are analyzed. Keywords: Red, White & Royal Blue, RW&RB, new adult fiction, Casey McQuiston, Matthew López, Generation Z, rom-com, LGBTQ+, queer.

Critical femininities: exploring young women’s digital sexual cultures

ABSTRACT This study adopts a Critical Femininities approach to examine the under-theorised domain of sexual norms on dating apps, with a focus on the self-representations of Spanish heterosexual women on Tinder. Through an analysis of three hundred profiles, this research investigates the gendered dynamics influencing these women’s portrayals of themselves in the digital dating context. Combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies, the findings reveal patterns in women’s online-mediated intimacies and sexual subjectivities, highlighting the pervasive influence of femmephobia in this space. Empirical data underscore how these dynamics operate, providing insight into the extent to which hegemonic gender beliefs and regulatory norms shape digital femininities. Moreover, a discursive examination of the ways these Spanish women construct their gendered and sexual identities on Tinder offers a critical view of the constraints and possibilities they face within this specific socio-cultural framework. This study’s focus on linguistic and representational strategies in digital self-presentation deepens our understanding of how normative gender expectations continue to shape social and sexual interactions in contemporary online spaces. In so doing, this research contributes to broader discussions in Gender Studies and linguistics, illustrating how femininity is performed, policed, and navigated in digital dating environments.

The Intellectual Legacy of Abd al-Rauf al-Fanshuri: Tafsir, Islamic Law, and Sufism in the Malay World

Abd al-Rauf al-Fanshuri al-Jawi was one of the most influential scholars in the intellectual and religious history of the Malay world, recognized as a Quranic exegete, jurist, and Sufi master. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of his contributions, including his biography, scholarly networks, exegetical methodology, and his role in Islamic law and Sufism. Using a systematic literature review based on documentary analysis, this research examines various academic sources to understand Abd al-Rauf’s intellectual approach and its impact on the development of Islam in the Nusantara. The findings reveal that Abd al-Rauf’s legacy extends beyond Turjuman al-Mustafid, the first complete Quranic exegesis in Malay-Jawi, to the dissemination of Islamic knowledge through his extensive network of scholars and students. His exegetical methodology integrates textual and contextual approaches, with an emphasis on tauhid, Sufism, and Islamic law, fostering a balanced and contextualized interpretation of Islam within the socio-cultural framework of the Malay world. The findings highlight the need for further research on Malay-Jawi exegesis and comparative studies with other interpretative traditions in the broader Islamic world.

Physician development through interprofessional workplace interactions: A critical review.

Increasingly, medical training aims to develop physicians who are competent collaborators. Although interprofessional interactions are inevitable elements of medical trainees' workplace learning experiences, the existing literature lacks a cohesive model to conceptualise the learning potential residing in these interactions. We conducted a critical review of the health professions and related educational literatures to generate an empirically and theoretically informed description of medical trainees' workplace interactions with other health professionals, including learning mechanisms and outcomes. Informed by Teunissen's conceptualisation of workplace learning, we highlight the individual, social and situated dimensions of learning from interprofessional workplace interactions. Workplace interactions between medical trainees and other health professionals tend to be brief, spontaneous, informal and often implicit without the predefined educational goals and roles that structure trainees' relationships with physician supervisors. Yet they hold potential for developing trainees' knowledge and skills germane to the work of a physician as well as building their capacity for collaboration. Our review identified a spectrum of learning theories helpful for examining what and how trainees learn from these interactions. Self-regulated learning theories focus attention on how learning depends on trainees interpreting and judging the cues offered by other health professionals. Sociocultural frameworks including the zone of proximal development and legitimate peripheral participation emphasise the ways other health professionals support trainees in performing tasks at the border of their abilities and facilitate trainees' participation in clinical work. Both the landscapes of practice theory and cultural historical activity theory highlight the influence of surrounding social, cultural and material environments. These theories are unified into cohesive model and demonstrated through an illustrative example. Interprofessional workplace interactions harbour a range of learning opportunities for medical trainees. Capitalising on their potential can contribute to training collaborative practice-ready physicians alongside traditional intra-professional interactions between physicians and merits future research.

Hegemony and Transformism: Post-Soviet Trade Unions as an Object of Study

The article discusses Maksim Kulaev’s book “Trade Unions, Workers’ Movements, and Hegemony in Contemporary Russia”, which is dedicated to the history of trade union and workers’ movements in the post-Soviet era. The author attempts not only to reconsider what has happened to trade unions over the last thirty years but also to make sense of them drawing on Antonio Gramsci’s theory, which emphasized the need for the formation of hegemony as a sociocultural framework rather than purely political framework, enabling the establishment of value foundations for the dominance of the working class and resistance to the dominant hegemony of capitalist elites.The book chapters, in which the author describes the history, discourse, and interactions of trade unions with various political forces and social movements, are undoubtedly valuable. Importantly, this analysis is built on a vast array of diverse information—observations, documents, interviews, and data by other researchers. This allowed the author to critically reassess the data obtained in the 1990s, a time when much was still unknown and unclear. Now, this work represents a significant milestone, providing a perspective on the post-Soviet development of the workers’ and trade union movements after a quarter of a century. The book is of interest to researchers studying social structures, trade union and workers’ movements, and socio-labor relations.

The impact of learning assistant facilitation practices on student in-the-moment learning

BackgroundLearning assistants (LAs) in undergraduate STEM lectures facilitate discussions between students in small groups. In this research study, we investigate the impact of LA facilitation on student learning as it occurs during LA–student interactions. To do so, our work builds on two sociocultural frameworks focused on LA facilitation and student in-the-moment learning. We conceptualize LA facilitation as either authoritative if it centers one perspective or dialogic if it centers multiple perspectives. Student in-the-moment learning is understood as the progression of student needs and the filling of those needs with LA and student ideas.ResultsOur analysis of 78 video recordings of LA–student interactions from 37 different chemistry and physics LAs revealed that LA facilitation had four major impacts on student in-the-moment learning: increasing grappling, reaching closure, sharing ideas and reasoning, and revisiting an earlier need. Rather than these impacts differing upon the use of authoritative and dialogic facilitation, all four impacts sometimes resulted from authoritative and sometimes from dialogic facilitation. However, authoritative facilitation was more often correlated with LA-centered manifestation of these impacts, while dialogic facilitation was more often correlated with student-centered manifestation. In addition to these conceptual impacts, we also found five socioemotional impacts: less participation, dominance continues, fostering participation, students choose not to participate, and lighthearted conversation. LAs added socioemotional components to both authoritative and dialogic facilitation, and actions aimed at bringing more students into the conversation indeed had this impact, while actions addressing specific students often continued to privilege the participation of the same students.ConclusionOur study expands theory on authoritativeness and dialogicity as it empirically validates that authoritative facilitation is more often correlated with LA-centered learning and dialogic facilitation is more often correlated with student-centered learning. Further, our work is the first to explore the socioemotional impact of LAs in the moment of interaction. Our findings can be used in LA trainings to teach LAs how to intentionally use authoritative and dialogic facilitation, how to incorporate socioemotional components to their facilitation, and how to adjust their practice to align with learning goals for students in their context.

Context matters: a sociocultural framework for materials development

Abstract English language education is commonly seen by practitioners and researchers as an activity that should take into account the teachers and learners’ sociocultural realities. Reflecting this, in this article I argue for the use of Activity Theory as a sociocultural framework to promote the development of practitioners’ contextually relevant learning materials. Illustrating from my own EAP practice, I show how I used Activity Theory to overcome the limitations of the materials that were provided at a British university to teach multimodality to a group of international foundation students. Whilst making the case that materials development should reflect the sociocultural nature of teaching and learning, the article also argues that materials development knowledge and skills should be part of teachers’ core pedagogical repertoire.

Development of Internationalization Process Model of Thai Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Emerging Markets: A Study of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS)

According to modern organizational theory, the growth of companies in developing nations is due to the coming together of public and private sector interorganizational networks and globalization. Within an open system and a very dynamic environment, a corporation cannot work autonomously. Here are the objectives of the study: The goals of this research are threefold: first, to learn how Thai SMEs expanded into BRICS countries; second, to find out what kinds of inter-organizational networks Thai SMEs relied on when going global; and third, to give some advice to Thai SMEs that want to expand internationally in BRICS and to the Thai government on how to set up management networks that help with investment and internationalization. Documentary analysis of the database from the office of small and medium enterprise promotion and in-depth interviews were among the qualitative approaches employed in this study. This study examined 76 individuals from Thailand who were considered significant informants due to their extensive understanding of developing markets, namely those in the BRICS countries. A total of 63 executives responsible for overseeing their businesses' activities in the BRICS nations, together with 10 operational officers and 3 government officials, were chosen as key informants. In order to get trustworthy information for this study, the researcher used the triangulation method. Executives and government officials with operational responsibilities inside government agencies were interviewed in-depth, and their data was cross-referenced with that from pertinent papers. Thai SMEs were affected by the BRICS countries' political, legal, and socio-cultural frameworks, according to the study. Companies in the BRICS countries went global for three main reasons: to tap into untapped markets, to boost operational efficiency, and to secure access to critical resources. For Thai SMEs looking to grow their business in BRICS nations, the following factors were crucial to their success: 1) The network between different organizations; 2) the capacity to adjust to political and legal changes in BRICS countries; 3) non-formal ties; 4) the capability of local employees; 5) the appropriateness of the entrance method approach; and 6) knowledge gained from past mistakes.