Sociological Implications Research Articles

Multispectral autofluorescence characteristics of reproductive aging in old and young mouse oocytes

Increasing age has a major detrimental impact on female fertility, which, with an ageing population, has major sociological implications. This impact is primarily mediated through deteriorating quality of the oocyte. Deteriorating oocyte quality with biological age is the greatest rate-limiting factor to female fertility. Here we have used label-free, non-invasive multi-spectral imaging to identify unique autofluorescence profiles of oocytes from young and aged animals. Discriminant analysis demonstrated that young oocytes have a distinct autofluorescent profile which accurately distinguishes them from aged oocytes. We recently showed that treatment with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) restored oocyte quality and fertility in aged animals, and when our analysis was applied to oocytes from aged animals treated with NMN, 85% of these oocytes were classified as having the autofluorescent signature of young animals. Spectral unmixing using the Robust Dependent Component Analysis (RoDECA) algorithm demonstrated that NMN treatment altered the metabolic profile of oocytes, increasing free NAD(P)H, protein bound NAD(P)H, redox ratio and the ratio of bound to free NAD(P)H. The frequency of oocytes with simultaneously high NAD(P)H and flavin content was also significantly increased in mice treated with NMN. Young and Aged + NMN oocytes had a smoother spectral distribution, with the distribution of NAD(P)H in young oocytes specifically differing from that of aged oocytes. Identifying the multispectral profile of oocyte autofluorescence during aging could have utility as a non-invasive and sensitive measure of oocyte quality.

Intrauterine Fetal Gene Therapy: Is That the Future and Is That Future Now?

Researchers are looking into techniques to intervene sooner and earlier in the disease process thanks to advances in disease genetics, etiologies, and prenatal diagnosis. We conducted a literature search in PubMed-indexed journals to provide an overview of the evolution of gene therapy, rationale for prenatal gene therapy, uses and risks of gene therapy, and ethical issues following the usage of gene therapy. Recent animal research has revealed that transmitting genetic material to a growing fetus through viral and non-viral vectors is conceivable besides proving how gene-editing technology is achieved by various mechanisms that utilize zinc finger nucleases, TAL effector nucleases, and clustered short palindromic repeats-Cas9 complex. This review offers an overview of the current knowledge in the field of prenatal gene therapy, as well as potential future research avenues. In addition, it weighs the risks of prenatal gene therapy, such as oncogenesis, genetic mutation transfer from mother to child, and fetal disruption, against the expected benefits, such as preventing the development of severe early-onset illness symptoms, targeting previously inaccessible organs, and establishing tolerance to the therapeutic transgenic protein, all of which lead to permanent somatic gene correction.This review discusses the scientific, ethical, legal, and sociological implications of these groundbreaking genetic disease prevention techniques, as well as the parameters that must be satisfied for a future clinical application to be considered.

Mathematical Modeling of the Population Dynamics of Age-Structured Criminal Gangs with Correctional Intervention Measures

The prevalence of criminal gang activities in the society has continued to be a huge burden to mankind. Despite several attempts by the government and non-governmental organizations in curtailing the activities of criminal gangs, new criminal gangs are beginning to emerge with associated criminal cases on the high side, thereby causing social unrest. This paper examines the impact of correctional intervention measures on the population dynamics of the criminal gangs in Nigeria, following an age-structured paradigm. The existence of backward bifurcation is presented sequel to the coexistence of gang free equilibrium and gang endemic equilibrium when the reproduction number is less than unity. Also, the model exhibits periodic trajectories (Hopf bifurcation) as a result of coexistence among the criminal gang classes. Using the Nigeria crime data (from 1993 to 2013) as obtained from Elsevier Data in Brief, we analyze the criminal gang model quantitatively and provide the sociological implications of the results. The numerical results obtained from this work show that if at least 60% of adolescents between 8–17 years who commit crimes are apprehended with prompt prosecution and correction, we can potentially eradicate adolescent delinquencies from the population and thus control the entire criminal gangs’ population.

The Sociological Implication of State Creation in Nigeria And The Means of Resolving The Unforeseen Dispute

The paper examines the Sociological Implication of State Creation in Nigeria and the Means of Resolving the Unforeseen Dispute. State creation in a Federation is primarily aimed at promoting unity in diversity particularly among the various ethnic groups in a heterogeneous country such as Nigeria. The creations of states are also aimed at resolving boundary disputes and promote national development. However, the multiplication of states on the other hand, translates to the multiplication of administrative agencies particularly the bureaucracy. The constant increase in the number of these administrative agencies no doubt has a lot of consequences for their viability, crises, effectiveness and efficiency. This is because it weakens the administrative capacities of these bureaucracies since their existence and indeed their survival in terms of finances depends almost entirely on the central government. This paper infers that the exercise of uncontrolled creation of more states in Nigeria requires radical reorientation coupled with strong sociological/political will for public bureaucracies at the state level to be able to meet their developmental and efficiency goals. In the course of this study, the Sociological Implication of State Creation and The Means of Resolving the unforeseen Dispute in Nigeria were brought to the fore while the objectives of the study are well spelt out. Hypotheses were postulated and the Modern Conflict Theory was used to explicate the works. Data were obtained from both primary and secondary sources. From the primary sources, the survey method, that is, the use of questionnaire designed and adopted. Data obtained from this method were analyzed with the aid of Simple Percentage. Thereafter, the five researchable hypotheses were tested and accepted while the null hypotheses were rejected. The implication is that there was relationship between the dependent and independent variables. Generally, the paper brought to focus that the Sociological Implication of State Creation and the Means of Resolving the unforeseen Crises is a collective effort in reaching a compromise in the management of Nigeria Political and Sociological affairs and it has contributed immensely to the growth and development of crises management else-where. The paper painstakingly appraises many of these issues and concludes that all stakeholders in the federal polity should thread softly, be objective, rational, altruistic and magnanimous in order not to make the existence of true federalism (sociological, political and economic cohesive existence of the people, peace and tranquility) a fleeting illusion and a mirage. Keywords: State, Ethnic, Politics, Bureaucracy, Crises, Creation DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/67-04 Publication date: February 28 th 2022

The Effects of Postmaterialist Values on Average Life Satisfaction at the Country Level: What Generates Differences in Subjective Well-Being among European Countries?

The aim of this study is to clarify the social mechanisms that generate differences in the average life satisfaction among European countries by specifying the latent structures of life satisfaction. For this purpose, data from the European Values Study conducted from 2017 to 2020 (EVS 2017) were analyzed using finite mixtures of regression models. The results revealed that the respondents to the EVS 2017 could be categorized into two latent groups: a group dominated by materialist values and a group characterized by postmaterialist values. The results also imply that postmaterialist values increase average life satisfaction at the country level and are positively associated with economic prosperity and political stability at the country level. Consequently, the effect of postmaterialist values on life satisfaction is related to social inequalities among European countries. Finally, the sociological implications of these findings are discussed.

The Nexus of Physical and Psychological Pain: Consequences for Mortality and Implications for Medical Sociology.

Although physical pain lies at the intersection of biology and social conditions, a sociology of pain is still in its infancy. We seek to show how physical and psychological pain are jointly parts of a common expression of despair, particularly in relation to mortality. Using the 2002-2014 National Health Interview Survey Linked Mortality Files (N = 228,098), we explore sociodemographic differences in the intersection of physical and psychological pain (referred to as the "pain-distress nexus") and its relationship to mortality among adults ages 25 to 64. Results from regression and event history models reveal that differences are large for the combination of the two, pointing to an overlooked aspect of health disparities. The combination of both high distress and high pain is most prevalent and most strongly predictive of mortality among socioeconomically disadvantaged, non-Hispanic whites. These patterns have several implications that medical sociology is well positioned to address.

Secularization, Confessional Ideology, and Society

Social life is the keystone of the existence of a human and a people and, by extension, of an entire civilization. In this essay I will try to present the way in which religious affiliation has influenced the historical evolution of society and interpersonal relationships. Therefore, after analyzing the relationship between the Christian denomination and the capitalist economy in the context of the secularization process facing the peoples of Europe, I will present the consequences of the desacralization of the world for the spiritual health of modern humans and the consequent sociological implications which tend to create faults in the contemporary world. Communion is replaced by separation, solidarity by individualism, and the inner emotional balance of human beings is jeopardized by the spiritual chaos that seems to condemn the whole society to loneliness and disintegration.

Reading Exercises

Abstract Régis Sauder’s touching 2011 documentary, Nous, Princesses de Clèves, which follows a group of Marseille high school students over the course of a year as they read La Fayette’s novel while preparing for the Baccalauréat exams, juxtaposes two distinct types of reading: a reading in which the students are able to see themselves in the characters of the novel and a more difficult classroom-based reading that seeks to instill in the students, through conventional pedagogical exercises such as the explication de texte, an appreciation for the literary art and importance of the text. This essay explores the tensions between these two literacies, which become manifest in the film, especially in scenes where the students, who so easily relate to the novel’s characters, struggle with the more formal analysis. In a second part, inspired by the writings of Priscilla Ferguson, the essay explores the sociological and pedagogical implications of what seems, in the film, the incompatibility of these distinct appropriations of the text, as it pertains to the students in the documentary and to US-based French programs built on the literary curricula developed by pedagogues such as Gustave Lanson in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

English

In human communication, the communicators involved in the interaction have an obligation to show politeness to each other for a successful conversation. Non-observance of politeness in a communicative act such as panel discussions has the potential to infringe upon the public self-image of the addressees. Situated in Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory (PT), the paper sought to explore the kinds of politeness strategies employed by discussants in media panel discussions (MPDs) in Ghana. Accordingly, twenty episodes of MPDs were recorded from media stations and content analyzed based on B&L’s model. The results indicated that in most of the cases (43.35%), panelists marked politeness by addressing the positive face of their interlocutor (s) as against (38.93%) occurrences of negative face, with Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) on record (without redressive actions) recording 15.70%. The findings suggest that Ghanaian MPDs are characterized by positive politeness. The results of the study have sociological implications for media talk in Ghana. When panelists become aware of the importance of the face needs of their interlocutors, they will avoid embarrassments and incendiary language that threatens the face wants of discussants in interactions.   Key words: Politeness, face, positive politeness, negative politeness, FTA.

Chinese migrant parents' educational involvement: Shadow education for left-behind children

AbstractAs rural people keep migrating to cities in China over the past few decades, tens of millions of children have been left behind by their parents. In this study, I investigated how Chinese migrant parents involve in their left-behind children's education through the theoretical lens of concerted cultivation and the accomplishment of natural growth. I drew on qualitative data from left-behind children, migrant parents and teachers collected at a rural primary school in Sichuan Province. Most migrant parents involved in this study migrated to a less developed area in Tibet. Their voices are a valuable addition to the literature that has so far focused on those going to developed cities. It was found that shadow education is a major channel through which the parents involved in their left-behind children's education. The parents could 1) exercise concerted cultivation and variously use shadow education, 2) hope to meaningfully involve but were constrained by multiple barriers, or 3) exercise natural growth and leave their children to themselves. I interpreted these patterns with a view to China's evolving culture, ideology and social structures. I conclude by discussing sociological implications of these patterns, and theoretical contribution to the literature.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR ANALYSIS IN THE SPORTS BETTING MARKET

This paper aims to evaluate the sociological and economic implications that the sports betting industry has over the consumers financial resources and on the psyche of the consumers. The aim of the research is to gather information about the sports bettor’s behaviour, motivations, expectations, his decision-making process, the factors that influence his choices, their perspective about skill and chance and the overall management of the betting activity.

The relation of family, freedom and religion – separate or connected values? (sociological and ethical implications)

The relation of family, freedom and religion – separate or connected values? (sociological and ethical implications)

Battlefield monuments and popular historicism: a hermeneutic study of the aesthetic encounter with ‘Waterloo’

ABSTRACT Focusing on the case of the tourist visiting battlefield monuments at Waterloo, this article explores how war is historicized in the public imagination through the monumentalization of objects. The argument is two-fold. Firstly, drawing on Gadamer’s hermeneutics, it is argued that ‘tradition’ is constituted in the aesthetic encounter between tourist and monument (as subject and object); such encounters are therefore understood as the genesis of historical meaning. Secondly, through a critique of Gadamer’s notion of ontological structures of meaning, it is argued that the tourist is phenomenologically implicated in the constitution of historical meaning, emphasizing the agency of the historical observer more than Gadamer allows for: Objects become monuments through the monumentalizing gaze of the tourist. To empirically illustrate these processes, the author ethnographically explores the experience of battlefield tourist and presents his own dialogue with war-tradition at Waterloo. As such, this study contributes a theoretical account of how war is historicized at the phenomenological level, which has broader sociological implications for understanding how war discourses originate and are sustained in the public imagination.

Narrating Being through Phenomena: the phenomenological and sociological insights of Harry Parker’s Anatomy of a Soldier

ABSTRACT After being severely injured by a mine explosion in Afghanistan, former British soldier, Harry Parker, wrote about his experiences in his debut novel, Anatomy of a Soldier. Narrated by objects, this ‘novel’ is an innovative and important literary intervention. In this extended review article, I explore the phenomenological and sociological insights of this work. I begin by making two related hermeneutic claims: Firstly, I argue that this work should be understood phenomenologically, exposing how the Self is coextensive with its material world. Secondly, I confront the generic ambiguity of the text and suggest that it should be read as (phenomenologically) autobiographical. Building on this phenomenological interpretation, I then explore three sociological implications of this object narrative method, namely, about motivation, agency, and intersubjectivity: Parker’s narrating objects, I argue, unveil a phenomenologically constituted and temporally elongated form of agency. Overall, I show that this ‘novel’ offers significant insights into experience, behaviour, and Self, both in the context of war and more broadly.

On the evolution of social ties as an instrumental tool for resource competition in resource patch networks

Human is a highly cultural species with diversified skills and knowledge. In this paper, we examine whether the diversification of skills and knowledge can promote the emergence of social ties between individuals as means for acquiring resources. Specifically, we construct a simulation model consisting of two types of actors—one who uses social ties to search for resources and one who does not—and allow them to compete for resources that are distributed in resource patch networks of varying structures. In a densely connected resource patch network, implying a setting with less diversified sets of skills and knowledge, model result demonstrates that social ties can be detrimental to those adopting it. In a sparsely connected network, implying a setting with more diversified sets of skills and knowledge, social-type strategy can outcompete solitary-type strategy. Furthermore, actors with a pure social-type strategy are always inferior to their solitary competitors, regardless the structure of the resource patch network. Our modeling framework is of a very fundamental nature, and its relevance to existing theories and the sociological implication of its results are discussed.

The History Bubble

The History Bubble

The Great Reset. Restratification for lives, livelihoods, and the planet

In reviewing the Great Reset, an initiative launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the global coronavirus crisis, this perspective article considers the scenario of an epochal transition from capitalism to “restorism”. To facilitate the observation of underlying trends and assumptions, a systems-theoretical framework is developed for the observation of both this Great Reset scenario and those scenarios that are by implication excluded by the WEF vision. It is thus shown that the “shared goals” advocated by the WEF would converge to a transition from a modern pluralist to a “new-normative” order stratified to the primacy of individual, institutional, and planetary health. In discussing sociological implications of this transition, a vision emerges of a new digitally enhanced medieval era where health plays the role once played by religion. In this restorist scenario of a neo-medieval world health society, the emergence of new social strata corresponding to different levels of purity, infection, or pollution would be a probable consequence. The paper concludes that idea of deliberately caused great resets and other control illusions nurtured by the WEF initiative are barely smarter than and spur what the UN Secretary-General refers to as “wild conspiracy theories”.

The Great Reset. Restratification for Lives, Livelihoods, and the Planet

In reviewing the Great Reset, an initiative launched by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in response to the global coronavirus crisis, this perspective article considers the scenario of an epochal transition from capitalism to “restorism”. To facilitate the observation of underlying trends and assumptions, a systems-theoretical framework is developed for the observation of both this Great Reset scenario and those scenarios that are by implication excluded by the WEF vision. It is thus shown that the “shared goals” advocated by the WEF would converge to a transition from a modern pluralist to a “new-normative” order stratified to the primacy of individual, institutional, and planetary health. In discussing sociological implications of this transition, a vision emerges of a new digitally enhanced medieval period where health plays the role once played by religion. In this restorist scenario of a neo-medieval world health society, the emergence of new social strata corresponding to different levels of purity, infection, or pollution would be a probable consequence. The paper concludes that idea of deliberately caused great resets and other control illusions nurtured by the WEF initiative are barely smarter than and spur what the UN Secretary-General refers to as “wild conspiracy theories”.

Boko Haram and Rising Developmental Crises in Nigeria: Overview and Sociological Implications

From evolutionism to the theoretical concept of postmodernity, human socio-economic development has been a much welcomed phenomenon. Among the developing nations, such as Nigeria, development in all aspects has been a consistent aspiration, as it is believed to have the power to free the nation from much-dreaded domination by advanced nations. Much as it is needed in Nigeria, development of the nation since independence from Britain has been beset by socio-political and human-induced hitches. Among other things, Boko Haram has, for over a decade, launched a sustained attack on the system from all corners. Although the challenges posed by Boko Haram to Nigerian socio- economic and political development have been viewed by many scholars from the angle of a clash of interests, this article focuses on the sociological implications and developmental crisis accompanying the Boko Haram onslaught in Nigeria. The study utilises abstractions from Karl Marx's dialectical materialism as its theoretical gauge. The study utilises socio-historical information from Nigeria and the Middle East, and some non-material social facts from these regions, to explain and point to the underlying potentials of Boko Haram in Nigeria. In the process, the article unveils the emerging developmental problems in Nigeria and beyond. It recommends ensuring the neutrality of Islamic teachings to avoid ideological influencing, building nationality consciousness among the youth in the north-east region of Nigeria to neutralise the overwhelming influence of religion on the youth, and building internal security involving the indigenous people of the neighbouring regions.

‘Global Emblems’ and ‘Transmission and Intermediality: the impact of the emblematic culture on the early Americas’

This white paper briefly outlines two co-dependent research initiatives: ‘Global Emblems’ and ‘Transmission and Intermediality: the impact of the emblematic culture in Ibero-America’. Both projects are in their initial stage of development, at Brown University.
 ▪ ‘Global Emblems’ is set to map, document and study the presence of emblems in material culture, around the world, and cross-link these occurrences with pre-existing digital collections of emblem books. The database will be fed by an international network of specialists, which is already active, with members in over ten countries and the support of the Society for Emblem Studies. The platform will allow searches by concepts (using Iconclass classification system) and a number of locations will allow users to ‘visit’ them through Virtual Reality (360 annotated photos). The database will be systematically studied through ‘thematic clusters’.
 Although at first glance the focus on emblems may seem narrow, emblems have a broad geographical and historical spread, which can be traced, and that provides the necessary data for the kind of analytical and interpretative study required in the second research initiative, which illustrates the importance of emblems within the wider frame of Latin American cultural history.
 ▪ ‘Transmission and Intermediality: the impact of the emblematic culture on the Early Americas’ will analyse the data from ‘Global Emblems’ in order to understand the role of emblems in the colonial process in the Americas. More specifically, this project will look at the ‘pictorial dispute’ in the New World, by examining the ‘pictorial turn’ from the ‘catecismos jeroglíficos’ to the displayed emblems in the 17th-century (many of them resulting from the remediation of European prints), and the ideological, political and sociological implications around the presence of these emblems in buildings and early-modern festivals.