Sociological Research Research Articles

Clinical Sociology and Community Interventions

At least 235,000 people experience homelessness in Canada each year, with over 35,000 experiencing homelessness on any given night (Gaetz et al. 2013a). For many, maintaining housing is challenging due to the absence of essential life skills. This paper departs from a community-identified problem with conventional life skills programming and uses sociological tools to address it. Community partners have expressed a need for a life skills curriculum that is inclusive, representing the intersecting needs and experiences of a diversity of clients, and that will address budgetary constraints of not-for-profit (NFP) organizations in the region. The Community-Ideas Factory: The Life Skills Project consists of an interdisciplinary research team and 16 NFPs collaborating to build a comprehensive, inclusive, relevant, and effective online life skills intervention. Adopting a clinical sociological and community-engaged research approach, our findings emphasize the importance of recognizing that essential life skills are diverse and shaped by the larger social, political, and economic context, such as social inequities. Notably, social justice is identified as a crucial life skill, uncovering the intersectionalities that shape individuals' lives and that must be integrated into life skills programming. This ground-breaking finding is facilitated by our methodology, deviating from the positivist research approaches prevalent in life skills studies. Significantly, the entire life skills curriculum is Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)-informed. The intervention addresses immediate financial strains for partner organizations. We anticipate that the intervention will interrupt current cycles of homelessness while holding promise as a preventative measure.

Reflexive anthropology: On the method-guided construction of premises in social theory

The notion of reflexive anthropology follows Bourdieu's concept of reflexive sociology. It argues that it is necessary to take a reflexive look at the “unconscious” of sociological research in order to overcome epistemological limitations. At the same time, however, Bourdieu fails to identify scientific research practice as part of a differentiated society that is structurally dependent on the cult of the individual (Durkheim). Therefore reflexive sociology needs to be complemented by a reflexive anthropology that analyzes the human person and its normative special status as an institution of a horizontally differentiated society. This leads to the question that I explore in this article: what follows from the fact that the anthropological premises of sociological research affirm the anthropological conception of modern sociation? The fact that sociology reproduces the anthropological certainties of modern society has been repeatedly criticized. Based on these arguments, I present a critical procedure that allows us to work out whether and to what extent the general conceptual presuppositions of research reproduce modern anthropocentrism. Finally, I outline a social theory that makes it possible to render the modern self-conception an object of study.

Interplay of Crises: Mapping the Scientific Landscape of Intersecting Themes in the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Russian-Ukraine War

Background: In February 2022, Russian Federation troops attacked Ukraine on several fronts, thereby starting a war that continues to this day. The invasion garnered worldwide opposition, leading to sanctions imposed on politicians and corporations in the Russian Federation. The war has also left its mark on art, culture, and science. Methods: In this study, we analyse the war in Ukraine and how scholars around the world have examined it. The analysis is divided into three parts: (1) a comprehensive review of the number of articles and conference proceedings related to the Russia-Ukraine war in the Web of Science (WoS) disciplines/categories; (2) the main topics and directions chosen by the authors; and (3) a summary of studies focused on COVID-19 during the war. The latter topic is particularly important, as the COVID-19 situation in Ukraine was already complex before the 2022 invasion, and the ongoing military actions have further exacerbated it. For the above analyses, we utilised a WoS database from 2014 (covering the first Russian attack on Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions) through December 2022. Results and Conclusions: For academics, the war in Ukraine has become a significant subject of study. As it proliferated, culminating in a direct mass attack in February 2022, research efforts involved more and more scientific fields. These fields range from political science and sociology research to psychology and marketing to engineering science or supply chains.

THE USE OF REAL-TIME FEEDBACK TECHNOLOGIES IN 3X3 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TRAINING

Basketball 3x3, considered an urban team sport, relies on quick and efficient decision-making during gameplay. Developing decision-making behavior is crucial due to the complexity of team dynamics. This aspect can be further investigated and improved with the help of neuroscience and digital technologies. Research hypotheses include integrating virtual reality as well as utilizing feedback technologies in training. The proposed research methodology involves analyzing data from multiple sources, pedagogical experiments, and sociological research. The aim is to identify patterns and trends in decision-making behavior, and furthermore to evaluate the effectiveness of training methods. The estimated results target enhancing knowledge about decision-making behavior in 3x3 basketball, with an impact on the training and performance of senior athletes.

Formation of skills for conducting sociological research in future teachers

Formation of skills for conducting sociological research in future teachers

THE RESULTS OF A SOCIOLOGICAL SURVEY AMONG PATIENTS WHO RECEIVED NURSING CARE IN MEDICAL ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING PALLIATIVE CARE

Nursing care in organizations providing palliative care plays a critical role in ensuring the comfort and quality of life of patients with severe or incurable diseases. This assistance includes physical care, pain control, emotional support and assistance to families. Nurses can also train families in patient care, assist in decision-making, and coordinate medical procedures. It is important that nurses in palliative care organizations are sensitive, empathetic and have appropriate medical training.The authors of the article conducted a sociological survey among nurses and patients receiving palliative care of medical organizations Republic of Kazakhstan. Аt the moment, the results of such a survey help to identify the root of the organization of nursing care in medical organizations in the healthcare sector. Objective: To study the level of accessibility of medical care among nurses and patients in the palliative care department. Materials and methods: This study is a one-stage sociological research by the survey method with the filling out of questionnaires and the method of in-depth interviewing. The questionnaire is taken as a basis as a research tool. The questionnaires are developed separately for each group of respondents and are presented in Kazakh and Russian. The study involved patients aged 60 and older who received palliative care among medical organizations providing care to senile and elderly people. The design of the study is a one-step cross-sectional study. The number of respondents is 120 nurses, 100 patients (81% of them women, 19% male). Statistical Analysis – Stata: Release 15. Categorical variables were calculated as fractions (%) and quantitative continuous variables as averages. The student’s t-test and univariate variance analysis were used. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered important. Research methods: Social, statistical. The choice of statistical criteriawill depend on the type of variables being analyzed. The Student's t-test and univariate variance analysis were used. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered important. The result of the study: The questionnaires were adapted to fill out patients receiving palliative care in medical organizations. The survey questionnaire provided information about the place of work, position, length of service, professional development, working conditions and the quality of palliative care in this aspect, as well as the life plans of respondents. The closed form of questions in the questionnaire contains the principle of alternative answers encoded for subsequent processing. For some questions, it was allowed to give up to three possible answers. The open form of answers to a number of questions allowed us to obtain more detailed information on the aspects of the respondents' professional activities of interest, as well as their working conditions. Conclusion:The study showed that the majority of nurses and patients receiving palliative care highly appreciate the level of accessibility and quality of medical care in medical organisations in the Republic of Kazakhstan. However, despite the high level of satisfaction, some problems were identified, such as obtaining prescriptions for narcotic drugs and insufficient awareness of available medical products and patients' rights. These results emphasise the need for further improvements in the quality of palliative care and training of medical staff to provide better patient care.

When class and race collapse: theoretically distinguishing between college students’ intersectional positions and their status groups

ABSTRACT In a longitudinal interview-based study of racial-minority students of low-income or working-class origin at an elite private university in the United States, we examine how class and race co-determine students’ friendship-making patterns. We advance previous research in college students’ friendship-making by applying a dual lens of intersectionality theory and sociological group-making. Using this lens, we find that class and race collapse into each other, but in two distinct ways. Our main sample of multiply marginalized students occupy a class-racial intersectional position. By contrast, their class-race counterparts, who are envisioned and described as wealthy Whites, constitute not a class-racial intersectional position but a class-racial status group, leading to analytically distinct friendship-making dynamics between the two types of students. Our findings also entreat us to call for an analytical distinction between intersectional position and status group, leading to a dual lens that will serve future sociological research attentive to group-making processes and group-based conflict.

The measure of proximity of conditional distance of institutional logic and discourse practice

According to the author's position, the modern direction of sociology of management considers the field of problems around the discourse activity of an individual and social groups formed under the influence of social institutions and organizations in the process of managing digital means of communication between them. The methodology of management processes research requires new approaches to empirical sociological research, assuming the predisposition of the subject to a typical perception of activity conditions and a certain reaction, which is conditioned by the formed worldview and practical activity, which corresponds to foreign studies of postinstitutionalism. According to the author of the article, in order to apply the cluster analysis of empirical data, it is necessary to introduce conditional distances between institutional logics and practices of discourse subjects, hereinafter referred to as discursants, in the format of the research hypothesis. The present empirical study is based on the analysis of video recordings of the scientific seminar "Philo sophy of Complexity" of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS), posted on the Internet, N = 121 (2019–2024); the analysis of discourse participants on the video recording of the report at the scientific seminar "Philosophy and IT" of the Insti tute of Philosophy of the RAS, posted on the Internet, N = 13 (2023).

Generalized trust in modern Chinese society

The article is focused on the study of the factors of generalized trust in modern Chinese society. The use of cross-cultural research data to reveal the content of the concept of generalized trust and its structure in different national cultures is justified. For a more complete understanding of the results of sociological studies of interpersonal trust in China, their interpretation is proposed using the concept of “relationship-based trust”, reflecting the specificity of the Chinese phenomenon of trusting relationships as a personalized, affective, instrumental social bond. The purpose of the study is to develop a conceptual model of generalized trust in contemporary Chinese culture and to assess the possibility of using the data of cross-cultural sociological studies of generalized trust to reveal the content of the concept of “trust” in different national cultures, to study the social attitudes of trust. The novelty of the research results consists in the reasoned justification of the interpretation of the concept of interpersonal trust in the modern culture of China by means of the concept of “relationship-based trust”, as well as in the justification of the relevance of the application of the data of cross-cultural sociological research of generalized trust to reveal the content of the concept of generalized trust and its structure in different national cultures.

Children picturing their own worlds: Using photovoice to amplify children's voice in sociological research.

This research note highlights an emerging transdisciplinary research method-photovoice-and why it is particularly suited for sociological studies of children and youth. Traditional social science data collection methods can be limited in their ability to capture both the depth and breadth of childhood experiences and children's perceptions of their experiences. We describe an emerging method, photovoice, that is used more frequently in other disciplines, and its suitability for sociologically studying youth and children. We describe the limitations of traditional social science methods and how photovoice can help overcome some of these limitations. Photovoice engages participants as lived experts who contribute to both the data collection and analysis in an individual and collective manner. Through taking photos and discussing their meaning, participants can share abstract feelings and discuss sensitive topics in an imaginative format and express themselves creatively. We describe how previous research has used photovoice to work with youth from vulnerable circumstances and those who have experienced trauma as well as demonstrate how photovoice is well situated to bolster the tenets of sociological research.

Interaction of the population with authorities using digital technologies: sociological analysis

In the modern world new formats of civil participation for the population are emerging, associated with the use of innovative technologies. The problem of introducing and developing digital services into the public administration system at all levels of government is urgent. Experts argue that digitalization will ensure an increase in the level of efficiency in the provision of public services to the population. The problematic field of research is the level of involvement of the population in interaction with government structures in the digital space. Mastering the information environment requires certain competencies that are not developed immediately. The speed of mastering such competencies depends on many factors, including the understanding of the need for their constant use. The goal of the research is to determine the attitude of the regional population towards digital technologies used for interaction between citizens and government agencies.Today, comprehensive sociological research on this topic is required. When working on a scientific article, methods of sociocultural analysis, document analysis, and empirical collection of primary information in the form of a survey were used. The main conclusion is that for the effective development of digital interaction between the population and the authorities, it is necessary not only to introduce, but also to increase the level of trust of citizens in the digital resources of the state.

ПЕРСПЕКТИВЫ ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЯ ИСКУССТВЕННОГО ИНТЕЛЛЕКТА В УПРАВЛЕНИИ СТОМАТОЛОГИЧЕСКОЙ КЛИНИКОЙ

A rapidly developing technology - artificial intelligence - is actively being introduced into the life of modern people. One of the promising areas of its application is dentistry. Artificial intelligence can be used to improve the efficiency of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of oral diseases. This allows dentists, both public and private clinics, to work more efficiently and accurately. The process of treatment of all dental diseases is accelerated, making it more comfortable for patients. In addition, the quality of treatment and prosthetic results improves. The main goal of any dental clinic is to improve the quality of life of patients. But sometimes, interruptions in cellular communications and computer equipment, incomplete knowledge of the use of technology by receptionists, and a fairly large amount of medical documentation that a dentist needs to fill out negatively affects the provision of dental services. In turn, the management of a dental clinic is simplified. Aim of the work. Conduct a survey of the heads of private and public dental clinics in St. Petersburg on the readiness to use artificial intelligence in the institution, as well as a review of domestic and foreign literature sources to analyze the need to implement artificial intelligence in the work of dental clinics. Material and methods. A survey was conducted in St. Petersburg of the heads of 6 private and 6 state dental clinics using a developed questionnaire, as well as a review of available Russian and foreign scientific literature over the past 5 years, which allows for a more complete assessment of the programs based on artificial intelligence offered by many companies and developers to improve the concept of management and quality of patient service in dental clinics. Results and discussion. The use of artificial intelligence in the dental services management system not only helps save time and material resources, but also creates convenience for patients when making an appointment with a dentist, and improves the quality of provision of all types of dental services. Conclusions. The prospects for introducing artificial intelligence into dental clinic management are enormous. But its integration into this area of medicine requires the continuation of medical and sociological research and the creation of regulatory frameworks.

Reproductive attitudes and family values of modern student youth (based on the author's sociological research)

In the context of current trends in the political agenda of Russia aimed at strengthening traditional values, supporting large families and birth rate, it seems necessary to analyze the current marital, family and reproductive attitudes of modern youth. Based on a questionnaire survey of students, data were obtained on the attitude of young people to marriage and family, desire and intentions to have children and preferred family models.

Publication trends on sports sociology: Global perspectives and emerging themes

This study examined the depiction of publication trends and the transformation of scholarly discourse within sports sociology publications. The investigation utilised the Scopus and WoS databases to compile a comprehensive list of sports sociology publications. Employing ScientoPy and VOSviewer, the study dynamically constructed science maps and visualisation networks. In the Scopus database, there were 516 publications, and in the WoS, 216, resulting in 732 publications, constituting 79.13% of the overall count between 1990 and 2022. Sports Sciences emerged as the predominant field with 119 publications, and the most prolific source title over the three decades was the International Review for the Sociology of Sport. The United States and Germany stood out as the top two countries, each contributing over 100 publications. The keyword “sports sociology” demonstrated close associations with “development,” “athlete,” and “physical education,” particularly evident since 2015. This study is poised to lay the groundwork for future endeavours to enrich and invigorate sports sociology research. It underscores the need for sports sociologists to delve into novel insights, including the interplay between sports sociology and mental health, gender disparities, sports injury management, and artificial intelligence. The intriguing social dimensions of physical education and sports training are underscored for their significance in shaping daily human activities, behaviours, and emotions.

What does sociological research tell us about ethnic inequalities in European labour markets?

Abstract This commentary provides an overview of the sociological literature on ethnic inequalities in European labour markets. It gives an outline of various theories that can explain ethnic inequalities in the labour market and reviews the empirical evidence drawing on studies in Europe. Subsequently, I show how scholars have used these theoretical and empirical insights to account for the heterogeneity in ethnic inequality by country of origin and immigrant generation. I end with a discussion of policy measures to mitigate ethnic inequality.

Gender revolution, evolution or neverlution?

Abstract Liberal feminists of the 1960s viewed women’s increasing levels of education and employment throughout their lives as harbingers of a gender equality revolution. In this commentary, I draw on economic and sociological research since that time to argue why gender equality in public and private domains remains elusive. For one, it is a story of women changing their behaviour to be more like men in employment, without the necessary complementarity of men behaving more like women in caring responsibilities. Despite women’s employment gains, they remain under-represented at business executive levels and on boards, as well as among MPs. In addition, women continue to be physically oppressed through sexual harassment, exploitation and violence in the home, education, organizations and broader society. The COVID pandemic accentuated women’s employment disadvantage, family responsibilities and physical risks. I recommend the sorts of small, doable policy steps needed to nudge us further toward gender equality.

Capturing the smile: Exploring embodied and social acts of smiling.

Smiling is an embodied and complex social act. Smiling is presented as facilitating individual health and wellbeing, but the value placed on smiling raises questions about structural conditions acting on the body. While smiling has been considered sociologically, psychologically and historically, we argue that further exploration of the embodied smile offers fruitful avenues for future research. This article attempts to advance understanding of the smile and its importance by: (I) Bringing together literature on smiling as a social act and smiling as embodied. (II) Systematically identifying key themes, which recognise sociological insights and the relevance of oral health. (III) Pointing to useful directions for future sociological research into smiling. In this article, we review literature on body techniques; impression management and social interaction; gender, race and smiling; and emotional, aesthetic and affective labour. We move on to embodiment, considering the mouth as a body project and in relation to the ageing body, before reflecting on the significance of oral health and dentistry. We highlight future directions for sociological research on smiling, building on eight interrelated and cross-cutting themes: norms and expectations, aesthetic ideals, self and identity, health and wellbeing, body work, commodification and labour, inclusion and exclusion and resistance.

ВПЛИВ ІННОВАЦІЙНИХ ПІДХОДІВ НА ФІЗИЧНИЙ РОЗВИТОК ШКОЛЯРІВ З ВАДАМИ СЛУХУ В ПРОЦЕСІ АДАПТИВНОГО ФІЗИЧНОГОВИХОВАННЯ

Introduction. Correcting the physical development of students with hearing impairments requires an individual approach and the use of specialized methods and tools. Each student with hearing loss may have unique needs and capabilities. Therefore, it is important to create individualized physical education programs that take into account the specific limitations and capabilities of each student. It is important to develop and implement innovative approaches for children with hearing impairments that would have an impact on the physical development of schoolchildren along with the correctional and health-improving orientation of the entire process of adaptive physical education. The purpose of the study is to substantiate and implement an innovative methodology of adaptive physical culture for the correction of physical development of children with hearing impairments in the process of adaptive physical education. Research methods: theoretical analysis and generalisation of scientific literature data, sociological research methods, somatometric and physiometric research methods, methods of mathematical statistics. Results. The developed algorithm consisted of comparing two groups of 15-year- old schoolchildren with hearing impairment (boys (n=14), girls (n=12)) (control and experimental groups). Difference of content of classes in two groups of pupils was in means and methodical approaches to solution of correctional tasks in the process of physical education. In the first group, all training sessions were conducted in accordance with the physical education programme. In the second group, the methodology of correction of physical development included the following forms of training: exercises of different structure and focus to improve physical development indicators; increasing the level of functional capabilities of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems; balancing the psycho-emotional state (correctional games, tourist training skills, various types of health and recreational physical activity, improving the development of fine motor skills, exercises aimed at correcting and lagging behind in physical development), as well as an innovative program developed taking into account the needs and capabilities of children with hearing impairments. The innovative programme contained interactive exercises, included video tutorials with subtitles, games and tasks that can stimulate physical development, coordination and joint interaction.Conclusions. As a result, the implementation of the proposed methodology is confirmed by positive changes in the level of physical activity, improvement of general health and correction of physical development in the process of adaptive physical education of schoolchildren with hearing impairments.

Sociology of Engineering: Exploring Female Students Social Quest of Engineering at University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College, Freetown, Sierra Leone

Sierra Leonean women and undervalued social minority students persevere to be undervalued in science, technology, engineering and mathematics and attain the shallow segment of undergraduate engineering degrees. The sociological researcher engaged a mixed methods research approach predicated in social networks premise to examine when they first contemplate pursuing engineering as a university degree major, who shapes this social commitment, and how the social guidance transpires. Foremost, the sociological researcher inquired one thousand one hundred and eighty six first year undergraduate students entering engineering programs at University of Sierra Leone, Fourah Bay College in Freetown during the commencement of the 2022/2023 pedagogical year of course. Subsequently, the sociological researcher dialogued a down-sample of fifty five women and female students. The inquiry social findings specified that women were further probable than men to contemplate pursuing engineering while in secondary school, prior admission into university, or duration in university alternately contemplating it beforehand in their pedagogy. Metropolitan or western urban students were further probable than rural students to contemplate pursuing engineering after secondary school. Besides, metropolitan and western urban students were further probable than rural students to recognize a school mentor (alternately a household associate) as possessing the ultimate guidance on their engineering academic and vocation resolutions. In social dialogues, women and undervalued social minority students gifted instances of prominent folks who associated their competence and zest for mathematics, science, and problem elucidating to engineering, analyzed the merits of being an engineer, and furnished counsel about engineering pedagogical and vocation trajectories. Inspiring previous contemplation of engineering majors, such as during junior secondary school, may permit women and undervalued social minority female students cadence to grasp essential programs and grasp merit of university rudimentary planning. Correspondingly, Sierra Leonean universities can capture in conscious attempts to recognize women and undervalued social minority female students with engineering curiosities and issue social counsel. Comparable attempts should also involve associating them with other women and undervalued social minority students in engineering. Furthermore, Sierra Leonean universities need assist secondary school and university staffs in offering direction that can impact student’s social resolution to proclaim engineering major, that might succor enlist further women and undervalued social minority students into engineering.

Review of Literature Addressing Biological and Social Responses to Touch: Instructional Implications

Introduction: Recent trends in training teachers of students who are blind or have low vision (i.e., those who are visually impaired) have shifted away from traditional hand-over-hand guidance and toward a hand-under-hand approach. However, a search for peer-reviewed studies that address the effects of the use of hand-under-hand versus hand-over-hand instructional techniques often yields few results. This article examines literature on tactile receptors in the human integumentary system and how different forms of touch may affect tactile learning. Methods: The authors used a purposive search of literature using key words and phrases associated with different forms of touch to examine literature on the effects of touch from the perspectives of both the biological and social sciences. Results: Much of the neurological and sociological research that was revealed in this study tended to support the anecdotal evidence from practitioners who have described learners developing a greater sense of autonomy, independence, and connectedness when they are able to control their own body. Discussion: Literature cited in this study indicates that repeated use of controlling forms of touch may inhibit learning through the discriminative tactile system. In addition, the authors describe literature indicating that implicit social messages conveyed through controlling touch may perpetuate stereotypes of individuals with visual impairments as dependent on sighted people and create social barriers to independence.