Societies

23 pages, 608 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Doctors for the Truth: Echo Chambers of Disinformation, Hate Speech, and Authority Bias on Social Media

by Joana Milhazes-Cunha and Luciana Oliveira

Societies 2023, 13(10), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100226 - 23 Oct 2023

Viewed by 2697

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyser of one of the most prolific waves of disinformation and hate speech on social media. Amid an infodemic, special interest groups, such as the international movement of “Doctors for the Truth”, grew in influence on social [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been the catalyser of one of the most prolific waves of disinformation and hate speech on social media. Amid an infodemic, special interest groups, such as the international movement of “Doctors for the Truth”, grew in influence on social media, while leveraging their status as healthcare professionals and creating true echo chambers of COVID-19 false information and misbeliefs, supported by large communities of eager followers all around the world. In this paper, we analyse the discourse of the Portuguese community on Facebook, employing computer-assisted qualitative data analysis. A dataset of 2542 textual and multimedia interactions was extracted from the community and submitted to deductive and inductive coding supported by existing theoretical models. Our investigation revealed the high frequency of negative emotions, of toxic and hateful speech, as well as the widespread diffusion of COVID-19 misbeliefs, 32 of which are of particular relevance in the national context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fake News Post-COVID-19)

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11 pages, 264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Career Choices, Representation of Work and Future Planning: A Qualitative Investigation with Italian University Students

by Cristiano Felaco, Andrea Zammitti, Jenny Marcionetti and Anna Parola

Societies 2023, 13(10), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100225 - 23 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3376

Abstract

Choosing a career is one of the most challenging for young adults, and the representations of work could influence how people make decisions and build their career paths. This qualitative study examined the career choices, representations of work and future plans of 58 [...] Read more.

Choosing a career is one of the most challenging for young adults, and the representations of work could influence how people make decisions and build their career paths. This qualitative study examined the career choices, representations of work and future plans of 58 Italian university students. Semi-structured interviews were analyzed using a consensual qualitative research procedure. The results emphasize the centrality of environmental conditions and internal factors such as vocation and internal resources in career choice processes. Also crucial is students’ discussion of the meaning attributed to work as good for oneself and others. Finally, most students present in their narratives, clear future plans. Findings suggest themes to explore in career guidance interventions. Unpacking the influences of choices and working on the meaning attributed to work appears pivotal to career counseling interventions to orient young people toward powerfully pursuing their career choices. Full article

16 pages, 654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Gender Construct for Sustainable Development in Pakistan: Evaluating Alignment of Education System with the Religious Ideology

by Huma Mursaleen and Sadaf Taimur

Societies 2023, 13(10), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100224 - 20 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1501

Abstract

Gender construct plays a role in activating or deactivating gender equality in society, which is an essential factor for sustainable development. An education system is a primary source of building and mainstreaming social values, especially gender constructs, and Pakistan’s education system aims to [...] Read more.

Gender construct plays a role in activating or deactivating gender equality in society, which is an essential factor for sustainable development. An education system is a primary source of building and mainstreaming social values, especially gender constructs, and Pakistan’s education system aims to provide equal access and un-discriminatory education to both boys and girls, aligned with religious ideology. The current research evaluates the alignment between the gender construct informed by religion in the education system of Pakistan and the gender construct informed by the local religious perception. To achieve this purpose, this research captures the perceptions of local experts on gender constructs, guided by the education system and underlining religious (Islamic) ideology via semi-structured interviews. The research identifies that the obsolete interpretation of religion, aligned with the local interpretation, guides biased gender constructs through the education system. The current research has identified the leverage points to transform the current education system of Pakistan into a sustainable education system by promoting religiously acceptable gender-inclusive education. Full article

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13 pages, 777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Raising Students’ Self-Awareness of Their Conflict Communication Styles: Insights from an Intercultural Telecollaboration Project

by Irina Golubeva

Societies 2023, 13(10), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100223 - 18 Oct 2023

Viewed by 2152

Abstract

Intercultural communication is often affected by conflicts, which are not easy to resolve, mainly due to the clash of conflict communication styles. Direct/indirect ways to approach conflicts, emotional display/control, the ability to empathize and consider perspectives of others, cultural conventions, previous experiences with [...] Read more.

Intercultural communication is often affected by conflicts, which are not easy to resolve, mainly due to the clash of conflict communication styles. Direct/indirect ways to approach conflicts, emotional display/control, the ability to empathize and consider perspectives of others, cultural conventions, previous experiences with conflict, cooperativeness, and many other factors determine our conflict communication styles. It is important to acknowledge, though, that these styles are learned and are not rigid. They can differ depending on the context and situation. This article reports the results of an intercultural telecollaboration project, drawing on four sources of quantitative and qualitative data, i.e., the results of assessments conducted with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, and a Conflict Styles Assessment based on the Thomas–Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, as well as students’ critical self-reflective feedback. The data were collected at a Mid-Atlantic minority-serving university from undergraduate students, who were invited to explore their conflict communication styles through a series of activities and then reflect on their experiences and the insights gained during this intercultural telecollaboration experience. As a result of this pedagogical intervention, most of the participants not only became aware of their conflict communication styles but also developed their empathy and ability to intervene to defend others who are discriminated against or attacked verbally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Language, Identity and Conflict: A Cultural Perspective from Above and from Below)

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17 pages, 298 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Family and Media Environment on Aggressive Behaviour in Bulgarian Schools

by Yolanda Zografova and Ekaterina Evtimova Dimitrova

Societies 2023, 13(10), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100222 - 12 Oct 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2040

Abstract

The article examines the influence of two of the main social environments on students’ aggressive behaviours. On the one hand, attention is paid to the general socio-psychological climate in the family environment and the attitude of the parents towards the child; and on [...] Read more.

The article examines the influence of two of the main social environments on students’ aggressive behaviours. On the one hand, attention is paid to the general socio-psychological climate in the family environment and the attitude of the parents towards the child; and on the other hand, a less frequently studied aspect related to aggressive manifestations of the children and adolescents towards the parents is addressed. The study explores how watching TV shows and movies, as well as video games, in which aggression and violence predominate, is connected to the frequency and degree of manifestation of types of aggression in adolescents. The survey was conducted at the end of 2017 among 992 students in 18 primary schools, secondary schools, and vocational schools/high schools in six different cities in different regions of Bulgaria. A structured questionnaire for the study of aggression in school was designed and was intended for students. The results of the study generally show that the verbal aggression towards parents (insulting and shouting) is mostly associated with verbal aggression towards both teachers and classmates. Regarding the influence of TV shows and movies containing aggression, it was found that students who watched movies with military, fighting and bloody scenes demonstrated more frequent manifestations of verbal aggression, but the TV contents did not significantly influence the manifestations of indirect aggression and physical aggression. However, the frequency of playing video games with aggressive content has a significant effect on all investigated forms of aggression, with the strongest effect on physical aggression. Aggression in social networks is a significant factor that affects the frequency of manifestation of various forms of aggression. Students who bully others on social networks stand out as the most aggressive (verbally, physically, and indirectly). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Family and Social Environment on Shaping Juvenile Growth)

23 pages, 3097 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Linguistic and Cultural Identities of Transnational Background Children in Catalonia, Spain

by Claudia Vallejo Rubinstein and Valeria Tonioli

Societies 2023, 13(10), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100221 - 11 Oct 2023

Viewed by 2420

Abstract

This article explores linguistic and cultural identities as they emerge in ethnographic data from plurilingual children with transnational and ethnic minority backgrounds in Catalonia, Spain. The particular sociolinguistic and multicultural context where these young people currently live, characterised by the coexistence of local, [...] Read more.

This article explores linguistic and cultural identities as they emerge in ethnographic data from plurilingual children with transnational and ethnic minority backgrounds in Catalonia, Spain. The particular sociolinguistic and multicultural context where these young people currently live, characterised by the coexistence of local, national and heritage languages with unequal social status, as well as their own trajectories and experiences of socialisation, implies that they often forge complex “in-between” linguistic and cultural identities and senses of belonging. To reflect on these complexities, we analyse multimodal data from transnational- and minority-background children as they participate in an autobiographical activity aimed at promoting linguistically and culturally inclusive pedagogical approaches and participatory action research (PAR). The analysis shows that children’s identity constructions fluently intertwine elements from their “home” and “host” languages and cultures with features characteristic of child/youth popular cultures, and with adscriptions to diverse real and imagined communities. These hybrid articulations, which can be described as plurilingual and transcultural, foreground how identity is both an individual and a social process, transversed by different axes, including cultural and ethnic referents, linguistic repertoires, historic, family and personal trajectories, urban cultures and the influence of friends and peers, among others. The identification of these emergent traits in our data foregrounds both the particularities and commonalities of pupils’ identity construction, which challenges and reshapes traditional understandings of identity. Finally, this work aims to illustrate how transnational children’s complex senses of being and belonging can be recognised and supported through inclusive pedagogical proposals as the one described herein. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young People’s Constructions of Identities: Global Perspectives)

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20 pages, 720 KiB

Open AccessArticle

When Sociotechnical Imaginaries Become True: Digital Transition of Public Services and Inequalities during the Pandemic

by Roberto Cibin

Societies 2023, 13(10), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100220 - 11 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1653

Abstract

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public institutions in Europe designed policies that increased the use of ICTs with the public to provide or collect information, offer support, and perform educational activities. This process was in line with a sociotechnical imaginary [...] Read more.

As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many public institutions in Europe designed policies that increased the use of ICTs with the public to provide or collect information, offer support, and perform educational activities. This process was in line with a sociotechnical imaginary where people’s lives are increasingly “smart” and enhanced through digital innovation. We provide an analysis of the implications of this imaginary during the pandemic for people belonging to vulnerable categories, to understand how these actors are considered in the digital transition process at the European level. This analysis is based on qualitative data collected in 30 European countries in the frame of an EU project aimed at understanding how COVID-19-related public policies shaped social inequalities. Building on the intersection between gender studies, science and technology studies, and media studies, this analysis aims to contribute to a more inequality-aware policy reflection on the digital transition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Interactions and the Technology Development: Perspectives on E-Societies)

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15 pages, 1834 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Forecasting Construction Cost Index through Artificial Intelligence

by Bilal Aslam, Ahsen Maqsoom, Hina Inam, Mubeen ul Basharat and Fahim Ullah

Societies 2023, 13(10), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100219 - 11 Oct 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2550

Abstract

This study presents a novel approach for forecasting the construction cost index (CCI) of building materials in developing countries. Such estimations are challenging due to the need for a longer time, the influence of inflation, and fluctuating project prices in developing countries. This [...] Read more.

This study presents a novel approach for forecasting the construction cost index (CCI) of building materials in developing countries. Such estimations are challenging due to the need for a longer time, the influence of inflation, and fluctuating project prices in developing countries. This study used three techniques—a modified Artificial Neural Network (ANN), time series, and linear regression—to predict and forecast the local building material CCI in Pakistan. The predicted CCI is based on materials, including bricks, steel, cement, sand, and gravel. In addition, the swish activation function was introduced to increase the accuracy of the associated algorithms. The results suggest that the ANN model has superior prediction results, with the lowest Mean Error (ME), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and Theil’s U statistic (U-Stat) values of 0.04, 28.3, and 0.62, respectively. The time series and regression models have ME values of 0.22 and 0.3, MAE values of 30.07 and 28.3, and U-Stat values of 0.65 and 0.64, respectively. The proposed models can assist contractors, project managers, and owners through an accurately estimated cost index. Such accurate CCIs help correctly estimate project budgets based on building material prices to mitigate project risks, delays, and failures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Technologies for Construction and Smart Societies)

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13 pages, 289 KiB

Open AccessArticle

‘If She Can, All of You Can’: Violence as a Restoration of the Male Mandate in Vocational Education Training

by Esperanza Meri, Almudena A. Navas and Enrico Mora

Societies 2023, 13(10), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100218 - 10 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1138

Abstract

This paper analyses violence as a restoration of both male mandate and power in male-dominated fields, such as in the context of Vocational Educational Training specialising in Transport and Vehicle Maintenance in the Spanish city of Valencia and how women who enter it [...] Read more.

This paper analyses violence as a restoration of both male mandate and power in male-dominated fields, such as in the context of Vocational Educational Training specialising in Transport and Vehicle Maintenance in the Spanish city of Valencia and how women who enter it struggle against it. Our theory is based on the developments made by Judith Butler, who understands gender as a power device, and by Rita L. Segato through the concepts of male mandate and moral violence. We also analyse the resistance that is being deployed against gender normativity. To offer an account of these ideas, our research was designed on a qualitative basis following an abductive approach. We conducted eight biographical interviews, throughout the 2019–2020 academic year, with women who are linked to the automotive sector and to the VET area in question. We can state that their entering into this productive field leads to a denaturalisation of the hierarchy imposed by the male mandate and that in challenging things, it exacerbates the violent practices as a restoration of the male mandate. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender and Social Class Issue in Academic Field)

11 pages, 412 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identities in Troubled Times: Minoritized Youth in Hong Kong’s “Summer of Protest”

by Kerry J. Kennedy, Jan Christian Gube and Miron Kumar Bhowmik

Societies 2023, 13(10), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100217 - 02 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1158

Abstract

Discursive experiences can contribute to shaping lives and their identities. For minoritized youth in Hong Kong, the 2019 protest movement provided many such experiences, although very little has been heard about them. Instead, reporting has focused on the experiences of the dominant Chinese [...] Read more.

Discursive experiences can contribute to shaping lives and their identities. For minoritized youth in Hong Kong, the 2019 protest movement provided many such experiences, although very little has been heard about them. Instead, reporting has focused on the experiences of the dominant Chinese population. This paper aims to highlight the voices of minoritized youth in relation to the social movement that dominated Hong Kong in the second half of 2019. It is well recognized that identity is not fixed and that there are more likely multiple identities that transition from one to the other. Yet little is known about the influences on identity formation and the processes that underlie them. This was the issue addressed here. The paper draws on Lacan’s theory of identity in examining interviews involving minoritized youth and their engagement in Hong Kong’s 2019 protest movement. It shows how individual responses to the movement differed, how the movement challenged identities, and how these challenges were resolved. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Young People’s Constructions of Identities: Global Perspectives)

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15 pages, 279 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Reputation Management: An Auto-Ethnographic Examination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Canadian Policing

by Samar Ben Romdhane and Alain Babineau

Societies 2023, 13(10), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100216 - 28 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1559

Abstract

Policing organizations play a vital role in increasing diversity and recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds. However, they face the challenge of reconciling merit-based hiring with the influence of social capital, necessitating a stronger focus on equity policies. This paper delves into this intricate [...] Read more.

Policing organizations play a vital role in increasing diversity and recruiting individuals from diverse backgrounds. However, they face the challenge of reconciling merit-based hiring with the influence of social capital, necessitating a stronger focus on equity policies. This paper delves into this intricate landscape, leveraging both personal experiences and the framework of employment equity laws. It also draws upon insights gleaned from the Sandhu case to advocate for a holistic approach that encompasses cultural and legal changes to combat the issues surrounding “otherness” within policing. Through a comprehensive exploration of these cases, this paper unravels an intricate tapestry of the challenges faced by policing organizations. It provides valuable insights into nurturing diversity, equity, and inclusion within these entities, addressing issues like othering and racial profiling. This paper underscores the vital importance of public security organizations embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion to better fulfill their mission of serving the communities they protect. By adopting these principles, organizations can improve their effectiveness and make substantial contributions to fostering a more equitable society, transcending the confines of mere reputation management. Full article

13 pages, 263 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Custodial Grandchildren’s School Attendance and Academic Performance during COVID-19: The Role of Technology

by Yanfeng Xu, Theresa M. Harrison, Athena C. Y. Chan, Ashlee A. Lewis, Sue E. Levkoff and Gina M. Kunz

Societies 2023, 13(10), 215; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100215 - 26 Sep 2023

Viewed by 1291

Abstract

Due to COVID-19, many schools switched to remote instruction, creating an urgency to address the technology needs of many families, including grandparent-headed families. Many grandparent-headed families (i.e., custodial grandparents) have limited access to digital devices and stable internet. Moreover, many of these grandparents [...] Read more.

Due to COVID-19, many schools switched to remote instruction, creating an urgency to address the technology needs of many families, including grandparent-headed families. Many grandparent-headed families (i.e., custodial grandparents) have limited access to digital devices and stable internet. Moreover, many of these grandparents lack the skills and confidence to use technology, which may affect both their grandchildren’s ability to attend school as well as their academic performance. This study investigates both the associations of grandfamilies’ access to technology and custodial grandparents’ comfort level with technology with their grandchildren’s academic attendance and performance during COVID-19. We analyzed cross-sectional survey data collected from grandparents raising grandchildren between March 2021 and February 2022 in the United States. Ordered logistic regression analyses were conducted using STATA. The key results suggested that grandfamilies’ more stable access to technology (OR = 1.54, p = 0.048) and grandparents’ high comfort level with technology (OR = 2.18, p = 0.003) during grandchildren’s remote learning were significantly associated with higher odds of grandchildren’s better school attendance. Similarly, more stable access to technology (OR = 1.53, p = 0.048) and higher comfort level with technology (OR = 1.67, p = 0.030) were significantly associated with higher odds of grandchildren’s better academic performance. The results imply the need to provide stable internet and digital devices to grandfamilies without access to these services or devices, as well as technical assistance and technical-related education workshops to custodial grandparents who are not tech-savvy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Research on Kinship Care and Its Role in Child Protection and Well-Being)

24 pages, 538 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Typology of Martial Arts Scholar–Practitioners: Types, Transitions, and Tensions in Capoeira

by David S. Contreras Islas and George Jennings

Societies 2023, 13(10), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13100214 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2135

Abstract

Martial arts are concerned with continuous technical practice and refinement over a lifetime, while scholarship is ordinarily undertaken by active learners and experienced (occasionally veteran) practitioners. These martial arts scholar–practitioners tend to be positioned according to specific types, from a more distant (and [...] Read more.

Martial arts are concerned with continuous technical practice and refinement over a lifetime, while scholarship is ordinarily undertaken by active learners and experienced (occasionally veteran) practitioners. These martial arts scholar–practitioners tend to be positioned according to specific types, from a more distant (and sometimes critical) scholar with less combat acumen to an instructor keen to read and engage in collaborative research. This article introduces a typology of ten martial arts scholar–practitioner types: (1) Supportive Scholar; (2) Former Practitioner; (3) Practitioner on Stand-by; (4) Immersed Apprentice; (5) Budding Scholar–Practitioner; (6) Established Scholar–Practitioner; (7) Temporary Practitioner–Researcher; (8) Experimental Leader; (9) Inquisitive Teacher; and (10) Curious Practitioner. The types are examined using Capoeira, one of the most academically studied martial arts. Drawing on the Spannungsfeld—the “field of tension” between science and practice—we reveal the specific strengths and limitations of each type while illustrating the common transition between positions across a career or research project. Finally, we consider some practical solutions to mitigate the relative weaknesses and oversights of the specific types, including the ability to form teams of scholar–practitioners from different positions in academia and martial arts. We close with suggestions for empirical research to test and refine our methodological model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic The Scholar Practitioner in Sport, Education, and Physical Culture)

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Societies, Volume 13, Issue 10 (October 2023) – 13 articles

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