Journal Description
Social Sciences
Social Sciences
is an international, open access journal with rapid peer-review, which publishes works from a wide range of fields, including anthropology, criminology, economics, education, geography, history, law, linguistics, political science, psychology, social policy, social work, sociology and so on. Social Sciences is published monthly online by MDPI.
- Open Access— free for readers, with article processing charges (APC) paid by authors or their institutions.
- High visibility: indexed within Scopus, ESCI (Web of Science), RePEc, and other databases.
- Journal Rank: CiteScore - Q1 (General Social Sciences)
- Rapid Publication: manuscripts are peer-reviewed and a first decision is provided to authors approximately 27.7 days after submission; acceptance to publication is undertaken in 5.3 days (median values for papers published in this journal in the second half of 2023).
- Recognition of Reviewers: reviewers who provide timely, thorough peer-review reports receive vouchers entitling them to a discount on the APC of their next publication in any MDPI journal, in appreciation of the work done.
Impact Factor:
1.7 (2022)
Latest Articles
Burnout among Retail Workers in Spain: The Role of Gender, Personality and Psychosocial Risk Factors
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050264 (registering DOI) - 14 May 2024
Abstract
This study examines the direct and interaction relationships between personality traits, psychosocial risk factors, and burnout among male and female workers in the retail sector in Spain. Through a cross sectional design involving 667 participants (241 men, 426 women), it employs self report
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This study examines the direct and interaction relationships between personality traits, psychosocial risk factors, and burnout among male and female workers in the retail sector in Spain. Through a cross sectional design involving 667 participants (241 men, 426 women), it employs self report questionnaires to measure these variables. In addition to a sociodemographic questionnaire, the MBI (burnout), NEO-FFI (personality), CarMen-Q (cognitive, temporal, emotional, and performance demands), and DECORE (support, control, and rewards) were administered. Results indicate that women exhibit higher emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Results from stepwise multiple regression confirmed that personality traits directly impact burnout dimensions and psychosocial risk factors. Specifically, neuroticism and emotional job demands significantly influence emotional exhaustion, while depersonalization correlates with neuroticism, agreeableness, temporal demands, and organizational support. Personal accomplishment links with extraversion, interacting with temporal demands in men and cognitive demands in women. Individuals high in neuroticism and low in extraversion tend to perceive elevated emotional job demands, leading to intensified emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. The study confirms that personality traits and working conditions affect burnout differently for men and women.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Work, Employment and the Labor Market)
Open AccessArticle
Ecofeminism and the Cultural Affinity to Genocidal Capitalism: Theorising Necropolitical Femicide in Contemporary Greece
by
Anastasia Christou
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050263 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
Resilient necrocapitalism and the zombie genre of representations of current dystopias are persistent in their political purpose in producing changes in the social order to benefit plutocracies around the world. It is through a thanatopolitical lens that we should view the successive losses
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Resilient necrocapitalism and the zombie genre of representations of current dystopias are persistent in their political purpose in producing changes in the social order to benefit plutocracies around the world. It is through a thanatopolitical lens that we should view the successive losses of life, and this zombie genre has come to represent a dystopia that, for political purposes, is intended to produce changes in societies which have tolerated the violent deaths of women. This article focuses on contemporary Greece and proposes a theoretical framework where femicide is understood as a social phenomenon that reflects a global gendered necropolitical logic which equals genocide. Such theoretical assemblages have to be situated within intersectional imperatives and tacitly as the result of the capitalist terror state performed in an expansive and direct immediate death, exacerbated by the lingering slow social death of the welfare state. The article contends that the scripted hetero-patriarchal social order of the necrocapitalist state poses a unique political threat to societies. With the silence of the complicity of the state, what is necessary is the creation and spread of new political knowledge and new social movements as resilient political tactics of resistance. This article foregrounds an ecofeminist perspective on these issues and considers ways through which new pedagogies of hope can counter the gendered necropolitics of contemporary capitalism in Greece.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feminist Solidarity, Resistance, and Social Justice)
Open AccessArticle
The Mediating Effect of Post-Traumatic Growth on the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Distress in Adults
by
Sara Caetano and Henrique Pereira
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050262 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and are associated with psychological distress. Some studies indicate facing these adversities can lead to post-traumatic growth. This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on psychological distress and post-traumatic growth
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Background: Research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are prevalent and are associated with psychological distress. Some studies indicate facing these adversities can lead to post-traumatic growth. This study aims to assess the impact of ACEs on psychological distress and post-traumatic growth and to determine the mediating effect of post-traumatic growth between ACEs and psychological distress, in a sample of adults. Methods: In this study, there were 521 participants (mean = 31.32, SD = 12.28), who answered the following surveys online: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Family ACE Questionnaire, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) and the Post-Traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI). Results: ACEs were positive and significant predictors of psychological distress, and the “Change in the perception of the self and life in general” factor of post-traumatic growth was the strongest predictor of lower perceived psychological distress. Post-traumatic growth did not mediate the relationship between ACEs and psychological distress. Conclusions: These findings contribute to the improvement of clinical practice and health policies and highlight the need for a more in-depth understanding of the impact of ACEs on mental health.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exploring the Systemic Causes of Adverse Childhood Experiences)
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Open AccessArticle
The More Democracy, the Better? On Whether Democracy Makes Societies Open
by
Cristian López
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050261 - 13 May 2024
Abstract
It is a common view that Popper’s defense of the open society has been a defense of Western, liberal democracies. This seems to imply that by fostering democratic institutions we are ipso facto fostering open societies. I criticize this view by arguing that
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It is a common view that Popper’s defense of the open society has been a defense of Western, liberal democracies. This seems to imply that by fostering democratic institutions we are ipso facto fostering open societies. I criticize this view by arguing that in-built incentives in democratic mechanisms move us away from (or hamper) the open society. Democracy promotes voters’ ignorance, indulges voters’ irrationality, and allows voters to externalize costs. This is contrary to well-informed, rational decisions and personal responsibility that lie at the fundamentals of the open society. I suggest that it has been free-market capitalism, or free-market societies, which has moved us closer to the ideal of the open society and which best realizes open society’s values.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Open Society 2.0: Democracy in the Age of Social Media and Populism)
Open AccessArticle
A Study of Environmental Organizations in Puerto Rico Advocating for Social and Environmental Justice
by
Clara E. Rodriguez and Carmen Collins
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050260 - 11 May 2024
Abstract
After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, we wanted to determine how the islanders viewed environmental organizations as part of an effort to understand the relationships between attitudes, institutions, and environmental and social justice issues. As a category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Maria was one
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After Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, we wanted to determine how the islanders viewed environmental organizations as part of an effort to understand the relationships between attitudes, institutions, and environmental and social justice issues. As a category 5 hurricane, Hurricane Maria was one of the strongest to hit Puerto Rico. Yet, the US mainstream media coverage of this and other environmental issues was lacking. From a total of 90 environmental organizations in Puerto Rico, we surveyed 19 that were active in the southwest of the island. We asked: (1) How do local people view environmental and social justice issues and (2) given their organizations’ efforts to deal with these issues, what are their successes? To address these questions, we developed a survey in English and Spanish and conducted personal and online interviews with 30 relevant individuals. Their most successful outcomes included: (1) educating and creating greater awareness of environmental issues; (2) introducing environmental changes into their communities; and (3) becoming and surviving as economically sustainable organizations. The results inform our understanding between environmental organizations and social and environmental justice in Puerto Rico and more broadly, because the organizations surveyed are at the center of fighting climate change and achieving environmental justice.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social and Environmental Justice)
Open AccessSystematic Review
Domestic Violence Victimization Risk Assessment in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review
by
Daniela Rita Ribeiro Cunha, Maria Emília Leitão and Ana Isabel Sani
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050259 - 11 May 2024
Abstract
Background: Risk assessment is the process of collecting information towards the goal of protecting the physical and psychological integrity of the victim, taking into account factors associated with violence to assess the severity of violence, protect victims, and prevent recidivism. This type of
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Background: Risk assessment is the process of collecting information towards the goal of protecting the physical and psychological integrity of the victim, taking into account factors associated with violence to assess the severity of violence, protect victims, and prevent recidivism. This type of risk assessment is commonly used in situations of domestic violence and needs to be adjusted for the contexts of child and adolescent victimization. Objective: Resources and standardized criteria to guide a child-centered domestic violence victimization risk assessment are lacking. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the instruments, risk factors and outcomes identified in the literature for situations of domestic violence involving children. Methods: Following the PRISMA protocol, 313 articles from the EBSCO, Web of Science and PubMed databases were screened and 13 were identified for analysis. Results: An analysis of the characteristics of some instruments created to assess the impact of domestic violence involving children shows that caregivers’ risk factors are strong predictors of child abuse, highlighting the interrelationship with other factors, as well as warning about the cumulative risk, including child homicide. Conclusions: The literature confirms the importance of family system factors regarding the risk of the mistreatment of children in situations of domestic violence. Risk assessment must cater to the needs and specificities of individual children.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
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Open AccessArticle
“Vulnerability” and Its Unintended Consequences
by
Jeanette Skoglund and Renee Thørnblad
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050258 - 11 May 2024
Abstract
“Vulnerability” is now a widely used term in different settings—from politics and academia to everyday life. In response, a growing body of research has emerged critiquing and challenging the use of the concept in the social sciences. In this paper, we explore the
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“Vulnerability” is now a widely used term in different settings—from politics and academia to everyday life. In response, a growing body of research has emerged critiquing and challenging the use of the concept in the social sciences. In this paper, we explore the use of the term vulnerability in research on children in out-of-home care and discuss the possible negative consequences of this—for the people involved and for the knowledge produced. Showing some of the problems involved in classifying these children as “particularly vulnerable”, we argue that there is a need for more nuanced understandings of children growing up in out-of-home care.
Full article
Open AccessArticle
Gender-Based Biopsychosocial Correlates of Truancy in Physical Education: A National Survey among Adolescents in Benin
by
Medina Srem-Sai, Edmond Kwesi Agormedah, John Elvis Hagan, Jr., Newton Isaac Gbordzoe and Jacob Owusu Sarfo
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050257 - 10 May 2024
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Truancy among in-school adolescents has long been established as a major issue that negatively impacts educational attainment or goals and mental health-related issues. However, research on subjects such as physical education (PE) truancy and its correlates is somewhat limited. This study estimated the
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Truancy among in-school adolescents has long been established as a major issue that negatively impacts educational attainment or goals and mental health-related issues. However, research on subjects such as physical education (PE) truancy and its correlates is somewhat limited. This study estimated the prevalence of PE and assessed the factors associated with PE truancy in Benin among in-school adolescents. The 2016 Benin’s Global School-Based Health Survey (GSHS) data from a sample of in-school adolescents (n = 2496; 13–17 years) were used for data analysis. The overall prevalence of past 30-day truancy in PE class was 15.4%, with female adolescents reporting a higher prevalence of PE truancy than their male counterparts. Stratified by gender, the regression analyses showed that males in 3rd–6th grade (aOR = 0.69, CI = 0.50–0.96) experiencing hunger (aOR = 0.51, CI = 0.32–0.81) and having suicidal ideations (aOR = 1.64, CI = 1.07–2.53) predisposed adolescents to PE truant behaviour. For female in-school adolescents experiencing hunger (aOR = 1.75, CI = 1.15–2.65), drinking alcohol (aOR = 0.62, CI = 0.44–0.87), having sedentary lifestyles (aOR = 0.62, CI = 0.40–0.96), and being physically attacked (aOR = 0.53, CI = 0.33–0.87) were significantly associated with PE truancy. However, understanding and supportive parents [aOR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.41–0.91] was a protective factor against PE truancy. The present findings suggest the design of gender-sensitive school-based interventions to help minimise or prevent PE truancy among in-school adolescents in Benin based on the predisposing factors while emphasising the protective influences.
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Open AccessArticle
How Power Affects Moral Judgments: The Presence of Harm to Life Modifies the Association between Power and Moral Choices
by
Mufan Zheng, Ana Guinote and Wei Luo
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050256 - 9 May 2024
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Lammers and Stapel reported that high power increases deontological (rule-based) moral thinking, and low power increases utilitarian (outcome-based) moral thinking. However, the dilemmas were mild and did not involve harm to life. Here, we examined whether the presence or absence of harm to
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Lammers and Stapel reported that high power increases deontological (rule-based) moral thinking, and low power increases utilitarian (outcome-based) moral thinking. However, the dilemmas were mild and did not involve harm to life. Here, we examined whether the presence or absence of harm to life affects the moral decisions of powerholders. To help establish the replicability and validity of the effects of power on moral judgments in the absence of harm to life, we first performed an exact replication of a study conducted by Lammers and Stapel, and this experiment was followed up by a similar study in an organizational context in China (Studies 1 and 2). Studies 3 and 4 investigated whether power and the presence/absence of harm to life interacted with preferences for deontological versus utilitarian moral judgments. Power consistently triggered deontological thinking. However, power differences in moral reasoning only emerged when there was no harm to life. Harm prompted deontological responses among control and powerless individuals, which nullified differences across the power conditions. The findings demarcate the generalizability of the association between power and a moral thinking style.
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Open AccessArticle
Enhancing Mental Health Predictions: A Gradient Boosted Model for Sri Lankan Camp Refugees
by
Indranil Sahoo, Elizabeth Amona, Miriam Kuttikat and David Chan
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050255 - 9 May 2024
Abstract
This study explores the mental health challenges encountered by Sri Lankan camp refugees, a population often marginalized in mental health research, and analyzes a range of factors including socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions in camps, and psychological variables. In quantitative mental health research, linear
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This study explores the mental health challenges encountered by Sri Lankan camp refugees, a population often marginalized in mental health research, and analyzes a range of factors including socio-demographic characteristics, living conditions in camps, and psychological variables. In quantitative mental health research, linear regression serves as a conventional approach for assessing the influence of diverse factors on mental health outcomes. However, this method fails to accommodate non-linear relationships between mental health variables and predictors and relies on stringent model assumptions that often do not align with real-world conditions. This study introduces a model-agnostic, advanced machine learning/artificial intelligence (ML/AI) technique, glmboost, as a viable alternative to linear regression. The glmboost algorithm is capable of fitting non-linear prediction models while also conducting variable selection. Moreover, the coefficients obtained from the glmboost model retain the same interpretability as those derived from linear regression. While the glmboost model identifies several key factors including post-migration living difficulties, post-traumatic stress disorder, difficulty in sleeping, poor family functioning, and lower informal support from families as markers of declining mental well-being among the Sri Lankan refugees, the linear regression overlooks vital predictors such as family functioning and family support, highlighting the importance of utilizing advanced ML/AI techniques like glmboost to comprehensively capture complex relationships between predictor variables and mental health outcomes among refugee populations. Thus, by introducing a novel, data-driven approach to mental health risk assessment, this study paves the way for more precise and efficient analyses and interventions in refugee settings, with the potential for improved resource allocation and personalized support, thus revolutionizing mental health service delivery in challenging environments. Additionally, it contributes to the academic discussion on refugee mental health while emphasizing the pivotal role of advanced data analytics in addressing complex health issues within humanitarian contexts.
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(This article belongs to the Section International Migration)
Open AccessArticle
Reflections on Recidivism and Relapse Prevention among Italian Justice-Involved Juveniles: A General Overview
by
Valeria Saladino, Danilo Calaresi, Filippo Petruccelli and Valeria Verrastro
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050254 - 8 May 2024
Abstract
Research interprets antisocial and illegal behavior among juveniles as an expression of needs, as a conscious action, or as an adherence to family, cultural, and social contexts. Professionals and researchers interested in the topic could benefit from reflections and insights on relapse prevention
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Research interprets antisocial and illegal behavior among juveniles as an expression of needs, as a conscious action, or as an adherence to family, cultural, and social contexts. Professionals and researchers interested in the topic could benefit from reflections and insights on relapse prevention among justice-involved juveniles (JIJs). In light of these considerations, we investigated the criminal conduct of JIJs, identifying their background, individual characteristics, and the educational and rehabilitative programs of the 17 Italian youth detention centers from a sample of 234 JIJs (214 males and 20 females, 14–25 years old). The sample completed the following questionnaires: the high-risk situation checklist, deviant behavior questionnaire (DBQ), and the neighborhood perception questionnaire (NPQ). The study aims to provide a general overview of the justice-involved adolescents and young adults in Italian youth detention centers, focusing on perpetrator profiles, family systems and the quality of life in the Italian youth detention centers. To achieve our goals, we investigated their occupations and education, the perceived quality of life in their neighborhoods, the use of drugs, and the tendency to commit illegal or antisocial behaviors before incarceration. The study also explored the awareness related to the personal perception of the risk factors in relapse, with the aim of stimulating reflections on behavior and crime-related cognitions to promote relapse prevention. We discuss the main findings and future implications.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Youth Violence, Crime and Juvenile Justice)
Open AccessArticle
Energy Poverty and Health Expenditure: Empirical Evidence from Vietnam
by
Hang Thu Nguyen-Phung and Hai Le
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050253 - 6 May 2024
Abstract
Utilizing data from the 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, we undertake an empirical investigation into the influence of energy poverty on the health expenditure of Vietnamese households. Employing a double-hurdle model, our empirical findings reveal a negative relationship between energy poverty and
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Utilizing data from the 2016 Vietnam Household Living Standard Survey, we undertake an empirical investigation into the influence of energy poverty on the health expenditure of Vietnamese households. Employing a double-hurdle model, our empirical findings reveal a negative relationship between energy poverty and health expenditure. Specifically, our results indicate that for each incremental unit increase in energy poverty, there is a substantial reduction of 42.5 percentage points in the overall health expenditure of the households. Furthermore, as energy poverty deepens, we observe declines of 24.6 percentage points and 45.5 percentage points in the expenses incurred for inpatient/outpatient care and self-treatment, respectively. To validate the robustness of our results, we conduct several sensitivity analyses, including propensity score matching, double/debiased machine learning. Across all these methods, our findings consistently underscore the significant and persistent adverse impact of energy poverty on the examined outcome variables. Additionally, to examine the underlying pathways, we conduct a structural equation modeling analysis and find that the relationship between energy poverty and health expenses is mediated by household hospitalization and expenditures on essential items, such as food and daily necessities.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Social Economics)
Open AccessArticle
“We Cannot Go There, They Cannot Come Here”: Dispersed Care, Asian Indian Immigrant Families and the COVID-19 Pandemic
by
Rianka Roy, Bandana Purkayastha and Elizabeth Chacko
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050252 - 6 May 2024
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted families and displaced individuals. For migrant workers, these disruptions and displacements exacerbated the state-imposed constraints on family formation. But how did high-skilled and high-wage immigrants, presumably immune from these challenges, provide care to and receive care from families during
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The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted families and displaced individuals. For migrant workers, these disruptions and displacements exacerbated the state-imposed constraints on family formation. But how did high-skilled and high-wage immigrants, presumably immune from these challenges, provide care to and receive care from families during the pandemic? Based on 33 in-depth interviews with high-skilled Asian Indian immigrants in the USA during the pandemic, we note disruptions in their care to and from families. These disruptions reveal a persistent pattern of dispersion in immigrant families which leads to what we call “dispersed care.” By “dispersed care” we identify the effects of various state-imposed immigration laws and policies, which force immigrants to divide and allocate care among multiple fragments of their families in home and host countries. Dispersed care affects immigrant workers’ professional output, forcing them to make difficult choices between their career and care commitments. To unsettle the assumed homogeneity of high-skilled “Asian Indians,” we choose participants at diverse intersections of their migration pathways—naturalized US citizens, permanent US residents, and temporary visa holders or nonimmigrants. While naturalized US citizens and permanent residents have better resources to maintain transnational family ties than nonimmigrants, all of them face the intersectional challenges of dispersed care.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender, Work and Family in Turbulent Times: COVID-19, Remote Work and Diversity)
Open AccessArticle
Exploring Motivators for Trust in the Dichotomy of Human—AI Trust Dynamics
by
Michael Gerlich
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050251 - 6 May 2024
Abstract
This study analyses the dimensions of trust in artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on why a significant portion of the UK population demonstrates a higher level of trust in AI compared to humans. Conducted through a mixed-methods approach, this study gathered 894 responses, with
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This study analyses the dimensions of trust in artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on why a significant portion of the UK population demonstrates a higher level of trust in AI compared to humans. Conducted through a mixed-methods approach, this study gathered 894 responses, with 451 meeting the criteria for analysis. It utilised a combination of a six-step Likert-scale survey and open-ended questions to explore the psychological, sociocultural, and technological facets of trust. The analysis was underpinned by structural equation modelling (SEM) and correlation techniques. The results unveil a strong predilection for trusting AI, mainly due to its perceived impartiality and accuracy, which participants likened to conventional computing systems. This preference starkly contrasts with the scepticism towards human reliability, which is influenced by the perception of inherent self-interest and dishonesty in humans, further exacerbated by a general distrust in media narratives. Additionally, this study highlights a significant correlation between distrust in AI and an unwavering confidence in human judgment, illustrating a dichotomy in trust orientations. This investigation illuminates the complex dynamics of trust in the era of digital technology, making a significant contribution to the ongoing discourse on AI’s societal integration and underscoring vital considerations for future AI development and policymaking.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Contemporary Politics and Society)
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Open AccessArticle
Perpetuation of Gender Bias in Visual Representation of Professions in the Generative AI Tools DALL·E and Bing Image Creator
by
Teresa Sandoval-Martin and Ester Martínez-Sanzo
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050250 - 2 May 2024
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based generative imaging systems such as DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Adobe Firefly, which work by transforming natural language descriptions into images, are revolutionizing computer vision. In this exploratory and qualitative research, we have replicated requests for images of women in
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Artificial intelligence (AI)-based generative imaging systems such as DALL·E, Midjourney, Stable Diffusion, and Adobe Firefly, which work by transforming natural language descriptions into images, are revolutionizing computer vision. In this exploratory and qualitative research, we have replicated requests for images of women in different professions by comparing these representations in previous studies with DALL·E, observing that this model continues to provide in its last version, DALL·E 3, inequitable results in terms of gender. In addition, Bing Image Creator, Microsoft’s free tool that is widely used among the population and runs under DALL·E, has been tested for the first time. It also presents a sexualization of women and stereotypical children’s representations. The results reveal the following: 1. A slight improvement in terms of the presence of women in professions previously shown only with men. 2. They continue to offer biased results in terms of the objectification of women by showing sexualized women. 3. The representation of children highlights another level of gender bias, reinforcing traditional stereotypes associated with gender roles from childhood, which can impact future decisions regarding studies and occupations.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Equality in the Workplace: Theory and Practice for Decent Work and a Climate of Inclusion)
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Open AccessArticle
Health Education for Women Released from Prison in Brazil: Barriers and Possibilities for Intervention
by
Patrícia de Paula Queiroz Bonato, Carla Apaecida Arena Ventura, Renata Karina Reis, Claudio do Prado Amaral, Stefaan De Smet, Sergio Grossi, Emanuele Seicenti de Brito and Isabel Craveiro
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050249 - 30 Apr 2024
Abstract
The aim of this work is to present the results of research carried out in a city in the interior of São Paulo that sought to understand the health needs of women released from prisons in the region who are cared for at
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The aim of this work is to present the results of research carried out in a city in the interior of São Paulo that sought to understand the health needs of women released from prisons in the region who are cared for at a Center for Attention to Egress and Family (CAEF) as well as the barriers they report in obtaining support, discussing them in light of educational health interventions described in the international literature. This study conducted formative research to identify the themes and issues that should be included in educational material. Data were collected through body-map storytelling and semi-structured interviews with six and twenty women released from prison, respectively, and nine interviews with professionals from the CAEF and the health sector of a women’s penitentiary in the study location. The main health demands of the women identified in the study were chronic diseases, mental health, gynecological problems, and sexually transmitted diseases, which constitute individual barriers and are aggravated by others of a relational, institutional, and political-systemic nature. It is hoped that the present study will inspire new interventions to be considered in the Brazilian context based on these results.
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(This article belongs to the Section Crime and Justice)
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Open AccessArticle
Impacts of Urban Flooding on Gender in a Slum of Bangladesh
by
Zarin Subah, Sujit Kumar Bala and Jae Hyeon Ryu
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050248 - 30 Apr 2024
Abstract
Urban flooding is a frequent disaster during the monsoon period (June–October), hindering the daily lives of city dwellers, especially slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This study assessed the impact of urban flooding on the lives of Baganbari slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh using
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Urban flooding is a frequent disaster during the monsoon period (June–October), hindering the daily lives of city dwellers, especially slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh. This study assessed the impact of urban flooding on the lives of Baganbari slum dwellers in Dhaka, Bangladesh using Moser analytical tools to explore how urban flooding affects individuals of different genders. Participatory and survey methods involving 50 slum dwellers (25 men, 25 women) were carried out to collect feedback and comments. Additionally, focus group discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured and key informant interviews (KII) were also conducted to express gender-related discrimination (e.g., men vs. women). Women are usually involved in “double day” roles (100% in reproductive and 72% in productive roles) while 92% of men are found to have no contribution in those roles. Moreover, women’s participation in community roles is significantly affected during urban flooding (almost 100%) as it imposes a compulsion for them to stay home and carry out their reproductive work. Thus, women encounter numerous challenges in meeting their practical and strategic needs, including ensuring food supplies, managing diseases and menstrual health, upholding sanitation, restricted movement, education obstacles, and more. The result shows that women in the Baganbari slum are found to have only 35% access and 6% control over resources, benefits, health facilities, and decision-making power during urban flooding. The significant decline in the access and control profile of women during urban flooding aggregates their difficulties and drives them into vulnerable positions in their own households.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gender Differences and Inequalities in Social and Health Sciences Research)
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Open AccessEssay
History Matters: The Institutionalization and Innovation Paradox in the Judiciary
by
Thiago Maia Sayão de Moraes and Marcos de Moraes Sousa
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050247 - 30 Apr 2024
Abstract
The judiciary is a field lacking research in relation to its administration and innovation; however, different theoretical perspectives can be followed. This work reviews this trend while adding to it. An institutional perspective is presented, as is its explanatory potential. This perspective captures
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The judiciary is a field lacking research in relation to its administration and innovation; however, different theoretical perspectives can be followed. This work reviews this trend while adding to it. An institutional perspective is presented, as is its explanatory potential. This perspective captures the context of the public sector; however, when analyzing its interpretation in terms of innovation, it is revealed to be doubly paradoxical. From the theoretical point of view, institutionalization focuses on the maintenance of processes, while innovation, gradually or abruptly, investigates their disruptions. Nevertheless, institutionalization can be observed as part of the sedimentation of innovation. Institutionalization is presented, in the context of innovation, as a selection mechanism that shapes such innovation. This paradox is presented under the review of organizational institutionalism vis-à-vis innovation and, for its unfolding, considers the adoption of innovation as an adaptation to the prevalent rationalized elements. This presentation is paralleled with the interpretation that innovation is limited by a structure that, sometimes rationalized, forms its trajectory. Considering the social function of the judiciary that is anchored in institutionalism, historical institutionalism is thus added, centrally placing the judiciary in the current institutional matrix and associating its path dependence with the dimensions of its innovation. Based on these outlines, propositions and a suggested agenda for future research are presented.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue Democracy, Politics and Innovation, and Social Integration in the Contemporary World)
Open AccessArticle
Using Social Media to Recruit Seldom-Heard Groups: Reaching Women and Girls with Experience of Violence in Iran
by
Ladan Hashemi, Fateme Babakhani, Nadia Aghtaie and Sally McManus
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050246 - 30 Apr 2024
Abstract
Social media recruitment and online surveys are valuable tools in social science research, but their effectiveness in reaching seldom-heard victims of gender violence in low-middle income (LMI) countries is under-explored. This empirical study aims to: (1) describe violence and abuse experiences and (2)
[...] Read more.
Social media recruitment and online surveys are valuable tools in social science research, but their effectiveness in reaching seldom-heard victims of gender violence in low-middle income (LMI) countries is under-explored. This empirical study aims to: (1) describe violence and abuse experiences and (2) assess the benefits and limitations of using social media to document violence against women and girls (VAWGs) in a LMI country to render visible the experiences of potentially isolated victims. A total of 453 Iranian women (aged 14–59, mean = 28.8, SD = 8.04) responded to an Instagram invitation for a study on women’s health and violence exposure from February 2020 to January 2022. The questionnaire covered general gendered abuse, domestic violence (DV), and forced unemployment. The analysis was performed using Stata 17. Nearly all participants reported abuse, including sexual (85.0%), psychological (83.4%), and technology-facilitated (57.4%) abuse, with 77.4% experiencing multiple forms. The street (62%) and home (52.8%) were common abuse locations. The perpetrators included known individuals (75.9%) and strangers (80.8%), with 56.7% reporting abuse by both. DV was reported by 72.6%, mainly involving psychological (73.1%), physical (53.4%), and/or sexual (17.2%) violence, with fathers (47.8%), husbands (42.7%), and brothers (40.2%) as frequent perpetrators. A quarter reported forced unemployment. Those experiencing DV and/or forced unemployment showed higher depression levels, suicidal ideation, and lower marital satisfaction. The study suggests using social media recruitment for VAWG research but cautions against overgeneralising from these data.
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(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Perspectives on Measuring Interpersonal Violence)
Open AccessArticle
Redefining the Communication Dynamics in Bolsonaro’s Brazil: Media Consumption and Political Preferences
by
Joao Feres Junior, Bruno Marques Schaefer and Eduardo Barbabela
Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050245 - 29 Apr 2024
Abstract
In this article, we contend that understanding Brazil’s current communicative landscape requires a closer examination of the relevance of legacy media outlets, challenging the widely accepted “traditional media bypass” thesis, which posits that social media platforms have overtaken traditional media as the primary
[...] Read more.
In this article, we contend that understanding Brazil’s current communicative landscape requires a closer examination of the relevance of legacy media outlets, challenging the widely accepted “traditional media bypass” thesis, which posits that social media platforms have overtaken traditional media as the primary influencers of political discourse, an argument often used to explain the rise of extreme-right ideologies across different national contexts. In order to test the association between voting preferences and the use of different types of media, we employ logistic regression analysis using data from a recent survey that includes numerous questions about the information and media consumption habits of Brazilian voters. Our findings highlight that legacy media, particularly broadcast TV channels like Globo, Record, and SBT, remain dominant in Brazil as sources of political information. Contrary to the bypass thesis, Bolsonaro’s supporters, while favoring social media, also consume significant amounts of legacy media. Analysis reveals stark differences in media preferences between the supporters of different political candidates, challenging the notion of an exclusive reliance on social media by right-wing supporters. The data also indicate nuanced media consumption habits, such as a preference for certain TV channels and fact-checking behaviors, underscoring the complex interplay between legacy and social media.
Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rethinking and Analyzing Political Communication in the Digital Era)
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