Abstract: Inclusion has become a central concept in disability policy, education, and welfare state reform, yet its practical implementation remains ambivalent. While inclusion is promoted as a rights-based ideal grounded in equality, it can also function as an administrative label that obscures persistent exclusion. Drawing on critical disability studies, this article analyses inclusion as a contested, power-laden concept and develops a three-stage framework—access, participation, and agency—to distinguish formal inclusion from substantive belonging and influence. The framework is applied to key domains of disabled people’s lives—education, housing, service systems, working life, crises, and digitalised everyday life—showing how ableist norms, managerial governance, and institutional logics can reproduce exclusion within ‘inclusive’ reforms, including forms of transformed institutionalisation. The article argues that meaningful inclusion requires dismantling ableist norms, addressing structural power relations, resourcing supports, and strengthening disabled people’s agency in decision-making.

Abstract: A fundamental limitation in human–AI systems lies not only in how decisions are produced, but in how they are cognitively understood. While existing research has advanced models of trust, performance, and human–AI interaction, it provides limited conceptual tools for explaining how individuals construct meaning within system-mediated environments. This gap suggests that the challenge of human–AI integration is not only computational, but fundamentally conceptual.This paper develops a structured conceptual framework of conscious leadership to organize the cognitive processes through which individuals interpret, engage with, and act within AI-supported systems. Rather than introducing isolated definitions, the framework is articulated as an interconnected system of constructs that collectively shape perception, interpretation, and decision coherence.Building on prior work on perceptual integrity as a condition of cognitive coherence, the study identifies and integrates a set of foundational constructs, including cognitive balance, meaning gap, leadership latency, and cognitive governance. These constructs are positioned within a unified cognitive architecture that explains how meaning is formed, disrupted, and restored in human–AI interaction.The paper makes three contributions. First, it reframes leadership as a cognitive–interpretive system rather than a purely behavioral or relational construct. Second, it introduces a structured framework as a methodological tool for analyzing and designing human–AI systems. Third, it provides a foundation for future empirical research by defining constructs that can be operationalized and tested across contexts.As intelligent systems increasingly shape decision environments, structuring how meaning is constructed becomes as critical as optimizing decisions. A decision may be technically correct yet cognitively unintegrated. This study positions conceptual structure not as a descriptive layer, but as an active mechanism shaping cognition, leadership, and human–AI coherence.

Abstract: This paper proposes a sociological approach to chronic disease using diabetes as an exemplary case. It examines how biological mechanisms, clinical practices, and institutional frameworks are intertwined in shaping how diabetes is defined, studied, and managed. Rather than treating biological and social domains as separate, the analysis emphasizes their mutual embeddedness. Decisions about what counts as evidence, which mechanisms are emphasized, and how uncertainty is interpreted have technical dimensions, but they are also shaped by governance structures, professional norms, and policy contexts. Understanding chronic disease, therefore, requires attention both to biological processes and to the conditions under which these processes are investigated, interpreted, and translated into medical knowledge and practice.

Abstract: This paper introduces the concept of Existential Resistance Literature as an emerging interdisciplinary framework positioned at the intersection of philosophy, leadership theory, and socio-technical systems. The study responds to accelerating technological developments that increasingly frame human behavior through algorithmic, predictive, and data-driven models. While such systems enhance efficiency and coordination, they simultaneously risk reducing human agency, meaning, and interpretive depth.Building on a perception-centered perspective, the paper proposes that contemporary systems face a fundamental challenge: not merely optimization, but the preservation of human coherence. In response, Existential Resistance Literature is conceptualized as a human-centered intellectual and narrative approach that resists reductionist interpretations of human identity. Central to this framework is the concept of perceptual integrity, which explains how individuals and systems maintain meaning, trust, and continuity under conditions of complexity and technological mediation.The study integrates recent research on cognitive diversity, collective intelligence, and human–AI interaction to demonstrate that sustainable systems depend not only on structural efficiency but on interpretive alignment. By reframing resistance as a constructive process of preserving meaning rather than opposing technology, the paper advances a novel paradigm for understanding the relationship between human systems and algorithmic environments.

Abstract: Starting from the assumption that, in contemporary debate, sustainability should increasingly be interpreted within a sociological paradigm, this contribution aims to analyse the soft competences required for the education of a citizen capable of developing an ethical and inclusive orientation, understood as a civic prerequisite for processes of sociocultural integration. From this perspective, sustainability is not considered solely as a set of environmental practices or public policies, but rather as a cultural and normative dispositive that structures habitus, representations and models of action. The progressive acquisition of knowledge, values and practices oriented towards sustainability, both at the individual and collective levels, makes it possible to frame this phenomenon as a constitutive dimension of processes of modernisation and sociocultural development. Such processes are frequently supported and accelerated by technological innovation, which acts as an enabling but not determining factor. Moving beyond deterministic interpretations of a technological, political or economic nature, the analysis adopts a culturalist perspective that emphasises the social construction of a sustainable identity, namely an identity that assumes sustainability as a regulative principle of everyday action and as a lifestyle for the contemporary citizen. This trajectory implies the active and inclusive involvement of agencies of socialisation, first and foremost the school institution, called upon to promote sustainability as a foundational value of social inclusion and community cohesion. Within this framework, the second part of the contribution explores sustainability education through the implementation of a design protocol for digital education within STEAM disciplines, placing particular emphasis on methodologies and tools such as coding and educational robotics, understood as pedagogical tools for the development of critical, collaborative and socially responsible competences.

Abstract: Market-based environmental policies are typically evaluated in terms of their deterrent effects on individual behavior, yet this perspective offers only a partial explanation of how such instruments operate in practice. This study argues that market-based regulation can also function as a legitimacy-generating governance mechanism that shapes environmental action through socio-emotional pathways. Focusing on Turkey’s plastic bag charge introduced in 2019, the study examines whether price-based regulation operates solely through cost sensitivity or also through perceived policy legitimacy and emotional environmental engagement. Drawing on ecological modernization theory and regulatory governance literature, the study employs survey data from 515 participants in Turkey to test a mediation model linking perceived policy legitimacy, emotional environmental engagement, and environmental action. The findings show that perceived policy legitimacy significantly enhances emotional environmental engagement, which in turn predicts both individual and collective environmental action. These results indicate that policy effectiveness extends beyond economic deterrence and depends on the capacity of policies to generate emotional engagement among citizens. The study contributes by demonstrating the dual governance role of market-based instruments and by integrating affective mechanisms into environmental governance analysis.

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Background: Early marriage among girls under 19 years remains a significant public health and social concern in the Sundarbans of West Bengal, India. Despite legal restrictions, the practice continues due to socio-cultural norms, economic constraints, and gender inequality. Objectives: To assess the sociodemographic characteristics of girls married before the age of 19 years and to explore their opinions regarding early marriage. Methods: A mixed-methods study employing a convergent parallel design was conducted among 20 girls married before the age of 19 years. Quantitative sociodemographic data were analyzed descriptively, while qualitative insights were generated through two Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings were integrated using a joint analysis approach to examine convergence, divergence, and complementarity across data strands. Results: Quantitative findings: Most participants were aged 16–18 years (80%), with 90% living with their husbands. A majority were housewives (60%), while others were engaged in daily work or farming. Half had secondary education (50%), while 15% had no formal education. Most participants had no children (65%). Qualitative findings: Early marriage was socially accepted and influenced by family pressure and limited autonomy. Although participants preferred marriage after valued education, early marriage often resulted in school discontinuation. Girls reported a lack of readiness for marital responsibilities and economic dependency. However, many expressed a desire to delay marriage and continue education. Conclusion: Early marriage persists due to entrenched socio-cultural and economic factors despite awareness of its adverse effects. Strengthening education, empowerment, and community awareness is essential to delay the age of marriage.

Abstract: Background: Accelerating global population aging underscores the need to identify multidimensional determinants of successful aging. This review synthesizes evidence on social, spiritual, and religious factors that shape well-being, and quality of life in later adulthood. Successful aging is conceptualized as adaptation to age-related challenges through internal and external resources. Emerging research suggests that pet ownership and companion animals promote meaning, purpose, and social connectedness, while spiritual, religious, and contemplative practices support coping, psychological stability, and foster life satisfaction in older adults. Methods: This review of the literature examines the intersection of spirituality, religious practice, meditation, life purpose, and pet ownership as mediating and reinforcing influences on successful aging. This review focused on evidence linking prayer, meditation, chanting, and spiritual and religious participation to psychological, cognitive, and physiological outcomes, as well as literature exploring human-animal relationships in later life. Results: Findings indicate that spiritual and religious practices, companion animal relationships, and contemplative practices support core aspects of successful aging, including emotional well-being, reduced loneliness, enhanced coping, and greater life meaning. Yet, it remains unclear whether these influences act synergistically or independently, and how they shape older adults’ experiences of aging and adaptation to decline. Conclusions: Incorporating spiritual, religious, and contemplative practices alongside companion animals may enhance holistic models of successful aging by supporting emotional, social, and spiritual well-being. Future research should explore multidimensional mechanisms to inform interventions that improve quality of life in later adulthood.

Abstract: HM Inspectorate of Probation is committed to building and utilising the evidence base for high-quality youth justice services, and to promoting excellence and having a positive impact upon those inspected and the wider sector. Research evidence and inspection findings are used to inform understanding of what helps and what hinders services and to consider system-wide change. In this article, the latest inspection and research findings in relation to the high-profile areas of serious youth violence and criminal exploitation are highlighted. The article encompasses insights from core and thematic inspections, including those from recent joint targeted area inspections (JTAIs) undertaken with other inspectorates. Alongside the JTAIs which examined multi-agency responses to serious youth violence, research was commissioned to hear directly from children and families about their experiences. Other research commissioned by the Inspectorate has emphasised the importance of implementing relational, child-centred and trauma-informed approaches and to optimising collaborative/partnership working across agencies and sectors. Reports have also drawn attention to the value of paying attention to the socio-ecological framework, systemic resilience, adultification biases, and both contextual and transitional safeguarding.

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to propose a sociological and interdisciplinary framework for analyzing the digitization of emotions in adolescence. This contribution aims to promote theoretical reflection and inform educational and political interventions in the digital age, framing adolescents’ digital experiences as emotionally embodied and socially integrated processes. These aspects are concepts of great importance thanks to (or because of) the rapid spread of digital technologies and artificial intelligence, which has brought about a profound transformation in the emotional, relational, and educational experiences of adolescents. The role of digital and AI-based environments in mediating communication is expanding beyond simple facilitation. These environments are increasingly involved in the production, modulation, and regulation of emotions, thus influencing developmental trajectories and identity formation processes (Lupton, 2018a; Belk, 2013). This is conceptualized as a socio-technical process through which emotions are embodied, narrated, and governed within digital environments (Auriemma, 2023a). Consequently, the article introduces the concept of digital emotional embodiment, drawing on the sociology of emotions, theories of embodiment, and critical perspectives on artificial intelligence. Specifically, the concept refers to the way adolescents experience and express emotions through avatars, images, emojis, algorithmic feedback, and AI-mediated interactions (Niedenthal, Winkielman, Mondillon & Vermeulen, 2009; Zimmermann, Wehler & Kaspar, 2023). Therefore, it is important to emphasize the transformation of empathy, which is increasingly configured as a virtualized and datafied process, moving away (transforming) from that linked to Sympathy and to which we have been accustomed since Hume. In new processes, shaped by the logic of platforms, recommendation systems, and emotionally reactive technologies, standard emotional concepts have been deconstructed, and digital constructs are slowly being restructured (Scribano & Mairano, 2021; Auriemma, 2023b). In this context, AI systems do not merely reflect adolescents’ emotions, but actively contribute to the construction of emotional narratives, influencing emotional regulation, social connection, and future orientation. Digital environments have the capacity to encourage emotional expressiveness, experimentation, and inclusivity (Gall, Roth, Stauffert, Zarges & Latoschik, 2021). Conversely, they can also promote emotional standardization, dependence, and forms of affective vulnerability, particularly during a sensitive developmental stage such as adolescence.

Abstract: In a world characterized by the paradox of unprecedented advances in climate science on the one hand, and high degrees of skepticism towards anthropogenic climate change on the other, the need for a new figure, or expert, arises. Conventional scientists and entire disciplines struggle against climate change denial, while the effects of climate change itself need to be faced and managed in a way that goes beyond the current framework of expertise in the standardized field. Via an evaluation of current challenges and future perspectives, this work redefines the term “terrologist” to introduce a new, ideal expert with a background in climate and social sciences, capable of resolving at a local scale the challenges posed by the phenomenon. The same expert would also be able to offer solutions at much broader scales, possibly beyond the boundaries of countries and their legal systems. These challenges are not to be underestimated, as they threaten the economy and the integrity of society as a whole: a mismanagement of climate-related actions may in fact exacerbate social conflict and deepen the ongoing crisis. The description of this new role highlights the importance of social science involvement in topics normally restricted to climate sciences and its multiple branches, and calls for more cooperation between multiple fields.

Abstract: Studying how people manage and use their time not only deepens our understanding of individual routines but also highlights the roles they play within their household and society. The Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) Wave 8 developed a novel time expenditure module enabling cross-national, longitudinal analysis of daily activities among adults aged 50 and over. This paper presents the module’s design and initial findings. We provide methodological guidance essential for accurate data interpretation and present descriptive results by country, gender, age, and education. Our findings reveal substantial cross-national variation in time allocation patterns. While sleep (7-8.5 hours) and leisure activities (3.5-5.5 hours) dominate daily schedules across all countries, women spend approximately an hour more per day on household chores than men, with even greater gaps of 78 to 109 minutes in Southern Europe. Gender differences in care work are negligible, with the notable exception of Israel where women provide substantially more care. In contrast, men spend more time in paid work and leisure. Educational gradients are most pronounced for paid work: tertiary-educated older adults spend nearly three times as long in employment (119 minutes) compared to those with below-secondary education (44 minutes). Time use shifts substantially with age: paid work drops from 207 to 18 minutes between ages 50-64 and 65-79, while leisure and sleep increase. Contrary to stereotypes of older adults’ lives, these patterns reveal both continuity and change. With subsequent waves, this module will illuminate whether these patterns represent stable features of later life or transitional states that evolve with health, partnership status, and proximity to end of life.

Abstract: This study examines female microenterprise entrepreneurship in the city of Juliaca, Peru, as a response to structural conditions of poverty, informality, and limited inclusion in public policies. In this context, the study seeks to understand and interpret the dynamics of women-led entrepreneurship and its articulation with sustainable local socioeconomic development. A qualitative methodological approach was adopted, based on an interpretative phenomenological design. The research techniques employed included in-depth interviews, direct observation, and documentary review, applied to 16 female microentrepreneurs selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The findings reveal that intrinsic motivations (resilience, leadership, and self-fulfillment) and extrinsic motivations (economic independence, access to financing, and education) constitute key elements in the entrepreneurial process. Additionally, business social capital—through family, community, and institutional networks—was found to play a strategic role in business sustainability. Furthermore, women entrepreneurs actively and significantly contribute to sustainable local socioeconomic development by stimulating local economies, generating employment, and promoting socially, fiscally, and ethically responsible practices. Therefore, although women act as agents of change and transformation, they face structural barriers that require public policies with a territorial and gender-based approach to enhance their impact and sustainability.

Abstract: Background: This paper critically examines the bellicist theory, which posits war as central to national unification in modern state formation. While influential, its applicability to the Third World, particularly Africa, is debated. The research gap lies in explaining nation-building in the absence of war, as exemplified by Tanzania's high national identity despite lacking significant conflict, contrasting with Kenya's lower identity despite interstate war. The central question is: What drove a high national identity in Tanzania despite the absence of war? Methods: A qualitative comparative method (QCM) was employed to analyze post-colonial state formation in Tanzania and Kenya; Results: The findings suggest that post-colonial state policies—discontinuing colonial legacies, fostering inter-ethnic embeddedness, and establishing equal citizenship—are key drivers of higher national identity; Conclusions: this study challenged the necessity of war for nation-building, highlighting the importance of state-led integration processes via inclusive and equal policies to all.

Abstract: The study was conducted to assess primary school teachers’ satisfaction with advocacy services in primary school social work and to identify influencing factors. Data were collected from 398 primary school teachers through a questionnaire, assessing aspects of advocacy services including reliability, responsiveness, competence, empathy and im-plementation conditions. The results of the study showed that teachers’ overall satisfaction was quite high (M = 4.01, SD = 0.27), with all components being positively evaluated. Analysis of differences by demographic factors showed that sex, age, location and region influenced teachers’ evaluation of service quality, while seniority and education level had only limited impact. Pearson correlation analysis shows that all service factors have a positive relationship with satisfaction, in which responsiveness, trust, empathy and im-plementation conditions are statistically significant. Service factors also have strong cor-relations with each other, reflecting the consistency in teachers' perceptions. The study provides a quantitative basis for improving and enhancing the quality of advocacy services in primary school social work, and suggests policies and directions for further research.

Abstract: This paper addresses the critical intersection of demographic shifts and private land conservation, with a focus on the implications for wildlife management in rural private ecosystems. As private land ownership, resulting from the phenomenon of amenity migration, continues to fragment and diversify, understanding how these emerging landowners interact with wildlife and engage in management practices is essential to achieving large-scale conservation outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this understudied intersection of literatures through a review that synthesizes existing scholarship, identifies critical gaps, and outlines opportunities for future research and institutional response. Building on socio-ecological systems perspectives, our results showcase four themes where wildlife is mentioned in the amenity migration literature, yet wildlife is rarely treated as a managed social-ecological system in this literature. Our call for action argues that the implications of amenity migration on wildlife management extend beyond individual landowners to include institutional systems, shifting com-munity dynamics, and new patterns of land use that together shape the conditions under which wildlife can persist.

Abstract: Background and Aims: Since the early 2000s, scholarship and policy analysis on Nigeria’s extractive sectors have expanded beyond oil bunkering to encompass the illegal mining of solid minerals, artisanal economies and environmental degradation. These developments have produced new framings and critiques of the “resource curse,” linking extraction to governance, security and justice. This paper aims to elucidate how the idea of “resource governance” has been discussed and perceived across Nigerian scholarly and policy texts from 1999 to 2025. Methods: Terms like “resource governance in Nigeria,” “extractive industries,” “mining” and “illegal mining" were searched across academic databases and institutional repositories. 36 english-language publications explicitly or implicitly addressing Nigeria’s extractive governance, published from 1999 to 2025, were included in the final analysis. Texts were analyzed for discursive themes using a combined scoping review and critical discourse analysis framework. Metadata related to author identity, geography, institutional affiliation, and publication type were also recorded. Results: The criminal-economy discourse (linking extraction to illegality and insecurity) dominated the archive. Other discourses include ecological justice (framing harm as both environmental and moral) and displacement (highlighting exclusion and inequality). Conclusion: Findings indicate that resource governance in Nigeria is framed less as a technical challenge than as a field of political struggle and moral negotiation. These discourses collectively reveal how coercive governance, legitimized through security and reform narratives, helps sustain extractive inequality. The results underscore the need to integrate local agency and justice frameworks into national and transnational debates over resource policy.

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Nature is often understood as a purely physical or biological entity governed by scientific laws and economic utility. In contrast, perspectives associated with dark green religion draw attention to how nature itself can be regarded as sacred and morally significant, revealing the cultural and ethical dimensions through which humans can relate to the environment. In this context, this paper examines religion as a symbolic and narrative system through which nature is socially constructed as a moral domain. Focusing on Indigenous Ijaw communities in the Niger Delta, this paper explains how rivers, creeks and wetlands are embedded within religious value systems that emphasize moral responsibility, respect and restraint in human-environment relations. Within this worldview environmental harm is understood not only as ecological degradation but also as a moral and spiritual transgression with consequences for communal well-being.

Abstract: Adapting to evolving resource landscapes, nonprofit organizations increasingly embrace hybrid models to ensure sustainability and impact. This paper investigates the leadership and strategic innovations driving traditional nonprofits to evolve into market-engaged social ventures. Through indepth qualitative analysis of organizational transformations, we identify pivotal entrepreneurial practices that foster commercial viability, professionalize operations, and legitimize a blended socio-economic mission. Our findings offer a practical framework for nonprofit leaders navigating organizational redesign and fostering sustainable social entrepreneurship.

Abstract: Background: Youth from Malaysia’s low socioeconomic communities frequently face chronic instability, limited parental involvement, and restricted access to developmental support. Within such conditions, coaches often assume relational roles extending beyond technical instruction. Methods: This autoethnographic study draws on 20 weeks of longitudinal coaching, reflective journals, and fieldnotes to examine how the coach–athlete relationship evolved into a form of “social fathering” for one low-income youth athlete, Derrick, and how this contrasted with the developmental trajectory of Chia, an athlete from a more stable socioeconomic background. Guided by Nasheeda et al.’s three-layered narrative framework, the analysis integrates personal narrative, thematic interpretation, and sociocultural discourse. Results: Structured adversity—deliberately designed challenges embedded within a trusting relationship—served as a key mechanism for cultivating grit, resilience, and moral reasoning. Father-like practices such as boundary-setting, moral guidance, and life-navigation support compensated for socioeconomic gaps in Derrick’s home environment, whereas Chia’s growth reflected a faster transition toward self-regulated grit due to his more stable support structures. Conclusions: Coaching within disadvantaged contexts functions as relational labour that provides youths with social capital, emotional stability, and developmental resources otherwise inaccessible to them. Implications highlight the need for culturally informed coach-education programmes that integrate relational ethics, adversity-based pedagogy, and contextual awareness of poverty-related challenges.