Social Sciences

Abstract: Brussels Sprout Island is a research-creation and design-research prototype that examines how climate-friendly diet can be reframed as a sensory, relational, and non-shaming public communication practice. Rather than presenting lower-emission eating through carbon-footprint instruction, moral correction, or individual restraint, the prototype stages planting, cooking, sharing, slow environmental feedback, and repair as interaction mechanisms. Using interaction logs, pre/post micro-surveys, and short exhibition interviews with a small convenience sample (N = 16), the study asks whether participants can temporarily reframe climate-friendly eating through rhythm, care, shared meals, and repair rather than guilt or dietary purity. The findings are formative and exhibition-bound. They indicate short-term reductions in perceived judgment and guilt/shame, increased relational and self-efficacy language, and preliminary behavioral traces of kitchen/table repair routes after the monster trigger. The contribution is therefore a design-research prototype and provisional interaction grammar for future comparative and longitudinal testing of non-shaming climate-food communication.

Abstract: This study examines neighborhood socioeconomic differences across the tri-county Detroit metropolitan area, focusing on patterns between its inner- and outer-ring suburbs, and the city of Detroit between 2010 and 2023. Using the Modified Darden–Kamel Composite Socioeconomic Index (CSI), a multidimensional measure of neighborhood socioeconomic status, places are classified into low-, middle-, and high-CSI categories. The analysis describes patterns of racial and ethnic composition, immigrant settlement, and household structure across this socioeconomic hierarchy, drawing on the spatial assimilation and place stratification perspectives. The results reveal a socioeconomic hierarchy, with outer-ring suburbs at the highest positions, inner-ring suburbs mostly in intermediate positions, and Detroit at the lower end. Moreover, both suburban rings are internally differentiated, with varying socioeconomic conditions within each. Racial and ethnic composition, immigrant settlement, and household structure also vary across CSI categories and suburban rings. These patterns remained largely stable between 2010 and 2023, although socioeconomic and demographic shifts occurred within each category. Overall, the findings show that suburban areas in the Detroit metro area are not homogeneous. Differentiating between inner- and outer-ring suburbs reveals important differences in neighborhood socioeconomic conditions.

Abstract: Social and behavioral research often requires the examination of policy shocks, information interventions, platform-mediated attention, and governance feedback. However, direct experiments on real populations are frequently constrained by ethical risks, intervention costs, and limited repeatability. This study proposes Multi-Agent Social Simulation (MASS), a protocolized form of LLM-driven agent-based modeling designed as a quantitative research method for low-risk, repeatable, and auditable pre-experimental simulation. MASS embeds large language models into an agent-based framework through role-cluster modeling, round-based scheduling, local information boundaries, exogenous rule tables, structured outputs, harness checks, reason-action logs, and replication manifests. The method is evaluated through three empirically referenced cases: the New Jersey–Pennsylvania minimum wage natural experiment, the 2016 UK Brexit digital campaigning context, and the 2023 Zibo barbecue tourism attention event. The results show that protocolized LLM-driven ABM can generate analyzable and empirically assessable outputs across policy shocks, information interventions, and public-opinion dynamics. The strongest evidence appears in rule-shock identification, the reduction of undecided shares under targeting conditions, and multi-agent public-information interaction with mechanism-chain consistency among governance response, sentiment, and behavioral intention. MASS should not be treated as a substitute for real-world experiments or causal inference. Rather, it should be understood as a pre-experimental simulation method for mechanism rehearsal, risk identification, counterfactual comparison, and research-design preparation.

Abstract: Workplace sexual harassment is a persistent human rights and public-health problem. This study analyzes in-person, online, and hybrid victimization using microdata from the EU-GBV survey (2021) across 17 countries, applying multilevel logistic models. The official indicator identifies that 31.6% of women have experienced harassment. In-person harassment is prevalent, whereas online victimization disproportionately affects the young cohort (18–34 years). Significant between-country variation is observed, indicating the influence of the national context in shaping risk. Among women under 35, the urban environment and country-of-origin dynamics are relevant exposure factors. The findings show high recurrence (57.8%), low formal reporting (1.7%), and insufficient organizational preparedness (23.4% with training available). Digitalization expands the repertoire of violence without displacing its structural foundations. We conclude that there is a need to implement integrated prevention and intervention systems that address hybrid risk through a gender-sensitive perspective and a multivariable multilevel analysis attentive to intersecting axes, with models centered on main effects and the young cohort treated as an analytical stratification.

Abstract: Improving job quality for frontline workers is widely recognized as both a moral imperative and a potential source of competitive advantage, yet most organizations continue to underinvest in working conditions. A central reason is the absence of tools capable of translating job quality improvement into measurable and context-specific financial outcomes that decision-makers can act on. This paper reviews evidence linking job quality to firm-level financial performance and identifies limitations of conventional analytical tools that prevent organizations from making informed investment decisions. We argue that agent-based simulation (ABS) can address these limitations by modeling heterogeneous agents whose behaviors and interactions allow organizational dynamics to emerge from the bottom up. We illustrate this approach through the Job-Quality Impact Explorer (JQIE), a proof-of-concept simulation focused on frontline workers in a retail environment that traces the causal chain from four job quality inputs (pay level, guaranteed minimum hours, advance scheduling notice and shift-swap ability) through worker satisfaction and behavior to company financial outcomes. With the current version, results show that a company providing none of these benefits earns approximately 35% less annual profit than an otherwise identical company providing all four. We discuss JQIE’s potential as a decision-support framework, its limitations, and ongoing efforts to expand this work to improve the working conditions of millions of workers in global supply chains.

Abstract: In resource-constrained settings, structural and material inequalities shape children’s developmental opportunities, yet developmental pathways remain diverse even within shared hardship. This study examined developmental continuity and variation in cognitive trajectories among children born in adversity and assessed whether maternal structural positioning and household material conditions were associated with developmental progression. Data were drawn from 742 children born to adolescent mothers in the large longitudinal cohort in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Cognitive functioning was assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) at baseline and the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (KABC-II) at follow-up. Baseline functioning predicted later cognitive placement, indicating developmental continuity (B = 0.074, SE = 0.030, p = .015). Lower maternal educational attainment was associated with more constrained developmental progression (B = −0.097, SE = 0.023, p < .001), and maternal not in education, employment, or training (NEET) status also predicted constrained trajectories (B = −0.200, SE = 0.049, p < .001). In contrast, consistent access to basic household necessities was associated with more favourable developmental trajectories (B = 0.024, SE = 0.009, p = .012). These findings indicate that variation in children’s developmental trajectories reflects differences in structural positioning and household material conditions. Supporting adolescent mothers’ engagement in education and access to stable resources may represent an important pathway for improving child developmental outcomes.

Abstract: From the standpoint of both specialized sociological inquiry (Misztal, 2011) and sociolinguistics (Goutsos & Bella, 2022), the term "vulnerability" may be considered a late-modern neologism used to describe a specific psycho-emotional state. It is a concept found in the fields of psychology and psychiatry, as well as the specialized sociology of emotions. By definition, vulnerability denotes the quality of being susceptible—of being easily overwhelmed or unable to effectively withstand a threat or an attack. There is also the view, within the context of establishing a formal definition, that considers transparency, receptivity, and sensitivity as synonyms of vulnerability—provided that courage is present as a prerequisite. In other words, vulnerability is the emotion we experience during periods of uncertainty, risk, and emotional exposure.

Abstract: Purpose: This review article investigates the significance of AI-driven e-banking services through a holistic conceptual model considering ethical trust, fraud prevention, and consumer purchase decision-making in the context of Bangladesh's online banking services. Methodology: A narrative literature review was conducted, synthesizing peer-reviewed articles published between 2024-2025 from major databases including Scopus, Web of Science, and IEEE Xplore. The UTAUT2 framework provides the theoretical foundation. Findings: AI adoption in Bangladeshi e-banking enhances customer experience, risk management, process automation, financial inclusion, and regulatory compliance. Ethical trust comprising transparency, fairness, data privacy, reliability, and digital inclusion mediates the relationship between AI implementation and consumer decision-making. Fraud prevention acts as a critical enabler, reducing perceived risk through real-time monitoring and secure authentication. Originality: This study provides the first integrated analysis of AI's tripartite role in Bangladeshi e-banking, extending UTAUT2 by incorporating ethical trust and fraud prevention as mediating mechanisms. For policymakers at Bangladesh Bank, the findings offer evidence-based guidance for developing AI governance frameworks. For commercial banks, the study illuminates specific drivers of ethical trust and user acceptance.

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.

Abstract:

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.