Search results for: social work education and pedagogy

Authors: Ma. Karen Jimeno, Erika Kate Co, Ma. Claudia Alexis Frani, Shane Rosshel Guzman, Marie Jaye Constance Selga

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Home sharing continues to gain traction in the Philippines at the expense of traditional lodging options, to which the hospitality industry has reacted in stages. This study aims to describe the social and economic impact of home sharing in Metro Manila from the perspective of hosts. A cross-sectional survey questionnaire consisting of five-point Likert items was administered to 120 hosts in Metro Manila. Kruskal-Wallis test, together with Dunn’s pairwise comparison, was used in the analysis of data. Results show that there is a significant difference in the median scores between increased awareness of Filipino food/heritage and the pursuit of enjoyable life in terms of social impact. Economic-wise, the respondents, did not perceive that their businesses as an additional source of income for the local government. These findings can be used for further exploratory studies and formulation of sustainable business policies conducive for the entrepreneurs and the hospitality industry alike.

Keywords: bed-and-breakfast, home sharing, marketing, tourism

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Authors: Sonia David, Uma Warrier

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Background: Film therapy is the use of commercial or non-commercial films to enhance healing for therapeutic purposes. Objectives: The mixed-method study aims to evaluate the effect of film-based counseling on body image dissatisfaction among adolescents to precisely ascertain the cause of the alteration in body image dissatisfaction due to the said intervention. Method: The one group pre-test post-test research design study using inferential statistics and thematic analysis is based on a pre-test post-test design conducted on 44 school-going adolescents between 13 and 17. The Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ- 34) was used as a pre-test and post-test measure. The film-based counseling intervention model was used through individual counseling sessions. The analysis involved paired sample t-test used to examine the data quantitatively, and thematic analysis was used to evaluate qualitative data. Findings: The results indicated that there is a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test means. Since t(44)= 9.042 is significant at a 99% confidence level, it is ascertained that film-based counseling intervention reduces body image dissatisfaction. The five distinct themes from the thematic analysis are “acceptance, awareness, empowered to change, empathy, and reflective.” Novelty: The paper originally contributes to the repertoire of research on film therapy as a successful counseling intervention for addressing the challenges of body image dissatisfaction. This study also opens avenues for considering alteration of teaching pedagogy to include video-based learning in various subjects.

Keywords: body image dissatisfaction, adolescents, film-based counselling, film therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy

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Authors: Varsha Tol, Laila Garda, Neelam Bhardwaj, Malata Usar

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In India, differently- abled girls suffer from a “dual stigma” of being female and physically challenged. The general consensus is that they are incapable of standing on their own two feet. It was observed that these girls do not have access to educational programs as most hostels do not keep them after the tenth grade. They are forced to return to a life of poverty and are often considered a liability by their families. Higher education is completely ignored. Parents focus on finding a husband and passing on their ‘burden’ to someone else. An innovative, intervention for differently-abled adolescent girls with the express purpose of mainstreaming them into society was started by Helplife. The objective was to enrich the lives of these differently abled adolescent girls through precise research, focused intervention and professionalism. This programme addresses physical, mental and social rehabilitation of the girls who come from impoverished backgrounds. These adolescents are reached by word of mouth, snowball technique and through the network of the NGO. Applications are invited from potential candidates which are scrutinized by a panel of experts. Selection criteria include her disability, socio-economic status, and desire and drive to make a difference in her own life. The six main areas of intervention are accommodation, education, health, professional courses, counseling and recreational activities. Each girl on an average resides in Helplife for a period of 2-3 years. Analysis of qualitative data collected at various time points indicates holistic development of character. A quality of life questionnaire showed a significant improvement in scores at three different time points in 75% of the current population under intervention i.e. 19 girls. Till date, 25 girls have successfully passed out from the intervention program completing their graduation/post-graduation. Currently, we have 19 differently abled girls housed in three flats in Pune district of Maharashtra. Out of which 14 girls are pursuing their graduation or post-graduation. Six of the girls are working in jobs in various sectors. In conclusion it may be noted with adequate support and guidance the sky is the limit. This journey of 12 years has been a learning for us with ups and downs modifying the intervention at every step. Helplife has a belief of impacting positively, individual lives of differently abled girls in order to empower them in a holistic manner. The intervention has a positive impact on differently abled girls. They serve as role models to other differently abled girls indicating that this is a road map to success by getting empowered to live with full potential and get integrated in the society in a dignified way.

Keywords: differently-abled, dual-stigma, empowerment, youth

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Authors: Camila Freire Barrios, Gonzalo Rivera Talavera

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The importance of public spaces has been shown for many years, and in different disciplines, with one example being their ability for developing a sustainable social environment, especially in mega cities like Lima. The aim of this study was to explore the process of space appropriation that occurs in the Peripheral Library of the district El Agustino in Lima, Peru. Space appropriation is a process by which people develop a link with a place within a specific sociocultural context. This process has been related to positive outcomes, such as: participation and in the development of compassionate behaviors with these places. To achieve the purpose of the research, a qualitative design was selected because this will allowed exploring in deep the process in an specific context. The study interviewed six adults, all of whom were deliberately chosen to have the longest residence time in the district and also utilized the library the most. In a complementary manner, two children and one adolescent were interviewed. Likewise, two observations were made on a weekday and weekend, and public documentation information was collected. As a result, five categories linked to this process were identified. It was found that the process of space appropriation begins with the needs of the people who arrive at the library, which provides benefits to these people by fulfilling them. Next in the process, through the construction of meanings, the library is then valued as a pleasant, productive, safe and regulated place; as a result, people become identified with the library. The identification generated is subsequently reflected in the level of participation that the person has in the library, which may go in a continuum from no participating at all to a more direct involvement in the library activities, as well as voluntary and altruistic work. Finally, this process leads to the library becoming part of the neighborhood. This study allows having a better understanding of how sociospatial processes work in a Latinamerican context and in cities like Lima, where the third of the country’s population lives. Also, Lima has grown in the past 50 years in a excessively way and with lack of planification. Therefore, these results brings new research questions and highlights the importance of learning how to design public spaces in order to promote these processes to develop.

Keywords: bond with the place, place identity, public spaces, space appropriation

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Authors: Kathryn Watson

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In 2020 North Carolina passed legislation mandating all educators be trained in identifying, referring, and supporting students showing signs of mental health issues, drug use, suicidal ideation, and sex trafficking. This study collected survey responses from 226 educators in North Carolina to better understand their perspectives on the legislation and their self-efficacy in supporting student mental health needs. Key findings of the study reveal that the mandated trainings increased educator awareness of student mental health, and higher awareness was linked to higher self-efficacy in supporting student mental health needs. Additionally, the results showed that educators who identify as Black had lower levels of self-efficacy in supporting student mental health. Additionally, rural educators were least likely to support the legislation in comparison to their urban and suburban counterparts. These findings can help inform policymakers in evaluating the policy and district decision-makers in selecting and implementing school-based mental health training.

Keywords: school-based mental health, education policy, student health, North Carolina, K-12 education

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Authors: Noorhaslinda Kulub Abd. Rashid, Zuraini Anang, Bayu Taufiq Possumah, Suriyani Muhamad, Fauziah Abu Hasan, Hairunnizam Wahid

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Reality of Malaysian lives today, especially the households, are not exempted from using a variety of good products and services that are particularly materialistic. In fact, the pace and sophistication of the technology is seen as a major catalyst to the pattern of community life. In facing the challenges of the current economy, the key role to be played by household is managing the pattern of expenditure, income and loan debts regularly and blessed by Allah. Unfortunately, the world today is witnessing the average household could owe solely to meet their needs with existing spending limits. This study aims to measure the ‘Religious Index of Household Expenditure’ (IKM) and analyze how far the religious influence to the pattern of household expenditure based on the 441 Muslim households. The results showed only a 5-item spending, food, housing, transportation, education, and recreation and entertainment that has a significant relationship with IKM. Therefore, Islamic consumer education is a must to establish sustainable consumptions in order to speed up the internalization of sustainable lifestyle among Malaysians.

Keywords: ‘Religious Index of Household Expenditure’ (IKM), income, sustainable consumptions, household expenditure

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Authors: Toka Aly

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Historically, marketplaces were the most important nodes and focal points of cities, where different activities took place. Commercial streets offer more than just spaces for shopping; they also offer choices for social activities and cultural exchange. They are considered the backbone of the city’s vibrancy and vitality. Despite that, the public life in Cairo’s commercial streets has deteriorated, where the shopping activities became reliant mainly on 'planned formal places', mainly in privatized or indoor spaces like shopping malls. The main aim of this paper is to explore the key elements and tools of assessing the successfulness of commercial streets in Cairo. The methodology followed in this paper is based on a case study methodology (multiple cases) that is based on assessing and analyzing the physical and social elements in historical and contemporary commercial streets in El Muiz Street and Baghdad Street in Cairo. The data collection is based on personal observations, photographs, maps and street sections. Findings indicate that the key factors of analyzing commercial streets are factors affecting the sensory experience, factors affecting the social behavior, and general aspects that attract people. Findings also indicate that urban features have clear influence on shopping pedestrian activities in both streets. Moreover, in order for a commercial street to be successful, shopping patterns must provide people with a quality public space that can provide easy navigation and accessibility, good visual continuity, and well-designed urban features and social gathering. Outcomes of this study will be a significant endeavor in providing a good background for urban designers on analyzing and assessing successfulness of commercial streets. The study will also help in understanding the different physical and social pattern of vending activities taking place in Cairo.

Keywords: activities, commercial street, marketplace, successful, vending

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Authors: Tania Camarillo Contreras, Yana Kuchirko

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Women’s sexuality, despite it being a core part of human functioning, has historically been stigmatized, silenced, and regulated and silenced across many cultures. The regulation of women’s bodies and desires has often been accomplished via gender ideologies and norms that ascribe power to men over women. Within Latino communities, gender ideologies like marianismo provide scripts by which women are expected to adhere submissiveness, purity, and putting others’ needs before their own. Prior work on sexuality-related topics among Latinas has almost exclusively examined the roles of risky behavior, partner violence, and gender roles on psychological and health outcomes. it know little about positive aspects of Latinas’ sexuality, such as their perspectives on sexual excitation and inhibition. Moreover, we know little about Latina’s sexuality in relation to marianismo. In this study, it ask the following questions (1) What are Latina’s perspectives on sexual excitation/inhibition? Do they vary by demographic variables (e.g., education, religiosity); (2) Does endorsement of marianismo among Latina women predict their perspectives on sexual excitation/sexual inhibition? and (3) Does endorsement of double standard (mediator variable) mediate the relation between marianismo (Independent) and sexual excitation/sexual inhibition? The results of this study shed light on effects of culturally specific gender ideologies like marianismo on women’s sexualities and have implications for culturally informed and gender-affirming policies seeking to better support Latinas’ sexual health.

Keywords: cultural beliefs, latinas, marianismo, sexuality, sexual inhibition

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Authors: Oyetunji John Adenuga

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This study on the comparative analysis of the performance of teachers in private and public schools was carried out in Ibadan North West Local Government Area of Oyo State. This study examined the justification for the claim that there is difference in the performance of teachers in private and public primary schools and at the same time identified factors responsible for the difference in the performance of these teachers. A descriptive survey research design was used for the study. Data generated were analysed using t-test and regression analysis. The findings of the study revealed that there is significant difference in the performance of teachers in private and private primary schools in Ibadan North West Local Government Area of Oyo State (t=64.09; df=459; p,.05). The findings also revealed that the method of teaching in private primary schools is significantly different from the method of teaching in public primary schools in Ibadan North West Local Government Area of Oyo State (t=73.08; df=459; p,.05). Findings revealed that school leadership and management have significant contribution on the performance of private and public primary school teachers in Ibadan North West Local Area of Oyo State. Based on the finding, the following recommendations were made: Primary school teachers need to be motivated and rewarded for excellent performance. Primary schools should be properly equipped with teaching-aid facilities, laboratories and libraries. Government should use the findings of this study to improve on teaching materials provided to the primary school teachers in Nigeria. Public primary schools should be designed by education planners, administrators and government. Headmasters, proprietors and teachers of primary schools should look inward and give a performance appraisal and evaluation of themselves form time to time based on subject they taught. Finally, school administrators should be conscious of the way they manage the teachers in schools not only in informal situations but also in formal settings.

Keywords: private education, public education, school leadership, school management, teachers performance

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Authors: Zhao Luqian, Wang Yafei

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Participation in music activities is beneficial for enhancing wellbeing, especially for aged people (Creech, 2013). Looking at percussion group in particular, it can facilitate a sense of belonging, relaxation, energy, and productivity, learning, enhanced mood, humanising, seems of accomplishment, escape from trauma, and emotional expression (Newman, 2015). In health literatures, group drumming is effective in reducing stress and improving multiple domains of social-motional behaviors (Ho et al., 2011; Maschi et al., 2010) because it offers a creative and mutual learning space that allows patients to establish a positive peer interaction (Mungas et al., 2014; Perkins, 2016). However, very few studies have investigated the effect of group drumming from the aspect of patients’ needs. Therefore, this study focuses on the discussion of patients' specific needs within mental health and explores how group percussion may meet their needs. Seligman’s (2011) five core elements of mental health were applied as patients’ needs in this study: (1) Positive emotions; (2) Engagement; (3) Relationships; (4) Meaning and (5) Accomplishment. 12 participants aged 57- 80 years were interviewed individually. The researcher also had observation in four drumming groups simultaneously. The results reveal that group drumming could improve participants’ mental wellbeing. First, it created a therapeutic health care environment extending beyond the elimination of boredom, and patients could focus on positive emotions during the session of group drumming. Secondly, it was effective in satisfying patients’ level of engagement. Thirdly, this study found that joining a percussion group would require patients to work on skills such as turn-taking and sharing. This equal relationship is helpful for releasing patients’ negative mood and thus forming tighter relationships between and among them. Fourthly, group drumming was found to meet patients’ meaning needs through offering them a place of belonging and a place for sharing. Its leaner-oriented approach engaged patients by a sense of belonging, accepting, connecting, and ownership. Finally, group drumming could meet patients’ needs for accomplishment through the learning process. The inclusive learning process, which indicates there is no right or wrong throughout the process, allowed patients to make their own decisions. In conclusion, it is difficult for patients to achieve positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meanings, and accomplishments in a hospital setting. Drumming can be practiced for enhancement in terms of reducing patients’ negative emotions and improving their experiences in a hospital through enriched social interaction and sense of accomplishment. Also, it can help patients to enhance social skills in a controlled environment.

Keywords: group drumming, hospital, mental health, music psychology

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Authors: Nabil El Kadhi, Minerva M. Bunagan

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The dynamism in education, particularly in the area of teaching, learning and assessment has caused Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) worldwide to seek for ways to continuously improve their educational processes. HEIs use outcomes of institutional audits, assessments and accreditations, for improvement. In this study, the published institutional audit reports of HEIs in the Sultanate of Oman were analyzed to produce features of good practice; identify challenges along Teaching, Learning Assessment (TLA); and propose a framework that puts major emphasis in having a quality-assured TLA, including a set of principles that can be used as basis in succeeding an institutional visit. The TLA framework, which shows the TLA components, characteristics of the components, related expectation, including implementation tool/ strategy and pitfalls can be used by HEIs to have an adequate understanding of the scope of audit and be able to satisfy institutional audit requirements. The scope of this study can be widened by exploring the other requirements of the Institutional Audits in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly the area on Governance and Management and Student Support Services.

Keywords: accreditation, audit, teaching, learning and assessment, quality assurance

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Authors: Tahsien Okasha

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Transplantation medicine is one of the most challenging and complex areas of modern medicine. Some of the key areas for medical management are the problems of transplant rejection, during which the body has an immune response to the transplanted organ, possibly leading to transplant failure and the need to immediately remove the organ from the recipient. When possible, transplant rejection can be reduced through serotyping to determine the most appropriate donor-recipient match and through the use of immunosuppressant drugs. Postoperative care actually begins before the surgery in terms of education, discharge planning, nutrition, pulmonary rehabilitation, and patient/family education. This also allows for expectations to be managed. A multidisciplinary approach is the key, and collaborative team meetings are essential to ensuring that all team members are "on the same page.". The following clinical pathway map and guidelines with the aim to decrease alteration in clinical practice and are intended for those healthcare professionals who look after organ transplant patients. They are also intended to be useful to both medical and surgical trainees as well as nurse specialists and other associated healthcare professionals involved in the care of organ transplant patients. This pathway is general pathway include the general guidelines that can be applicable for all types of organ transplant with special considerations to each organ.

Keywords: organ transplant, clinical pathway, postoperative care, same page

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Authors: Dan Frederick Orcherton, Maria Orcherton, Matthew Kensen

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This study takes an in-depth look at how traditional healing practices (THPs) are perceived by the iTaukei people living in villages and periurban areas in Fiji Islands. The research used both qualitative and quantitative knowledge/data gathered from six villages in Viti Levu, Fiji Islands, to determine, first, the perception(s) of THPs among the iTaukei; second, what THPs successfully survive and are still important to the iTaukei way of life; and third, what factors influence the iTaukei’s health-seeking behavior or choices between Western and traditional medical systems in their villages. Results confirm that the knowledge healers used to hold to cure common illnesses is now more dispersed and shared with community members; healers/elders’ roles in iTaukei villages are important for cultural–spiritual–social causes of illnesses, and for more complex cases, there are specialized iTaukei healers. Recommendations in the form of categories of practices are offered for practitioners to work more effectively and affectively with the iTaukei.

Keywords: iTaukei peoples, traditional healing practices, traditional healers, categories of practice

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Authors: A. Tahar Djebbar

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Modern technologies have penetrated all spheres of human life, education being one of them. This paper focuses the attention on the integration of technology-based education in the Algerian classroom in teaching foreign languages. It sheds light on a specific area of ICT application: ICT in English learning and teaching. Some Algerian teachers or tutors of English face many challenges among which the lack of teaching materials which are indispensable for transmitting knowledge to learners. Thus, they find themselves compelled to use online e-books or download them in PDF form to support their lessons. Teachers even download such teaching materials like pictures, videos, audios, podcasts, and flash cards from the internet and store them in their Flash USBs to shape up the teaching-learning conditions. They use computers, data shows, and the internet so as to facilitate the teaching–learning process in the classroom. Hence, technology has become a must in the Algerian classroom especially in teaching English which has become a very important language in a national and an international level. This study aims at showing that Algerian tutors/teachers who take up the challenge of getting involved in the technology-enhanced language learning and teaching in the Algerian schools and universities face many obstacles.

Keywords: computer, communication, English, internet, learners, language acquisition, teaching, technology

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Authors: Sun Jin Park, Kyung-Ja Cho

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This study focused on characteristics related to hasty behaviour. To investigate the relation between personal characteristics and hasty behaviour, 601 data were collected, 335 males and 256 females answered their own 'social avoidance and distress’, ‘anxiety’, ‘sensation seeking', 'hope', and ' hasty behaviour. And then 591 data were used for the analysis. The factor analysis resulted hasty behaviour consisted of 5 factors, time pressure, isolation, uncomfortable situation, boring condition, and expectation of reward. The result showed anxiety, sensation seeking, and hope related to hasty behaviour. Specifically, anxiety was involved in every hasty behaviour. This result means that psychological tension and worry are related to hasty behaviour in common. 'Social avoidance and distress', 'sensation seeking' and 'hope' influenced on hasty behaviour under time pressure, in isolation, in expectation of rewards respectively. This means that each factor of hasty behaviour has anxiety as its basis, expressed through a varied nature.

Keywords: hasty behaviour, social avoidance and distress, anxiety, sensation seeking, hope

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Authors: A. Yakub AbdurRaheem

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Urban violence in the form of ethnic and religious conflicts have been on the increase in many African cities in the recent years of which most of them are the result of intense and bitter competition for political power, the control of limited economic, social and environmental resources. In Nigeria, the emergence of the Boko Haram insurgency in most parts of the northeastern parts have ignited violence, bloodshed, refugee exodus and internal migration. Not only do the persistent attacks of the sect create widespread insecurity and fear, but it has also stifled normal processes of trade and investments most especially real property investment which is acclaimed to accelerate the economic cycle, thus the need to evolve strategies for an improved property market in such areas. This paper, therefore, examines the impact of this social crisis on effective and efficient utilization of real properties as a resource towards the development of the economy, using a descriptive analysis approach where particular emphasis was based on trends in residential housing values; volume of estimated property transactions and real estate investment decisions by affected individuals. Findings indicate that social crisis in the affected areas have been a clog on the wheels of property development and investment as properties worth hundreds of millions have been destroyed thereby having great impact on property values. Based on these findings, recommendations were made to include the need to strategically continue investing in property during such times, the need for Nigerian government to establish an active conflict monitoring and management unit for the prompt response, encourage community and neighborhood policing to ameliorate security challenges in Nigeria.

Keywords: social crisis, economy, resources, property market

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Authors: Kübra Yüzüncüyıl, Aytekin İşman, Berkay Buluş

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In the last quarter of the 20th century, Food Studies was emerged as an interdisciplinary program. It seeks to develop a critical perspective on sociocultural meanings of food. The notion of food has been related with certain social and cultural values throughout history. In today’s society, with the rise of new media technologies, cultural structure have been digitized. Food culture in this main, is also endowed with digital codes. In particular, social media has been integrated into foodways. This study attempts to examine the gratifications that individuals obtain from social media use on foodways. In the first part of study, the relationship between food culture and digital culture is examined. Secondly, theoretical framework and research method of the study are explained. In order to achieve the particular aim of study, Uses and Gratifications Theory is adopted as conceptual framework. Conventional gratification categories are redefined in new media terms. After that, the relation between redefined categories and foodways is uncovered. Due to its peculiar context, this study follows a quantitative research method. By conducting pre-interviews and factor analysis, a peculiar survey is developed. The sample of study is chosen among 405 undergraduate communication faculty students of Sakarya University by proportionate stratification sampling method. In the analysis of the collected data, statistical methods One-Way ANOVA, Independent Samples T-test, and Tuckey Honest Significant Difference Test, Post Hoc Test are used.

Keywords: food studies, food communication, new media, communication

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Authors: Anna Paola Micheli, Anna Maria Calce, Loris Di Nallo

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Sustainable finance identifies the process that leads, in the adoption of investment decisions, to take into account environmental and social factors, with the aim of orienting investments towards sustainable and long-term activities. Considering that the topic is at the center of the interest of national agendas, long-term investments will no longer be analyzed only by looking at financial data, but environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors will be increasingly important and will play a fundamental role in determining the risk and return of an investment. Although this perspective does not deny the orientation to profit, ESG mutual funds represent sustainable finance applied to the world of mutual funds. So the goal of this paper is to verify this attitude, in particular in the energy sector. The choice of the sector is not casual: ESG is the acronym for environmental, social, and governance, and energy companies are strictly related to the environmental theme. The methodology adopted leads to a comparison between a sample of ESG funds and a sample of ESG funds with similar characteristics, using the most important indicators of literature: yield, standard deviation, and Sharpe index. The analysis is focused on equity funds. Results that are partial, due to the lack of historicity, show a good performance of ESG funds, testifying how a sustainable approach does not necessarily mean lower profits. It is clear that these first findings do not involve an absolute preference for ESG funds in terms of performance because the persistence of results is requested. Furthermore, these findings are to be verified in other sectors and in bond funds.

Keywords: mutual funds, ESG, performance, energy

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Authors: Dalia Bhattacharjee

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Motherhood as an institution is considered as sacred. Reproduction and motherhood have always been a concern of the private space of home. However, with the emergence of technologies like the Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs), this intimate area has moved into the public. A woman can now become a mother with artificial insemination done by expert medical professionals in a hospital. With this development, the meanings of motherhood and childrearing have altered. Mothers have been divided into ‘ovarian mothers’ (those who provide the eggs), ‘uterine mothers’ (those who carry out the pregnancy and give birth), and ‘social mothers’ (those who raise the child). Thus, the ART business deconstructs motherhood by defining who the biological mother is and who the social mother is and who – despite contributing parts or processes of her body to the life of the child is not a mother, but merely the donor of a product, be it the egg or the womb, which is owned by those who are favoured by the contract. The industry of commercial surrogacy in India has been estimated to be of $2.3 billion as of 2012. There are many women who work as surrogate mothers in this industry for the exchange of money. It runs like a full-fledged business guided by a highly profit oriented capitalist market. The reproductive labourers are identified as mere womb renters or victims and not as active agents in such arrangements. Such a discourse undercuts the agency exercised by the women. The present study is an ethnography into the commercial surrogacy industry in India. This journey furthers the understanding of the dilemmas faced by the reproductive labourers. The paper emphasizes on the experiences of reproduction and motherhood outside the private space of the home in the commercial surrogacy industry in India, and, argues that this multiplicity of experiences need much focus and attention, where, the consumer becomes ‘the’ citizen and the women workers continue to be victims. The study draws on the narratives of the reproductive labourers, who remain at the center, and yet, at the periphery of such arrangements. This feminist ethnography is informed by the feminist standpoint theory to account for and analyse these varied experiences which further the understanding of the dilemmas faced by the reproductive labourers.

Keywords: commercial surrogacy, ethnography, motherhood, standpoint theory

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Authors: Kingsley Okoro Nwannennaya

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The 21st century seems to have been eclipsed by social conflict, giving vent to a mentality construct that accepts conflict as inextricable part of the social system. This is justified by the escalation of conflict in all the zones of the world. We therefore, query whether a peaceful society is a mere illusion? It is in an attempt to give lucid answer to this question that the researcher began critical investigations on various peace building and conflict management models. Here the researcher discovered that these models as good as they may be have not addressed the root of conflicts which revolves on the social structure in place in any society. Hence the current social structure is organized around class system, which gave birth to competition, greed, selfishness, power struggle etc. and also promotes mono-culture based on Euro-American traditions. This placed some cultures on a disadvantageous position, with conflict as its outgrowth. However, the researcher being interested to finding a peace building and conflict management model that will address this gap discovered that Taoism has the seed that can offer the world the desired peace. This tradition anchors on the principles of Tao, Yin-yang and Wu-wei. Basic to the trio concepts are the idea of Pluralism, non-interference, non-action and flowing with the order of nature. This paper, having adopted, historical and sociological methods of investigations opines that if Taoist tradition shall be adopted as a peace building model, the desired peace of our dream shall soon become a reality.

Keywords: critical option, oriental traditions, peace initiative, taoism

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Authors: Mercy E. Makpor

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Traditional Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) idea has gone beyond just ensuring safety environments, caring about global warming and ensuring good living standards and conditions for the society at large. The paradigm shift is towards a focus on strategic objectives and the long-term value creation for both businesses and the society at large for a realistic future. As an important approach to solving social and environment issues, CSR has been accepted globally. Yet the approach is expected to go beyond where it is currently. So much is expected from businesses and governments at every level globally and locally. This then leads to the original idea of the concept, that is, how it originated and how it has been perceived over the years. Little wonder there has been a lot of definitions surrounding the concept without a major globally acceptable definition of it. The definition of CSR given by the European Commission will be considered for the purpose of this paper. Sustainable Development (SD), on the other hand, has been viewed in recent years as an ethical concept explained in the UN-Report termed “Our Common Future,” which can also be referred to as the Brundtland report. The report summarises the need for SD to take place in the present without comprising the future. However, the recent 21st-century framework on sustainability known as the “Triple Bottom Line (TBL)” framework, has added its voice to the concepts of CSR and sustainable development. The TBL model is of the opinion that businesses should not only report on their financial performance but also on their social and environmental performances, highlighting that CSR has gone beyond just the “material-impact” approach towards a “Future-Oriented” approach (sustainability). In this paper, the concept of CSR is revisited by exploring the various theories therein. The discourse on the concepts of sustainable development and sustainable development frameworks will also be indicated, thereby inducing these into how CSR can benefit both businesses and their stakeholders as well as the entirety of the society, not just for the present but for the future. It does this by exploring the importance of both concepts (CSR and SD) and concludes by making recommendations for a more empirical research in the near future.

Keywords: corporate social responsibility, sustainable development, sustainability, triple bottom line model

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Authors: Chander Shekhar, Manoj Kumar

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Present paper deal with the discovery of the stupa’s relics which belongs to the Kushana period. These remains were found during the scientific clearance work at a mound near Brahma-SarovarThanesar, Kurukshetra. This archaeological work was done by Department of Archaeology & Museums Haryana Government. The relics of stupa show that it would have been similar to Assandh and Damekhstupa. As per-Buddhist literature, GoutamBudhha reached Thanesar. In memory of Buddh’s Journey, King Ashoka built a big Stupa at Thanesar on the bank of Sarasvati River. Chinese pilgrim Yuan Chuang also referred a Monastery and stupa near Aujas-ghatof Brahma-sarovar. It may be part of that settlement which was mentioned by Yuan Chuang.

Keywords: archaeology, stupa, buddhism, excavtoin

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Authors: L. Sun, C. Hardacre, A. Garforth, N. Zhang

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Higher Education (HE) degrees in the UK are attractive for international students. The recognized reputation of the HE and the world-leading researchers in some areas in the UK imply that the HE degree from the UK might be a passport to a successful career for abroad students. However, it is a challenge to inspire outstanding students applying for the universities in the UK. The incentives should be country-specific for undergraduates and postgraduates. The potential obstacles to stop students applying for the study in the UK mainly lie in these aspects: different HE systems between the UK and other countries, such as China; less information for the application procedures; worries for the study in English for those non-native speakers; and expensive international tuition fees. The hybrid incentives have been proposed by the efforts from the institutions, stuffs, and students themselves. For example, excellent students from top universities would join us based on the abroad exchange programs or ‘2+2 programme’ with discount tuition. They are potential PhD candidates in the further study in the UK. Diversity promotions are implemented to share information and answer queries for potential students and their guardians. Face to face presentations, workshops, and seminars deliver chances for students to admire teaching and learning in the UK, and give students direct answers for their confusions. WeChat official account and Twitter as the online information platform are set up to post messages of recruitment, the guidance for the application procedures, and international collaboration in teaching and research as well. Students who are studying in the UK and the alumni would share their experiences in the study and lives in the UK and their careers after obtaining the HE degree would play as a positive stimulus to our potential students. Short term modules in the UK with exchangeable credits in summer holidays would give abroad students firsthand experiences of the study in the reputable schools with excellent academics, different cultures and the network with international students. Successful cases at the University of Manchester illustrated the effectiveness of these presented methodologies.

Keywords: abroad students, degree study, high education, hybrid incentives

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Authors: Ibrahim Ercan, Mustafa Arikan

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In recent years, alternative dispute resolution methods have attracted the attention of many country’s legislators. Instead of solving the disputes by litigation, putting the end to a dispute by parties themselves is more important for the preservation of social peace. Therefore, alternative dispute resolution methods (ADR) have been discussed more intensively in Turkey as well as the whole world. After these discussions, Mediation Act was adopted on 07.06.2012 and entered into force on 21.06.2013. According to the Mediation Act, it is only possible to mediate issues arising from the private law. Also, it is not compulsory to go to mediation in Turkish law, it is optional. Therefore, the parties are completely free to choose mediation method in dispute resolution. Mediators need to be a lawyer with experience in five years. Therefore, it is not possible to be a mediator who is not lawyers. Beyond five years of experience, getting education and success in exams about especially body language and psychology is also very important to be a mediator. If the parties compromise as a result of mediation, a document is issued. This document will also have the ability to exercising availability under certain circumstances. Thus, the parties will not need to apply to the court again. On the contrary, they will find the opportunity to execute this document, so they can regain their debts. However, the Mediation Act has entered into force in a period of nearly two years of history; it is possible to say that the interest in mediation is not at the expected level. Therefore, making mediation mandatory for some disputes has been discussed recently. At this point, once the mediation becomes mandatory and good results follows it, this institution will be able to find a serious interest in Turkey. Otherwise, if the results will not be satisfying, the mediation method will be removed.

Keywords: alternative dispute resolution methods, mediation act, mediation, mediator, mediation in Turkey

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Authors: Christoph Köster

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Supplier selection is one of the key challenges in supply chain management and can be considered a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. In the 1960s, it evolved from considering only economic criteria, such as price, quality, and performance, to including environmental and social criteria nowadays. Although receiving considerable attention from scholars and practitioners over the past decades, existing research has not considered governance criteria so far. This is, however, surprising, as ESG (environmental, social, and governance) criteria have gained considerable attention. In order to complement ESG criteria in the supplier selection process, this study investigates German DAX and MDAX companies and evaluates the impact of governance criteria along their supplier selection process. Moreover, it proposes a set of criteria for the respective process steps. Specifically, eleven criteria for the first process step and five criteria for the second process step are identified. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the supplier selection process by elucidating the relevance of governance criteria in the supplier selection process and providing a set of empirically developed governance criteria. These results can be applied by practitioners to complement the criteria set in the supplier selection process and thus balance economic, environmental, social, and governance targets.

Keywords: ESG, governance, sustainable supplier selection, sustainability

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Authors: Mariko Hara, Mari Aoki, Takako Ito, Masao Sugita

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Social distancing measures due to the COVID-19 crisis had a severe impact on music and art practices based in community settings. They had to re-think how to connect with their dispersed community using online tools. As the social distancing continues, there is an urgent need to investigate the possibilities of online community music and art practices. Are they sustainable actions that can have positive impacts on the community and the quality of lives of people over time? The Online Lindgren Café (hereafter ‘OLC’) is a monthly online literature event which started in June 2020. In the OLC, up to 14 members meet online to discuss the works of Astrid Lindgren and similar authors. Members come from various places in Japan and Norway, with a variety of expertise from music therapy, music education, psychotherapy, music sociology, storytelling, and theatre, and their family members join them. In these meetings, music and arts activities emerged in response to interests among the members. The resources and experiences of the members helped to develop these activities further. This paper first introduces one of the music and art activities in one specific event, a collaborative picture book-making with music, which was initiated and led by the second author. The third author chose the music, and the activity itself was recorded. This is followed by the description of a reflecting event, where the recording of the collaborative picture book-making activity was shared to facilitate further creations (drawings, haiku, and fabric weaving) as well as group reflections on the trajectories of the Online Lindgren Café. Finally, we will discuss the preliminary findings using the data collected at the reflecting event. Key findings suggest that the resource-driven approach of the OLC leveled the relationships among the intergenerational, multi-cultural, and interdisciplinary members. This enabled the members to set aside their professional and/or predominant identities, which allowed them to discover their own and others’ resources. The relaxed, unstructured, and liminal phenomenon at OLC can be regarded as a form of communitas, where members gain a sense of liberation and belonging in a different way from in-person communications. Participation from one’s home, as well as a video conferencing function that allowed the members to position themselves among the other participants in equal-sized windows, seems to have enabled members to feel safe to express themselves openly at the same time feel a sense of belonging. Furthermore, in the OLC, music and arts activities acted to inclusively connect and re-connect dispersed, intergenerational members with each other. For instance, in a music and drawing activity, music acted as a means for each member to engage in their own ‘drawing space’ while still feeling connected with the others. The positive experiences from these activities inspired the members to use similar approaches outside of the OLC. The finding suggests that, because of its resource-driven approach supported by the music and arts activities, the OLC could be developed further as a permeable and sustainable action even after any current social distancing measures are lifted.

Keywords: communitas, COVID-19, musical affordances, online community of practices, resource-driven approach

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Authors: Yuyun, Fritz Akhmad Nuzir, Bart Julien Dewancker

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Check-in locations on social media provide information about an individual’s location. The millions of units of data generated from these sites provide knowledge for human activity. In this research, we used a geolocation service and users’ texts posted on Twitter social media to analyze human mobility. Our research will answer the questions; what are the movement patterns of a citizen? And, how far do people travel in the city? We explore the people trajectory of 201,118 check-ins and 22,318 users over a period of one month in Makassar city, Indonesia. To accommodate individual mobility, the authors only analyze the users with check-in activity greater than 30 times. We used sampling method with a systematic sampling approach to assign the research sample. The study found that the individual movement shows a high degree of regularity and intensity in certain places. The other finding found that the average distance an urban inhabitant can travel per day is as far as 9.6 km.

Keywords: mobility, check-in, distance, Twitter

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Authors: Davidson E. Egirani, Nanfe R. Poyi, Napoleon Wessey

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This paper would report the environmental challenges faced by stakeholders in the development and management of mineral resources in Mindanao mining region of the Philippines. The paper would proffer solutions via the development and management of integrated mineral resource framework. This is by interfacing the views of government, operating mining companies and the mining host communities. The project methods involved the desktop review of existing local, regional, national environmental and mining legislation. This was followed up with visits to mining sites and discussions were held with stakeholders in the mineral sector. The findings from a 2-year investigation would reveal lack of information, education, and communication campaign by stakeholders on environmental, health, political, and social issues in the mining industry. Small-scale miners lack the professional muscles for a balance shift of emphasis to sustainable and responsible mining to avoid environmental degradation and human health effect. Therefore, there is a need to balance ecological requirements, sustainability of the environment and development of mineral resources. This paper would provide an environmentally friendly mineral resource development framework.

Keywords: ecological requirements, environmental degradation, human health, mining legislation, responsible mining

Procedia PDF Downloads 131

Authors: Tarek Abdelkader, Suresh Selvaraj, Prasad Iyer, Yong Mun Hin, Hajmath Begum, P. Gopalakrishnakone

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Nowadays, more and more educational institutes, as well as students, rely on 3D anatomy programs as an important tool that helps students correlate the actual locations of anatomical structures in a 3D dimension. Lately, virtual reality (VR) is gaining more favor from the younger generations due to its higher interactive mode. As a result, using virtual reality as a gamified learning platform for anatomy became the current goal. We present a model where a Virtual Human Anatomy Program (VHAP) was developed to assist with the anatomy learning experience of students. The anatomy module has been built, mostly, from real patient CT scans. Segmentation and surface rendering were used to create the 3D model by direct segmentation of CT scans for each organ individually and exporting that model as a 3D file. After acquiring the 3D files for all needed organs, all the files were introduced into a Virtual Reality environment as a complete body anatomy model. In this ongoing experiment, students from different Allied Health orientations are testing the VHAP. Specifically, the cardiovascular system has been selected as the focus system of study since all of our students finished learning about it in the 1st trimester. The initial results suggest that the VHAP system is adding value to the learning process of our students, encouraging them to get more involved and to ask more questions. Involved students comments show that they are excited about the VHAP system with comments about its interactivity as well as the ability to use it solo as a self-learning aid in combination with the lectures. Some students also experienced minor side effects like dizziness.

Keywords: 3D construction, health sciences, teaching pedagogy, virtual reality

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Authors: Gertrude Nkechi Okenwa

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Higher institutions, especially the universities that are saddled with the responsibilities of teaching, learning, research, publications and social services for the production of graduates that are worthy in learning and character, and the creation of up-to-date knowledge and innovations for the total socio-economic and even political development of a given nation. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to identify the teaching, learning techniques used in the Enugu State University of Science and Technology to ensure or ascertain students’ perception on these techniques. To guide the study, survey research method was used. The population for the study was made up of second and final year students which summed up to one hundred and twenty-six students in the faculty of education. Stratified random sampling technique was adopted. A sample size of sixty (60) students was drawn for the study. The instrument used for data collection was questionnaire. To analyze the data, mean and standard deviation were used to answers the research questions. The findings revealed that direct instruction and construction techniques are used in the university. On the whole, it was observed that the students perceived constructivist techniques to be more useful and effective than direct instruction technique. Based on the findings recommendations were made to include diversification of teaching techniques among others.

Keywords: Strategies, Teaching and Learning, Constructive Technique, Direct Instructional Technique

Procedia PDF Downloads 541