Search results for: Islamic legal texts
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 2863

Search results for: Islamic legal texts

763 Reforming the Law to Allow a Duress Defence to Those Committing Crime under Coercive Control

Authors: Amy Elkington

Abstract:

Women in abusive relationships who commit crimes under duress are unfairly treated by the English legal system. Despite the offence of Coercive Control being introduced in 2015 that recognises that a woman’s autonomy has been eroded, coercion is no longer a defence to women who feel compelled to act due to their partner’s behavior or abuse. This problem is intensified by the fact that women in abusive relationships are more likely to commit crimes to ensure their survival. Furthermore, the very fact that they are ‘associating’ with their abusive partners means that they are excluded from pleading a defence of duress. Women who kill their abusers may be able to reduce their conviction from murder to manslaughter, but this depends on successfully pleading either loss of control or diminished responsibility, both not without their issues, but this does not provide a defence where a lesser crime is committed. Self-defence is also widely unavailable to either murder or non-fatal offences, as the amount of force used is often deemed disproportionate because women are more likely to use weapons in their defence. Regardless, this would not provide a defence where the crime committed is one such as theft. An alternative that has been proposed would be to introduce a new defence that would work similarly to the exemption to prosecution afforded to those who are trafficked that commit crime under duress. Despite having support in the Lords in March 2021, this recommendation has been rejected by the Government on the basis that it would not achieve an appropriate balance of justice. The result is that abused women who commit crime are left without an appropriate defence. A doctrinal approach highlights the injustices in these types of cases and concludes that it is time for the current law of duress to change.

Keywords: coercive control, crime, defences, duress

Procedia PDF Downloads 184
762 The Effects of Mobile Phones in Mitigating Cultural Shock amongst Refugees: Case of South Africa

Authors: Sarah Vuningoma, Maria Rosa Lorini, Wallace Chigona

Abstract:

The potential of mobile phones is evident in their ability to address isolation and loneliness, support the improvement of interpersonal relations, and contribute to the facilitation of assimilation processes. Mobile phones can play a role in facilitating the integration of refugees into a new environment. This study aims to evaluate the impact of mobile phone use on helping refugees navigate the challenges posed by cultural differences in the host country. Semi-structured interviews were employed to collect data for the study, involving a sample size of 27 participants. Participants in the study were refugees based in South Africa, and thematic analysis was the chosen method for data analysis. The research highlights the numerous challenges faced by refugees in their host nation, including a lack of local cultural skills, the separation of family and friends from their countries of origin, hurdles in acquiring legal documentation, and the complexities of assimilating into the unfamiliar community. The use of mobile phones by refugees comes with several advantages, such as the advancement of language and cultural understanding, seamless integration into the host country, streamlined communication, and the exploration of diverse opportunities. Concurrently, mobile phones allow refugees in South Africa to manage the impact of culture shock.

Keywords: mobile phones, culture shock, refugees, South Africa

Procedia PDF Downloads 74
761 Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Iraqi Students’ Educational and Psychological Status

Authors: Bahman Gorjian

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The notorious COVID-19 is known as an illness that is caused by a novel coronavirus. Since its breakthrough, most governments have decided to temporarily close educational institutions in an attempt to reduce the spread of this disease. Distance education in Iran, like other countries, started from the beginning of the pandemic and caused the closure of schools and universities as an immediate response to control the spread of the virus. The present study followed two aims: First, to investigate if Iraqi M.A students majoring in TEFL who have been studying in Iranian universities during the pandemic believe that COVID-19 had negative/positive effects on their educational achievement; and second, to find how frequently these Iraqi M.A students have experienced psychological problems (e.g., anxiety, numbness, nightmares, nervousness) during the COVID-19. The participants were both male and female students who were admitted for M.A. TEFL courses at 4 Iranian Universities (Abadan Brach, Ahvaz Branch, Science and Research Branch, and Shiraz Branch of Islamic Azad University) for the winter academic term of 2020. The start of their classes coincided with the global outbreak of COVID-19. They were invited to take part in the present study through snowball sampling and were asked to provide their views on two questionnaires. The instruments used for gathering the data were the educational achievement questionnaire and self-rating anxiety scale. The results of the analysis suggested that the participants believed in the negative effects of COVID-19 on their education; the results also suggested COVID-19 affected participants’ psychological states. The discussed findings may have implications for international students and experts interested in the online education system.

Keywords: COVID-19, distance education, Iraqi M.A. students, teaching English as a foreign language, educational impacts, psychological impacts

Procedia PDF Downloads 65
760 Knowledge regarding Sexual and Reproductive Health among Adolescents in Higher Secondary School

Authors: Kopila Shrestha

Abstract:

Adolescent sexual reproductive health is one of the most important issues in the world. Reproductive ability is taking place at an earlier age and adolescents are indulging in risk taking behaviors day by day. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Kathmandu valley to assess the knowledge regarding sexual and reproductive health among adolescent. Total of 200 respondents were selected through non-probability convenient sampling technique. Self-administered written questionnaires using semi-structured questions were used. The collected data were analyzed by using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation and inferential statistics such as Chi-square test. The findings revealed that most of the respondents had adequate knowledge regarding transmission and protection of HIV/AIDs and STIs but still some respondents had a misconception regarding it. Few respondents had knowledge regarding legal age for marriage and the minimum age for first child bearing. The statistical analysis revealed that the total mean knowledge score with standard deviation was 45.02±8.674. Nearly half of the respondents (49.5%) had a moderate level of knowledge, followed by an inadequate level of knowledge 29.5% and adequate level of knowledge 21.0% regarding sexual and reproductive health. There was significant association of level of knowledge with area of residence (p-value .002) but no association with age (p-value .067), sex (p-value .999), religion (p-value .082) and ethnicity (p-value .114). Nearly half of the participants possess some knowledge about sexual and reproductive health but still effective educational intervention is required in higher secondary school to encourage more sensible and healthy behaviour.

Keywords: adolescents, higher secondary school, knowledge, sexual and reproductive health

Procedia PDF Downloads 266
759 Predicting Root Cause of a Fire Incident through Transient Simulation

Authors: Mira Ezora Zainal Abidin, Siti Fauzuna Othman, Zalina Harun, M. Hafiz M. Pikri

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In a fire incident involving a Nitrogen storage tank that over-pressured and exploded, resulting in a fire in one of the units in a refinery, lack of data and evidence hampered the investigation to determine the root cause. Instrumentation and fittings were destroyed in the fire. To make it worst, this incident occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, making collecting and testing evidence delayed. In addition to that, the storage tank belonged to a third-party company which requires legal agreement prior to the refinery getting approval to test the remains. Despite all that, the investigation had to be carried out with stakeholders demanding answers. The investigation team had to devise alternative means to support whatever little evidence came out as the most probable root cause. International standards, practices, and previous incidents on similar tanks were referred. To narrow down to just one root cause from 8 possible causes, transient simulations were conducted to simulate the overpressure scenarios to prove and eliminate the other causes, leaving one root cause. This paper shares the methodology used and details how transient simulations were applied to help solve this. The experience and lessons learned gained from the event investigation and from numerous case studies via transient analysis in finding the root cause of the accident leads to the formulation of future mitigations and design modifications aiming at preventing such incidents or at least minimize the consequences from the fire incident.

Keywords: fire, transient, simulation, relief

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758 Hijabs, Burqas and Burqinis: Freedom of Religious Expression In The French Public Sphere

Authors: John Tate

Abstract:

In 2004, the French Parliament banned the “hijab” in public schools, and in 2010 it prohibited the “burqa” and “niqab” in “public places.” The result was a “secular” outcome involving the removal of these garments, often identified with Islamic religious and cultural practice, from the French public sphere. Yet in 2016, the French local council bans on the “burqini” were overruled by France’s highest administrative court, the Conseil d’État, allowing for their retention in the public sphere. Unlike the burqa and hijab bans, the burqini bans produced significant divisions at the highest echelons of the French political class, with the Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, and the President, François Hollande, finding themselves at odds on the issue. This article seeks to achieve four aims. It seeks to (a) explain the contrary outcomes between key French state institutions, such as the Conseil d’État and the French Parliament, concerning the hijab and burqa bans, and the Conseil d’État and French local councils, concerning the burqini bans; (b) to do so by identifying two qualitatively distinct, and at times incompatible, conceptions of laïcité, present within official French public discourse, and applied by these French state institutions to underwrite these respective outcomes; (c) explain why, given these contrary conceptions of laïcité, and these contrary outcomes, the widespread identification of laïcité with “secularism” is both misleading and inaccurate; and (d) provide an explanation why senior members of the French political class were divided on the burqini bans when they were not divided on the nation-wide prohibitions of the hijab in public schools and the burqa in public places. In regard to this last question, the article seeks to ask why the Burqini was “different”?

Keywords: liberalism, republicanism, laïcité, citizenship

Procedia PDF Downloads 127
757 Adaptation of Projection Profile Algorithm for Skewed Handwritten Text Line Detection

Authors: Kayode A. Olaniyi, Tola. M. Osifeko, Adeola A. Ogunleye

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Text line segmentation is an important step in document image processing. It represents a labeling process that assigns the same label using distance metric probability to spatially aligned units. Text line detection techniques have successfully been implemented mainly in printed documents. However, processing of the handwritten texts especially unconstrained documents has remained a key problem. This is because the unconstrained hand-written text lines are often not uniformly skewed. The spaces between text lines may not be obvious, complicated by the nature of handwriting and, overlapping ascenders and/or descenders of some characters. Hence, text lines detection and segmentation represents a leading challenge in handwritten document image processing. Text line detection methods that rely on the traditional global projection profile of the text document cannot efficiently confront with the problem of variable skew angles between different text lines. Hence, the formulation of a horizontal line as a separator is often not efficient. This paper presents a technique to segment a handwritten document into distinct lines of text. The proposed algorithm starts, by partitioning the initial text image into columns, across its width into chunks of about 5% each. At each vertical strip of 5%, the histogram of horizontal runs is projected. We have worked with the assumption that text appearing in a single strip is almost parallel to each other. The algorithm developed provides a sliding window through the first vertical strip on the left side of the page. It runs through to identify the new minimum corresponding to a valley in the projection profile. Each valley would represent the starting point of the orientation line and the ending point is the minimum point on the projection profile of the next vertical strip. The derived text-lines traverse around any obstructing handwritten vertical strips of connected component by associating it to either the line above or below. A decision of associating such connected component is made by the probability obtained from a distance metric decision. The technique outperforms the global projection profile for text line segmentation and it is robust to handle skewed documents and those with lines running into each other.

Keywords: connected-component, projection-profile, segmentation, text-line

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756 Promoting Diversity in Leadership: Exploring Women's Roles in Corporate Governance, with a Focus on Saudi Arabia

Authors: Norah Salem Al Mosa

Abstract:

This paper critically examines the ethical position of academic scholarship concerning "women in leadership" in Saudi Arabia, focusing on the context of the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative. While this vision places a strong emphasis on empowering women and increasing their presence in the workforce, women still face significant cultural, organisational, and personal barriers to leadership roles. The existing literature highlights the challenges Saudi women encounter, including the male guardianship system, and international perspectives add complexity to the issue. The debate among scholars about considering cultural context versus highlighting ongoing challenges is explored. The paper underscores that despite efforts to enhance women's representation in leadership positions, progress has been slow due to cultural norms, the absence of legal quotas, and limited access to education and professional development. It raises questions about the seriousness of research efforts and the government's commitment to gender equality in leadership roles, emphasising the need for increased academic scrutiny in this area. Ultimately, the paper aims to enhance understanding of the challenges and opportunities for women in leadership roles, their contributions to corporate governance in Saudi Arabia, and potential implications beyond its borders.

Keywords: female directors, gender diversity, women on executive positions, Saudi vision 2030

Procedia PDF Downloads 46
755 COVID-19 Case: A Definition of Infodemia through Online Italian Journalism

Authors: Concetta Papapicco

Abstract:

The spreading of new Coronavirus (COVID-19) in addition to becoming a global phenomenon, following the declaration of a pandemic state, has generated excessive access to information, sometimes not thoroughly screened, which makes it difficult to navigate a given topic because of the difficulty of finding reliable sources. As a result, there is a high level of contagion, understood as the spread of the virus, but also as the spread of information in a viral and harmful way, which prompted the World Health Organization to coin the term Infodemia to give 'a name' the phenomenon of excessive information. With neologism 'Infodemia', the World Health Organization (OMS) wanted, in these days when fear of the coronavirus is raging, point out that perhaps the greatest danger of global society in the age of social media. This phenomenon is the distortion of reality in the rumble of echoes and comments of the global community on real or often invented facts. The general purpose of the exploratory study is to investigate how the coronavirus situation is described from journalistic communication. Starting from La Repubblica online, as a reference journalistic magazine, as a specific objective, the research aims to understand the way in which journalistic communication describes the phenomenon of the COVID-19 virus spread, the spread of contagion and restrictive measures of social distancing in the Italian context. The study starts from the hypothesis that if the circulation of information helps to create a social representation of the phenomenon, the excessive accessibility to sources of information (Infodemia) can be modulated by the 'how' the phenomenon is described by the journalists. The methodology proposed, in fact, in the exploratory study is a quanti-qualitative (mixed) method. A Content Analysis with the SketchEngine software is carried out first. In support of the Content Analysis, a Diatextual Analysis was carried out. The Diatextual Analysis is a qualitative analysis useful to detect in the analyzed texts, that is the online articles of La Repubblica on the topic of coronavirus, Subjectivity, Argomentativity, and Mode. The research focuses mainly on 'Mode' or 'How' are the events related to coronavirus in the online articles of La Repubblica about COVID-19 phenomenon. The results show the presence of the contrast vision about COVID-19 situation in Italy.

Keywords: coronavirus, Italian infodemia, La Republica online, mix method

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754 Camel Mortalities Due to Accidental Intoxcation with Ionophore

Authors: M. A. Abdelfattah, F. K. Waleed

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Anticoccidials were utilized widely in veterinary practice for the avoidance of coccidiosis in poultry and assume a huge job as development promotants in ruminants. Ionophore harming is every now and again happens because of accidental access to medicated feed, errors in feed mixing, incorrect dosage calculation or misuse in non-recommended species. Camels on several farms in Eastern area of Saudi Arabia were accidently fed with a feed pellet containing 13 ppm salinomycin. One hundred and sixty-three camels died with mortality rate of 100%. The poisoning was clinically characterized by restlessness with tail lift to the top, jerk in the muscles of legs and thighs, excessive sweating, frequent setting and standing with body imbalance, lateral and sternal recumbences with the legs stretched back, eye tears with dilated pupil, vomiting of the stomach content, loss of consciousness and death of some of them. Feed analysis indicated the presence of salinomycin in pelleted feed in a range of 13 mg/kg-47 mg/kg. Necropsy findings and histopathological examinations were presented. Regulations and legal implications concerning with sale of contaminated feed in Saudi market are discussed in the light of feed law and by-law. The necessity for an effective implication of regulation concerning application of quality assurance systems based on the principles of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and the application of Hazard Analysis of Critical Control Point (HACCP) during feed production is necessary to avoid feed accident.

Keywords: medicated feed, salinomycin, anticoccidial, camel, toxicity

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753 Redefining State Security Using Gender: Case Study of the United States of America Post-Cold War

Authors: E. K. Linsenmayer

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Traditional international relations theorists define state security, the principal national interest, as a state’s military force. However, many political theorists argue the current definition of security is not comprehensive and therefore, problematic. This paper argues that women’s physical security is not only linked but also necessary to achieve state security. In today’s unipolar political international system, the United States continues to accredit national security to its military. However, in one of the most militarized countries, women remain insecure. Through a case study method of the United States, this paper illuminates a necessary political prescription: the empowerment of women through an inside-out, feminist theoretical approach that makes state security attainable. The research through empirical testing, drawing from several databases, shows the positive effects of women’s physical security on state security. Women’s physical security is defined in terms of equal legal practices, health, education, and female representation in the government. State security is measured by the relative peace of a state, its involvement in conflict and a state’s relations with neighboring states. This paper shows that empowering women, 50% of the world’s population, is necessary for ending the current vicious circle of militarization, war, and insecurity. Without undoing gender power dynamics at the individual and societal level, security at all levels remains unattainable.

Keywords: gender inequality, politics, state security, women's security

Procedia PDF Downloads 190
752 Case Study: 3000acres Facilitating Urban Agriculture in Melbourne, Australia

Authors: Philippa Anne French

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This paper presents a case study of 3000acres, a for-purpose organisation established in 2013 to improve the health of Melbournians by enabling them to grow more of their own food. Over the past four years, the organisation has encountered a number of barriers, both obvious and less obvious, which discourage communities from beginning their own food-growing projects. These include soil contamination, planning policies, public perception and access to land. 3000acres has been working to remove these barriers if possible, or otherwise to find ways around them. Strategies have included the use of removable planter boxes on temporarily vacant land, separating the site soil from above-ground garden beds, writing planning exemptions, developing relationships with land management authorities and recording both the quantitative and qualitative products of food gardens in Melbourne. While creating change in policy and legal requirements will be a gradual process, discernable progress has been made in the attitudes of land management authorities and the establishment of new food gardens is becoming easier. Over the past four years, 3000acres has supported the establishment of 14 food gardens in and around Melbourne, including public community gardens, fenced community gardens and urban farms supplying food to a food relief organisation.

Keywords: case study, community gardens, land access, land contamination, urban agriculture

Procedia PDF Downloads 161
751 Perfect Prey: Coercive Control and Subjugation, A Foundation for Dismissing the Truth

Authors: Christine Marie Cocchiola

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This study assesses the relationship between coercive control and subjugation. Coercive control is the foundation of most domestic violence and a serious public health problem, having significant legal and social justice ramifications. Beyond the physical, it oftentimes is preceded by or motivated by a need for control. Subjugation, as a personality trait and a maladaptive schema, leads individuals to minimize their own needs or wants and, thereby, often to a loss of autonomy, a dismissal of what one might know to be true. This includes a dismissal of the trademarks of an abusive relationship. Subjugation may contribute to a person engaging in or remaining in a coercively controlling relationship. One hundred fifty-four female survivors of domestic violence participated in this study, assessing their own level of subjugation. Participants were limited to individuals who experienced non-physical abuse in their relationships. Subjugation was attributed as a “concern” or greater in 137 of the 154 participants. 11 participants were interviewed to determine their personal experiences in this abusive relationship. Common themes emerged from interviews, including that the participants worked diligently to fix these abusive relationships by regulating their own behaviors and attempting to please the offender. The results indicate a continued need for advocacy and support of this vulnerable population. Further education is indicated for mental health professionals and for individuals in or having left an abusive relationship on how to identify signs of subjugation, thereby empowering individuals to avoid future experiences of abuse.

Keywords: coercive control, intimate partner violence, subjugation, schemas, gender oppression, autonomy, gaslighting

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750 Independence of the Judiciary in South Africa: An Assessment After Twenty Years of Democracy

Authors: Serges Djoyou Kamga, Gerard Emmanuel Kamdem Kamga

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Any serious constitutionalism entails a system of government characterised by the separation of powers between the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary. The latter is generally in charge of upholding the rule of law and the respect for human rights which are vital for the functioning of any democracy. Therefore, for the judiciary to play its role as a watchdog, it should be independent from other branches of government. The aim of this paper is to examine the independence of the judiciary in South Africa after 20 of democracy. Defining judicial independence as the courts’ ability ‘to decide cases on the basis of established law and the merits of the case, without interference from other political or governmental agents’, the paper examines the extent to which the South African judiciary is independent after twenty years of democracy. As part of assessing the independence of the judiciary, the paper begins by looking at the situation during apartheid, then proceeds with an examination of the post-apartheid legal order. It also examines the institutional independence of the judiciary by looking into its day to day activities which revolve around its self-governance, or administrative and financial independence. In addition, the paper assesses the judges’ individual independence by examining whether judicial appointment, security of tenure, judges’ remuneration and disciplinary actions and the removal of judges from office do not contain loopholes that can hinder judicial independence. Ultimately, the chapter argues that although the South African model of judicial independence is yet to be perfect, it is a good practice that can be emulated by other African countries.

Keywords: judical independence, South Africa, democracy, separation of powers

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749 AI-Based Technologies for Improving Patient Safety and Quality of Care

Authors: Tewelde Gebreslassie Gebreanenia, Frie Ayalew Yimam, Seada Hussen Adem

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Patient safety and quality of care are essential goals of health care delivery, but they are often compromised by human errors, system failures, or resource constraints. In a variety of healthcare contexts, artificial intelligence (AI), a quickly developing field, can provide fresh approaches to enhancing patient safety and treatment quality. Artificial Intelligence (AI) has the potential to decrease errors and enhance patient outcomes by carrying out tasks that would typically require human intelligence. These tasks include the detection and prevention of adverse events, monitoring and warning patients and clinicians about changes in vital signs, symptoms, or risks, offering individualized and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis, treatment, or prevention, and assessing and enhancing the effectiveness of health care systems and services. This study examines the state-of-the-art and potential future applications of AI-based technologies for enhancing patient safety and care quality, as well as the opportunities and problems they present for patients, policymakers, researchers, and healthcare providers. In order to ensure the safe, efficient, and responsible application of AI in healthcare, the paper also addresses the ethical, legal, social, and technical challenges that must be addressed and regulated.

Keywords: artificial intelligence, health care, human intelligence, patient safty, quality of care

Procedia PDF Downloads 61
748 Overcoming Challenges of Teaching English as a Foreign Language in Technical Classrooms: A Case Study at TVTC College of Technology

Authors: Sreekanth Reddy Ballarapu

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The perception of the whole process of teaching and learning is undergoing a drastic and radical change. More and more student-centered, pragmatic, and flexible approaches are gradually replacing teacher-centered lecturing and structural-syllabus instruction. The issue of teaching English as a Foreign language is no exception in this regard. The traditional Present-Practice-Produce (P-P-P) method of teaching English is overtaken by Task-Based Teaching which is a subsidiary branch of Communicative Language Teaching. At this juncture this article strongly tries to convey that - Task-based learning, has an advantage over other traditional methods of teaching. All teachers of English must try to customize their texts into productive tasks, apply them, and evaluate the students as well as themselves. Task Based Learning is a double edged tool which can enhance the performance of both the teacher and the taught. The sample for this case study is a class of 35 students from Semester III - Network branch at TVTC College of Technology, Adhum - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The students are high school passed out and aged between 19-21years.For the present study the prescribed textbook Technical English 1 by David Bonamy was used and a number of language tasks were chalked out during the pre- task stage and the learners were made to participate voluntarily and actively. The Action Research methodology was adopted within the dual framework of Communicative Language Teaching and Task-Based Learning. The different tools such as questionnaires, feedback and interviews were used to collect data. This study provides information about various techniques of Communicative Language Teaching and Task Based Learning and focuses primarily on the advantages of using a Task Based Learning approach. This article presents in detail the objectives of the study, the planning and implementation of the action research, the challenges encountered during the execution of the plan, and the pedagogical outcome of this project. These research findings serve two purposes: first, it evaluates the effectiveness of Task Based Learning and, second, it empowers the teacher's professionalism in designing and implementing the tasks. In the end, the possibility of scope for further research is presented in brief.

Keywords: action research, communicative language teaching, task based learning, perception

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747 The Good, the Bad and the Ugly in E-Procurement: A Case Study of Agricultural Company in Vietnam

Authors: D. T. Tran, H. P. Tran, L. G. Hoang, V. N. H. Bui, Q. T. Nguyen, A. K. Das

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This paper provides some insight information about a current situation of e-procurement implementation in Vietnam, including opportunities and challenges. A case study of Phuc Thien Company which is classified as a medium enterprise in the country, specialising on animal feed production. Since the technological development rapidly changes, companies have implemented advanced technologies in supply chain management to increase efficiency and gain collaboration amidst partners in their manufacturing and development activities. The findings of this research reveal strengths and ongoing weaknesses when Phuc Thien company internally implemented eProcurement system. Although cost savings, visibility of payment and speedy procurement process are one of the largest benefits of eProcurement implementation, the company faces greater hurdles, such as employee capability to use technology and their resistance to change, that overshadow everything else. In terms of governmental policy, the adaptation of e-invoicing has commenced since June 2015 in Vietnam, legal regulations and administrative framework related to e-Procurement carries various ambiguous in its content and extremely fragment. Hence, this adds a great burden to enterprises in general and Phuc Thien in particular in view of creating higher competitive advantage for animal feed industry in Vietnam as well as South East Asia region.

Keywords: procurement, e-procurement, animal feed industry, efficiency

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746 Encounter of Muslim World with Western Social Sciences: Reception, Indigenization, Islamization

Authors: Mohammad Hossein Panahi

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Modern social sciences developed in Western Europe, and from there, it disseminated to the rest of the world, including Muslim World. Within the hierarchical world social science system that emerged in the 19th and 20th centuries, the West occupied the center, and the Third and Muslim Worlds fell into its periphery. Many social scientists, especially sociologists, in the Third and Muslim World since the 1970s have criticized this worldwide unequal division of scientific labor and have called for the development of independent/indigenous social sciences relevant to their own social conditions. Based on the conceptual framework of the World Social Science System, this paper studied the encounter of Muslim social scientists/sociologists with the Western social sciences. Using inductive thematic content analysis as the method of research, the author analyzed 32 purposefully selected articles from among over 500 collected articles from the 1970s to 2018 and categorized the obtained themes. The findings revealed three main types of encounters: reception, indigenization, and Islamization. ‘Reception’ refers to the encounter of those Muslim social scientists who embrace the positivist approach and believe that Western social sciences are valid and applicable worldwide, including the Muslim World. ‘Indigenization’ refers to the approach of those Muslim social scientists who, along with many critical Third World social scientists, reject the universality of Western social sciences and call for the development of indigenous social sciences. ‘Islamization’ refers to the position of those religious Muslim social scientists who believe that Muslim nations should Islamize social sciences based on the Islamic value and knowledge systems, in order to attain viable social sciences and free themselves from Western domination. Discussing these encounters, their supporters and opponents, the paper concludes that despite various efforts, none of the two alternatives to the Western social sciences have been able to replace it so far.

Keywords: indigenization, Islamization, Muslim world, social sciences, world social science system

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745 Trafficking, Forced Prostitution, and Minors in the Sex Trade in Post-Legalisation New Zealand

Authors: Natalie Thorburn

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New Zealand legalised and regulated prostitution 13 years ago with the hope of eradicating unsafe or exploitative practices in the sex trade, but the extent to which this has been successful has been hotly contested, with the New Zealand Government denying any existence of sex trafficking and evidence generally indicating the success of the 2004 reform. The aim of the research was therefore to establish the circumstances in which sex trafficking may be occurring without using any previously instrumental gatekeepers of the New Zealand sex industry. 14 survivors of gang, family, or intimate partner trafficking (all of whom had first been trafficked prior to the age of 16) were interviewed, as well as several key informants. It was found that there was a perceived lack of commitment by Police to investigate instances of trafficking, and this was considered to be linked to the legal status of prostitution. The lack of recognition at both community and political levels of the existence and prevalence of trafficking also meant that medical and social service practitioners were unaware trafficking was occurring, and would not know who to refer to if it was disclosed. Participants commonly normalised coercion into sex, seeing this as a continuation of prior sexually abusive experiences that were prevalent in their childhood and early adolescent environments. Their experiences with the helping services were typically either negative or non-existent, and they expressed frustration regarding the absence of justice, the lack of awareness, and health and outcomes they suffered in relation to their experiences of having been trafficked. Barriers to engagement and strategies to facilitate meaningful and sustainable engagement with this population group are therefore presented.

Keywords: legalisation, regulation, service access, socio-political context

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744 Good Faith and Accession in the New Civil Code

Authors: Adelina Vrancianu

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The problem of artificial real accession will be analyzed in this study both in terms of old and current Civil Code provisions and in terms of comparative law, European legal and Canadian systems. The current Civil Code from 2009 has brought new changes about the application and solutions regarding artificial real accession. The hypothesis in which a person is making works with his own materials on the real estate belonging to another person is developed and analyzed in detail from national and international point of view in relation with the good faith. The scope of this analysis is to point out what are the changes issued from case-law and which ones are new, inspired from other law systems in regard to the good/bad faith. The new civil code has promoted a definition for this notion. Is this definition a new one inspired from the comparative law or is it inspired from the case-law? Is it explained for every case scenario of accession or is a general notion? The study tries to respond to these questions and to present the new aspects in the area. has reserved a special place for the situation of execution of works with own materials exceeding the border with violation of another’s right of property, where the variety of solutions brings into discussion the case of expropriation for private interest. The new Civil Code is greatly influenced by the Civil Code from Quebec in comparison with the old code of French influence. The civil reform was needed and has brought into attention new solutions inspired from the Canadian system which has mitigated the permanent conflict between the constructor and the immovable owner.

Keywords: accession, good faith, new civil code, comparative law

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743 Descriptive Analysis of Community-Based Needs among Asylum Seekers in New England before and after COVID-19

Authors: Viknesh Kasthuri, Victoria Angenent-Mari, Jade Wexler

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The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically altered the landscape of asylum medicine. Brown Human Rights Asylum Clinic (BHRAC) is a medical-student-run asylum clinic that provides pro-bono medical evaluations and forensic affidavits for individuals seeking asylum in New England. After the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, BHRAC experienced numerous changes both in the number of clients requesting services as well as in the resource needs of these clients. Uniquely, BHRAC assesses the needs of clients during their affidavit interview and seeks to address these needs by connecting clients to local community organizations and resources. Data regarding the specific needs of clients range from 2019-present day. Analysis of internal BHRAC’s internal data suggested a small increase in requests for assistance with light and gas (from 5% of total resource requests pre-COVID to 11%), as well as a decrease in requests for mental health services (from 20% of resources pre-COVID to 13% post-COVID). Furthermore, BHRAC witnessed a decline in clinic volume during the second half of 2020. In short, our data suggest that the pandemic affected asylum seekers' access to medico-legal services and the resources they need. Future research with larger sample sizes and in other geographic locations is required to determine the holistic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on asylum seekers.

Keywords: asylum clinic, asylum medicine, COVID, social determinants of health

Procedia PDF Downloads 91
742 Urban Meetings: Graphic Analysis of the Public Space in a Cultural Building from São Paulo

Authors: Thalita Carvalho Martins de Castro, Núbia Bernardi

Abstract:

Currently, studies evidence that our cities are portraits of social relations. In the midst of so many segregations, cultural buildings emerge as a place to assemble collective activities and expressions. Through theater, exhibitions, educational workshops, libraries, the architecture approaches human relations and seeks to propose meeting places. The purpose of this research is to deepen the discussions about the contributions of cultural buildings in the use of the spaces of the contemporary city, based on the data and measure collected in the master's research in progress. The graphic analysis of the insertion of contemporary cultural buildings seeks to highlight the social use of space. The urban insertions of contemporary cultural buildings in the city of São Paulo (Brazil) will be analyzed to understand the relations between the architectural form and its audience. The collected data describe a dynamic of flows and the permanence in the use of these spaces, indicating the contribution of the cultural buildings, associated with artistic production, in the dynamics of urban spaces and the social modifications of their milieu. Among the case studies, the research in development is based on the registration and graphic analysis of the Praça das Artes (2012) building located in the historical central region of the city, which after a long period of great degradation undergoes a current redevelopment. The choice of this building was based on four parameters, both on the architectural scale and on the urban scale: urban insertion, local impact, cultural production and a mix of uses. For the analysis will be applied two methodologies of graphic analysis, one with diagrams accompanied by texts and another with the active analysis for open space projects using complementary graphic methodologies, with maps, plants, info-graphics, perspectives, time-lapse videos and analytical tables. This research aims to reinforce the debates between the methodologies of form-use spaces and visual synthesis applied in cultural buildings, in order that new projects can structure public spaces as catalysts for social use, generating improvements in the daily life of its users and in the cities where they are inserted.

Keywords: cultural buildings, design methodologies, graphic analysis, public spaces

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741 Application of Forward Contract and Crop Insurance as Risk Management Tools of Agriculture: A Case Study in Bangladesh

Authors: M. Bokhtiar Hasan, M. Delowar Hossain, Abu N. M. Wahid

Abstract:

The principal aim of the study is to find out a way to effectively manage the agricultural risks like price volatility, weather risks, and fund shortage. To hedge price volatility, farmers sometimes make contracts with agro-traders but fail to protect themselves effectively due to not having legal framework for such contracts. The study extensively reviews existing literature and find evidence that the majority studies either deal with price volatility or weather risks. If we could address these risks through a single model, it would be more useful to both the farmers and traders. Intrinsically, the authors endeavor in this regard, and the key contribution of this study basically lies in it. Initially, we conduct a small survey aspiring to identify the shortcomings of existing contracts. Later, we propose a model encompassing forward and insurance contracts together where forward contract will be used to hedge price volatility and insurance contract will be used to protect weather risks. Contribution/Originality: The study adds to the existing literature through proposing an integrated model comprising of forward contract and crop insurance which will support both farmers and traders to cope with the agricultural risks like price volatility, weather hazards, and fund shortage. JEL Classifications: O13, Q13

Keywords: agriculture, forward contract, insurance contract, risk management, model

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740 Analysis of State Documents on Environmental Awareness Aspects in Kazakhstan

Authors: Y. A. Kumar

Abstract:

Environmental awareness issues in Kazakhstan are one of the most undermined topics both among the public community and in terms of state rhetoric. In the context of official state documents, so far only two official environmental codes and national programs called Zhasyl Kazakhstan were introduced in the country in 2021. While on the one hand the Environmental Code was introduced with the purpose to modernize, frame and enlist main legislative aspects on various sectors of environmental law in Kazakhstan, on the other hand, the Zhasyl Kazakhstan Program has been implemented as a state program to address with numerous environmental projects various environmental issues ranging from air pollution to waste management as well as aspects related to ecological education and low environmental awareness matters. In this regard, the main goal of this paper is to analyze critically the main content of both of these documents with a particular focus on sections related to environmental awareness-raising aspects. For that, this paper applied a subjective-based content analysis in order to identify interesting insights on regulatory legal aspects, future research streams, and uncovering of improved legislative frameworks in the context of an environmental awareness issue. Apart from that, five open-ended questions were sent out to the Ministry of Ecology, Geology and Natural Resources to obtain primary data on the state’s view in regards to current previous, recent and future aspects of environmental awareness issues in the country.

Keywords: Kazakhstan, environmental awareness, environmental code, Zhasyl Kazakhstan, content analysis

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739 Obligation, the Shifting Nature of Physician-Patient Relationship, and the Basic Healthcare Reform in Mainland China

Authors: Jia Liu

Abstract:

This article explores the shifting nature of physician-patient relationship in mainland China. Specifically, it takes the physician-patient relationship during the barefoot doctor program in 1968-1978, the marketization of healthcare services in 1978-2002, and the healthcare reform in 2003-2020 as three typical historical periods, illustrating how the nature of the physician-patient relationship has changed over time in mainland China. Drawing on recent jurisprudential literature that emphasizes the roles and functions done by and through obligation rather than right, it explores how the obligations of physicians and patients along with the implementation of informed consent, marketization of the healthcare system, and the basic healthcare reform have affected their relationship. One key feature of this article is that it analyzes the ways in which commodification and decommodification of healthcare have defined and in many different ways have determined the expectations and practices of physicians and patients, which illustrates how the trust between physicians and patients threatens to collapse and the bond between the citizen and the state fails to be firmly established in the mainland Chinese healthcare context. It also pays special attention to the role played by law and legal institutions—for instance, the implementation of informed consent and the liability law—in being complicit in facilitating the decoupling of the practices of physicians and patients from their ethical senses of obligation and undermining the bond (the trust relationship) between them.

Keywords: healthcare, marketization, physician-patient relationship, sense of obligation

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738 Strategies for Success: Strategic Thinking’s Critical Role in Entrepreneurial

Authors: Silvia Rahmita

Abstract:

Entrepreneurial success is crucial for economic growth, competitiveness, and job creation, yet many entrepreneurs face failure due to various challenges. This paper explores the critical role of strategic thinking in mitigating entrepreneurial failure. Entrepreneurial competencies—encompassing knowledge, skills, and traits—are essential for creating and growing ventures. Despite these competencies, numerous entrepreneurs fail due to poor management, inadequate support, and ineffective policies. The paper categorizes entrepreneurial failures into financial, operational, market, product or service, strategic, leadership, legal, human capital, technological, and environmental failures. Each failure type can be addressed through strategic thinking, which involves foresight, balancing short-term and long-term goals, and hypothesis-driven processes. By integrating strategic thinking into their approach, entrepreneurs can enhance risk management, adapt to market changes, and sustain growth. This process involves setting clear goals, innovating products, and maintaining a competitive edge. Ultimately, strategic thinking provides a framework for proactive planning, adaptation, and continuous improvement, reducing the likelihood of failure and ensuring long-term success. Entrepreneurs who prioritize strategic thinking are better equipped to navigate the complexities of the business environment and achieve sustainable growth.

Keywords: entrepreneurial failure, strategic thinking, risk management, business failure

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737 Obstetric Violence Consequences And Coping Strategies: Insights Through The Voices Of Arab And Jewish Women In Israel

Authors: Dganit Sharon, Raghda Alnabilsy

Abstract:

The goal of this qualitative research was to sound the voices of Jewish and Arab women in Israel who had experienced obstetric violence, to learn the consequences of the violence to them on different levels and over time, and to present their coping strategies from their perspective. Another goal was to expand the research knowledge on an issue that has not been studied among Arab and Jewish women in Israel. The premise of this study is the feminist approach that aims to promote human rights, and to eradicate phenomena related to cultural, structural, gender and patriarchal structures of women, their bodies, and their health. The research was based on the qualitative-constructivist methodology, by means of thematic analysis of 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews. Two main themes emerged from the analysis. First, the physical and emotional consequences of obstetric violence, consequences to spousal relationships, and mistrust of the health system and service providers. Second, women’s coping strategies with obstetric violence that included repression and avoidance as a way of coping with the pain and trauma of the abuse; garnering inner strengths, resilience, knowledge and awareness of the delivery process; recruiting and relying on external help; sharing on social media, and discussions with other women who had similar experiences; or reaching out to therapists / legal aid / public complaints.

Keywords: obstetric violence, Jewish and arab women in israel, consequences, coping strategies, gender-related perspective

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736 Federal Bureau of Investigation Opposition to German Nationalist Organizations in the United States (1941-45)

Authors: Yaroslav Alexandrovich Levin

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In modern research on the history of the United States in World War II, it is quite popular to study the opposition of the American special services and, in particular, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to various organizations of the German diasporas in new historical conditions. The appeal to traditional methods of historical research, comparative studies, and the principles of historicism will make it possible to more accurately trace the process of tightening the counterintelligence work of the Bureau and the close connection of concerns about the involvement of public organizations in the intelligence activities of the enemy. The broadcast of nationalist ideas by various communities of Germans under the auspices of their governments quickly attracted the attention of the FBI, which is in the process of consolidating its powers as the main US counterintelligence service. At the same time, the investigations and trials conducted by the John Edgar Hoover Department following these investigations often had an openly political color and increasingly consolidated the beginning of a political investigation in this service. This practice and its implementation ran into a tough contradiction between the legal norms of America, which proclaimed "democratic values," the right to freedom of speech, and the need to strengthen the internal security of the state and society in wartime. All these processes and the associated nuances and complexities are considered in specific examples of the work of federal agents against various pro-German organizations in the period 1941-45.

Keywords: World War II, internal security, countering extremism, counterintelligence, political investigation, FBI

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735 Exploring the Determinants of Boko Haram Terrorism in Nigerian Security Systems and Economy

Authors: Abara Onu, Augustine Mina Ephraim, Emmanuel Teidi

Abstract:

Terrorism has been a major challenge and is so dare to the Nigerian government in recent times. The actions and activities of the Islamic sect known as Boko Haram had led to enormous loss of lives and properties in the country, mostly the Northern part of Nigeria. Some of these activities entails bombings, suicide attacks, intimidations, sporadic gunfire of the unarmed, blameless and innocent Nigerians, burning of police stations and churches, kidnappings, raping of school girls and women. Nigeria has also been included amongst one of the terrorist countries of the world. This has serious implications for the development of Nigerian economy. Although, Nigeria had made several worried hard work to deal with these challenges masqueraded by terrorism and insecurity in the country but the rate of insurgency and insecurity is still worrisome. The study looks at exploring the determinants of Boko Haram terrorism in Nigerian security systems and economy. Data used for the study work was from questionnaire administered, using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) method to analyse the data. The result shows that Ideology and funding are significant basic factors that propelled the Boko Haram group in Nigeria. The Boko Haram disaster poses a significant threat to Nigeria’s economy and the military is the best option and solution in tackling the Boko Haram menace in Nigeria. The work x-rayed the following recommendations; government should declare war on terrorism and as well seek support and cooperation from international communities who in time or the other might have faced with this kind ugly experience and challenge and were able to tackle it. Nigerian Military needs to be more empowered with high dangerous weapons to combat the insurgency as well as beef up security across the Country to curb the threats.

Keywords: terrorism, economy, Boko Haram, Nigeria

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734 The Causes and Effects of Housing Project Abandonment in Malaysia

Authors: Abdul Aziz Abdullah, Anuar Alias, Khor Hooi Ting, Guan Ngah Mei

Abstract:

One of the major sectors which contribute significant growth to socio-economic development is the construction and development industry. This industry is most badly hurt during the 1997 and 2008 economic crisis thus causing many government and private projects to be deferred and abandoned. The purpose of this study is to examine the causes and effects of housing project abandonment in Malaysia. This objective is achieved through rigorous review of literatures and documents related to housing and abandoned housing project. The finding revealed there are several causes of housing project abandonment. The significant causes are: economic recession, inadequacy of finance, poor marketing and sales strategies, technical problems faced during construction, problems caused by compensations demanded by squatters for resettlement, insolvency of contractor, cost overrun and currency fluctuation amongst others. However the alarming effect of housing project is: house buyers of abandoned project have the monthly payment although the house is delivered to house buy. In other case house buyers have to entangle in many legal action with the financial institution. This finding provides the various ministries in the Government some insights on real causes and effects of abandoned project. Perhaps this finding can enhance the current solution the Ministry of Housing Local Government on addressing the prevailing issue of reviving existing abandoned project in the country.

Keywords: abandoned project, abandonment, housing project, ministry of housing and local government, causes and effect

Procedia PDF Downloads 514