scholarly journals Collective Mourning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Importance of Neurosociology

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 587-591
Author(s):  
Luis C. Herrera ◽  
Virginia Torres-Lista ◽  
Markelda Montenegro
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Daily Routines ◽  
Social Events ◽  
The Social ◽  
Integrated Responses ◽  
Ways Of Life

The COVID-19 pandemic has had diverse effects on society worldwide, forcing social scientists to rethink, understand, and address the complexity of the current situation. One thing is certain: the coronavirus is here to stay, and the pandemic has radically transformed social dynamics and social events, regardless of the type of society or the level of development of the countries. COVID-19 has forced all societies to reflect on their priorities and how to achieve human well-being. This implies designing different strategies to overcome the challenges of social development. One of the critical social challenges of COVID-19 is that society as a whole is going through a process called ‘collective mourning,’ as all citizens have lost someone or something-from lives of loved ones to daily routines and ways of life; society is in deep mourning. We are confident that we will overcome this pandemic, thanks to vaccines, but the social effects of COVID-19 will not be resolved with vaccines. The objective of this article is to raise awareness on the importance of using an emerging sociological perspective (neurosociology) to cope with collective mourning so that the state can prepare to provide integrated responses.

Capitalism Beyond Mutuality?

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Social Contract ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Business Practice ◽  
Business Leaders ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Economic Paradigm ◽  
The Social ◽  
Modern Economic ◽  
Great Output

Our quest for prosperity has produced great output but not always great outcomes. The list of concerns is growing and familiar. Fundamentally, when it comes to well-being, fairness, and the scope of our humanity, the modern economic system still leaves much to be desired. In turn, trust in business and the liberal market system (aka “capitalism”) has been declining and regulation has been rising. A variety of forces—civic, economic, and intellectual—have been probing for better alternatives. The contributions in this volume, coauthored by eminent philosophers, social scientists, and a handful of thoughtful business leaders, are submitted in this spirit. The thrust of the work is conveyed in the volume’s titular question: Capitalism Beyond Mutuality? Mutuality, or the exchange of benefits, has been established as the prime principle of interaction in addressing the chronic dilemma of human interdependence. Mutuality is a fundament in the social contract approach and it serves us well. Yet, to address the concerns outlined here, we must help evolve an economic paradigm where mutuality is more systematically complemented by reasoned and elective morality. Otherwise the state will remain the sole (if inadequate) protector and buffer between market and society. Hence, rather than just regulate power we must also educate power. Philosophy has a natural role, especially when education is the preferred vehicle of transformation. Accordingly, the essays in this volume integrate philosophy and social science to outline and explore concrete approaches to these important concerns emanating from business practice and theory.

The Great Illusion: Ignorance, Informational Cascades, and the Persistence of Unpopular Norms

1999 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina Bicchieri ◽  
Yoshitaka Fukui
Keyword(s):  
Social Groups ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Informational Cascades ◽  
Mediterranean Countries ◽  
The Social ◽  
The World ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Individual Choices

Norms of discrimination against women and blacks, norms of revenge still alive in some Mediterranean countries, and norms that everybody dislikes and tries to circumvent, such as the invisible norms of reciprocity that hold among the Iks studied by Turnbull, are all examples of unpopular and inefficient norms that often persist in spite of their being disliked as well as being obviously inefficient from a social or economic viewpoint. The world of business is not immune to this problem. In all those countries in which corruption is endemic, bribing public officials to get lucrative contracts is the norm, but it is often true that such a norm is disliked by many, and that it may lead to highly inefficient social outcomes (Bicchieri and Rovelli 1995).From a functionalist viewpoint such norms are anomalous, since they do not seem to fulfill any beneficial role for society at large or even for the social groups involved in sustaining the norm. In many cases it would be possible to gain in efficiency by eliminating, say, norms of racial discrimination, in that it would be possible to increase the well-being of a racial minority without harming the rest of society. To social scientists who equate persistence with efficiency, the permanence of inefficient norms thus presents an anomaly. They rest their case on two claims: when a norm is inefficient, sooner or later this fact will become evident. And evidence of inefficiency will induce quick changes in the individual choices that sustain the norm. That is, no opportunity for social improvement remains unexploited for long. Unfortunately, all too often this is not the case, and this is not because people mistakenly believe inefficient norms to be good or efficient.

scholarly journals Three positions on the fat body: Evaluating the ethical shortcomings of the obesity discourse

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-48
Author(s):  
Ástríður Stefánsdóttir
Keyword(s):  
Fat Body ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Medical Discourse ◽  
Social Embeddedness ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Hegemonic Discourse ◽  
Obesity Epidemic ◽  
Ethical Concerns ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scientific Approach

This article raises serious ethical concerns regarding the medical discourse on obesity. It offers a description of three alternate positions on the fat body: the scientific approach dominant within medicine, the critical view mainly raised by social scientists, and the voices of fat people themselves. By viewing and comparing the perspectives these positions reveal, it is possible to underline the complexity of the problem labeled as the “obesity epidemic” and draw attention to serious ethical concerns in the mainstream medical discussion. Medicalization of fat people narrows the focus on the “obesity epidemic” where it is framed as private and personal rather than social and political. It is also argued that the hegemonic discourse of medicine omits the social embeddedness of fat people and ignores their own voices and narratives. This undermines the well-being of fat people and hides their humanity as well.

On Comparative History

1957 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bert F. Hoselitz
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Science ◽  
Comparative Method ◽  
A Priori ◽  
John Stuart Mill ◽  
Social Event ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Causal Factors ◽  
Social Events ◽  
The Social

When John Stuart Mill composed his System of Logic, he maintained that valid application of the comparative method to problems in the moral or social sciences is impossible, or, at best, inadmissible, since it must be based on a priori judgments. Mill founded his objection to the use of this method in social science on two essentially interrelated propositions: the uniqueness of each social event, and the multiplicity and variety of causal factors which may be considered as having a determining influence on these events. Although this conception of the special nature of social events has, on the whole, remained unchanged, social scientists have freely applied the comparative method to the analysis of social problems. History has been outstanding among the social sciences in rejecting longest the application of this method. The main argument against its use was derived from the description of history formulated by Ranke and his school, a description which was endowed with a philosophical underpinning by Windelband and Rickert, who classified sciences according to method into a nomothetic and an ideographic group. History was the ideographic science par excellence, and with the strong historical emphasis that was placed in Germany upon other social sciences as well, there was a tendency to return to the viewpoint of Mill and to regard as scientifically suspect generalizations in social science based on the application of the comparative method.

Understanding the Australian Aboriginal experience of collective, historical and intergenerational trauma

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (6) ◽  
pp. 1522-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Menzies
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Intergenerational Trauma ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Australian Aboriginal ◽  
The Social ◽  
Definition Of

This article provides a summary of the evolving definition of trauma, including different forms of trauma and its impact on the health, behaviours and well-being of individuals and communities. Specifically, it discusses collective, historical and intergenerational trauma and the value of these concepts in understanding the health and social challenges we see within colonized Indigenous communities, particularly within Australian Aboriginal communities. The article argues that the current approach to addressing challenges within Australian Indigenous communities will have limited impact unless accompanied by a significant focus on understanding and addressing the level of trauma that permeates these communities. Programmes and initiatives that focus on reducing the rates of certain variables, such as rates of infant mortality, rates of incarceration or rates of school completion, are very important but are only treating symptoms unless the underlying trauma is addressed. Due to the ongoing devastation caused by many years of forced child removal, this is especially important for health, legal and welfare practitioners within the child protection system and the social work field if we are to break the cycles of family and cultural disruption.

scholarly journals Digital innovation in education in Romania quantitative approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-210
Author(s):  
Mihaela Mihai ◽  
Emilia Ţiţan ◽  
Daniela-Ioana Manea ◽  
Andra Nechifor ◽  
Andrada Cotenescu
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Online Courses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Technology Students ◽  
Innovation In Education ◽  
The Social ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
Teachers And Students ◽  
Physical Limitations

Abstract Economic growth, productivity and national well-being over time have been promoted through various innovation strategies. Education aims to shape the human personality according to its particularities but also according to the social dynamics, the mobility of teachers through the dynamic integration of man in society. Education differs from one historical stage to another. With the advancement of technology, students have the opportunity to take online courses, regardless of where they are, age, physical limitations or personal schedule. Technology can open up new opportunities for learning and assessment. With the help of the regression analysis applied based on the indicators provided by the National Institute of Statistics: the number of students, computers, laboratories and workshops in each county in Romania (2010-2017) tested the influence of technology on the number of students enrolled in schools. The main conclusion of the study emphasizes that a higher number of children enrolled in school in a county is correlated with the degree of technology. Thus, the number of new devices will increase to ensure the possibility for both teachers and students to evolve. On the other hand, the fact that some areas of the country are less developed and lack funding, is also reflected in the number of children enrolled as well as in the number of computers available.

scholarly journals The Standards of Living of Pensioners in the Murmansk Region

2020 ◽  
pp. 58-63
Author(s):  
Elena Anatolyevna Korchak ◽  
Tatyana Petrovna Skufyina
Keyword(s):  
Pension Reform ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Living Standards ◽  
Standard Of Living ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Standards Of Living ◽  
Social Challenge ◽  
The Social ◽  
Murmansk Region

Nowadays research on the development of concep-tual provisions governing the standard of living of pensioners is of particular importance. This actual-ization is due to an increase in the retirement age of the population, an increase in life expectancy, as well as a low level of material well-being of elderly citizens. The analysis of social challenges of the modern pension reform was the goal of this study, while the standard of living of pensioners in the Murmansk region is the subject of the study. A sta-tistical analysis of social phenomena and processes in the Murmansk region (demographic characteris-tics of the population, the situation in the sphere of employment and living standards of the population) was used as a methodological basis for the study. The main tendencies and trends in the field of de-mographic development, employment development, living standards and pensions in the Murmansk re-gion were identified in the course of the study. The conclusion of the study was the thesis that under the conditions of the new pension reform, a social challenge is the low standard of living of pension-ers, whose growth in the future will cause an expan-sion of the social localization of poverty.

scholarly journals The technical and the social: challenges in the conservation of earthen vernacular architecture in a changing world (Jujuy, Argentina)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Tomasi ◽  
Julieta Barada
Keyword(s):  
Social Dynamics ◽  
Vernacular Architecture ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Social Challenges ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Social Nature ◽  
The Social ◽  
Methodological Approaches ◽  
Earthen Architecture ◽  
Institutional Actors

AbstractVernacular earthen architecture presents a series of relevant conservation challenges that involve designing solutions for different kinds of alterations and degradations. Other challenges of a social nature simultaneously arise and are related, among other factors, to the participation of local communities and the actions of different institutional actors. Understanding these phenomena has generally been approached from perspectives that take technical considerations and social dynamics as separate fields. The current global context has resulted in an acceleration of changes in these dynamics, in terms of both techniques and management models, giving rise to the need to develop comprehensive conceptual and methodological approaches through which these challenges should be addressed jointly by recombining the technical and the social.This paper will analyse the main problems affecting vernacular architectures in three communities in northern Argentina, where earthen techniques have been very relevant. We will reflect on various potentially useful theoretical frameworks, incorporating concepts from the anthropology of technology and methodological approaches from an ethnography of conservation as a way to work with multiple ontologies.

Some Historical Background

2019 ◽  
pp. 19-43
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Lominska Johnson ◽  
Graham E. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Demographic Transition ◽  
Land Ownership ◽  
Economic Transformation ◽  
Social Effects ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
District Office ◽  
Industrial Town ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Town

Tsuen Wan offered an appropriate, although politically challenging, research site to social scientists interested in the social effects of economic transformation. The process of refining their methods and specific locations took some months, during which the authors explored the town and its surroundings, studied district office records, and learned about the complexities of land ownership in this industrial town in the New Territories. Elizabeth focused primarily on one village, studying the effects of industrialization on families and the demographic transition as well as the survival of lineages, while Graham focused on the adaptation of immigrants through the formation of associations and questions of leadership overall.

Economic (In)Equality and Democracy: The Political Economy of Poverty in Athens

2018 ◽  
pp. 344-375
Author(s):  
Claire Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Direct Democracy ◽  
Participatory Democracy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
The Poor ◽  
The Social ◽  
Self Interest ◽  
Democratic System ◽  
The Relationship

This chapter explores the relationship between participatory democracy and poverty in democratic Athens. Drawing on recent debates within Greek history and the social sciences, it examines the relationship between the economic prosperity of Athens and its democratic system, with particular emphasis on the role of direct democracy in the amelioration of poverty. Social scientists have frequently argued that democracy has a greater chance of success in wealthier polities, an idea which appears to have some application to the ancient world: Athens, for example, was undoubtedly affluent, had experienced long-term economic growth, had high wages and robust democratic institutions. However, much of this literature also betrays an anti-democratic/anti-poor rhetoric surprisingly familiar to historians of Athenian democracy (the poor are authoritarian, they lack intelligence, and are only interested in rule for their own redistributive self-interest etc). It also ignores those who are poor, plays down their participation in politics or fails to account for relative (in)equalities. This chapter, therefore, uses the Athenian experience to explore how participatory democracy can be used as a tool for social flourishing to empower, enrich and improve the capabilities and well-being of the poor.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document