The post-pandemic era: will physical distancing be a perceived way of life?

Background: This study aimed to determine whether people living in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia would prefer to continue the practice of physical distancing after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic or to return to their previous way of life. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2020 to October 2020 in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia. A pre-tested questionnaire was sent electronically through social media. Data on participants’ demographics and their perspectives regarding post-pandemic physical distancing were collected. The calculated sample size was 1,066; however, the total number of responses included in the analysis was 989. Results: The average age of the participants was 31.15±11.93 years. There were 435 men and 554 women in the study. Participants showed significantly high levels of disagreement with statements indicating that they were willing to use public transportation (61%), attend social gatherings (36%), and hug relatives or colleagues (40%) after the pandemic (p<0.001); however, 43% agreed that they would spend time with family or friends (p<0.001). The level of education was also found to be significantly related to the responses, and the level of disagreement increased as the level of education increased (p<0.001). Conclusions: One-third of the study participants planned to continue engaging in physical distancing even after the current pandemic and if the COVID-19 related restriction will remain in place for longer, there is chance to increase in this proportion. However, it cannot be concluded whether or not this behavior will prevail in the long run, after the ease in restrictions. If so, it may greatly affect some businesses and perhaps some social norms and values as well.

The application of ethnographic methods to engineering for global development: the case of the Improvised Betel Nut Cutter

This technical brief is an attempt to report a case analysis of Engineering for Global Development (EGD) research from India. As a part of the engineering design and research project, two models of Improvised Betel Nut Cutter (IBNC) are designed, manufactured and field-tested. Engineering ethnography is adopted as a research tool during the design process of IBCN. It facilitated the participation of local stakeholders in the design process which is found to be effective for contextual understandings of the target community's needs, aspirations, constraints and socio-cultural norms and values. The technological intervention is expected to solve the problems like finger cuts, health drudgery (musculoskeletal pain, back pain, etc.) of the women involved in the supari business in Assam, India. It will also improve productivity and efficiency in the supari cutting practices of women. This case analysis depicts the effectiveness of trans-disciplinary effort in solving complex engineering problems at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). Evidence gathered from this study is expected to be a useful resource for future endeavours in EGD research.

Place of Social Pedagogy in the System of Science

This chapter discusses the place of social pedagogy in the system of science. It is part of the general pedagogical discipline that deals with socialization problems from a pedagogical perspective. These problems include continuous cultural and social changes within families from childhood to adulthood. These changes are influenced by people's modern and post-modern lifestyles as individuals and collectively. They are further coupled with the challenges of crises of giving meaning to lifestyles, as well as the problems of exposing and bringing up children and the youth within set ethics, morals, norms, and values. The place of social pedagogy in the system of science is discussed from an educational perspective, psychological science, and other sciences, such as anthropology, ecology, history, philosophy, and sociology. A conclusion is drawn and it is followed by research questions.

Applicability of Six Sigma in Human Resource Management

The role of HR has become like that of a firefighter, remembered only in emergencies. Their presence is felt only in their absence. HR is seen as a reactive staff function and a cost centre. The message is clear. Despite its best effort to keep organization together with uniform policy, norms, and values, HR is compelled to prove its financial worth to the organization. HR is under constant pressure for showing their results in quantifiable and financially measurable terms. Introducing Six Sigma in processes of HRM functions seems to be a solution to this problem. However, in some of “Total Six Sigma Organizations,” the human resources department has been practically untouched by Six Sigma. The main reason being the difficulty in quantifying and measuring the financial returns of HR processes. But, some others feel that this is as easy as identifying the gaps and using the right formula. The real problem therefore lies in the perception of an individual HR professional. It takes an HR manager to think statistically and analyze how a process can be quantified.

Island-Centered Pedagogy

In this chapter, the authors explore and reflect on the pedagogy of higher learning within the cultural context of Micronesian society. Islanders are raised with strong cultural values that often come into conflict as they enter the environment of higher education. They find themselves trying to balance the cultural values, responsibilities, and practices while meeting the demands of university norms and values that are often very counter-cultural in nature. The authors discuss four essential elements educators of Micronesian university students must consider as they endeavor to provide a culturally relevant curriculum centered on what is called island pedagogy. These four elements focus on the concepts of collectivism, cultural understanding, regional advocacy, and empathy. It is through a commitment to building the foundation for a truly islander-centered environment in higher education that teachers empower students of these small islands with every possible chance to succeed in their field of study.

Self-determination and “the Right to Specificity”. Concerning Hegel’s Theory of Modern Freedom

In this paper, it will be shown that Hegel’s philosophical thematisation of subjective freedom has given a fundamental contribution to the historical innovation of modernity, which regards not only human rights, but also norms and values. Besides, it played an important role concerning the cultural transformation, i.e., the process of the realization of the historical innovation oriented towards the ideals of modern freedom. To show this, the author will focus on some passages from Hegel’s Philosophy of Right of 1820, in which Hegel regarded subjective freedom as universally-normative and, at the same time, as socially and historically contextualized (situated, respectively). Hegel, namely, explicates modern freedom in its ideality and moral normativity, addressing its realization in particular forms of life. Marriage, for instance, as it will be shown towards the end of this contribution, exemplified as the right to particularity, is the normative basis of modern subjective freedom. Tensions and collisions will permanently challenge this type of freedom and also require permanent (and self-defeating) efforts invested in striving for a (too contextualized and situated) „reconciliation“ (in Hegel´s terms Versöhnung).

Post-Normal Times Laboratory

Nowadays, for science as a type of activity and a socio-cultural institution, the question of the boundaries of its own agency is extremely relevant. Various global challenges (energy, climate, pandemics, security, etc.) are in tune with the challenges for the very concept of science, for its norms and values. In a discussion article, V.N. Porus and V.A. Bazhanov discuss aspects of the political agency of post-normal science (J. Ravetz, S. Funtowicz) — a type of science that claims to go beyond normal science (T. Kuhn) as a process simple and definite solution of problems within the framework of the prevailing paradigms. This article discusses aspects of the political subjectivity of science in the language of locations, the most important of which is the laboratory, understood in broad socio-cultural and socio-epistemic aspects. With the involvement of historical and scientific (atomic-nuclear problem) and modern situational cases (COVID-19), the problems of the relationship between “scientific” and “political” in the location of the expanded laboratory are considered. In the extended laboratory, the situational realization of the political agency of science is carried out. It is emphasized that science has not yet acquired the status of an independent and full-fledged political agency, and the corresponding institutionalization. The political agency of science is specific and episodic. Loaded with complexity and uncertainty modernity is considered by a number of authors at the present time as a post-normal times. It is noted that in the light of the post-normal nature of modernity while striving for political subjectivity, science (at the level of a multitude of participating actors) should not change its “personal ontology” (responsibility for the truth), which is difficult to achieve without an appeal to the virtue of wisdom.

Socialization of new student admissions for an increase in the gross participation rate of universities in Bandar Lampung City

Socialization is a process, in which a new member of society learns the norms and values of which he or she is a member. This socialization is done as a form of effort from universities to be able to provide information about the admission of new students. This aims that information about this can be conveyed properly in accordance with the Mandate of the Ministry of Education and Technology which expects that there is an increase in the Gross Participation Rate (APK) of Higher Education in Indonesia, especially in bandar Lampung City. The low Gross Participation Rate (APK) of Higher Education in Indonesia in 2018 showed a figure of 33.37%. This figure shows the lag when compared to some other communities in ASEAN. Seeing this, Lampung University as one of the universities also organizes socialization of new student admissions every year. The new student admission system is carried out through the test path determined by the Ministry of Education and Technology. In addition, Lampung University also held student admissions through the achievement path as a form of appreciation of Indonesian students who have ability both in the academic and non-academic fields. Socialization of new student admissions of Lampung University to increase the Gross Participation Rate of Universities in Bandar Lampung City is generally done through online and direct socialization on a limited basis while still complying with health protocols. This socialization activity is also continued with evaluation and monitoring so that the activities run well and the desired essence and objectives can be achieved.

On the Issue of Social Movement Definition

The paper is a theoretical review of “social movement” term definitions. Aiming to show differences among definitions within different paradigms and scientific evolution of the term the main approaches of defining social movements are discussed. Initially, social movements were studied by psychologists, who were examining different forms of collective behavior, such as mobs, crowds, protests and etc. Most of them considered social movements as an irrational and destructive form of collective action driven by the instincts of people. During the next decades, the theory of social movements was developed mostly by sociologists who, on the contrary, started to seek social reasons inducing this type of collective action. Different theoretical schools proposed various concepts of explaining the origin of social movements, but all of them agreed on the main characteristics: rational and organized collective action driven by unfulfilled social needs. Different authors linked social movement definitions with other important social phenomena such as norms and values, social conflict, social identity, and social network. Political scientists have also contributed to the study of social movements but in terms of power and state, terrorism and violence. Discussing psychological, sociological, and political science approaches to term definition we came to the conclusion that the most inclusive sociological definition is viewing social movement as a social network through which collective action is performed to achieve total or partial social change. Such kind of definition makes it possible to reveal the main criteria necessary to distinguish social movement as a separate social phenomenon from other types of collective action.