Societies

17 pages, 1841 KiB

Open AccessReview

Analyzing Spanish-Language YouTube Discourse During the 2025 Iberian Peninsula Blackout

by Dmitry Erokhin

Societies 2025, 15(7), 174; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15070174 - 20 Jun 2025

This study investigates Spanish-language public discourse on YouTube following the unprecedented Iberian Peninsula blackout of 28 April 2025. Leveraging comments extracted via the YouTube Data API and analyzed with the OpenAI GPT-4o-mini model, it systematically examined 76,398 comments from 360 of the most relevant videos posted on the day of the event. The analysis explored emotional responses, sentiment trends, misinformation prevalence, civic engagement, and attributions of blame within the immediate aftermath of the blackout. The results reveal a discourse dominated by negativity and anger, with 43% of comments classified as angry and an overall negative sentiment trend. Misinformation was pervasive, present in 46% of comments, with most falsehoods going unchallenged. The majority of users attributed the blackout to government or political failures rather than technical causes, reflecting a profound distrust in institutions. Notably, while one in five comments included a call to action, only a minority offered constructive solutions, focusing mainly on infrastructure and energy reform. These findings highlight the crucial role of multilingual, real-time crisis communication and the unique information needs of Spanish-speaking populations during emergencies. By illuminating how rumors, emotions, and calls for accountability manifest in digital spaces, this study contributes to the literature on crisis informatics, digital resilience, and inclusive sustainability policy. Full article

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30 pages, 1036 KiB

Open AccessReview

7S-Based Feeding and Its Impact on the One Health Approach and Human Development in Latin America: An Integrative Review

by Benny Andrade-Arita, Ma. Sandra Hernández-López, Gilberto Herrera-Ruiz, Juan Fernando García-Trejo, Humberto Aguirre-Becerra, Adriana Rojas-Molina and Juvenal Rodríguez-Reséndiz

Societies 2025, 15(7), 173; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15070173 - 20 Jun 2025

Abstract

This article presents an integrative review of the role of the 7S-Based Feeding framework (Healthy, Sustainable, Safe, Social, Sovereign, Solidary, and Satisfactory) and its relationship with the One Health approach and human development in Latin America. Through an analysis of 18 articles selected via the PRISMA methodology and coded using ATLAS.ti, thematic patterns and analytical gaps were identified using Sankey diagrams and qualitative content analysis. The results indicate that the dimensions most frequently addressed were Sustainable, Healthy, Safe, and Social. In contrast, the Sovereign and Solidarity-based dimensions were underrepresented, while the Satisfactory dimension was entirely absent. Only one-third of the articles explicitly applied the One Health framework. The study proposes a theoretical integration of these approaches to enhance the understanding of food systems as determinants of well-being. It concludes that incorporating the 7S-Based Feeding framework into public food policies could strengthen their impact on equity, health, and resilience in Latin American communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Communication Strategies for Building Global Food Networks)

21 pages, 2069 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Geographical Debate on COVID-19’s Impact on Healthcare Access and Utilization in Vulnerable Malaysian Communities

by Lay Im Lim, Mohammad Javad Maghsoodi Tilaki, Sharifah R. S. Dawood and Su Jinxia

Societies 2025, 15(7), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15070172 - 20 Jun 2025

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified concerns about healthcare access, particularly among vulnerable populations. This study extends Andersen’s behavioral model to investigate how fear of high-risk locations, alongside predisposing, enabling, and need factors, shapes healthcare-seeking behavior in Penang, Malaysia. A survey of 211 individuals (58% response rate) was analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Results reveal that need factors—specifically self-rated health and chronic illness—strongly predict healthcare utilization. However, this relationship is moderated by fear of infection, leading some high-risk individuals to forgo care despite medical necessity. Enabling factors, including financial resources and access to public healthcare, showed limited influence, likely due to Malaysia’s universal healthcare system and growing use of telemedicine. Older adults maintained healthcare utilization among predisposing variables, while higher-educated individuals were more cautious, possibly due to heightened health literacy and trust in digital alternatives. Although fear influenced care-seeking behavior for minor ailments, it did not significantly deter individuals from accessing services for severe conditions. These findings underscore the nuanced interaction between psychosocial factors and institutional context in shaping healthcare decisions during health crises. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section The Social Nature of Health and Well-Being)

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18 pages, 1576 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ethical Reflexivity in Research with (Migrant) Children: Dealing with Power Asymmetries to Build up More Participatory Approaches

by Anne Carolina Ramos, Catrin Heite, Andrea Riepl, Luisa Weissberg, Nina Bingham, Yara Küng, Alexandra Roggensinger and Julia Steiner

Societies 2025, 15(7), 171; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc15070171 - 20 Jun 2025

Abstract

Participatory research with children presents a range of ethical challenges, particularly concerning power dynamics between adults and children in the research process. Factors such as the research setting, parental consent, the role of gatekeepers, interview dynamics, and the methods used can either facilitate or limit children’s participation. For migrant children and their families, specific issues like the language of communication, the materials developed for the study, socio-economic status, and migration-related vulnerabilities, such as sensitive experiences of (forced) migration, are especially important. This paper explores these ethical considerations through the lens of our research in the WoKidS project, which examines the subjective well-being of children (N = 84) aged 8 to 14, both with and without a migration background. The article is grounded in an ethical reflexivity approach, where multiple researchers involved in the study reflect on their experiences and practices while conducting research with (migrant) children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Doing and Critically Evaluating Participatory Action Research in Migration Studies)

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Societies, Volume 15, Issue 7 (July 2025) – 4 articles

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