Societies

23 pages, 1325 KB

Open AccessArticle

Generative AI Adoption and Students’ Creativity: The Roles of Enhanced Learning, Learning Engagement, and Ethical Risk

by Ibrahim A. Elshaer, Chokri Kooli, Alaa M. S. Azazz, Mansour Alyahya, Sameh Fayyad and Ghada Ali Abd Elmoaty Mohamed

Societies 2026, 16(8), 270; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080270 - 21 Aug 2026

Viewed by 864

Abstract

The rapid adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education by reshaping learning experiences, student engagement, and creativity. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which GenAI enhances creativity, particularly within tourism and hospitality education. Unlike prior studies that primarily [...] Read more.

The rapid adoption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is transforming higher education by reshaping learning experiences, student engagement, and creativity. However, little is known about the mechanisms through which GenAI enhances creativity, particularly within tourism and hospitality education. Unlike prior studies that primarily examine students’ intention to adopt GenAI, this study explains how GenAI adoption translates into creativity through enhanced learning and learning engagement while accounting for ethical risks. Drawing upon contemporary learning and creativity literature, this study examined how students’ adoption of GenAI influences creativity through the mediating roles of enhanced learning and learning engagement, while also investigating the moderating effect of perceived ethical risks associated with GenAI use. Data were collected from 420 students enrolled in tourism and hospitality faculties and institutes across Egypt. The proposed research model was tested using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The findings reveal that enhanced learning and learning engagement are the principal mechanisms through which GenAI adoption improves students’ creativity, whereas perceived ethical risks significantly weaken these positive relationships. This study contributed to the emerging GenAI literature by moving beyond technology adoption perspectives to explain how GenAI shapes creativity outcomes in higher education. It further extends tourism and hospitality education research by providing one of the first empirical examinations of the mechanisms through which GenAI enhances student creativity while accounting for ethical concerns. The findings provide practical guidance for higher education institutions seeking to integrate GenAI responsibly while fostering creativity, engagement, and innovative learning environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Artificial Intelligence and Societies: Transforming Work, Business, and Sustainable Prosperity in the Digital Era)

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22 pages, 889 KB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Potential of the Museum of Feelings for Children’s Self-Regulation: A Deductive Theoretical Analysis

by Monika Tekutienė and Daiva Jakavonytė-Staškuvienė

Societies 2026, 16(8), 269; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080269 - 21 Aug 2026

Viewed by 336

Abstract

In today’s world, where people are exposed to ever-increasing flows of information, children may find it difficult to regulate their emotions, attention, thoughts and behaviour. Self-regulation is widely recognised as a key factor in children’s learning, emotional well-being and social functioning, yet there [...] Read more.

In today’s world, where people are exposed to ever-increasing flows of information, children may find it difficult to regulate their emotions, attention, thoughts and behaviour. Self-regulation is widely recognised as a key factor in children’s learning, emotional well-being and social functioning, yet there remains a lack of research analysing how processes related to self-regulation can be conceptually explored in museum, experiential and sensory educational settings. To address this gap, this study examines the conceptual links between the exhibits and educational activities at the Museum of Feelings, established in Lithuania in 2025, and children’s emotional, cognitive and behavioural self-regulation. The study employed qualitative deductive content analysis. The museum’s exhibits and the associated educational activities were analysed using a coding system derived from the academic literature. The analysis identified three main categories of self-regulation: emotional, cognitive and behavioural. The results of this study reveal that the museum’s exhibits and activities were conceptually linked to all three categories. The activities analysed were linked to the development of emotional vocabulary, the recognition and naming of emotions and bodily sensations, reflection on the interrelationships between thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and behaviour, attention regulation, impulse control, and the exploration of constructive ways of responding to complex emotions and social situations. By revealing how these aspects of self-regulation are given meaning within the experiential museum environment, this study offers a new theoretical perspective on the educational potential of museum activities. However, the identified links are conceptual and theoretical in nature and should therefore not be interpreted as empirical evidence of the museum’s impact on children’s self-regulation. Full article

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

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28 pages, 1831 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sustaining Heritage Communities: The Roles of Cultural Capital, Dynamic Capabilities, and Cultural Innovation Ability

by Hao Liang and Anan Pongtornkulpanich

Societies 2026, 16(8), 268; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080268 - 21 Aug 2026

Viewed by 349

Abstract

Cultural resources embedded in local traditions are increasingly recognized as contributors to sustainable community development. Even so, the mechanisms through which these resources support sustainability remain insufficiently understood, particularly in living heritage communities. Empirical evidence explaining how cultural resources are translated into sustainable [...] Read more.

Cultural resources embedded in local traditions are increasingly recognized as contributors to sustainable community development. Even so, the mechanisms through which these resources support sustainability remain insufficiently understood, particularly in living heritage communities. Empirical evidence explaining how cultural resources are translated into sustainable community outcomes through Dynamic Capabilities and Cultural Innovation Ability also remains limited. This study examines how Cultural Capital and Dynamic Capabilities contribute to community sustainability through Cultural Innovation Ability in Buyei Tie-dyeing communities in Guizhou Province, China. Using a sequential explanatory mixed-methods design, 503 valid questionnaires were analyzed through structural equation modeling (SEM), complemented by semi-structured interviews and a focus group discussion. The empirical results demonstrate that Dynamic Capabilities exert a substantial direct effect on Local Community Sustainability (β = 0.429, p < 0.001), while Cultural Capital emerges as a critical determinant of Cultural Innovation Ability (β = 0.468, p < 0.001). Cultural Innovation Ability partially mediates the relationships of Dynamic Capabilities and Cultural Capital with Local Community Sustainability. The study focuses on respondents’ perceptions of community-level processes within this evolving heritage context rather than directly examining how heritage meanings are negotiated, reproduced, or transformed among different actors. The structural model explains 50.1% of the variance in Local Community Sustainability, indicating moderate explanatory power. The findings suggest that Cultural Capital alone may be insufficient to generate stronger sustainability outcomes unless communities can mobilize and transform it under changing conditions. Cultural innovation serves as a key mechanism linking cultural resources to community sustainability. The study contributes to the literature by extending Dynamic Capability Theory to community-based heritage settings and by identifying Cultural Innovation Ability as an important mechanism linking cultural resources to sustainable community development. Full article

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22 pages, 313 KB

Open AccessArticle

Replacing, Augmenting, or Resisting? Interpretive Repertoires of Human–AI Relations at Work in Reddit Discussions

by Anania Iordache, Cosima Rughiniș, Răzvan Rughiniș and Dinu Țurcanu

Societies 2026, 16(8), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080267 - 20 Aug 2026

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 367

Abstract

Public discussion of artificial intelligence and employment is often reduced to a binary between technological optimism and pessimism. This qualitative study examines 3275 substantive comments from 22 purposively selected English-language Reddit threads, spanning 18 subreddits and thirteen occupational or institutional domains, collected in [...] Read more.

Public discussion of artificial intelligence and employment is often reduced to a binary between technological optimism and pessimism. This qualitative study examines 3275 substantive comments from 22 purposively selected English-language Reddit threads, spanning 18 subreddits and thirteen occupational or institutional domains, collected in early April 2026. Drawing on interpretive-repertoire analysis and using sociotechnical imaginaries as a sensitizing framework, the study identifies nine recurring vocabularies through which participants construct relations between AI and human labor: replacement; displacement and stratification; augmentation and complementarity, including augmentation-as-intensification; surveillance and subordination; algorithmic gatekeeping; selective immunity and embodied resistance; adaptation mandate; institutional redesign; and replacement reversal. The sampled discussions suggest occupationally patterned differences in the salience of these repertoires. Creative work discussions frequently foregrounded replacement and stratification, service-work discussions emphasized intensification and control, skilled-trades discussions mobilized embodied immunity, and legal discussions foregrounded institutional redesign. The findings show that vernacular discussion differentiates among multiple locations, mechanisms, and beneficiaries of AI-related change that cannot be captured adequately through a simple optimism–pessimism distinction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Science, Technology, and Society)

12 pages, 357 KB

Open AccessArticle

Sport Passion, Sports-Themed Video Gaming Motivation, and Perceived Task Performance Among Athletes Who Play Sport-Congruent Video Games: A Cross-Sectional Indirect-Association Model

by Orcun Kececi, Mustafa Can Koc, Selim Akman, Dessalegn Wase Mola, Pedro Duarte-Mendes and Filipe Rodrigues

Societies 2026, 16(8), 266; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080266 - 20 Aug 2026

Viewed by 455

Abstract

This cross-sectional study examined the contemporaneous associations among sport passion, sports-themed video gaming motivation, and perceived sport-role task performance. The sample comprised 624 licensed athletes in Türkiye who reported participating in a physical sport and playing a sports video game that matched that [...] Read more.

This cross-sectional study examined the contemporaneous associations among sport passion, sports-themed video gaming motivation, and perceived sport-role task performance. The sample comprised 624 licensed athletes in Türkiye who reported participating in a physical sport and playing a sports video game that matched that sport. Participants completed the Sport Passion Scale, the Sports Video Game Motivation Scale, and a self-report adaptation of the Task Performance Scale for the sport context. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the specified measurement structure, and structural equation modeling with 5000 bias-corrected bootstrap resamples was used to estimate simultaneous and indirect associations. Sport passion was positively associated with sports-themed video gaming motivation (β = 0.58) and perceived sport-role task performance (β = 0.29), while gaming motivation was positively associated with perceived sport-role task performance (β = 0.35). The standardized indirect association was 0.20; the corresponding unstandardized estimate was B = 0.22, bias-corrected 95% CI [0.15, 0.30]. Because all variables were self-reported in one survey session, the model describes associations and does not establish temporal ordering, causal mediation, transfer from gaming to sport, or improvement in objective athletic performance. Full article

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26 pages, 2469 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Redefining Community Dance: A Systematic Review and Dual-Perspective Analysis of Rhetoric and Reality Intersections (2000–2026)

by Aglaia Zafeiroudi, Athanasia Chatzipanteli, Ioannis Tsartsapakis, Vasiliki Zisi and Charilaos Kouthouris

Societies 2026, 16(8), 265; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080265 - 19 Aug 2026

Viewed by 322

Abstract

This systematic review adopted a dual-perspective approach to examine how community dance is conceptualized and operationalized in the literature published between 2000 and 2026. The review was reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020, with eligibility and search concepts informed by SPIDER. Searches of [...] Read more.

This systematic review adopted a dual-perspective approach to examine how community dance is conceptualized and operationalized in the literature published between 2000 and 2026. The review was reported in accordance with PRISMA 2020, with eligibility and search concepts informed by SPIDER. Searches of five bibliographic databases and Google Scholar produced 423 records, of which 30 peer-reviewed articles were included in a thematic and cross-cutting narrative synthesis. Explicit accounts framed community dance through macro-level aspirations toward cultural democracy, equity, social connection, and eco-social sustainability. Implicit operational accounts emphasized micro-level relational, embodied, and pedagogical processes through which these commitments may be pursued, including process-led participation, de-centering of authority, challenges to normative body ideals, non-clinical well-being, and, in a smaller subset, trauma-informed principles. The realization of democratic and inclusive aspirations varied by context, facilitation, participant experience, and institutional conditions. Across both strands, the lived body occurred as an interpretive link between embodied knowledge, participation, and psychosocial well-being. Community dance is provisionally conceptualized as an anti-elitist, leisure-based, process-led participatory practice that seeks to create democratic spaces where diverse bodies share creative agency and relational justice may be pursued in practice. This definition aims to clarify the field’s conceptual identity, offering a cohesive epistemological foundation for future research, policy, and pedagogy. Full article

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

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17 pages, 446 KB

Open AccessArticle

More than a Meal: The Cultural Imaginary and Practices Behind Student Access to University Canteens in Milan

by Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco and Martina Pili

Societies 2026, 16(8), 264; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080264 - 18 Aug 2026

Viewed by 652

Abstract

University canteens occupy a structurally significant position within European higher education, functioning simultaneously as food security infrastructures, socioeconomic equalizers, and community-building spaces. Yet, access to these services remains deeply uneven, shaped by financial constraints, logistical barriers, and a frequently underexplored cultural and symbolic [...] Read more.

University canteens occupy a structurally significant position within European higher education, functioning simultaneously as food security infrastructures, socioeconomic equalizers, and community-building spaces. Yet, access to these services remains deeply uneven, shaped by financial constraints, logistical barriers, and a frequently underexplored cultural and symbolic dimension that precedes and overrides direct experiential evaluation. Drawing on 56 semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with university students in Milan between April and May 2025, this paper investigates how students organize and experience their midday lunch break and what motivates them to access or exclude themselves from the university canteen service. The findings reveal that the student sample departs substantially from the dominant framing in the contemporary literature of the canteen as an existential food-security resource, instead deploying a range of domestic and commercial food tactics that bypass institutional catering entirely. More significantly, the data demonstrates that canteen avoidance is driven less by objective assessments of food quality or pricing than by a stratification of memories in which childhood memories of institutional dining spaces trigger pre-emptive rejection of the university facility before any direct engagement takes place. Against this backdrop, peer socialization emerges as a particularly salient counterforce for overriding both affective aversion and economic and logistical inconvenience, symbolically transforming the canteen from a regimented site of institutional constraint into a shared territory of collective belonging. Taken together, these findings suggest that improving canteen access requires intervention not only at the level of food quality and pricing, but at the level of spatial culture, service typology, and the culinary imagery that students carry with them to campus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Societal Challenges, Opportunities and Achievement)

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12 pages, 531 KB

Open AccessArticle

Determinants of Subjective Economic Status and Quality of Life Among Middle- and Older-Aged Koreans: The Roles of Living Costs, Employment, and Smoking Using Korean Longitudinal Study of Data on Older Adults

by Heewon Yang and Joonho Moon

Societies 2026, 16(8), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080263 - 18 Aug 2026

Viewed by 272

Abstract

This study examined how living costs, employment, and smoking are associated with subjective economic status and quality of life among middle-aged Koreans aged 45 to 57, the cohort that will constitute the older population of the coming decades. Drawing on social determinants of [...] Read more.

This study examined how living costs, employment, and smoking are associated with subjective economic status and quality of life among middle-aged Koreans aged 45 to 57, the cohort that will constitute the older population of the coming decades. Drawing on social determinants of health theory, the study specified expenditure on food, vehicles, and housing as curvilinear rather than monotonic correlates of the two outcomes. Data were drawn from the 2022 wave of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Older Adults’ Employment (n = 4392), and quadratic multiple regression models were estimated for each outcome. Food cost and vehicle cost displayed inverted U-shaped associations with subjective economic status, and vehicle cost displayed the same pattern with quality of life, whereas housing cost was negatively and linearly associated with subjective economic status. Employment was positively associated with subjective economic status but negatively associated with quality of life, and smoking was negatively associated with both outcomes. Subjective economic status was, in turn, positively associated with quality of life. These results indicate that the level at which expenditure occurs, rather than expenditure as such, is relevant to how middle-aged Koreans evaluate their economic circumstances and their lives, and they carry implications for welfare policy addressed to the pre-old cohort. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Work Practice, Policy, and Inequality in an Aging Society)

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17 pages, 539 KB

Open AccessArticle

Loneliness as a Pathway from Social Isolation to Psychological Distress: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Study in Portuguese Adults

by Nayara Martins, Iara Teixeira, Guilherme Welter Wendt, António Oliveira, Henrique Pereira and Felipe Alckmin-Carvalho

Societies 2026, 16(8), 262; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080262 - 18 Aug 2026

Viewed by 352

Abstract

Social disconnection has become a public-health concern, but it remains unclear whether mental-health symptoms are more closely related to limited social contact or to the subjective experience of loneliness. This cross-sectional study examined 632 self-selected adults living in Portugal, recruited online, and explored [...] Read more.

Social disconnection has become a public-health concern, but it remains unclear whether mental-health symptoms are more closely related to limited social contact or to the subjective experience of loneliness. This cross-sectional study examined 632 self-selected adults living in Portugal, recruited online, and explored whether loneliness helps explain the association between social isolation and psychological distress across small, medium, and large cities. Participants completed self-report measures of loneliness, social isolation, depression, anxiety, stress, and positive and negative affect. Loneliness was a salient experience: the mean score was close to the scale midpoint, and 36.2% of participants scored above it. Higher loneliness was associated with greater psychological distress, greater social isolation, lower positive affect, and higher negative affect. When loneliness was considered together with social isolation, the direct link between isolation and distress became minimal, suggesting that distress was more closely connected to how social disconnection was experienced than to contact frequency alone. This pattern was similar across city sizes, and average levels of loneliness, isolation, distress, and affect did not meaningfully differ between small, medium, and large cities. Overall, the findings are consistent with loneliness as a candidate target for mental-health promotion in this sample of Portuguese adults, although longitudinal studies are needed to clarify causal pathways. Full article

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24 pages, 309 KB

Open AccessArticle

Recognition Without Consolidation: Women’s Health Governance and Lived Experience in Portugal

by Gonçalo Santinha, Mariana Barros, Mariana Amorim Silva, Alexandre Fernandes and Marta Patrão

Societies 2026, 16(8), 261; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080261 - 18 Aug 2026

Viewed by 298

Abstract

This article examines how gender shapes the framing, governance and lived experience of women’s health within a national health system, and what this reveals about translating gender equality commitments into social policy practice. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study combines analysis of [...] Read more.

This article examines how gender shapes the framing, governance and lived experience of women’s health within a national health system, and what this reveals about translating gender equality commitments into social policy practice. Using a convergent mixed-methods design, the study combines analysis of national policy documents and parliamentary debates in Portugal (2014–2024) with interviews with key actors (n = 13) and an exploratory national survey of women (n = 268). Across policy and political arenas, women’s health is widely recognised within gender equality and rights-based discourse, yet remains weakly consolidated within mainstream health governance. Reproductive framings dominate, while life-course dimensions such as menopause, women’s mental health and health literacy are under-articulated and weakly operationalised. Actor perspectives emphasise prevention, health literacy, communication and continuity of care, pointing to diffuse ownership and limited accountability. Survey respondents’ accounts both reproduce and extend dominant framings, highlighting mental health, information needs, access barriers and the importance of accessible and trustworthy health information. Reported care experiences reveal a pattern of “respect without responsiveness”, where positive interpersonal treatment coexists with organisational and communicative shortcomings. The article conceptualises this as a governance paradox of recognition without consolidation and shows how policy silences shape not only what becomes actionable within gendered health systems but also the informational conditions that support informed engagement with health and care. The findings have implications for designing life-course-oriented, communication-sensitive and accountability-anchored approaches to women’s health governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Navigating Public Behaviour: Social Marketing Strategies for Holistic Health and Well-Being)

23 pages, 292 KB

Open AccessArticle

Maternal Guilt and Self-Employment: A Qualitative Study of Self-Employed Mothers in Dalmatia, Croatia

by Blanka Čop

Societies 2026, 16(8), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080260 - 17 Aug 2026

Viewed by 290

Abstract

Maternal guilt has become an increasingly prominent topic in sociological research on motherhood and work, particularly in the context of the expansion of dual-earner families, changing labor markets, and persistent gendered expectations surrounding care and family responsibilities. This study examines how self-employed mothers [...] Read more.

Maternal guilt has become an increasingly prominent topic in sociological research on motherhood and work, particularly in the context of the expansion of dual-earner families, changing labor markets, and persistent gendered expectations surrounding care and family responsibilities. This study examines how self-employed mothers experience and negotiate maternal guilt and how these experiences contribute to the reproduction and renegotiation of norms of “good motherhood.” The study is based on twenty-four interviews with self-employed mothers in Croatia. The findings demonstrate that maternal guilt emerges at the intersection of intensive motherhood ideals, neoliberal expectations of productivity and availability, and the unequal distribution of household and emotional labor. Guilt is particularly pronounced in everyday situations involving perceived absence from one’s children and feelings of inadequacy in fulfilling maternal responsibilities. Although self-employment is often represented as a form of work that enables greater work–family balance through flexibility and autonomy, the findings show that it does not necessarily reduce time pressure or emotional burden. Instead, flexibility is often achieved through extended working hours, blurred boundaries between work and family life, and expectations of continuous availability. Mothers respond to these tensions through strategies of time reorganization, reliance on informal support networks, and the redefinition of “good motherhood” through a narrative of quality time and meaningful presence. The study concludes that self-employment increases mothers’ control over the organization of work but does not substantially transform the emotional dynamics of motherhood or the gendered distribution of care. Rather, it shifts the responsibility for managing work–family tensions onto individual mothers, thereby reproducing broader gendered expectations surrounding maternal responsibility. Full article

29 pages, 3557 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Migrantisation of Agricultural Labour in the Global Core: A Longitudinal Test

by Yoan Molinero-Gerbeau

Societies 2026, 16(8), 259; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080259 - 17 Aug 2026

Viewed by 421

Abstract

Migrant workers have become a structural feature of agriculture across the global core, yet whether this dependence is deepening has not been established over a long time series or tested against a major shock. This article revisits the question through a longitudinal comparative [...] Read more.

Migrant workers have become a structural feature of agriculture across the global core, yet whether this dependence is deepening has not been established over a long time series or tested against a major shock. This article revisits the question through a longitudinal comparative case study of seven core states—the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Spain and Italy—selected on a most-dissimilar-systems logic and read through the world-ecology framework, in which cheap food rests on cheap labour. Drawing on primary statistical portals and administrative registers, it reconstructs the legal channels of entry into agricultural work and traces their evolution across roughly a decade and into the post-pandemic period, correcting and completing the evidentiary base of earlier studies. In every case, the dependence has persisted or intensified: where it has not continued to rise, it has settled at a historically high plateau, and nowhere has it reverted to its earlier level. It held, moreover, under conditions designed to curtail it—anti-immigrant administrations and COVID-19 border closures—as states reconfigured their migration channels to preserve the supply. The findings confirm that the migrantisation of agricultural labour is a structural and expanding condition of accumulation in the global core. Full article

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19 pages, 7457 KB

Open AccessArticle

Advocacy and Representation Claims in Social Media Campaigns

by Azi Lev-On

Societies 2026, 16(8), 258; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080258 - 17 Aug 2026

Viewed by 333

Abstract

Social media has become a central arena for civic activism, yet relatively little attention has been paid to the specific claims activists make to justify their actions and legitimize their public role. This study distinguishes between two complementary forms of claim-making in digital [...] Read more.

Social media has become a central arena for civic activism, yet relatively little attention has been paid to the specific claims activists make to justify their actions and legitimize their public role. This study distinguishes between two complementary forms of claim-making in digital activism: advocacy claims, which seek to persuade and mobilize support for a cause, and representation claims, through which activists position themselves as speaking or acting on behalf of others. Using the Justice for Roman Zadorov movement as a case study, the article examines how these claims are constructed through both textual and visual communication. The study employs a netnographic approach based on seven years of online observation (2015–2022), systematic content analysis of posts published in fifteen Facebook groups dedicated to the campaign, and ongoing interactions with group administrators and leading activists. The analysis focuses on recurring rhetorical and visual patterns used to construct legitimacy, mobilize participation, and challenge institutional narratives. The findings demonstrate that activists simultaneously advanced multiple advocacy claims, including support for Roman Zadorov, justice for Tair Rada and her family, and broader criticism of the Israeli criminal justice system. At the same time, representation claims emerged from a diverse range of actors, including family members, legal professionals, experts, acquaintances, and ordinary citizens, each claiming authority to speak on behalf of different individuals, communities, or principles of justice. By distinguishing analytically between advocacy and representation claims, the study contributes to scholarship on digital activism and social movement communication, offering a framework for understanding how activists construct legitimacy, authority, and collective identity through multimodal communication in social media campaigns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Media, Narrative, and Social Change)

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16 pages, 292 KB

Open AccessArticle

Meta Prejudice and Acculturation Attitudes: How Perceived Outgroup Dislike Shapes Preferences Toward Immigrant Acculturation in Finland

by Elvis Nshom, Ilkhom Khalimzoda and Mukhammadyusuf Shaymardanov

Societies 2026, 16(8), 257; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080257 - 14 Aug 2026

Viewed by 778

Abstract

This study investigates the role of meta prejudice (majority group members’ perception that they are disliked by immigrants) in shaping Finnish acculturation preferences toward immigrants, specifically support for assimilation and integration. Drawing on Intergroup Threat Theory and the emerging literature on intergroup meta [...] Read more.

This study investigates the role of meta prejudice (majority group members’ perception that they are disliked by immigrants) in shaping Finnish acculturation preferences toward immigrants, specifically support for assimilation and integration. Drawing on Intergroup Threat Theory and the emerging literature on intergroup meta perceptions, we explore whether symbolic and realistic threats mediate the relationship between meta prejudice and acculturation attitudes. Using a sample of 604 native Finns, results from hierarchical regression analyses indicate that meta prejudice positively predicts support for assimilation and negatively predicts support for integration. Parallel mediation analyses reveal that both symbolic and realistic threats partially mediate the relationship between meta prejudice and support for assimilation. However, only realistic threat significantly mediates the relationship between meta prejudice and support for integration. These findings underscore the importance of meta perceptions and perceived intergroup threat in shaping public attitudes toward immigrant acculturation. The study offers theoretical and practical insights for improving intergroup relations and fostering more inclusive integration policies in increasingly diverse societies. Full article

18 pages, 276 KB

Open AccessArticle

Social and Economic Disparities Between Immigrants and Natives in the UK

by Fari Aftab, Juliane Scheffel and David Spencer

Societies 2026, 16(8), 256; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080256 - 13 Aug 2026

Viewed by 250

Abstract

This paper examines social and economic disparities between immigrants and natives in the UK using the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study. The analysis compares foreign-born and UK-born respondents across multiple indicators of integration rather than relying on a single labour market or social [...] Read more.

This paper examines social and economic disparities between immigrants and natives in the UK using the United Kingdom Household Longitudinal Study. The analysis compares foreign-born and UK-born respondents across multiple indicators of integration rather than relying on a single labour market or social measure. Social integration is captured through social networks within the UK, community involvement and a composite measure of neighbourhood embeddedness based on respondents’ sense of belonging, trust, reciprocity and local attachment. Economic integration is examined through unemployment, homeownership, job security and work autonomy. Using correlated random-effect models, the paper shows that immigrants report lower neighbourhood embeddedness, weaker UK-based social networks and lower levels of community involvement than natives. Immigrants also have a higher likelihood of unemployment and lower homeownership, job security and work autonomy. Additional subgroup analysis indicates that several disparities are larger for non-white immigrants, although non-white immigrants appear more similar to natives in neighbourhood embeddedness. The findings underline the importance of treating integration as a multidimensional process in which relative advantage in one domain may coexist with disadvantage in another. Full article

21 pages, 279 KB

Open AccessArticle

Beyond Documentation: Racialized Legal Status as a Political Determinant of Health Among Latines with HIV in the United States

by Tahilin Sanchez Karver, Maria Camila Restrepo, Diana R. Hernandez Payano, Bernardita Hetreau Letelier, Angela Suarez, Walter Saba and Kathleen R. Page

Societies 2026, 16(8), 255; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080255 - 12 Aug 2026

Viewed by 361

Abstract

Objective: Latines in the United States (US) experience disproportionate HIV-related inequities, exacerbated by immigration-related legal precarity and exclusionary policies. This study explores how racialized legal status (RLS), a mechanism by which race-neutral legal classifications disproportionately burden minorities, impacts the lived experiences of Latines [...] Read more.

Objective: Latines in the United States (US) experience disproportionate HIV-related inequities, exacerbated by immigration-related legal precarity and exclusionary policies. This study explores how racialized legal status (RLS), a mechanism by which race-neutral legal classifications disproportionately burden minorities, impacts the lived experiences of Latines with HIV (LWH) across the HIV care continuum. Methods: We conducted a secondary qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 21 LWH, 15 healthcare providers, and 10 key informants in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Drawing on RLS framework, data was analyzed thematically, focusing on emergent themes related to immigration, politics, and legal status and their impact on LWH. Results: Policies linking access to health and social services to legal status intensified economic instability and social exclusion, thus leading to suboptimal disease management. Fear of deportation, institutional mistrust, discrimination, and intersectional stigma contribute to healthcare avoidance, disrupting continuity and engagement across the HIV care continuum. Institutions providing services to LWH struggle to circumvent barriers caused by RLS, straining local and community-based resources. Conclusions: RLS erodes whole-person care by creating barriers for healthcare and social services access. Addressing inequities among Latines requires multilevel responses that reduce exclusionary policies and support the well-being of individuals at the intersection of immigration status and chronic disease management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Structures of Racism and Oppression, Health and Potential Solutions)

18 pages, 632 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Arctic Winter Games as a Liminoid Configuration: Exploring Relational Experiences in a Community Youth Sport Event

by Salman Alavi and Christine Dallaire

Societies 2026, 16(8), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080254 - 10 Aug 2026

Viewed by 503

Abstract

This study investigates how athletes describe relational experiences at and beyond the Arctic Winter Games (AWG). Utilizing a qualitative approach, we analyzed interviews and open-ended survey responses from young athletes at the 2023 AWG, as well as interviews with former athletes returning to [...] Read more.

This study investigates how athletes describe relational experiences at and beyond the Arctic Winter Games (AWG). Utilizing a qualitative approach, we analyzed interviews and open-ended survey responses from young athletes at the 2023 AWG, as well as interviews with former athletes returning to the 2023 Games in a supportive or leadership role. Our analysis shows that the AWG offers a range of social and cultural opportunities that make the event especially conducive to cultivating relational experiences. We highlight athletes’ accounts of friendship and network formation, feelings of enchantment, and resonance encounters, alongside collective encounters characterized by a sense of communitas. We also highlight post-liminoid legacies in former athletes’ accounts, including enduring memories, sustained social ties, and an ongoing sense of belonging and community. Taken together, the findings suggest that the AWG’s liminoid, festive, and community-oriented character helps suspend ordinary routines and soften everyday distinctions in ways that make meaningful relational encounters more likely. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Role of Sports and Physical Activity in Fostering Growth, Resilience, and Identity Formation Among Youth)

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23 pages, 270 KB

Open AccessConcept Paper

The Authorship Principle: What Makes Democracy (Un)Democratic

by Bernd Reiter

Societies 2026, 16(8), 253; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080253 - 7 Aug 2026

Viewed by 298

Abstract

Democracy is commonly equated with elections, representation, and procedures for authorizing rulers. This article challenges that assumption by defining democracy as collective authorship: the shared capacity of those who live under laws to participate in making them in complex modern polities. Representation, even [...] Read more.

Democracy is commonly equated with elections, representation, and procedures for authorizing rulers. This article challenges that assumption by defining democracy as collective authorship: the shared capacity of those who live under laws to participate in making them in complex modern polities. Representation, even when electorally authorized, separates citizens from lawmaking power and institutionalizes heteronomy rather than self-rule. I develop an authorship principle grounding legitimacy in shared exposure to the consequences of law and a complementary exclusion rule—the reversed ideal speech situation—according to which those not affected by a law must not exercise binding authority over it. Drawing on historical cases and contemporary policy domains, the article shows that modern systems concentrate authority in actors insulated from the effects of their decisions. Democracy, it argues, is representation constrained or displaced whenever authority migrates away from consequence-bearing agents. Full article

17 pages, 546 KB

Open AccessArticle

Empowering Madurese Women Through Social Entrepreneurship: The Influence of Environmental Munificence

by Amaliyah Amaliyah, Utaberta Nangkula, Aminatus Zakhra, Erindah Dimisyqiyani, Siti Intan Nurdiana Wong Abdullah and Muhammad Iqbal Ar Rasyid

Societies 2026, 16(8), 252; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080252 - 7 Aug 2026

Viewed by 413

Abstract

Women’s empowerment through social entrepreneurship has become an important strategy for promoting social inclusion and sustainable rural development, particularly in culturally distinctive communities. However, limited evidence explains how individual and environmental factors encourage women to transform social entrepreneurial intentions into concrete actions. This [...] Read more.

Women’s empowerment through social entrepreneurship has become an important strategy for promoting social inclusion and sustainable rural development, particularly in culturally distinctive communities. However, limited evidence explains how individual and environmental factors encourage women to transform social entrepreneurial intentions into concrete actions. This study aims to investigate the determinants of social entrepreneurial behaviour among entrepreneurs committed to empowering Madurese women. It examines the moderating role of environmental munificence in the relationship between social entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. A quantitative approach was employed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse survey data collected from 143 entrepreneurs on Madura Island, Indonesia. The findings indicate that empathy and self-efficacy positively influence social entrepreneurial intention, whereas moral obligation has no significant effect. Social entrepreneurial intention significantly predicts social entrepreneurial behaviour, and environmental munificence strengthens this relationship by providing supportive conditions for entrepreneurial action. These findings highlight the importance of combining individual capabilities with enabling social environments to foster women’s empowerment. The study contributes to research on gender, rural development, and social entrepreneurship by providing evidence from an underexplored cultural context and offering practical implications for policymakers and community development initiatives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Science, Technology, and Society)

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19 pages, 2735 KB

Open AccessArticle

‘COVID Can’t Be COVID Without George Floyd’: A Photovoice Exploration of Black Women’s Mental Health During the Dual Pandemics

by Hanna C. Dingel, Chandra Jennings, Kacia Vines, Mysha Wynn, Tab Battle, Wanda Cox-Bailey, Wanda Fearrington, Latasha Little, Gwendolyn Parmley-McCloud, Jalynn Woods, Margaret E. Petersen, Alexandra F. Lightfoot and Anissa I. Vines

Societies 2026, 16(8), 251; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080251 - 6 Aug 2026

Viewed by 378

Abstract

Black women faced disproportionate social, emotional, and structural burdens during the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice, yet their mental health experiences remain underexamined. This study explores how Black women understood, navigated, and coped with these intersecting crises. Seven Black women in [...] Read more.

Black women faced disproportionate social, emotional, and structural burdens during the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and racial injustice, yet their mental health experiences remain underexamined. This study explores how Black women understood, navigated, and coped with these intersecting crises. Seven Black women in North Carolina participated in a seven-session virtual photovoice study, including four photo discussion sessions. Participants generated four photo assignments, took photos, and discussed them using the SHOWeD framework. Recorded discussions were analyzed using Reflexive Thematic Analysis and Sort and Sift, Think and Shift, with participants supporting theme development. Narratives revealed multi-level mental health impacts: at the individual level, caregiving overload, compounded grief, and constant vigilance; at the interpersonal level, invisibility, racial misreading, and everyday racism that intensified distress and made help-seeking itself a labor of confronting providers’ biases; at the community level, trauma from witnessing racial violence and pandemic loss; and structural factors such as inequity, food insecurity, and policing as primary drivers of mental health strain. Participants employed healing as resistance through faith, nature, sister circles, and culturally concordant care. Black women’s mental health during the dual pandemics is inseparable from structural racism and gendered labor; healing is individual and collective, and crisis preparedness requires system-level change driven by Black communities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Structures of Racism and Oppression, Health and Potential Solutions)

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32 pages, 660 KB

Open AccessArticle

From Animated Paintings to Social Robots: Embodied Generative AI, Algorithmic Governance and the Data-Based Mediation of Cultural Heritage at the Alfieri Museum

by Norberto Albano and Sandro Brignone

Societies 2026, 16(8), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080250 - 5 Aug 2026

Viewed by 515

Abstract

Digital technologies and data-based approaches do not only increase the amount of information available to institutions and the public, they also transform the conditions through which social reality is classified, made visible, ordered, interpreted and governed. This article examines this transformation through AI4Alfieri, [...] Read more.

Digital technologies and data-based approaches do not only increase the amount of information available to institutions and the public, they also transform the conditions through which social reality is classified, made visible, ordered, interpreted and governed. This article examines this transformation through AI4Alfieri, a project developed in Italy, at the Luciano Gallino Laboratory of the University of Turin in collaboration with the Fondazione Centro di Studi Alfieriani in Asti, and devoted to generative AI for the mediation of Vittorio Alfieri’s life and work. Specifically, it presents a virtual conversational agent and one embodied in a social robot (Pepper or NAO). The project is analysed as a reflexive case study of a technology in the making, with autoethnographic elements. The empirical corpus comprises a development diary, code and design artefacts, prompts, logs, architectural diagrams and laboratory tests; the study does not evaluate effects on museum visitors. From analysis of the design process, the article advances the interpretive thesis that embodied generative AI makes cultural mediation a problem of distributed accountability: knowledge is governed by the corpus, speech by prompts and retrieval, action by deterministic policy, presence by the body, legitimacy by the institution, and auditability by infrastructures. The paper proposes an exploratory S0–S4 governance stack for embodied generative agents and formulates hypotheses for future research on how data-based cultural mediation may reallocate epistemic authority, institutional legitimacy and design responsibility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Reshaping Social Reality: Digital Societies and the Data-Based Approach)

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27 pages, 1642 KB

Open AccessArticle

Human Capital Development Programs, Employee Performance, and Employee Well-Being During Poly-Crisis: The Role of Work–Family Conflict and Technostress at SMEs in Lebanon

by Najib Bou Zakhem

Societies 2026, 16(8), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080249 - 5 Aug 2026

Viewed by 416

Abstract

Lebanon is currently going through a multi-faceted crisis with what appears to be an unrelenting cycle of economic and banking defaults, unstable infrastructure, market uncertainty, and difficult working conditions for employees who are trying to support the economy. This study examines whether opportunities [...] Read more.

Lebanon is currently going through a multi-faceted crisis with what appears to be an unrelenting cycle of economic and banking defaults, unstable infrastructure, market uncertainty, and difficult working conditions for employees who are trying to support the economy. This study examines whether opportunities for human capital development in SMEs are associated with less work–family conflict and higher employee productivity and well-being in turbulent times. Furthermore, the study investigates whether technostress and coping mechanisms moderate the association between work–family conflict and employee outcomes. Data were collected through a quantitative cross-sectional survey targeting 207 employees working for SMEs in Lebanon and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Results indicated that human capital development opportunities were negatively associated with work–family conflict and that work–family conflict was, in turn, negatively associated with employee productivity and well-being. Further, technostress and coping mechanisms moderated the negative association between work–family conflict and employee outcomes. From a theoretical perspective, this research offers an integrated framework that synthesizes organizational, technological, and psychological dimensions within the SME context during times of crisis. From a practical standpoint, these associations may help inform how Lebanese SMEs approach workforce development, digital-work management, and coping-support practices. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Revitalizing Workplaces: The Intersection of Public Health and Sustainable Wellbeing in Organizations: 2nd Edition)

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19 pages, 293 KB

Open AccessArticle

Algorithmic Sacredness and Algorithmic Pluralism: Content Moderation and the Symbolic Dispossession of Contemporary European Paganism

by Giuseppe Maiello and Ondřej Roubal

Societies 2026, 16(8), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080248 - 5 Aug 2026

Viewed by 663

Abstract

This paper examines mainstream platform moderation as it encounters contemporary pagan religious practice in Europe and reads what it finds as a symptom of a wider condition: the algorithm functions less as a neutral tool than as a productive instrument of an extractive [...] Read more.

This paper examines mainstream platform moderation as it encounters contemporary pagan religious practice in Europe and reads what it finds as a symptom of a wider condition: the algorithm functions less as a neutral tool than as a productive instrument of an extractive political economy whose characteristic operation is the appropriation, classification, and revenue-conditioned filtering of human expression. Minority religious traditions are structurally exposed within it: too small to constitute an accommodated market, too polysemic for classifiers trained on majority devotional and Anglo-American extremism corpora, and too fragmented to extract policy concessions. Empirically, the paper draws on netnography of pagan online communities across Europe, informal conversations with 97 practitioners across nine European jurisdictions, and a corpus of 247 takedown notices and appeal exchanges (2019–2025). Three recurrent rationale-clusters—devotional content classified as occult, as extremism-adjacent, and as unsafe activity—are read as predictable outputs of the system’s cost structure rather than as ordinary classifier errors. Two concepts are proposed. Algorithmic sacredness names the transfer of gate-keeping functions previously held by ecclesiastical, state, and editorial actors, routed through Bourdieu’s meta-capital as extended to platforms. Algorithmic pluralism names a programmatic direction toward infrastructures whose governance is not capital’s. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Epistemology, Methodology and Ontology of a Post-Digital Social Inquiry)

16 pages, 311 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Social Reintegration and Criminal Recidivism in the Spanish Civilian and Military Prison Systems: A Quantitative Study with Sensitivity Analysis

by Luis Miguel Ortiz Solla, Raquel Lozano Blasco and José Luis Roca González

Societies 2026, 16(8), 247; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080247 - 4 Aug 2026

Viewed by 378

Abstract

This study comparatively analyzes the effectiveness of social reintegration in the Spanish civilian and military prison systems, using re-imprisonment recidivism as an inverse proxy indicator. Official administrative data for the 2009–2019 period were analyzed for the civilian system (n = 19,909) and the [...] Read more.

This study comparatively analyzes the effectiveness of social reintegration in the Spanish civilian and military prison systems, using re-imprisonment recidivism as an inverse proxy indicator. Official administrative data for the 2009–2019 period were analyzed for the civilian system (n = 19,909) and the military system (n = 644), the latter comprising 539 released individuals with complete outcome data and 105 transferred to the civilian system whose post-release outcomes were unavailable. To address this missing information, a sensitivity analysis was implemented under three transparent, a priori scenarios (conservative, intermediate, and optimal). The civilian reintegration rate was 80.02%, whereas the military rate ranged from 95.19% to 98.14% across scenarios. The military advantage was substantial and consistent (absolute risk difference +15.17 to +18.13 percentage points; all p < 0.001; large effect sizes). However, the two populations differ markedly in prior criminal history, offense type, and risk/protective factor profiles; the observed gap therefore reflects the combined effect of population selection and institutional factors and should be interpreted as descriptive rather than causal. These findings establish a robust empirical phenomenon and generate testable hypotheses for future comparative and quasi-experimental research on penitentiary effectiveness. Full article

18 pages, 260 KB

Open AccessArticle

Inclusion and Accessibility in Institutional Communication: Study of the Official Facebook Accounts of Ecuadorian Public Institutions

by Jessica Paola Mantilla, Rosa Carolina Guzmán, Ana Larrea-Ayala and Armando Fabricio Rosero

Societies 2026, 16(8), 246; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080246 - 1 Aug 2026

Viewed by 430

Abstract

Social media have become central tools for government communication; however, they also present significant accessibility challenges for people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. This study analyzes inclusive communication and digital accessibility practices in the official Facebook accounts of six Ecuadorian public [...] Read more.

Social media have become central tools for government communication; however, they also present significant accessibility challenges for people with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairments. This study analyzes inclusive communication and digital accessibility practices in the official Facebook accounts of six Ecuadorian public institutions. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining documentary analysis, a focus group with visually impaired users, and content analysis of 2429 Facebook posts published between 2023 and 2025. The analysis was conducted using four dimensions: propositional communication, copywriting, images, and videos. The results show that most publications only partially comply with accessibility criteria. While progress was identified in the use of clear and accessible language in textual content, significant deficiencies persist in multimedia content, particularly in the lack of alternative text, subtitles, and audio descriptions. The study concludes that inclusive communication in Ecuadorian public institutions remains fragmented and is not yet implemented as a cross-cutting public communication policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digital Society in the Making: Technological Innovation, Social Change and Education)

21 pages, 634 KB

Open AccessArticle

Shaping Digital Work Life in Hotels: How Digital Empowering Leadership Fosters Digital Work Engagement Through Self-Efficacy and Thriving

by Ahmed Mohamed Hasanein and Hazem Ahmed Khairy

Societies 2026, 16(8), 245; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080245 - 1 Aug 2026

Viewed by 460

Abstract

Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study investigates how digital technologies shape employees’ work experiences and social life in digitally transforming hotel organizations. Specifically, it examines the role of digital empowering leadership in fostering digital work engagement through the mediating mechanisms of digital [...] Read more.

Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study investigates how digital technologies shape employees’ work experiences and social life in digitally transforming hotel organizations. Specifically, it examines the role of digital empowering leadership in fostering digital work engagement through the mediating mechanisms of digital self-efficacy and digital thriving at work within five-star hotels in Egypt. As digital technologies increasingly redefine how employees interact, collaborate, and derive meaning from their work, understanding the human and social consequences of digital transformation has become a critical research priority. Data were collected from 394 full-time employees working in five-star hotels in Egypt and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with WarpPLS software. The findings reveal that digital empowering leadership significantly enhances employees’ digital work engagement, digital self-efficacy, and digital thriving at work. Furthermore, digital self-efficacy and digital thriving at work positively influence digital work engagement and partially mediate the relationship between digital empowering leadership and digital work engagement. By highlighting how digitally enabled leadership shapes employees’ psychological capabilities and flourishing in technology-rich workplaces, this study contributes to the growing literature on the social implications of digital technologies in organizational settings. The findings underscore that successful digital transformation extends beyond technological adoption to encompass employees’ empowerment, well-being, and meaningful engagement in digital work environments. Practical implications are provided for hotel managers seeking to cultivate human-centered digital workplaces that support employees’ social and psychological flourishing amid ongoing technological change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue How Digital Technologies Influence Social Life)

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27 pages, 913 KB

Open AccessArticle

When Words Betray Actions: Organizational Hypocrisy and Counterproductive Work Behavior—The Indirect Roles of Organizational Silence and Job Withdrawal Behaviors in Tourism and Hospitality Organizations

by Ahmed Mohamed Hasanein and Bassam Samir Al-Romeedy

Societies 2026, 16(8), 244; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080244 - 1 Aug 2026

Viewed by 572

Abstract

This study examines organizational hypocrisy (OH) in relation to counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and investigates the indirect roles of organizational silence (OS) and job withdrawal behaviors (JOW). Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, the study proposes that perceived inconsistencies between organizational values and actual [...] Read more.

This study examines organizational hypocrisy (OH) in relation to counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and investigates the indirect roles of organizational silence (OS) and job withdrawal behaviors (JOW). Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, the study proposes that perceived inconsistencies between organizational values and actual practices are associated with employee silence, withdrawal, and counterproductive work behavior. Data were collected from 437 employees working in Saudi Arabian five-star hotels and Class-A travel agencies and analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results revealed that organizational hypocrisy was positively associated with organizational silence, job withdrawal behaviors, and counterproductive work behavior. Organizational silence showed significant positive relationships with both job withdrawal behaviors and counterproductive work behaviors, while job withdrawal behaviors were also positively associated with counterproductive work behavior. Furthermore, statistically significant individual indirect associations through organizational silence and job withdrawal behaviors, as well as a sequential indirect association through both variables, were identified within the proposed model. The findings extend Social Exchange Theory by providing support for an interconnected pattern of associations between perceived organizational hypocrisy, organizational silence, job withdrawal behaviors, and counterproductive work behavior. Rather than establishing a progressive temporal sequence, the results are consistent with the theoretically proposed ordering of these constructs within the model. This integrated perspective contributes to the literature by documenting individual and sequential indirect associations within a unified theoretical framework in the tourism and hospitality context. Given the cross-sectional design, however, the findings do not establish causality or confirm the temporal ordering of the examined variables. The findings also offer practical insights for managers seeking to strengthen organizational authenticity, encourage employee voice, and address employee disengagement and counterproductive work behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Invisible Harm: When Institutions Fail to Enact and Enforce Workplace Bullying Policy)

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14 pages, 8425 KB

Open AccessConcept Paper

Climate Havens or Climate Illusions? Structural Racism and Extreme Heat Vulnerability in Buffalo, New York

by Monica Lynn Miles, Eh Shee Wah and Rafey Shahid

Societies 2026, 16(8), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080243 - 30 Jul 2026

Viewed by 1197

Abstract

Environmental injustices in the United States are rooted in structural racism, particularly policies of racial segregation and disinvestment such as redlining that have produced enduring inequalities in the built environment and population health. This concept paper examines extreme heat as a racialized environmental [...] Read more.

Environmental injustices in the United States are rooted in structural racism, particularly policies of racial segregation and disinvestment such as redlining that have produced enduring inequalities in the built environment and population health. This concept paper examines extreme heat as a racialized environmental exposure in Buffalo, New York—a post-industrial Great Lakes city increasingly framed as a “climate haven”. While such designations suggest relative protection from climate risk, they obscure the socio-spatial inequalities that shape uneven vulnerability on the ground. Drawing on a structural racism framework and insights from urban political economy, this study argues that extreme heat vulnerability in Buffalo is not incidental but produced through historically embedded patterns of disinvestment in housing, infrastructure, and environmental resources. Neighborhoods such as the East Side, Black Rock, and the West Side exhibit heightened exposure due to concentrations of thermally inefficient housing, limited tree canopy and green space, and unequal access to cooling resources. These conditions reflect the material legacy of segregation and uneven urban development, which continue to structure differential capacity to adapt to rising temperatures. Although extreme heat is widely recognized as a major public health threat, it remains underexamined in mid-sized northern and Rust Belt cities, where risk is often perceived as episodic rather than structurally produced. This paper addresses this gap by advancing a conceptual critique of the “climate haven” narrative, demonstrating that relative geographic advantage does not equate to equitable resilience. By theorizing extreme heat as a mechanism through which structural racism is reproduced, this study highlights the need for place-based, justice-oriented climate adaptation strategies that confront the historical and institutional drivers of vulnerability in Great Lakes cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems and Structures of Racism and Oppression, Health and Potential Solutions)

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17 pages, 417 KB

Open AccessArticle

Age and Work Engagement: The Mediating Role of Emotional Intelligence

by Luís Felipe Souza and Isabel Miguel

Societies 2026, 16(8), 242; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080242 - 29 Jul 2026

Viewed by 435

Abstract

The workforce in Portugal, as in other European countries, is ageing, posing challenges for human resource management. Although older workers are frequently subject to stereotypes concerning lower motivation and productivity, previous research has reported associations between chronological age, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. [...] Read more.

The workforce in Portugal, as in other European countries, is ageing, posing challenges for human resource management. Although older workers are frequently subject to stereotypes concerning lower motivation and productivity, previous research has reported associations between chronological age, emotional intelligence, and work engagement. However, limited evidence is available on whether specific dimensions of emotional intelligence account for the association between age and work engagement. Addressing this gap, the present study examined the distinct mediating roles of four emotional intelligence dimensions in the relationship between age and work engagement. A multiple mediation model was tested using cross-sectional self-report data from 377 workers aged 18 to 63 (M = 39.42, SD = 11.62) working in different sectors in Portugal. The analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and estimates of direct and indirect associations. Chronological age showed a modest positive association with work engagement. Among the four emotional intelligence dimensions, only regulation of emotions was positively associated with work engagement after accounting for chronological age. None of the indirect effects through emotional intelligence were statistically significant. These findings do not support the proposed mediating role of emotional intelligence but indicate that chronological age and regulation of emotions were independently associated with work engagement in the present sample. By examining the four dimensions of emotional intelligence separately, the study provides a more differentiated account of their associations with work engagement and offers a rationale for future longitudinal and experimental research. Full article

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22 pages, 1067 KB

Open AccessArticle

Repertoires of Action and Control of Protest by the Climate Justice Movement in Spain (2019–2025)

by Juli Antoni Aguado Hernández, Enric Sigalat Signes and Ricard Calvo Palomares

Societies 2026, 16(8), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16080241 - 28 Jul 2026

Viewed by 608

Abstract

This paper presents the continuation of a previous investigation into climate mobilization in Spain, extending the time period covered to 2019–2025, incorporating new databases and including protest control analysis. The aim is to analyze diachronically the repertoires of action used in order to [...] Read more.

This paper presents the continuation of a previous investigation into climate mobilization in Spain, extending the time period covered to 2019–2025, incorporating new databases and including protest control analysis. The aim is to analyze diachronically the repertoires of action used in order to understand their evolution, intensity, participating organizations and how social control of protest influences them. Through documentary compilation and systematic coding of protest events (N = 1502) and the analysis of social control over protest, through reports on repression of social movements and data on human rights violations in the context of protest, the main findings can be highlighted as follows: disruption increased after the pandemic, in 2021; from 2023 onwards, there is a shift in trend towards a decrease in confrontational mobilization and an increase in contained forms, with collective action evolving towards a diversity and complementarity of noninstitutional and nonviolent strategies and tactics, forging alliances with other movements to maintain the social base and support. This shift is temporally associated with an intensification of protest control and criminalization. Moreover, a significant presence of either pre-existing or newly formed organizations is maintained, with a relationship existing between the variation in collective protagonism and the typology–intensity of repertoires. Thus, from a multidisciplinary perspective, the aim is to contribute to the international debate on the tactics of social movements, with the most important contribution being the integration of repertoire analysis with the study of protest control in that movement. Full article

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Societies, Volume 16, Issue 8 (August 2026) – 44 articles

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