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Soc. Sci., Volume 14, Issue 8 (August 2025) – 6 articles

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15 pages, 277 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Whose Decision Is It Anyway? Men’s Perceptions of Women’s Decision-Making Autonomy in Maternal and Child Health in Western Kenya

by Robsan Tura and Nema C. M. Aluku

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 452; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080452 - 23 Jul 2025

Abstract

Women’s decision-making autonomy is widely recognized as a critical determinant of maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH). However, prevailing measures often conflate genuine autonomy with decisions made within traditional gender roles, risking an overstatement of women’s empowerment. This study examines the extent to which reported female decision-making autonomy reflects authentic agency versus role-based compliance in a patriarchal context. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 280 male household heads in Kakamega County, Kenya, whose partners were pregnant or recently postpartum. Using multi-stage cluster sampling and structured interviews, men reported on household and MNCH decision-making and their rationales, categorized as gender-role conformity, belief in gender equality, or other reasons. Although 40.4% reported that their partners made decisions independently, only 11.4% attributed it to a belief in women’s equality; 28% framed it within traditional gender roles. Men were over four times more likely to perceive women’s decisions as role-based than autonomous (AOR = 4.40; 95% CI: 2.48–5.78). Younger men (18–34) were more likely to report female decision-making (AOR = 5.54; 95% CI: 5.08–7.27), without necessarily endorsing egalitarian norms. Findings highlight the urgent need for gender-transformative MNCH interventions that move beyond surface-level autonomy to address deeper structural inequities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)

23 pages, 818 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Polite Racism and Cultural Capital: Afro-Caribbean Negotiations of Blackness in Canada

by Karine Coen-Sanchez

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080451 - 23 Jul 2025

Abstract

Blackness, both as a racial identity and a marker of cultural difference, disrupts the hegemonic norms embedded in dominant forms of cultural capital. This article examines how first- and second-generation Haitian and Jamaican communities in Ontario and Quebec negotiate Blackness within a Canadian context. Drawing from international literature, it introduces distinctly Canadian concepts—such as polite racism, racial ignominy, and duplicity of consciousness—to illuminate local racial dynamics. Using Yosso’s (2005) framework of community cultural wealth, the study analyzes six forms of cultural capital—linguistic, aspirational, social, navigational, resistant, and familial—as employed by Afro-Caribbeans to navigate systemic exclusion. The article expands the limited Canadian discourse on Black identity and offers theoretical tools for understanding how cultural capital is shaped and constrained by race in multicultural democracies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Social Stratification and Inequality)

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12 pages, 1132 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Best Version of Yourself? TikToxic Effects of That-Girl Videos on Mood, Body Satisfaction, Dieting Intentions, and Self Discipline

by Silvana Weber, Michelle Sadler and Christoph Mengelkamp

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080450 - 23 Jul 2025

Abstract

The “That Girl” self-optimization trend on TikTok, promoting beauty and productivity, had over 17.4 billion views by August 2024. “That Girl” video clips showcase perfectly organized daily routines, fitness activities, and healthy eating—allegedly to inspire other users to aspire to similar flawlessness. Based on social comparison theory, the “That Girl” archetype serves as an upward comparison target. We expected detrimental effects of viewing “That Girl” content on young women in terms of positive and negative affect and body satisfaction. Expanding other research in this area, possible effects on self-discipline and dieting intentions were explored. Focusing on immediate intraindividual changes, a preregistered two-group online experiment using a pre–post measurement design was conducted. Female participants (N = 76) watched four minutes of either 16 video clips showing “That Girl” content or nature videos (control condition). Mixed ANOVAs provided evidence of a significant adverse influence of watching “That Girl” videos on female recipients regarding all dependent variables with medium or large effect sizes. Post-hoc analyses revealed that these effects were driven by participants who reported upward comparisons to “That Girls”. Based on these results, the positive impact on self-improvement—as proclaimed by contributors of the “That Girl” trend—is critically questioned. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Digitally Connected: Youth, Digital Media and Social Inclusion)

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14 pages, 271 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Children Involved in Child Protection: Hostile Attitudes as a Form of Agency

by Silvia Fargion and Diletta Mauri

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080449 - 23 Jul 2025

Abstract

Introduction: It is widely acknowledged that good quality relationships between social workers and children are essential to children’s non-formal inclusion in child protection processes. However, research exploring the perspective of children has shown this relationship to be highly complex, particularly when children are taken into care. Methods: This paper combines insights from two qualitative participatory studies conducted in Italy, both developed out of a collaboration between university, professional social work associations, and the Italian association of care leavers. The two projects explored, respectively, the perspectives of social workers on the one hand and of children in care and care leavers on the other regarding their relationship. Outcomes: The data reveal the complexity of the relationship between children and social workers, showing how both share a mirrored perception of it. Social workers recognise children’s negative feelings toward them and see them as inevitable, especially in cases of tense family dynamics. A relationship marked by hostile attitudes, anger, and distrust not only fuels social workers’ emotional struggles but also makes it harder to engage children effectively. While hostile attitudes and mistrust are often seen as obstacles to positive engagement, we advocate for recognising them not as barriers to be overcome but as realities to be acknowledged and addressed openly. This approach can create space for both children and practitioners to explore alternative forms of agency, fostering more meaningful participation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Childhood and Youth Studies)

19 pages, 2452 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Women’s Right to the City: The Case of Quito, Ecuador

by Maria Carolina Baca Calderón, Gloria Quattrone, Eufemia Sánchez Borja and Daniele Rocchio

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080448 - 23 Jul 2025

Abstract

Henri Lefebvre’s “right to the city” has rarely been examined through an intersectional feminist lens, leaving unnoticed the uneven burdens that urban design and policy place on women. This article bridges that gap by combining constitutional analysis, survey data (n = 736), in-depth interviews, and participatory observation to assess how Quito’s public spaces affect women’s safety and mobility. Quantitative results show that 81% of respondents endured sexual or offensive remarks, 69.8% endured obscene gestures, and 38% endured severe harassment in the month before the survey; 43% of these incidents occurred only days or weeks beforehand, underscoring their routine nature. Qualitative narratives reveal behavioral adaptations—altered routes, self-policing dress codes, and distrust of authorities—and identify poorly lit corridors and weak institutional presence as spatial amplifiers of violence. Analysis of Quito’s “Safe City” program exposes a gulf between its ambitious rhetoric and its narrow, transport-centered implementation. We conclude that constitutional guarantees of participation, appropriation, and urban life will remain aspirational until urban planning mainstreams gender-sensitive design, secures intersectoral resources, and embeds women’s substantive participation throughout policy cycles. A feminist reimagining of Quito’s public realm is therefore indispensable to transform the right to the city from legal principle into lived reality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)

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28 pages, 2012 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Convergence of Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling in West Africa: Migration Pressure Factors and Criminal Actors

by Concepción Anguita-Olmedo

Soc. Sci. 2025, 14(8), 447; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci14080447 - 22 Jul 2025

Abstract

In West Africa, there is a very close link between the phenomenon of trafficking and migrant smuggling. This article will analyze the pressure elements and the causes that drive sub-Saharan people to migrate, placing themselves in the hands of criminal networks that end up exploiting them—women and minors sexually, and men through forced labor. The main corridors departing from West Africa and the characteristics of the criminal groups exercising criminal governance will also be addressed. This research has used both primary and secondary sources, as well as empirical fieldwork consisting of interviews with security force officials, international humanitarian aid organizations, and academic experts on migration issues related to trafficking and smuggling. Our research reveals that the origin of migration is multifactorial. The violence experienced in West Africa, but also the misgovernance, the lack of opportunities for a very young population with limited prospects, and the human insecurity affecting the entire region, are the main reasons that compel people to migrate. In these migration processes, the safety of migrants is compromised as they are forced to start their journey through clandestine means, which exposes them to trafficking networks and thus to violence and exploitation. It is along the migration routes where trafficking and migrant smuggling converge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Collection Tackling Organized Crime and Human Trafficking)

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