Social Sciences

19 pages, 1222 KB

Open AccessArticle

Digital Discourse and Polarization: A Social Network Analysis of the Sewol Ferry Disaster on Twitter/X

by Taisik Hwang and Soo Young Shin

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040241 - 7 Apr 2026

This study examined how Twitter/X users engaged in the political discourse on the Sewol ferry accident in South Korea. We used a triangulation method by combining a social networks approach with quantitative content analysis. A comparison of the number of links across politically [...] Read more.

This study examined how Twitter/X users engaged in the political discourse on the Sewol ferry accident in South Korea. We used a triangulation method by combining a social networks approach with quantitative content analysis. A comparison of the number of links across politically homogeneous clusters with the number of links across heterogeneous clusters revealed that selective exposure occurred on the Twitter topic network. Findings also showed the greater role of independent journalists armed with social media in disseminating information online. Our content analysis indicated that the tragic accident divided the public into two sides over the issue and that the public sentiment was dependent on the political orientations of the clusters within the network. The implications of these findings were discussed for scholars who aim to address the problems rooted in a polarized society. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Disasters, Social Movements, Policy Responses and Sociocultural Evolution)

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23 pages, 804 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Higher Education Within a Post-Pandemic Digital Era: The CIRCLE Model for Supporting Generation Z and First-Generation College Students

by Sara Marie Lute

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 240; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040240 - 7 Apr 2026

Abstract

With the rapid technological advancements, persistent retention disparities, and career stability concerns among Generation Z learners, higher education in the United States needs a re-examination of student success. Student support efforts and previous student-centered frameworks require re-examination in light of the current socio-cultural [...] Read more.

With the rapid technological advancements, persistent retention disparities, and career stability concerns among Generation Z learners, higher education in the United States needs a re-examination of student success. Student support efforts and previous student-centered frameworks require re-examination in light of the current socio-cultural context. In response, this paper proposes the CIRCLE model. This conceptual model is faculty-driven and includes evidence-based practices that predict successful outcomes by benefiting students’ socio-emotional factors. The model stems from an integrated conceptual framework that synthesizes established student success theories, contemporary research on faculty–student relationships, and digital integration in higher education. Traditional student-centered theories are merged with contemporary digital integration models and applied to the realities of Generation Z and first-generation college students. From this, the author delivers a clear, context-responsive plan for faculty supporting a diverse cohort of learners, as we all live in today’s post-pandemic, digitally immersed world. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Belonging and Engagement of Students in Higher Education)

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Graphical abstract

16 pages, 231 KB

Open AccessArticle

The Help-Seeking Experiences of Domestic Abuse Survivors in England: Insights from the Research Phase of an Experience-Based Co-Design Study

by Shoshana Gander-Zaucker, Gemma L. Unwin, J’nae A. Christopher and Michael Larkin

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 239; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040239 - 7 Apr 2026

Abstract

Experience-based co-design emphasizes understanding service-users’ experiences to inform service improvement, yet little research has explored domestic abuse survivors’ perspectives within this framework. This study examined survivors’ accounts of their interactions with the police and organizations that support domestic abuse survivors. We aimed to [...] Read more.

Experience-based co-design emphasizes understanding service-users’ experiences to inform service improvement, yet little research has explored domestic abuse survivors’ perspectives within this framework. This study examined survivors’ accounts of their interactions with the police and organizations that support domestic abuse survivors. We aimed to identify aspects of practice experienced as either helpful or in need of improvement. Semi-structured interviews with six survivors in one area of England were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Survivors described obstructive and supportive responses from formal services. Four interrelated themes were developed: The Importance of Being Understood, Believed, and Cared For; It Is Important That There Is Good Communication Between the Survivor and Formal Services; Survivors Want a Victim-Centered, Rapid, and Meaningful Response; and Specific Circumstances Sometimes Influence Opportunities for Help-Seeking. Survivors described being dismissed and disbelieved, which contributed to negative help-seeking experiences and heightened feelings of vulnerability. In contrast, empathic and timely responses validated survivors’ experiences and supported their sense of safety. The findings highlighted the importance of practice that recognizes the different forms abuse can take, provides timely, victim-centered support, and responds equitably to survivors in diverse circumstances. This study demonstrates the valuable insights gained through applying an experience-based co-design approach in this setting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Work in Understanding and Reducing Domestic Violence)

16 pages, 290 KB

Open AccessArticle

At the Heart of the Heartless Bureaucracy of the UK Asylum System: Refugee Women’s Experiences of the State of Limbo in Between Violence and Protection

by Emmaleena Käkelä

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040238 - 7 Apr 2026

Abstract

Considerations of gender have long been overlooked in legal discourses and public debates on asylum.. In more recent years, the right-wing narrative has taken a strategic U-turn, instead misappropriating gendered concerns including gender-based violence for the purposes of promoting racialised border controls on [...] Read more.

Considerations of gender have long been overlooked in legal discourses and public debates on asylum.. In more recent years, the right-wing narrative has taken a strategic U-turn, instead misappropriating gendered concerns including gender-based violence for the purposes of promoting racialised border controls on the grounds of cultural incompatibilities, and by painting refugees as a threat to British values, economy and security.. This paper calls out the hypocrisy of such femonationalist framings for overlooking the ways in which Western institutions sustain refugee women’s ongoing vulnerabilities. Drawing from qualitative interviews and focus groups with refugee women survivors of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), this paper examines the continuities of harm in the lives of women who have fled gender-based persecution to Britain. The paper critically maps the way prolonged state control during the asylum process perpetuates a sense of violence as ongoing, and its damaging implications on survivors striving to navigate life after flight. In doing so, the findings contribute new insights into established scholarship on asylum harms by illuminating the gendered consequences of violence of waiting, and refugee women’s subtle individual and collective strategies to struggle against violent continuums. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conducive Contexts and Vulnerabilities to Domestic Abuse)

19 pages, 329 KB

Open AccessArticle

Using International Human Rights to Address Anti-Transgender and Anti-Gender-Affirming Care Laws in the United States

by Katherine M. Fobear

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040237 - 7 Apr 2026

Abstract

Over the past five years, the number of new United States laws banning gender-affirming care, restricting public access to services and spaces for transgender and gender-diverse persons, and forcibly outing transgender youth in schools has increased dramatically. Much of the focus in the [...] Read more.

Over the past five years, the number of new United States laws banning gender-affirming care, restricting public access to services and spaces for transgender and gender-diverse persons, and forcibly outing transgender youth in schools has increased dramatically. Much of the focus in the media and research has been on the domestic political and social causes of these anti-transgender and anti-gender-affirming care laws and their devastating effects on vulnerable transgender and gender-diverse communities. This article argues that the current wave of anti-transgender and anti-gender-affirming care laws violates civil and human rights in the context of international human rights resolutions and principles on healthcare and displacement. I explore the implications of using international human rights to challenge anti-transgender and anti-gender-affirming care legislation and what coalitional possibilities exist when expanding the fight against these laws transnationally. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Gender Studies)

13 pages, 910 KB

Open AccessArticle

Electoral Cycles and Minimum Wages in Argentina

by Miguel A. Bastos-Boubeta and Angel M. Loureiro-Lodeiro

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 236; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040236 - 3 Apr 2026

Abstract

We document the evolution of minimum salaries in Argentina during electoral cycles. We argue that incumbent politicians tend to significantly increase the growth rates of minimum salaries a few days before primary elections, and they generally keep them high for a long period [...] Read more.

We document the evolution of minimum salaries in Argentina during electoral cycles. We argue that incumbent politicians tend to significantly increase the growth rates of minimum salaries a few days before primary elections, and they generally keep them high for a long period until general elections conclude. This is due to the fact that minimum wages are known to be best justified by their social contributions rather than their economic effects. Our findings provide evidence of the strategic tools that are used by incumbent politicians to increase their chances of being re-elected. Our results highlight the importance that incumbents and challengers compete on a level playing field during electoral campaigns, and there are mechanisms in place that guarantee that incumbents do not use strategic tools (such as increases in minimum salaries) for their own benefit just before elections. Full article

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18 pages, 284 KB

Open AccessArticle

“Everything Here Is for Sale, Even Our History”: Heritage and the Luxury Real Estate Market in Sint Maarten

by Thor Björnsson and James Gordon Rice

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 235; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040235 - 2 Apr 2026

Abstract

This contribution examines the luxury real estate sector in the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten. Drawing upon an analysis of ethnographic observations, interviews, property market data and marketing materials, we pose two core questions to the data: (1) How are fragments of the [...] Read more.

This contribution examines the luxury real estate sector in the Caribbean Island of Sint Maarten. Drawing upon an analysis of ethnographic observations, interviews, property market data and marketing materials, we pose two core questions to the data: (1) How are fragments of the Dutch-Caribbean past deployed in luxury real estate marketing? (2) How does cyclical hurricane damage influence the luxury real estate market and heritage preservation? Proportionally very few of the luxury real estate listings directly reference cultural history. Yet when “Dutch-style and “plantation-era” esthetics are referenced, they appear to add value to the properties while enhancing a sense of exclusivity but erase the history of colonial violence. In conjunction with these discursive effects are the material realities of the cyclical destruction of property by hurricanes through which distressed properties are sold at a discount to be redeveloped for luxury builds aimed largely at foreign purchasers. This disaster development model systematically destroys artifacts of tangible heritage while displacing residents from communal spaces. As climate change intensifies, we raise questions about the sustainability of this model on the island going forward. Full article

20 pages, 375 KB

Open AccessArticle

Why Diversion Is Not Enough: A Comprehensive Community-Based Model for Juvenile Detention Alternatives, Diversion, and Restorative Services Programming

by Denise L. Jones, Dennis F. Jones, Zaida V. Pearson, Brittani Parham, Deanna C. E. Sinex, Lori Crawford and Keith Jamison

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040234 - 2 Apr 2026

Abstract

Diversionary programs in the United States juvenile justice system were designed to redirect youth from formal legal processing towards services such as treatment, community service, or counseling. Alternative to Detention (ATD) emerged as a key strategy to reduce youth incarceration, though research suggests [...] Read more.

Diversionary programs in the United States juvenile justice system were designed to redirect youth from formal legal processing towards services such as treatment, community service, or counseling. Alternative to Detention (ATD) emerged as a key strategy to reduce youth incarceration, though research suggests these programs often provide inconsistent and short-term benefits. Despite these limitations, ATD remains one of the primary, and frequently sole, methods funded and implemented by courts and stakeholders as a diversionary strategy. This article introduces Youth Enrichment Services (YES), a community-based non-profit in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and describes how the Integrated Model of Juvenile Justice (IMJJ) is applied through universal, selective, and indicated interventions. As a community-based, multi-level approach, YES offers a holistic, practice-based model of prevention, mentorship, and family engagement, with implications for policy and community-driven juvenile justice reform. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Achieving Crime Prevention and Community Safety Through Evidence-Based and Theoretically-Driven Early Interventional, Diversionary, as Well as Community Building and Engagement Programs)

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15 pages, 291 KB

Open AccessArticle

An Empirical Analysis of the Impact of Public Debt Service Costs on Social Expenditure in South Africa

by Teboho Charles Mashao

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040233 - 2 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of public debt service costs on social expenditure in South Africa, focusing on three categories of social expenditure, namely, government education expenditure, government health expenditure and government social protection expenditure. It addresses the challenge of financing debt service [...] Read more.

This study investigates the impact of public debt service costs on social expenditure in South Africa, focusing on three categories of social expenditure, namely, government education expenditure, government health expenditure and government social protection expenditure. It addresses the challenge of financing debt service costs while maintaining social expenditure. The study employed annual time series data from 1994 to 2024 and the autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) technique to examine the effect of public debt service costs on social expenditure. The results reveal that debt service exhibits a negative and statistically significant impact across all three categories of social expenditure under consideration in the long run and short run in South Africa. Moreover, the results reveal that public debt has a negative relationship with all three categories of social expenditure. The exchange rate and revenue were found to have a positive relationship with all three categories of social expenditure under consideration. Urban population was found to have a positive relationship with government education expenditure and social protection expenditure. These findings underscore the need to focus on reducing the fiscal pressure stemming from increasing debt service costs, while upholding social expenditure. It is recommended that policymakers focus on debt stabilisation and reduction, thereby easing the crowding-out of social expenditure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Social Economics)

28 pages, 3994 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Bordering, Surveillance, and Schooling: An Integrative Bibliometric-Informed Systematic Review of Refugee/(Im)migrant Education Governance

by Khalid Arar, Adnan Boyacı, Hamit Özen and Yusuf Attila Yiğit

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040232 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 461 studies on refugee and (im)migrant education governance, covering the period from 2015 to 2025. All studies were articles indexed in the Web of Science category. The analysis reveals publication trends, conceptual and intellectual structures, and [...] Read more.

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 461 studies on refugee and (im)migrant education governance, covering the period from 2015 to 2025. All studies were articles indexed in the Web of Science category. The analysis reveals publication trends, conceptual and intellectual structures, and the evolution of themes. Data were analyzed using the Bibliometrix R package. Document coupling and thematic analyses indicate a modular research ecosystem structured around policy governance, inclusion and diversity, refugee education, and access to higher education, with governance-focused scholarship playing a prominent connective role. A systematic review, guided by the PRISMA technique, was conducted to enhance these structural insights, focusing on the 25 most cited and conceptually significant studies identified during the bibliometric phase. The systematic review examined research features, participant demographics, educational settings, and analytical frameworks, with particular attention to the theoretical and operational aspects of governance, bordering, and surveillance themes. The findings reveal a pronounced geographic concentration in affluent Western contexts, especially the United States, alongside a smaller but conceptually significant body of work situated in refugee-hosting regions of the Global South. Education systems are consistently described as mechanisms of migratory governance, in which policies, accountability frameworks, and routine institutional activities establish borders and surveillance. This study combines extensive bibliometric mapping with comprehensive systematic synthesis to present a coherent overview of the conceptualization of refugee and (im)migrant education over the past decade, highlighting ongoing theoretical fragmentation and the need for more cross-scalar, integrative strategies in education governance within migration contexts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policying and Policing: The Governance of Refugee/(Im)migrant Education in an Age of Hostility—2nd Edition)

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19 pages, 277 KB

Open AccessArticle

Charting the Evolution: Professionalizing Social Work in Jordan—A Critical Analysis of the Transition from Semi-Profession to Full Professionalization

by Sahar AlMakhamreh, Mary McColgan, Colette Murphy and Michael Murray

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040231 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

This paper examines the development process that frames the professionalization of social work in Jordan between 2019 and 2023, situated within the European Union-funded Support to Social Protection Programme: Helping Deliver Social Inclusion. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development [...] Read more.

This paper examines the development process that frames the professionalization of social work in Jordan between 2019 and 2023, situated within the European Union-funded Support to Social Protection Programme: Helping Deliver Social Inclusion. Working in collaboration with the Ministry of Social Development (MoSD), the initiative sought to strengthen the professional infrastructure through legislative development, specialist training, and the establishment of accredited university-level curricula to support a coherent, national career pathway for social workers. This paper critically analyses the transition from semi-professional to full professional status, with particular attention to the model used to facilitate ownership by four Jordanian universities and harness and strengthen the practice of social work. It further examines the academic framework underpinning the development of a national Common Core Curriculum for Social Work, drawing on established curriculum theories to guide the negotiated application of global approaches within the Jordanian context, with sensitivity to indigenous knowledge and cultural awareness. Reflections on the strengths and limitations of the development process are informed by stakeholder feedback, current outcomes, and anticipated future developments, with an emphasis on the value of interagency collaboration and networking approaches. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Work Education in the Context of Globalization: Perceptions, Challenges and Innovations)

24 pages, 572 KB

Open AccessArticle

Unpacking the Psychological Processes of Workplace Bullying: A Weekly Diary Comparison of Motivational and Resource Pathways

by Sophie Coulon, Annabelle Neall, Kate Sandford, Emily Furno and Charlotte Keenan

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040230 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

Workplace bullying is a pervasive interpersonal stressor with well-documented negative consequences for employees; however, the understanding of the psychological processes linking bullying to employee outcomes remains fragmented and constrained by methodological similarity. As a result, it remains unclear which psychological mechanisms are most [...] Read more.

Workplace bullying is a pervasive interpersonal stressor with well-documented negative consequences for employees; however, the understanding of the psychological processes linking bullying to employee outcomes remains fragmented and constrained by methodological similarity. As a result, it remains unclear which psychological mechanisms are most central in explaining how bullying affects employees, particularly at the within-person level. Addressing this gap, the present study compared within-person variation in two mediating processes: basic psychological need (BPN) frustration and psychological capital (PsyCap). Eighty-five participants participated in a five-wave weekly diary study, completing a total of 356 surveys. As predicted, within-person variation in weekly bullying exposure predicted poorer outcomes (i.e., lower energy, higher stress, reduced belonging, and greater turnover intentions). Multilevel mediation analyses showed that BPN frustration mediated these relationships: weeks with more bullying were associated with greater need frustration and poorer outcomes. In contrast, PsyCap did not mediate these relationships. Random intercept cross-lagged panel models provided no support for lagged mediation effects, indicating that neither BPN frustration nor PsyCap transmitted the effects of bullying across weekly intervals. These findings demonstrate that workplace bullying undermines employee outcomes primarily through the contemporaneous frustration of BPN and underscore the importance of organizational interventions that support employees’ autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Organizational Strategies to Combat Workplace Bullying and Foster Inclusion)

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20 pages, 346 KB

Open AccessArticle

Negotiating Gender and Cultural Roles in Transnational Elder Care: Perspectives of Nigerian Immigrants in Northern BC

by Chibuzo Stephanie Okigbo, Shannon Freeman, Dawn Hemingway, Jacqueline Holler and Glen Schmidt

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040229 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study explores how gender roles shape transnational caregiving among Nigerian immigrants between northern BC and Nigeria. It examines the persistence or renegotiation of traditional caregiving expectations and how carers navigate societal norms, professional roles, and personal motivations. It also investigates how the [...] Read more.

This study explores how gender roles shape transnational caregiving among Nigerian immigrants between northern BC and Nigeria. It examines the persistence or renegotiation of traditional caregiving expectations and how carers navigate societal norms, professional roles, and personal motivations. It also investigates how the elder care recipient’s gender influences caregiving dynamics, including cultural taboos, communication, and family interactions. This qualitative study employed a narrative inquiry approach, guided by a care and gender (Gender+) lens, to explore the caregiving experiences of 10 Nigerian immigrant carers (five women, five men) residing in northern BC and supporting elderly relatives in Nigeria. Participants were recruited through snowball and purposive sampling. A pre-interview survey captured demographic and caregiving background data. In-depth semi-structured interviews elicited personal caregiving narratives, and thematic analysis was used to identify key patterns related to gender, culture, and transnational caregiving dynamics. The study revealed four key themes regarding caregiving practices among Nigerian immigrant families: gendered cultural caregiving expectations, perceptions of caregiving abilities based on gender, resistance to traditional norms, and cultural taboos and gendered caregiving assignments. Caregiving experiences of Nigerian immigrants are influenced primarily by gender, with migration stage, class, and birth order acting as contextual modifiers. Centering a Gender+ lens, this research underscores the need for culturally responsive policies that address the challenges of immigrant carers and support their efforts to fulfil caregiving responsibilities within transnational settings. Full article

19 pages, 481 KB

Open AccessArticle

Children’s Digital Safety Competence: The Role of Parental Mediation Practices in the Home Environment

by Rocío Gómez-Moreno and Antonia Ramírez-García

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040228 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

The early and widespread access of children to digital technologies has increased the need to develop digital competence from a young age, particularly regarding online safety and digital well-being. While schools play an important role in digital education, the family environment constitutes a [...] Read more.

The early and widespread access of children to digital technologies has increased the need to develop digital competence from a young age, particularly regarding online safety and digital well-being. While schools play an important role in digital education, the family environment constitutes a key context in which children’s digital practices are shaped. This study analyses children’s digital competence around safety by analyzing parental mediation strategies, family context and patterns of Internet use as perceived by primary education students. Using data from 277 children aged 8–13 and items adapted from the EU Kids Online questionnaire, inferential and correlational analyses were conducted. These analyses focused on Internet use time, active parental mediation, communicative proactivity and parental supervision. The results show that active parental mediation and communication are negatively associated with time spent online. They are positively associated with indicators of responsible and secure Internet use. These findings are discussed within the framework of DigComp 3.0, highlighting the role of the home as a fundamental space for the construction of children’s digital safety competence. The study concludes that children’s digital safety competence is not acquired spontaneously or exclusively through formal education but is directly linked to everyday educational practices developed within the family context. Full article

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

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27 pages, 354 KB

Open AccessArticle

Online Repertoires of Discursive Delegitimation Through Critical Online Comments—The Case of the Pandemic Crisis in Romania

by Cosmin Toth

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040227 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a critical stress test for institutional trust and legitimacy, particularly in societies characterized by pre-existing deficits of confidence in public authorities. In Romania, the health crisis unfolded against a background of low institutional credibility and widespread skepticism toward political [...] Read more.

The COVID-19 pandemic represented a critical stress test for institutional trust and legitimacy, particularly in societies characterized by pre-existing deficits of confidence in public authorities. In Romania, the health crisis unfolded against a background of low institutional credibility and widespread skepticism toward political and administrative actors. This study examines how institutional authority was discursively evaluated, contested, and delegitimized through public online comments during the most severe phase of the pandemic. The analysis is based on a corpus of 457 comments collected from major Romanian news websites and YouTube channels between 20 and 26 October 2021, corresponding to the peak week in terms of infections and mortality. Drawing on Discourse Analysis and Discursive Psychology, the study combines quantitative coding with qualitative analysis to identify recurrent forms of moral and epistemic criticism, inflammatory discourse, and sarcasm, organized into interpretative repertoires. The findings show that online criticism is structured primarily around accusations of hypocrisy, incompetence, corruption, insensitivity, and authoritarianism. These discourses function not merely as expressions of dissatisfaction but as practices through which commenters articulate moral order, contest institutional legitimacy, and position themselves as morally vigilant and epistemically competent actors entitled to judge public decision-making. Online comment spaces thus emerge as arenas of discursive delegitimation in times of crisis, with important implications for democratic resilience and crisis governance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Challenges to Democracy, Citizenship and Political Participation)

20 pages, 286 KB

Open AccessArticle

Family Reunification Is a Distant Possibility for Some Children in Alternative Care: Practice Perspectives from South African Social Workers

by Sipho Sibanda, Daniel Doh, Robert Lekganyane and Olebogeng Tladi-Mapefane

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040226 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

Placement of children in alternative care is to ensure that they are protected while social workers address the circumstances that led to their removal. However, in the rendering of family reunification services, social workers have realised that some instances make it challenging for [...] Read more.

Placement of children in alternative care is to ensure that they are protected while social workers address the circumstances that led to their removal. However, in the rendering of family reunification services, social workers have realised that some instances make it challenging for some families to be reunified with their children in alternative care. As such, permanency planning should be prioritised for those children to ensure their stability. This article explores factors that seem to make family reunification a distant possibility for some children in alternative care. Social workers employed by five child protection organisations in South Africa participated in the study. Employing a mixed-methods research design, data were gathered by means of interviews and questionnaires, and analysed using Creswell’s model of thematic analysis and a statistical package for the social sciences. The findings indicate that factors that contribute to challenges in reunifying some children in alternative care range from the circumstances of parents to the preferences of children. Although the reunification of a child with the family of origin is every child’s human right, such a right must be balanced with the child’s right to be protected from all forms of harm and neglect. We conclude that it is not all children in alternative care that family reunification services should be rendered to. It is recommended that further studies be conducted to explore how a rights-based approach can be used in identifying children and families that are not eligible for family reunification. Moreover, proper permanency plans and strategies should be put in place for such children. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Family Studies)

23 pages, 276 KB

Open AccessArticle

Idols as My Cyber Lovers: A Behavioral Research on the Figurational Relationship Between Fans and AI-Customized Virtual Idols

by Xin Wang and Yaxin Zhang

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040225 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

Unlike conventional virtual idols like Hatsune Miku, which rely on pre-set voice libraries and stage scripts, AI-customized virtual idols achieve real-time interaction through generative artificial intelligence, continuously iterating their personality traits, language style, and even value expression along with fan and user interactions. [...] Read more.

Unlike conventional virtual idols like Hatsune Miku, which rely on pre-set voice libraries and stage scripts, AI-customized virtual idols achieve real-time interaction through generative artificial intelligence, continuously iterating their personality traits, language style, and even value expression along with fan and user interactions. AI-customized virtual idols, as pre-defined cultural commodities in the digital age, tend to focus on static, functional interpretations and have not yet fully entered the dynamic construction process as “subjects in the process of generation.” This study, based on a deep mediation perspective, employs a research method combining app roaming and semi-structured interviews to focus on the sociological examination of young fan groups’ use of AI tools to customize virtual idol companionship. It explores the reciprocal relationship between fan groups and customized virtual idols. The study finds that the AI-customized idols fan group constitutes a typical “actor group,” and its interaction practices are essentially a “fluid interaction” of human–machine intimacy. Young fan groups mainly interact with AI-customized virtual idols based on materiality, cognition, visibility, and emotional frames, thereby generating rich meaning production and symbolic imagination during the usage process. Fan groups and AI-customized virtual idols have developed different relationship paths, including mutual attachment, returning to normalcy, seeking substitutes, or direct withdrawal, revealing the inherent contradictions and tensions in digital intimacy, as well as the self-adjustment strategies of individuals under the mediation of technology. This process presents a “human-machine-idol” triadic relationship framework, becoming a new paradigm for intimacy in the digital age. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Personality and Cognition in Human–AI Interaction)

17 pages, 276 KB

Open AccessArticle

Gendered Experiences of Racial Capitalism: Maids and Day Laborers in Barcelona’s Migrant Precariat

by Camden Bowman and Zenia Hellgren

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040224 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

A growing body of research characterizes contemporary global neoliberal hegemony through the lens of racial capitalism—a framework that traces the connections between colonial exploitation, slavery, and the foundations of economic growth, linking these histories to the expanding migrant precariat across Western societies today. [...] Read more.

A growing body of research characterizes contemporary global neoliberal hegemony through the lens of racial capitalism—a framework that traces the connections between colonial exploitation, slavery, and the foundations of economic growth, linking these histories to the expanding migrant precariat across Western societies today. Largely unexplored is how gender influences job conditions, alternatives, and forms of collective organization among migrant workers at the bottom strata of the labor market. Using the case of Spain, a country whose immigration history is closely linked to the expansion of precarious labor markets, we conducted our research in Barcelona, a hub in terms of migrant labor, collective agency and migrants’ rights struggles. We apply an intersectional lens to compare job conditions and collective action strategies of female and male migrant workers in two sectors: domestic and construction work, respectively. Both are strongly gendered, ethnically stratified, and highly informal. Many of the workers live in a daily reality marked by racism and exploitation, and we find that while there are important gender-related differences shaping the workers’ alternatives and forms of collective agency, their shared condition as racialized, poor migrants entails more commonalities than differences in terms of the role they fill in a late capitalist economy and the alternatives they have for change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Social Conflict, Migration and Forced Labour: Contemporary and Emerging Issues)

20 pages, 629 KB

Open AccessReview

Enhancing Social Entrepreneurship as a Tool for Tackling Socioeconomic Issues in South Africa for Sustainable Development: A Review

by Andrew Enaifoghe

Soc. Sci. 2026, 15(4), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci15040223 - 1 Apr 2026

Abstract

In South Africa, both economic and social entrepreneurship have become a game-changing strategy for tackling enduring socioeconomic issues, including inequality, unemployment, and poverty. In contrast to conventional business models that put profit maximisation first, social entrepreneurship combines entrepreneurial tactics with social goals to [...] Read more.

In South Africa, both economic and social entrepreneurship have become a game-changing strategy for tackling enduring socioeconomic issues, including inequality, unemployment, and poverty. In contrast to conventional business models that put profit maximisation first, social entrepreneurship combines entrepreneurial tactics with social goals to develop long-lasting solutions for underserved populations. This study examines how social entrepreneurship can be used to address socioeconomic problems in South Africa, highlighting how it can promote inclusive growth and help achieve both national and international development objectives. The study illustrates how social companies use innovation and community participation models to overcome structural impediments such as youth unemployment, healthcare disparities, and limited access to education. It is based on a thorough evaluation of academic literature. The results show that social entrepreneurship fosters social cohesiveness and resilience in marginalised areas in addition to creating job and income opportunities. However, issues including weak finance, insufficient policy frameworks, and a dearth of capacity-building programmes make it difficult for social enterprises to grow and survive. In order to strengthen the social enterprise sector, the study’s conclusion suggests creating supportive ecosystems through impact investments, policy reforms, and educational initiatives. South Africa can expedite its efforts to reduce inequality and achieve sustained socioeconomic transformation by presenting social entrepreneurship as a strategic development tool. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Social Economics)

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