Search Results (355)

This comparative study, the first to date, examines how representative samples of citizens across 40 OECD countries (N = 41,232) balance religion and child welfare when deciding whether to move a five-year-old thriving in foster care to match parental religion. Using a vignette experiment and six hypotheses, the analysis links religiosity, perceived religious rights, authoritarian values, institutional context, and confidence in child protection to placement preferences. A large majority (88%) would not move the child, prioritising stability and well-being. The results show a trust “paradox” in which higher confidence in child protection correlates with support for moving the child. Justifications show broad appeal to the best interest principle across opposing choices. Deference to professional assessment varies markedly across countries, indicating divergent authority of social work expertise. Findings underscore the need to operationalise the best interests standard and to account for institutional context, while policymakers should recognise stable placements as the public default. Full article

Despite extensive scholarly attention, the exploration of individual-level determinants of news media trust still offers substantial room for further research, particularly from non-Western perspectives. This article moves beyond traditional political and media-related perspectives by incorporating individual capital and cultural values into the analysis of media trust. Using data from the fifth wave of the Asian Barometer Survey (14 countries and territories, N = 25,321), this study employs Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) to examine the effects of four key factors on news media trust in Asia. The findings suggest that individual-level characteristics, including economic capital, traditional values, and authoritarian values, contribute to trust in news media in Asia, whereas social capital has a negative influence. These associations even remain significant after controlling for some political factors. Additionally, authoritarian values shape news media trust through a moderating mechanism, weakening the influence of political trust while reinforcing the role of interpersonal trust. At the societal level, GDP per capita and press freedom influence news media trust in Asia primarily through cross-level interactions rather than direct effects. These findings highlight the complex interaction between societal and individual determinants in shaping news media trust. Full article

Dark tourism communication in Eastern Europe remains insufficiently examined, despite the region’s complex post-authoritarian memory landscape and the growing use of storytelling in tourism marketing. This study aims to clarify how Romanian dark tourism campaigns construct meaning through narrative structures and affective framing. Using a qualitative multi-method design, the analysis integrates ten promotional campaigns and six semi-structured interviews with professionals from tourism, memorial institutions, and cultural organizations. Results reveal four recurrent narrative–affective clusters, sacral-memorial, historical-didactic, spectral-sensational, and hybrid commercial, each shaped by trauma referentiality, emotional framing, and specific calls-to-action. These configurations map consistently onto Stone’s thanatological spectrum and highlight how practitioners negotiate authenticity and ethical boundaries. The study contributes a transferable narrative–affective model for dark tourism communication and underscores the need for transparency, contextual sensitivity, and responsible storytelling in the marketing of trauma-related heritage. Full article

This paper examines how county-level government in China formulates and implements solar photovoltaic (PV) policies through an adaptive-governance lens, using Lin’an District (Hangzhou) as a case study. Drawing on multi-level policy document analysis and 30 semi-structured interviews with government officials, developers, grid actors and experts, we identify three stages of local PV development (rooftop diffusion; rapid utility-scale expansion; and market-oriented regulatory adjustment). Key governance innovations include a district PV task force, an industry alliance, and a dual acceptance safety mechanism that together accelerated deployment while managing technical and political risks. We show how adaptive governance operates within an authoritarian, hierarchical system by combining top-down targets with bottom-up development and stakeholder coordination. The findings illuminate practical trade-offs between market liberalization and regulatory control, and provide transferable lessons for other developing countries pursuing decentralized renewable energy transitions. Full article

This study analyzes the political speeches of Brazilian federal representatives from the Liberal Party (PL), the primary platform for Bolsonarism, to identify patterns and features of conspiracy theories. Two core concepts are used: conspiracy theories as a worldview that addresses unpredictability and complexity of life in contemporary society, and Bolsonarism as a fundamentally conspiracist worldview grounded in reactionary authoritarianism and populism. Analyzing speeches delivered between 2019 and 2024, our inductive methodology identified both epistemological (logic) and narrative (rhetoric) elements. These individual elements organically integrated to form a pervasive, overarching conspiracy theory that we term “The Grand Collusion”. This theory was strategically deployed to support electoral campaigns and structure political opposition to the Lula government. “The Grand Collusion” alleges a vast alliance between the top echelons of the Judiciary (led by STF Minister Alexandre de Moraes) and the Brazilian Left (led by Lula), with assistance from major media and multilateral organizations. Its alleged objectives include rigging the 2022 elections and orchestrating the systematic persecution and censorship of Right-wing politicians and conservative citizens. Full article

Why do individuals, when facing institutional injustice, direct their anger toward peers rather than powerful actors? The existing literature typically explains displaced aggression through emotional arousal or power asymmetries. However, we argue that interpretive meaning within specific institutional contexts plays a more decisive role in shaping aggressive behavior. Drawing on a triadic framework of structural stimulus, narrative interpretation, and behavioral response, we conducted a scenario-based survey of 1109 Chinese university students across five institutions. The results show that perceived institutional inequality significantly increases displaced aggression (β = 0.388, p < 0.001), but not upward aggression (β = 0.091, p = 0.061). Two mediating mechanisms, perceived cost of aggression and inequality justification, account for 15.3% and 12.4% of the total effect, respectively. Moreover, pro-authoritarian attitude significantly amplifies the effect of perceived inequality on displaced aggression (interaction β = 0.224, p < 0.001). In addition, we find a counterfactual result that females show 0.248 units more displaced aggression than males under perceived inequality. These findings highlight how individuals internalize inequality as meaningful and actionable, even in constrained political settings. This study contributes a narrative-based theoretical framework for understanding misdirected aggression under institutional inequality. Full article

Background: Mental illness is often stigmatized across various cultural groups, yet there is limited understanding of African communities’ perceptions and beliefs regarding mental health. One reason for this disparity could be the lack of culturally appropriate tools to assess attitudes towards mental illness in African populations. This study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the 40-item Community Attitudes towards the Mentally Ill (CAMI) scale within African communities in Australia. Design: This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional, and descriptive approach, using a self-administered survey to assess the psychometric properties of the CAMI scale among African Australian individuals. Cronbach’s alpha was used to evaluate internal consistency. Method: A convenience sample of 110 individuals from various African community organizations in Australia was recruited. The original English version of the CAMI scale was used to assess attitudes towards mental illness. Results: Cronbach’s alpha for the overall scale was 0.717, indicating acceptable consistency. The Authoritarianism sub-scale had a lower reliability of 0.424, which is below the acceptable threshold of 0.70. The other sub-scales had a better internal consistency, with 0.730 for Benevolence, 0.724 for Ideology, and 0.627 for Social Restrictiveness, though the latter still lacked the ideal 0.70. Conclusions: The CAMI scale has been demonstrated to be a reliable and culturally appropriate tool for assessing African communities’ attitudes towards mental illness in Australia. By identifying negative attitudes, this tool can be used to inform health education and awareness programs that address misconceptions about mental illness. Such programs could encourage early health-seeking behaviors among migrants, facilitating early identification and intervention, and ultimately improving health outcomes by reducing the burden of mental illness. This study is significant as it provides a culturally appropriate tool to assess mental health attitudes in African communities, informing the development of appropriate strategies to promote early help-seeking behaviors and reduce stigma, thus improving mental health outcomes. Full article

Ecocentrism has emerged as a significant theoretical paradigm for addressing ecological crises and promoting sustainable development. However, while influencing the evolution of ecological governance systems, it faces fundamental criticisms including accusations of being “eco-authoritarianism”, “anti-human”, and “utopian”. This study develops a theoretical defense of ecocentrism through Daoism’s three-dimensional framework encompassing ontology, value theory, and practice theory. First, the Daoist holistic concept of living together (bingsheng 並生)—grounded in the principle of “Dao as one”—deconstructs the ontological foundations of anthropocentrism while addressing ecocentrism’s alleged “dictatorial “tendencies. Second, the Daoist value paradigm of valuing life (guisheng 貴生) challenges anthropocentrism’s value hegemony while establishing ethical justification for ecocentrism. Third, Daoist practical philosophy—particularly the concept of nurturing life (yangsheng 養生)—demonstrates how the harmonious coexistence of heaven, earth, and humanity can be achieved through balanced integration of instrumental and value rationality in ecological governance, thereby resolving accusations of “utopianism”. The findings affirm that Daoist philosophy provides not only a robust theoretical defense for ecocentrism but also insightful practical wisdom for global environmental governance and the pursuit of sustainable development. Full article

This article analyses underground memory and the critique of capitalism in the newspaper A Folha (1972–1981), which was associated with the diocese of Nova Iguaçu under the leadership of Dom Adriano Hypólito. In the midst of the authoritarian context of the military dictatorship and the social vulnerability of the Baixada Fluminense, the newspaper went beyond its liturgical function and took on a counter-hegemonic role by articulating a religious discourse that criticised the prevailing social and economic structures. By analysing selected sources from the journal and Michael Pollak’s theory of social memory, we examine how the newspaper constructed a counter-memory that challenged hegemonic narratives by mobilising critiques of capitalism. We also seek to understand how the diocese, guided by the principles of Liberation Christianity as articulated by Michael Löwy—as a movement emerging through grassroots pastoral practise—adopted a political stance aimed at overcoming inequality and defending human dignity. Full article

In psychology, small sample sizes are a frequent challenge—particularly when studying specific expert populations or using complex and cost-intensive methods like human scoring of creative answers—as they reduce statistical power, bias results, and limit generalizability. They also hinder the use of frequentist confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which depends on larger samples for reliable estimation. Problems such as non-convergence, inadmissible parameters, and poor model fit are more likely. In contrast, Bayesian methods offer a robust alternative, being less sensitive to sample size and allowing the integration of prior knowledge through parameter priors. In the present study, we introduce small-sample-size structural equation modeling to creativity research by investigating the relationship between creative fluency and nested creative cleverness with right-wing authoritarianism, starting with a sample size of N = 198. We compare the stability of results in frequentist and Bayesian SEM while gradually reducing the sample by n = 25. We find that common frequentist fit indexes degrade below N = 100, while Bayesian multivariate Rhat values indicate stable convergence down to N = 50. Standard errors for fluency loadings inflate 40–50% faster in frequentist SEM compared to Bayesian estimation, and regression coefficients linking RWA to cleverness remain significant across all reductions. Based on these findings, we discuss (1) the critical role of Bayesian priors in stabilizing small-sample SEM, (2) the robustness of the RWA-cleverness relationship despite sample constraints, and (3) practical guidelines for minimum sample sizes in bifactor modeling. Full article

Technocracy refers to any political–social–economic system that is governed and managed using purportedly objective scientific and technical principles, and in which ultimate power and authority rests with technical and scientific experts. The concept had its initial origins in the early decades of the Industrial Revolution (with antecedents stretching back to the rationalism of ancient Greece and, later, the Enlightenment in the West). Henri Saint-Simon in early 19th century France was the earliest exponent of a technocratic system which involved overall political and economic government by industrialists. Technocracy was formally coined as a term in the early 20th century in the United States in the context of a specific intellectual movement under the same name which laid out a more detailed system of economic and social management by industrialists and scientists that supposedly would guarantee maximum efficiency in production, consumption and distribution without the self-defeating tendencies of political systems of the time, either democratic or authoritarian. Technocracy is currently used to refer to any policy or governmental arrangement that purportedly emphasizes technical criteria above non-technical values in policy, planning and public decision-making, and which gives significant authority to experts. Singapore is often referred to as a leading example of such an approach. Various controversies have arisen around technocracy, especially its potential incompatibility with democracy and social values that are not easily translated into technical terms. There is also debate about how feasible a genuine technocracy actually is in practice. Full article

Background/Objectives: Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience high anxiety and low physical activity (PA). While the influence of parenting styles on these outcomes is well-documented in typically developing children, their role in autistic youth remains underexplored. The study examines how parenting style and parental encouragement of physical activity relate to anxiety and activity levels in ASD youth. Methods: The sample consisted of 76 parents of school-aged children diagnosed with ASD, including 54 parents of boys and 22 parents of girls (Aged 6–18; Mage = 10.75, SD = 3.67). The parents’ ages ranged from 23 to 65 years (M = 42.96, SD = 7.01). Results: Using a path model analysis, we found that authoritarian and permissive parenting were directly associated with elevated child anxiety. Authoritative and permissive parenting were inversely associated with child anxiety indirectly via parental encouragement of PA. Furthermore, authoritative and permissive parenting were inversely associated with the child’s PA score via encouragement of PA. Conclusions: The study establishes links between parenting styles and anxiety and physical activity in ASD children and adolescents, while identifying a specific mechanism that partially explains these associations. Full article

This conceptual paper analyzes the effects of Donald Trump’s 2025 authoritarian regime on refugees, the US Refugee Admissions Program, and resettlement. The second Trump presidency resumed his first term’s attempt (2017–2021) at seizing power. This time, his regime launched a more sophisticated authoritarian plan to destroy the US. His 2025 term is consolidating power in the president to target all forms of migration to the US, including dismantling the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP) through executive overreach, circumventing statutory refugee procedures, violating human and civil rights, and disregarding judicial constraints. On 20 January 2025, he used Executive Order 14163, “Realigning the United States Refugee Admissions Program,” to indefinitely suspend the admission and resettlement of refugees for 90 days. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis, with national interest and plans for a white nationalist state driving the decision. Refugees at any phase of the vetting process will be denied entry. Simultaneously, Executive Order 14169, “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” was signed on 20 January 2025, to pause the US dissemination of foreign aid for 90 days. Resumption would depend on a review determining foreign assistance alignment with national interests. The implementation of Executive Order 14169 further dismantled the USRAP infrastructure by stripping federal agencies of personnel and budgets that support resettled refugees through a “stop work order” issued by the Department of State’s Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (PRM) on 24 January 2025. Refugee resettlement agencies, non-profits, and faith-based organizations are vital to welcoming and assisting refugees as they adjust to their new lives. These critical organizations are now struggling to provide services to resettled refugees. Additionally, escalated, arbitrary, racially profiled deportations of alleged criminal undocumented immigrants have increased anxiety and fear among resettled refugee communities. Subsequently, the Trump administration’s indefinite suspension of the USRAP, effective from 2025 to 2028 and beyond, will impact refugees, their families, and the resettlement network. Truly, the survival of the USRAP depends on an administration that upholds the Constitution, democratic values, and the significance of US diplomatic global leadership, replacing this regime. Full article

Public cooperation is crucial for the police to successfully perform their duties. Yet marginalised and vulnerable groups facing uncertainty about their societal status often significantly mistrust the police. Migrant populations experiencing forced labour are marginalised and uncertain groups that face significant challenges for police in gaining trust and cooperation, especially since many have escaped conflict or authoritarian regimes, or experienced trauma and exploitation prior to encountering police in democratic contexts. This paper examines the potential role of policing agencies in Anglophone countries in addressing forced labour in migrant communities. Whilst recognising that police are not ideal first responders to this issue, the paper acknowledges that they often represent the first visible state response with the legal authority to support or detain individuals. This paper reviews the literature on forced labour and migration and presents a conceptual argument, applying procedural justice as a theoretical framework to assess its potential for improving the policing of forced labour, particularly among newly arrived migrants still establishing social relationships, bonds, and capital. The paper concludes by arguing that procedural justice may help police earn the trust and confidence of migrant populations experiencing forced labour and help address labour exploitation, although this trust-building remains hampered by the concomitant harms caused by crimmigration systems. Full article

This study investigates the institutional dynamics behind the phenomenon of apartment construction within urban parks in South Korea, using the Policy Arrangement Approach (PAA) as an analytical framework. By comparing two landmark policies—the Citizens Apartments Construction Project (CACP69) of 1969 and the Private Park Special Project (PPSP09) initiated in 2009—it will reveal how park erosion has been legitimized through shifting governance structures, legal mechanisms, and discursive strategies. CACP69 emerged under authoritarian rule to address housing shortages, leveraging public authority to repurpose park land. In contrast, PPSP09 reflects neoliberal tendencies, incentivizing private capital to develop unexecuted park sites amid looming sunset clauses. Both cases illustrate how the long-term neglect of park creation and ambiguous legal definitions have enabled the commodification of public green spaces. The study argues that park management policies in Korea have been shaped by a property-rights-oriented logic, sidelining community participation and ecological integrity. These findings offer critical insights into the intersection of urban planning, environmental governance, and the privatization of public space. Full article