Search Results (146)

Land disputes can pose significant threats to the life and property of residents, and integrated resolutions of land disputes can create opportunities for refining and adjusting land resources and rights. Over time, research on the determinants of land disputes has evolved from focusing on legal, administrative, and economic factors to exploring deeper social factors, particularly social capital. Drawing on data from China Judgement Online, Chinese social surveys, and various statistical yearbooks, this study uses an econometric model to innovatively assess three types social capital (social networks, interpersonal trust, and institutional trust) as key determinants of land disputes. The findings reveal that both structural social capital (represented by social networks) and cognitive social capital (in the form of institutional trust) can significantly reduce land disputes. Furthermore, administrative intervention may have a mediating effect by mitigating the negative influence of structural social capital on land disputes. The findings of this study not only advance the theoretical understanding of the influence of social capital on land disputes but also offer practical insights into preventing and resolving such disputes, thereby contributing to the establishment of a peaceful and secure society. Full article

With the rapid development of the sharing economy and the progress of social ecological civilization, social media influencers (SMIs) have garnered significant from academia and practitioners for their pivotal role in fostering pro-environmental behavioral intentions within the tourism consumption context. Drawing on the two-step flow theory, social influence theory, and social learning theory, this study establishes an integrated analytical framework to elucidate how SMIs facilitate the balance between tourism development and ecosystem preservation by activating pro-environmental behavioral behavior. This study conceptualizes the SMIs’ multi-traits as a higher-order construct (a third-order reflective structure), which integrates content-determined and personality-determined attributes, viewing SMIs’ effectiveness as a coherent system of influence rather than a series of fragmented traits. Based on survey data collected from 598 Chinese social media users, the study utilized Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) to test the proposed model. The results demonstrate that SMIs’ multi-traits exert significant positive effects on parasocial relationships and wishful identification, which in turn enhance individuals’ willingness to mimic. This willingness to mimic serves as a core behavioral conversion mechanism, bridging digital influence on three pro-environmental behavioral intentions: general, specific and online advocacy intentions. Furthermore, robustness analyses reveal marked heterogeneity across education- and income-based groups, indicating that the efficacy of SMI traits and the psychological-to-behavioral conversion efficiency are contingent upon the recipients’ socioeconomic resources and cognitive capital. Overall, this study characterizes social media influencer marketing as a scalable, socially driven phenomenon that can effectively activate and promote pro-environmental behavioral intentions, providing valuable insights for environmental education and sustainable tourism development in the digital age. Full article

Based on Social Cognitive Theory and Positive Psychology, this study addresses a research gap by examining internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy as a mediating mechanism between psychological capital and internet entrepreneurial intention in the digital context—a relationship rarely explored among engineering students in Eastern European economies. Using a quantitative, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 900 undergraduates enrolled in three Romanian technical universities who completed a set of specific instruments. Entrepreneurial intention was measured with the Individual Entrepreneurial Intent Scale adapted for online entrepreneurship; entrepreneurial self-efficacy in the online context was assessed using the Internet Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy Scale; and psychological capital was measured with the Psychological Capital Questionnaire adapted for the student environment. The mediation analysis conducted through PROCESS-macro showed that psychological capital exerts a significant indirect effect on internet entrepreneurial intention via internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy. Psychological capital exerted a strong effect on internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy (β = 0.538), which in turn influenced the intention to start an online business (β = 0.213), while the direct effect on internet entrepreneurial intention remained relatively reduced (β = 0.037). The results indicate that positive psychological resources foster entrepreneurial intention by strengthening confidence specific to the digital environment. This study advances Social Cognitive Theory by demonstrating that internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy operates as the proximal cognitive pathway through which psychological capital is translated into entrepreneurial intention in online settings, clarifying how general psychological resources acquire domain-specific relevance in digital entrepreneurship. Full article

This article examines digital inequalities in Italy through a sociological lens, arguing that the digital divide is not merely a technological issue but a manifestation of broader social stratification. Drawing on data from ISTAT (2023–2024), the analysis explores disparities in Internet access and computer use among families with minors and young people aged 6–24. While connectivity has reached near universality, significant territorial, educational, and social gaps persist, reflecting enduring inequalities in resources and opportunities. The study interprets these patterns through the framework of first-, second-, and third-level digital divides, linking them to theory of cultural capital and digital capital. Results indicate that inequalities extend beyond access, encompassing differences in digital skills, motivation, and the capacity to translate online participation into educational or social advantages. Gendered expectations further influence these dynamics, shaping distinct patterns of engagement with technology. The discussion highlights how digitalization acts as a mechanism of social reproduction, where access and competence are mediated by pre-existing disparities in education and culture. From a policy perspective, the paper calls for a shift from infrastructure-oriented strategies toward capability-based digital education that fosters critical, ethical, and future-oriented digital citizenship. Full article

Raising rural household income is central to narrowing the rural–urban gap and advancing common prosperity. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS), this study examines the impact of digital skills, a key for human capital, on rural Chinese households’ income and uses a fixed-effects model and the instrumental variable method to address endogeneity. The study finds that digital skills raise total household income, and each additional skill is associated with an increase of CNY 1678. By skill type, online business skills have the largest effect, followed by work–study skills, while entertainment–social skills are negatively associated with income. Heterogeneity analyses indicate larger gains for households with lower educational attainment and lower income, showing that a stronger regional digital environment amplifies these effects. Mechanism tests point to factor reallocation toward the nonfarm sector, via higher probabilities of off-farm employment and entrepreneurship and improved access to formal credit, as the primary pathway. Consistent with these channels, digital skills increase wages and operating income and reduce inequality in these components, as well as benefitting total income, but they have no detectable effect on property or transfer income or their dispersion. These findings point to key implications for boosting rural income growth and reducing inequality, namely strengthening digital skill development and optimizing the digital environment to enhance rural households’ endogenous income-generating capacity. Full article

Exploring the factors and mechanisms influencing farmers’ participation behavior in formal financial markets is of great significance for improving the rural financial service system and comprehensively promoting the development of rural inclusive finance. Based on the data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey (CRRS), this paper explores the impact and mechanism of digital skills on farmers’ participation in formal financial markets through the theories of feasibility information, social capital, and technology acceptance. The research results show that digital skills significantly promote farmers’ likelihood and extent of participation in formal financial markets, including stocks, bonds, and wealth management products. This is because digital skills enhance farmers’ information acquisition and online transaction capabilities and broaden their social networks. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that digital skills exert a greater influence on both the likelihood and extent of participation of farmers with lower educational level, farmers in the middle-aged and elderly cohorts, and farmers with low income in formal financial markets. Further research reveals that participating in formal financial markets can significantly increase farmers’ annual income. Therefore, training should be strengthened to enhance farmers’ digital skills. Open information platforms should be established to broaden channels, gradually enabling farmers to freely acquire information, reducing the cost of maintaining social networks for farmers, and improving the convenience of farmers’ online transactions. In addition, efforts should be made to promote the development of inclusive finance, focus on the differentiation issues of farmers in information and wealth, and thereby more widely enhance farmers’ participation in formal financial markets. Full article

Evidence from practice and academic literature indicates that, compared with traditional e-commerce, consumers in social commerce are more prone to impulsive purchasing. This heightened tendency can be attributed to the robust interaction among users in social commerce. Peer intrinsic and extrinsic motivations represent two distinct mechanisms that stimulate impulsive purchasing under the influence of others. Given the diversity in types and strengths of social capital and their varying impacts on peer motivation, this study endeavors to broaden the understanding of impulsive buying in social commerce. It examines how peer intrinsic and extrinsic motivations influence purchasing behavior and explores how these motivations interact with three dimensions of social capital. Within a specific type of social capital context, the objective of this study is to uncover which type of peer motivation predominantly drives impulsive purchasing. To empirically test the research model, an online survey was conducted targeting social commerce users in China. The findings offer empirical support for retailers in implementing appropriate social media initiatives and managing consumer relationships in social commerce. By integrating peer motivation and group-level social capital into the social commerce framework, this research offers novel insights into retailers’ social media strategies and contributes to existing literature. Full article

This study addresses the growing importance of peer influence in digital marketing by examining how various forms of social interaction affect Generation Z’s purchase intentions, particularly in relation to newly launched technological products. As digital natives, Gen Z consumers navigate purchasing decisions within complex online environments shaped by social networks, peer dynamics, and evolving product categories. Understanding how these elements interact offers valuable insights for both marketers and consumer researchers seeking to engage this influential demographic. Grounded in Social Capital Theory and Relationship Marketing Theory, the study investigates five key social influence factors—social capital bonding, social capital bridging, electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), perceived social pressure, and friend-of-a-friend effects. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was applied, with data gathered from 302 Gen Z participants through printed questionnaires. The analysis showed that all variables were significantly related to purchase intention, with bonding social capital and indirect peer influence emerging as the most impactful. E-WOM demonstrated a moderate effect, while perceived social pressure had a weaker influence and bridging social capital was not a significant predictor. The results also revealed that product type influences the strength of these relationships, with peer influence being strongest for low-involvement products and weakest for luxury items. These findings suggest that both social context and product characteristics should be carefully considered in the design of effective digital marketing strategies. Full article

This paper explores the rise in voice-based social media as a pivotal transformation in digital communication, situated within the broader era of chatbots and voice AI. Platforms such as Clubhouse, X Spaces, Discord and similar ones foreground vocal interaction, reshaping norms of participation, identity construction, and platform governance. This shift from text-centered communication to hybrid digital orality presents new sociological and methodological challenges, calling for the development of voice-centered analytical approaches. In response, the paper introduces a multidimensional methodological framework for analyzing voice-based social media platforms in the context of surveillance capitalism and AI-driven conversational technologies. We propose a high-level reference architecture machine learning for social science pipeline that integrates digital methods techniques, automatic speech recognition (ASR) models, and natural language processing (NLP) models within a reflexive and ethically grounded framework. To illustrate its potential, we outline possible stages of a PoC (proof of concept) audio analysis machine learning pipeline, demonstrated through a conceptual use case involving the collection, ingestion, and analysis of X Spaces. While not a comprehensive empirical study, this pipeline proposal highlights technical and ethical challenges in voice analysis. By situating the voice as a central axis of online sociality and examining it in relation to AI-driven conversational technologies, within an era of post-orality, the study contributes to ongoing debates on surveillance capitalism, platform affordances, and the evolving dynamics of digital interaction. In this rapidly evolving landscape, we urgently need a robust vocal methodology to ensure that voice is not just processed but understood. Full article

This study focuses on cultural and urban development policies under China’s 14th Five-Year Plan, exploring the content and semantic structure of discussions on the “East Asian Cultural Capital” project on the Weibo platform. It analyzes how national cultural development policies are reflected in the discourse system related to the “East Asian Cultural Capital” on social media and emphasizes the guiding role of policies in the dissemination of online culture. When China announced the 14th Five-Year Plan in 2021, the strategic direction and policy framework for cultural development over the five-year period from 2021 to 2025 were clearly outlined. This study employs text mining and semantic network analysis methods to analyze user-generated content on Weibo from 2023 to 2024, aiming to understand public perception and discourse trends. Word frequency and TF-IDF analyses identify key terms and issues, while centrality and CONCOR clustering analyses reveal the semantic structure and discourse communities. MR-QAP regression is employed to compare network changes across the two years. Findings highlight that urban cultural development, heritage preservation, and regional exchange are central themes, with digital media, cultural branding, trilateral cooperation, and cultural–economic integration emerging as key factors in regional collaboration. Full article

(1) Background: Rapid population aging in China intensifies physical and mental health challenges, including negative emotions and social barriers. Physical activity (PA) fosters resilience, adaptability, and successful aging through emotional and social benefits. This study examines the relationship between square-dancing exercise and psychological capital (PsyCap) in middle-aged and elderly individuals using cross-validation, subgroup analysis, and a cross-sequential design. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study with 5714 participants employed a serial mediation model. Online questionnaires assessed square-dancing exercise, cognitive reappraisal, prosocial behavior tendencies, PsyCap, and interpersonal relationships. Statistical analyses were conducted using SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.3, incorporating correlation analysis, structural equation modeling, and subgroup comparisons. (3) Results: (a) Cognitive reappraisal and prosocial behavior mediated the link between square-dancing and PsyCap through three pathways; (b) model stability was confirmed across two random subsamples; (c) cross-group differences emerged in age and interpersonal relationships. Compared with secondary data, this study further validated PsyCap’s stability over six months post-pandemic. (4) Conclusions: The study, based on China’s largest square-dancing sample, establishes a robust serial mediation model. The findings strengthen theoretical foundations for PA-based interventions promoting psychological resilience in aging populations, highlighting structured exercise’s role in mental and social well-being. Full article

This article discusses the digital activism model for advocacy of press freedom in Indonesia. This study examined the model and characteristics of digital activism and inhibiting factors in advocacy of press freedom, carried out by civil society organizations, social activists, and media professionals. Using qualitative methods, this paper provides answers to the question of how is the digital activism model aimed at countering threats to press freedom in a post-authoritarian country with a case study of Indonesia? How does digital activism emerge and form cross-sector collaboration? Given the broad scope of digital activism in Indonesia, the researchers chose two cities that represent the national and regional/provincial spectrum, namely Jakarta as the nation’s capital and Yogyakarta as a prominent student city in the country. The current study found a unique digital activism model in Indonesia that is a spectator collaboration: participants and initiators of activism are involved together in clicktivism, metavoicing, and assertion. Social activists and independent media activists develop systematic collective actions in the digital realm, such as online petitions and press releases, republication, and fundraising for the sustainability of the activism itself. This paper also found a gladiatorial model: media managers as victims and activists merged with more organized social movements, signaling that press freedom has become a collective agenda of pro-democracy advocates in Indonesia. Full article

This article investigates how digital competences contribute to the production of social capital and professional recognition through a systematic review of international literature. Drawing on 62 peer-reviewed articles indexed in Web of Science, Scopus, and ERIC, the review identifies the most frequently mobilized theoretical frameworks, the predominant types and sources of recognition, and the associated dimensions of social capital. The findings reveal a growing emphasis on communicative and network-based digital competences—particularly digital communication, information management, and virtual collaboration—as key assets in professional contexts. Recognition is shown to take predominantly non-material, extrinsic, and visibility-oriented forms, with social media platforms emerging as central sites for the performance and circulation of digital competences. The results indicate that social media proficiency has become a central determinant of social recognition, favoring individuals who possess not only digital fluency but also the ability to strategically develop and mobilize their networks. This dynamic reframes signal theory in light of today’s platformed ecosystems: recognition no longer depends increasingly on one’s capacity to render competences legible, visible, and endorsed within algorithmically mediated environments. Those who master the codes of visibility and reputation-building online are best positioned to convert recognition into social capital and professional opportunity. Full article

Background: This systematic review examined factors associated with psychological flexibility in higher education students. Objectives: This study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of factors associated with psychological flexibility among higher education students. Methods: Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology, a systematic search was conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases. Several inclusion criteria were employed in the study, such as sample characteristics and study design. As a synthesis method, the qualitative narrative synthesis method was used. Results: Thirty-one studies were included in the review for detailed analysis. Our findings indicated positive associations between psychological flexibility and numerous variables that enhance the mental health and academic success of university students. In addition, individuals characterized by high psychological flexibility demonstrated better adjustment to university life and experienced higher levels of well-being. In the meantime, some studies found negative associations between psychological flexibility and several variables that hinder student success and negatively impact their mental health. Among them, the screened studies reported COVID-19 burnout, disordered eating cognitions, severity of posttraumatic stress symptoms, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and others. Discussion: Examining psychological flexibility in such a broad review provides insights into this construct and its potential applications in enhancing student success and contributing to economic and social sustainability by reducing dropout rates, lowering the costs of psychological and medical care, and fostering a more resilient human capital. The main limitations in the reviewed articles were the absence of studies employing longitudinal designs, small sample sizes, and the limited investigation of relationships in online and hybrid learning models. Full article

Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM) in Japan, and globally, face disparities in mental health and well-being, driven by stigma, exclusion, and minority stress. While social capital is known to enhance well-being, no previous research has examined the distinct roles of gay versus heterosexual social capital in relation to subjective happiness. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of 1564 MSM in Greater Tokyo, using geosocial networking applications. Social capital was measured using an adapted Resource Generator to assess access to resources from MSM and heterosexual network members. Subjective happiness was assessed using the Japanese version of the Subjective Happiness Scale. Multivariable linear regression identified correlates of happiness. Results: Gay social capital was the strongest predictor of subjective happiness, exceeding the effects of self-rated health, education, employment, and age. High levels of heterosexual social capital were also associated with greater happiness but to a lesser extent. Unemployment, poor health, and attendance at gay cruising venues were negatively associated with happiness. Conclusions: These findings provide the first global evidence of the differential associations between gay and heterosexual social capital on subjective happiness. Community-based interventions that affirm identity and build peer connection may substantially improve well-being among MSM in Japan. Full article