Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-17eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1499198
Vanessa Lakana Veak
{"title":"Color me khmao: the effects of social factors on colorism among Khmer women.","authors":"Vanessa Lakana Veak","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1499198","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1499198","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Given the lack of academic literature on colorism within the Cambodian community and the lack of focus on how colorism influences experiences in this context, this study seeks to analyze how Khmer women's perceptions of colorism are shaped by their family and community environments.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The data and methods consist of 40 in-depth qualitative interviews with Khmer women, primarily those living in the United States and Cambodia, with their experiences of colorism analyzed through thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings reveal that factors such as family support and cultural connections to Khmer identity interact with relative skin tone within families and broader communities to shape self-esteem and experiences with colorism. Women with darker skin did not necessarily have the lowest self-esteem, especially when they had supportive families and lived in communities where darker skin tones were more prevalent. Conversely, women with lighter skin did not necessarily have the highest self-esteem, especially when their families reinforced color hierarchies and they lived in communities dominated by White or East Asian Americans.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>By further examining this structural issue, colorism, the study highlights how communities of color can work toward racial and ethnic justice while developing strategies for future generations to challenge and move beyond colorism.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1499198"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11873834/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-14eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1539410
Marchant Van Der Schyff
{"title":"Vulnerability and threat: describing gay male victimologies in South Africa by analysing online community reports.","authors":"Marchant Van Der Schyff","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1539410","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1539410","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examines the phenomenon of violence towards gay men in South Africa, focusing on its portrayal and understanding within online media. Using a qualitative approach, it explores how online reports construct, interpret, and contest narratives surrounding these attacks. The investigation aims to highlight the portrayal of the victimology of gay men and the societal dynamics, including gender-based violence, abduction, victimisation, and queercide, in the South African context. The research analysed online reports, between 2022 and 2024, by a community organisation on cases of violence perpetrated against gay men. The research found that media frames about the circumstances of violence, the role of social media or hookup apps, and demographic details of gay men can provide insights into their victimhood. This contributes to the understanding of the challenges gay men face in navigating their identities and safety in South Africa. The findings show that Gauteng, Cape Town, and Durban remain the most affected by attacks against gay men and provide more insight into the strata of the age of victims, their movement, and the nature of attacks. By identifying how online community media frames these cases, the study offers insights into the emergence of gangsterism and the use of mobile technologies to target these men. It can inform strategies for social change and foster inclusive environments for marginalised communities. The findings have implications for advocacy, policy making, and community empowerment efforts addressing queercide and promoting LGBTIQ+ rights and safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1539410"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11868039/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-14eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1527841
Dina Tbaishat, Lina Qtaishat, Jannik Joseph Eggerman, Catherine Panter-Brick, Rana Dajani
{"title":"Mapping the perceived impacts of a social innovation program on women's agency and life satisfaction.","authors":"Dina Tbaishat, Lina Qtaishat, Jannik Joseph Eggerman, Catherine Panter-Brick, Rana Dajani","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1527841","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1527841","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cross-cultural research measuring how women perceive their sense of agency and catalyze social innovation has been limited. We conducted a mixed-methods study to learn about women's agency and life satisfaction, while evaluating the perceived benefits of a social innovation program (<i>We Love Reading</i>), in the UAE which, in 2022, launched a nationwide reading promotion strategy.</p><p><strong>Methods and results: </strong>We implemented the Sense of Agency (SoA) scale and Cantril Ladder of Life Scale with a sample of 78 female Emirati students, then conducted two Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM) sessions with 13 respondents. The FCM sessions helped to develop local definitions of agency and life satisfaction, map causal relationships, and run scenarios to identify program benefits. This highlighted 6 core dimensions of personal and relational agency-ability, control, strength, authority, freedom of action, and responsibility. <i>We Love Reading</i> boosted several aspects of agency and life satisfaction.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Our findings suggest that <i>We Love Reading</i> can help change mindsets and meet a fundamental policy goal related to reading habits and knowledge empowerment in the Arab World. They show the need for mapping causal reasoning in systematic ways, taking into account different dimensions of agency in environments where social innovation can flourish.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1527841"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11868929/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543733","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-14eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1460307
Carrie Wendel, Darcy L Sullivan, Jennifer Babitzke, Tracey A La Pierre
{"title":"\"They seemed to forget about us little people\": the lived experiences of personal care attendants during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Carrie Wendel, Darcy L Sullivan, Jennifer Babitzke, Tracey A La Pierre","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1460307","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fsoc.2025.1460307","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Personal care attendants (PCAs) provided essential care and support to home care clients during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus were a vital part of the pandemic response in helping to keep older adults and individuals with disabilities out of nursing homes. Furthermore, they are one of the largest and fastest growing workforces in the United States. Yet this essential workforce received little attention during the pandemic. Guided by feminist theories on caregiving and the principles of community-based participatory research, this study examined the experiences of PCAs during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data from 78 in-depth interview participants representing Medicaid-Funded Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) PCAs, clients, family caregivers, and service providers in Kansas, United States, as well as additional data from 176 PCA survey participants were analyzed. Findings from this interactive, convergent, mixed-methods study were integrated by theme using the weaving approach.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Four major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) PCAs remained in this field during the pandemic out of a commitment to their clients; (2) PCAs were undervalued and invisible as an essential workforce; (3) direct care work had an emotional toll on PCAs during the pandemic; and (4) PCAs have mixed feelings about their satisfaction with the job, and, as good workers quit, they were difficult to replace.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>PCAs held professional-level responsibilities without the recognition or pay of a professional. The pandemic had mixed impacts on job stress and satisfaction, suggesting that the intrinsic rewards of the job and social support had a protective impact. However, intrinsic rewards are not enough to retain this workforce, and the growing PCA workforce shortage leaves many clients having to choose between no care and poor care. Our findings indicate that institutions and systems must better support and recognize this essential workforce to build and maintain a quality in-home care services system.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1460307"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11868058/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143543708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-13eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1513345
Kurniawan, Rival Pahrijal, Agung Maulana, Rakotoarisoa Maminirina Fenitra, Dana Budiman, Supriandi
{"title":"Beyond boundaries: fostering women entrepreneurs' success through culture, family, and entrepreneurship.","authors":"Kurniawan, Rival Pahrijal, Agung Maulana, Rakotoarisoa Maminirina Fenitra, Dana Budiman, Supriandi","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1513345","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1513345","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study investigates how social capital, family support, culture, entrepreneurial qualities, and self-efficacy influence women's work-life balance and entrepreneurial success in Indonesia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research employs a quantitative methodology, gathering data via a survey with 350 participants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The investigation findings indicate that culture, family support, and entrepreneurial tendencies significantly influence self-efficacy, social capital, and business success. Additionally, social capital and self-efficacy significantly mediate the association between the independent variables and satisfaction with work-life balance and company performance.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The research emphasizes the significance of the interaction between social, cultural, and personal aspects in boosting entrepreneurial success and well-being, and the results offer useful insights to assist the growth of women entrepreneurs in Indonesia.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1513345"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11866058/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143524780","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-12eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1488888
Dustin Z Nowaskie, Dehandra Blackwood, Frank Garcia
{"title":"Pervasive systemic disparities: medical-related gaslighting, trauma, and distrust among LGBTQ+ people in the United States.","authors":"Dustin Z Nowaskie, Dehandra Blackwood, Frank Garcia","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1488888","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1488888","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Historically, LGBTQ+ people have and continue to endure discrimination across many contexts, including healthcare. Research and data from nationwide samples in the United States regarding medical-related stigma experienced by LGBTQ+ people are scant.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional survey was distributed online to a national sample of United States residents. Participants answered questions about their healthcare, including experiences with medical-related gaslighting, trauma, and trust.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared to cisgender and heterosexual people (<i>n</i> = 857), LGBTQ+ people (<i>n</i> = 815) reported significantly higher rates of medical-related gaslighting (46.5% vs. 26.5%, <i>ORs</i> 1.75-2.80) and trauma (18% vs. 8.9%, <i>ORs</i> 1.63-2.66). Likewise, LGBTQ+ people conveyed significantly less trust (<i>ORs</i> 0.46-0.53) in primary care providers (59.8% vs. 74.1%), medical specialists (56.5% vs. 71.7%), pharmaceutical companies (17% vs. 28%), insurance companies (15.9% vs. 29.3%), and U.S. healthcare systems (17.8% vs. 30.4%).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Medical-related gaslighting, trauma, and distrust are pervasive systemic disparities among LGBTQ+ people. Addressing these challenges will require ongoing, lifelong motivation, dedication, and commitment for LGBTQ+ education, advocacy, and leadership to dismantle current prejudiced practices and foster more inclusive, supportive, affirming healthcare environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1488888"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11861525/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143516974","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-12eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1537311
Varun Bhat, Sarah Strauss
{"title":"Climate adaptation plans and \"green jobs\": challenges for implementing a responsive, multi-skilled workforce in Worcester, Massachusetts.","authors":"Varun Bhat, Sarah Strauss","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1537311","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1537311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cities across the United States are affected by climate change impacts, and several cities have adopted climate adaptation plans to respond to this growing threat. These plans outline interventions that require a multi-skilled workforce working towards \"green\" or sustainable goals. However, the \"green jobs\" linked to these goals are ill-defined and misunderstood among employers and job seekers and can cause gaps in implementing the interventions outlined in the climate adaptation plans. Therefore, it is important to analyze the current state of green jobs in US cities and understand what employers, job seekers, and others think of the green jobs market. We conduct this analysis with the help of natural language processing and qualitative coding in the City of Worcester, Massachusetts, USA using job data from Indeed and semi-structured interviews. We find that the current green job market in Worcester is siloed around green jobs requiring degrees and that non-degree green jobs are significantly less present. Moreover, most green jobs are located far away from Worcester, making them unattractive to job seekers, influencing the overall image of green jobs among job seekers. Finally, both policymakers and employers are unclear about the definition of a \"green job\" impacting a job seeker's search behaviors. All this points to a vague description of green jobs and green workforce, that can significantly impact Worcester's ability to achieve a climate-ready workforce and to achieve its climate adaptation goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1537311"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11861338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143516969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Factors affecting the risk of gender-based violence among 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth: a scoping review of climate change-related vulnerabilities.","authors":"Szymon Parzniewski, Xing Luo, Siyu Ru, Nevcihan Ozbilge, Kyle Breen, Haorui Wu","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1541039","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1541039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gender-based violence (GBV) is a pervasive and growing issue that affects diverse populations worldwide. This study aimed to synthesize the factors affecting the risk of GBV among 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth. A scoping review was conducted using international databases (Web of Science, Scopus, Proquest, PubMed, Embase, EBSCOhost) since 2009. The studies were independently appraised by two reviewers guided by the PRISMA approach. Ninety-nine articles focusing on the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, GBV, and adolescents or youth were included for the review. The factors affecting the risk of GBV among 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth were categorized into (1) Wellbeing and mental health; (2) Disparities compared to cisgender youth; (3) Perpetration and victimization; (4) Different types of violence; and (5) Differences among 2SLGBTQIA+ subgroups. The studies further showed relevance to climate-related stressors such as displacement and resource scarcity, and how those can further amplify the vulnerabilities of 2SLGBTQIA+ youth to GBV. The findings revealed the necessity for multi-level strategies that account for the compounded risks faced by 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth, including those introduced by environmental crises. These five factors related to GBV among 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth should be considered by social work professionals when working with at-risk populations. Due to limited robust evidence (from countries outside the US) and the diverse contexts of the selected studies, future research is needed to minimize GBV among 2SLGBTQIA+ adolescents and youth, especially as climate change introduces new layers of vulnerability.</p><p><strong>Systematic review registration: </strong>10.37766/inplasy2024.4.0008.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1541039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11861036/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143516972","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-11eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1482825
Amarachi Onyeyirichi Ogbonna, Charles Aaron Adams Ekuban, C Muralee Krishnan, P K Viswanathan
{"title":"Caste, local governance effectiveness, and multidimensional poverty in rural India: some evidences.","authors":"Amarachi Onyeyirichi Ogbonna, Charles Aaron Adams Ekuban, C Muralee Krishnan, P K Viswanathan","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1482825","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1482825","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study explores the relationships between local governance effectiveness, population densities of Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST), and rural multidimensional poverty in India, using data from the 2011 Indian Census, 2011 Socio-Economic and Caste Census (SECC), 2020 Mission Antyodaya, and 2019/21 National Family and Health Survey (NFHS).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The research examines how SC/ST population densities and local governance effectiveness are associated with the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) across Indian states through regression and correlation analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study's findings reveal a national, rural MPI of 0.110, with 26% of the rural population experiencing multidimensional poverty. The study's results also show that a statistically significant negative correlation exists between rural MPI and local governance effectiveness, with a 0.32% reduction in MPI for every 1% improvement in governance effectiveness. Conversely, higher SC and ST population densities are associated with increased MPI, with a 0.14% rise in MPI for each 1% increase in these densities. The study also highlights that ST population density has a stronger association with MPI than SC population density, indicating greater vulnerability to multidimensional poverty in areas with higher ST populations.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Overall, the study underscores the importance of effective local governance in reducing rural poverty and suggests targeted efforts in areas with high SC and ST densities, particularly ST, to alleviate poverty. It also emphasizes the need for up-to-date data to understand and address rural poverty comprehensively.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1482825"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11850394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504475","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}