Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-02-11eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1561427
Tracey Collett, Gayle Letherby, Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, Tanisha Spratt
{"title":"Editorial: Health and illness interactions.","authors":"Tracey Collett, Gayle Letherby, Louise Owusu-Kwarteng, Tanisha Spratt","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1561427","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1561427","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1561427"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11850389/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504476","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.2025.1522402
Monika Mayrhofer, Margit Ammer, Katrin Wladasch
{"title":"The concept of vulnerability and its relation to equality in the context of human rights: cases from climate change, anti-discrimination and asylum.","authors":"Monika Mayrhofer, Margit Ammer, Katrin Wladasch","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1522402","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1522402","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The article analyzes the concept of vulnerability and its relation to the principles of equality and non-discrimination based on a theoretical discussion and the analysis of the concept in three case studies in different human rights areas. First, an overview of the development of the legal norms of the right to equality and non-discrimination in the context of social and political developments is given, including contextualizing and embedding the concept of vulnerability in this debate. Second, the results of three case studies from different policy and legal fields will be presented. The first case study focuses on the role of vulnerability in UN human rights documents on climate change and mobility, the second case study on the role of vulnerability in the anti-discrimination case law of European courts, and the third case study on the concept of vulnerability in Austrian asylum procedures. The objective is to study the concept in different settings and, subsequently, comparatively carve out common themes across the case studies. The case studies show that vulnerability is a fuzzy concept, which often ends up being attached to 'special-needs groups' and which frequently mobilizes stigmatizing and stereotyping narratives. The concept does not have equality-promoting connotations, emphasizes individual and group-specific deficit accounts, and often fails to grasp structural factors of discrimination and inequality.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1522402"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11852298/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504477","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.2025.1550645
Walter S DeKeesredy
{"title":"Advancing feminist understandings of woman abuse: the value of old wine in new bottles.","authors":"Walter S DeKeesredy","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1550645","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1550645","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Despite making some of the most important advances in the social scientific study of woman abuse, feminist sociological research and theorizing that prioritize the concept of patriarchy have leveled off or declined in the last 15 years due, in large part, to the current hegemony of mainstream criminologists fundamentally opposed to a rich gendered understanding of one of the world's most compelling social problems. Drawing on nearly 50 years of research done by an international cadre of highly experienced scholars, this article demonstrates the importance of revisiting some major feminist conceptual, empirical, and theoretical contributions from the past. Recommended here are gender-specific conceptualizations of abuse, in-depth reviews of the extant literature, self-report surveys of potential male offenders, quantitative indicators of men's patriarchal attitudes and beliefs, and supplementary open-ended survey questions.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1550645"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11850366/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143504474","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":"Social goals under a neoliberal agenda: measures to promote equality in European higher education read through a Foucauldian lens.","authors":"Elena-Loreni Baciu, Theofild-Andrei Lazăr, Raluca Iunia Totan","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1492863","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1492863","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this study we draw on Foucault's work on governmentality and examine the power dynamics involved in establishing and implementing policies that promote equality in European higher education. Using a qualitative case study design, we selected 17 public universities situated in 13 European countries, from which we collected information about (1) the way these institutions problematize inequality in reference to participation in higher education, by labeling and categorizing vulnerable students and (2) the modes of governing and power tools (designed as support measures) they employ to address inequality. The results of the study show that the most typical profiles of vulnerability with which the universities in the sample engage include: students with disabilities, students from low-income backgrounds and students with children. Additionally, most universities use targeted support measures (as opposed to mainstreaming strategies) which consist in a mix of financial aid and support and adaptation services. The critical analysis of these measures reveals their power to shape students' identifies and actions, through processes of subjectification, categorization, normalization and responsabilization. In the last section, we discuss the tension that appears between the European universities' social dimension and the neoliberal policies that shape their functioning.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1492863"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11847839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143493884","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":"Exploring the changing of name as a socio-cultural adaptation strategy of the Javanese Diaspora in Sabah Borneo-Malaysia.","authors":"Sahid Teguh Widodo, Suyatno Suyatno, Bahtiar Mohamad, Shafinar Ismail","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1487934","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1487934","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research explores the evolution of personal names within the Diaspora Jawa Sabah (DJS) community, focusing on how historical events, social changes, and cultural practices have influenced DJS names, particularly after Sabah joined Malaysia in 1963. Using content analysis and in-depth interviews, the study investigates the migration history and cultural factors shaping the linguistic aspects of DJS names in Sabah. The findings reveal four key points: (1) the distinct migration histories of Javanese people to Sabah compared to the Malaysian Peninsula, (2) the impact of historical, social, and cultural phenomena on DJS names before and after 1963, (3) the transformation of DJS names into modern Malay Islamic names reflecting personal aspirations, and (4) the collective cultural and ideological shifts within the DJS community. This research contributes to the understanding of personal names as a reflection of cultural identity, illustrating the dynamic relationship between linguistic forms and broader social, historical, and cultural contexts. The study enhances the theoretical and practical knowledge of naming practices as indicators of societal changes within the DJS community.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1487934"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11842391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143483619","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 : 2025-02-07eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1520810
Imo Emah, S J Bennett
{"title":"Algorithmic emergence? Epistemic in/justice in AI-directed transformations of healthcare.","authors":"Imo Emah, S J Bennett","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1520810","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1520810","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Moves toward integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly deep learning and generative AI-based technologies, into the domains of healthcare and public health have recently intensified, with a growing body of literature tackling the ethico-political implications of this. This paper considers the interwoven epistemic, sociopolitical and technical ramifications of healthcare-AI entanglements, examining how AI materialities shape emergence of particular modes of healthcare organization, governance and roles, and reflecting on how to embed participatory engagement within these entanglements. We discuss the implications of socio-technical entanglements between AI and Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) for equitable development and governance of health AI. AI applications invariably center on the domains of medical knowledge and practice that are amenable to computational workings. This, in turn, intensifies the prioritization of these medical domains and furthers the assumptions which support the development of AI, a move which decontextualizes the qualitative nuances and complexities of healthcare while simultaneously advancing infrastructure to support these medical domains. We sketch the material and ideological reconfiguration of healthcare which is being shaped by the move toward embedding health AI assemblages in real-world contexts. We then consider the implications of this, how AI might be best employed in healthcare, and how to tackle the algorithmic injustices which become reproduced within health AI assemblages.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1520810"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11843219/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143484524","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 : 2025-02-06eCollection Date: 2024-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2024.1488619
Kibur Engdawork, Lucia D'Ambruoso, Tsion Hailu, Mahlet Yared, Girma M Geletu, Semere G Baraki, Elias Sebsibe, Pamela Abbott
{"title":"\"Space to see the future\"? A political economy analysis of child and adolescent mental health and well-being in Ethiopia including routes for change.","authors":"Kibur Engdawork, Lucia D'Ambruoso, Tsion Hailu, Mahlet Yared, Girma M Geletu, Semere G Baraki, Elias Sebsibe, Pamela Abbott","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1488619","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2024.1488619","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ethiopia faces significant mental health challenges; mental disorders are the leading non-communicable condition, and many adults experience symptoms by age 14-15. We examined structural, institutional, and agentic factors affecting child and adolescent mental well-being in Ethiopia. The aims were to describe the political, economic, social and policy contexts in which mental well-being exists; analysing power, interests, and the influence and resources key stakeholders bring to bear on decision-making processes related to child and adolescent well-being.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used a Political Economy Analysis framework to identify structural and institutional features, networks of influence, and routes for change. Using this lens, a literature review was performed, supplemented with key informant interviews (<i>n</i> = 9).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Multiple structural drivers of mental health problems were identified: globalized urbanization and social fragmentation, and political and economic systems characterized by economic ambition but entrenched poverty, aid dependency, conflict and civil war. Despite significant policy recognition and support, there was poor coordination between federal and regional structures and sectors, vastly insufficient resources, and low coverage especially in rural areas. Service delivery was further complicated by widespread and normalised violence against children and young people, low knowledge and awareness among children and families, entrenched stigma and gender inequities, and ethnic tensions, conflict and displacement. Overall, regional resource shortages drastically limited the collective agencies of service users and providers. Meanwhile, development programmes lack context and coordination. The analysis emphasizes an urgent need to enhance implementation support through targeted, contextually relevant mental health policies and programmes, and institutional expansion of spaces and processes for multisectoral working, especially between health and education. Development partners should align with statutory bodies as a mechanism to harmonise and contextualise.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The government's tendency to formulate national programs and strategies is positive, but lack of regional funding and support limit effectiveness. Schools and healthcare environments can play powerful roles supporting mental health, however, experience considerable challenges related to resourcing, and lack spaces and processes for multisectoral working. There is a pressing need to resource and support implementation and collaboration capabilities of the school community and healthcare sector to promote mental wellbeing and provide culturally engaged services.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"9 ","pages":"1488619"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841411/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143469422","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 : 2025-02-06eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1401775
Mandy Hauser
{"title":"Ableism-sensitive, self-reflective emotion work as part of inclusive teacher education.","authors":"Mandy Hauser","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1401775","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1401775","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In this perspective article, emotions are considered as an inherent component of ableist practices, and the question is explored of how ableism-sensitive, self-reflective emotion work can be designed for inclusive teacher education. In this process, connections to the Sociology of Emotions are established, with particular emphasis on the collectivity and sociality of emotions. Within this context, self-reflective emotion work is integrated into the concept of \"unlearning ableism\" and argued for its implementation as a systemically oriented group process. Finally, questions regarding the design of emotion work and its implementation in a manner critical of ableism are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1401775"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11841425/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143469425","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 : 2025-02-05eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1506875
Viola Gjylbegaj, Ahmed Farouk Radwan
{"title":"Portrayal of gender roles in Emirati television dramas: a content analysis.","authors":"Viola Gjylbegaj, Ahmed Farouk Radwan","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1506875","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1506875","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research investigates the portrayal of gender roles in Emirati television dramas and movies, contextualizing them within the evolving socio-cultural landscape of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The study conducts a comprehensive analysis of Emirati dramas and movies, categorizing prevalent gender role trends and their alignment with Emirati culture. Through content analysis, the research identifies four primary patterns: the ratio of male to female characters, gender role diversity and plot-power, themes relating to culture and religion, and the intensity of gender role manifestation with external factors. Findings reveal a predominant focus on male characters in Emirati media, reflecting traditional values where men are depicted as providers and leaders, while women are often relegated to caretaking roles. Implications of the research highlight a gradual shift toward gender equality in the UAE, evidenced by the increasing participation of women in the workforce. However, entrenched cultural values continue to influence societal expectations, perpetuating certain gender stereotypes. The study underscores the importance of media literacy in fostering critical analysis and demands for more nuanced female representation in Emirati media. Recommendations are proposed for media producers and regulators, to collaborate in promoting gender-sensitive content and fostering social change. By embracing evolving gender dynamics while preserving cultural heritage, the UAE has the potential to emerge as a global exemplar of contemporary society, championing diversity and inclusivity on a regional and international scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1506875"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11837220/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143459625","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 : 2025-02-05eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1528312
Rieke Barbek, Anna Christin Makowski, Olaf von dem Knesebeck
{"title":"Perceived discrimination in fatigue: a qualitative interview study in the SOMA.SOC project.","authors":"Rieke Barbek, Anna Christin Makowski, Olaf von dem Knesebeck","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1528312","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1528312","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Fatigue is a frequent somatic symptom impacting health and well-being and lately receiving increased attention as a long-term consequence of COVID-19. Emerging evidence suggests that persons afflicted with fatigue symptoms are often stigmatized and discriminated because their symptoms are still poorly understood and not recognizable to others. Existing stigma research mainly focused on specific medical conditions and domains and overlooked intersectional discrimination - the negative amplification effect of intersecting social identities. The purpose of the current study is to examine perceived discrimination in fatigue across different medical conditions and domains, also considering intersectional discrimination.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Semi-structured telephone interviews were carried out with 19 patients with clinically significant fatigue, considering a variety of different social identities like gender, history of migration, and occupational status. The interviews were analyzed using a structured qualitative content approach with consensual coding.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings on perceived discrimination could be subsumed in eight practices: (nonverbal) communication, negative emotional reaction, medical treatment, leadership responsibility, structural barriers, diagnostic terminology, and scientific controversy. Participants reported overlapping experiences of perceived discrimination across several intertwined domains: medical setting, work, social, public, and at an overarching structural level. Thereby, especially discrimination in the medical setting and on structural level occurred with great impact on health care and social protection. By applying an intersectional approach, intersectional discrimination specific for certain stigmatized social identities, like female gender and low occupational status became apparent.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>These findings need to be further researched and addressed in intervention strategies increasing resilience and public knowledge to reduce intersectional discrimination and health inequalities.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1528312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11835832/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143459204","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}