Frontiers in SociologyPub Date : 2025-08-12eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1617489
Ashalatha T L, T S Saranya, Sandeep Kumar Gupta
{"title":"The lived experience of divorce: a narrative analysis of personal stories and identity reconstruction of women.","authors":"Ashalatha T L, T S Saranya, Sandeep Kumar Gupta","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1617489","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1617489","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This research investigates the lived perceptions of South Asian women in coping with the consequences of divorce, a culturally tainted break-up commonly fraught with shame, disposability, and loss of identity. Using narrative approach, from interviews and handpicked personal stories, the research investigates how women interpret post-divorce life in patriarchal, collectivist societies that value marriage as a pillar of feminine moral character. Based on Arthur Frank's typology of illness stories, specifically the quest narrative, the results indicate that most women reinterpret their trauma as a transformative, resistant, and re-claimed journey. This research, however, explores an expansion of Frank's model by incorporating the idea of the \"agency quest,\" where narrative coherence is supplemented by embodied and spiritual practices-journaling, yoga, chanting, and intuitive healing-as a part of identity reconstruction. Spirituality appeared not in the form of passive withdrawal but as an active ethical work by which women rethought the holy, recovered bodily sovereignty, and developed emotional toughness. The analysis locates these practices within paradigms of embodied cognition, feminist theology, and ethical self-cultivation, contending that healing is not just a cognitive or discursive endeavor but one profoundly embedded in sensory, affective, and ritual practice. Notably, the research considers the lack of chaos narratives and the structural limitations that dictate whose narratives get to be heard and told. It demands a feminist praxis affirming not just coherent narratives of development but the messiness, silence, and ambiguity that play a role in identity reconstruction following social disconnection.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1617489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12379100/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972370","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":"Sustainable livelihood approach with gender-social inclusion perspective for child labor prevention and remediation in rural areas of South Sulawesi, Indonesia.","authors":"Idham Irwansyah Idrus, Sopian Tamrin, Riri Amandaria, Muhammad Aksha Wahda, Fitriana","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1619550","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1619550","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Child labor is a global issue commonly found in low- and middle-income countries. A prevention and remediation system based on community knowledge through the Sustainable Livelihood Approach (SLA) with Gender Social Inclusion (GESI) is needed. This study was conducted in three regions with different topographical and geographical characteristics, using qualitative methods and the Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) technique, including interviews, focus group discussions, participatory mapping, transects, and seasonal calendars. Findings indicate that child labor is driven by poverty, household characteristics, parents' education and employment, and limited access to educational services and labor markets. Social, natural, financial, and human capitals serve as strategies for prevention and management of child labor. Utilizing these capitals can be implemented in child labor monitoring and remediation, which can also be conducted as voluntary social audits by community groups. The main recommendation is to establish or assign groups responsible for ensuring the continuity of child labor prevention and intervention efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1619550"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12376170/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972347","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 : 2025-08-08eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1438408
Jordan González
{"title":"Immigration, language education, & trauma: exploring the intersectionality of gay Dominican immigrant experiences.","authors":"Jordan González","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1438408","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1438408","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This article explores the intersectionality of immigration, language education, and trauma among gay Dominican immigrant men living in New York City. Utilizing a qualitative case study approach, the research examines the lived experiences of four individuals, highlighting the compounded adversities they face due to their intersecting identities as LGBTQ+, men of color, and immigrants. The case studies reveal significant trauma and mental health struggles stemming from pre-migration violence, in-transit dangers, and post-migration discrimination. Additionally, the study addresses the critical role of language proficiency in their integration and the importance of tailored support systems, including community networks and legal protections. The findings underscore the severe impact of discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, and immigration status on the mental health and social integration of gay Dominican immigrant men. Despite these challenges, the participants demonstrate remarkable resilience and hope for the future, striving for better employment opportunities, educational advancement, and community belonging. This article provides insights into the specific needs of LGBTQ+ immigrants and offers recommendations for improving support systems, policies, and educational practices to better serve this vulnerable population.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1438408"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12371933/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972612","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 : 2025-08-07eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1584885
Sinisa Hadziabdic
{"title":"Ascending needles in a haystack? The heterogeneous political participation effects of associational involvement by education.","authors":"Sinisa Hadziabdic","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1584885","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1584885","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Relying on the data of the Swiss Household Panel, the paper examines the extent to which active involvement in different types of voluntary associations can bridge the political participation gap between individuals with different levels of education. Descriptive analyses reveal that individuals with higher levels of education are significantly more likely to be involved in all types of associations (expressive, instrumental, advocacy). The same education gap holds for all forms of political engagement (attitudinal, institutional, protest, community-oriented, individual). While education acts as a gateway mechanism that affects the likelihood of becoming affiliated with an association, the propensity to actively engage in associational activities after joining is largely independent of education. A longitudinal approach controlling for time-invariant endogeneity shows that active associational involvement increases almost all forms of political engagement. Due to their lower political participation prior to joining, these positive effects are in most cases more pronounced for individuals with low qualifications. Thus, most types of associations effectively reduce the educational gap in political participation. This is particularly true for those forms of participation that are most congruent with associational activities, such as membership in political parties and community-based voluntary work. Political engagement gains are higher among highly educated members only under certain circumstances. This happens either in associational contexts where internal responsibilities are skewed in their favor, as in the case of environmental and charitable organizations, or where the raison d'être of the association implies homogeneous educational qualifications, as in the case of exclusive sports clubs and specific trade unions. Individualized forms of political participation, such as boycotts, are the forms of engagement least affected by the collective action that takes place in associations. Taken together, these empirical findings suggest that associations are an often neglected channel of social mobility, mitigating political differences between social classes and thus promoting social cohesion. At the same time, they offer a more nuanced view, emphasizing that not all associations are capable of bridging the political capital of different social classes and that not all political attitudes are malleable enough to be modified.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1584885"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12371539/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144972573","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":"Editorial: Social media and political participation: unpacking the role of social media in contemporary politics.","authors":"Pradeep Nair, Tobias Eberwein, Cassian Scruggs Sparkes-Vian","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1658996","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1658996","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1658996"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12354610/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144875530","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 : 2025-07-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1575778
Lucas Teles da Silva, Dimitri Marques Abramov, Daniel de Freitas Quintanilha
{"title":"Are we truly fighting ableism? Digressions for a complex society.","authors":"Lucas Teles da Silva, Dimitri Marques Abramov, Daniel de Freitas Quintanilha","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1575778","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1575778","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Ableism, as a pervasive yet often unchallenged structure of oppression, operates across multiple social domains, shaping perceptions of disability and normalcy. This article interrogates the complexities of ableism through an interdisciplinary framework that integrates complexity theory, Queer theory, and critical disability studies, engaging with the works of Michel Foucault and Georges Canguilhem (among others). Rather than treating ableism as a singular form of discrimination, the study examines its intersections with other oppressive systems, including homophobia, medicalization, and epistemic injustice. By analyzing how blindness, schizophrenia, and paraplegia are socially constructed and regulated, this research highlights how biopolitical and necropolitical mechanisms determine which bodies are deemed valuable, productive, or expendable within neoliberal societies. This framework allows for a deeper understanding of how ableism functions both as a means of control and as a determinant of which lives are considered unworthy of care. Furthermore, by engaging with complexity theory, the article challenges reductionist perspectives that frame disability as an individual deficit rather than as an integral part of human diversity. The implications of this analysis extend beyond theoretical discourse, calling for a reconceptualization of diversity that does not merely accommodate disabled individuals within existing structures but actively deconstructs the epistemological and institutional foundations of ableism. This research contributes to psychological and cultural studies by fostering a critical dialogue on how ableism is reproduced in societal narratives, policies, and everyday interactions. By reframing disability as a site of epistemic and existential richness rather than mere impairment, this article tries to advance a more inclusive understanding of human diversity.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1575778"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12343582/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849277","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 : 2025-07-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1568400
Klaus Birkelbach, Hermann Dülmer, Heiner Meulemann
{"title":"Privileges among the privileged: the effect of starting conditions at age 16 on occupational success from age 16 to 66 in an educationally privileged group.","authors":"Klaus Birkelbach, Hermann Dülmer, Heiner Meulemann","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1568400","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1568400","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Do starting conditions in an educationally selected youth still affect occupational success in adult life? Educational selection depends on starting conditions for the career beyond the school which are <i>given</i> or <i>controllable</i> - gender, intelligence, and social origin vs. grades, aspirations, and life plans. In a group already selected, it intensifies competition and challenges motivations to succeed more strongly such that new privileges can arise among the already privileged. This is examined longitudinally from age 16 to 30, 43, 56, and 66. Two hypotheses will be tested cross-sectionally at each age: (1) <i>Effectiveness</i>: All starting conditions should increase occupational success, (2) <i>Control force</i>: Given starting conditions have less impact than controllable ones. And two hypotheses will be tested longitudinally from age 30 to 66: (3) <i>Tapering off</i>: All starting conditions lose impact. (4) <i>Control persistency</i>: Given conditions lose more impact than controllable ones.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data are from the <i>Cologne High School Panel</i> (CHISP). It starts off with 3240 German Gymnasium (the highest layer of the three German high school forms) students at age 16 in 1969. They have been re-interviewed at age 30, 43, 56, and 66 when 1013 respondents remain. The <i>occupational career success from 16 to 66</i> is measured as occupational prestige and hourly net income, corrected for inflation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results show that prestige is higher for men than women; it increases with social origin, and aspirations to a strong degree at age 30, to a lesser degree at age 43, to a still lesser degree at age 56, and not at all at age 66; however, the impact of the earlier success increases strongly and continuously. In brief, the past fades away and the careers consolidate. But given conditions do not have weaker impacts than controllable ones and do not lose their impact more strongly. Thus, (1) the <i>effectiveness hypothesis</i> is confirmed for most starting conditions, but (2) the <i>control force hypothesis</i> is not; and (3) the <i>tapering off hypothesis</i> is, but (4) the <i>control persistence hypothesis</i> is not. Given starting conditions have no less power over occupational success than controllable ones. Privileges resonate indiscriminately and decreasingly in life histories.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Income at age 30, 43, 56, and 66 does not increase continuously with any starting condition, but decreases with intelligence at age 30 and increases with male gender and having a life goal at age 43. And the impact of the earlier successes increases strongly and continuously. In brief, the past throws no shadow and the careers consolidate. The (1 and 2) <i>effectiveness and the control force hypothesis</i> are disconfirmed. Given the irregular impacts of starting conditions, (3 and 4) the <i>fading off and the control persiste","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1568400"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12344656/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849279","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":"Modeling the variables that influence substance consumption of people who experience homelessness in Colombia.","authors":"Leandro González Támara, Sandra Patricia Barragán Moreno","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1474113","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1474113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Homelessness in Colombia is a critical social issue that is strongly associated with psychoactive substance use. This study aims to model the variables influencing substance use among individuals experiencing homelessness in Colombia, offering insights to inform public policy design.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This research draws on data from the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) censuses conducted in 2017, 2019, and 2021. A two-stage quantitative methodology was applied: (1) descriptive analysis of the demographic and socioeconomic characteristics of the homeless population, and (2) predictive modeling using random forest algorithms to identify key variables associated with substance use. While results reveal strong associations, they do not imply causality. The study focuses on available variables, acknowledging the absence of psychosocial factors and the need for complementary qualitative research.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The analysis identified age and the duration of homelessness as the most influential variables associated with substance use. Descriptive findings revealed that 66-68% of the homeless population reported consuming at least one psychoactive substance, with higher consumption rates observed among younger individuals and those with shorter durations of homelessness. The random forest model demonstrated high predictive accuracy and confirmed the centrality of these variables. Moreover, men were more likely to use substances than women, and both family conflict and prior substance use were key factors contributing to the onset and persistence of homelessness.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The findings indicate that substance use is prevalent among homeless individuals in Colombia and shaped by distinct demographic factors. The bidirectional relationship between homelessness and substance use reveals a complex dynamic in which each condition reinforces the other. These results highlight the importance of targeted interventions directed at younger individuals and those recently experiencing homelessness. Future research using system dynamics modeling is recommended to further explore the feedback mechanisms underlying this relationship.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study offers a detailed analysis of the variables influencing substance use among homeless individuals in Colombia. By identifying age and homelessness duration as critical factors, the research contributes actionable knowledge for the development of evidence-based public policies. Implementing targeted interventions based on these findings may improve the health outcomes and social reintegration of this vulnerable population, ultimately enhancing public health and safety.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1474113"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12344658/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849278","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 : 2025-07-30eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1576372
Sameer Hinduja, Justin W Patchin
{"title":"The role of hope in bullying and cyberbullying prevention.","authors":"Sameer Hinduja, Justin W Patchin","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1576372","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1576372","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Research is clear that the cognitive-motivational internal asset of hope is significantly related to enhanced life satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. It has also shown promise in preventing participation in a variety of negative externalizing behaviors, especially antisociality, maladaptive coping, and various forms of aggression among young people. The current exploration evaluates the relationship between hope and youth participation in bullying and cyberbullying.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>A nationally representative survey was conducted in spring 2019 among 5,569 U.S. students aged 12-17 (mean age 14.4) to examine bullying and cyberbullying offending, with 2,472 respondents completing Snyder's six-item Children's Hope Scale. The study measured participation in eight forms of school-based bullying and twelve forms of cyberbullying in the previous 30 days, and controlled for demographic variables including age, gender, race, and sexual orientation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study found that 16.5% of students participated in school bullying behaviors and 10.7% in cyberbullying behaviors in the previous 30 days. Name-calling was the most common form of school bullying (16%), while making others feel left out was the most frequent form of cyberbullying (10.1%). Statistical analyses revealed that male students were more likely to engage in both forms of bullying. Importantly, higher levels of hope were associated with significantly lower participation in both school bullying and cyberbullying behaviors.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>Findings indicate that hope has an inverse relationship with school bullying and cyberbullying behaviors among US youth, suggesting that fostering hope could help reduce these forms of interpersonal aggression. Specifically, schools should prioritize hope-building through the cultivation of one-on-one relationships, the use of scenario-based learning, and the implementation of supportive-cooperative interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1576372"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12345371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144849280","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 : 2025-07-25eCollection Date: 2025-01-01DOI: 10.3389/fsoc.2025.1642404
Sidhanth Ashok, T S Saranya
{"title":"\"Praying in or preying on my skin\": a narrative study of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals' experiences with religion and gender identity in India.","authors":"Sidhanth Ashok, T S Saranya","doi":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1642404","DOIUrl":"10.3389/fsoc.2025.1642404","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This narrative analysis paper explores how gender non-conforming individuals interact with faith across Indian religious traditions. Drawing upon four in-depth semi-structured interviews with the participants: Participant A, a trans Muslim man; Participant B, a transgender Hindu woman; Participant C, a gender-fluid Catholic; and Participant D, a non-binary Protestant, this study employs an inductive narrative analysis to help trace how queerness and spirituality are shaped by the structures of religious indoctrination, gendered discipline, and theological exclusion. The participants recount experiences of conversion therapy, spiritual correction, and ostracization from ritual space, with many describing an internalized fear of God's punishment. Most poignantly, the themes of \"God's silence,\" \"Spiritual exile,\" and \"Reclamation of Sacred Identity\" take shape from the narratives and speak to the theological and emotional labor of reconciling the expression of gender identity and shaping faith. All four subjects show significant personal spiritual agency, despite institutional failures, which they functionally demonstrate through their own reinterpretations of scriptures, personal ritual practices, and organized queer faith communities. These narratives also push back against the gender binaries associated with a narrow set of constructs in Indian religious discourse, and offer a counter-theology that's based on embodiment, defiance, and reinterpretation. Additionally, this study shows the ongoing need to construct religious belonging beyond cisnormative practices, and places queer spirituality as a reality, instead of reality-anomaly.</p>","PeriodicalId":36297,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Sociology","volume":"10 ","pages":"1642404"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12331479/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144817738","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}