Masyarakat, Kebudayaan dan Politik

Digital resilience: Understanding the influence of social media and support networks on university students' isolation during COVID-19

Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread social isolation measures, potentially exacerbating mental health issues, especially among young adults. This demographic, known for its high social media usage, faces increased risk of negative mental health outcomes such as isolation and depression. This study explores how social media engagement and social support seeking mediate the relationship between age and social isolation symptoms during the pandemic. Using a qualitative research methodology, data was collected from twenty university students in Pakistan through semi-structured interviews. The interviews delved into various aspects including depressive symptoms, loneliness, coping mechanisms, and changes in daily routines due to the pandemic. The analysis reveals that university students experienced greater levels of loneliness compared to older age groups. Additionally, they exhibited increased use of social media platforms while seeking less social support. These findings highlight the mental health implications of fear and isolation during a global pandemic, both in Pakistan and in other countries. The study underscores the importance of targeted interventions to address the mental well-being of young adults during and after the COVID-19 crisis.

A study on the interaction between local governments and tea in 19th century China from the perspective of capital theory: Centered on thе Hubei and Hunan region

Wei Yao, Yuhong Li — Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study adopts a case study method to investigate the interaction between tea and the local government. From the 18th century to the early 20th century, black tea was an important export commodity of China’s Hubei and Hunan region (两湖地区). The black tea trade between the UK and the Hubei and Hunan region (两湖地区) had driven the rise of black tea cultural capital in the region. The cultural capital of black tea brought economic capital, and the local government increased fiscal revenue by levying likin on tea. The economic capital of black tea transformed into political capital, and the local government could compete with the central government and directly negotiate with foreign governments. To dump products onto China, the British government had to maintain the unity of the Chinese market, choose to ally with the central government and weaken the autonomy of the local government of the Hubei and Hunan region (两湖地区). The local governments turned to seeking support from Russia and developed the brick tea trade. This result led to the gradual inability of the national power represented by the central government to control local governments.

Parties and the power of capital intensive under open-list proportional representation system: The case of Indonesia

Ridho Al-Hamdi — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

Since the Indonesian election adopted the Open-List Proportional Representation (OLPR) system in 2009 until the present, most political parties have altered their campaign strategies in the parliamentary election. The ownership of capital intensive is seemingly a certainty for political parties if they wish to succeed in the electoral match. Therefore, this article is aimed to demonstrate that capital intensive has a powerful impact in regard to the party triumph in the electoral arena under an OLPR system. It can be seen with the successful experience of four political parties in Indonesia, namely the Gerindra Party (Great Indonesia Movement), PKB (National Awakening Party), the Nasdem Party (National Democrat), and PKS (Prosperous Justice Party) in two elections, 2014 and 2019. Methodologically, it is qualitative research by utilizing in-depth interviews and online news gathering as the data collection technique. With the usage of four marketing-mix indicators (product, price, place, promotion), the article findings revealed that most political parties generally had uniformity in those four indicators despite different ideologies, programs, and strategies. Each party respectively required financial costs, an ideological platform, past achievements, popular candidate profile, physiological costs, local networks, direct campaign strategies to voters, elite approaches, and tactical promotions through mass media. Thus, this study concludes that these costs, which are referred to as “capital intensive,” determine the party’s victory in achieving electoral success.

A critique of the urban community life and institutional networks of urban ratepayers in Masvingo, Zimbabwe

John Mhandu, Kezia Batisai — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This article explores the coping strategies employed by urban ratepayers to withstand their prolonged infrastructure problems. The main argument herein is that urban ratepayers make use of different individual and collective coping and resilience strategies to endure infrastructure problems. The article provides a critique of urban community life and institutional networks or urban ratepayers in Masvingo, Zimbabwe, in the wake of fragmenting urban infrastructure during 2015-2019. The study utilised qualitative methods grounded on the interpretivist research paradigm. A total of 17 in-depth interviews and documentary reviews were conducted. The article establishes that constant engagement with key institutions, namely Masvingo Business Advisory Board (MBAB), Masvingo United Residents and Ratepayers Association (MURRA), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and civil society initiatives represents a fundamental and ongoing strategy for the urban ratepayers in Masvingo. In explaining the broad range of practices adopted by elite urban ratepayers, the article views coping strategies in urban Masvingo as a pursuit of the autonomous interest of individuals or a class/group (whether business people or residents in a particular area). Although these are autonomous pursuits based on class interest, the article argues that some of the coping strategies adopted at the institutional level do not harm but benefit society at large.

Women’s empowerment and food security in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria

Ejiroghene Augustine Oghuvbu — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The study investigated the linkage between food security and women’s empowerment in Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone. In the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria, 300 respondents participated in a cross-sectional survey designed utilising a method known as non-probability sampling to collect the data. Data analysis in this study used a linear regression test with the help of SPSS version 23 software. The study found food security and women’s empowerment are linked in a substantial way. The study found that in Nigeria’s South-South geopolitical zone, women’s empowerment has a positive and statistically significant impact on food security. It also demonstrated how food security might result from the empowerment of women in the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria in terms of agricultural output and distribution. From the research findings, the study suggests that to improve the situation government policy on agriculture it is imperative to prioritise the advancement of women, since doing so will enhance their standing and boost agricultural output in Nigeria. Apart from that, legislative changes are also needed regarding easy access to resources, and government investment in rural women’s education and health.

Probabilities and seat gains of minor parties in the 2019 municipal legislative election in Surabaya City, Indonesia

Muhdi Muhdi, Kacung Marijan, Aribowo Aribowo, Mohammad Fauzi, Umi Hanik — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

This study examines the relationship between seat acquisition probabilities and the acquisition of minor party seats in the 2019 Surabaya City DPRD election. This research is crucial because theoretically the proportional representation electoral system quota/allocation of electoral district seats (dapil) has the probability to be accessed by all parties participating in the election, but in fact in the 2019 Surabaya City DPRD election the quota/allocation of seats was dominated by large parties. This research method is library research with the analysis technique using the Pearson Product Moment statistical test. According to the research results, first, the relationship between seat acquisition probability and minor party seat acquisition is negative and insignificant. The results of the research hypothesis test show rcount (-0.753) < rtable (0.997). Second, the relationship between these two variables controlled by the threshold variable is significantly positive. The research hypothesis test result is rcount (0.000) > rtable (0.997). Based on this research: (1) the electoral system of proportional representation quota/allocation of electoral district seats is not accessible to all minor parties participating in the election; (2) the size of electoral districts with seat quotas in the medium-large criteria does not have a significant positive effect on the acquisition of seats of parties participating in the election; (3) the threshold simultaneously affects the significant positive relationship between the size of the medium-large quota electoral districts and the acquisition of seats of parties participating in the election; and (4) the acquisition of party votes below the lower threshold still has the probability to get the remaining seats.

Shockvertising - Viewers’ visual communication perspectives of a controversial skincare advertisement

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 00:00:00 +0700

The rise of digital advertising has led to the creation of various innovative materials to capture the target market’s attention. To stay competitive, many advertisers use “shockvertising”, creating controversial advertisements with a significant impact on viewers’ attitudes and sentiments. This survey research is based on Lester’s Six Perspectives in Visual Communication theory which explained that viewers’ personal, historical, technical, cultural, ethical and critical perspectives are the determining factor in nalysing their controversial consideration perception. In this study, the use of the theory is to explore viewers’ perspectives on a controversial Malaysian skincare advertisement. Using a quantitative approach, 250 respondents rated their perception of a SlimmeWhite skincare TV advertisement. The responses were analysed using SPSS to address three research questions, finding correlations and mean results. The study found that personal technical and ethical perspectives significantly influenced viewers’ attitudes towards the advertisement, identifying these as the controversial aspects. In contrast, critical and cultural perspectives were the least controversial. The advertisement was deemed highly controversial, but gender did not affect viewers’ perspectives. This research concludes that the resulting data are very valuable for advertising students, brand advertisers and companies in understanding viewers’ perspectives on controversial elements in Malaysian skincare advertisements.