FWU Journal of Social Sciences

Analyzing Multidimensional Poverty in Roma Settlements: A WEFE Nexus and Machine Learning Approach

2025-11-14T05:57:29+00:00

TThis study aims to analyze multidimensional poverty determinants within Roma
settlements in Serbia, North Macedonia, and Montenegro using logistic
regression and machine learning to identify the socioeconomic and resourcebased components influencing poverty within the WEFE (Water Energy Food
Ecosystems) Nexus. Reliable lighting, sanitation maintenance, safe water access,
consistent water supply, and energy for cooking all play a critical role in poverty
alleviation. Our key findings align with SDG 1 (No Poverty), SDG 6 (Clean
Water and Sanitation), and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), underscoring
the global significance and relevance of our research. Random Forest and Extra
Trees perform very well when compared to logistic regression by capturing
highly variable interactions that may be missed by logistic regression. Results
with country-specific emphases are presented, such as digital access in
Montenegro and household size in North Macedonia, to illustrate the adaptability
of the WEFE framework to different regional contexts. The results advocate for
resource-driven integrated policies to improve people’s access to important
utilities, financial inclusion, and digital connectivity to build social sustainability
and resilience. The study supports NexusNet’s plan to lead SDG-aligned poverty
reduction in all sectors in the Western Balkans by focusing on WEFE resources
and socio-economic supports.

Transcultural Ancestors and the Politics of Memory: Comparative Rituals in Thailand and Mexico

2026-03-04T06:09:52+00:00

Ancestor worship has often been examined within specific cultural or religious
contexts, yet its role as a transcultural arena where memory, ritual, and power
intersect remains underexplored in comparative scholarship. This article
analyzes ancestor ceremonies in Thailand and Mexico, arguing that these
practices operate beyond local religiosity to function as sites through which
colonial and semi-colonial legacies are negotiated within contemporary global
modernities. Drawing on postcolonial theory and transcultural memory
studies, the study conducts a comparative review of ethnographic and
historical literatures on Thailand’s Sat Duen Sip and Mexico’s Día de los
Muertos. The analysis highlights shared ritual elements offerings, sacred
spaces, and cyclical remembrance while also identifying divergences shaped
by distinct spiritual formations and colonial experiences: Buddhist-animist
traditions within a semi-colonial context in Thailand, and Catholic-indigenous
syncretism under Spanish colonial rule in Mexico. Rather than treating
ancestor worship as a static cultural inheritance, the article situates these rituals
as evolving strategies of cultural negotiation, resistance, and identity-making.
By bringing together two rarely juxtaposed cases from the Global South, this
study contributes to ongoing Cultural Studies debates on ritual hybridity,
transcultural memory, and alternative modernities beyond Eurocentric
frameworks.

Developing Unified, Ethics-Centered Standards for Applied Media Production: Evidence from Palestinian Universities

2026-04-21T07:05:08+00:00

Amid rapid digital transformation, higher education lacks validated, context-sensitive
frameworks for evaluating applied media outputs, creating a critical risk of
misalignment between academic curricula, professional ethics, and labor-market
expectations. This study examines the acceptance among Palestinian university
academics of a set of expert-derived criteria for evaluating applied courses, graduation
projects, and student films. A convergent mixed-methods design was employed,
surveying 40 academics and conducting three focus groups with 14 media-training
experts; the survey instrument was developed directly from the qualitative findings.
Results from descriptive and inferential statistics, integrated with thematic analysis,
revealed strong consensus on the importance of ethical standards, narrative and
aesthetic craftsmanship, and fairness. Conversely, confidence was comparatively
lower for platform-specific and rapidly evolving technical indicators. Qualitatively,
experts reframed technical skill as an ethical narrative practice and emphasized
institutional accountability through supervised clearance protocols. Overall, the
results indicate the feasibility of employing a shared, multidimensional framework
focused on ethical evaluation, aiming to improve transparency, alignment with
professional practices, and sensitivity to the educational context in applied media
instruction.

Monitoring General Education Course Performance Using Statistical Process Control Technique: A Multi-Program Analysis

2026-05-07T06:20:12+00:00

This study examines the use of Statistical Process Control (SPC), with a focus
on the P-chart, to monitor performance in General Education (GE) core
courses in higher education. GE courses help build students’ foundational
knowledge and skills, so a systematic and objective evaluation is needed. The
study used a quantitative research design and analyzed secondary data from
three academic programs: the Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology (BSMB),
the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT), and the Bachelor
of Technology and Livelihood Education (BTLEd). Data covered three
academic years, from 2021 to 2024. The P-chart was used to determine the
proportion of nonconforming student performance and to assess process
variation and stability across programs and time. Results revealed a general
trend of improvement and increased process stability, particularly in the most
recent academic year. However, multiple out-of-control points were observed
during the pandemic period, which may be attributed to disruptions such as
limited face-to-face instruction and unstable internet connectivity. The
findings demonstrate that SPC techniques are effective in identifying
performance variability and pinpointing courses that require targeted
instructional interventions. This study underscores the value of SPC as a tool
for continuous quality improvement in GE instruction at USTP–Panaon and
proposes a replicable model for integrating statistical monitoring tools into
educational evaluation and quality assurance practices in higher education
institutions.

China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and Environmental Security Challenges: Policy Responses

2026-06-09T04:24:41+00:00

Pakistan is highly at risk due to its fragile climate, which requires immediate attention when developing infrastructure along the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a prominent project of the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese government. This study focuses on environmental security risks arising from major CPEC projects, including coal-fired power generation, expansion of transportation systems, deforestation, changes in land use, and lax enforcement of regulations. The qualitative research design approach was undertaken using secondary data, including peer-reviewed articles, policy documents from relevant governments, environmental legislation, and reports on the development challenges facing CPEC for the period 2015 to 2025. The research is carried out from a perspective of both green politics and environmental security and seeks to connect the varied and sometimes contradictory stakes in corridor governance in the economic sphere. The results indicate that it is not development per se that is the root of the issue, but rather a lack of integration between the environmental assessment, monitoring, and enforcement processes in project planning and implementation. The article thus recommends that the implementation of EIA be tightened, that alternative uses of clean energy be promoted, that monitoring at the project level be strengthened, and that ecological governance by communities be strengthened for a greener CPEC.

CPEC Sustainable Development Project: Prospects and Challenges for Gilgit-Baltistan’s Tourism Industry

2026-04-14T07:09:15+00:00

TThe research makes an attempt to analyze China-Pakistan Economic Corridor
(CPEC) Sustainable Development Project which offers both opportunities and
challenges for the tourism industry in Gilgit-Baltistan. The study used H. R.
Sontag’s Dependence theory, which allows to examine how Chinese
investment and economic dependence affect the resilience and sustainable
development of the country’s tourism sector. The research makes a conclusion
that the implementation of a sustainable development project within the
framework of the CPEC for the Gilgil-Baltistan region and its tourism sector
potentially will have the following consequences. In a positive format:
economic growth, improved interaction between the population, development
of infrastructure and logistics routes and regional development in general,
creation of new jobs, promotion and marketing. The challenges in this case are
security, cultural, religious issues and threats to the ecology and environment.
The methodological basis of the study is using systematic and statistical
methods (sampling method). The comparative analysis of tourist flows based
on open data from Pakistani government agencies were made. Secondly,
sociological polls were conducted at the Karakoram International University
and the stakeholder on the public perception of the impact of the CPEC on the
development of the region’s tourism industry.

Exploring Collocation and Semantic Prosody of English and Urdu Translation Equivalents in Cross-linguistic newspapers

2026-04-27T09:32:23+00:00

The present study aims to explore collocational behavior and semantic prosody of English content words and their Urdu translation equivalents using two cross-linguistic newspapers. The English corpus was built based on the editorials from The Sun which is one of the most circulated English newspaper in UK and the Urdu corpus was culled from the editorials in Daily Jung which is one of the most circulated Urdu newspaper in Pakistan. The analysis of semantic prosody was carried out using the latest version of #LancsBox (Brezina, 2015). The identification and categorization of the semantic prosody is based on Stubbs’ (1995) classification of semantic prosody. The findings of the study show that semantic prosody and semantic environment of English lexical items and their Urdu first translation equivalents significantly vary. This led to the interpretation that the first translation equivalents identified in the widely used bilingual English to Urdu dictionaries are not equivalents as they convey entirely different semantic prosody. The findings of the study also highlighted the incorrect and inconsistent treatment of semantic prosody in the Monolingual Urdu and English dictionaries. Moreover, the present study emphasizes the pedagogical implications and presents recommendations intended to direct future research in this area.

Sociolinguistic Analysis of Lexical Attrition of Pashto in Northwestern Pakistan

2026-02-27T05:12:28+00:00

The surge of globalisation, urbanisation, and state language policies have
significantly transformed linguistic hierarchies, elevating the prestige of a few
dominant languages while further marginalising many others. The present study
explores the sociolinguistics factors driving the lexical attrition of Pashto, a
regional language spoken by the Pashtuns in northwestern Pakistan. The data
for the study have been collected through questionnaires and wordlist
elicitation, with additional insights from informal observations. The findings of
the study indicate significant attrition in the Pashto language, with many Pashto
speakers reporting reduced proficiency and usage of their native language,
specifically among the younger population. The study also identifies several
factors that contribute to language attrition, including exposure to the two
dominant languages, Urdu (the national language) and English (the official
language), the capital associated with these two dominant languages, and
migration to urban areas.

Advancing Self-Determination in Pre-Clinical Nursing Students: A Needs-Based Approach for Hospital Training Programs

2026-04-27T10:02:40+00:00

The Growth of Renewable Energy Sector in Central Asia: Business Potential and Policy Support

2026-04-06T08:17:37+00:00

Central Asian states historically have been reliant on fossil fuels for energy
production however the growing energy needs and climate mitigation commitments
have pushed the region to reconsider their energy sector trajectories. Central Asia
is endowed with huge natural resources and the renewable energy industry seems
highly promising provided that the governments incentivize with good regulations
and cooperate within the region. In fact the transition to renewable energy is not
without hurdles. Various challenges i.e. limited access to long-term financing, lack
of transparent, inadequate grid infrastructure and consistent regulations and
institutional bottlenecks pose significant hurdles. This paper aims to investigate the
investment landscape for renewable energy in three Central Asian countries i.e.
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, exploring the intersection of policy
frameworks, foreign direct investment (FDI), and business environment factors.
The research attempts to identify key enablers and barriers in the growth of
renewable energy, to analyze policies and regulatory frameworks that incentivize
investment in renewable energy, to assess the role of foreign direct investment
(FDI) and international cooperation in shaping the renewable energy sector thus
offering policy recommendations for accelerating a just and sustainable energy
transition across the region. The trajectory of renewable energy investment in
Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan is shaped not by mere resource
abundance, but also by the intricate interplay of institutional capacity, regulatory
clarity, and the implementation of targeted policy frameworks. The research
methodology is primarily qualitative in nature, employing explanatory and
exploratory approaches to understand and explore the understudied aspects of the
subject matter that is renewable energy sector, its potential, investments and policy.

Emotional Labor and Mental Health Problems in Working Individuals with Chronic Nonspecific Musculoskeletal Pain: Role of Psychosocial Reactions, Burnout and Relationship Quality

2026-02-16T05:21:39+00:00

Working individuals with chronic nonspecific musculoskeletal pain (CNMP)
usually face sustained occupational demands that tend to intensify psychological
risks. Emotional labor is a key stressor for working individuals but its role to
mental health problems is still insufficiently understood. This study examined a
moderated serial mediation model which tested whether psychosocial and
emotional reactions to pain and burnout mediate the relationship of emotional
labor and mental health problems where quality of relationship act as a
moderator. Cross-sectional correlational research design was used to extract data
from 210 working adults (Male=72, Female=138; Mage=32.30, SDage=7.34) with
CNMP using standardized self-report measures. Correlation analysis provided
preliminary support for the proposed model by indicating meaningful
associations among emotional labor, psychosocial reactions, burnout,
relationship quality and mental health outcomes. Hayes’ PROCESS Model 88
with 5,000 bootstrap samples indicated that emotional labor was positively
correlated with psychosocial and emotional reactions which in turn predicted
mental health problems but this indirect effect was weakened at higher levels of
relationship quality. Burnout did not significantly mediate the association while
the direct effect of emotional labor remained significant. This research concludes
that psychosocial and emotional reactions to chronic pain are a central
mechanism linking emotional labor to mental health problems where quality
relationships serve a protective role.

Changing Representations of Economic Responsibility in Pakistani Television Advertising

2026-04-08T05:36:24+00:00

This study examines how economic responsibility is represented in
Pakistani television advertising across two broadcast eras. It draws on
a qualitative, paired diachronic comparison of four television
commercials from the 1980s and the 2010s–2020s, organised into two
product domains (toothpaste and life insurance). The analysis focuses
on discursive framing to assess whether economic risk is constructed
as a structural condition or repositioned as a matter of private
anticipation and self-management. The paired design supports
analytical generalisation across comparable domains rather than
statistical representativeness. Findings indicate a consistent shift across
both domains. Earlier advertisements foreground price, affordability,
and inflation, positioning thrift as a rational response to visible
economic strain. In contrast, contemporary advertisements emphasise
planning, composure, and disciplined foresight. Economic
responsibility becomes embedded within routine domestic
coordination and anticipatory conduct, while explicit reference to
structural economic pressure recedes from the narrative foreground.
The study contributes to Pakistani media scholarship by demonstrating
how commercial discourse participates in reorganising moral
expectations of economic behaviour. It extends existing discussions of
responsibilisation by showing that, in this context, responsibility is not
fully individualised but relationally organised within family life. By
offering a diachronic analysis grounded in Pakistan’s socio-economic
conditions, the article shows how televised advertising recalibrates the
visibility of economic strain and normalises anticipatory discipline as
a marker of responsible conduct.

TThe Geopolitical Triangle: Strategic, Economic, and Security Effects of the Israel-Iran-USA Conflict on Global Stability and Trade

2026-05-07T05:17:26+00:00

TThe Israel-Iran-USA triangle has emerged as one of the most structurally
consequential geopolitical formations of the contemporary international system,
generating effects that extend far beyond the Middle East into global trade,
energy security, maritime stability, and multipolar realignment. Drawing on
balance of power and balance of threats frameworks, this paper examines the
triangle's strategic, economic, and security dimensions through a qualitative
analytical design supported by selected empirical indicators. The paper argues
that the conflict has transcended indirect rivalry and proxy confrontation to
become a self-reinforcing system of regional and global instability.
Geopolitically, it has accelerated regional polarization, reshaped alliance
behavior, and drawn in external powers including China, Russia, India, and
Pakistan. Economically, it has exposed critical maritime chokepoints, intensified
sanctions-driven fragmentation, advanced de-dollarization, and generated
persistent energy market volatility. In security terms, it has deepened proxy
warfare, eroded deterrence predictability, and elevated nuclear risk. The study
concludes that the Israel-Iran-USA conflict constitutes a multidimensional
conflict system whose regional and global consequences are structurally
inseparabl.

Summer 2026 Vol.20, No.2

2026-07-06T06:12:46+00:00

Summer 2026 Vol.20, No.2