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Topic Review
Homelessness
Homelessness is the circumstance when people are without a permanent dwelling, such as a house or apartment. People who are homeless are most often unable to acquire and maintain regular, safe, secure and adequate housing. The legal definition of homeless varies from country to country, or among different jurisdictions in the same country or region. The term homeless may also include people whose primary night-time residence is in a homeless shelter, a domestic violence shelter, long-term residence in a motel, a vehicle, squatting, cardboard boxes, a tent city, tarpaulins, shanty town structures made of discarded building materials or other ad hoc housing situations. According to the UK homelessness charity Crisis, a home is not just a physical space: it also provides roots, identity, security, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing. United States government homeless enumeration studies also include people who sleep in a public or private place not designed for use as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings. There are a number of organizations who provide help for the homeless. In 2005, an estimated 100 million (1 in 65 at the time) people worldwide were homeless and as many as 1 billion people live as squatters, refugees or in temporary shelter, all lacking adequate housing. In Western countries, the majority of homeless are men (50–80%), with single males particularly overrepresented. However, current data suggests similar rates of homeless males and females. Most countries provide a variety of services to assist homeless people. These services often provide food, shelter (beds) and clothing and may be organized and run by community organizations (often with the help of volunteers) or by government departments or agencies. These programs may be supported by the government, charities, churches and individual donors. Many cities also have street newspapers, which are publications designed to provide employment opportunity to homeless people. While some homeless have jobs, some must seek other methods to make a living. Begging or panhandling is one option, but is becoming increasingly illegal in many cities. People who are homeless may have additional conditions, such as physical or mental health issues or substance addiction; these issues make resolving homelessness a challenging policy issue. Homeless people, and homeless organizations, are sometimes accused or convicted of fraudulent behaviour. Criminals are also known to exploit homeless people, ranging from identity theft to tax and welfare scams. These incidents often lead to negative connotations on the homeless as a group.
  • 4.0K
  • 30 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Ideology
Ideology is a comprehensive and integrated system of beliefs, values, and ideas that shape individuals' perceptions of the world, guide their understanding of social and political issues, and influence their behavior. It serves as a framework for interpreting reality, often providing a cohesive narrative that informs individuals' views on topics such as politics, morality, and social relations. Ideologies can range from political doctrines to religious frameworks, playing a crucial role in shaping societal norms and individual identities.
  • 3.9K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Medical Ethnobotany of India
The medical ethnobotany of India is the study of Indian medicinal plants and their traditional uses. Plants have been used in India for treatment of disease and health maintenance for thousands of years, and remain important staples of health and folk medicine for millions. Indians today utilize plants for both primary medical care (principally in Rural and undeserved areas) and as supplementary treatment alongside modern medical science. It is estimated that 70% of rural Indians use traditional plant based remedies for primary healthcare needs. This reliance of plants for medicine is consistent with trends widely observed in the developing world, where between 65% and 80% of people use medicinal plant remedies. Herbal medicine in India is largely guided by folk medicine, both in codified cultural practices shared widely (Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani), and highly localized practices unique to individual tribes or tribal groups (Adivasi). Between 3,000 and 5,000 species of medicinal plants grow in India with roughly 1,000 threatened with extinction. Of these, more than 2,400 plant species have been documented for medicinal use.
  • 3.9K
  • 01 Nov 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
COVID-19 and Romantic Relationships
Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted most people’s activities and relationships. Romantic relationships are a crucial source of fulfillment and emotional safety for many individuals. However, due to the risk of illness and the social distancing norms, human interaction, even inside one’s couple or family, suffered great changes. Some of these changes have the potential of disrupting people’s relational or psychological well-being, but they can also have positive impacts. On the other hand, one of the most negative consequences is the growing number of intimate partner violence (IPV) incidents. Considering all these aspects, therapy would be beneficial for those affected.
  • 3.8K
  • 13 Apr 2022
Topic Review
Social Stratification
Social stratification is the hierarchical arrangement of individuals or groups in a society based on various attributes such as wealth, social status, and power. This system categorizes people into different strata, influencing their access to resources, opportunities, and privileges. Social stratification is a pervasive phenomenon that shapes social interactions and plays a crucial role in determining an individual's life chances and societal positioning.
  • 3.8K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Intersubjectivity
Intersubjectivity refers to the shared understanding and mutual agreement between individuals regarding their subjective experiences, perceptions, and interpretations of the world. It involves the recognition and validation of each other's perspectives, allowing for meaningful communication, cooperation, and collaboration based on common understanding and empathy. Intersubjectivity is essential for social interaction, interpersonal relationships, and the construction of shared meanings within society.
  • 3.8K
  • 02 Feb 2024
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Social Cohesion: Definitions, Causes and Consequences
Viewed as the glue that binds societies, social cohesion is considered an essential ingredient to address common societal challenges. Definitions and associated conceptual frameworks usually summarise social cohesion as collective attributes and behaviours characterised by positive social relations, a sense of identification or belonging, and an orientation towards the common good. However, there are a large variety of definitions, and disagreement exists about what constitutes the core components, causes and consequences of social cohesion.
  • 3.8K
  • 30 Aug 2023
Topic Review
Sustainable Employability
Sustainable employability (SE) generally refers to employees’ capacities to function in work and on the labor market throughout their working lives. However, several definitions have been forwarded in the scientific literature that differ in nuanced ways. A recent overview of existing definitions is provided by Fleuren, de Grip, Jansen, Kant, and Zijlstra (2020).[1]
  • 3.7K
  • 29 Oct 2020
Topic Review
Industrialization
Industrialization is the process of transforming an economy from primarily agrarian and manual labor-based into one dominated by manufacturing and industry. It involves the widespread adoption of mechanized production methods, the establishment of factories, and the utilization of advanced technologies to increase productivity. This societal shift, historically associated with the 18th and 19th centuries, has profound implications for economic structures, labor markets, and overall societal development.
  • 3.7K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Social Construction of Technology
Social construction of technology (SCOT) is a theory within the field of science and technology studies. Advocates of SCOT—that is, social constructivists—argue that technology does not determine human action, but that rather, human action shapes technology. They also argue that the ways a technology is used cannot be understood without understanding how that technology is embedded in its social context. SCOT is a response to technological determinism and is sometimes known as technological constructivism. SCOT draws on work done in the constructivist school of the sociology of scientific knowledge, and its subtopics include actor-network theory (a branch of the sociology of science and technology) and historical analysis of sociotechnical systems, such as the work of historian Thomas P. Hughes. Its empirical methods are an adaptation of the Empirical Programme of Relativism (EPOR), which outlines a method of analysis to demonstrate the ways in which scientific findings are socially constructed (see strong program). Leading adherents of SCOT include Wiebe Bijker and Trevor Pinch. SCOT holds that those who seek to understand the reasons for acceptance or rejection of a technology should look to the social world. It is not enough, according to SCOT, to explain a technology's success by saying that it is "the best"—researchers must look at how the criteria of being "the best" is defined and what groups and stakeholders participate in defining it. In particular, they must ask who defines the technical criteria success is measured by, why technical criteria are defined this way, and who is included or excluded. Pinch and Bijker argue that technological determinism is a myth that results when one looks backwards and believes that the path taken to the present was the only possible path. SCOT is not only a theory, but also a methodology: it formalizes the steps and principles to follow when one wants to analyze the causes of technological failures or successes.
  • 3.7K
  • 09 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Social Constructionism
Social constructionism is a theoretical approach in sociology that posits that reality is socially constructed through language, discourse, and social interactions. It asserts that knowledge and meaning are not inherent in objects or phenomena but are instead created and maintained by individuals and societies through shared beliefs, cultural norms, and power dynamics. Social constructionism emphasizes the role of language, symbols, and social context in shaping our understanding of reality and social phenomena.
  • 3.6K
  • 26 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Transformation of Natural Philosophy
Is there any reason, to believe a modern natural philosophy makes sense? The history of natural philosophy is marked by the search for principles that determine all beings independently whether they are abiotic matter or living organisms. Empirical data on the key features of life contradict even the possibility to find such principles because life in contrast to abiotic matter offers some main characteristics that are completely absent on abiotic planets. This means, if a modern natural philosophy should have any benefit it must be divided into a natural philosophy of physics or cosmology and a natural philosophy of life. If it is possible to give an updated definition of life, empirically based, non-reductive, non-mechanistic and without metaphysical assumptions, this would be an appropriate basis for a global consensus how future of humans may be generated in symbiosis with global biosphere. If we think on billions invested in health and drug research a new natural philosophy of life could orientate future of research on health and new drugs and avoid misinvestments.
  • 3.6K
  • 09 Nov 2020
Topic Review
Original Affluent Society
The "original affluent society" is the proposition that argues that the lives of hunter-gatherers can be seen as embedding a sufficient degree of material comfort and security to be considered affluent. The theory was first put forward in a paper presented by Marshall Sahlins at a famous symposium in 1966 entitled 'Man the Hunter'. Sahlins observes that affluence is the satisfaction of wants, "which may be 'easily satisfied' either by producing much or desiring little." Given a culture characterized by limited wants, Sahlins argued that hunter-gatherers were able to live 'affluently' through the relatively easy satisfaction of their material needs. At the time of the symposium new research by anthropologists, such as Richard B. Lee's work on the !Kung of southern Africa, was challenging popular notions that hunter-gatherer societies were always near the brink of starvation and continuously engaged in a struggle for survival. Sahlins gathered the data from these studies and used it to support a comprehensive argument that states that hunter-gatherers did not suffer from deprivation, but instead lived in a society in which "all the people's wants are easily satisfied."
  • 3.5K
  • 24 Nov 2022
Topic Review
Cultural Additivity
This entry provides the conceptual development of “cultural additivity.” It reviews the three most relevant concepts namely syncretism, cultural hybridity, and creolization, and then makes a case for the usefulness of “cultural additivity” in explaining the adoption and rejection of emerging cultural values. The newly introduced concept utilizes a well-developed theory called mindsponge theory.
  • 3.5K
  • 02 Sep 2022
Topic Review
Agency
Agency is the capacity of an actor to act in a given environment. It is independent of the moral dimension, which is called moral agency. In sociology, an agent is an individual engaging with the social structure. Notably, though, the primacy of social structure vs. individual capacity with regard to persons' actions is debated within sociology. This debate concerns, at least partly, the level of reflexivity an agent may possess. Agency may either be classified as unconscious, involuntary behavior, or purposeful, goal directed activity (intentional action). An agent typically has some sort of immediate awareness of their physical activity and the goals that the activity is aimed at realizing. In ‘goal directed action’ an agent implements a kind of direct control or guidance over their own behavior.
  • 3.5K
  • 08 Oct 2022
Topic Review Peer Reviewed
Digital Transformation in the UK Retail Sector
Digital transformation is the process by which businesses adopt use of digital technologies to fundamentally change operations and customer interactions in order to optimize delivery and service. The UK refers to the United Kingdom which is shorthand for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland which is a European country that primarily includes England, Wales and Scotland together with the northern part of Ireland. The retail sector includes businesses that sell goods or services directly to consumers for their personal use, opposed to selling to other organizations for business applications. Generation refers to a series of broad age groups that are considered to demonstrate different generalized characteristics.
  • 3.4K
  • 10 Sep 2025
Topic Review
Hootsuite
Hootsuite is a social media management platform, created by Ryan Holmes in 2008. The system’s user interface takes the form of a dashboard, and supports social network integrations for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google+ and YouTube. Additional integrations are available via Hootsuite’s App Directory, including Reddit, Storify, Tumblr, and Marketo. Based in Vancouver , Hootsuite has close to 1,000 staff members located in 13 locations, including Toronto, Bucharest and Mexico City. The company has more than 15 million users in over 175 countries.
  • 3.4K
  • 13 Oct 2022
Topic Review
Habitus
In sociology, habitus refers to the set of deeply ingrained habits, dispositions, and cultural norms that individuals acquire through socialization and experience within their social environment. Developed by French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu, habitus shapes individuals' perceptions, behaviors, and social interactions, influencing their tastes, preferences, and social positioning within society. It operates unconsciously, guiding individuals' actions and choices in ways that are often taken for granted but reflect their social background and position.
  • 3.3K
  • 08 Feb 2024
Topic Review
Family
A "family" is a social unit consisting of individuals related by blood, marriage, or adoption. It is a fundamental institution in society, providing emotional support, companionship, and a sense of belonging. Families typically share common living arrangements and work together to meet the physical, emotional, and financial needs of their members. The structure and dynamics of families can vary widely across cultures and societies.
  • 3.3K
  • 25 Jan 2024
Topic Review
Cultural Divide
A cultural divide is "a boundary in society that separates communities whose social economic structures, opportunities for success, conventions, styles, are so different that they have substantially different psychologies". A cultural divide is the virtual barrier caused by cultural differences, that hinder interactions, and harmonious exchange between people of different cultures. For example, avoiding eye contact with a superior shows deference and respect in East Asian cultures, but can be interpreted as suspicious behavior in Western cultures. Studies on cultural divide usually focus on identifying and bridging the cultural divide at different levels of society.
  • 3.3K
  • 13 Oct 2022
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