Journal articles on the topic 'Women's Association for Educational and Social Advancement'

The glass ceiling is a barrier to the advancement of capable female professionals in the workplace, primarily due to gender or racism (Abidin, Z. Z. 2009). Carol Hymowitz and Timothy Schellhardt of the Wall Street Journal developed the term "glass ceiling" in 1986. Many researchers like (Shukla, 2015) have confirmed the presence of a glass ceiling based on various constructs such as social, cultural, and individual constraints. In India, there is no substantial proof on this topic. In their workplaces, the majority of the respondents had experienced some form of prejudice. Despite increases in women's education and knowledge, the percentage of women who advance in their careers is still quite modest. There are few studies that indicate the major impediments to women's advancement in the workplace. The study's sample size was set at 200 people. Data was obtained from female responders to eliminate any type of bias. So, sample were 145 respondents (Women Employee). SPSS was used to examine the data. Individual factors, social and societal factors, organizational factors, cultural aspects, family factors, and gender related issues were investigated using exploratory factor analysis. The effect of the factors on the respondents' job performance was calculated using percentages. According to the findings, women employees can only break through the glass ceiling if positive factors impacting their professional advancement are boosted. This can be done by improving their economic power by updating their abilities, educational qualifications, communication skills, and having competent mentors who can guide and counsel them in the right direction. The study's goal is to see, if there is a glass ceiling in different service industries. This research also looks into the effects of the glass ceiling on women's advancement in the workplace. The purpose of this study is to look for glass ceiling effects, which limit women's professional opportunities and advancement at a particular point.

Summary.This study investigates the association between body height and inter-generational social advancement through education. Questionnaire data were collected from 2800 students (1023 men and 1777 women) from the universities of Wrocław, Poland. The questions referred to three generations: the students and their parents and grandparents. Information was collected on the age, body height and weight of the students and their parents, and on the parents’ and grandparents’ education. The lowest body heights were typically found for individuals from families with the lowest educational levels, whereas the greatest body heights were found for those brought up in families with a high educational status or in families who had upgraded their status. The size of the change in the educational level of parents is only associated with fathers’ and female students’ body height. Individuals who had advanced from a middle educational level or who came from families with this type of advancement were found to be significantly taller, on average, than those upgrading their educational level from the lowest position. The results show that, for men, educational advancement during the course of their lives or in the earlier generation is more favourable to achieving higher stature, whereas for women, the multi-generational tradition of a high educational status is of greater significance.

Tamil Maadhu Swapneswari Ambal was a pioneer of feminism who had been doing various works for the advancement of women in the early twentieth century. He was the editor of Tamil Maadhu (1905). Thereby striving for the advancement of women. Born in 1846, he was heavily involved in the work of Iyothee Thass Pandit, a pioneer of the Buddhist renaissance. Pandit Rayapettai also attended the Sunday evening sermon at the Buddhist Association and delivered a sermon. He was presented with a section in the Tamil magazine 'Pengal Patthi' which was reserved for women. He wrote a series of short articles on a number of topics. After the demise of the Pandit, he converted to Buddhism and continued to practice Buddhism. Thus, he is identified by the Buddhists as 'Maha Upasaki'. She has run many organizations for the advancement of women, including the 'Women's Education Development Association' and the 'Widow Care Monastery' for widows. He put forward the idea that women who have lost their husbands should come forward to remarry without being paralyzed at home. He was keen to realize that women are enslaved by ignorance and to become rational thinkers. He protested against child marriages taking place at that time. He said that women in family life should not be dependent on others but should be meant to help others. Thus, she has been a voice for the advancement of women on many levels. Swapnaneswari Ambal. Today's Tamil world should know and praise her extensive social work and women's liberation work

Women with bleeding disorders have rarely been studied. Recently, thanks to the advancement in treatment options and the recognition that women can also suffer from haemo-philia, new research lines have been developed. This study investigated the experiences of women affected by bleeding disorders (patients, healthy or symptomatic carriers), specifically focussing on disease diagnosis and management in daily life, relational issues, and reproductive options. Age, family history, educational qualification and religiosity were also considered. Thirty-two women were interviewed, and their narratives were analysed with lexical-metric and qualitative content analysis. The results showed some key themes, which refer to cognitive, affective and behavioural responses to the disease. They included both sex-neutral and female-specific contents, offering a new reading of the phenomenon. Although the aware-ness of female bleeding disorders has increased in recent years, sick women stressed late di-agnosis paths and symptom underestimations, while female carriers discussed psychosexual issues and motherhood choices, with related implications on physical and psychological well-being, and relational life. Alongside commonalities, some differences emerged depending on women's socio-cultural situations. Overall, they suggested the importance of developing early patient-centred psycho-educational paths in order to tailor interventions to specific women's needs, promote disease and self-acceptance, and enhance effective management.

Anna Julia Cooper and W.E.B. Du Bois were two of the most prominent African-American educators of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During this period, they both envisioned a broad education tailored specifically to the critical intellectual and vocational needs of the entire black community. They also participated in international affairs, attended and worked together at some of the same conferences and meetings, and shared a belief that education should encourage blacks to place their situation and struggles within a global context. In developing their educational ideas, they both addressed a wide range of educational issues (black women's education, education of the black masses, and the history curriculum in black schools) that spoke to the universal as well as the local realities of black life in America. At the core of their educational thought was their belief that social advancement would result in equality for blacks.

In the history of American socialism William English Walling occupies a special place. Born into a wealthy Midwestern family, Walling was educated at the University of Chicago and Harvard, but soon found a calling as a social reform activist when he learned first hand about the conditions of working people as an Illinois factory inspector and a habitué of turn-of-the-century social settlement houses and the Jewish ghetto scene. From that point forward Walling was a major influence wherever he directed his fertile mind and instinct for provoking controversy and precipitating new movements. In 1903, Walling helped found the National Women's Trade Union League and became president of its New York chapter. Six years later he cobbled together a group of anti-racist socialists to found the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People – then invited W.E.B. DuBois to become editor of its journal, The Crisis.

This examination expects to investigate the relationship between financial literacy (FL) and financial inclusion (FI), and to dissect how FI goes about as a mediated in the relationship between FL and women's economic empowerment. Furthermore, the review dives into the control impact of social capital (SC) use as a moderating variable in FL and FI. Used positivism philosophy and deductive approach, and variables scale was adopted. The study collected 350 reliable answers from women working in private universities in the educational sector in Lahore through self-filled surveys using a simple random sampling method on a five-point Likert scale. This research used the AMOS-21 software. This software runs different types of tests e.g., “confirmatory factor analysis (CFA)” which confirms the variable items, and also uses “structural equation modelling (SEM)” to confirm or reject the research hypotheses. A p-value < 0.05 supports the first hypothesis (H1), which states that there is a substantial and beneficial relationship between financial inclusion (FI) and financial literacy (FL). Going on to the second hypothesis (H2), it is established that financial inclusion (FI) and women's economic empowerment (WEE) have a favourable and significant relationship. The third hypothesis (H3) suggests a partial mediation effect by arguing that financial inclusion is mediated by the association between financial literacy and women's economic empowerment. According to the fourth hypothesis (H4), social capital has a moderating effect on the importance and strength of the relationship between financial inclusion and financial literacy. The study's conclusions highlight social capital's strong moderating effect on this relationship. The study emphasises how important financial inclusion and financial literacy are to enhancing women's economic empowerment. It highlights the importance of policymakers and educational institutions recognizing the factors and providing opportunities and resources to enhance women's financial knowledge and skills. The findings underscore the need for proactive measures in the education sector to empower women economically.

This study examines the factors that have effect on women’s managerial level involvement in hospitality sector of tourism industry in Lakeside, Pokhara; a popular tourism area in Nepal using a census survey of 100 women. The schedule questionnaire and 10 key informants’ interview (KII) were employed in order to collect primary data and to triangulate the results. Significance tests have been performed to determine the association between women’s level of participation with all other possible variables using Chi-square test. Demographic factors such as age and marital status; socioeconomic factors like educational level, prior family involvement, condition of work enviournment, household headship, and social barriers have been identified as independent variables that might have effect on level of women’s participation. The findings revealed that women’s participation in managerial position is low (29%) comparing to the operative level (71%). All socioeconomic factors have significant influence on women’s levels of participation.The Journal of Nepalese Business Studies Vol. Vii, No. 1, 2010-2011Page :39-52Uploaded date: July 7, 2012

This article examines the relationship between John Leigh (1812–1888) and Lydia Becker (1827–1890). Leigh was a prominent figure in the scientific circles of Manchester in the mid-nineteenth century and the city's Medical Officer for Health. Becker was a botanist and Leigh's second cousin. She corresponded with Charles Darwin and became a pioneer in the women's suffrage movement. Previous studies have argued that Leigh patronized and discouraged Becker's botanical interests. However, newly-discovered correspondence shows that Leigh respected her abilities and encouraged her development as a botanist, including attendance at the British Association for the Advancement of Science meetings where she presented one of the first scientific papers by a female botanist in Britain. While social and institutional norms in the Victorian era discouraged women from entering science, these norms could be transgressed in interactions involving specific individuals.

Many healthcare disparities studies use the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess bias. Despite ongoing controversy around the IAT, its use has enabled researchers to reliably document an association between provider implicit prejudice and provider-to-patient communication (provider communication behaviors and patient reactions to them). Success in documenting such associations is likely due to the outcomes studied, study settings, and data structure unique to racial/ethnic healthcare disparities research. In contrast, there has been little evidence supporting the role of providers’ implicit bias in treatment recommendations. Researchers are encouraged to use multiple implicit measures to further investigate how, why, and under what circumstances providers’ implicit bias predicts provider-to-patient communication and treatment recommendations. Such efforts will contribute to the advancement of both basic social psychology/social cognition research and applied health disparities research: a better understanding of implicit social cognition and a more comprehensive identification of the sources of widespread racial/ethnic healthcare disparities, respectively.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of females' likelihood to work in a Muslim society, Azerbaijan.Design/methodology/approachTo obtain more precise results, the authors analyze the relationships of interest in three different contexts: single (unmarried) females (n = 407, M = 0.779, Std. = 0.416), married female (n = 398, M = 0.706, SD = 0.456) and married male (n = 381, M = 0.378, Std. = 0.485). Linear probabilistic models and logistic regression techniques are employed to estimate regression parameters.FindingsThe results altogether display a strong positive impact of the educational attainment of both females and married males. Between the income of married males' and females' employment likelihood, nonlinear – inverse U-shaped association is found. The findings indicate that conservatism towards females' employment is not religiously opinionated, mostly due to insufficient educational attainment.Practical implicationsBased on the research findings, inspiring individuals are recommended to attain degree level qualifications. Simultaneously, the government should engage in mass media to increase awareness of the public about the non-monetary benefits of female employment.Originality/valueThe research results are highly useful for policy practices and fill the huge gap in the studies and research made on the Azerbaijan labor market.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/IJSE-09-2019-0557.

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence was pleased to present the 2010 Fall Symposium Series, held Thursday through Saturday, November 11-13, at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia. The titles of the eight symposia are as follows: (1) Cognitive and Metacognitive Educational Systems; (2) Commonsense Knowledge; (3) Complex Adaptive Systems: Resilience, Robustness, and Evolvability; (4) Computational Models of Narrative; (5) Dialog with Robots; (6) Manifold Learning and Its Applications; (7) Proactive Assistant Agents ; and (8) Quantum Informatics for Cognitive, Social, and Semantic Processes. The highlights of each symposium are presented in this report.

This research note examines the relationship between economic development and gender equality. Drawing on the concept of the Kuznets curve, the authors hypothesize that the relationship between economic development and gender inequality is curvilinear (S shaped), with three distinct stages. In the first stage, economic development improves gender equality because it enables greater female labor-force participation. An independent income stream increases women's intrahousehold bargaining power. The opportunity to develop human capital confers greater political and social recognition. In the second stage, labor-force stratification and gender discrimination encourage divergent male/female income trajectories, which decrease the opportunity costs of female labor-force withdrawal and lend traction to social resistance against burgeoning gender norms. Consequently, there is a deceleration in initial equality gains. In the final stage, gender equality again improves, as greater educational participation and technological advancement provide new employment opportunities for women, increase the opportunity costs of staying home, and encourage the evolution of new social institutions and norms that overcome prior discriminatory practices. The authors find support for this argument in statistical tests of the relationship between economic development and gender equality on a panel of 146 developing countries for the period 1980–2005. They employ four indicators that reflect distinct dimensions of women's political, social, and economic status. They find economic development positively influences gender equality when per capita incomes are below $8,000–$10,000. These equality gains level off or decline slightly in the second stage, from $8,000–10,000 to about $25,000–$30,000. Beyond this level, economic development is again associated with improvements in gender equality. The key implication is that the effect of economic development on gender equality is contingent on the level of development. Policymakers and social activists should develop policy correctives to ensure that economic development confers improvements in gender equality across phases of development.

Purpose: This study examines the impact of religion on female labor market participation and tests the hypothesis that under a specific belief pattern, female time allocation to labor market participation should vary systematically with the change in religiosity level. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses a primary data set of 320 female respondents. The binominal logit model is used to estimate a categorical dependent variable. Findings: The results suggest that religious women are less willing to participate in the labor market. Conclusion: There are three different outcomes from the analysis scheme. First, the composite index of female religiosity signifies its negative impact on their labor market participation. Second, the findings of the study reveal that females with relatively higher religious education are less willing to participate in the labor market. Third, females are less willing to participate in the labor market when the head of the household is more religious. Research limitations: A larger sample is believed to help in better generalization. Practical implications: Religion shapes human behavior which subsequently influences their economic decisions. Our findings reveal a positive association between females’ formal education level and their labor market participation. This entails a government policy to facilitate women in enhancing their education level. Moreover, mainstreaming the religious educational institutes and their curriculum will resolve the misconceptions.

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence was pleased to present the 2009 Fall Symposium Series, held Thursday through Saturday, November 5–7, at the Westin Arlington Gateway in Arlington, Virginia. The Symposium Series was preceded on Wednesday, November 4 by a one-day AI funding seminar. The titles of the seven symposia were as follows: (1) Biologically Inspired Cognitive Architectures, (2) Cognitive and Metacognitive Educational Systems, (3) Complex Adaptive Systems and the Threshold Effect: Views from the Natural and Social Sciences, (4) Manifold Learning and Its Applications, (5) Multirepresentational Architectures for Human-Level Intelligence, (6) The Uses of Computational Argumentation, and (7) Virtual Healthcare Interaction.

The article analyzes the international experience of training doctors of philosophy in social work.The author analyzed the models of training and certification of scientific personnel in different countries of the world (Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Poland).The activity of international structures, professional communities on the popularization of scientific and methodical experience, theory and practice of doctoral education is characterized (European University Association, Council for Doctoral Education, Group for the Advancement of Doctoral Education in Social Work, The International Association Of Schools Of Social Work, Realising the potential of researchers). Among the tasks of the activities of the above and other international structures, institutionalized global professional communities (associations, organizations, programs, etc.) is the coordination of activities related to the development of social work education: development of standards to improve the quality of education; organizing and holding forums for exchange of research; popularization of scientific and methodological experience, theory and practice of doctoral education in social work.An analysis of the state of using the experience of foreign programs in the training of doctors of philosophy in social work in Ukraine was carried out. In order to generalize the level of use of foreign experience in the training of doctors of philosophy in Ukraine, the state of taking into account the experience of foreign programs during the formulation of goals and program results of training in domestic educational and scientific programs in social work was analyzed. The main source is information on the self-assessment of the ONP from the specialty 231 Social work, formed by higher education institutions, by scientific institutions during the accreditation of educational and scientific programs by the National Agency for Quality Assurance of Higher Education.

This article presents an analysis of personal, socialization, and structural factors affecting the life-span achievement of 15 Asian American women identified as gifted through a national retrospective study of highly achieving women from African American, Asian American, Latina, and White backgrounds. Interpreted within a cultural-ecological framework, findings support earlier research suggesting that Asian American parents' experiences of discrimination in this country encourage an intense focus on educational achievement and hard work as a way to ensure success. Teachers and schools, which similarly value hard work, reinforce this behavior. However, parents' and teachers' support of these women's academic achievement alone does not fully prepare them for the workplace, where they will need to consider career options, think critically about social issues, and respond effectively to institutional barriers. As adults in the workplace, gifted Asian American women find that hard work alone does not ensure advancement because of personal (e.g., self-doubt) and structural (e.g., stereotyping) obstacles. Nevertheless, gifted Asian American women find the workplace highly satisfying, stimulating, and challenging. Implications for educators are offered.

Several changes have occurred in the family setting over the last few decades: the insertion of women into the labor market, the growth of dual-career couples, and changes in the traditional and non-traditional structures of men's and women's societal roles. In this context, the Work-Family Conflict (WFC) is a construct of work interference in the family (WIF) and family interference in work (FIW). This study's central objective was to explore the conflict between family and work in a Brazilian context according to the dyadic scope. The study with a survey design was conducted with a Brazilian sample of 65 adult couples (130 individuals). Results showed differences between men and women concerning variables that influence the WFC. Stress at work was the central aspect of WFC. The results contribute to the advancement of knowledge on the issues of WFC in Brazil, dyadic analysis procedures, family and organization interventions.

An investigation into the correlates of perceived social support and the equality of interpersonal relationships at mid-life was conducted using a sample of 3954 adults from the University of North Carolina Alumni Heart Study (UNCAHS). Participants ranged in age from forty to fifty years. Results suggested that while the number of family roles and social activities are the same for men and women, women perceive a greater availability of social support and report they give more than they take in relationships with family. There was no association found between the perceived availability of social support and global indices of equality of interpersonal relationships; suggesting an independence between these two psychological aspects of social support. Further, multiple regression correlational analyses indicated gender, level of social activity, and self-esteem as significant predictors of perceived social support; with self-esteem being the best single predictor. Relatedly, gender and number of children were found to be significant predictors of the perceived equality of relationships with family. These findings suggest differences in mid-life men and women's psychological perception of the availability of social support, and the give and take of relationships with family.

Self-perception constitutes an indispensable component of social life that might significantly contribute to one’s leadership ability. This study examined the perceptions that women in educational leadership at the district offices in one of the provinces in South Africa have about themselves and their leadership roles. It formed part of qualitative research aimed at exploring women’s experiences of career advancement into educational leadership positions at the district level in the North West Province of South Africa. The aim was to understand how district office women see themselves and their leadership responsibilities, as well as how they believe their own self-perceptions have helped them advance in their careers. The participants for this study were thirteen female managers in educational leadership positions who were selected using the purposive sampling method. Framework and thematic analysis methods were utilized in the analysis of the individual face-to-face interviews. The study adopted the self-concept theory as its core theoretical framework. The study revealed that women in educational leadership perceived themselves as competent and accomplished leaders who possessed the requisite leadership qualities to enable them to progress in their careers. The study's findings also demonstrated that women's self-perceptions and educational leadership capabilities have a substantial impact on their careers, as they serve as sources of motivation and propelling forces for advancement. Keywords: Self-concept, self-perceptions, educational leadership, career advancement La perception de soi est une composante indispensable de la vie sociale qui peut contribuer de manière significative à la capacité de leadership d'une personne. La présente étude examine les perceptions qu’ont les femmes qui occupent des postes de responsabilité dans le domaine de l'éducation dans l'une des provinces d'Afrique du Sud d'elles-mêmes et de leurs rôles en tant que leaders. Elle s'inscrit dans le cadre d'une étude qualitative plus large visant à explorer les expériences des femmes en matière d'avancement professionnel à des postes de direction dans le domaine éducatif au niveau du district dans la province du Nord-Ouest de l'Afrique du Sud. L'objectif était de comprendre la perception qu’ont les femmes des services publics du district de leurs responsabilités de leaders et de la manière qu’elles pensent que leur propre perception de soi les a aidées à progresser dans leur carrière. Les participantes à cette étude étaient treize femmes cadres occupant des postes de responsabilité dans le domaine de l'éducation, sélectionnées par la méthode de l'échantillonnage raisonné. Les méthodes d’analyse du cadre et d'analyse thématique ont été utilisées pour les entretiens individuels en présentiel. L'étude a adopté la théorie de l’image de soi comme cadre théorique de base. L'étude a révélé que les femmes ayant des responsabilités dans l'éducation se perçoivent comme des leaders compétents et accomplis qui possèdent les qualités de leadership requises pour leur permettre de progresser dans leur carrière. Les résultats de l'étude ont également démontré que la perception que les femmes ont d'elles-mêmes et de leurs capacités de leadership en matière d'éducation a un impact considérable sur leur carrière, car elle constitue une source de motivation et un encouragement à avancer. Mots clés : Image de soi, perception de soi, leadership éducatif, avancement de carrière

AbstractExploring the intersection of state, religion, and ethnicity, this article considers the opportunities for individual and collective advancement available to Muslim Gujjars in Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. Following the lives of three prominent members of the community—a teacher, a political activist, and a maulvi—it considers their respective orientations to the state and their relationships with their fellow Gujjars, to illustrate the different ways in which Gujjars have sought to transcend their marginal and subordinated position as an ethnic and religious minority. With state-promoted schemes of affirmative action and reservation offering only limited opportunities for social and economic advancement, we see how Gujjars have responded to their continued marginalization, first through political mobilization as an ethnic group and, more recently, through the establishment of Islamic educational institutions and association with Tablighi Jama'at. This leads to an evaluation of the emancipatory potentials and contradictions of insurgent citizenship when mobilized around specific aspects of ethnic and religious identity. Against a backdrop of economic liberalization and accompanying shifts in civil society, I show how the distribution of rewards that derive from strategies of assimilation, engagement, and withdrawal are structured in particular ways, including by class and gender.

Over the past two decades women have been gaining access to management and administrative positions in increasing numbers. In contrast, however, with their male colleagues they often lag behind and consequently have not risen to top management positions. This paper examines the career progress of women who graduated from a postsecondary Management Development for Women Program, including the challenges encountered and strategies used in advancing into and through management. Survey methodology and documents (i.e., formal end of course evaluations, informal feedback from students, instructors, and mentors) were used to collect data for the study. The scholarly literature with respect to organizational factors, and advantages and disadvantages of same sex and mixed educational programs was reviewed. Analysis indicates that completion of a same-gender Program appears to be associated with improvements in economic outcomes such as advancement into higher levels of management and higher income. It is clear, however, that while the impacts of career interruptions and socially produced and historically constructed perceptions of women's role in the workplace and society cannot be overcome entirely by any one aspect of the social structure, undoubtedly a same-gender educational program that facilitates discourse on systemic causes of women's oppression significantly improved these women's employment outcomes. Résumé Depuis les vingt dernières années, les femmes ont de plus en plus accès à des postes de gestion. Toutefois, contrairement à leurs collègues masculins, les femmes tardent à gravir les échelons jusqu'à la haute direction. Cet article examine l'avancement professionnel de femmes ayant diplômé d'un programme de formation à la gestion réservé aux femmes, y compris les défis rencontrés et les stratégies utilisées pour franchir les étapes vers la gestion. Les données relatives à notre étude proviennent de sondages et de divers documents (ex. évaluations de fin de cours, rétroaction informelle par les étudiantes, les personnes chargées de cours et accompagnatrices). Nous avons revu des articles scientifiques sur les facteurs organisationnels et les avantages et désavantages de programmes éducatifs mixtes et unisexes. Notre analyse montre que la complétion d'un programme deformation unisexe est synonyme de meilleures performances sur le plan économique, comme un meilleur avancement professionnel et un salaireplus élevé. Il est clair que l'interruption de carrière et les perceptions du rôle professionnel et social de la femme induites par la société et l'histoire ne peuvent être contrecarrées par aucun aspect de la structure sociale. Il n'en demeure pas mains cependant qu'un programme de formation unisexe, qui facilite le discours sur les causes systémiques de l'oppression des femmes, améliore de façon significative leurs chances d'avancement professionnel.

This research delves into the transformative influence of the Family Hope Program (PKH) on fulfilling basic needs in Pardomuan I Village, Pangururan District, Samosir Regency. Against the backdrop of Indonesia's social welfare initiatives, the study navigates the correlations and trends shaping economic empowerment, educational attainment, health outcomes, and women's empowerment within the community. Employing a mixed-methods research design, the study integrates quantitative surveys, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and documentary analysis to capture the multifaceted impact of PKH. A purposive sampling strategy targets PKH beneficiary families, ensuring diverse representation. Ethical considerations guide the research process, fostering transparency and participant trust. The research reveals robust correlations between PKH participation and economic empowerment, emphasizing the program's role as a financial lifeline, poverty alleviator, and catalyst for improved housing and food security. Educational outcomes showcase a positive association, linking PKH to increased school enrollment and attendance. Health initiatives correlate with enhanced well-being, and gender-inclusive strategies correlate with heightened economic resilience among women. Policy implications advocate for the expansion of targeted cash transfers, integrated health and education initiatives, and gender-inclusive strategies in social welfare programs. Practitioners are encouraged to adopt community-centric approaches, continuous monitoring, and adaptive strategies. Future research directions include longitudinal studies, comparative analyses, and exploring multi-program interactions

SummaryEducation is a crucial factor in influencing the pattern and timing of marriage for women, and the changes in levels of female literacy will also change the dynamics of family formation. India has experienced consistent improvement in levels of female literacy; therefore, this study examined the association of women's education with the changes in their demographic behaviour in the Indian context. The central idea of the paper is to examine the differences in age at marriage and first birth, choice of marriage partner and the number of children ever born based on educational attainment of women. In addition, the study examined incongruence in years of schooling and discontinuation from school, for children based on education of the mother. The study utilized data from the third round of District Level Household and Facility Survey. The sample constituted 344,164 ever-married women aged 35 years and above with surviving children aged 5–20 years. The results imply that women with higher education are more likely to marry late and have fewer children compared with less educated women. Accordingly, increase in education of women also increases the probability of marrying men with better education than themselves. The study further observed that education of wife has a greater association with the number of children ever born than the education of husband. At the same time, incongruence in years of schooling and drop-out from school are both high for children of uneducated women. The study also found that the children from urban areas are more likely to drop out than their rural counterparts. In addition to education of the mother, number and composition of children in the family and economic condition of the household are some other factors that influence the educational attainment of children.

Human rights violations of women and abuse against women are structured and underlying in India, introduced in socio-economic guidelines and laws that structure the family, neighborhood, climate, and state plans. Along these lines, it is an expanding worry in India and across the globe as the rising occurrence of infringements of women's human rights are on high. The purpose of this study is to investigate and examine the knowledge and mindfulness of human rights among women and its connection and association with the overall advancement of women in their day-to-day existence. Using a descriptive research method, both qualitative and quantitative data were gathered on women’s mindfulness and knowledge of various human rights available to them. The proximity of intense and thorough knowledge of women’s human rights was found to play the greatest role in the comprehensive socio-economic development of women. This study definitively answers the question regarding the correlation between proximity to women’s human rights mindfulness and fertile platform and ambiance for their fuller growth and development as human beings. Further investigations are expected to set up causal relations and foster a more full-bodied conceivable climate and social construction for the security and acknowledgement of women’s human rights.

Women comprise nearly 50 percent of the population of Pakistan which is enriched with a variety of regional, cultural, and ethnic values. These values are traditionally responsible for limiting opportunities for women and keeping them less empowered. This study examines the link between education and urbanization that is empowering women in Pakistan. Time series data for the period of 1980 to 2019 has been used for empirical analysis. The stationarity of data has been checked by using the ADF unit root test. All the variables used in the study have a unit root at the level and become stationary at first difference. Johansen's co-integration technique is utilized to check the long-run relationship between the variables used in the study. Instead of using any single variable, we have constructed the Women Empowerment Index (WEI) by using multiple women-related indicators for in-depth analysis. Empirical findings indicate that women's empowerment is positively associated with education and urbanization in Pakistan. Other controlled variables include domestic credit with a positive association and inflation with a negative association. The study shows that empowering women is sensitive to urbanization and education. There must be women-specific educational and training institutions across the country with a special focus on rural areas for equal availability of opportunities for women of all cultures. Urbanization provides greater social, economic and political opportunities for women. Same opportunities should be provided for women in rural areas to make them more empowered. Moreover, control of inflation and the provision of credit on easy terms will also help to enhance women's contribution to economic activity in Pakistan.

This study was attempted to find out whether there are differences in skin care characteristics depending on general characteristics of middle-aged women living in Dalian, China. As a result, age showed significant differences from skin care information source, preferred facial care, academic background showed differences from skin care information source, preferred facial care, occupations showed differences in skin care method, average monthly income from skin care information source, skin care methods, and preferred facial care. Through this study, it was revealed that there are significant differences in skin care characteristics depending on the general characteristics of middle-aged women living in Dalian, China. In particular, skin care information sources were most introduced by friends and acquaintances, and they mainly take care of their skin through home care. This seems to have an impact on relationship culture based on experience and trust even though middle-aged women's social advancement and educational background are gradually increasing under China's reform and opening policy. Therefore, skin care marketing for middle-aged women, who are emerging as a new blue ocean in the Chinese skin beauty market, needs to establish a strategy based on China's relationship culture. The results of this study are meaningful in providing basic data for the development and marketing of skin care programs for middle-aged Chinese women.

AbstractWhether men's and women's reciprocation of their intimate partners’ negative and positive affect during conflictual topic discussions accounted for the association between their trait hostility and perpetration of physical intimate partner violence (IPV) was examined within a dyadic model, using concurrent measurement. The work builds on that of Dr. Tom Dishion regarding hostile and coercive interactions in key relationships on risk outcomes and the importance of moment-by-moment influences in social interactions. Using dynamic development systems theory and a community sample of at-risk men (N = 156) and their female partners, the hypothesis that quicker negative and slower positive affect reactivity would account for physical IPV perpetration beyond trait hostility was tested. Results suggest that, for women, quicker negative affect reactivity partially explains the hostility IPV association, whereas for men, trait hostility of both partners best explained their perpetration of physical IPV. No support was found for positive affect reactivity as a protective relationship process for IPV involvement. Findings are in line with other studies indicating men were less likely to engage in negative reciprocity relative to women. Furthermore, findings highlight how both partners’ individual characteristics, communication patterns, and emotion regulation processes germane to the romantic relationship impact the likelihood of experiencing physical IPV.

Purpose: Societies across the world, on the basis of their social, cultural, and economic positions have different approaches to women's political empowerment. In addition, education is commonly used to assess a woman's position, and it is increasingly being recognized in modern literature as a means of empowering women by diversifying their competencies. The present hypothesis the relation between literacy level and female participation politics in District Dir. Methodology: Out of 363, 205 female participants were recruited as the sample size for data collection through the proportional allocation method. Findings: From the statistical analysis, it has resulted that illiterate group as highly significant and positive association between education fallacy and women political participation was found. Likewise, the aforesaid variables were also observed highly significant and positive for an educated group. Meanwhile, the table as a whole disclosed highly significant and positive co-relation between education fallacy and women political participation. Implications: Encouraging and motivating female segments of the society for accruing education while providing educational facilities at the local level are some of the recommendations

This paper draws on data from a group case study of women in higher education management in Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. I investigate culture-specific dimensions of what the Western literature has conceptualized as “glass ceiling” impediments to women's career advancement in higher education. I frame my argument within recent debates about globalization and “glocalization” to show how the push–pull and disjunctive dynamics of globalization are experienced in local sites by social actors who traverse global flows and yet remain tethered to local discourses, values, and practices. All of the women in this study were trained in Western universities and are fluent English speakers, world-class experts in their fields, well versed with equity discourses, and globally connected on international nongovernment organization (NGO) and academic circuits. They are indeed global cosmopolitans. And yet their testimonies indicate that so-called Asian values and religious-cultural ideologies demand the enactment of a specific construct of Asian femininity that militates against meritocratic equality and academic career aspirations to senior management levels. Despite the global nature of the university and increasing global flows of academics, students, and knowledge, the politics of academic glass ceilings are not universal but always locally inflected with cultural values and norms. As such, the politics of disadvantage for women in higher education require local and situated analyses in the context of global patterns of the educational status of women and the changing nature of higher education.

<abstract><sec> <title>Background</title> <p>Folic Acid (FA) is an important nutritional element during pregnancy. It is B vitamin which is found in the natural and complementary source. Deficiency of FA during pregnancy leads to many maternal and fetal complications such as neural tube defect (NTD), birth defect, spontaneous abortion, and megaloblastic anemia. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of an educational session about FA on pregnant women's knowledge in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).</p> </sec><sec> <title>Methods</title> <p>A quasi-experimental design was conducted on sixty-five pregnant women from the outpatient clinic in Yanbu General Hospital (YGH) using pre-test and post-test questionnaire to assess their FA knowledge. A purposeful sampling method was used to involve the study participants. All the findings were analyzed through SPSS. Descriptive statistic was used to first generate information about the study participants, after which a t-test was conducted.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Results</title> <p>The participants had poor knowledge about FA before the session but the level was increased after the session with mean difference 5.49. Majority of the study participants 81.5% had knowledge that FA protects against NTD. While, 70% understood that FA is an important vitamin during pregnancy. There is a significant association between the age, income, working status, age of marriage, and knowledge of participants.</p> </sec><sec> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>An educational session had good effect on pregnant women's knowledge. Health care providers and social media should play more active role to increase the knowledge of FA to pregnant women.</p> </sec></abstract>

AbstractObjectiveTo analyse the factors associated with the level of adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern in healthy Spanish women before pregnancy.DesignA prospective series of 1175 women. An FFQ validated in Spanish populations served to collect dietary data. The Mediterranean Diet Adherence Index was used to assess the level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern. Polytomic regression was performed to identify the associated factors.SettingCatchment area of Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Andalusia, Spain.SubjectsThe women were invited to participate in the study at the 20th–22nd gestational week. The selection criteria were: Spanish nationality, 18 years of age or older, singleton pregnancy and absence of health problems that required modifying the diet or physical activity.ResultsAn inverse relationship was found between women's age and level of adherence to a Mediterranean diet pattern, with a clear dose–response association: a younger age entailed worse adherence (P < 0·001). The habit of smoking and sedentary lifestyle had a positive relationship with low adherence, giving OR = 5·36 (95 % 1·91, 15·07) for women who smoked >20 cigarettes/d and OR = 2·07 (95 % CI 1·34, 3·17) for sedentary women. Higher age, higher educational level, and higher social class of the women were associated with a higher level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (P < 0·001).ConclusionsIn our sample population, younger age, lower social class, primary educational level and elements of an unhealthy lifestyle such as smoking and lack of exercise were associated with low adherence to a Mediterranean diet.

The key indicator of declining domestic abuse is the opinion of women toward wife beating. The goal of this study was to compare women's attitudes toward being beaten by their husbands based on data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) conducted in 2014 and 2017–18. The outcome variable was the opinion of women on wife beating. Covariates included in the study were based on literature reviews. A chi-square test was conducted to assess the association between outcome variables and selected covariates. Concurrently, two distinct multivariate binary logistic regression models (for 2014 and 2017– 18, respectively) were employed to identify the variables connected to having this opinion of women. The most significant factors affecting women's views towards wife beating were women's education, age at marriage, place of residence, southern region, religion, employment status, and partner's educational background. This study also revealed that these factors remained significant in both years, despite the fact that the OR (odds ratio) varied widely. The odds of justifying wife beating among higher-educated women were 0. 78 times lower than those of uneducated women in 2014, which was o.67 times lower in 2017–18. Urban women were 18% less likely from 2014 to 2018 to agree with wife beating. Interestingly, Eastern Bengal was statistically significant in 2014, it was not in 2017-2018. The likelihood of accepting wife beating among Muslim women rose from 35% to 69% during the given period. In 2014, the wealth index was significantly associated with women's attitudes toward wife beating and showed that middle-class and rich women were 16% and 23% less likely to support wife beating, respectively, than poor women. However, this variable was not significant in 2017–18. Employed women are less likely to support wife beating than unemployed women in both years. Early married women are more likely to accept wife beatings than those of elderly married women (OR 1.22 in 2014 and OR 1.16 in 2017–18, respectively). The odds of justifying wife beating among women with a higher-educated partner decreased by 14% between 2014 and 2017–2018. Furthermore, social awareness campaigns should continue to alter women's attitudes regarding wife beating and should be updated in light of the significant factors identified in this study. Jagannath University Journal of Science, Volume 10, Number I, Jun 2023, pp. 19−26

On 30 October 1905, the Lord Mayor of London blessed the inaugural meeting of a society created for the purpose of winning the British people to `the necessity of applying the methods of science to all branches of endeavour, and thus to further the progress and increase the welfare of the Empire'. Now nearly forgotten, the British Science Guild he opened that day was to be among the most visible `ginger groups' in British science during the first half of the century. Foreshadowing a world of parliamentary lobbies, public interest groups, and `think tanks', the Guild was created to `foster public appreciation of the role of science and the advantage of applying the methods of scientific enquiry, the study of cause and effect, in affairs of every kind'. For just twenty years, under the banner of `imperial efficiency', it campaigned for the application of scientific expertise to national and imperial policy, before it was ultimately forced to wind up its affairs, and combine with the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Its tempestuous history was not without achievements. Yet, those achievements were insufficient to change public opinion on the scale it attempted. Today, the history of the Guild holds important lessons for the `public understanding of science'. This essay reconstructs that history, and shows how the Guild's irenic vision of science blossomed, withered and failed. In retrospect, it may be argued, the Guild and its programme reflected the limited success won by the public advocacy of certain scientistic values, and the limits within which the British public was willing to accept those values as public authority.

In 1975, Richard Graham asked me to give a paper on Mexican women at the Southwestern Social Science Association meeting. Surely, he asked me only because he thought that as a woman I would know something about women—I am sure that was my only qualification in his mind. Thankfully, he also asked Dawn Keremitsis, who had done work on Mexican women workers. Fortunately, I had included in my 1973 dissertation a chapter on women's vocational education. I wrote my entire dissertation on José Vasconcelos's educational crusade in a state of shock at the race and class biases I encountered in the documents. In the case of women, my outrage soared, propelled by my second-wave-feminist conviction that women had to be liberated from the slavery of the home. So I had written a dogmatic chapter and paper on how revolutionary educators wanted to remove women from the workforce, restore them to domesticity, train them to work in small, badly paid, home-based industries, and subordinate them to men and motherhood. Middle-class women prescribed class practices of motherhood and domesticity as if, I argued, women of the subaltern classes knew nothing of homemaking and mothering.

AbstractThe diaries and other papers of the Oxford classics teacher Arthur Sidgwick (1840–1920) show how men like Sidgwick used ancient Greek to demarcate the boundaries of an elite male social, emotional, and educational sphere, and how that sphere became more porous at the turn of the twentieth century through processes such as university coeducation. Progressive dons like Sidgwick stood by women's equality in principle but were troubled by the potential loss of an exceptional environment of intense friendships forged within intellectually rigorous single-sex institutions. Several aspects of Sidgwick's life and his use of Greek exemplify these tensions: his marriage, his feelings about close male friends, his life as a college fellow, his work on behalf of the Oxford Association for the Education of Women, and his children's lives and careers. The article recovers a lost world in which Greek was an active conversational language, shows how the teaching of classics and the inclusion of women were intimately connected in late-nineteenth-century Oxford, and suggests some reasons why that world endured for a certain period of time but ultimately came to an end. It offers a new way of explaining late-nineteenth-century cultural changes surrounding gender by placing education and affect firmly at their center.

This article points out that the process of modernizing the Russian Federation’s education system is aimed at developing such a professional body of teachers that would be prepared to solve issues associated with improving the quality of education. Given such a situation, the need arises for finding effective means of developing the professional competencies of teachers. One direction for modernizing the education system would be a national system of advancement for teachers, which postulates the need for creating the right conditions for the formal and informal training of educators. Given the context, socio-professional teachers’ unions turn out to be especially vital. The goal of this study was to identify how active participation in the practices of such organizations is connected to a young teacher’s professional growth. The study was conducted in Orel Province. Members of the regional young math teachers’ association were selected to be the object of research, with questionnaire survey used as the research method. The study focused on several aspects of teaching: professional difficulties faced by young educators, the mentorship system, an educator’s value orientations, professional growth. The results of the study allowed for identifying three groups of educators, the first one being young teachers who do not actively participate in educational events. The second group included teachers who do not share their own methodical expertise, but partake in seminars and master classes. The third group consists of educators who publically share their experience and are prepared to think of new ideas for future events. The article shows that the Association’s active participation in various events significantly affected the individual value orientations of trade professionals. Those educators who shared their publically work experience demonstrated a higher degree of professional aptitude in performing their jobs within the national system of teachers’ training. ctive efforts as members of the Association helped young educators quickly adapt within their professional community and establish firm social connections with their colleagues. The authors suggest the need for developing a system of mentorship in educational institutions, which would utilize resources provided by socio-professional teachers’ unions.

In Brazilian society, in recent years, women's social movements and government initiatives have increased natural childbirth in public and private institutions. In this context, obstetric nursing care technologies are implemented to promote pain relief for women during labor, including the Swiss ball. However, in professional experience, it is clear that the population is unaware of its use, benefits and possibilities, considering that the Swiss ball is only presented when women are in labor. Thus, the objective was to exchange knowledge to clarify the use of the Swiss ball by women in labor. It is based that activities carried out on the internet presuppose: knowledge about the other; reciprocal and sporadic collaboration; solidarity sharing of activities and resources and trust association, through an agreement to share objectives. Therefore, the method chosen was a digital communication channel, Instagram, @universodaobstetricia, created on April 14, 2020, shared with 2,025 female internet users who voluntarily interacted with the creator in: forums, conversation circles, polls, quizzes and educational posts. Among the results obtained: 149 women know that the Swiss ball is recommended by Rede Cegonha, but 119 do not know this fact; 75 women learned about the use of the Swiss ball through social media, while 33 women only found out about its use on the day of birth. However, 119 women expressed that they were not aware that the Swiss ball is recommended as a “good practice” of care in obstetric care. It is concluded that the exchange of knowledge is an essential tool for the conscious choice of shared care during labor and that it is necessary for health professionals to develop creative, innovative and bold pedagogical initiatives to strengthen the interface between communication, science and society.

Background/Context School-sponsored sports programs are seen in both the public and policy spheres as meritocratic mobility institutions. In the U.S. context, athletic participation can yield access to college via sports performance. Meritocratic mobility would be achieved as individuals use their athletic ability and effort to enter universities and in turn improve their social standing. Yet few existing studies empirically examine the extent to which interscholastic athletic participation yields mobility. As a result, little is known about how individuals access colleges via athletics. Purpose/Objective This study's purpose was to understand how individuals began a path to college via sports. In doing so, it asks: what larger social forces influence how youth become top-level college athletes? It draws upon social reproduction theory—how publicly funded educational entities ensure the maintenance rather than the reduction of class inequality—to determine whether youth sports participation facilitates mobility. Research Design This qualitative study examined the athletic and academic trajectories of 47 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I student-athletes from one university classified as Research-1, Tier-1, and as a member of a power-five athletic conference. Data include semistructured life history interviews, an original database, and institutional reports. Population Participants were recruited from four teams to investigate the athletic selection process: men's and women's track & field and rowing. The teams offered multiple comparisons in macro- and micro-social processes. Rowing draws from White and elite communities, because it requires tremendous resources to participate. Conversely, track & field requires fewer resources and draws more participants from marginalized communities. Findings Research reveals a sports-track-to-college pipeline and a correspondence between White middle-class communities and greater access to elite universities via athletics. Access to the sports-track-to-college pipeline is co-constructed through interactions at the individual, familial, and institutional levels. Five reproductive mechanisms are discussed—community access, bureaucracies, social access, knowledge, and enacted knowledge—all of which emerged as greater determiners for college athletic recruiting than individual athletic merit. Conclusions Recommendations offer policy and programmatic changes at the high school, college, and NCAA levels that make athletic recruiting more transparent and systematic to lessen the reproductive effects.

Background and context: The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a ubiquitous virus that causes many cancers: cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, penile, vaginal and vulvar cancers, the most serious consequence being cervical cancer that takes the life of a woman between the ages of 35-60 every two minutes in this world. There are existing tools to prevent this cancer today: at the primary prevention level, the HPV vaccines that are up to 90%-97% preventive; at the secondary level, simple screening tests including Pap test, HPV DNA testing, and VIA; and at tertiary level, effective early treatment of precancerous conditions. Yet, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in the developing world. One of the main reasons for this gap is the lack of awareness that cervical cancer is a preventable public health problem. Hence, education and innovative models are necessary for successful control of this disease. The HPV vaccines are recommended between 9-26 years in males and females. Hence, our organization, The Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer (GIAHC), decided to empower the next generation to join the fight against HPV and cervical cancer. Aim: To empower the younger generation to play a proactive role to raise awareness and increase the uptake of HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening through the use of arts in medicine and social media. Strategy/Tactics: An educational PowerPoint presentation was developed by medical and nursing students to present to middle and high school students and in other community settings. Program/Policy process: A 30-minute-long presentation was developed so that it could fit into a classroom period. A script for the presenter, a reference sheet, slides to highlight how HPV can affect both sexes, risk factors and effective ways to prevent it were developed. Emphasis was placed on the HPV vaccine for boys and girls. This was followed by a game, and a short inspirational and aspirational film and a few words to empower them. Outcomes: The program has met with good success: The presentation has been shown by our students in several states in the US and in other countries. Our student group has grown from 2 to 60 in one year. Middle and high school students also want to get involved to spread the message. Students are continually coming up with other creative ways through, dance, painting, poetry video clips and using social media to spread the message. Students of the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA) and Medical Women's International Association (MWIA) have now partnered with us. The Department of Education has expressed an interest to collaborate with us. What was learned: Empowering the younger generation and providing them with the tools to play a pro active role to interweave science with various creative art forms can have far-reaching and greater impact on communities and societies to raise awareness about HPV.

Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields occupy a significant role in human prosperity and advancement. This study explores the factors affecting student STEM outcomes. Traditionally, the associations of students’ own motivational or cognitive inputs to their STEM career outcomes have been investigated before. Similarly, association of teacher quality to student achievement outcomes have been made before. This paper presents a novel approach by introducing teacher quality as the contextual factor within the social cognitive career theoretical (SCCT) model using a comprehensive and robust model for teacher quality including teachers’ motivation, qualifications, and self-reported practices. This study examines the extent to which high school students’ mathematics and science teachers’ beliefs, professional background, and instructional practices relate to students’ motivation, achievement, and future career plans in STEM using a nationally representative, large dataset: High School Longitudinal Study 2009. The results indicate that science and mathematics teachers’ professional background, motivational beliefs, and self-reported instructional practices have significant impact on students’ motivation, persistence, and achievement outcomes in science and mathematics. No direct impact of teacher factors on STEM career plans are found; however, students motivational and achievement outcomes (impacted by teacher factors) do have significant impact on students’ career plans in STEM.

The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) was pleased to present the AAAI 2008 Spring Symposium Series, held Wednesday through Friday, March 26–28, 2008 at Stanford University, California. The titles of the eight symposia were as follows: (1) AI Meets Business Rules and Process Management, (2) Architectures for Intelligent Theory-Based Agents, (3) Creative Intelligent Systems, (4) Emotion, Personality, and Social Behavior, (5) Semantic Scientific Knowledge Integration, (6) Social Information Processing, (7) Symbiotic Relationships between Semantic Web and Knowledge Engineering, (8) Using AI to Motivate Greater Participation in Computer Science The goal of the AI Meets Business Rules and Process Management AAAI symposium was to investigate the various approaches and standards to represent business rules, business process management and the semantic web with respect to expressiveness and reasoning capabilities. The focus of the Architectures for Intelligent Theory-Based Agents AAAI symposium was the definition of architectures for intelligent theory-based agents, comprising languages, knowledge representation methodologies, reasoning algorithms, and control loops. The Creative Intelligent Systems Symposium included five major discussion sessions and a general poster session (in which all contributing papers were presented). The purpose of this symposium was to explore the synergies between creative cognition and intelligent systems. The goal of the Emotion, Personality, and Social Behavior symposium was to examine fundamental issues in affect and personality in both biological and artificial agents, focusing on the roles of these factors in mediating social behavior. The Semantic Scientific Knowledge Symposium was interested in bringing together the semantic technologies community with the scientific information technology community in an effort to build the general semantic science information community. The Social Information Processing's goal was to investigate computational and analytic approaches that will enable users to harness the efforts of large numbers of other users to solve a variety of information processing problems, from discovering high-quality content to managing common resources. The goal of the Symbiotic Relationships between the Semantic Web and Software Engineering symposium was to explore how the lessons learned by the knowledge-engineering community over the past three decades could be applied to the bold research agenda of current workers in semantic web technologies. The purpose of the Using AI to Motivate Greater Participation in Computer Science symposium was to identify ways that topics in AI may be used to motivate greater student participation in computer science by highlighting fun, engaging, and intellectually challenging developments in AI-related curriculum at a number of educational levels. Technical reports of the symposia were published by AAAI Press.

Madam, The dental profession has witnessed a progressive shift where female dentists are becoming more prevalent in many countries, including Pakistan. This trend, known as the feminization of dentistry1, can be attributed to changing societal and economic perceptions, increased acceptance of diverse gender roles, and the recognition of the benefits of adopting feminine traits in the dental profession.2 In Pakistan, the transition began in the early 1990s when the quota system limiting seats for women in medical and dental schools was abolished. Currently, around 70% of undergraduate dental students in Pakistan are female.2 However, despite the promising number of female dental students, there is a significant drop in postgraduate training and professional practice. Only 5% of graduating female dentists pursue postgraduate training, and only half of the registered female dentists work.3 The reasons for this decline include a glass ceiling effect, which hinders women's advancement in their careers, the lack of female representation in leadership roles, the absence of female mentorship at the postgraduate level, and dual family and domestic responsibilities. Additionally, female dentists may face bias and preference towards their male counterparts in high-status specialities, impacting their promotional opportunities and patient preferences.4,5 Persistence of societal pressure and traditional gender roles also contribute to the dropout rate of female dentists in Pakistan. Many young women are often pressured to prioritize family obligations over professional commitments, leading them to leave the dental profession early. Moreover, the absence of part-time options further limits their ability to balance family responsibilities with dental practice. To address these challenges and enable the sustained involvement of female dentists, several measures are necessary. Increasing female representation in leadership roles, make leadership part of the educational curriculum, providing mentorship opportunities, and establishing strong social support systems for women are crucial. Reforms should also focus on improving ergonomics in dental practice, highlighting cultural loopholes for gender biases, equity issues and implementing policies that support working mothers, such as flexible working hours, adequate maternity leave and family care facilities. While efforts have been made to increase the number of female dental students, there is still a long way to go in creating an inclusive and supportive environment for practicing female dentists in Pakistan. By addressing the root causes of the gender disparity and implementing necessary reforms, Pakistani society can break the glass ceiling and allow future generations of women to contribute fully to the field of dental healthcare.

The first International Social Pedagogy Conference took place February 22-24, 2018 in Puebla, Mexico. The conference, Social Pedagogy and Social Education: Bridging Traditions and Innovations, was hosted by Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in partnership with the Social Pedagogy Association, ASU, REMPES, and Ceiba. The conference hosted over 350 participants from 17 countries and offered presentations in English, Spanish and Portuguese, representing a wide variety of topics which reflect many of the diverse areas encompassed by social pedagogy research and practice. In 2011, the first social pedagogy masters program in North America - a Master of Art in Social and Cultural Pedagogy - was approved by Arizona State University for the School of Social Transformation in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. Within two years students in that program created a graduate organization, SCP-GO (Social and Cultural Pedagogy Graduate Organization), to connect with each other, organize events, and represent students’ needs and interests to the faculty. As the first of these graduates transitioned from University into a variety of careers and post-graduate studies, a need presented for a professional association to facilitate connections in North America between practical and theoretical pedagogues. Thus, the Social Pedagogy Association was created in 2015. The Social Pedagogy Association (SPA) brings together practitioners, academics, students and others to exchange experiences and to share knowledge and resources about social pedagogy theory, research and practice. The SPA strives to be an inclusive organization that believes in the importance of the free flow of ideas and scholars for the advancement of research, theory and educational practices. We are here to encourage scholarly interaction, collaboration, and debate from diverse intellectual perspectives and countries of origin by bringing together practitioners, academics, students and others to exchange experiences and to share knowledge and resources about social pedagogy theory, research and practice. (O’Neil, 2015) The SPA recognized a disconnect between academia and practice. While academics often engage in interdisciplinary study, and many practitioners refer to the works and successes of others in their fields, there is often a gap in communication between research and practice. As social pedagogues we bear a responsibility to ensure that gap is minimized as effectively as possible. As the academic discipline and practical application of social pedagogy expands, it is necessary that theoretical and practical pedagogues communicate and work in tandem. In 2004, prominent social pedagogue, Henry Giroux, wrote: I think too many cultural studies theorists are remiss in suggesting that pedagogy is primarily about schools and, by implication, that the intersection of cultural studies and pedagogy has little to do with theorizing the role pedagogy might play in linking learning to social change outside of traditional sites of schooling. Pedagogy is not simply about the social construction of knowledge, values, and experiences; it is also a performative practice embodied in the lived interactions among educators, audiences, texts, and institutional formations. Pedagogy, at its best, implies that learning takes place across a spectrum of social practices and settings. (Giroux, 2004, p.61) Rooted deeply in northern Europe and South America, the field of Social Pedagogy is growing and changing as it spreads and develops in the UK, Central America, and, most recently, North America. The discipline has more than 150 years of history as both an interdisciplinary academic field of inquiry and a field of practice that is situated in the intersection of three areas of human activity: education, social work, and community development (Schugurensky, 2011). Hans Thiersch defined the role of social pedagogue thus: The role of the social pedagogue is to help people to critically analyze their problems, reflecting on the social causes of the individual problems and to find options for successful everyday life. The focus is connecting help for the individual with political action in the context of social justice and well-being, while recognizing social and political resources. (Schugurensky, 2014, p. 9) It is of utmost importance that pedagogues ‘across a spectrum’ listen to one another and aid each other in this critical analysis and reflection. This need for an increase in communication was recognized by members and partners of the SPA soon after its founding. “As a critical practice, pedagogy’s role lies not only in changing how people think about themselves and their relationship to others and the world, but also is energizing students and others to engage in those struggles that further possibilities for living in a more just society.” (Giroux, 2004, p. 64) As pedagogues, we must also energize and engage one another. There is possibly no greater power than that inherent in the exchange of ideas and culture. In 2017, Jan Rothuizen and Lotte Harbo reminded us that “Bridge-building means changing society and not just working with care but also with community development, so as to address the wider and systematic aspects that affect the marginalized groups” (Rothuzian, p.18). It was with this idea of bridging connections and supporting one another that the SPA organized and planned the first International Social Pedagogy Conference which took place February 22-24, 2018 in Puebla, Mexico. The conference, Social Pedagogy and Social Education: Bridging Traditions and Innovations, was hosted by Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla (BUAP) in partnership with the Social Pedagogy Association, ASU, REMPES, and Ceiba. The intention of this conference was to bridge differences within the theories of academia and help to unite those theories with the experiences of field-work practitioners, an important connection that is all-too-often overlooked. The conference was held with the intention of bringing together the various studies and practices of social pedagogy and social education around the world. The conference welcomed any and all researchers and practitioners whose work falls into the realm of social or critical pedagogies and social education, to include topics such as: refugee education, cultural pedagogy, the formation/education of social educators and social workers, technology and social education, pedagogical theory, social pedagogy and social education in schools, and more. The conference hosted over 350 participants from 17 countries and offered presentations in English, Spanish and Portuguese, representing a wide variety of topics which reflect many of the diverse areas encompassed by social pedagogy research and practice. By forging initial connections between researchers and practitioners, we hope to continue to find and increase ways in which these connections can influence and impact the growth of social pedagogy and social education around the world. The hope of the SPA is that we continue to identify tension fields, share successes and challenges internationally within the field and research, and come to an understanding of social pedagogy advised and shaped by our varied cultures, experiences, and educations. The SPA will be partnering in June of 2020 with the University of Central Lancashire (CLAN) to host the second International Social Pedagogy Conference in Larnaka, Cyprus. We are excited to see the unification of ideas and knowledge and look forward to a future of partnership with pedagogues around the world.

Abstract Hope for Stomach Cancer is the nation’s leading stomach cancer awareness and support organization. HOPE is the bridge connecting stakeholders to improve stomach cancer outcomes through support, solutions, and synergy. We provide valuable services, including monthly webinars with oncologists who discuss stomach cancer developments; support groups between oncologists and patients, families, and caregivers that allow for candid dialogue without confusing technical jargon; a website that is both an educational resource for care management and self-empowerment, and an interactive tool for the medical community to engage within the community and to identify grant and conference opportunities; informative and timely e-newsletters; stories of hope from within our community; and an engaging presence on social media outlets. We also participate in a number of medical community gastric cancer conferences and professional networking events. All of our programs and services are provided at no cost and are accessible to all. Founded in 2016, HOPE serves 30,000 patients each year. More than half of our patients appear to be from underrepresented communities. They express gratitude for the trust and safety they experience within HOPE, in particular contrast to what they face in the medical community. Based on their medical support options, we estimate the majority of our patients are low-to-middle income. We have seen an alarming increase in the number of young adults (below age 40) who are seeking help from HOPE. Most of the patients reaching out to HOPE are in the advanced stages of their disease, and the outcome is bleak. These patients depend on HOPE’s programs and services to help them navigate the overwhelming obstacles of diagnosis, treatment, and support. We continue to offer solutions to problems such as access to care, health equity, and systemic health disparity through educational resources and self-navigational guides. Our resources are aimed to close these gaps and address the unmet needs. We are committed to provide education, awareness, and support to our stomach cancer community to bridge the gap between research and patient care. Our programs and awareness campaigns are specifically designed to address these systemic health disparities and bring diversity into clinical trials because everyone deserves appropriate care. HOPE has grown into a fiscally-responsible nonprofit that participates on the national and international stage to advance research, advocate for improved access and care, and support patients and families with programs and services. A day doesn’t go by without us being reminded of the work still to be done. This disease is deadly - and it doesn’t have to be. With early detection and prevention, and the advancement of treatment options, people’s lives would be saved and families would be able to celebrate many years together. Citation Format: Aki A. Smith. Stomach cancer patient advocacy and education: Bridging the gap in disparity [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 718.

The 46th NERA Congress was held on March 8th to 10th 2018 at the University of Oslo. NERA is the Nordic Educational Research Association that brings together researchers in the field of educational sciences in the Nordic countries. An essential part of the association and of the congress are NERA’s 24 networks that are organised around different subject areas in educational sciences like early childhood research, youth research etc.. There is a network also for social pedagogy. Its aim is to develop and strengthen the cooperation between researchers and professional groups, engaged or interested in the field of social pedagogy, in the Nordic countries and even wider in Northern Europe like in Poland and Germany. It is currently coordinated by six researchers from five different countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Poland and Sweden. The theme for NERA2018 congress was Educational Research: Boundaries, Breaches and Bridges. The Social pedagogy network had organized altogether four sessions during the congress dealing with topical issues in the field of social pedagogical research. These sessions included two roundtable discussions, the first one dealing with sensitive research and the second one on social pedagogy at schools. In addition to the roundtables there was one symposium considering research in the area of asylum seekers and refugees, and one session was for traditional paper presentations. The countries that were represented in network sessions were Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and Poland. The sessions awakened animated conversations between participants. One common topic of the discussed issues related to the role and transformation of social pedagogy in changing societies. The sessions of the social pedagogy network were opened up by the roundtable discussion on sensitive research. The leading question for the short presentations of the roundtable participants was: how to research in cooperation with extremely vulnerable people. We heard two interesting presentations by Irena Dychawy Rosner from Malmö University and by Aneta Ostaszewska from the University of Warsaw that giuded us to a discussion about how to support the participation in social pedagogical research of e.g. women working in prostitution so that not just their anonymity and well-being during the research process are secured but also their autonomy and agency could be supported. The research examples shown in the presentations were so fascinating that the discussion around them filled up all the time of the roundtable although we had planned to have four presentations instead of two but there had been two cancellations. The second session following the roundtable was a traditional paper presentation session. Even this session had one last minute cancellation – we assumed it was because of the flue season – so we had two presentations by Jan Arvid Haugan from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and Vilborg Jóhannsdóttir from the University of Iceland. Jan Arvid’s presentation was on ’Coping strategies and resilience in upper secondary school’. He shared with us some social pedagogically interesting findings about the background factors behind school drop-out. He himself told us that he was not familiar with the social pedagogical discussion but he had thought that his research findings could be of use in our field when we are trying to find out ways how to support the integration of young people. And he certainly had right. Vilborg’s presentation on the other hand was very interesting for another reason: it was about Icelandic social pedagogy, which differs quite a lot from the understandings of social pedagogy in other Nordic countries. In Iceland, the social pedagogical practice concerns almost only work with people with disabilities. The professional education, role and perspectives of social pedagogy have developed in line with the paradigm change rooted in the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), which has replaced the medical understanding of disability by the social relational understanding of disability. For example in Finland, the social pedagogical discussion and practice have focused very little on people with disabilities. The second roundtable was on social pedagogy at schools. There were four short presentations leading to a common discussion about the role that social pedagogy and social pedagogues have and could have at schools in different Nordic countries. Vilborg Jóhannsdóttir shared us more thoughts on social pedagogy in Iceland concentrating now on the work that the social pedagogues are doing in inclusive schools. Their role seems to be very essential in supporting the education of disabled children and young people in ’normal’ schools but it is at the same time quite controversal. Amela Pacuka from the Oslo Metropolitan University asked us in her presentation: What social pedagogy is for? She had a very critical perspective towards social pedagogy as it is practiced in Norway at schools: trying to find a balance between measurement, quality assurance, testing and relations work. Margareta Fehland and Mikael Boregren from Malmö University presented a project that they have been working on developing a new way of listening to kids in school. Their presentation roused a lively discussion about empathy and about the possiblity to teach empathy in social pedagogical studies. Interestingy, discussion about empathy and about teaching empathy has just recently awaken in the Finnish social pedagogical discussion. Eija Raatikainen, Leigh Anne Rauhala and Seija Mäenpää from Metropolia University of Applied Sciences have published an article about professional empathy called ’Qualified Empathy: A key element for an empowerment professional’ in the Finnish journal of social pedagogy. It is available online in English (Raatikainen, Rauhala, Mäenpää 2017). The last peresentation in the roundtable was about social pedagogical thinking at schools in Finland, presented by Elina Nivala from the University of Eastern Finland. It described social pedagogy as an approach rather than a profession meaning that different professionals at school can have a social pedagogical orientation in their work: A teacher, a special education teacher, a school social worker and even a school nurse can have a social pedagogical mindset in their work e.g. when building pedagogical relations and working holistically with the pupils, supporting their participation and finding ways to strengthen the school community and well-being of everybody at schools. All of them can be considered social pedagogues at schools if they want to develop their work based on social pedagogical thinking. The last session organised by the Social pedagogy network was the symposium called ’How to research in the area of asylum seekers and refugees’. It included originally six presentations: two from Finland and four from Denmark but two of those from Denmark were cancelled. The two presentations from Finland were ’Acts of citizenship in reception centre’ by Päivikki Rapo, and ’Life on hold? – A research project on agency and belonging of asylum seekers’ by Elina Nivala, both of them from the University of Eastern Finland. The Danish presentations were ’How do asylum-seekers experience a sense of meaningfulness in their everyday life in asylum-centres’ Anna Ørnemose, Lene Løkkegård and Lis Leleur, and ’Creating a sense of meaning in connection to school attendance of unaccompanied asylum seeking children’ by Nadia Klarsgaard & Kasper Drevsholt, all of them from the University College of Northern Denmark (UCN). The symposium had a wonderful opportunity to provide an arena for comparative discussion about social pedagogigal asylum research, which is a relatively new field in both countries. Discussions were animated but there could have been more time for comparative perspectives. This shows the need for more research and discussions on this field between different countries. One of the discussed topics concerned asylum seeker women and their possibilities to participation. According to observations of Danish researchers in an asylum center in Denmark, asylum seeker women were denied to get their own spaces. This was argumented with ideas of gender equality in Danish society. In Finland, the challenges on physical spaces of reception centres have also been discussed. Rapo (2018) made an ethnographic research in a Finnish reception centre for her master's thesis. In the observed reception centre, women's fragile position was understood and it was taken into account but even then some restrictions of spaces were noticed only later. It will be interesting to follow how practicies related to gender will transform in reception centres, as questions concerning gender, religion, culture and participation in Western societies are challenging. It is obvious that knowledge on participation and agency of asylum seeker and refugee women is much needed, and social pedagogical research could provide valuable perspectives and tools to produce it. All in all, the presentations and discussions during the sessions showed us very clearly that there is a lot of interesting research and work done in the field of social pedagogy in the Nordic countries. They also illustrated explicitly that the traditions in social pedagogical discussion and practice do differ quite a lot between different Nordic countries. Due to this, there should be more discussion about how social pedagogical practicies have developed historically in different societies and how they are defined theoretically. It is important to discuss critically how social pedagogical work is in practice but it would be of utmost importance to discuss as well how the practices are understood and represented in theory: what is it that makes something social pedagogical, how can it be conceptualised and what makes it different from other fields of practice. And the same goes to research: are there some elements that make research social pedagogical. We hope that the next NERA congress in Uppsala, Sweden on March 6th to 8th will provide an as lively arena for discussions than the previous one did and even more opportunities for critical reflection and shared moments of new understanding. We welcome all new researchers interested in social pedagogy to join us there.

Background: HIV is a significant public health issue around the world. HIV testing is critical for controlling and preventing the spread of the virus, as well as improving the lives of HIV-positive people. The aim of this study was to assess the extent of HIV testing and factors associated with HIV testing among young women in South Africa. Method: Secondary data analysis was performed using data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) program drawn from the South Africa Demographic and Health Survey (SDHS) 2016. A total of 3422 young women (15 to 26 years) from South Africa were included in this study. Descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis were performed to test the magnitude of association between the outcome variable (HIV testing) and independent variables. Data extraction and cleaning were done using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS, IBM version 26). All data analysis was done using the complex sample analysis procedure of SPSS. Result: The findings from this study demonstrate that 72.1% of young women from South Africa had ever been tested for HIV. The results show that age, place of residence, region, educational level, occupation, ethnicity, age at first sex, condom use, and number of sex partners were associated with ever being tested among young women in South Africa. Women aged 24 to 26 years (AOR=3.11, 95% CI=1.15-5.71), those who were urban dwellers (AOR=1.51, 95% CI=1.02-2.23), those who had secondary education (AOR=1.70, 95% CI=0.75-5.87), who were from Gauteng province (AOR=1.72, 95% CI=0.56-3.0), those who were literate (AOR=4.67, 95% CI=2.51-3.65), age at first sex at 15 to 17 years (AOR=4.81, 95% CI=2.41-6.09), those who have had three or more total lifetime number of sex partners (AOR=2.3, 95% CI=1.08-3.78) showed significantly higher odds of being tested for HIV than their counterparts. Conclusion: The study concludes that a high number of young women in South Africa are more likely to get tested for HIV, but they also practice high-risk sexual behaviours. The findings from this study suggest the need for comprehensive health education about the dangers of high-risk sexual behaviour among young South African women. The government of South Africa must also intensify efforts to improve health education for young women in rural areas. Improving rural women's access to HIV testing could help increase the use of HIV testing services in rural areas. Key words: HIV testing, Sexual behaviour, Women, South Africa, Prevalence

To improve online learning pedagogy within the field of paralegal education, this study investigated how paralegal students and paralegal instructors perceived the effectiveness of synchronous and asynchronous online paralegal courses. This study intended to inform paralegal instructors and course developers how to better design, deliver, and evaluate effective online course instruction in the field of paralegal studies.Survey results were analyzed using independent samples t-test and correlational analysis, and indicated that overall, paralegal students and paralegal instructors positively perceived synchronous and asynchronous online paralegal courses. Paralegal instructors reported statistically significant higher perceptions than paralegal students: (1) of instructional design and course content in synchronous online paralegal courses; and (2) of technical assistance, communication, and course content in asynchronous online paralegal courses. Instructors also reported higher perceptions of the effectiveness of universal design, online instructional design, and course content in synchronous online paralegal courses than in asynchronous online paralegal courses. Paralegal students reported higher perceptions of asynchronous online paralegal course effectiveness regarding universal design than paralegal instructors. No statistically significant differences existed between paralegal students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of synchronous and asynchronous online paralegal courses. A strong, negative relationship existed between paralegal students’ age and their perceptions of effective synchronous paralegal courses, which were statistically and practically significant. Lastly, this study provided practical applicability and opportunities for future research. Akyol, Z., & Garrison, D. R. (2008). 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