Open Journal for Sociological Studies

i-iv

Authors: Murat Şentürk & Glenn W. Muschert

Introduction to the OJSS special issue.

55-66

Authors: Betül Kızıltepe

Demographic structures and difficult living conditions of metropolitan cities affect the search for different lifestyles by individuals living in these cities. This presents a different concept: lifestyle migration. In cities, spatial and social transformations, persuade individuals to have a simple life style than those who live in the metropolis. Today, the migration pattern has transformed from large-scale cities to smaller-scale cities. Boredom and the rat race of metropolitan life lead individuals to live in smaller-scale cities instead of large-scale. This study has explored people’s migration from İstanbul to provinces during the last three years. Findings suggests that increasingly people select locations to migrate to, considering the effect it will have on their quality of life. This research aims to indicate that urban density and changing urban conditions lead individuals to live in relatively smaller cities and reveal the different trends in urban life in the context of Turkey. In this research, which is based on the secondary data analysis, migration patterns and new urban trends have been determined by examining the intercity migration data of Turkey.

79-92

Authors: Ferhan Saniye Palaz

During the 1960s, Germany received high numbers of Turkish labor migrants, and this first generation has currently reached to old age. This qualitative research aims to discuss the social networks and engagements of these older Turkish migrants who have aged in Germany. Academia has shown growing interest in the importance of social capital of older people in the form of their social networks, social support, and social participation. This study focuses on their daily social interactions in Germany. The findings reveal that participation in associations, social clubs, and neighborhood social groups enables them to re-establish new social roles in post-retirement period and after their child-bearing years. Their small groups, which meet regularly, are valuable emotional support resources. Their relatively low human capital is argued to influence the homogeneity of their social networks, but not the variety of social engagements.

103-114

Authors: Ali Egi

This study aims to understand how young individuals in the Roma/Gypsy community experience the social exclusion in the employment process. This has been structured according to the qualitative research design based on experience, meaning, and processes. In-depth interviews and a focus group were conducted with 11 Roma youths aged 19-30 living in Balıkesir, Turkey. A semi-structured interview form was used for the interviews. The findings were analyzed by using a phenomenological approach. The findings are clustered on the basis of identity, space and employment: (1) The Roma youth are exposed to social exclusion due to their ethnic identity during the employment process and are therefore forced to work in temporary jobs. (2) The young Roma experience social exclusion, especially in job applications. (3) The Roma identity and the stigmatized neighborhoods associated with this identity lead to problems for Roma youth in job applications or working life. (4) The attitudes of Roma youth oriented social exclusion in employment vary according to the level of education. Finally, (5) It has been discovered that the relationship established by Roma youth with their neighborhoods has a three-dimensional character: “normalization, self-criticism and divergence”.

1-12

Authors: Eugene Gabriel Machimana & Phillip Nhlanhla

This study investigated alcohol misuse associated with risky sexual behaviour, which poses a challenge in South Africa, where the rate of HIV transmission is high. Southern Africa faces the challenge of HIV risk behaviour, which is linked to the misuse of alcohol. The use of the qualitative research methodology was appropriate, as the researchers were interested in gaining a deeper insight into and understanding of male youth’s perceptions. The findings also indicate that alcohol has a negative impact on HIV prevention. Unprotected sex, which is connected to alcohol misuse, is one of the ways in which the HIV pandemic is perpetuated. We recommend that a policy should be developed and implemented, with regards to the integration school programs on HIV and alcohol use, in order to enable young people to prevent HIV infection. Raise ongoing awareness of alcohol abuse in communities, in order to reduce the rates of HIV transmission.

21-34

Authors: Godfrey Thenga

South Africa forms part of the global village and is not exempted from goods piracy. These substandard goods pose physical and health risks to consumers and business. This study explored the policing of goods piracy in South Africa and the abilities of law enforcement agencies to police this crime. A qualitative research design was adopted. A literature review and interviews were conducted to provide an overview of this problem. The involvement of organized criminals exacerbates the problem and indications are that corruption is rampant in law enforcement agencies. Law enforcement agencies working in silos result in the rapid spreading of goods piracy. A shortage of skilled police members and a lack of training are identified as major problems. The findings of this study can serve as guidelines for preventative and reactive response mechanisms and can suggest ways of improving efficiency and effectiveness in policing goods piracy.

43-54

Authors: Bara Georgeta

Human violence is, above all, a recurring theme of contemporary societies, a worrying phenomenon that requires the prevention and intervention of the society of each society. The forms of violence are more and more conditioned, and we dress in new ways and the context of the manifestation becoming a fatality with care for people everywhere coexist. Although my doctoral dissertation aims at “school violence”, we cannot ask ourselves, take care to restrict their limits, of social control, poverty and frustration to accumulate the emergency period and social control, the institution in Romania must pandemic Covid-19, and how will the psychosocial impact be addressed at this time in terms of social relations and social lives. We approach in this paper the theoretical aspect and to supervise information about the scientist of this subject. We will capitalize on this material on some recent, careful international studies and information that attest to domestic violence and can be created over time during quarantine, and the poverty line is reached by vulnerable groups is the premise for many delicate, which can already be discovered.

37-44

Authors: Volodymyr Shelukhin

Street protest mobilization is one of the most important features of political system in contemporary Ukraine. Why do political parties appeal to streets? When does such activity become most probable? This research article proposes descriptive analysis of dependence between power to prevent action at the legislative body and tendency to be involved in street protest mobilization in the context of parties at the Ukrainian parliament of the 8th convening and street protests in October 2017. The main conclusion is that weakness or absence of power to prevent action at the parliament makes more probable street protest of this political force.

53-66

Authors: Georgios Stamelos & Panagiota Evangelakou

Nowadays, policy makers and scientists are promoting the idea that students should be involved in shaping their curriculum, as an essential dimension of student centered learning. After a brief discussion of this idea, we attempt to uncover which competences the students consider to be important. For this, we carried out relevant research in a Department of Primary Education in Greece with students in the final year of their initial education. The material used comes from the Tuning program. The research results reveal that students prioritize the competences that are directly linked to the school classroom, the act of teaching and school matters and place less importance on competences which are considered significant by the specialists and the policy makers, according to the specific bibliography. It seems that the students’ beliefs are more pragmatic and based on their previous school experience. However, this doesn’t facilitate innovative interventions and adjustments to new developments and trends. So, the question posed is: in the case of divergence between specialists and students regarding the curriculum, how could the issue be resolved?

1-8

Authors: Aireen Grace Andal

This piece of work focuses on examining how development is defined for what it is not based on selected literature in development studies. It maps out how literature in development studies frame the ideas related to the knowledge construction of development, its mixed meanings and multiple understandings. Analysis is generated in light of Peter Wagner’s (2012) investigation of development under the lens of sensitivities to “multiple modernities” approach. This work argues that “multiple modernities” offers a grounded analysis of reading development literature that can continue further deliberations on development through selections of existing literature and situating these accounts to the intersection of changing dynamic in the international arena. Further, this work highlights the role of ambiguity as an underrated characteristic of development. This account is particularly relevant not only because it unpacks the meaning of development, but also because it situates its concerns under the current context of changing international politics. This task is an attempt to reconfigure ways of “societal self-understandings” (Ibid.) by taking into account the variety of conceptual transformations of development along intense political activities among institutions and social forces. It is hoped that this work can (re)spark discussions on development, its understandings and muted nuances.

23-36

Authors: Panagiotis Giavrimis

Disability is a complex phenomenon and is related to the policies pursued at the socio-economic level of society. The purpose of this paper is, through two cases of multiple disabilities people, to investigate the educational framework of their integration within the context of the economic crisis in Greece. The semi-structured interview was used as a research tool, and the participants were mothers of two multiple disabilities students. The results discussed within the context of the social model revealed that, despite the existing legislation, the respective structures that support them have yet to be developed. In addition, the privatization of services during the period of economic crisis in Greece and the growing social inequalities have resulted in that families of low socio-economic status and uninsured people in experiencing social exclusion and being at disadvantage compared to those who have more financial resources.

47-58

Authors: Anisa Agastra

Conflicts are inseparable part of human society all over the world. Although much contemporary conflicts seem to be about political, ethnic, or religious differences, in fact these conflicts generally have an economic, and a political basis. One of the most important nowadays issue is how people manage conflict situations, driven by interests, seemingly incompatible values and hostilities. Albanian State Police strategies vision is supporting new arrangements and innovation about police communication services. In addition, it appears necessary for police officers to be prepared for effective intervention and conflict resolution. The objective of this research is to examine conflict situations and relationships in police institution. The aim is to find out which appropriate methods of analysis or management strategies are better for solutions between parties of conflicts. The method used for the conduction of this work is a qualitative one, combined with analyses of data of a short survey process. Through the literature research and analyses of the data collected from the survey there are provided ways or manners of dealing and managing conflicts situations between police officers, people and police officers or police officers in front of people who conflict to each other. Analysis of the collected data have revealed in the conclusion that in order to perfectly resolve and manage conflict situations, it’s necessary to primary deeply analyze situations. This works in police officers case, too. As a main conclusion of this paper, each police officer who deals with a conflict situation has to structure their work plan and has to mention the main points like: description of the situation, identification of six phases of a conflict situation, deepening analysis based on the “mapping” method, following police procedures and finding a path for an adequate management and solution. Mapping method is used in terms of in-depth analysis of conflict situations to bring out better understanding of conflicts causes and parties.

71-82

Authors: Panagiotis Giavrimis, Theodoros Eleftherakis & Gerasimos Koustourakis

The purpose of this research was to investigate the phenomenon of shadow education in Greece during the second decade of the 21st century, focusing on the differences between formal and shadow education, the characteristics (of shadow education) and the reasons of its existence. The results showed that the liberalization of education during the recent decades was accurately implemented in the institution of shadow education. Knowledge is becoming a commercialized product and the choice for private education is made through private-financial criteria. Restrictive and maladaptive educational policies and decisions about the educational needs of Greek students exacerbate the purposes of shadow education development.

93-108

Authors: Arpie Balian & Nayiri Shorjian

The research explores the political, economic, social challenges and security priorities in state building in Armenia. It examines the government’s efforts directed towards state-building, depicting the major challenges involved and exploring the framework of reforms that would measurably contribute to state-building. The study uses a qualitative explanatory research design based on content analysis of literature, interviews, a “roadmap” speech by the former president of the republic and the current government strategic plan. The study then focuses on state building primarily focusing on good governance and associated elements of democracy as prerequisites for a high-functioning state. The findings reveal a relationship between the quality of public institutions and state-building attributing the relatively slower democratization and state building progress to institutional deficiencies in governance. We claim that resolving each of the political, economic and social challenges separately would not lead to state-building. It is important to tackle the root causes of these challenges by focusing on increasing the capacity and efficacy of public institutions guided by the pillars of democracy and good governance.