Frontiers in Humanities and Social Research
Frontiers in Humanities and Social Research is a bi monthly international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to publishing empirical, academic, theoretical, and review research articles that contribute to the humanities, social research, and related field practices. All articles in this journal undergo rigorous and rapid review to meet the journal's quality standards.
Implementation Challenges in Vocational Education for Rural Women in China: Institutional Design and Structural Constraints
Vocational education is widely regarded as an important tool for China’s poverty alleviation efforts and rural revitalization. Relevant policies emphasize employment orientation and gender equality, but their actual effectiveness varies notably in practice. This paper examines issues in the design and implementation of vocational education policies for rural women and explores the reasons behind the gap between policy objectives and real-world outcomes. This study adopts a qualitative policy analysis approach. It constructs an analytical framework involving policy design, implementation processes, and outcome performance. By examining policy documents at both national and local levels and integrating existing research with relevant reports, the study analyzes institutional arrangements and implementation mechanisms. It focuses on structural factors, including gender norms, care responsibilities, curriculum design, and access to information. Findings show that while relevant policies have made some progress in resource allocation and training coverage, their underlying logic often maintains traditional gender divisions of labor. They pay insufficient attention to practical obstacles, such as caregiving burdens. At the implementation level, fixed training models, quantity-driven mobilization mechanisms, and unequal access to information limit rural women’s participation depth and agency. This hinders the stable conversion of training outcomes into employment and upward mobility. This paper argues that vocational education cannot truly promote the development of rural women until policy design systematically responds to structural gender constraints.
Governance Practices of Digital Platforms from the Perspective of Fluidity Governance: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Transformations— An Analysis Based on Actor-Network Theory
From the perspective of Actor-Network Theory (ANT), the governance of digital platform fluidity essentially manifests as a translational practice mechanism involving multiple heterogeneous actors, including digital platform enterprises, digital platform users, governments, and other businesses. This translational practice mechanism can be divided into four stages: problematization, interesement, enrollment, and mobilization. In current digital platform governance practices, these diverse human and non-human factors are interconnected and imbued with the meaning of fluidity governance, giving rise to multiple challenges in the translational practice: first, the disorder of the translational space within the context of fluid spaces; second, divergences in inter-subjective network relationships caused by the singularization of actors; and third, the deficiency of "obligatory passage points" in translation due to structural blockages. Consequently, in response to the practical demands of governing digital platform fluidity, it is imperative to address the challenges of translational practice in the new era by focusing on spatial integration, actor connection, and structural efficiency enhancement. This involves exploring strategies to optimize the actor-network of digital platforms, thereby promoting the transformation of modern social governance systems and capabilities.
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Delimiting the "Unsayable": Wittgenstein and Logical Holism
This paper aims to clarify a long-standing misconception in the history of philosophy by reconstructing the core arguments of early Wittgenstein’s philosophy, namely the identification of his early thought with the Logical Atomism advocated by Bertrand Russell. Through a systematic analysis of Wittgenstein's strict demarcation between the "sayable" and the "unsayable," his particular treatment of the concept of "generality," and the priority of propositions over words in his theory of meaning, we argue that Wittgenstein’s early philosophy is essentially a form of Logical Holism. This holism is not a metaphysical doctrine about the composition of the world but the necessary conclusion of his linguistic critique and study of logical syntax. It fundamentally rejects the atomistic model that posits simple entities as the foundation of meaning. Furthermore, this paper will reveal that this holistic perspective, grounded in the "unsayable," provides a deep and coherent philosophical foundation for his later "grammatical investigations" in the Philosophical Investigations and his revolutionary epistemological views concerning "certainty" and "world-picture" in On Certainty [1]. This paper concludes that understanding Wittgenstein solely through the label of "Logical Atomism" not only obscures the originality and profundity of his thought but also severs the intrinsic conceptual thread, based on "delimitation" and "showing," that connects his early and later philosophy.
Irreplaceability of Human Beings in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: Empathy and Embodied Aesthetics in Musical Performance
The rapid development of artificial intelligence has reshaped the boundaries of artistic creation. As AI algorithms increasingly demonstrate the capacity to simulate composition, painting, and even literary creativity, the “irreplaceability of human beings” in artistic practices has emerged as a central issue in contemporary aesthetics and the philosophy of technology. Focusing on musical performance as a core case study, this article investigates the unique value that performing arts continue to hold in the age of AI. It argues that the aesthetic significance of musical performance lies not in the produced artistic outcome but in the embodied, situational, and relational processes through which performers and audiences co-create affective resonance and social connectedness. By examining the semiotic mechanisms of AI-generated art, theories of autopoiesis, and the dynamics of human emotional intimacy, the study demonstrates that although AI can reproduce artistic forms, it cannot generate the life-oriented intentionality or empathic structures inherent in human expression. Drawing on findings from cognitive neuroscience—particularly mirror-neuron systems and emotional empathy mechanisms—the article further analyzes the psychological differences in audience perception when encountering artificial versus human performance. Consequently, it contends that the relationship between AI and performing arts should not be framed in terms of substitution or conflict but rather as a dynamic force driving the self-renewal of the artistic system. The delineation of this boundary constitutes not only a technological issue but also an aesthetic and ethical one.
Exploring the interactive mechanism between psychological resilience and career sustainability of rural special-post English teachers in China
Rural special-post English teachers in China work under challenging conditions, including limited resources, professional isolation, and restricted career advancement, making sustained teaching careers difficult to maintain. This study develops a conceptual model to examine how psychological resilience interacts with career sustainability in this group. Drawing on Mansfield’s four-dimensional resilience framework and contemporary career sustainability theory, the model identifies three core pathways—adaptive functioning, resource accumulation, and career identity development—through which resilience supports long-term professional engagement. It also emphasizes the reciprocal nature of this relationship: sustainable career conditions further strengthen teachers’ resilience, forming a cyclical mechanism that promotes stable and meaningful retention. Although conceptual in design, the study provides a theoretical foundation for future empirical work and offers practical implications for supporting rural teachers through resilience-informed professional development and policy interventions. The conceptual analysis contribute to a deeper understanding of how special-post English teachers navigate adversity and sustain their careers in rural educational contexts.
Collaborative Teaching Pathways between Marxist Political Economy and Western Economics from an Interdisciplinary Perspective
In the context of China’s turn toward high-quality development and the expanding digital economy, university economics education faces a dual challenge: to consolidate Marxist political economy as the fundamental guiding framework while drawing effectively on Western economics as a core analytical toolkit. In practice, however, these two theoretical traditions are often taught in parallel and in isolation, resulting in fragmented knowledge structures, weak connections between theory and practice, and a limited ability of students to interpret complex socio-economic issues from multiple perspectives. This study responds by proposing an interdisciplinary model of collaborative teaching between Marxist political economy and Western economics. Using literature review, comparative analysis and illustrative teaching cases, it clarifies the distinct yet complementary teaching objectives and core categories of the two theories, and constructs a rationale grounded in constructivist learning theory, dialectical materialist epistemology and interdisciplinary education theory. On this basis, the study develops a three-dimensional pathway of “theoretical mutual learning, methodological integration and practice bridging.” Concretely, it suggests restructuring course content around shared themes such as value, distribution, digital economy and common prosperity; designing dual-theory case teaching, blended learning and cross-course project-based learning; and building collaborative education platforms that connect classroom teaching with university–industry cooperation, academic exchange and field-based social investigation. The paper argues that, supported by cross-disciplinary teacher development, multi-dimensional assessment and integrated teaching resources, this collaborative model can transform the prevailing parallel pattern into a synergistic one and significantly enhance the quality and integrity of economics education in Chinese universities.
Curriculum ideological and political education
Balanced Diplomacy between Regional Order and Medium Powers: A Study on Thailand's Strategic Evolution in the ASEAN Framework
Since the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 1967, Thailand, as one of the founding members, has always played a key role in the ASEAN integration process and regional diplomacy pattern. This paper aims to systematically analyze Thailand's diplomatic strategic logic, main practices and challenges under the ASEAN framework. The study found that the core goal of Thailand's diplomatic strategy is to maintain national security, promote economic development and enhance regional influence through multilateralism. This paper analyzes from four aspects: historical evolution, diplomatic concepts, policy practices and future directions, and combines the new situation of regional security and economic cooperation, and proposes that Thailand should further strengthen its core position in ASEAN under the strategic framework of "balance-initiative-innovation".
On the Foundational Role of A Madman’s Diary in Shaping the Narrative Paradigm of Modern Chinese Fiction
Lu Xun’s “A Madman's Diary” (1918) is universally acknowledged as the genesis of modern Chinese literature. This paper argues that its significance transcends this chronological primacy, positing that the story is a foundational text that deliberately constructed a new narrative paradigm that defined Chinese literary modernity. This paradigm is characterized by a revolutionary synthesis of three elements: (1) a radical shift to subjective, psychological interiority enabled by a first-person, unreliable narrator; (2) the strategic weaponization of literary form—specifically allegory and satire—as a tool for incisive socio-cultural critique; and (3) the ideological and aesthetic championing of vernacular Chinese (baihua) over its classical counterpart (wenyan). This paper first establishes the historical and intellectual context of the New Culture and May Fourth Movements that necessitated this literary break. It then conducts a close formal and thematic analysis of the story, dissecting its “diglossic warfare” (the wenyan frame versus the baihua diary), its modernist exploration of consciousness, and its central “cannibalism” metaphor as a multi-layered deconstruction of Confucian tradition. Finally, the paper traces this paradigm’s profound and enduring legacy, examining its immediate influence on May Fourth literature, its complex canonization during the Mao era, and its continued resonance in the works of contemporary authors such as Mo Yan and Yu Hua. The paper concludes that “A Madman's Diary” functions as both a national allegory and a work of world literature, whose final plea to “Save the children” remains a timeless call for humanistic renewal.
The Impact of AI-Powered Adaptive Learning on Student Performance in Undergraduate Mathematics
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education has revolutionized traditional teaching methodologies, particularly through adaptive learning systems that personalize instruction based on individual student needs. This study examines the impact of AI-powered adaptive learning platforms on undergraduate mathematics performance, exploring how these intelligent systems enhance learning outcomes through real-time content adaptation and personalized feedback mechanisms. By analyzing recent empirical evidence and implementation frameworks, this research demonstrates that AI-driven adaptive systems significantly improve student achievement in mathematics courses, with effect sizes ranging from 0.36 to 0.42 standard deviations compared to traditional instruction methods. The study also investigates the underlying architectural mechanisms through which these systems operate, including distributed data processing, knowledge graph modeling, and multi-user adaptive delivery systems. Furthermore, this research addresses implementation challenges and provides insights into optimal deployment strategies for maximizing educational effectiveness in diverse undergraduate mathematics contexts. Findings suggest that while AI-powered adaptive learning shows considerable promise in enhancing mathematical competency through scalable architecture and personalized knowledge mapping, successful implementation requires careful consideration of pedagogical design, technological infrastructure, and instructor training to ensure sustainable educational transformation.
ACGN Culture on Adolescent Social Media Platforms: The Construction of Cultural Identity and Group Belonging
This study investigates the mechanisms through which participation in ACGN (Anime, Comics, Games, and Novels) fan communities on Chinese social media platforms contributes to the construction of cultural identity and a sense of group belonging among adolescents. Situated within the framework of Social Identity Theory, this research posits that active community engagement and perceived group cohesion are significant predictors of these psychological outcomes. A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 485 Chinese adolescents (aged 14-19) who are active members of online ACGN communities. Data were collected via an online questionnaire measuring four key constructs: ACGN Community Engagement, Perceived Group Cohesion, Cultural Identity Formation, and Sense of Group Belonging. Two multiple linear regression models were employed for data analysis. The results indicate that both ACGN Community Engagement and Perceived Group Cohesion are strong, statistically significant positive predictors of both Cultural Identity Formation (R^2 =0.56 and Sense of Group Belonging (R^2 =.63). These findings provide empirical support for the application of Social Identity Theory in digital subcultural contexts and underscore the critical role of online fan communities as spaces for significant developmental work during adolescence. The study concludes that these digital environments are not merely for media consumption but function as vital social worlds where identity is explored, and belonging is forged.
A Study on Generation Z Users' Social Media Information Visibility Management Behaviour: Influencing Factors and Path Analysis Based on Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour
[Purpose/Significance] This study investigates the motivations and influencing pathways of information visibility management behaviours on social media platforms among Generation Z users in a digital context. Recommendations are proposed from both user and platform perspectives to optimise the social media experience. [Methodology] Using university students as representative Z-generation participants, this study employs the Theory of Planned Behaviour framework augmented with perceived risk factors. Data collected via questionnaire analysis identifies characteristic information visibility management behaviours on WeChat Moments and other typical social media platforms. Structural equation modelling validates the influence pathways. [Results/Conclusions] Emotional satisfaction, self-disposal norms, and perceived risk exert positive effects on the intention to engage in information visibility management behaviour. Perceived control and the privacy information risk component of perceived risk positively influence such behaviour. The intention to self-dispose positively impacts information visibility management behaviour and mediates the path from privacy information risk and privacy social risk to self-disposal behaviour.
Information visibility management behaviour
A Study on Information Re-editing Behavior of Gen Z Users in UGC Platform Based on Grounded Theory
[Objective/Significance] This study analyzes the influencing factors and behavioral characteristics of Generation Z users're-editing behaviors on user-generated content (UGC) platforms based on their own published content. It explores the online information behavior characteristics of Generation Z users, aiming to enrich and expand research in the field of user information behavior and provide references for UGC platforms to understand user needs. [Methods/Process] Grounded in grounded theory, this study investigates the influencing factors of Generation Z users' information re-editing behaviors on UGC platforms. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and processed via three-level coding to construct an impact factor model for users 'information re-editing behaviors. [Results/Conclusion] The behavior of users re-editing information based on their own published content on platforms results from the interaction between individual users and environmental factors, as well as pre-and post-action factors. Key elements include: publishing purposes, self-presentation, platform mechanisms, social norms, interpersonal communication, information leakage, peer feedback, and work popularity. Additionally, Generation Z users're-editing behaviors on UGC platforms exhibit distinct goal-oriented tendencies, pronounced "internet celebrity mentality," and a tendency to filter out negative information.
Research on Cyber Insult Crimes in China from a Crime Script Perspective: An Empirical Analysis Based on 89 Judicial Decisions
Grounded in environmental criminology and employing a crime script methodology, this study conducts an empirical analysis of 89 judicial decisions on the offense of cyber insult in China from 2014 to 2024, examining types, pathways, characteristics, causes, and governance strategies. Findings show four crime types: emotion-driven catharsis (64.04%), interest-dispute driven (14.61%), sex-related online conflict (6.74%), and relationship-unclear (17.98%). Key features include higher incidence in East and North China; female offenders concentrated in emotion-driven cases (75%); intensified harm under the “WeChat plus multi-platform” combined insult pattern; and “aggregative” diffusion of consequences. Script analysis indicates a common pathway of “conflict—opportunity pre-setting—open insult.” Offender profiling identifies typical groups such as “men engaging in extreme breakup retaliation” and “women betrayed in intimate relationships.” Causal analysis spans the individual level (offender, victim, third-party platform), legal level (legal characterization, offense nature, legislative gaps), and social level (herd behavior among netizens, platform review failures). Governance recommendations propose four pathways: enhancing digital literacy and rights awareness among netizens, strengthening platform algorithmic oversight, advancing legislative and litigation mechanisms, and improving law-enforcement training and fairness in practice.
A Study on Regional Disparities in the Employment Effects of Minimum Wage Increases
This study examines the heterogeneous employment effects of minimum wage increases across different regions, focusing on disparities driven by local economic conditions. Against the backdrop of ongoing debates about the employment impacts of minimum wage policies, this research addresses the critical gap in understanding how regional factors—such as cost of living, industrial composition, and labor market tightness—moderate these effects. Using a difference-in-differences methodology applied to longitudinal employment data from diverse regions over a decade, the analysis reveals that minimum wage hikes have negligible employment consequences in high-cost urban areas but lead to modest employment reductions in low-income rural regions. These findings underscore the importance of tailoring minimum wage policies to regional economic contexts to mitigate adverse outcomes. The study contributes to policy discussions by advocating for geographically differentiated approaches to minimum wage implementation.
Clustering Analysis of Chinese Urban Household Types Based on Consumption Behavior
This study investigates the heterogeneity of urban household types in China through a clustering analysis of consumption behavior patterns. Against the backdrop of rapid economic growth and evolving consumption structures, understanding household consumption dynamics is critical for market segmentation and policy formulation. Using data from the China Household Finance Survey, this research applies the K-means clustering algorithm to categorize urban households based on expenditure variables across categories such as food, housing, education, healthcare, and leisure. The analysis identifies four distinct household clusters: necessity-oriented, education-focused, healthcare-prioritized, and balanced-spending types. Key findings reveal significant regional and socioeconomic disparities in consumption preferences, with education and healthcare expenditures becoming increasingly prominent among middle-to-high-income households. These results highlight the shifting consumption trends in urban China and offer valuable insights for businesses in tailoring marketing strategies and for policymakers in designing targeted social and economic programs.
Personalized Design Strategies and Implementation of Online Courses in Universities
The online delivery of courses by universities has become an important form of teaching. However, the interface designs of many online course platforms are still largely similar, failing to meet the diverse needs of learners in terms of cognitive styles, learning habits, knowledge bases, and browsing interests. This one-size-fits-all approach not only affects the learning experience but also weakens learners' participation and enthusiasm, leading to poor learning experiences and low efficiency in using functions, which in turn reduces learners' participation and enthusiasm and thus lowers learning efficiency. This paper analyzes the necessity of personalized interface design for online courses in universities, explores the challenges and solutions, and discusses the core strategies and technical implementation plans.
Construction of an Ideological and Political Resource Library for the Human Anatomy Course Based on the "Three Combinations and Three Forms"
The construction of the ideological paradigm and political resource base of human anatomy course based on the teaching of "Three Combinations and Three Forms" not only conforms to the direction of the reform and development of vocational education in China, but also has urgent practical significance and long-term social value. It can not only effectively promote the deep integration of professional education and ideological and political education, but also help to comprehensively train high-quality nursing talents who meet the needs of the new era, which has far-reaching influence on the long-term development of China's medical and health cause and social civilization progress. This paper first expounds the necessity of the construction of ideological and political resource database for the course of human anatomy in higher vocational nursing, defines the content of the construction of resource database including text database, photo database, video database, simulation question database and ideological and political practice case database, and puts forward the path and specific steps of the construction of resource database, aiming to realize the comprehensive study of human anatomy for nursing students and the deep integration of ideological and political education. In order to train students to have correct medical values, medical ethics and benevolence, humanistic love, scientific spirit, improve the quality of personnel training and employment competitiveness.
Ideological and political education in courses
A study on the long-term preservation behavior of college students' personal travel born digital resources
In the digital era and tourism era, exploring the long-term preservation behavior of college students' personal tourism born digital resources has a positive significance in promoting the retention of personal digital memory. Twenty-one samples were selected as semi-structured interview subjects to be interviewed to obtain primary data, and with the help of qualitative analysis software Nvivo12, the model of long-term preservation behaviors of college students' personal tourism born digital resources was constructed by using the rooting theory. It was found that the influencing factors of college students' long-term preservation behavior of personal tourism born digital resources include personal dimension (personal needs), tourism dimension (tourism context, tourism cost and tourism decision), information dimension (information value, information characteristics) and environment dimension (social environment, technological environment).With the help of rooted theory research method, the theoretical model of long-term preservation behavior of college students' personal tourism born digital resources is systematically sorted out, and corresponding development suggestions are put forward to the relevant responsible parties.
Exploring Malicious Comments behavior on Social Media: An Analysis from Cognition, Affect , and Conation
With the development of social media, user behavior on these platforms has become a focal point of research. However, less attention has been paid to irrational information behaviors in the study of social media user behavior. Malicious comments fundamentally reflect the irrational behavior of social media users. This paper, based on the cognition-affect-conation theoretical model, constructs a structural equation model that includes malice, individual constraints, radicalized emotions, and malicious comment behavior. Through 214 questionnaires, SEM is used to analyze the path relationships between cognitive bias, radicalized emotions, and malicious comment behavior, as well as the factors influencing radicalized emotions. The study findings indicate: (1) the objective perception of information malice is not related to malicious comment behavior. (2) Subjectively perceived information malice significantly positively influences both radicalized emotions and malicious comment behavior. (3) Individual cognitive constraints significantly positively influence both radicalized emotions and malicious comment behavior. (4) Radicalized emotions, acting as a mediating variable, significantly positively influence malicious comment behavior. The conclusions of this study will provide theoretical references for publishing accurate information on social media, reducing online hostility, and building a healthy and harmonious online environment.
Narrative Strategies in Sherwood Anderson’s Death in the Woods
Sherwood Anderson’s Death in the Woods utilizes intricate narrative strategies to explore the themes of isolation and existential reflection. This essay focuses on three key techniques:(1) a complex first-person narrator whose framing creates intimacy yet reveals subjectivity; (2) the narrator’s unreliability, stemming from distance and invention, questioning factual truth; and (3) narrative time manipulation, using flashbacks, varied pacing, and repetition. These intertwined techniques help to create a hauntingly ambiguous meditation on life, death, and human relationship.
Analysis of Narrative Situation in The Torrents of Spring
Ernest Hemingway (1899-1961) stands as one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th century and is revered as a master of modern narrative art. In 1954, he was honored with the Nobel Prize in Literature. In 1926, Hemingway created the only parody The Torrents of Spring, which combines humor, satire, romanticism and naturalism, and uses rich narrative techniques. From the perspective of narratology, this paper studies the narrative situation: narrative person, narrative focalization and narrative manner in this novel, trying to explain Hemingway’s exceptional narrative art.
Investigating Sports News Headlines from the Perspective of Conceptual Metaphors: A Case Study of Headlines during the Qatar World Cup
This paper, based on the theory of conceptual metaphors, uses sports news headlines from the Qatar World Cup as the research object and systematically analyzes the patterns of metaphor application in sports news. The study found that there are three main types of conceptual metaphors in sports news headlines: structural metaphors are the most abundant, including the war metaphor that compares football matches to war (e.g., "迎战" and "备战") and the journey metaphor that views the match process as a journey (e.g., "首发" and "全场"); orientation metaphors express changes in status through up and down concepts, such as using "暴涨" and "晋级" to indicate positive states, and "止步" to express adverse outcomes; entity metaphors are primarily based on container metaphors, using terms like "挺进" and "入围" to conceptualize match stages as spaces that can be entered. These metaphorical expressions utilize familiar concepts to explain abstract sports content, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of news headlines and the efficiency of information dissemination and reflecting the value of metaphors as an important cognitive tool in news communication.
The Impact of Live E-commerce Marketing Strategies on Consumers' Purchase Intention —— An Empirical Study Based on JD.com
This study examines the influence of live streaming e-commerce marketing methods on consumers' purchase intentions, using the JD.com platform as a case for empirical analysis. Data were gathered via surveys and evaluated employing quantitative research methodologies to elucidate the impact of various marketing strategies on customer decision-making. The research findings indicate that live streaming hosting, time-sensitive discounts, and interactive live broadcasts significantly enhance consumers' buy intentions, with time-sensitive discounts having the most pronounced effect. The research findings assist JD.com and other e-commerce platforms in refining live-broadcast marketing strategies and enhancing consumer conversion rates.
Reflections on Human Ethics and Research Directions in the Classical Chinese Novel Complete Legend of the White Snake
As a pivotal narrative within the “Legend of the White Snake” tradition, The Complete Tale of the White Snake (Bai She Quanzhuan) embodies multiple layers of Chinese cultural imagination concerning morality, emotion, humanity, and the supernatural. This paper examines its textual characteristics and historical evolution by comparing it with other narrative variants from the Ming and Qing dynasties. Further, it explores the underlying moral views, religious beliefs, and narrative logic embedded in folk traditions. The study highlights how this tale has been continuously adapted and reinterpreted in contemporary media—from Tian Han’s theatrical adaptations in the mid-20th century to recent animated films—demonstrating a dynamic process of cross-media transformation and cultural revitalization. Through comparative literature analysis and multimodal case studies, this paper argues that the White Snake narrative serves as a medium of cultural identity and emotional resonance, whose fluid structure enables renewed vitality in modern contexts. The research contributes to a deeper understanding of how traditional Chinese narratives are recontextualized and transmitted within contemporary media systems.
Transpersonal Psychology and Social Cohesion: How Spiritual Practices Foster Unity in Modern Communities
This research aims to investigate the role of transpersonal psychology in underpinning social cohesion in contemporary communities subject to fragmentation, which results directly from urbanization and technology alienation [1]. The research utilizes an interdisciplinary approach to delve deeper into a hypothetical gap in social cohesion theories suffered by modern-day communities. This research utilizes Ericksonian hypnosis and Reiki practice as potential interventions addressing gaps within social cohesion theories. Critically evaluate the contribution of these psychologies in promoting social cohesion through qualitative analysis of three anonymized cases derived from the author’s UK clients (2022-2025, aged 28-60) who every week attended an 8-week prospective study program consisting of weekly sessions that were 60 minutes long and focused on hypnotic nature imagery and Reiki energy balancing. Findings reveal key outcomes: increased trust, community involvement, and belonging, with participants initiating activities like gardening groups and support networks. Grof has also contributed his work that supports the development of collective harmony in society through transcendent experiences [4]. This research enriches interdisciplinary fields because it links psychology and social sciences (social capital and ethical unity) while reflecting on the impairments of materialist paradigms. Although the scope of this study was small and thus the sample size not very strong, it provides a humanistically inspired perspective on disconnection within society. It also offers practical implications regarding community development programs and how transpersonal approaches can reinvigorate community resilience in contemporary times.
Body, Emotion, and Soul: The Evolution of Alzheimer’s Disease Representation in Chinese Films and Television Programmes
As China’s population continues to age, the number of cases of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is rising to become the highest in the world. Film and television works reflect Chinese society’s understanding of, and imagination surrounding, the disease, objectively building a bridge of understanding between the audience and this serious illness. This study analyses 41 Chinese films and television programmes about Alzheimer’s disease from 1993 to 2024. It finds that, over three decades and alongside the evolution of Chinese national culture and social concepts, the depiction of Alzheimer’s disease in Chinese films and television programmes has evolved through three distinct phases. Starting with an early focus on the disabled body, progressing to a mid-stage portrayal of patients’ emotions, and culminating in the current emphasis on patients’ inner journeys, this evolution reflects the inheritance and adherence to traditional Chinese societal ethics and morality. It also demonstrates the decline and transformation of the traditional family ethical order in the face of the disease, reflecting the in-depth thinking and diverse expression of film and television creators on the subject. This paper argues that China, having entered a deeply ageing society, requires a greater variety of Alzheimer's disease-themed films to enhance public understanding of the disease.
An analysis of Chinese and Western thought and culture from the perspective of the development of gunpowder's uses.
Gunpowder, as one of the four great inventions of ancient China, its history of application differentiation profoundly reveals the differences in thought and culture between China and the West. It was initially applied in military affairs in the Tang Dynasty, and in the Song Dynasty, it developed into fire weapons such as "Thunderclap Cannon" and gave rise to the culture of fireworks. However, constrained by the Confucian ideology of "valuing ethics over technology", the technology of gunpowder gradually stagnated at the empirical level and failed to form a scientific development theory. After being introduced to Europe via the Arabs, the Westerns combined gunpowder with mathematics and chemistry, developing an efficient weapon system and turning it into a powerful tool for colonial expansion. This divergence in technological paths reflects the deep-seated thinking patterns and cultural values of the two civilizations. This article will start from the different purposes of using gunpowder in the China and the West, and objectively analyze the ideological and cultural factors behind the development and application of gunpowder from aspects such as Confucian thought in China, the expansionist ideology of Western civilization, social structure and institutional factors, and the differences between intuitive thinking and rational thinking. In the era of globalization, the paradox of gunpowder tells us that true progress requires transcending the binary opposition of "experience and theory", "ethics and interests", and finding a balance point for the benevolent use of science and technology in the mutual learning of civilizations.
Summary of Studies on Language Policy in Hong Kong and Macao
Hong Kong and Macao, as an inalienable part of China's territory, have unique historical, political and cultural backgrounds, which together shape the complex and diverse linguistic pattern of Hong Kong and Macao. As an important means for the state and region to manage, standardize and develop language use, language policy plays an important role in the social life of Hong Kong and Macao. During the colonial period, Hong Kong formed a language pattern of emphasizing English over Chinese, while Macao used Chinese and Portuguese bilingualism as its official language. After the reunification, the language policies of the two places are gradually in line with the national common language policy, and at the same time, it is necessary to take into account the international needs and local language ecology. Taking the relevant literature in the field of language policy in Hong Kong and Macao in recent years as the object, this paper sorts out the historical evolution, present situation characteristics and future development trend of language policy in Hong Kong and Macao.
An Exploration of the Sinicization of Marxism: The Unity of Theory and Practice
The spread and practice of Marxism as a spiritual belief in China emphasizes its integration with traditional Chinese culture, adaptation to the changes in the stage of social development, and its application in the process of modernization. Through the analysis of the universality of Marxism and the necessity of sinicization and the challenges of sinicization in the context of globalization, this paper discusses the sinicization of Marxism in form and content, combines the Li Ziqi phenomenon, shows the experience of sinicization of Marxism in form and content, and tries to explore the feasible path of Sinicization of Marxism at the level of combining theory and practice. The Sinicization of Marxism should not only be carried out in form but also in content, so as to achieve the unity of theory and practice. The exploration of the Sinicization of Marxism is of great significance for the improvement of the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the independent development of Chinese society in the context of globalization.
The Impact of Organizational Management on Teachers' Work Motivation in China: A Mediation Analysis of Perceived Fairness
This study investigates how organizational management—particularly transparency in performance management and workload management—influences teachers' work motivation in China, with perceived fairness as a mediating mechanism. Findings indicate that clear performance standards and equitable workload distribution directly enhance both motivation and teachers' perceptions of fairness. Crucially, perceived fairness mediates this relationship: when teachers perceive decision-making and evaluations as fair, their intrinsic and extrinsic motivation improves significantly. The study further demonstrates that perceived fairness reinforces the positive effects of managerial practices on motivation. These results highlight the need for educational administrators to implement transparent and fair management systems, particularly in performance evaluation and workload allocation, to foster teachers' sense of fairness, thereby maximizing their work engagement and teaching quality.