Academic Study of Religion in Universities, Southwest Nigeria： In Search of Social Identity/Relevance

Social theorists have engaged religion as a social agent and submitted that it has the capacity to foster positive and negative changes in the society. Milton Yinger, Emile Durkheim, and Karl Marx lead the pack among other sociologists. The need to therefore interrogate religion as an agent of social engineering cannot be overemphasized normatively and functionally. One of the implications of such engagement is that religion; study and practice need to respond to issues in the society. Basic challenges facing the Nigerian nation are issues of poverty, diseases, corruption, and illiteracy. However, in Nigerian universities, the situation posits that religion is studied with theological intentions based on the curriculum bequeathed by the missionaries that laid the foundation for the academic study of religion in Nigeria leading to exclusive and reductionist approaches to its study. There is also government policy that placed emphasis on science and management courses for development. The situation has led to reduction in students＇ enrolments for the study of religion in Nigerian universities. Therefore, this paper seeks explanations for the non-functional design（s） of the curriculum for the academic study of religion in universities, southwest of Nigeria. Descriptive and analytic methods were adopted in the study to pursue the thesis that the academic study of religion in Nigeria should be rebranded and repackaged to respond and interrogate social challenges/problems, such as the scourge of HIV/AIDS plaguing the society thereby recreating a new social identity and relevance for its study.

Social Identity in The Tattooed Girl

The relationship between social class and social identity is that, on one hand, social identity is linked to social class and class distinction plays the most important role in determining social identity; and on the other hand, social identity stresses the individual＇s subjective feelings and it refers to the perception of the individual. What is important is the effect of the psychological essence of social identity. In Oates＇s The Tattooed Girl （2004）, an individual＇s perception of social identity has an impact on his or her behavior that causes conflicts between the characters. This paper will analyze the issue of social identity in The Tattooed Girl from the following aspects： How the lower class with a subordinate social identity experiences the personal struggles; How the middle class with a privileged social identity undergoes spiritual suffering due to the traumatic memory; And how the less advantaged attempts to break the social identity boundary, and how such efforts lead to tragedy.

Traumatic Memory and Social Identity: The Public Construction of the Nanjing Massacre's Historical Recognition

The Nanjing Massacre is an unmentionable World War II memory. Haunted by such a typical traumatic memory, the victims of the Nanjing Massacre are experiencing a social identity crisis which is subtle but should by no means be overlooked. There is no shortage of "national humiliation" arguments lamenting for their misfortune and raging over their servility. Yet at the same time, there are also face-saving attempts to deliberately amplify the Chinese people's resistance during the Massacre. These are all modern representations of the social identity crisis facing the victims of the Nanjing Massacre. 2017 marked the 80 th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre. Those who have not experienced that holocaust tend to blame the victims' lack of resistance spirit. Fundamentally, such criticism roots in no appropriate access to the real situation of the Nanjing Massacre and the extreme helplessness of those victims in the face of death. The underestimation of the power of extreme situations leads to the above fundamental attribution error. Therefore, China must construct a shared traumatic memory to secure the most extensive possible social identity for the victims of the Nanjing Massacre.

The Social Identity Approach to Effective Leadership： An Overview and Some Ideas on Cross-Cultural Generalizability

When employees identify with the groups and organizations they work for, this typically has positive implications for work-related attitudes and behaviors. The present paper provides a focused overview of the social identity approach to leadership and some ideas on its cross-cultural generalizability. To this end, we will first outline the basic tenets of the social identity approach and summarize the relations of organizational identification with work-related variables. Then, we will discuss the role of social identity-related concepts for effective leadership. In particular, we will present empirical studies on the following three aspects： （1） the transfer of leader identification onto their followers, （2） the role of leader prototypicality, and （3） the ways for leaders to actively manage the identities of the groups they lead. Finally, we will provide some suggestions on how to implement the principles of identity management into practice and offer suggestions for future research, with a special focus on China.

Identity Dynamics and Conflict in Collaborative Processes: The Case of Participatory Management of Protected Areas in Benin

The research reported in this paper investigated the role of identity construction in the emergence and escalation of conflict in the participatory management of protected areas in Benin. The study shows that social identity salience was dynamic and played an important role in the emergence and escalation of conflict in the studied cases. Conflicts emerged when identities became salient as a result of the stake-holders’ framing of contextual factors as a threat to their identity. The conflicts escalated when decisions and actions undertaken in the management process were framed as top-down and as posing a threat to the identities of the stakeholders. We conclude that, although the government in the management of the protected areas introduced participation, unilateral decisions taken about the way the conflicts should be managed caused disappointment and distrust, and thus led to a greater distance between the parties involved and to conflict escalation.

Social Construction Functions of Consumption Space under Stratification:The Case of Guangzhou

As Chinese cities rapidly transformed themselves into consumerist societies,the relationship between consumers and consumption space under stratification has become a new research area in the field of urban social geography.Based on a consumer behavior analysis,this study explores the relationship between consumption space and the social strata of consumers in typical shopping malls in Guangzhou where the first shopping mall in China was built.The result shows that shopping malls have performed significant constructive functions of organizing consumers from different social classes into different consumption space.For middle-and upper-class consumers,the function of shopping malls centers on utilitarian consumption,identity recognition,and identity construction;whereas for lower-class consumers,its function revolves around pleasure and enjoyment.The symbolism of consumption space is the underlying reason for shopping malls to have their social constructive function.The findings of this research suggest that:1) a shopping mall is a productive consumption space and a geographical space with subjectivity;2) the micro-location of a shopping mall has social construction function;and 3) symbolic consumption is the core of social construction.

Factors in International Student Identity Formation： Processes and Challenges

International students choosing to study abroad face a change in self-identity, which in many cases takes them by surprise and which is affected by a multiplicity of factors. Within the framework of Tajfel＇s Social Identity Theory, we examine the nature of identity and the many contexts in which it is shaped, mainly in reference to the ESL （English as a Second Language） classroom, but with broader implications for the students＇ experiences in Western classroom as a whole. We discuss the challenges facing not only students, but also faculty who wish to assist students in the formation of their new identities

Attitudes of the Host Population towards Syrian Refugees: A New Theoretical Perspective

This study delves into the nuanced attitudes of the host community in Izmir,Turkey,towards Syrian refugees,employing a robust threat and benefit theoretical model.It scrutinizes the multifaceted factors contributing to perceived threats and benefits,elucidates the reasons behind the variation in these attitudes,identifies the individuals responsible for holding these perspectives,pinpoints the specific contexts in which they manifest,examines the temporal dimension of these attitudes,and dissects the profound impact they have on mutual adaptation processes and the formulation of migration policies.A diverse group of 34 participants from the host community actively engaged in semi-structured interviews,comprising 16 females and 18 males across an age spectrum spanning 19 to 64 years.Thematic analysis methodically uncovered that economic and demographic considerations prominently constitute the bedrock of perceived threats,while conversely,the study illuminated financial contributions as pivotal benefits.The in-depth understanding garnered from this study holds significant promise for fostering enduring mutual adaptation between the host and refugee communities,thereby cultivating a more harmonious coexistence.Additionally,this nuanced insight informs the strategic development of immigration policies,ensuring they align with the evolving dynamics of this complex relationship.

Sugar and Spice, and Everything Nice： Do Female Stereotypes Supersede In-group Favoritism Among Men When Evaluating Female Criminal Suspects in News Stories？

Some scholars argue that stereotypes of women as docile and non-violent result in women receiving leniency from the public compared to men who commit identical crimes. However, others assert that women who commit violent crimes violate traditional gender roles, which can lead the public to evaluate them more harshly than their male counterparts. More than 900 adults read news stories about either a woman abusing a man or a man abusing a woman before evaluating the criminal suspect. Female participants showed in-group favoritism towards criminal suspects that matched their gender. Conversely, male participants did not show a preference for their in-group. Overall, both male and female participants were more likely to believe the crime was justified, have more sympathy for the criminal suspect, assign less jail time, and have a more positive attitude towards the suspect when the criminal suspect was female vis-a-vis male. These findings were more pronounced when there was a non-fatal crime compared to a crime involving a fatality. Chivalry hypothesis and social identity theory are discussed.

An Inquiry Into the Multimodal Teaching and Learning of EFL in Open University of China—Research Based on a Sharing Community of WeChat Group Chat of Students of Taizhou Radio&TV University

With the availability of technology,multimodal teaching and learning becomes an important part of English teaching and learning among English teachers in China and Chinese adult students.WeChat group chat is a platform where the multimodal resources are thrived,namely,links to an official account,photos of English expressions that come in the form of screen shots,etc.And to a group chat with English learning as a specific goal,the multimodal resources include the English conversations between teachers in the group and the teacher’s lecture as well.In order to figure out how exactly the multimodal teaching facilitates learning,and how the peer learning promotes learning,we carry out research based on a sharing community of WeChat group chat of students of Taizhou Radio&TV University organized by teachers of English as a foreign language(EFL).With the sizable data,this paper brings multimodal interaction,sociolinguistic interaction,and conversational analysis together.We explore how the teachers and students participate in the chat with their specific identities by means of a detailed analysis of the selected chat in the group within consecutive 10 months in a year(from March 5th,2019 to December 26th,2019)as well as the data analysis of a questionnaire.This paper contributes to the literature of how to motivate the adult students to participate in the English learning group chat.It also has potential applicability for educators to develop strategies for language learners to guide them in creating and transmitting their social identities.

Interpretation of Gastronomic Traditions within Tourism

This article presents a current EU project on the interpretation of Gastronomic European cultural heritage.Europe’s cultural heritage is highly diverse.This is by no means limited to museums,theatres,or castles;gastronomic traditions are also part of Europe’s cultural heritage.As an essential part of the collective European memory,it is essential to preserve this diversity.From an economic perspective,the preservation of cultural heritage is a crucial task for the future.Within the EU,more than 300,000 people work in the cultural heritage sector;in addition,there are about 7.8 million jobs in the EU that correlate indirectly with cultural heritage(e.g.,tourism).How could gastronomic traditions be used to support a sustainable tourisms development?

Using Twitter Bios to Measure Changes in Self-Identity:Are Americans Defining Themselves More Politically Over Time?

Are Americans weaving their political views more tightly into the fabric of their self-identity over time?If so,then we might expect partisan disagreements to continue becoming more emotional,tribal,and intractable.Much recent scholarship has speculated that this politicization of Americans’identity is occurring,but there has been little compelling attempt to quantify the phenomenon,largely because the concept of identity is notoriously difficult to measure.We introduce here a methodology,Longitudinal Online Profile Sampling(LOPS),which affords quantifiable insights into the way individuals amend their identity over time.Using this method,we analyze millions of“bios”on the microblogging site Twitter over a 4-year span,and conclude that the average American user is increasingly integrating politics into their social identity.Americans on the site are adding political words to their bios at a higher rate than any other category of words we measured,and are now more likely to describe themselves by their political affiliation than their religious affiliation.The data suggest that this is due to both cohort and individual-level effects.

Clientelism and identity

Electoral clientelism or vote buying has been regarded as undermining democratic institutions and weakening the accountability of the state towards its citizens,especially the poor.Social identity as a form of political mobilisation may contribute to this,enabling support to be won with clientelist transfers.This paper reports data from a novel laboratory experiment designed to examine whether clientelism can be sustained as a political strategy,and whether identity impacts the nature or efficacy of clientelism.Specifically,we design a voting and leadership game in order to examine whether individuals vote for clientelist allocations by a leader even at the expense of more efficient and egalitarian allocations.We find group identity does not significantly impact the prevalence of clientelist plans.Leaders are more likely,however,to choose allocations that provide fewer benefits(lower rents)to themselves when they are part of the majority in-group than when they are in the minority.

Workplace Marginalization： In the Group but Out of the Loop

Abstract New-entry employees expect to be involved rather than to be marginalized. This paper proposes a model to examine the process through which employees can be exempt from marginalization in their organization as a ＂political arena.＂ We argue that an employee, in order not to be marginalized, would like to perform high-quality in-role and extra-role behaviors and also develop good guanxi with his/her immediate supervisor. Moreover, the effects of employee efforts and guanxi on workplace marginalization are moderated by the organization political climate. Two studies were performed to examine the hypothesized model. The pilot study employed a sample of civil servants to develop and validate the measurement of workplace marginalization. The main study collected matched data from 343 employees, 662 of their colleagues, and 343 immediate supervisors. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analysis show that employee job performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and supervisor-subordinate guanxi are negatively related to workplace marginalization. In addition, the negative relationship between guanxi and workplace marginalization is stronger in firms with less organizational politics than those with intensive politics.