Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Voting For Winners And Losers In A Hybrid Regime: How Thailand's 2023 Election Shaped Voter Opinion, Jacob Ricks, Allen Hicken

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Research in Western Democracies suggests voting has substantive impacts on how one feels about democracy and state institutions. Voting for winners leads to positive feelings while voting for losers has the opposite effect. How, though, do voters interpret electoral results in a system prone to authoritarian intervention? Thailand's 2023 election offers a unique opportunity to examine how voting in a hybrid regime can impact voter opinion. Using a pre- and postelection survey, we demonstrate that, like elections in democracies, an election in a hybrid regime can have a significant impact on voter opinions. When pro-democracy voters win an election in …

Strategizing Towards The Future Hospital: A Systems Thinking Approach, Ashish Kumar, Sean Shao Wei Lam, Sze Ling Chan, Yingqi Xu, Yao Ge, Geoffrey Kah Tack Gui, Hiang Khoon Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

Background: The complex systemic nature of Future Hospital design in the rapidly ageing city-state of Singapore calls for systems thinking. We apply this approach to answer two research questions: (i) What are the variables that drive the present and future dynamics of the Future Hospital system? (ii) How are these driving variables related? Methods: Causal loop diagrams (CLDs) were developed collaboratively by a cross-functional system modelling team through group modelling discussions and reviews, totalling 20 sessions. Network analysis of the resulting CLDs was used to identify dominant variables. Results: Seven interlocking CLDs (national view, cluster view, and study hospital top …

The Prospects Of The High Seas Treaty Decisively Reducing The Negative Biodiversity Impacts Of Distant Water Fishing Operations, Shirley V. Scott, Nengye Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

International fisheries law has so far proven inadequate to prevent over-fishing on the high seas, a key cause of biodiversity loss in areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ). Negotiation of the High Seas Treaty (Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction or BBNJ Agreement) afforded an opportunity to respond decisively to the worsening problem. The Treaty was concluded in 2023. It is yet to enter into force. Preparations and negotiations for the Treaty spanned some 20 years. By …

Greening Intelligence: Why Ai Infrastructure And Governance Must Evolve Together, Heng Wang, Poh Seng Lee

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

AI infrastructure is evolving faster than the regulation and governance needed to ensure it serves public and planetary interests.

The Latin American Principles For Out-Of-Court Workouts, Aurelio Gurrea-Martinez, Adolfo Rouillon

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Out-of-court workouts can save significant costs associated with the initiation of a formal insolvency proceeding. Therefore, they can help minimise the loss of value experienced by an insolvent firm, ultimately contributing to the maximisation of the returns to creditors and the reorganisation of viable but financially distressed businesses. Additionally, an out-of-court agreement can provide a level of flexibility and confidentiality that is usually lacking in formal insolvency proceedings. Thus, an out-of-court workout can serve as a valuable mechanism to deal with a situation of financial distress, especially in the context of countries with inefficient insolvency systems and companies with concentrated …

Entangled Exclusions: Borders, Frontiers And Urban Geopolitics From Northeast India, Prerona Das, Gaurav Mittal, Jasnea Sarma

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

An epicentre of ethnicity-based identity politics and exclusions, India's northeastern region has long been politically imagined as both a ‘frontier’ and ‘borderland’ for state control, territorialization, extractive economies and (re)developments by colonial and subsequent post-colonial regimes. In post-independence India, the region experienced many territorial assertions made on ethnic grounds. With the rise of religio-national and neoliberal politics, new urban ‘developments’ and connectivity projects in the region have deepened exclusions based on class, caste, ethnic and religious borders. These have, in turn, led to further displacement, enclavization, and ghettoization of minority communities who are deemed ‘non-native’ along ethnocentric lines. Taking two …

Infrastructuring Planetary Rural Geographies: A View From China’S Rural Construction Movement, Ningning Chen, Lily Kong, Yurui Li

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This commentary responds to Wang et al.'s (2023) call for planetary rural geographies by attending to the neglected infrastructural dimensions. In so doing, we show how China's rural construction movement demonstrates Wang et al.'s (2023) three geographies of planetary rurality: as spaces of crisis, conflict, and hope. Simultaneously, we address how planetary rural thinking can foreground infrastructural geographies and their destabilization of urban-centered discourses, leading to a reconsideration of rural–urban relationality. We then identify new insights that critical infrastructural studies offer to planetary rural geographies. This includes an emphasis on the material grounds, hidden politics, and non-linear temporal patterns of …

Do Birds Of A Nest Flock Together? A Study Of Home Provinces And Migration Paths Among Filipina Domestic Workers In Hong Kong, Tim F. Liao, Yasmin Y. Ortiga

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

There is strong evidence that migration is networked. However, it is unclear whether having the same province of origin can also lead to similar migratory paths. This study investigates the question of whether a shared home province among Filipina migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong is associated with shared or linked migration paths to Hong Kong. Using a unique data source, the 2017 Survey of Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong, we employed sequence analysis to identify which specific provinces exhibit stronger linkages between migratory trajectories among migrants from the same provinces and if so, whether certain provincial characteristics matter. …

Exploring The Relationship Between Intrinsic Capacity And Social Participation In Healthy Ageing: Evidence From Singapore, Li Ling Cheong, William Tov, Robin Wai Munn Choo, Chongsheng, Micah (Chen Chongsheng) Tan, Lay Khoon Lau, Wee Shiong Lim, Yew Yoong Ding, Paulin Tay Straughan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Objective: The World Health Organization has identified intrinsic capacity and functional ability as key constructs in enabling healthy ageing. However, functional ability is distinct from actual levels of social and physical participation, which research has shown to be associated with health and wellbeing. This study distinguishes between functional ability and actual levels of social and physical participation, and utilizes the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health framework to examine the relationship between IC and the two constructs. Methods: This study utilizes cross-sectional self-reported data from a nationally representative panel of Singapore residents aged 56–75 (N = 6,434). We performed …

Smu Appoints Professor Zhang Liandong As New Dean Of School Of Accountancy, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Singapore Management University (SMU) has appointed Professor Zhang Liandong [张连栋教授] as the new Dean of its School of Accountancy (SOA), effective 1 July 2025. With over seven years of leadership experience at SOA, Professor Zhang will lead strategic initiatives to elevate the School’s academic reputation and impact.

Educating Indians, Learning ‘Indianness’: Navigating Pluralistic Educational Infrastructures In Diasporic Singapore, Emma Grimley, Orlando Woods, Lily Kong

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

This paper advances the idea of ‘educational infrastructures’ to explore the slippages created by national education frameworks and the everyday ways in which citizen-subjects learn to be part of an ethno-cultural community. In doing so, we tease apart the differences between education as a top-down process of citizen-making and learning as a poly-directional assemblage of behaviours and influences that permeate the socio-spatial landscapes of ethnic belonging. We illustrate these theoretical arguments through an analysis of Singapore’s diasporic Indian community and the collapse of linguistically and culturally complex community backgrounds under the Mother Tongue policy. This leads to a pluralisation of …

Public Health Messaging About Dengue On Facebook In Singapore During The Covid-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis, Shirley S. Ho, Mengxue Ou, Nova Mengxia Huang, Agnes S.F. Chuah, Vanessa S. Ho, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Background:Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, has been a health challenge in Singapore for decades. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore encountered a serious dengue outbreak and deployed various communication strategies to raise public awareness and mitigate dengue transmission.Objective:Drawing on the Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) framework, this study examines how dengue-related messages communicated on Facebook (Meta) during the COVID-19 pandemic fall into the CERC themes. This study also seeks to understand how these themes differ between dengue outbreak (eg, 2020) and nonoutbreak years (eg, 2021). In addition, we explore how message themes on dengue changed across different CERC phases …

Park Cool Island Modifications To Assess Radiative Cooling Of A Tropical Urban Park, Graces N. Y. Ching, Sin Kang Yik, Su Li Heng, Beatrice H. Ho, Peter J. Crank, Moshe Eliezer Mandelmilch, Xiang Tian Ho, Winston T. L. Chow

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Many cities experience urban overheating from climate change and the urban heat island phenomenon. Previous studies demonstrate that parks are a potential nature-based solution to mitigate urban overheating through the ‘Park Cool Island’ (PCI) effect. PCI intensity can be measured through field measurements (FM) or remote sensing. This FM study used a network of meteorological sensors within a park and in its surrounding urban area to ascertain its PCI intensity in Singapore from January to December 2022. Consistently cooler air temperatures were found throughout a 24-h period in the park area, with mean daytime (nighttime) PCI intensity measured ~ 2.21 …

Religious Freedom In The Ussr After The Russian Orthodox Church Restoration In September 1943: Us Viewpoint, Eduard Khodun

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with the reaction of American society to changes in the religious policy of the Soviet Union during World War II. After the reestablishment of the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church in September 1943, assessments of the state of religious freedom in the USSR ranged from optimistic, which considered this event as a relaxation of restrictions or even the beginning of a new type of relationship between the regime and religious communities, to deep skepticism, which was determined by the awareness of the true motives and goals of the Soviet leadership. The Kremlin's decision was seen as …

Verlan: Resistance To French Linguistic Standards By Maghrebi Communities, Phaedra Dunnigan

Honors Theses

From the moment language is acquired, it comes with implicit rules that structure communication and establish social expectations. “Proper” speech is linked to compliance and is often used to assess a person’s intelligence, identity, and social status. For this reason, language moves beyond communication and is used for deeper associative meanings that can group, judge, silence, and empower individuals.

Therefore, those who diverge from linguistic norms, whether by choice, necessity, or exclusion, often face significant social consequences. Language becomes an indicator of social conformity, while deviation can be a form of resistance. This resistance is particularly common among marginalized communities …

The Impact Of Religiosity And Violence Prevention Programs On Violence Amongst Adolescents In The U.S., Ngoc Nguyen, John Paulson, Quentin Maynard, Thu T. Ha

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Youth violence is a societal concern in the United States due to its negative consequences on individuals and communities. The current study aimed to examine the potential mitigating factors of violence prevention programs and religiosity in reducing youth violence among African American, White, Hispanic, and Asian American adolescents in the United States. It also tested the moderation effects of sex on religiosity and violence prevention programs with youth violence. Results of the main effects revealed that adolescents who attended violence prevention programs were generally less likely to engage in violence than those who did not; and that adolescents who were …

Editorial History

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Volume 27, Issue 2 Full Contents

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Statement From The Indiana Academy Of The Social Sciences And Board Of Directors

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Editor-In-Chief's Note, Surekha Rao

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mission And Editorial Policy

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Mobilizing Discord On The United States’ Many Borders: Critical Social Science And Geopolitical Complexity, Margath Walker

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

Attention to the political landscape connecting the United States, Mexico, and Central America has returned with glaring intensity, highlighting the visibly geostrategic elements of bordering practice. Scholars have focused on how state power materializes at multiple scales while at the same time being attentive to the contestable and mutable nature of myriad agentic forces. This talk operates similarly by considering prospects for a frictional and at times ambiguous spatial politics. I extend the notion of discord as a productive lens through which to consider securitization, mobility, and migration. I use two short examples—the border-industrial complex and migrant caravans—to illustrate my …

Author Biographical Notes

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Reviewers And Referees

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

George C. Roberts Award Recipients

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

96th Annual Iass Conference Call For Papers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Penggunaan Retorika Dalam Pidato Pengunduran Diri Mikhail Gorbachev: Kajian Wacana Kritis Norman Fairclough, Muhammad Shanneva Raynadi

Multikultura

This study analyzes the use of rhetoric in Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation speech on December 25, 1991, using one of Norman Fairclough's Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) approach, namely rhetorical aspect. This speech marked the dissolution of the Soviet Union and reflected the socio-political changes during Gorbachev's leadership, particularly concerning glasnost (openness) and perestroika (restructuring) policies. Through an analysis of Aristotle's five rhetorical elements—inventio, dispositio, elocutio, memoria, and pronuntiatio—this study finds that Gorbachev employed rhetorical strategies to reframe his reform ideas, establish credibility, and influence public perception of the ongoing political transition. The findings indicate that the speech was …

Integrating Doctrine & Diversity Speaker Series: Expanding Doctrinal Dialogue With Foreign And International Current Events Content 04-30-2025, Roger Williams University University School Of Law

School of Law Conferences, Lectures & Events

No abstract provided.

Honors Students’ Perceptions Of The Strength And Growth Areas Of Liberty’S Honors Program: An Ethnography, Nyah V. Gray

Senior Honors Theses

In her pursuit of both exploring and documenting Liberty University’s Honors culture, the author takes an ethnographic research approach; surveying existing literature on the history and development of Liberty’s Honors Program, expounding upon the concept of honors culture, surveying the effects of the new Honors College track’s implementation, and identifying honors students’ perceptions of the strengths and growth areas of the Honors Program. This study includes a literature review, the collection of 12 formal interviews, and use of the participant observation research method to analyze Liberty honors students’ perceptions of the program; ultimately ascertaining what they believe to be the …

Simulated Recovery: Measuring The Impact Of Structural Adjustment On Economic Development In Latin America, Daniel Espinal

Business and Economics Honors Papers

This paper uses synthetic control analysis to assess the long-term effects of structural adjustment policies on economic development. Focusing on Mexico as a case study, the findings indicate that these policies may have contributed to economic stagnation and widening inequality. By comparing actual outcomes with a synthetic counterfactual, the analysis reveals a notable divergence in performance over time. Reforms intended to stabilize the economy and promote growth—such as austerity, liberalization, and privatization—often led to reduced public investment, weakened institutions, and increased social vulnerability. The results support broader critiques of structural adjustment, suggesting that the costs of such interventions can outweigh …