Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Integrating Technology And Traditional Systems In Regional Revitalisation; Insights From Japanese Practices, Fathelalem Ali Hija, Yasuki Shima, Yuji Arakaki

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

This study examines the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solutions and advanced technology practices and their coexistence with conventional systems and initiatives that have been operating in different regions of Japan to address some of the socio-economic challenges. The methodological approach of the study includes three facets, namely government initiatives, technology involvement and local society actors. The study examines government visions and initiatives that emphasize the use of advanced technology as a key factor and tool to enable solutions and realize the target vision. The ageing population and economic stagnation are common challenges in different regions of Japan. …

Human Rights Of Psychiatric Patients In The State Of Kuwait, Samira Ahmed Alkanderi

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

There is no doubt that the right to have a good health is considered a basic human right which is closely linked to the other civil, political and economic human rights. It is a right for all people without any discrimination.

From the point of the belief of the international human rights community with the rights of patients who are suffering from mental or psychological sickness, the General Assembly of the United Nations issued in 1991 some principles, which admit the right of all persons to enjoy the right of getting the best available mental and psychological health care which …

Preventive Measures Of Burnout Among Mental Health Workers In Lebanon, Mona Ghazi Sayegh, Mayssah Ahmed El Nayal

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

This research aims to measure burnout among mental health workers in Lebanon and to identify the preventive measures they utilize not to exceed the danger threshold. The study follows the descriptive correlational comparative approach. Maslash Burnout Scale (MBI-HSS) and Preventive Measures Inventory (PMI) scale are applied to a random sample of mental health workers (psychotherapists and psychologists n = 110) in all Lebanese governorates. The effect of the following demographic factors is studied: profession, age groups, years of experience, and work conditions: war, explosion, economic crisis, corona pandemic, normal circumstances. Pearson correlations, T-test, ANOVA, and MANOVA are manipulated. Results show …

Well-Being And Its Relationship To Religiosity, Psychological Stress, And Death Anxiety Among A Sample Of The Lebanese Society, Mona Ghazi Sayegh, Mayssah Ahmed El Nayal

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

This study is divided into two sections: the first section aims to extrapolate the reality of the situation in the Lebanese society during the beginning of 2021 with regard to psychological stress and death anxiety following the Beirut Port Blast and during the Corona crisis and the beginning of the economic downturn in Lebanon; the second section aims to study the correlation among the components of well-being and religiosity, and the relationship between death anxiety and psychological stress with well-being and religiosity. It also aims to reveal the possibility of predicting well-being through psychological stress and death anxiety. In addition, …

Between Escape And Emigration: The Quest For An Identity, Marie-Ange Nohra Merhi

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

A real doubt marks the enterprise of an individual, to think of a human dimension that is internal to him, but grows outside him. The desire born in him, develops externally and depends on environmental events. What does separation do as a traumatic incident hindering desire for a young person ?

The best way to define desire, in the psychosocial and geocultural context of this century, would be to raise it in relation to its lack. Indeed, this paradox is inherent in the definition itself. At a certain level a schism takes place in human thought: a schism already existing …

Towards Urban Biodiversity: Simulating Design Parameters For Wildlife-Inclusive Green Infrastrcuture, Alisa Abdulghany, Baher Farahat

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

As of 2021, more than half of the global population resides in urban areas. This resulted in an overwhelming footprint affecting species habitat areas leading to biodiversity loss. By definition, urban biodiversity is the diversity of living things within the urban realm. By providing chances for habitat as part of new developments, preserving on-site habitats, and attempting to connect with the local ecosystems, we can help promote biodiversity. Green infrastructure (GI), which includes all semi-natural areas in the urban context, can serve as a vessel for biodiversity. Therefore, the problem can be defined by the urban footprint that expands on …

Revitalizing The Borderlines Through Architecture Of Green Networking - Case Study: Beirut, Lebanon, Karim Al-Khatib, Maged Youssef, Mona M. Salem

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Borders are an essential part of cities and countries, and they can create both physical and cultural divides. Inner-city borders can lead to social isolation and inequality, which can contribute to tensions and conflicts. Borders around the world have become a symbol of conflict, racism, fear, inequity, and division. One single line could divide between opportunity and hope and poverty and oblivion. Accordingly, some borders create social isolation between various cultures in cities that increase socio-political problems and remove urban connectivity. Green networking involves using urban green spaces, such as parks and gardens, to connect different areas of a city …

Assessment Of The Knowledge, Attitude, And Practice Towards Expired Drug Disposal Among The Community In Beirut City, Lebanon, Nada Khansa, Azza A. K. Gazy, Abdalla El-Lakany, Souraya Domiati

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

The global increase in pharmaceutical spending has led to enhanced international awareness of the unused and expired drug issues due to improper drug disposal's harmful economic, environmental, and health effects. Consequently, the study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward expired drug disposal among the community in Beirut City, Lebanon. A cross-sectional, observational, questionnaire-based study was conducted. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The fact that improper disposal of expired medicine affects the environment and health was acknowledged by 70.7% of the 450 participants. Even though 72.2% of the participants knew that the best method for …

Factors Influencing Political Participation In Lebanon: The Mediating Role Of Perceived Congruence, Mahmoud A. El Homssi, Alaaeldin A. Ali, Amal Kurdi

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

Abstract

This study analyzes the factors that influence political participation. These factors include: political information efficacy, political interest, community engagement, political party affiliation and perceived congruence. Moreover, this study addresses the mediating role of perceived congruence on the relationship between political interest, community engagement and political participation. A quantitative survey method was used and structured questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of 412 respondents. The findings of this study revealed that political interest, community engagement, and political party affiliation have a positive effect on political participation. In addition, the results indicated that perceived congruence has no direct or mediate …

Shaping Millennials’ Attitudes Towards Luxury Brands In International Cities: The Case Of Abu Dhabi, Zeina Mazloum

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

This study aims to investigate the impact of two intrinsic motives (perceived self-identity and perceived self- status) and two other extrinsic motives (celebrities and social media presence) on millennials' attitudes towards luxury brands; ultimately reflecting on their buying intention. Illustrated through a conceptual framework model, results reveal that intrinsic motives strongly influence millennials' attitudes while extrinsic motives slightly influence their attitudes towards luxury brands; both resulting in molding millennials' buying intention correspondingly.

A Two-Way Traffic Between Psychology And Human Rights, Mayssah El Nayal, Mona G. Sayegh

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not simply the absence of ailment or infirmity, and mental health as a state of well-being in which the individual is aware of his or her own abilities and is able to contribute to his or her community. On the other hand, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) declares that everyone has the right to a standard of living suitable for the health and well-being of himself and of his family. Therefore, mental health is a right and is protected by …

The Big-Five Personality Factors As Predictors Of Obsession-Compulsion Among A Sample Of University Students From Sudan, Ahmed M. Abdel-Khalek, Salaheldin Farah Bakhiet, Habab Abdalhiy Osman

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between the Big-Five (B-F) personality factors and obsession-compulsion. A sample of Khartoum University students was recruited (N = 547). They responded to the Arabic Big-Five Personality Inventory and the Arabic Scale of Obsession-Compulsion-Revised. Results indicated that women obtained a significantly higher mean scores than did men on agreeableness, neuroticism, and extraversion, but the size effects were small. Obsession-compulsion was significantly and positively associated with neuroticism, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness (in men), neuroticism, and agreeableness (in women). Principal components analysis extracted two high-loaded components in both sexes and labeled: “Stable personality”, …

The Effect Of The Syrian Crisis On The Profitability Of The Country's Private Banking Sector, Osama Alyousef

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

This research analyses the effect of the Syrian crisis on the profitability of local private banks during the period from 2011 to 2018 using fixed effects estimator on panel data. The research studies all of the 14 Syrian private banks and includes bank-specific variables calculated from the published quarterly and annual reports of all the banks, as well as a variable for the Syrian crisis measured by the following macro-economic factors: the number of crisis-related casualties, the number of Syrians who fled the country as refugees or asylum seekers, and the Syrian Pound exchange rate against U.S. Dollar during the …

Wellness Practices’ Contribution To Social Sustainability: A Review Of The Literature, Zeina Mazloum

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Despite being emphasized as one of the main pillars of global sustainable development, social sustainability has been vastly neglected in research, and its importance has been undervalued. This paper aims to highlight the important role that wellness practices play in enhancing social sustainability by uplifting individuals and progressing communities. In turn, social sustainability strengthens the circular economy, resulting in global sustainable development. The paper also raises questions about future sustainable communities, quality of life, and wellness programs, which open up new avenues for future research and implications.

Investigating Commercial Urban Corridors - A Pilot Study In Beirut Lebanon, Nour El Baba, Ibtihal Y. El-Bastawissi, Ayman Afify, Hiba Mohsen

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Urban environments are multifaceted, varied, dynamic, complex, and evolving as are the underlying features for human health and wellbeing (Bai, Nath, Capon, Hasan & Jaron, 2020). Healthy and resilient cities can be entry points and platforms for change, adaptation and innovation to achieve optimal health for urban communities and the environment (Regional Framework for Urban Health in the Western Pacific 2016–2020: Healthy and Resilient Cities, 2016). Planners considered urban corridors, which are connection and access between urban districts, as major elements in shaping the city image and forming its identity and investigating them are vital for enhancing healthy and resilient …

Exploring The Attributes Of Open Public Spaces In The Developing Cities, Aya Chehab

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Open Public Spaces, according to Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), are vital elements of urban fabrics that animate communities in cities. These significant spaces not only provide the residents with different facilities, but also promote social, economic, environmental and health opportunities. Successful open public spaces meet the needs of people of various social classes, ethnicities, and different backgrounds in general. Despite its importance within the city, the lack of appropriate design and planning strategies in developing cities have resulted in a degradation of the urban environment and subsequently the quality of urban life. The problem needs to …

Developing An Agent-Based Model Of Pedestrian Wayfinding To Conduct The Best Touristic Path In Historic Districts, Saada Hassan Khaled, Eslam M. Elsamahy, Mary Felix

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

A historic district is a historic and cultural conservation area that reflects traditional aspects from the past. A sense of memorable pathway allows pedestrian to experience the city happily and attract touristic activity in urban historic districts. The characteristics of touristic districts which facilitate pedestrian movement help in determining the optimum track. The aim of the research is to create an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate the activity of pedestrians in historic districts in order to way find the best touristic paths. Using Space-Syntax, a simulation of the interaction of tourists with the attraction points in old districts pathway will …

The Relationship Between School Architecture And Self-Efficacy Of Students With Special Needs In Some Schools In Lebanon - The Reciprocal Architectural Design Method, Hayat M. Itani

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

This study sought to develop a new architectural design methodology for educational facilities. The design factors of inclusive schools built environment affect the self-efficacy of students with special needs. Self-efficacy being defined by Albert Bandura as one's belief in one's ability to succeed completing specific tasks in a certain environmental action. This research is conducted by following the sequential explanatory research design, surveyed by a mixed method. Participants were a group of 35 special education teachers and 25 students with special needs, conveniently selected from some schools in Lebanon. The two questionnaires and the individual interviews administered by the researcher …

Partial Systems' Analysis Of Traffic Noise Reduction In Tarik Al Jadidah, Beirut, Ibtihal Y. El-Bastawissi, Nour El Baba, Shireen Khalil, Nour El Hage, Rouba Joumblat, Franz Gatzweiler

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Traffic noise is considered one of the main pollutants in an urban space and has multiple side effects regarding the physical and mental health of the human being. Tarik Al Jadidah, one of the most densely populated neighborhoods in Beirut City- Lebanon, is selected as urban area for a project-based initiative and the focal point of different studies in BAU Urban Lab. The area suffers from various urban problems, but prominently traffic noise that highly damages the urban residents' quality of life due to its high levels of traffic noise that surpasses the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines.

BAU Urban …

Does Citizens’ Involvement Reflect Sustainability In Smart Cities?, Zeina Mazloum

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Though being highlighted for years as a core driver for smart cities to advance, a small body of research revealed the significant role of citizens in contributing to smart cities’ maturity and sustainability. This paper emphasizes the importance of citizens’ involvement in the decision-making process in smart cities through obtaining a high quality of life, ensuring rapid urban growth, attracting brains, talents, and skills in addition to raising productivity. All these serve as solid foundations for sustainability in smart cities and opens doors wide for future studies.

Reviving The Neglected Urban Spaces Using Recreational Facilities, Malek Demashkieh

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Neglection is the act of failing to care about something, it is the act of carelessness and forgetting. Adding to that in the same context, neglected urban spaces are barren lands that have been forgotten by the government making these lands gaps scattered in the city like rivers that are natural freshwater streams that flow into a canal that leads to the sea, a lake, or another river. Harmonizing these areas into the society will offer opportunities for these spaces to become a liveable, social, urban public spaces. Unfortunately, forgotten, and neglected riverfronts areas are found in the cities, thus …

Role Of Public Spaces In Re-Activating The Cultural Identity, Reem Al-Zein

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Culture plays an important role in defining a society's values and identity. Craftsmanship has remained an important aspect of Lebanese cultural identity and history, contributing to the shaping of many public and private spaces as well as supporting families and people's livelihoods. Unfortunately, considering the significance of craftsmen cultural production in the country's social and economic development, it is still a lost field nowadays. Therefore, as result, this tradition is diminishing, threatening Lebanon's intangible cultural heritage. Therefore, this paper aims to develop convenient solutions to regenerate and to preserve the city's social, historical, and cultural image and identity through creating …

Proposing Guidelines To Upgrade The Open Public Spaces In The Informal Settlements, Lena Hosni, Ayman Afify, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Informal Settlements have expanded rapidly in the last fifty years and have kept rising. With rapid population expansion has come an increase in haphazard urbanisation and informal settlements, frequently referred as slums. Defined as a settlement that was formed in an unplanned and uncontrolled way, which means they are mostly unrecognized. Unfortunately, focusing on the problem of current challenges in informal settlements, on the socio-cultural and environmental levels, which are facing a massive shift in the quality of life in these sites, this is reflected in urban fragmentations, social and infrastructures are lacking, service systems that have become progressively inefficient …

Psychometric Evaluation Of The Adherence To Refills And Medications Scale (Arms) Among Adults Patients With Chronic Disease: The Lebanese Version, Mohamad Ismail, Mayssah El Nayal, Pascale Salameh, Souraya Domiati

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

Background: Non-adherence to medications can lead to several consequences that range from waste of drugs to death. Consequently, a tool to assess the adherence to chronic medication is a necessity. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to conduct the translation and cross-cultural adaptation process of ARMS into the Lebanese Arabic version (ARMS-A) and to examine its psychometric properties (validity and reliability assessment). Design: The original English version of ARMS was translated into Arabic based on the established guidelines. Eight expert panels were involved in content validation, while face validation was conducted on twenty participants during pilot testing. A cross-sectional …

A Novel Arabic Corpus For Text Classification Using Deep Learning And Word Embedding, Roua A. Abou Khachfeh, Islam El Kabani, Ziad Osman

BAU Journal - Science and Technology

Over the last years, Natural Language Processing (NLP) for Arabic language has obtained increasing importance due to the massive textual information available online in an unstructured text format, and its capability in facilitating and making information retrieval easier. One of the widely used NLP task is “Text Classification”. Its goal is to employ machine learning technics to automatically classify the text documents into one or more predefined categories. An important step in machine learning is to find suitable and large data for training and testing an algorithm. Moreover, Deep Learning (DL), the trending machine learning research, requires a lot of …

Extensive Descriptive Literature Review Revealing The Impact Of Banking Secrecy On Money Laundering: Prominence On The Lebanese Banking Sector, Nour Mohamad Fayad, Sara Karam Nassredine

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Worldwide financial institutions face complexity in balancing between business ethical standards on one hand, and the act of competitiveness on the other hand. Thus, while selecting their customers they seek customers that lead them to the optimum position of competitiveness in the market, taking into consideration the act of financial investigation to avoid money launderer customers. Money launderer customers seek to deal with financial institutions to proceed with operating their financial crimes. Therefore, this paper spots the light on “money laundering” alongside with the impact of banking secrecy on money laundering with prominence on the Lebanese banking sector. Thus, in …

Oil Price Fluctuations Impact On The Lebanese Economic Well Being, Hanadi Taher

BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing

This paper investigates the impact of oil price fluctuation on the Lebanese economic well being during the period from 1988 to 2018 using multivariable ordinary least square method with annual time series. taking the Lebanese GDP per capita as proxy for the economic wellbeing as dependent variable and the crud oil average annual prices as proxy for oil price fluctuations with Labor and gross fixed capital formation as two control variables. The test results show a significant and positive impact for the oil price fluctuations on the Lebanese economic well being and the significant results for control variables. In testing …

Detecting Types Of Phobia In Contemporary Architecture, Fatima Ghosn, Loulwa Alama, Mohamad Azhari

Architecture and Planning Journal (APJ)

Phobia in its broadest sense is an irrational fear or feeling, created in a person toward an object or a certain situation that might happen around him or in his imagination and it can be related to natural elements such as animals, insects, oceans, fire and heights. Furthermore, it can be related to build environment and manmade spaces or more simply, to architecture. Unfortunately, architects shifted from the standardisation and regularity to creating innovative and irregular spaces that are reflected by the exterior and interior design of the building without having any concern of the negative consequences such as phobias …

Exploring Potentials Of Leftover Spaces Using Urban Metamorphosis, Huda Maatouk, Marwan Halabi, Hiba Mohsen, Maged Youssef

BAU Journal - Society, Culture and Human Behavior

In a dynamic world, the challenge behind reaching utopia is a result of the continuity of change and the metamorphosis. Metamorphosis, from the Greek meta signifying the change and morphe referring to the form, is a change and adaptation of the form or nature of something into a different one through time. However, when it comes to urban metamorphosis, it is a tension between the traditional living and the raise of technology through history, and this adaptation is affecting cities, buildings, identity, and environment. Urban metamorphosis of undeveloped non-organized cities had created urban and social fragmentation; unorganized cities are broken …

Revisiting Prehistoric Archeological Sites: Envisioning First Built Environments To Repossess Geographically Specific Approaches In Architecture, Alisa Mohammad Kheir Abdulghany, Marwan Halabi, Maged Youssef, Bahaa El Dine Abou El Khoudoud

BAU Journal - Creative Sustainable Development

Since Prehistoric times, architecture had been a human response to an occurring natural setting. Starting from places of dwelling to buildings that no longer only serve physical requirements for survival. Architectural languages were approached initially as an expression of culture, evolution, and growth of a community within a natural setting. This response resulted in the creation of built environments, humanity’s decision to become sedentary. This decision took place in the Late Stone age, a key phase in our timeline. First built environments were born in a time known as the Neolithic revolution, which shown itself as humans transitioned from hunter-gatherer …