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Abstract
A closer interdisciplinary engagement by geographers, ethnographers and sociolinguists has resulted in new thematic issues being investigated and more sophisticated methodological approaches being adopted. The development of advanced IT and AI capabilities, particularly the wider adoption of Geographical Information Systems (GIS), has opened up new means of exploring and representing aspects of human behaviour. Of particular note is the appreciation by sociolinguistics of the various spatial perspectives currently being utilised in sub-disciplines such as studies of the interactions within metropolitan multilingual contexts, linguistic landscapes, new speaker research and applied language policy. This paper calls for a greater mutual reciprocity and syncretic interpretation of several key issues and promising methodologies. It also indicates how sociolinguists can contribute to significant societal debates on language policy and planning as part of social planning.

This conference paper is dedicated to rising issues concerning the preservation of graffiti. The author outlines practical and ethical aspects conservators are dealing with while preserving an industrial canvas. How to treat artworks that are tangible and intangible at once? Graffiti is not just a drawing we see on the murals. It is a form of social movement, an artistic expression of opinion. We can draw similarities with contemporary art, where an idea might be an essence of the artwork and artists do not always think about the longevity of their creations. Artists might use materials and techniques that make conservator's work practically impossible. That is why conservation in its traditional interpretation is an unsuitable solution for graffiti. Various ethical and practical questions have to be answered before conservator and society decide to preserve the art of graffiti.

The article analyses the problems and possibilities of forming a general methodological paradigm for the study, explanation and forecasting of social processes – in the context of the philosophical concepts of G. Hegel and F. Nietzsche. In particular, a fundamental possibility for forming a general methodological paradigm based on a dynamic balance of not optimal, but possible is analysed. The paper outlines the positive and negative aspects of the methodological paradigms of rationalism and irrationalism (postmodernism); points out the possibility of terminological discourse in determining the content of concepts and categories; emphasises the efficiency of the methodological paradigm of rationalism on the example of the analysis and implementation of the philosophical category 'measure'; substantiates the need for improvement of the spiritual priorities of various groups of the population – with a special emphasis on the layer of politicians.

Abstract
This article explores the shifting perspectives of Polish academics about the role of the Orthodox Church in domestic and interstate relations within the Commonwealth and the Russian Empire. Why Poland's sovereignty crumbled at the end of the 18th century was one of the most critical questions Polish historians sought to explain. Since Bohdan Khmelnytskii's uprising, Moscow's geopolitical objectives had placed the Ukrainian territories in the forefront of their attention.
It has been documented that the nineteenth-century Polish scientific research was more concerned with the social and political impact of Orthodox Churches in Commonwealth regions than any other aspect of its history. However, this scenario has altered through time. Since the eighteenth century, the viewpoints of Polish historians have changed drastically. Additionally, they investigated the inner workings of churches and religious activity in Ukraine.

Competition is often praised for enhancing efficiency in the process of resource-allocation. However, it could also put at risk the sustainability of firms operating within certain industries such as the financial sector. This could have further managerial implications when it comes to social enterprises such as microfinance institutions (MFIs). Using data from Superintendencia de Economía Popular y Solidaria over the period 2016-2019, this study aims at analyzing the aspects of competition on sustainability of Ecuadorian MFIs. More specifically, the research focuses on savings and credit cooperatives (SACCOs). Relying on both the structural and non-structural approach to measure competition at a firm level, findings are in line with an important portion of the microfinance literature claiming that competition is negatively associated with the main measures of financial sustainability and portfolio quality.

Libraries are an important social institution, significantly influencing the development of econ­omy, science, education and culture. They play the main role in forming the information infrastructure.The development of librarianship largely depends on the level of material support, the introduction of new technologies, the renewal of collections, as well as on the training of personnel. In many cases, just the problems of education, the level of qualification of the library personnel are decisive for providing population with effective information and library service. The author presents the results of the analysis of the state of library and information education in Tajikistan. The main strategic aspects of the development of higher education in the country are elucidated, as well as the trends in training, advanced training and retraining of library personnel, the problems are indicated and possible ways to solve them are defined.

Visual Anthropology, the study of visual systems, is a specialized study of culture involving photographs and films. The main objective of the study is to present the chronological development and changing trends in visual anthropology. Visual anthropology has a long history started with the photography of various cultural aspects by some professional photographers, and then there was an addition of supplementary use of photographs and films in ethnographic description. Later, reflexive, participatory and dialogic movements were introduced to more depth and objective studies, which finally led to the applied interventions with the use of photo voice technique in community-based participatory research to address social, environmental and health issues and problems. The paper provides an in-depth overview of enhancement in visual techniques and methods used for communication of anthropological observations and insights applicable for human welfare.

The Twelver Shi'a in Kuwait constitute a minority amongst the country's population. Compared to the situation of Shi'a in the region, they enjoy a good position economically and politically. While this political aspect of their identity frequently has been highlighted in scholarly literature, little has been written about how Shi'a ritual life relates to the political and economic spheres of social life. In this article, I discuss the performance of the annual Shi'a Ashura ritual in relation to the political status of the Shi'as in Kuwait. I show that the Shi'as' public enactment of the ritual is multifaceted and revolves around the issue of ritual visibility. Ritual performance demonstrates compliance with as well as contestations of state authorities' identity policy regarding religion and nationality, contestations within the Shi'a community, and contentions in relation to other groups in Kuwait.

Depression is one of the most common health problems in the developed world. Previous research has primarily investigated the relationship between depression and voting, largely overlooking its cognitive foundations. We turn to political efficacy as a key political attitude and precondition for political engagement. We build on research into the cognitive aspects of depression to construct arguments linking depression, political efficacy, and voting. Using cross‐sectional (European Social Survey) and longitudinal (U.K. Household Longitudinal Study) data, we find evidence for a negative relationship between depression and political efficacy, that depression reduces external but not necessarily internal political efficacy, and for an accumulation effect of depression on (external) political efficacy. We also show that political efficacy is a crucial mechanism for the depression–voting gap. Our research has important implications for political representation.

Though popular culture is celebrated among people across the country, the admiration for folklore and performing arts is very limited. In the domain of folklore, performing art forms are categorized and stratified based on 'who is performing it' or 'who is eligible to perform' with a benchmark of the social status of purity and pollution. This article discusses and reflects the dilution of casteism and fabricated caste identities and prejudices in oppari, ancient folklore and a musical dirge song performed in Tamil Nadu, which is considered as a polluted, discriminated cultural outcome and custom to be performed and etched with people belonging to oppressed classes in society. It also keeps a close lens and discussion on change in oppari, the role of casteism and its revamp in the contemporary scenario and sociocultural aspects of oppari within the realm of caste and performance.

This Open Forum contribution critically interrogates the use of space race rhetoric in current discussions about artificial intelligence (AI). According to this rhetoric, similar to the space race of the twentieth century, AI development is portrayed as a rivalry among superpowers where one country will win and reap major benefits, while others will be left behind. Using this rhetoric to frame AI development tends to prioritize narrow and short-term economic interests over broader and longer-term societal needs. Three particularly problematic aspects of using space race narrative in AI discussions are highlighted: first, perceiving technology development globally as a zero-sum game; second, pressuring governments to regulate less; and third, prioritising high technologies over social issues. This contribution invites to challenge underlying political assumptions of the AI space race discourse and to open up conversations about alternative futures.

AbstractResearch from the United States has shown that the 9/11 terrorist attacks activated individuals' ethnocentric predispositions to structure public opinion toward several political and social issues. Beyond this overall finding, several aspects of the activation hypothesis remain unexplored, including its geographical and substantive scope. Using the quasi-random timing of terrorist attacks during the collection of the 2016 GGSS, we demonstrate the terrorism-induced activation of ethnocentrism in Germany. Specifically, a cascade of terrorist attacks involving immigrants in the summer of 2016 activated ethnocentrism among native Germans to predict (lower) support for civil liberties relative to security concerns after its influence had been absent just a month before. Further, we show that the activation of ethnocentrism holds up in a series of robustness checks and is not explained by alternative factors, including other predispositions.

The article attempts to highlight the conceptual aspects of the integration processes of law and information in the process of formation of the information society. It is emphasized that the structural elements of the information model have an independent categorical legal significance. As a category of law, information reflects the signs of life situations in their specific images, which gives it legal significance. It is substantiated that the interdependence, development and integration of information and law as social phenomena has led to the active influence of information and related structures on the legal system, which has led to the knowledge of new patterns in the development of jurisprudence. In turn, it is demonstrated that the legal system is no less active in responding to modern information realities through internal reflection and self-development towards ensuring law and order in the information sphere.

Particularly in the current context of rapid political change it is key to understand the political participation of young people and what underpins their political engagement patterns as well the as the inequalities that may lay beneath them. While there is a rich literature on youth participation, to date we have lacked the data to carry out detailed subgroup analyses to understand differences in the political participation between different groups of youth cross-nationally. The papers in this Special Issue all examine different aspects of youth participation in the current context. They examine key questions for participation including the inequalities, socialising influences, polarisation, online participation, radical political views, tolerance, life engagement and opportunities for social inclusion. This Special Issue thus provides a contemporary analysis of youth participation in Europe in the current historical juncture.

OBJECTIVE: To highlight the emerging ethos of cultural rigour in the use of critical appraisal tools in research involving First Nations peoples. METHODS: Critical reflection on recent systematic review experience. RESULTS: The concept of cultural rigour is notably undefined in peer-reviewed journal articles but is evident in the development of critical appraisal tools developed by First Nations peoples. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional critical appraisal tools for assessing study quality are built on a limited view of health that excludes the cultural knowledge of First Nations peoples. Cultural rigour is an emerging field of activity that epitomises First Nations peoples' diverse cultural knowledge through community participation in all aspects of research. Implications for public health: Critical appraisal tools developed by First Nations peoples are available to researchers and direct attention to the social, cultural, political and human rights basis of health research.