Journal of Research in Social Science and Humanities

Impact of Modernisation on the Socio-Cultural and Living Conditions of Banjaras in India

B. Suresh Lal — 2025-12-15

The Banjara community, one of India’s largest nomadic and semi-nomadic groups, has undergone considerable changes in its cultural identity, economy, and living standards due to modernisation. The Banjaras, traditionally known for their caravan commerce and mobility, have undergone significant change due to developments in transportation, education, technology, urbanisation, government development programs, and global cultural influences. This study examines the effects of modernity on socio-cultural practices, economic livelihoods, settlement circumstances, gender relations, young ambitions, and health outcomes. This study provides a detailed, analytical, and multidimensional examination of the impact of modernity on the socio-cultural life, economic structure, and living conditions of the Banjaras in numerous Indian states. While it has increased access to education, employment, and social services, it has also caused cultural loss, identity disputes, and unequal economic integration. The article concludes with recommendations for culturally sensitive, sustainable development policies.

Social Proof and Its Effect on Chinese Consumers’ Buying Decisions on Social Media Platforms

Yixuan Wang — 2025-12-24

Social proof has emerged as a defining force in shaping consumer behavior within China’s rapidly evolving digital economy. As social media platforms such as WeChat, Douyin, and Xiaohongshu merge social interaction with e-commerce, the opinions, behaviors, and endorsements of others have become powerful determinants of purchasing decisions. This paper explores the mechanisms through which social proof operates in the Chinese context, examining its cognitive, emotional, and cultural dimensions. It discusses how visual cues, influencer marketing, and peer validation foster trust and drive engagement while highlighting the distinct influence of collectivist values, social status consciousness, and guanxi networks in reinforcing these effects. The analysis also addresses the ethical challenges posed by manipulated endorsements, fake reviews, and algorithmic bias, emphasizing the need for transparency and consumer protection. Finally, the study considers the future trajectory of social proof in China’s e-commerce ecosystem, where AI-driven personalization and data analytics are expected to make social influence more targeted yet ethically complex. By situating social proof within China’s cultural and technological landscape, this paper underscores its dual role as both a driver of digital engagement and a test of trust in the modern marketplace.

Space Security, Economy and New Demanding Cybersecurity Challenges Through the EU Space Act

Dimitris Liakopoulos — 2025-12-24

The present paper focuses on the European Commission’s proposal for the EU Space Act, which has a legal basis in Article 114 TFEU. The proposal’s ultimate goal was to harmonize national legislation on security, resilience and sustainability in relation to space activities within a single market like the European one. The regulation proposes and highlights precise and uniform rules for economic and private operators, which fosters investment and respects sovereign prerogatives in connection with the protection of national security requirements. The analysis also focuses on the challenges that may arise in the coming years, both nationally and internationally, by examining the context of the Union’s legal order, which is interconnected with provisions related to other Union-related matters.

A Study on Strengthening the Sense of Community for the Chinese Nation Among Youth in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Through the 15th National Games

Changfei Shao — 2025-12-24

The 15th National Games, which is hosted by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as an integrated region, mark a major domestic sporting event whose impact on forging a strong sense of the Chinese national community among young people in the three jurisdictions will be profound. By unpacking the internal logic from the twin perspectives of collective memory and emotional identification, this paper argues that the Games’ ritualized sports and competitive spectacles can create shared memories and spark emotional resonance, thereby strengthening youth’s sense of group belonging and identity. On this basis, it analyzes the Games’ value across political, economic and cultural dimensions—enhancing national identity, accelerating regional economic integration and amplifying the influence of traditional culture. Finally, it offers post-Games implementation proposals from three angles—spatial production, media communication and social interaction—advocating the sustained consolidation and deepening of a Chinese national community consciousness among Greater Bay Area youth through the activation of memory sites, narrative innovation and cross-border volunteer initiatives.

Gender and the Everyday Politics of Informality in African Cities

Farah Boateng — 2025-12-24

This paper explores how gender shapes the everyday politics of informality in African cities. It argues that informality is not a sign of disorder or economic failure but the central organizing logic of urban life, where survival, labor, and power are negotiated outside formal governance. Within this terrain, gender operates as a key determinant of access, visibility, and belonging. Women’s participation in informal economies through trading, domestic work, and neighborhood organization reveals how they sustain urban livelihoods while navigating moral regulation, spatial exclusion, and economic precarity. The paper conceptualizes these practices as a politics of survival: subtle, embodied acts through which women claim space, security, and recognition in contexts of structural inequality. Their informal labor functions as both social infrastructure and political expression, reconfiguring the meanings of citizenship beyond legality or formal rights. By examining informality through a gendered lens, the paper rethinks African urban politics as a field of everyday negotiation, where care, reciprocity, and endurance form the foundations of city life and governance.